I’m Telling You, I’m Not a Boss Monster!

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During the ten-day journey, Charlotte harbored a question deep within her heart.

What on earth was the purpose of traveling this far…?

But she dared not question the intentions of that figure.

Articulating it would soon transform into doubt, and even harboring such thoughts felt irreverent.

Charlotte steeled herself and simply complied.

Regardless of the reason, all I need to do is serve that figure.

Forever and ever, so it wouldn’t be right to harbor doubts now.

And on the tenth day, the day we simultaneously arrived at Melzi,

He inexplicably ordered her to seek out the Witch’s hut.

Setting aside the location and the protective barrier, she couldn’t help but wonder how he knew of the hut’s existence.

That doubt was fleeting, for without a single inquiry, Charlotte accepted the command.

Recalling that her very existence was to be used as he wished, like an object.

“There’s no need to dismantle it. Just let your innate dark magic flow.”

Upon discovering the barrier, Charlotte infused it with her dark magic as instructed.

As she suspected, the hut revealed itself.

“Lead the way.”

Without hesitation, Charlotte knocked on the door.

The door opened immediately, and a mature woman stepped out.

“You’re also a witch?”

The once bright smile slowly faded from her expression.

From the moment their eyes met, their every movement halted.

“Charlotte? Could it be you’re Charlotte?”

The woman with a familiar face was none other than Charlotte’s aunt, the witch who was her mother’s sister.

Before Charlotte could utter a word, Selina suddenly embraced her tightly.

Charlotte, standing there in a daze, found herself instinctively nestling into her arms.

The warmth of family, forgotten until now, washed away her tension.

Throughout this time, Charlotte hadn’t missed or needed the embrace of her kin. She had only lived consumed by the desire for revenge.

But now, as that comforting warmth enveloped her, a wave of regret washed over her.

Why had she turned her back on past connections, blinded solely by vengeance?

With that thought emerging, Charlotte slowly turned her head.

The Boss stood there, staring blankly in their direction.

The series of events flashed through her mind.

Why he had asked her to simply let her innate dark magic flow for no particular reason.

Perhaps it was because he could identify the potent dark magic of a close relative.

Why he had ordered her to step forward while he himself stayed back.

It was a gesture made to offer her the joy of reunion.

“…You knew it all along, didn’t you?”

There was a reason for everything. And all those actions were for her sake.

Though late, she realized it once confronted with the truth.

She couldn’t be certain how he had discovered this place or if he truly knew she was family.

But with the situation at hand, Charlotte wanted to believe that.

That figure was the unfathomable Boss of the Seven Lairs.

Charlotte firmly believed that such grace could only belong to someone incomprehensibly kind.

***

Selina was surprisingly Charlotte’s aunt!

Not just by association, but actually her mother’s sister.

‘Why didn’t I know this?’

Upon reflecting briefly, it seemed strange that she didn’t.

How could anyone know the familial ties of those Named bosses?

Selina tossed firewood into the fireplace.

Grabbing a poker, she delicately stirred the fire.

“Would you like some tea?”

“Yes.”

Isabella took a sip, savoring the warmth.

Elin munched on cookies, while Charlotte sat quietly with her back to the fireplace.

As Selina brought over warm milk, Charlotte took a sip as well.

“You look awfully lonely. Should I pour you a drink?”

Was that even a question?

I shook my head, glancing side to side.

The hut wasn’t that big, so the interior scenery was in full view.

Young witches, teenage witches, and those just reaching adulthood.

They all watched her from behind the wall with a guarded expression.

‘I can’t wear a helmet indoors.’

While they looked this way, they surely possessed warm hearts.

Selina leaned back, her rocking chair creaking eerily.

“So, you’re the Road of the newborn Seven Lairs? I apologize for the poor hospitality when a guest has come!”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Selina was practically unaware of the shrine of faith.

Well, since she had built her house in Melzi and secluded herself, it was natural that she wouldn’t know the world.

“By the way, I’m quite surprised. I never expected Charlotte to come here. And you’re even a lieutenant of the Seven Lairs? Haha, our Charlotte is making quite a name for herself!”

“Thank you.”

Charlotte said a word and took another sip of warm milk.

It felt a bit mismatched. She thought Isabella would be more into drinking human blood rather than milk.

“I’m not going to ask how you found this place. Since you’re Charlotte’s superior, you probably have no malicious intent. I’m just thankful for the help.”

“Yeah.”

“Your name was Barugore, right? That’s a nice name. So grand and splendid. Is our Charlotte truly blessed…?”

If I left her alone, this conversation would drag on indefinitely.

I suddenly recalled Selina’s notorious reputation for TMI NPCs.

The memory of pressing skip like mad flooded back.

“Get to the point.”

I couldn’t help but interrupt.

“This girl is Elin. She is a witch who was abused by humans. Can you take care of her here?”

“Looks like you have a new family member. Her name is Elin, right? Wouldn’t you like to go play with your sisters? Huh? …Elin?”

“She can’t talk.”

“Oh my… Then we really need to bond. Elin, healing your wounds is something friends can do.”

Selina gently grasped Elin’s wrist and pushed her along.

Elin walked among the young witches, almost forcibly.

“Is her name Eling?”

“No, it’s Elin.”

“I could have sworn I heard Eling.”

“Anyway, her name is Elin! Elin! I’m Ruby!”

I was slightly worried, but those kids seemed nice enough, so I felt a bit relieved.

With Elin’s situation resolved,

I attempted to continue conversing with Selina, when suddenly—bam! I felt Charlotte’s gaze.

“Boss. Is there any chance we can take these witches into the dungeon?”

I figured she would ask that.

Instead of responding, I glanced back and forth between Charlotte and Selina.

Even though confusion blossomed on Selina’s face, Charlotte didn’t shy away; instead, her gaze urged Selina.

“What does your Aunt think?”

“Ahaha… Um, Charlotte? I’m quite overwhelmed right now…?”

I could understand Selina’s thoughts internally.

She had been living her peaceful days when out of the blue, she was told to submit to the Seven Lairs.

Charlotte must know she’s stubborn, so I wondered why she was pushing this.

Could it be she was starving for the warmth of kin?

‘Or maybe she thinks a dungeon would be safer?’

As long as she was in Melzi, the hut couldn’t be entirely safe.

There was a limit to how long one could prepare against monster waves with a barrier, and in the future, humans could invade too.

Perhaps Charlotte noticed this aspect as well.

“My boss treats his subordinates with utmost devotion.”

“Right, right.”

“Most importantly, he is the unique entity of the Seven Lairs. It’s a great honor to serve such a supreme being.”

“Right, right.”

Isabella chimed in next to me.

Oh, it was embarrassing even for me to hear.

It was hard to lift my head when I was standing next to the person in question.

I cleared my throat to break the conversation.

“I have a question. Do you happen to know of the twin stones with a straight cut on their surface?”

Underneath what is known as the Twin Stones lay the lair of a dragon.

For whatever reason related to mana or game mechanics, those stones remained unblemished and retained their original appearance.

“I know them. I passed by them every time I went hunting.”

“Where are they located?”

“Did you see the birch forest when you came? If you cross through there, you’ll spot a gigantic tree. If you head north past that tree—ah, wait!”

As she began to speak, Selina abruptly stood up.

In her hand, she held a rolled parchment.

“This is the map. I use it whenever I go hunting. It’s not perfect, but I’ve drawn the Twin Stones on here.”

I never expected there would be something like this, something I couldn’t even see in the game.

Anyway, anything good is good.

Receiving the map from Selina, I skimmed through it. It briefly indicated the location of the hut to the Twin Stones.

With satisfaction, I unconsciously nodded my head.

“I owe you one.”

I stood up from my chair and gestured to the two of them.

Charlotte rose immediately, while Isabella, looking around, belatedly stood up with an ‘ah!’

“Oh my. Are you leaving already?”

“Yeah.”

I thought about staying for another night to shake off the fatigue, but that would just waste time.

I was undead, and Charlotte and Isabella were over-the-top superhumans, so this bit of exhaustion was nothing.

The only thing I was concerned about was the monster wave.

That could happen anytime, and even if it were to happen now, it didn’t make much difference.

‘Farming time? Better yet.’

Most importantly, I didn’t want to delay before the ridiculously overpowered hidden piece.

“Think about Charlotte’s suggestion carefully.”

If I could have witches under my command, I would welcome it.

Provided they agreed to it.

“I will return here once my business is done. Use that time to gather your thoughts.”

“Yes. I will. Stay safe, and see you later.”

After finishing her sentence, Selina approached Charlotte.

Similar to their first meeting, she embraced Charlotte and gently stroked the back of her head.

“Don’t get hurt. Eat well, okay? Got it?”

“Please make sure to visit the shrine of faith too, Aunt.”

“Uh-huh. I’ll think positively about it.”

With her hand waving, Selina watched us leave the hut.

I took my gaze off the map and focused on the birch forest ahead.

Hidden beyond was the grave of the dragon.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

“Oh! I almost forgot to grab some cookies before leaving. They were so good….”

“They were good. We could recruit a baker.”

“Right, right.”

I mean, a baker wasn’t such a bad idea.

Well, it was a better treatment than the old Isabella, who was a mere backdrop.

***

Selina stood still, watching the retreating figures.

In truth, her gaze was more drawn to the pommel of the Death Knight’s sword.

Even when they became mere dots in the distance, the sun cross on the pommel lingered in her vision.

“I feel like I’ve seen that somewhere…”

For some reason, the sword’s blade was tightly wrapped in bandages, concealing its appearance.

Perhaps it was the unusual design of the pommel that felt oddly familiar.

However, she couldn’t remember when or where, nor the type of sword it was.

Was it a memory from long ago?

The chill wind of Melzi swept across Selina’s body.

Shivering, she retreated inside the hut.

Seating herself in the rocking chair, she leaned against the fireplace and continued flipping through the book she had been reading.

Occasionally, the cheerful laughter of children echoed from the back room.

“It seems like they’re getting along with the new family.”

A content smile graced Selina’s lips.

Though Elin harbored many emotional scars, in time she would surely heal completely.

Silently, Selina expressed her gratitude to the one who saved the young witch in her heart.

“…Saved?”

A brief sentence about saving the young witch triggered memories.

Ten years ago, during the northern borders, the warrior who saved the witches and was executed by the Empire.

Selina owed her life to that man, Lucas.

In reality, all the witches who remained in this world owed their lives to him.

Had he not intervened, every witch in the village would have been slaughtered.

Moreover, there was a young witch whom he had sacrificed himself to save.

Selina had witnessed that tragedy with her own eyes.

Lucas, who was executed for cursing humans.

The Death Knight, now the Boss of the Seven Lairs.

The contradictions overturned and grasped a holy sword in hand.

Even the lieutenant by his side was none other than Charlotte.

Selina quietly sank into a shocking train of thought.

Could it truly be what I think? If that’s true, did Charlotte want to serve him out of gratitude?

Countless speculations swirled in her head, yet she found no solid answer.

“Yes. It can’t be…”

If my assumption is true and Charlotte knew, she would surely have mentioned Lucas by name.

There wouldn’t be a reason to hide it, yet they hadn’t uttered a single word about ‘Lucas.’

Okay, so my thinking must be wrong. After all, I’m not even sure if it’s a holy sword.

Just because it looks like a pommel doesn’t mean it’s a holy sword.

But what if by any chance it were true, and Charlotte simply didn’t know?

“…She might not know.”

Charlotte had lost consciousness due to the mana surge, leaving her unaware of who had saved her.

Moreover, after losing her family, she had lived in hiding from the Empire’s watch.

Thus, she might not have heard the news of Lucas’s execution.

Just as she hadn’t known about the shrine of faith before.

Lucas’s execution had caused a great uproar at the time.

But even that didn’t last long.

Due to the Imperial family’s suppression, the spark quickly extinguished, and thereafter, Lucas became a sensitive subject among people.

“…I hope that’s not the case.”

Selina wished fervently that he wasn’t Lucas.

For if he truly were Lucas, it would mean Charlotte’s mind would undoubtedly shatter in one way or another.