I Became a Raid Boss-Chapter 115: The Ascension Ritual (6)

Daeun looked around the room.

“It’s spacious...”

The guest room that Justina had provided for Daeun was quite large. The headboard of the wooden bed gleamed, and as Daeun ran her fingers over it, she could feel the smooth, polished wood.

‘Is this what they call a “well-loved” piece?’

Daeun’s thoughts wandered as she touched the headboard. Anything used for a long time takes on a certain character, but wooden furniture, in particular, seemed to show signs of wear more prominently. The shiny, slightly worn bed was a testament to the hands that had touched it over the years.

Someone who prioritized cleanliness or preferred new things might recoil, but Daeun wasn’t that type of person. If anything, she found these kinds of furnishings endearing.

“It’s romantic. It has a quiet charm, don’t you think?”

In her mind, she imagined herself sitting on a well-worn rocking chair in a countryside house with a yard, watching the outdoors. The short grass would sway in the breeze, and occasionally, the chirping of birds would soothe her, like a drop of rain softening a harsh day.

Daeun dreamed of such a peaceful life.

If you were to ask a passerby in Korea what kind of house they wanted, about half would probably answer similarly to Daeun. For people used to living in apartments, the life in a countryside home depicted in movies, dramas, or comics was enough to capture their imagination.

Of course, people who actually lived in such homes would say that maintaining the yard and dealing with insects made it challenging, but the countryside house remained an ideal for many.

Though the room Daeun was in now wasn’t quite a countryside home, the marks of time on the furniture and around the room fit her taste perfectly.

The room wasn’t ostentatious, but it was clear that it had been prepared with care for any guest who might stay there.

“Look at this.”

Daeun ran her finger along a piece of furniture, then held up her finger to show that it remained pristine, without a speck of dust.

“You’d think they’d just leave it if they didn’t expect guests, but seeing how clean it is, they must have maintained it regularly.”

Was it perhaps a belief that someday they’d regain their normal lives?

As Daeun chatted with her viewers, she continued to explore the room.

Knock, knock.

“Yes! Just a moment!”

Click!

When Daeun opened the door at the sound of knocking, a man with a stern expression stood there.

“...I heard you wanted a tour of the village.”

“Oh, yes! Are you...?”

The man nodded silently.

‘A man of few words, huh.’

They’d exchanged only a few words, but Daeun could already sense his personality. However, quiet didn’t mean unfriendly. Even though he hadn’t seen a human in who knows how long—or maybe ever—he didn’t seem awkward or curious. He simply went about his duty as if it were routine.

“Are we leaving now?”

“...Whenever you’re ready.”

“Oh... I see. Then, let’s go now.”

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Still, it’s a bit uncomfortable...

Daeun preferred talkative people over quiet ones, so she found herself glancing at the man uncertainly.

Why wasn’t it like this with Kana, you ask?

‘Getting close to a child is different from getting close to an adult.’

Kana tried to act mature, but she still came off as very childlike. And since the man was an adult of a different gender, and they had no prior connection, she had to be more cautious.

Following the man out of her room, Daeun went around knocking on her companions’ doors.

“Selene! We’re going to explore the village. Would you like to join?”

“Kana, want to go see the village?”

After a brief wait, a blonde woman opened her door and appeared.

“A village tour?”

“Yes. Even villages within the same country vary in lifestyle depending on their location. Since we crossed the sea, it should be very different from the villages we saw on the Ardina continent. I enjoy seeing those differences.”

“I understand what you mean. Now that you mention it, I’m curious too.”

Nodding, Selene joined the group.

Now, only one person was left.

The practical leader of the party, the fighter, the mascot, the stress-reliever...

‘Wait. Did Kana really take on all these roles?’

Daeun tilted her head, thinking about Kana. Kana had even covered most of their travel expenses, acting as the group’s financial supporter.

‘If this were a group project, Kana wouldn’t even need to be listed as a member, right?’

Though she reassured herself that she wasn’t that irresponsible, a nagging worry kept her from fully dismissing the thought.

Why isn’t she coming out?

Knock, knock.

“Kana~?”

She called out in a sweet voice, but there was no sign of the pink-haired girl emerging, nor any sound from behind the door.

“Why isn’t she answering?”

“Maybe she’s asleep?”

Selene offered the possibility, sensing Daeun’s curiosity.

“...Already?”

It hadn’t even been twenty minutes since she’d gone in...

“Kids need a lot of sleep.”

“Kana wouldn’t like hearing you say that.”

“Fufu.”

Ignoring Selene’s chuckle, Daeun knocked on the door again. After two more knocks, the door finally cracked open, and a small head of pink hair peeked out.

“...What?”

“Were you sleeping?”

“No.”

Considering her hair was all mussed, it was hard to believe she wasn’t. Should I mention it or not?

Deciding it was cuter to leave it unspoken, Daeun held back her comment, gazing at the adorable, tousled pink hair as if looking at a small animal.

“Oh, really? Well, we’re going to look around the village. Want to come along?”

“Look around the village? No.”

“Why? You were interested earlier.”

“That was then, this is now.”

Kana replied primly, changing her mind with a hint of sass. There’s a saying that a woman’s mind is like a reed, but to Daeun, a child’s mind was more like a whole field of reeds—swaying in the wind at every moment. So it wasn’t strange for her to change her mind on a whim.

“Hm?”

Daeun observed Kana’s slightly sullen expression and realized that it wasn’t just a simple change of heart.

“Are you still upset?”

Kana’s face, which had been halfway out the door, retreated slightly. Now only one eye peeked out as she looked at Daeun.

Her actions spoke louder than words.

Selene’s voice sounded a bit concerned.

“I told you, it was just a joke...”

The incident had all started with something Daeun had said.

“Kana, since you’re more familiar with that ability now, shouldn’t you speak to Selene directly in Arkish?”

Until now, Daeun had been acting as an interpreter since they didn’t share a common language, but with Kana’s new ability, she could communicate with Selene directly without needing a translator.

When Kana heard that, her cheeks puffed out.

“...So, you’re saying I’m just a bother now?”

Even though her tone was steady, there was a hint of prickliness.

Sensing the mistake, Daeun quickly tried to backtrack.

“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant...! I just didn’t want Selene to feel left out!”

Kana’s cheeks remained puffed out, so Daeun desperately tried to assure her that she hadn’t meant it that way.

By the time they reached the room Justina had provided, it seemed like Kana’s mood had improved a bit, much to Daeun’s relief.

‘Looks like she wasn’t fully over it. At least I know why she’s upset this time...’

Back in the Sacred Kingdom, Daeun had struggled to understand Kana’s mood, which had been challenging. While that experience brought them closer, Daeun still felt a bit nervous remembering it.

This time, knowing why Kana was upset made it feel less troublesome and more endearing.

“Up you go!”

Daeun suddenly scooped Kana up in a big hug.

“How could I ever get distracted from someone as adorable as you? You’re always my number one priority, Kana. Like I said, I didn’t want to leave anyone out. You understand that leaving people out isn’t nice, right?”

“I told you to stop treating me like a kid.”

“Hmmm~? Well, if you keep acting upset, I’ll have no choice but to treat you like a little kid.”

“...I’m not upset, so put me down already.”

If she really didn’t like it, she could’ve easily wriggled out. Even when Daeun opened the door and picked her up, Kana hadn’t resisted—though she pretended to be annoyed.

But Daeun knew that pointing this out would only make Kana close the door on her, so she kept her thoughts to herself as she gently set Kana down.

“...Fine. I was planning to come along anyway.”

“Then why did you—uh, never mind.”

Daeun caught herself just before she repeated her mistake, wiping a bead of nervous sweat from her forehead.

Thankfully, Kana didn’t seem to notice.

“Good girl. Thanks for understanding.”

Kana narrowed her eyes at Daeun, as if annoyed that her usual phrase was being used against her.

Daeun, undeterred, patted Kana’s head.

“Alright, let’s head out. It’ll get dark if we don’t leave soon.”

It was already getting dim, but heading out now was better than waiting until nightfall. Smiling brightly, Daeun led the way out.

“Look! A cow!”

Daeun jumped up and down, then tilted her head curiously.

“...But why does it have eight legs?”

“Did you just now notice that?”

I clapped for Daeun’s impressive observational skills, though I hadn’t meant it as a compliment.

Sighing, I stepped closer to her.

“It’s a monster.”

It looked vaguely like a cow from Ardina, but it was definitely a monster.

“Raising monsters... only demons would think of something like that.”

If an Ardina resident tried this, they’d be promptly executed for endangering others, spreading miasma, and causing chaos.

Besides, monsters wouldn’t obediently follow humans anyway.

It’s fascinating how they managed to tame it.

“Is it for food?”

“...Yes.”

“Oh, I see.”

Excited, Daeun had started chatting with the demon, but she became crestfallen at his blunt response.

‘So that’s how they provide for themselves.’

Raising livestock alone wouldn’t yield enough food to sustain so many demons, which was why there were fields of crops scattered around the village.

It might be the Demon Continent, but the basics of survival—raising livestock and farming—remained the same.

I suppose it makes sense, given that they were originally known as the Purifier Clan, humans themselves.

“Kana! Look at this! A chicken with six legs!”

“...That’s not a chicken; it’s a monster.”

Even as I responded curtly, my feet carried me toward her.

A six-legged chicken? How could I resist seeing that?