I Became a Raid Boss-Chapter 100: Sickly beauty (3)

Two days had passed since Krumo's Shadow attacked the village.

I still couldn’t leave the sickbed, and in front of me, Daeun was smiling with a spoon in her hand.

“Kana, say ‘ahh~’”

“....”

“My arm’s going to fall off. Quickly, ‘ahh~’”

“I can... feed myself.”

“Is the patient... talking back...?!”

“...Sigh.”

“Oh, no, at this rate, you’ll spill it! If Kana doesn’t take a bite right now, this bright red stew will end up staining the white blanket, and think of the poor person who has to clean it! No way would you ignore that—Kana, who’s so kind-hearted—”

“Ah.”

...She’d make my ears bleed at this rate.

I reluctantly opened my mouth, and only then did Daeun finally close hers. Humming a little tune, she seemed pleased with her success.

I chewed the stew, swallowing a chunk of diced meat, and said, “Honestly, Daeun, I think you’d make a better bard than a swordsman.”

“Huh? Really? Now that you mention it, I am pretty good with words... and I don’t think my singing voice is too bad either...”

“That’s... not what I meant.”

But since she seemed content, I let it slide.

‘...How did it come to this?’

Being fed like a baby bird.

I sighed inwardly, taking another bite of the stew she offered. Honestly, I still wasn’t in great shape. I’d improved since two days ago, but the occasional dull ache forced a grimace onto my face.

Still, I didn’t think I was so unwell that I needed this level of care, yet everyone around me looked at me like a bird with broken wings.

Yesterday, I tried stepping out for a little walk just to get some fresh air.

‘Hold on! Kana, where are you going?’

‘I’m feeling cooped up. I’m going to get some fresh air.’

‘How can you even think about going out when walking’s still hard for you? I’ll open a window for you instead, so just settle for that, okay?’

‘I don’t want to.’

‘...I have no choice then. Selene, could you help?’

‘Leave it to me.’

‘?!’

...They even used holy magic to hold me back.

I could’ve broken through if I’d really wanted to, but seeing them go to such lengths left me no choice but to stay put. Not that holy magic was meant for this purpose...

And it wasn’t the only thing bothering me.

“Hm... ho... I see...”

‘...Can’t you keep your muttering to yourself?’

“No.”

‘You just woke up; go back to sleep.’

“Wasn’t it you who woke me up? Now, the moment your business is done, you want me to leave? Harsh.”

A certain lizard had appeared the moment I started feeling a bit better. This was another reason I didn’t want to use the blessing. Shouldn’t a dragon have a bit more gravitas?

The dragons I know aren’t like that.

“That’s just your prejudice.”

‘Yep. Seeing you has really cleared things up for me.’

“That’s also prejudice. Do you think I show this side of myself to just anyone? I’m showing kindness because I like your soul.”

‘...Ugh.’

...Disgusting.

Did he really think I’d be thrilled and say, “Oh, how honored I am!” hearing that?

If he thought I’d be happy about earning a lizard’s favor, he was sorely mistaken.

Anyway, this is how it’s been—getting hassled both inside and out. Whenever I said I was thirsty, water was brought to me, and if I was hungry, they served up a tasty meal... okay, maybe not a feast, but definitely something appealing.

Above all, I appreciated the lack of green plants.

“Yep, for picky eaters, chopping them up so they’re not noticeable works best.”

“Hmm?”

“...I didn’t say anything!”

Honestly, it wasn’t uncomfortable... With everything I wanted being handed to me without lifting a finger, how could I complain? But convenience and frustration are two separate things.

“Haa....”

Staying put didn’t go entirely unrewarded; I was healing faster than expected. Just one more day. Maybe two at most.

Resigned, I accepted another spoonful of stew from Daeun.

Watching Selene nervously, Daeun asked, “...How is it?”

“It’s delicious.”

“Whew, right?”

Hearing Selene’s compliment, Daeun finally relaxed and smiled triumphantly. For the past few days, she’d taken it upon herself to prepare meals for the group. Given that demonic mana tends to seep into the ingredients when handled by demons, it was understandable.

‘Though... that’s only partly an excuse.’

Not all the demons here were culinary experts, and Selene was with Daeun, after all. If the dish was simple enough, Selene could’ve handled it. Still, Daeun insisted on taking on the tedious task herself.

‘So cute...!’

The real reason was that she wanted to watch Kana munch on the food she made. Every time Kana chewed, her chubby cheeks moved, and Daeun couldn’t get enough of it.

Recalling the sight, Daeun’s expression softened, but then turned a bit sad.

“But I guess today will be the last time....”

Of course, she was glad Kana was recovering. Daeun, who knew better than anyone how painful illness could be, had desperately wished for Kana to heal and get out of bed. Still, she couldn’t deny feeling a bit disappointed at the thought of not being able to feed her anymore.

If only she could keep doing it.

‘Kana may not show it, but she’s surprisingly shy....’

If she tried to say “ahh~” any other time, it would turn into a loud “ugh!” Realistically, it was a miracle Kana had put up with Daeun’s insistence for this long.

‘It’s probably because of that incident.’

After dealing with Krumo’s Shadow and the wave of monsters attracted by the dragon mana, Daeun and Kana had a long, overdue conversation. Daeun had apologized for being stubborn and putting Kana in an awkward position, and Kana had apologized for leaving Daeun alone and letting her face danger.

Even when Daeun asked what the misunderstanding was, Kana had stubbornly kept her lips sealed. Still, seeing Kana indulge her over the past few days, Daeun guessed that it must’ve weighed on her mind a lot.

“I wonder what kind of misunderstanding it was.”

Though curious, Daeun refrained from asking. It had only been a few days since Kana apologized for causing trouble, so making the same mistake again was out of the question. She held her curiosity quietly.

“It’s finally tomorrow.”

Helping Daeun prepare the tableware, Selene spoke up.

“Huh? ...Oh, you mean our departure to Raxia?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Oh, right....

Remembering her conversation with Kana and Atisha about the ship and the schedule, Daeun recalled that they were set to depart tomorrow.

“Are you still nervous?”

“No, not really.”

Daeun shook her head. When Kana first told her they were heading to the infamous demonic continent of Raxia, she was nervous. But after spending days among the demons in the “Dump,” she realized they were nothing like the monstrous beings portrayed in rumors.

Demons weren’t savage beasts who commanded vicious monsters and devoured humans. They simply had horns and different skin tones. In some ways, they even seemed more innocent than humans.

Hearing things isn’t always knowing the truth.

Daeun, having learned the importance of seeing things firsthand to understand them, was no longer afraid of Raxia.

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“Raxia is just another place where people live.”

Daeun looked fondly at a single flower sitting in the corner of the kitchen. Though wilted now due to the miasma, it once bloomed brightly. Thinking of the child who’d smiled as they handed her the flower in thanks lifted her spirits.

“...But will I really be able to handle it?”

Her worry lingered. Even though many demons praised her for helping, the recent attack had made her feel her limitations.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine.”

“Uh... yeah.”

It wasn’t as if Daeun had a choice, though. Having come this far, all she could do was follow along.

After all—

‘I promised not to leave. I can’t back out now just because I’m scared.’

With magic tools and Selene with her, she’d manage somehow.

Thinking optimistically, Daeun ladled stew into a bowl. Whether they were going to Raxia or not, she’d still need a hearty meal.

With stew in hand, she headed to Kana’s room.

‘Oh, come to think of it....’

Tomorrow’s departure meant she’d be back to her main job. The streaming she’d neglected under the pretense of caring for Kana was now looming.

‘...Maybe I could rest a little longer?’

Knowing the chaos she’d face when she returned, Daeun hesitated.

Her inner demon whispered.

‘You’ve worked so hard up to now. A little more rest wouldn’t hurt, would it?’

Then, the angel chimed in.

‘While you’re at it, you could wait until everything has quieted down before coming back.’

...Was that really an angel?

Upon closer inspection, its wings looked almost black....

Swayed by sweet temptation, Daeun eventually overcame it.

“I’ll just explain everything first....”

Oh, past me, why did you do this?

‘I just didn’t want them to see me suffering.’

It’s nothing to laugh about, after all.

Idiot... irresponsible fool....

Daeun consoled herself with every name she could think of, feeling a complex mix of emotions.