I Became a Raid Boss-Chapter 203: Between familiarity and unfamiliarity (3)

In reality, there wasn’t much to explain.

The moment the eye appeared, my sense of time stretched and warped, like a winding spring that had been pulled too tight. But in reality, it didn’t take that long.

So, explaining that day’s events didn’t take much time either.

“...Hmmm.”

When I finished my story, Edel let out a short hum, as though she was pondering something.

It wasn’t a huge reaction.

Rather, it was Da-eun who reacted more strongly.

“That happened...?”

Da-eun looked at me with a worried expression.

Actually, maybe Da-eun could empathize more because of who she was.

Da-eun freezes up when she sees monsters.

“Yeah. Da-eun is such a coward.”

“...What’s that supposed to mean? Are you provoking me? If so, I’ll gladly take you on.”

Unfortunately for Da-eun, her desires weren’t going to be fulfilled.

“You’re saying you saw something beyond the wall?”

“If by ‘something beyond the wall’ you mean what I saw, then yes.”

Da-eun, who had been wiggling her fingers with a mischievous look, turned her attention to Edel’s words, wiping her smile and backing off.

Even Da-eun, who often likes to joke around, had enough sense not to play games in this atmosphere.

I was relieved, to be honest.

“...You provoked me first!”

Da-eun whispered, unable to raise her voice.

Ignoring the hand at the back of my neck, I focused on Edel.

“There aren’t many beings that could pressure you like that, so I think this was definitely the work of those guys.”

Edel lightly tapped the cube, wearing an expression of displeasure.

“Who left this thing here? Damn cockroaches...”

Even gods hate cockroaches, huh?

I made a mental note of this new information.

It probably wouldn’t be useful, but still.

“Do you have any idea what kind of being I saw?”

“Well... They’re pretty free-spirited creatures, so I can’t be sure just from your description.”

“Thought so.”

“But I do have a guess. The thing you saw is no ordinary being.”

“Wow. Really helpful information.”

It was an unexpected remark.

“If it weren’t for Edel, I would’ve never known that.”

“You’re such a brat.”

“Talking like it’s some grand revelation when it’s something anyone can figure out is the problem.”

So what I said was in self-defense.

I muttered that as I spoke half in jest, and then sighed.

“...Beyond the wall, are there monsters like that?”

“What’s wrong? Are you scared now? That’s not like you.”

“...Not like me?”

“Yeah. You’re always so annoyingly confident... well, it’s your charm, or should I say, your characteristic?”

“....”

Maybe I was overthinking, but I wondered if a compliment might’ve been the cause of that sharp tone in her voice.

But when I looked up, I saw that Da-eun was wearing the same expression as Edel. I didn’t say anything.

‘...Scared, huh.’

I thought I was just a little surprised, but to them, that’s what it looked like.

People say you can’t view yourself objectively.

You can say whatever you want about yourself, but sometimes, others see a completely different picture.

So maybe, they were right after all.

“Hmmm...”

If they come to invade, of course, I’ll fight back.

There’s no choice, is there?

If I don’t fight, the entire world will be eaten.

Though, if there were a choice, I’d probably still choose to fight.

But even now, I don’t feel confident that I could defeat the thing I saw that day.

I can understand why they might have seen me that way, given my inner doubts.

As I was lost in thought, Edel spoke up.

“If you want an answer to what you asked earlier...”

“What did I ask? Oh.”

I had asked if there were many of those creatures beyond the wall.

“Well, it’s not exactly an enemy.”

“...I see.”

“But aren’t you thinking of something wrong?”

Edel sat up straight, pushing herself off the chair as if she had been lounging.

“You’re boldly standing up to me, so why are you scared of just one of them?”

“...? Is Edel stronger than it?”

“...It’s not about being strong or anything, but if I were weak enough to lose to one of them, we’d have been destroyed already.”

“Ah...?”

“That doesn’t mean I’m weaker than them, though. That’s a pretty insulting thing to say.”

She wasn’t just saying it; she seemed genuinely offended, muttering under her breath.

How could someone think I was weaker than one of those creatures? Maybe I’ve lost my touch after resting too much... and so on.

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She even seriously suggested I go to an ophthalmologist.

“...Alright. I was wrong, so stop whining.”

I gave up after getting tired of hearing her complain.

“But I didn’t feel that way about you, Edel.”

So, isn’t it not too strange for me to think that way?

I said, and Edel gave me a look of pity for some reason.

“Well, normally, I wouldn’t need to show my strength. It’s foolish to keep flaunting it if I can hold it in. You’re doing the same thing right now.”

“...Mm.”

I didn’t want to admit it, but she was right, and I couldn’t argue back.

If I weren’t intentionally trying to be imposing, there would be no reason to release unnecessary energy.

When I was inexperienced, I couldn’t control my power, but once you reach a certain level, it’s actually easier to hold it in.

“And by the way, the reason why that creature showed so much intimidation is probably because it couldn’t control its own strength.”

“What do you mean? Someone with that much power couldn’t control it?”

“Yeah. At least from what I saw.”

Looking at me with a clueless expression, Edel smiled at my confusion.

“Why do you think they invade other dimensions to gather energy? If they have a homeworld, they could self-sustain more easily.”

“...Maybe it’s more efficient to invade and take the energy rather than self-sustain?”

“Maybe it’s because they can’t self-sustain.”

Da-eun and I gave our guesses, and Edel nodded.

“It’s not exactly right, but that’s what we thought.”

It seems they couldn’t gather enough energy on their own, or even if they could, it wouldn’t be nearly enough.

“If they could self-sustain, there’d be no reason to invade other dimensions for centuries. The losses would be huge. Don’t humans do the same? The more barren the land, the more likely it is for neighboring countries to invade.”

“...That makes sense.”

“So, what does this have to do with what I said earlier?”

“In short, they’re not properly organized. They’re risking death to invade other dimensions for energy.”

“Are you pitying them?”

“...Are you crazy?”

“Take it or leave it.”

If I had said I pitied them, I’d think I was crazy.

Thankfully, Edel wasn’t out of her mind.

“They’re the kind of creatures who can’t control their strength, so it’s not too strange for them to leak energy everywhere.”

“Hmm, I get it now.”

“So, don’t be so scared. Sure, there are strong ones among them, but they’re not as impressive as you think. I never thought I’d end up comforting you like this...”

...Was that really supposed to be comfort?

Normally, comfort would be said in a warmer tone, wouldn’t it?

Instead, what Edel said was blunt and unrefined.

It felt more like she was lecturing from a podium than offering comfort.

However, considering I felt more at ease after hearing it, maybe Edel’s words were right after all.

“Is that all you’re curious about?”

“For now, yes.”

Edel promised to let me know immediately once she figured out the cube’s identity.

As for the sequence of events, I expected the same answers if I asked again.

So, my business at Demons was over.

Just like I told Da-eun, it was over quickly.

“Then hurry up and go back. I’ve got to wrestle with this from now on.”

“I was going to go without you telling me.”

“Ah, take care...”

Edel waved her hand, signaling the end.

As we exited the office and entered the elevator, Da-eun grabbed my hand as I stared at the changing numbers on the screen.

“...?”

“Hehe.”

When I looked back, Da-eun was smiling at me with a bright expression.

“There’s plenty of time. How about we do some shopping on the way back?”

“...Do whatever you want.”

“Is that a promise?”

“Is that really something we need to promise?”

“I just know Kana would say no and run off. You don’t like shopping, do you? Isn’t that right?”

“I don’t like it.”

If there were fewer people, it might be different, but this place was packed.

“This time, let’s go somewhere else, not a department store. How about we go to the market? There are some snacks you can only get at the market. I’m sure you’ll love them!”

“...Do you think everyone likes snacks?”

“Is that a no?”

“....”

I turned my head slightly to avoid her gaze, then hesitated.

“...What kind of snacks are only available at the market?”

“Pfft! See, I knew you’d like them.”

...I didn’t agree just because of the snacks.

But as I thought that, I didn’t say anything, and I felt Da-eun messing with my hair.

It wasn’t because I was embarrassed.