I Became a Raid Boss

Chapter 116

Chapter 116

Animals with eight legs, chickens with six legs.

There were other creatures, too—like monsters resembling pigs with wings or sheep with three heads—strange creatures of all kinds.

These were just the ones that somewhat resembled animals from the Ardina Continent after careful selection. Among them were some monsters whose appearance made you wonder, “Can you even eat something that looks like that?”

If these creatures were introduced to the Ardina Continent, they would revolutionize the culinary industry in many ways, but unfortunately, they weren’t edible for us.

“Is that unfortunate?”

“Well, you never know. It might taste amazing.”

Aren’t you curious?

Da-eun laughed as if she couldn’t believe it.

“You’re really full of curiosity, Kana. But you know, right? You can’t just eat anything.”

“Sure, sure.”

It’s thanks to such daring attempts that people ended up eating monsters like the Green Rabbit.

Shouldn’t we also follow in the footsteps of our ancestors who willingly offered themselves for the sake of future generations?

If you let the fear of failure hold you back, you’ll just stagnate and decay.

…Just kidding.

If I really cared about the future, I wouldn’t have holed up in the mountains and given up on everything.

“If the price of failure is death, isn’t it natural to be afraid…? Wait. More importantly, the ‘Green Rabbit’ is edible?”

“Haven’t you tried it?”

“Most people wouldn’t even think of eating something like that, right?”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

Normally, I would have called Da-eun dramatic, but this time, I couldn’t help but agree with her.

Considering the appearance of the Green Rabbit, there’s no other way to think.

Its fur is green, it drools venom from its mouth, and its long claws are sharp enough to easily tear through any leather armor.

It’s called a Green Rabbit because of its long, rabbit-like ears.

But other than the ears, it doesn’t resemble a rabbit at all. People keep talking about changing its name.

They always bring it up but never actually try to change it.

They’re too used to it now, and they worry that changing the name would just cause confusion.

“I heard that even its skin, blood, and organs are soaked in poison. How can anyone eat that…?”

“You have to drain the blood as soon as you catch it, then soak it in a mana solution for 30 days to remove the toxins. Oh, but the internal organs remain toxic even after that, so you can’t eat those. Be careful.”

“I’m not planning to eat it or make it….”

You can only eat the meat.

And even though soaking it in a mana solution prevents it from decaying, you still need to be careful to avoid spoilage.

Green Rabbit meat is a premium ingredient that you can only get through careful handling to ensure it doesn’t rot or retain toxins.

“Every time, I realize just how serious you are about food, Kana.”

“…Me?”

“Yes. You might be lazing around like a cat under the sun, but when it comes to food, your eyes light up.”

“Why a cat?”

“Well… because you’re like a cat?”

So, why a cat?

It seemed like Da-eun’s answer missed the point of my question.

“Well, if you hadn’t been so interested in food, we probably wouldn’t have become this close.”

“…What do you think I am?”

It’s true that I appreciated how Da-eun always brought food, saving me the trouble of preparing meals.

But if that was all, I wouldn’t have paid much attention to her.

“So, what was the reason?”

“…I’m not going to tell you.”

It’s a story that’s a little difficult to put into words.

It’s a story that could shake the very foundations of the world, so I kept my mouth shut, and Da-eun, with a mischievous smile, clung to me.

It was clear that Da-eun, with her talent for misinterpreting things, had once again drawn her own conclusions about my reaction.

I knew from experience that responding ambiguously would only make things more complicated without providing any clarification, so I gently pushed Da-eun away and continued exploring.

This area, the center of Laxia, was equivalent to the capital in other countries.

As expected, it had a variety of things, but…

How should I put it? It had a pastoral feel to it.

It didn’t have the kind of glamorous atmosphere that I associated with capitals.

“Joanie, have you ever been to the capital of the Empire?”

“Imperial capital? Oh, you mean Solorok? Of course, I’ve been there! It’s the Empire’s capital, after all… um, sorry.”

“It’s okay, I don’t mind.”

It’s not like I joined the war by pledging allegiance to the Empire, and it’s not like you can’t go there for sightseeing.

“Phew… that’s a relief. But why did you suddenly bring that up?”

“How does this place compare to that?”

“This place? Hmm…”

After a moment of thought, Da-eun gave her answer.

“It’s peaceful.”

And humble too.

Was she being mindful of the nearby members of the Demonic Race? Da-eun whispered the last part softly.

“I see.”

If we’re talking about the capital of that Empire, it’s bound to be more extravagant than the capital of Grasis, certainly not less so.

I mean, in other countries, they wouldn’t be farming in the middle of the capital city, so there wasn’t much point in comparing them.

Maybe because they live with a single-minded determination to fulfill the mission given by Edel, other aspects of life besides the essentials like food, clothing, and shelter haven’t developed much.

Spending five months in a place like this?

“I definitely need to find another way.”

It was a moment when my resolve grew stronger.

***

Tap, tap.

What should I do?

After returning from our village tour, I found myself lost in thought.

No matter how much I think about it, staying here for five months is impossible.

But returning to Ardina and then coming back is a hassle, and I don’t have the time to wait out those five months anyway.

“…”

“Kana~”

Tap, tap.

“…Ugh, stop it.”

Why does she keep poking me?

I glared at Da-eun, who had been tapping me for a while.

“Are you still thinking about that?”

“I’m stuck waiting for five months, so of course.”

“I don’t think it’s that bad. You could go somewhere else while waiting, right?”

“If I could do that, I would have…”

“Hmm? Is there a reason you can’t? Come to think of it, since leaving the Sedeth Kingdom, you haven’t had a proper break, have you?”

“What are you talking about? I rested in Baltora, for days even.”

“But that was because you had no choice while waiting for the Magi device to be completed. I’m talking about rest where you don’t have to think about anything and can fully relax. You know, like when we were in Liberi.”

“Uh…”

“Even if not that, you just seem a bit on edge lately, Kana. Is it because of what you talked about with Edel?”

Honestly, it’s hard to believe she spoke with a deity, but…

Da-eun muttered to herself.

“I can’t say it’s unrelated.”

“What did she say to you that could be so serious…?”

When I first heard about the Ascension Ritual, Da-eun tried to stop me desperately.

She said that unlike her, I only had one life, and even offered to take on the role herself.

Of course, I didn’t accept her suggestion.

…An Expert thinking they could replace me?

An Expert who hadn’t even reached that rank through their own strength?

“That’s a funny joke.”

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