Chapter 56

"......It seems we can defeat it more easily than expected."

As the sky turned to twilight, we were on our way back from the café dyed in crimson. I spoke to Narserna, slightly excited.

"Yes, truly, Sieg and his party were nothing short of top-notch adventurers."

Narserna, equally excited, nodded in agreement. People around us looked at us with puzzled expressions, but I understood that it was inevitable for Narserna to be in such a state.

Our discussion about the Phoenix's defeat led to a final plan: I would draw the Phoenix's attention, and during that time, Armia would prepare to cast her spell.

If I could draw the Phoenix's attention, it would not target Armia for attack. Of course, even if I could draw its attention, I couldn't prevent stray fireballs from hitting Armia. However, according to Sieg, stray fireballs could be deflected with a magic sword. Additionally, Narserna was equipped with a magic shield specifically for the Phoenix battle, just in case.

With these preparations, we believed we could overcome any unexpected events during the battle. This confidence made it impossible for us to hide our excitement.

Even with just the two of us, I believed the Phoenix's defeat was not impossible. However, it was still a risky strategy.

That's why we couldn't hide our excitement at the improvement in our situation.

"But we mustn't let our guard down."

Improvement in the situation did not mean victory was guaranteed. I recalled the time when we defeated the Hydra, and despite a three-hour intense battle, Serval was poisoned at the last moment. High-difficulty monsters are relentless until the very end, and one cannot afford to let their guard down, no matter how close to victory they are.

To avoid such situations, we needed to be well-prepared.

"Let's go shopping."

"The Phoenix's defeat is a few days away, so we need to prepare now."

With this in mind, I started walking towards the town, discussing with Narserna.

"Wait a moment!"

"......Huh?"

Suddenly, a voice called out to us. I turned around to see Laila, the healer from Sieg's party. When she reached us, her breathing was heavily labored. For a moment, I felt a sense of unease.

"I'm late in saying this, but thank you for helping Armia recover."

The next moment, Laila bowed deeply, and I realized my unease was misplaced. It seemed she had rushed here just to thank us. I couldn't help but smile at her unusually righteous behavior. It seemed Armia had joined a good party this time.

"Armia couldn't say it in front of you, but Sieg is also grateful to you. Thank you very much."

However, the next moment, when she raised her head, I realized Laila had misunderstood. She seemed to think I had been involved in convincing Armia. I tried to correct her with a wry smile.

"I didn't do anything."

"No, that's not true."

"......Huh?"

"Thank you for giving Armia a chance to make amends."

But the next words from Laila made me realize I was the one who was wrong. She seemed to know the whole story between Armia and Narserna and was grateful to me for it.

I was taken aback by this, as I hadn't done anything special. I was about to tell her that I didn't need her thanks.

"Armia's actions were truly regrettable. You might be happy now and have forgotten about the pain she caused, but that doesn't erase her past actions."

Before I could speak, Laila bowed deeply again.

"We will also atone for Armia's sins. It is not only her responsibility but also ours for including her in our party."

From Laila's words, I understood why Armia had changed. Meeting Laila must have been a turning point for her.

"And I must thank you as well. Thank you very much."

The next moment, Laila turned to Narserna with a smile.

"To be honest, we couldn't help Armia recover. If it weren't for you, Armia might have broken down completely."

"Uh, ah..."

Narserna, clearly surprised, couldn't hide her confusion. It seemed she hadn't expected such gratitude. Laila smiled and bowed deeply again.

"Thank you so much. I'm glad you were here."

"Uh, y-yes!"

Narserna, surprised but somewhat flustered, nodded. I couldn't help but smile at the two of them. It seemed Laila, despite being the least known member of Sieg's party, was a trustworthy person.

"I'm sorry for the sudden intrusion. I just had to thank you. Just to add, there's no problem."

After a moment, Laila raised her head and apologized to me. She seemed to have noticed my initial shock when she first ran up to us. I reassured her that it was fine.

"No, it's okay."

I didn't mind the misunderstanding caused by Laila's actions. She had rushed here to thank us, and if she hadn't, we would have already left.

"That's good to hear."

Laila smiled softly, understanding my feelings. The next moment, she seemed to remember something.

"We need to prepare for the Phoenix's defeat, so I should head back soon..."

"Yes, that's right. We need to prepare as well."

Laila's words reminded me that we were about to head to the town. It seemed she had come to us without Armia knowing, and we needed to return early to avoid arousing suspicion.

"I'm sorry for keeping you."

Laila said this and started to head back. However, she turned to us and smiled.

"I'll repay your kindness by performing well in the Phoenix's defeat."

Her words were filled with a confidence that bordered on a pledge. It was a statement that required a great deal of confidence to make, especially regarding the Phoenix's defeat. After saying this, Laila left without looking back.

◇◆◇

Even after Laila had left, Narserna was still looking in the direction she had gone, her eyes filled with pure surprise.

"......I didn't know there were female high-ranking adventurers who were so cool and refined."

The next moment, Narserna's words were filled with a mix of admiration and shock. Laila's presence had clearly left a strong impression on her.

"......Even Larma, despite being..."

"......Ah, yes. My master is an exception, or rather, she shouldn't even be categorized as human."

"......Indeed."

However, the next words from Narserna made me feel a bit deflated. It seemed she was more influenced by her master's presence than by Laila's.

"Ha..."

The image of my master, who would scold her with a fierce expression, came to mind, and I couldn't help but sigh. Spending a long time with her, it was understandable that Narserna would react this way. After all, that's who my master is.

Regardless of my master, Laila was undoubtedly a person of excellent character. Her abilities were yet to be seen, but being part of Sieg's party, she must be quite capable.

As I thought about this, I felt a sense of excitement about the Phoenix's defeat. Despite reminding myself that it was not a task to be taken lightly, I couldn't help but smile. It seemed Narserna felt the same way. Noticing this, I stopped trying to hide my smile and spoke.

"Let's head to the town, then."

"Yes!"

The excitement about the Phoenix's defeat was impossible to hide as we started walking towards the town.

I apologize for the delay in updates. However, we plan to start the Phoenix battle in the next chapter. ...Incidentally, when I initially included the Phoenix's defeat in the first chapter, I tried to end the content with a brief explanation up to chapter 9.