I Became a Raid Boss

So, Da-eun joined the group.

But as I mentioned, we weren’t leaving immediately.

We hadn’t decided which country to go to yet, and the schedule wasn’t set either.

Of course, it didn’t matter to us when or where we left, but the country we’d be visiting might have an opinion on that.

So, before going on the business trip, we decided to take care of some other things first.

“…? Where’s my pillow?”

“My pillow? I put it in the suitcase!”

“Why is it in the suitcase?”

“When I saw you tossing and turning while sleeping during the ‘Comma Drink’ shoot, I thought maybe you’d find it uncomfortable without your pillow. So, I decided to bring it this time. How’s that? I did a good job, right?”

“Who brings a pillow along like that, making everything so complicated?”

“Huh? You don’t know? People who can’t sleep without their usual bedding take their blankets and pillows with them when they go outside to sleep.”

“…Really?”

“Of course! You’ve never seen people carrying their own bedding? I won’t lie about something like this!”

“…Alright. Fine. Just hurry and take it out. There’s nowhere to lie down without it.”

“Hey…”

“Come on, you’re not a kid. Stop with the whining. Are you taking it out or not?”

“It’s a ‘hey’.”

“…”

Although I had to take out the things that were crammed into the suitcase, there was something more important to do.

I needed to verify if Edel’s guess was right.

I didn’t think it was wrong, but it wouldn’t hurt to check thoroughly.

Since Edel had said the same thing, I dialed the number listed on the official document.

─…Hello? Who is this?

The person who answered the phone sounded confused, as if they were new or hadn’t been briefed.

I spoke, but they didn’t seem to understand and stammered for a while.

After hearing the same words over and over like a parrot, I got so irritated that I almost hung up. Just as I was about to, a different voice came through the phone.

─What’s this? What’s going on?

─Ah, that...

The voice, which had been confused throughout the conversation, brightened up as if it had found a savior.

The person excused themselves for a moment and disappeared, but soon came back with a completely different tone, and our conversation began to make some progress.

However,

“-Return the sword.”

The progress wasn’t exactly in a positive direction.

─According to current South Korean laws, you need permission to carry a weapon of 15 cm or more, or anything that could be used as a weapon even if it’s smaller. The sword you possess falls under that category.

“This is a toy.”

─Please be aware that if false reports are made, penalties may be increased.

Well, it wasn’t going to work.

I should’ve expected this, since they sent the official notice in the first place. I wouldn’t fall for such nonsense.

“So, if I have permission, can I keep it?”

─Generally, yes, but…

“…But?”

My voice involuntarily rose.

When the conversation ends like that, I know it’s usually going to lead to something negative.
Unfortunately, this was no exception.

─You’re not an adult yet, right? Minors cannot receive permission for possession.

“….”

─And also…

As soon as they started to talk, they poured out a hundred reasons why I couldn’t have a sword.

It wasn’t really hundreds, but it was enough. Hearing all those excuses about why I couldn’t carry a sword just made me angrier.

─The sword hasn’t been registered for sale or transfer either…

“The conclusion is—”

I cut off their endless speech.

“You want me to give up the sword.”

─…Ahem. It will be temporarily confiscated until you get the proper permission.

“But you said you can’t give me permission.”

The sword is illegal without permission, so they would confiscate it. But they also said if I get permission, they’ll return it.

But then, they also said they couldn’t give me permission?

This made no sense.

They called it confiscation, but it was just them trying to take it away.

A calm voice, unlike my sharp one, came through the phone.

─Of course, we’re aware of your situation, so we’re currently discussing the creation of a special law.

“Special law?”

─We’ll create a new regulation instead of the current one to allow possession. Also, the current law only allows possession of a sword, not carrying it. But if a special law is created, carrying it will be possible.

Originally, they couldn’t give me permission, but they were offering to grant it, and on top of that, throwing in additional benefits. How nice, right?

‘...This is interesting.’

If someone naive had heard this, they might have believed it.

Making something possible that was originally forbidden, and even offering extra privileges on top?

But I wasn’t naive.

If I were, I would’ve been chewed up and spit out by the nobility, like a mangled piece of meat, by now.

So, I couldn’t help but think:

‘Do they think I’m some naive child?’

That I would fall for their flashy words?

Or maybe they thought I’d walk right into their trap, knowing it was a trap, because I couldn’t resist?

It wasn’t the former, right?

There was no way the people running a country could be that incompetent.

Except for Grasis.

‘Though either way, it’s wrong.’

─…Are you listening?

“Yeah.”

I snapped back to reality when I heard my name, tapping my finger lightly on my lips as I pondered.

“What’s this new regulation you’re talking about?”

The regulation seemed like it was just a formality... meaning it likely wasn’t just going to be a simple favor for my convenience.

Still, I decided to ask just in case there was some chance.

─Actually, the reason we contacted you was to discuss the new regulation.

“Not a request to visit, but an invitation to attend.”

─Ah, right. Attending, yes, well…

The voice stumbled for a moment but quickly regained composure.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

─Please keep in mind that this is temporary, and there’s a high chance it will change. The actual details may be less than what I’m about to tell you.

“Alright, so tell me.”

─Then—

And,

The response I received wasn’t one that I was pleased with.

“Check the destination. Exit ban. However, you can leave with government permission in case of disaster...”

Da-eun, who had been murmuring in a low voice, suddenly raised her head in shock.

“…Did they really say that?”

The light on Da-eun’s face, which was revealed under the bright lights, was full of disbelief.

“There was more besides that.”

“There was even more?! Ah, no. That’s not the important part.”

Thud

Da-eun grabbed my shoulder and asked in a very serious tone.

“You didn’t accept it, did you?”
“…Am I crazy to accept that?”

I glared at Da-eun, who had a silly grin on her face, and she backed off.

“I’m glad nothing happened. By the way, you should’ve made that call when I was around... What if something had happened?”
“I purposely did it when you weren’t here.”

If Da-eun had been around, I might have gotten soft. Plus, I didn’t want her voice getting mixed into the conversation.
If that happened, I could end up giving them another excuse to trap me.

“I was told it was ‘temporary’ and that the regulations might be reduced from what they said.”
“-Might be?”

I shrugged.
As I said earlier, I wasn’t foolish enough to fall for sweet words. I didn’t believe it.

If anything, the restrictions would tighten, not loosen. They wouldn’t make the trap any looser.

“Maybe you’re not fooled by the sugar coating, but don’t you fall for the candy?”
“…This isn’t good.”

A few moments later, a crumpled corpse was seen on the living room floor.
It seemed like something similar had happened just a few days ago.
Well, anyway, I’m not an idiot, and I’m not naive, so after hearing those regulations over the phone, I hung up.

In the end, Edel’s guess was spot on.
I had hoped it wouldn’t be right, but deep down, I expected it.
If Edel’s guess had been wrong, I could’ve just laughed it off by saying, “You were wrong.” But since it was right, things were going to get annoying.
But now that it happened, there was no denying it, and there was nothing I could do.

“Sigh...”
“Ah! What if it’s this?”
“?”

As I sighed, Da-eun suddenly jumped up and shouted.
I was amazed at how quickly she had recovered after being so beaten up.

Maybe Da-eun’s durability or recovery was better than I thought.
Or maybe she got better while being beaten.

“There’s a negotiation technique like this. You throw out an outrageous condition and then slowly lower it during the negotiation. You make them think ‘That’s fine’ by lowering the threshold.”
“Huh? What nonsense are you talking about?”
“I think that’s what they did with those ridiculous regulations. If not, it doesn’t make sense, right?”
“Hmm... I don’t know.”

The person on the other end seemed genuine.
Though the person I spoke with might not have intended it the same way Da-eun said, the intentions seemed close.

“That’s none of my concern.”

I should’ve expected the other party to walk away from the negotiation table when I heard such ridiculous terms.
But I never had the intention of sitting at the table after hearing those words.
If I was upset, I wouldn’t stay seated unless I had something to lose. For me, there was no reason to comply if I wasn’t missing anything.

“Well, that’s true.”

Da-eun, after hearing me, smiled brightly.