I Became a Raid Boss-Chapter 205: Power is overflowing...! (2)

I see that the previous chapter has ended in an unexpected tone and with a mysterious sound. I will now continue the translation from where it left off.

Thinking back, when we went to Demonic Nins last time, Edel mentioned something.

She said I had become quite soft.

I don’t think she said it exactly like that, but I remember it being something along those lines.

At the time, I didn’t think much of it.

‘Maybe Edel was right after all.’

I never imagined Da-eun would think like that.

‘...No.’

Hmm, no, wait.

After thinking for a moment, I realized Da-eun would probably worry no matter what I did.

Even if I were to try cutting tofu with a kitchen knife, she’d definitely make a big fuss, saying I’d cut myself.

So, maybe the concern I’m having right now is not really worth much.

Still, I couldn’t just ignore it completely.

Becoming softer meant becoming weaker.

That’s probably why Da-eun felt anxious about my behavior.

If I knew it was wrong, shouldn’t I correct it?

"So, no more head pats for now."

"...Why?!"

Da-eun looked utterly dejected when she heard my words.

Her expression reminded me of someone who’d just lost all their fortune to gambling.

For a moment, it seemed like the sky was falling.

"...I can’t accept this kind of future!"

Da-eun jumped up angrily, raising her voice as if she were a lone warrior fighting against all the injustices of the world.

"You're telling me not to pet Kana? You might as well tell me to just die!"

"That’s a bit too much."

"It’s not an exaggeration, it’s the truth! ...Wait, just to make sure, hugging and cheek pinching aren't forbidden too, are they?"

"...What kind of nonsense are you talking about?"

It was ridiculous even asking such a thing, and even more ridiculous that I was answering it.

"Guess that’s not the case, right? Phew, thank goodness."

"Of course, it’s forbidden."

Da-eun’s face changed back to her usual one.

That face—the one that looked as if the sky had fallen.

"This is tyranny!"

Updat𝓮d from frёewebnoѵēl.com.

"...Where do you see that?"

"You're telling me not to feel the softness of your head, or the warmth of your cheeks, or the gentle touch of your hand? The people are being oppressed without a care, and if this isn’t tyranny, then what is it?"

"Rights."

You’ve been enjoying it without giving it in the first place, so what right do you have to complain?

"To be precise, I’m just taking back what a scoundrel had been unlawfully holding."

"That’s why sharp little brats..."

Tch.

Da-eun clicked her tongue.

"At least give me a reason. Why did you suddenly think like this?"

"Isn’t it my right to exercise my rights? Do I have to give a reason for that?"

"...Are you dreaming of becoming a lawyer? Where did you pick up all that legal jargon?"

"On the internet."

"Well, yeah. It must be from there. I’ve been saying that the internet is the problem."

"...Is that so?"

I thought for a second that maybe the internet wasn’t entirely bad...

But I didn’t say it out loud since I had a pretty good idea of what Da-eun would say.

"Of course, you must be thinking 'Kana took something from me, so that’s why it's a problem!'"

Instead of responding to Da-eun’s words, I decided to share my earlier thoughts instead—though I trimmed it down quite a bit.

"Hmm."

Da-eun, who had been listening quietly while I spoke, fell deep into thought as soon as I finished my sentence.

About two tick marks on the clock passed before she spoke.

"I think differently."

Da-eun, who had been joking earlier, now spoke very seriously as if trying to distance herself from her playful behavior.

"Do you really think 'becoming softer' and 'becoming weaker' are the same thing?"

"Aren’t they? Both terms refer to someone not being firm."

"That’s true, but the way they’re used is different, especially when talking about people."

"Hmm..."

I wasn’t sure what she was getting at.

I tilted my head, and Da-eun added some clarification.

"What do you think when someone says 'That person is a soft person'?"

"...They’re a good person?"

"Kind, compassionate, merciful. Something like that, right? Then what about when someone says, 'That person’s temper is weak'?"

"...Ah."

Da-eun nodded.

"Doesn’t it make you think they’re fragile, indecisive, like they can’t stand firm?"

"Yeah."

"So, I don’t think Edel was saying you had become 'softer' in that sense. Was there anything else she said?"

"Hmm... Oh."

As I rummaged through my memories, I started recalling some things I had forgotten.

"Edel said it was good that I had become softer, not duller."

"See? Edel said that. So why were you worried?"

"Well..."

The answer to Da-eun’s nagging question was simple.

The reason I couldn’t remember it properly was obvious.

"Edel said it."

When I first met Edel, it was at the Kingdom of Sedeth. But I got to know her better only after coming to Earth.

During the few days I spent in Demonic Nins recovering my beaten body, I had many conversations with Edel.

While we talked about important things like future plans, we also had quite a few casual discussions.

And as a result, I learned one thing.

Edel likes to talk about trivial things.

Of course, it wasn’t as bad as Da-eun, but...

So, the reason I ignored Edel’s words and didn’t remember them properly wasn’t my fault; it was Edel’s fault.

"Your comments are quite mild..."

"Da-eun will get it once she spends more time with Edel. She’ll understand why I say this... Hmm, maybe not?"

Both of them are good at chatting about trivial topics, so they might actually get along better than I expected.

I thought this to myself, but Da-eun narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"That looks like a disrespectful glare... Are you plotting something inside?"

"Of course not."

"It doesn’t seem like it’s just 'of course not'. But, let’s leave that aside... There’s something I really want to say."

Da-eun quietly moved closer and placed her hand on my head.

It wasn’t heavy at all, just resting there lightly, almost as if she was simply brushing my hair with her fingers.

As I felt her soft touch, I muttered grumpily.

"...I told you, no more."

"Has it already been put into effect? No way! You didn’t announce the date properly, so it’s void! Void!"

"Sigh."

I didn’t expect Da-eun to actually be able to hold back.

Still, wasn’t it too soon for her to give in?

...Well, if she really hated it, she would have shaken it off, right?

"If we're talking about anxiety, the old days were worse."

"Old days?"

"When we were in Sillia, especially before going to the Kingdom. Back then, you really seemed anxious."

"Isn’t that just because we weren’t close back then?"

"Hehe, so that means we’re closer now?"

"We’ve become closer than before."

"...I thought Kana would be embarrassed when I said that. Hmph, that’s boring."

"That’s dopamine addiction."

Now that we’re living together, what’s the point of denying it?

At times like this, it’s best to just accept things calmly.

I spoke with an air of indifference, as though it wasn’t a big deal.

"Your ears are really red though. Anyway, it’s not really about that. Back then, Kana seemed so fragile. I thought you’d collapse if someone just nudged you."

"...Did I really seem like that?"

"You did. So I’m glad you’re doing much better now. You’re still annoying sometimes, but that’s how kids grow."

Da-eun smiled mischievously.

"How was that? Did it touch your heart?"

"...Are you serious?"

If she hadn’t added those extra remarks, I might have given it some thought.

Just a little bit.

But asking if I was touched after saying something like ‘you’re still a kid’ was too shameless.

"Alright."

At least, this helped me clear my thoughts.

In short, my previous concerns weren’t really worth worrying about, right?

Yeah, when did I start caring about other people’s opinions? Why did I think 'how I see myself' wasn’t as important as 'how others see me'?

Once my thoughts were organized, my mind felt more at ease.

"So from now on, I’m not going to listen to Da-eun."

"...What? How did we end up here from our conversation?"

I heard Da-eun muttering in disbelief, but I didn’t respond.

What she had just said was exactly the kind of thing I often thought about during our conversations.

Now, it was time for Da-eun to get a taste of her own medicine.

"Ah... My power is overflowing...!"

The blue light, shimmering like a mirage, flowed down her arms.

Although it lacked a clear form, the blue light that rose from her hands slithered up her arms as if it would devour them whole.

"With this power..."

An awkward voice spoke.

Upon hearing it, Da-eun grinned slyly.

"...With this power, I can do anything."

"Tch. Cowardly."

"Cowardly? Hahaha... How foolish. There are only winners and losers in a match. To think someone in this cruel world is still spouting dreams like that... It’s laughable."

When she finished speaking, the blue light, which had been flickering anxiously, finally found its stability.

It became so faint that you wouldn’t notice it unless you looked closely.

But the person standing in front of Da-eun knew that now, the danger was even greater than before.

"Are you sure you’re not planning to give up? Stop talking, and just disappear."

Thud!

With a crooked smile on her lips, Da-eun stomped her feet.

Incredibly fast.

In the blink of an eye, Da-eun’s fist was right in front of her opponent’s face.

Thud!

With a simple sound, the person was sent rolling on the ground.

"Ugh!"

That person, of course, was Da-eun.

"She’s putting on a show. A real show."

I muttered under my breath while watching Da-eun’s actions.

I’m not sure if my voice reached Da-eun, who was lying on the ground, but I couldn’t express my feelings any other way. I would have let out a deep sigh if I hadn’t said anything.

I turned my gaze to Yuki, who had knocked Da-eun to the ground.

"Why are you going along with this? You don’t have to pretend to like it."

"I’m not pretending. It was actually fun, so I enjoyed it."

"...Really?"

Her tone sounded reluctant, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Yuki’s acting skills never failed to impress me.

"Ugh..."

While I was still in shock, Da-eun, who had been knocked to the ground, got up unsteadily.

"I thought I could win."

"Yeah, right."

As soon as she got up, Da-eun muttered something pitiful, and I retorted sarcastically.

"Physical enhancement isn’t everything. If you charge in like that, it’ll only make it harder to hit."

"Ugh..."

It had been only a few days since Da-eun gained control of mana.

She was now able to perform light physical enhancements.

After feeling the boost in power while hitting the sandbag, Da-eun had confidently challenged Yuki to a spar, claiming that now she could win.

As you can see, she was utterly defeated.

"It wasn’t that bad!"

"You didn’t even get close, and you were knocked out with a single hit. How is that not bad?"

And Da-eun’s main weapon was supposed to be a sword. Why did she charge in with her bare fists?

The more I thought about it, the less I understood.

"If physical specs were all that mattered, then why would swordsmanship even exist?"

"Ugh! Stop with the nagging!"

Da-eun covered her ears and rolled on the floor.

"I know! I know, but I still wanted to try! I don’t want to hear, 'He was the weakest among our three kings!' anymore!"

"Da-eun."

Yuki, who had blocked Da-eun’s rolling, crouched down.

"Not 'three kings', it’s 'two kings'. Kana is in the demon lord position, so she’s an exception."

"...I hate that more. What does 'two kings' even mean? That sounds terrible."

Da-eun whined.

I looked down at her with disdain and poked her side.

"Stop rolling around and get up, you weakest one. Your clothes are getting dirty."

Were you planning on absorbing all the dust in the gym?

I clicked my tongue as I thought about that.

Thud, thud.

"...?"

A strange sound echoed throughout the gym.