Chapter 60

Rau's single strike brought the Phoenix's defeat to an immediate end.

Even after Rau's dagger had split its skull, the Phoenix continued to live, displaying an almost abnormal vitality. However, the Phoenix no longer had the strength to heal its own wounds, and in the end, it stopped moving after Narsena shattered its head.

This was the brief and final moment of the Phoenix in the lower levels of the dungeon, a super-difficult magical beast that, given a little more time, would have mutated and shaken the entire labyrinth city.

It was a miraculous event.

The Phoenix had not fully mutated and was covered in wounds.

Still, it possessed an extraordinary level of strength.

"...I didn't think it would end so easily."

However, the emotion I felt after the quest ended successfully was not relief but shock.

"Haa, haa..."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Rau, still catching his breath. The fact that the battle ended so quickly, and the sight of him unable to hide his exhaustion, made it hard to find the right words. Despite this, I couldn't shake the feeling that Rau and Narsena had almost single-handedly defeated the Phoenix.

Rau's skills must be on par with those of a top-tier adventurer, perhaps even on the same level as the masters, excluding the hero. I understood this as I recalled the slash that split the Phoenix's head.

"...No way."

But I couldn't accept this fact.

That slash, which had stuck in my mind, was the best proof of Rau's exceptional skills. Yet, even after witnessing it, I couldn't accept it.

—Rau has no talent. Even if he works hard all his life, he might only become an average adventurer at best.

This was the reason given by Master Ronaldo, who had declared that Rau had no talent. Unlike Master Ria, who is a top-tier mage, Master Ronaldo focuses on training successors. It is said that most of the kingdom's knights have been trained by him, and his ability to judge people is well-known.

...And Master Ronaldo had declared that Rau had no talent at all.

His words carried a weight that was unimaginable for an ordinary person. This was because Master Ronaldo had a knack for discovering talent, no matter how untalented someone seemed. For him to clearly state that someone had no talent was significant. That's why, when I heard about Rau's defeat of the mutated Hydra, I became very interested in him.

Still, I thought Rau only had a certain level of skill. Narsena, who had defeated the mutated Hydra alongside Rau, was someone Master Ronaldo had praised as having the potential to become a top-tier adventurer. I had assumed that Narsena had led the Hydra's defeat, and Rau had only supported her.

Therefore, I couldn't hide my surprise at Rau's unexpected strength and couldn't take my eyes off him, even as we were in the middle of harvesting the Phoenix's materials. I tried to focus on the task at hand, but my gaze was drawn to Rau.

"Haa, haa... Fwah..."

Rau, who had been catching his breath, stood up just as I was looking at him for what felt like the umpteenth time.

"What!?"

I couldn't hide my surprise at Rau standing up. It had only been a few minutes since the Phoenix's defeat. Given the extreme fatigue Rau had shown, it was natural to think he would collapse at any moment. Reacting instinctively, I rushed to support him.

"I'm sorry for taking so long to rest."

...Contrary to my expectations, Rau's steps were steady.

Rau's face was marked with deep fatigue, as if he hadn't slept for two or three days. However, that was the only sign of his exhaustion.

"...Eh?"

I couldn't hide my surprise. Rau had been extremely fatigued after the intense battle with the Phoenix, to the point where he had seemed on the verge of collapsing. Yet, he had recovered enough to move around.

"Um, are you sure you're okay to move around? If you're tired, you should rest."

I wasn't the only one who had doubts. Lila called out to Rau, and Armia looked worried.

"Eh?"

Rau finally realized that he was being worried about.

"No, it's fine. I've trained enough to handle this."

...However, his response to our concerns was somewhat off.

Indeed, training can speed up recovery from fatigue to some extent. But Rau's recovery speed was abnormal, even for that.

Lila and the others seemed to take Rau's words as a joke, and I, seeing their reactions, tried to do the same.

"...!"

...But at that moment, a thought crossed my mind.

It was an absurd thought.

Perhaps, the training that allowed for such rapid recovery was only to a certain extent for Rau.

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have believed it. After all, it suggested that Rau had undergone an obviously abnormal level of training.

However, knowing how extraordinary Rau was, I couldn't dismiss it as mere imagination.

Master Ronaldo's words, declaring that Rau had no talent, echoed in my mind. It was hard to believe, but Rau had achieved this level of skill.

How much effort would it take to achieve this?

"...Could it be, that much effort?"

As I watched Rau's back, walking steadily despite his fatigue, I whispered these words.

That was the moment when Rau's presence in my mind shifted from just another junior disciple to a warrior on par with the masters...

I apologize for the delay in the update.