I Became a Raid Boss-Chapter 102: Departure (2)

Sway...

“....”

“....”

A lone boat drifted on the blue sea tinged with dark hues.

Plop—

With each gentle rise of the waves, the red fishing float dipped below the water’s surface, only to bob up again. It was a peaceful, quiet scene.

But Daeun didn’t seem to think so.

Her half-closed, dark eyes boredly watched the fishing float as she stifled a yawn.

Startled!

Suddenly, the float plunged deep into the water.

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

Her half-closed eyes snapped open, and her grip on the fishing rod tightened. But her face soon filled with disappointment as she pulled on the rod with newfound excitement.

“Hmph...”

There wasn’t even a hint of a fish on the line, and the bait was still intact.

Splash.

Daeun listlessly cast the float back into the water.

The endless wait began anew.

Following the slow movement of the float, Daeun blinked lazily and then opened her mouth.

“...Kana.”

“....”

“Kana, Kanaaaa.”

What does she want now?

Sitting beside her, practicing feeling the flow of mana, I finally answered her after hearing her call out repeatedly.

“What?”

“I want to become a fisher of men.”

Daeun’s usual chatter was half air, half nonsense, and hardly worth listening to.

So, sensing that she was about to spout more nonsense, I turned my head away.

“That’s mean.”

“No, it’s not.”

Though she had seemed so eager when she picked up the fishing rod, Daeun soon grew bored, unable to sit still.

“If you’re that bored, why don’t you train?”

“But fighting on a boat is tricky because it wobbles, making it hard to keep your balance.”

“That’s why you should experience it now. If it’s too tough, at least practice holding your stance—it’ll help with balance.”

“Ugh... Can’t you just humor me for once...?”

Pouting, Daeun grumbled but carefully placed the fishing rod on the stand.

“Keep an eye on the float for me, okay?”

“...Me?”

“You told me to train, so you should take responsibility too, Kana!”

“...Should I?”

She sounded so confident that I hesitated, tilting my head in confusion, and Daeun stuck her tongue out playfully.

“Just kidding.”

“No, I’ll watch it for you.”

“Huh? Really?”

“It’s not that hard... doesn’t take much effort.”

The one-armed swordsman and Krumo’s Shadow.

Whether it was because of her encounters with them, Daeun had recently become very passionate about training. She’d started practicing her swordsmanship without any prompting, and she’d even come to ask me about it while I was lying in bed—something that genuinely surprised me.

‘...Who are you?’

‘Huh?’

‘Ah, never mind.’

So, I couldn’t help but react the way I did.

Seeing Daeun, who used to complain about training, like this—it was genuinely heartwarming.

As a teacher, shouldn’t I reward a student’s admirable behavior?

“Wait! If it’s like that, I’ll take another reward instead. I can’t waste the reward Kana gives me on just watching the fishing float...!”

“Nope. What’s done is done.”

“You’re so unfair...!”

“If you keep it up consistently, I’ll give you another one.”

“Promise?”

I hadn’t even specified what kind of reward, but Daeun’s eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

“By the way, Kana, have you ever gone fishing before? Do you know how to catch one?”

“Isn’t it just pulling when you feel a tug?”

“Beep! Wrong answer! Sometimes you need to apply force, sometimes you need to let go a little to tire the fish out. Just pulling mindlessly will wear you out, and you might even break the rod. It’s a common beginner’s mistake, so it’s good to know.”

Daeun explained enthusiastically about the give-and-take of fishing, the importance of technique, and so on.

Listening to her “Fishing 101” by the rod stand, I asked,

“You’re so good at it, so why didn’t you catch anything?”

“...You... You just hit me where it hurts, didn’t you?”

Wiggling her fingers in an ominous manner, Daeun saw me reach for the fishing rod and quickly scampered away.

“We’ll see about that!”

I watched her retreat with her villain-esque declaration for a moment, then shifted my gaze back to the float swaying with the waves.

Though I’d caught fish before, I’d never actually gone fishing, so holding the rod felt rather unfamiliar. Not that I had any idea how to properly hold it, but instinctively shifting my grip to find the right balance felt like something I could be proud of.

It wasn’t even worth considering.

“Better than being clumsy.”

At least I got the stance right.

When I first met Daeun, she couldn’t even hold her stance properly.

I casually made a remark about her, like water flowing as naturally as the ocean waves. I wasn’t slandering her; I was merely stating a fact.

With Daeun’s occasional training shouts and the sound of the waves and wind brushing against the boat as my background music, I held the rod for quite a while.

Watching the gently flowing water put me in a contemplative mood, and I began to understand why some people loved fishing.

It was like taking a moment to enjoy life, separated from the world.

Not that I was interested in making it a hobby.

Personally, I’d rather spend this time swinging my sword one more time or taking a nap.

Splash!

“...?”

Lost in thought, I noticed the float suddenly dip deep into the water.

As I watched the float vanish into the dark blue sea,

“Oh.”

Only after feeling the weight through the fishing rod did I realize a fish had taken the bait.

“Oh, it’s biting.”

Sensing the commotion, Daeun hurried over.

“What? Really?! Is it biting?!”

“Looks like it.”

“...You’re talking about the fish, right? You’re not referring to me, are you?”

Daeun eyed me suspiciously until I showed her the fishing rod trembling in my grip, finally dispelling her doubts.

“Sorry. You were so calm; I thought you were joking.”

“It’s just a fish—no need to get excited.”

“Aren’t you feeling the thrill, though? The sensation in your hands?”

“...Not really?”

The impact of clashing swords felt more intense, didn’t it?

Tilting my head, I asked, and Daeun sighed heavily.

“That’s not what I meant.... Ugh, just reel it in first. You can feel the fish resisting, right?”

“Yeah.”

“When it pulls hard, let the line go a bit, then reel it in when the pull weakens. Repeat to tire it out. Got it?”

“Yeah... no.”

“...Do you get it or not?”

“No.”

It seemed like just pulling would do.

Crrrack!

“Eek! Kana!”

Testing my strength, I gave a firm tug, and the fishing rod bent sharply, making a concerning sound as if it might snap at any moment.

“Ooooh...”

“‘Ooooh’?! It almost broke!”

“Well, it didn’t. Do you want to reel it in?”

“No! You have to catch it yourself! I can’t take away Kana’s monumental first fish!”

Monumental, huh...

Personally, I didn’t see why this was such a big deal, but since Daeun insisted, I had no choice.

Teasing and toying with things isn’t really my style, though.

Hmm.

Alright, let’s do this.

As I made up my mind, the dark brown fishing rod slowly began to glow with a pink hue. Seeing the mana-infused line disappear into the water, I held the rod firmly and pulled.

Splash!

With a loud spray of water, a pitch-black fish leapt out of the ocean.

Thud!

Following the arc of the rod, the fish landed on the deck with a wet thump.

The creature flailed desperately, trying to return to its home, but the high deck blocked its path.

Leaving it like this didn’t seem right.

The way it was writhing suggested it’d flop around the deck if I let it be.

Looked like I’d need to calm it down.

‘So, like this... I think?’

Recalling what I’d seen before, I clenched my fist and brought it down on the fish’s head.

Thump!

“Ah.”

...Misjudged my strength.

I’d intended to give a soft tap, but the sound of a solid “thud” told me otherwise, and I could immediately foresee the fish’s fate.

Crack.

The fish’s head caved in with the shape of my fist.

As small as my hand was, the tiny indentation in a critical spot was enough to claim its life.

I held a moment of silence for the fish, which lay lifelessly still.

“...I don’t even know where to start with that.”

Using mana to catch a fish?

Or ending it with a single punch?

Daeun, who had been watching me, muttered in disbelief.

I’m not sure about the mana part, but surely even she could have managed the latter. Was she overreacting?

“What should we call this fish?”

“Isn’t it clearly a monster?”

“Its name is Monster? How fascinating~”

“...Not a fish, a monster.”

“...Oh?”

What a ridiculous conversation. Finally realizing what I meant, Daeun scratched her cheek awkwardly.

“I thought its name was Monster. Don’t monsters have names?”

“Only the strong ones that survive for a long time. The rest don’t.”

Just because they belong to the same species doesn’t mean they look the same after becoming monsters.

If we had to name every monster we saw, we’d never finish.

“...So, we can’t eat it?”

“It’s edible.”

“Wow! Then let’s—”

“Just once. Life’s only given once, after all.”

“....”

“I’m kidding.”

“...Really?”

“Yep. Worst case, we’ve got Selene, so even if it hurts like hell, you won’t die.”

“So, we can’t eat it!”

Did she already forget why we cooked our own food back at Atisha’s place?

She recoiled at the idea of eating monster meat, yet here she was, salivating over this one.

Daeun’s shoulders slumped.

“I wanted to show you the fun of eating a fish you caught yourself....”

“Quite an odd thing to enjoy.”

So that’s why she was so insistent?

“Well, if that’s what you mean, I already know. Can’t say it’s fun, though.”

“...Huh? But you said you’ve never gone fishing....”

“I haven’t, but you don’t need a fishing rod to catch a fish.”

I already know the answer.

I swung my sword lightly toward the sea.

A small spray rose, and a moment later, a fish with a missing head floated to the surface.

“Like this.”

“...That’s... that’s not romantic at all!”

“Either way, you catch it and eat it on the spot.”

“It’s different! Totally different!”

I went through all that, but somehow, Daeun looked even more disappointed than before.

...Why, though?