I Became a Raid Boss
Chapter 204

“Like this?”

“No, more like this….”

“Ha….”

As I observed Yuki swinging her sword, my attention was drawn to Da-eun’s voice.

A voice brimming with exhilaration.

Yuki, too, seemed to hear it and halted her movements, looking in the same direction as I was.

Whether she noticed us watching or not, Da-eun raised her clenched fists high into the sky.

“I did it!”

She trembled with excitement, flailing her limbs wildly.

While it was clear from her actions what kind of emotions Da-eun was feeling…

“Something about this feels a little… off.”

“Yeah.”

Even so, there was something unsettling about Da-eun’s actions that made watching her somewhat uncomfortable.

Why was that?

As I pondered while twisting a strand of hair, I suddenly let out a small gasp.

“Doesn’t it remind you of something? Like a fish flailing after being dragged out of water.”

“…Hmm. It does, kind of.”

Even I thought it was a pretty fitting metaphor.

Apparently, Yuki agreed, nodding in response to my words.

“That’s too much of an exaggeration!”

But not everyone seemed to think so.

Well, people perceive things differently even when seeing and hearing the same thing.

“How could you say that? ‘A fish flailing after being dragged out of water’? What does that even mean?!”

“It means exactly what it says.”

“I’m asking what you mean by it!”

Though she was some distance away, Da-eun somehow managed to overhear our conversation.

Before I knew it, she had approached me and was roughly ruffling my hair.

“Instead of congratulating your sister for achieving something great, you compare her to a fish gasping for air as it flails desperately, only to meet its inevitable demise! That’s so hurtful…!”

“I didn’t mean it that harshly.”

“But that’s exactly what you meant.”

“That’s….”

I hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“That’s true.”

“You’re supposed to deny it at times like this!”

“Lying is bad.”

“Oh, really? So from this moment on, I can take everything you say as the truth, huh?”

“…? Do as you wish.”

It’s not like she needed my permission anyway.

When I replied nonchalantly, Da-eun’s mischievous smile grew even wider.

“Is that so? Then even if you say you don’t like sweet things, I should believe it, right?”

“….”

“Well? Why aren’t you saying anything? Go ahead and say it—‘I don’t like sweet things.’ Say it!”

“Ugh….”

“Come on, say it~!”

“I-I… sniff….”

Da-eun leaned in close, pressuring me.

Her sly grin drew nearer and nearer.

At that moment, an unexpected savior came to my rescue.

“Stop bothering my teacher.”

Yuki, in the most awkwardly dramatic tone imaginable, inserted her arm between Da-eun’s and pulled her away.

“H-Hey! What’s this? Let me go!”

Da-eun protested like a third-rate villain as Yuki dragged her away.

Her reaction, so vividly expressive, stood in stark contrast to Yuki’s stiff delivery, making it all the more amusing.

It felt as if she wasn’t acting but actually speaking her mind.

“Of course, because she’s not acting.”

“Yeah. Da-eun could make a great actress.”

“Ahhh! I told you it’s not acting!”

Da-eun writhed as if throwing a tantrum, but Yuki’s firm grip didn’t budge an inch.

Though Da-eun had trained as well, there was no way she could match Yuki, who had devoted far more time to physical conditioning.

Their training goals were different, so it was only natural that she couldn’t win.

“This is so unfair….”

In the end, Da-eun gave up, slumping her body in defeat.

Even then, she left behind one last line befitting a third-rate villain.

Clap.

I discreetly gave Yuki a thumbs-up, and she returned the gesture with a subtle thumbs-up of her own.

Just as things seemed to settle down and the atmosphere grew calm…

“So, what exactly did you accomplish?”

I asked Da-eun.

Pouting her cheeks in discontent, she finally opened her mouth when I stared at her.

“…Mana. I did it.”

As she said that, she opened her palm wide, revealing a faint blue energy swirling above it.

It looked like it could dissipate at any moment, but it was undoubtedly mana.

At least, I couldn’t mistake mana for anything else.

…Wait, but—

A sudden question crossed my mind, causing me to tilt my head.

“If you managed to control mana, couldn’t you have used it to escape?”

What allows humans to fight opponents much larger and stronger than themselves?

Isn’t it mana that makes the impossible possible?

“If you used mana, you could’ve escaped Yuki’s grasp. So why did you quietly let yourself be held?”

“…Don’t tell me you enjoyed being restrained by Yuki?”

“Is that what it was? Sorry, but I’m not into restraining others. I can’t cater to your preferences.”

“…You two are really insufferable together. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have invited you to my house back then.”

Da-eun’s voice was filled with regret, as if she genuinely meant what she said.

“What you just said, Kana, is like asking a baby who just learned how to roll over why they can’t run yet.”

“Hmm….”

This time, I tilted my head in the opposite direction.

“That—”

“If you even think about saying, ‘Is that all?’ I’m going to pinch your cheeks, so be careful.”

“….”

But I really do think so.

“You’ve managed something much harder, so why wouldn’t you be able to do this?”

“…Something harder?”

“That.”

I gestured with my eyes toward Da-eun’s palm.

The faint blue mana, which looked as though it could dissipate at any moment, was still dancing on her palm.

“Compared to simple physical reinforcement, this is much harder to achieve.”

Of course, I managed to do both without much difficulty from the start.

“But I still don’t quite get it.”

“Well, that’s fair.”

The hardest part was getting a feel for manipulating mana. Once she’s over that hurdle, I can teach her the rest gradually.

After returning from Demoninus, she dedicated herself to training, and she’s finally seeing results.

Swish, swish.

“…What are you doing?”

“Mm. Good job, really.”

I patted Da-eun’s head as she was still being held by Yuki, causing her to give me a baffled look.

Ignoring her expression, I kept patting her head, and Da-eun sighed.

“…This feels weirdly good, but also unpleasant.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Simply put, I’m feeling ambivalent. Anyway, can you let me go now?”

“Sure.”

Yuki let her go so easily that it was as if she had never been restraining Da-eun in the first place.

Stretching her stiffened body, Da-eun muttered to herself, “So this is supposed to be that difficult?” as she started moving her mana around.

She tried punching and kicking at the air, her movements erratic and strange.

After a while, she stopped, breathing heavily.

“I still don’t get it.”

“You can’t expect to master it all at once.”

I tried to comfort her, but her expression didn’t brighten.

Noticing her restless demeanor, I cautiously asked her a question.

“What’s making you so anxious?”

As I said earlier, Da-eun dedicated herself to training after returning from Demoninus.

I’ve seen firsthand how she spent nearly all her time at Yuki’s gym, apart from her broadcasting sessions. I know how earnest she was.

That doesn’t mean she wasn’t working hard before, but this time, she pushed herself even more.

“Um, well….”

Da-eun hesitated, sneaking a glance at me.

“You know what I said a few days ago in Demoninus? After hearing what you said, Kana, I realized I couldn’t keep going like this….”

She knows that no matter how hard she struggles to get stronger, it won’t be enough to truly help.

But even if she can’t be of help, she doesn’t want to hold anyone back.

She’s the oldest, and she promised to protect others. If she clings to others and becomes a burden, it would be disgraceful.

At the very least, she needs to become strong enough to take care of herself.

That determination fueled her resolve, and now, the result is standing right in front of me.

“I see.”

I’d already had a rough idea, but that’s the real reason.

While I nodded in understanding, Da-eun kept glancing at me nervously.

“…Aren’t you going to say anything?”

“Is there anything to say?”

If Da-eun wants to grow stronger, I have no reason to stop her—in fact, I’d encourage her.

It’s not like her intentions are impure.

If you think about it, her training is just an extension of exercise.

The main purpose of exercise is to maintain health, and her training is to protect herself. So, in a broader sense, it’s the same thing.

“…Come to think of it, I guess not.”

Da-eun scratched her cheek awkwardly.

“Anyway, good job.”

I stood on my tiptoes and patted Da-eun’s head again.

In Silia, many people live their entire lives without ever awakening mana, and this world didn’t even have mana until recently.

Even with my help, it must’ve been incredibly difficult for Da-eun, who grew up in such a world, to awaken her mana.

That’s why it felt a bit frustrating when I was teaching her.

But now that she’s succeeded, isn’t that all that matters?

“…This really does feel weird.”

Da-eun accepted my pats with a puzzled expression.

“Should I stop?”

“No. It’s fine.”

Is this how Da-eun felt when she patted my head?

I think I understand why she does it whenever she gets the chance.

Each time I moved my hand, strands of her sweat-drenched hair stuck slightly to my palm.

Normally, I’d find it gross and would’ve immediately wiped my hand clean.

But today, it doesn’t seem to bother me at all.

—

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