I Became a Raid Boss-Chapter 119: The Ascension Ritual (10)

“Wow...”

Daeun let out a breath of admiration.

“Should we call this a masterpiece?”

She glanced at me while gazing at the mountain of monster corpses.

“Kana, what do you think?”

“...Why are you asking me?”

“Well, isn’t the best way to understand an artwork’s intent to ask the artist directly? What if I misinterpret it and someone says, ‘That’s not what I meant’?”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that.”

It’s not like this is a piece of art, and I’m not an artist. What intent could there be?

“Is there even anyone who’d consider that a work of art?”

“Kana, even if it looks meaningless to us, if the artist has something they’re trying to convey through it, then it can be considered art.”

“I’m telling you, I’m not an artist.”

What could I possibly be trying to convey?

I’ve never been someone drawn to highbrow, metaphor-laden messages. If I have something to say, I’ll just say it directly. I’m not the type to couch my thoughts in “artistic” expressions, which to me often seem frustratingly indirect.

Similarly, appreciating art has never been my thing.

It reminded me of something...

Ah, that’s right. It happened when I was invited to a noble’s banquet.

“This is one of my prized possessions.”

“Hmm.”

“Do you know how much gold I spent to acquire this? Over a hundred coins!”

“...That expensive?”

“Of course! Even a simpleton like you must have heard of Fernando. This is his tenth masterpiece. Acquiring it was a stroke of luck, a blessing from Edel!”

“Edel wouldn’t waste a blessing on something like buying a painting.”

“Waste? How dare you call it a waste?! This is a priceless treasure that money alone can’t buy!”

“Fine, fine. Is showing me this why you called me here?”

“Yes. Isn’t it splendid? ...Ahem. If you’re interested, I could give you a detailed explanation—”

“No thanks. Not interested.”

“You...! How rude! I went out of my way to spare some time, and this is the thanks I get?!”

Whether she was the daughter of an earl or a marquis, I don’t remember. But it was a banquet hosted by a noble my age, and she had proudly shown off some famous painting she’d acquired.

However, the name “Fernando” was new to me, so her boasting didn’t resonate. When I responded dismissively, she fled with a face that wavered between pouting and tearful.

“Fled” might sound extreme, but the urgency in her steps left no better word for it.

When I told my father about the incident, he gave me an oddly complex expression and said:

“...You need to work on being more sensitive.”

The memory was still vivid.

The point is, I’m just not interested in art. If she’d shown me a legendary sword instead, my reaction would’ve been much different.

“Ah, those were the days.”

My brief recollection ended as I lifted my gaze. Around the mountain of monster corpses, demons busily moved about, extracting miasma from the bodies.

This wasn’t something I or my companions could help with, so we stood silently, watching the process.

We were past the point of no return now.

Not that I ever planned to turn back.

If I were to use a metaphor, it’s like meat cooking over a flame—you can’t exactly take it off halfway.

“Uh... that’s such a Kana-esque comparison.”

“A Kana-esque comparison?”

“Yeah, out of all the metaphors you could use, you chose meat. It really shows how much you love it.”

“...Is that a problem?”

“No, it’s just... cute.”

“Sure, whatever.”

Cute? What’s so cute about it?

I brushed off Daeun’s teasing as usual.

The conversation fell silent for a moment.

As talkative as Daeun was, even she couldn’t talk nonstop for 24 hours. Naturally, there were these occasional lulls.

Usually, Selene would seize these moments to chime in, but today, she remained quiet. A quick glance at her face showed she was tense.

“Nervous?”

“...I am. This is my first time being responsible for something so important. I keep thinking that if I mess up, you could be in danger, Kana. It’s hard to calm down... Was it that obvious?”

“Yeah, very. Anyone would think you’re the one undergoing the ritual, not me.”

“Kana, aren’t you nervous?”

“Of course I am.”

I’m human, aren’t I?

Hearing my answer, Daeun’s jaw dropped.

“You get nervous?!”

“...If you thought that, why’d you even ask?”

“I don’t know... Hearing you say it is just so surprising...”

“What’s so surprising?”

“Well, it’s just... I can’t picture you being nervous. Even now, you say you’re nervous, but your face and actions don’t show it.”

Daeun listed typical signs of nervousness: tense expressions, sweating, restless fidgeting. Normal people do those things, she said.

There was only one answer I could give.

“I’ve just gotten used to it.”

How many times have I faced life-and-death situations?

The first time I went to battle, I was incredibly nervous. I don’t remember much, but maybe I shook like an earthquake.

But when something happens repeatedly—dozens, even hundreds of times—you become desensitized.

It also helps that I’ve grown strong enough to survive most situations.

“And I’ve said it before: I’m not planning to die here.”

“Kana, do you know what the most common last words of young men are? ‘It’s fine, I won’t die.’ No one ever thinks they’ll die in an accident. That’s why it’s called an accident—it’s unexpected. You always have to be cautious!”

“...Ugh, nagging.”

Blah, blah, blah.

Who doesn’t know you have to be cautious? She’s just stating the obvious.

As her tirade ended, I pulled my hands away from my ears.

“Who knew you’d make such a good mom?”

“I mean, having a cute daughter like you would be great, but can’t you just call me ‘big sister’ for now? Saying I have a grown daughter makes me sound too old!”

“Grown...”

I nodded.

“Sure, I’ll call you that.”

“What? You liked that word so much?”

“...Not really.”

“Not really? Your smile’s practically reaching your ears.”

“...!”

Reflexively, I raised my hand to my mouth.

Even without a mirror, I knew my lips weren’t curling up as much as she claimed.

Daeun, grinning, teased further.

“See? You liked it. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have checked. Caught you!”

“I checked because it was ridiculous, not because I agreed. There’s no way I was smiling that much.”

“Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen you laugh out loud. Smiles and soft chuckles, sure, but never a big laugh. Have you, Selene?”

“No, and if Daeun hasn’t, I certainly wouldn’t have.”

“Hm...”

“...Why are you staring?”

The source of this c𝓸ntent is freewebnøvel.coɱ.

“Well, you know how to laugh, right? Maybe we should try using healing magic?”

“Oh, great idea!”

“...?”

What? How did my offhand comment turn into this?

Before I knew it, Selene’s holy power washed over me.

The warm sensation left me baffled as Daeun and Selene whispered seriously to each other.

...Unbelievable.

“Is laughing really that important? It’s not like I never smile, right?”

It’s just that there hasn’t been much worth laughing about.

“That’s true, but it’s been quite a while since I first met you. Are you saying there wasn’t a single moment worth laughing about all this time?”

“I think Kana’s emotional threshold is just really high. Not just laughing—even seeing her visibly react to things is rare.”

“That’s not entirely true. When something bothers her, it’s obvious. Like when she disapproves of my swordsmanship or when vegetables show up on the table...”

“Ah, I see. Daeun, you seem to know Kana much better than I do.”

“Of course! We’ve spent a lot of time together. With a bit of effort, you’ll get there too, Selene. Kana’s simpler than you’d think.”

“Got it. I’ll try.”

“...You both realize I can hear you, right?”

I’m not some tree on the side of the road. How can they just say that while I’m listening?

When I pointed this out, Daeun wagged her finger.

“If we said it where you couldn’t hear, it’d be gossip, and gossiping is bad.”

“Wow. I’ve never heard something so wrong sound so right.”

Daeun had a talent for making everything she said sound ridiculous.

If she claimed the sun rose in the east, I’d feel compelled to double-check.

“Actually, it’s not that hard to read Kana’s emotions.”

“...?”

“Is that so?”

“It’s subtle, but you can tell. Like, ‘She’s in a good mood,’ or ‘She’s annoyed, better not bother her.’ Right now, for example, she’s exasperated, but not in a bad mood.”

“This is ridiculous.”

“Alright! I’ve made up my mind!”

Daeun clenched her fist.

“From now on, my goal is to make Kana laugh out loud!”

“So you’re finally considering a career as a bard? Good choice.”

Even if people chart their own paths, it’s hard not to feel regret when someone wastes their potential. That’s why I applauded her realization.

“Wait, a bard? What are you talking about—?”

“That’s enough chatter.”

A voice interrupted Daeun.

Justina, who had been busy overseeing the miasma extraction, approached us.

“The extraction is complete.”

“That was quick.”

“All that remains is to dismantle the barrier. Once it’s done, there’s no going back. If you wish to reconsider, speak now.”

Reconsidering, huh.

Suddenly, Daeun placed a trembling hand on my shoulder.

She’d been acting calm, but she couldn’t hide her nerves anymore. Even though I’m the one performing the ritual, everyone else seemed more tense.

Did she realize?

“No.”

That slight trembling only solidified my resolve.

I can’t turn back—I have to move forward.