Barbara had officially become a full-fledged deaconess of the Church of Favonius. She held ceremonies in the cathedral and treated those who came seeking healing. Barbara had seen all kinds of injuries, yet the young man before her always left her astonished.
A small adventurer. Every time he came to the church, his body bore shocking wounds.
The moment Barbara approached, Bennett could no longer hold himself up. With a thud, he collapsed to the ground. Barbara carefully examined him and was horrified to discover that both legs were broken. How had he managed to walk back to Mondstadt from wherever he had been adventuring? What tremendous willpower did it take to endure such excruciating pain?
This was the first time Barbara had seen such severe injuries. Even as a deaconess, she could not heal wounds this grave. She had to have him carefully carried into the church so stronger healers could tend to him.
When the other deaconesses saw Bennett's injuries, they were equally stunned. How had he survived this? For an ordinary person—with multiple broken bones, torn flesh, and internal organs displaced—death would have been certain.
What shocked them even more was that, despite the severity of his wounds, they began healing on their own. What kind of miraculous constitution was this? He was like a monster.
Though they didn't understand it, the deaconesses did their best to treat him, accelerating the healing of his wounds. With their help, Bennett recovered quickly. By the second day, he had woken up and was shouting about treasure. By the third day, he could walk again.
Unfortunately, in the past, when Bennett was laid up, many of his adventuring companions would visit him. But now, no one came to see him during his three days in the church.
Bennett felt a pang of loneliness. "It's been days since I last paid respects to my dads. I need to go see them."
He tried to leave, but Barbara stopped him. "You've suffered multiple fractures. You shouldn't go out."
Bennett said confidently, "Fractures? They're already healed." To prove it, he tossed aside his crutches and jumped in place twice. His injuries were almost completely healed.
Barbara was speechless. Unbelievable. A man with multiple broken bones who had nearly died—recovering this quickly.
Gradually, news of Bennett's solo adventuring and survival against all odds spread from the Church of Favonius. Even Fischl, the investigator who called herself the "Prinzessin der Verurteilung," heard of it and considered visiting him. But when she arrived at the church, she was told Bennett had already been discharged and left. Oz, her night raven companion, called Bennett "the most tenacious young man in the world."
Not only Fischl, but also Grand Master Varka of the Knights of Favonius became interested in Bennett after witnessing his fighting style. "This child fights like his life depends on it every time. Looking at his movements, does he truly not feel pain?"
What Varka didn't know was that Bennett did feel pain. But after being injured so many times in his constant misfortunes, he had grown accustomed to it. Getting hurt had become routine—like cutting a finger or smelling something pungent. Bennett had long since adapted. In his eyes, pain was simply the cheapest sensation.
...
As word of Bennett's adventures spread through Mondstadt, Bennett himself was sitting before the graves of his seven dads, whispering to them.
"Dads, I did it. Even alone, I can complete adventure commissions—and I do them well. I've found treasures at the end of the road. I've defeated the monsters at the end of the road."
He spoke slowly, telling his dads about his recent adventures—commissions helping the Knights hunt monsters, jobs for the Dawn Winery. In mission after mission, even the Grand Master of the Knights had praised his bravery.
After paying his respects to all seven dads, Bennett cheerfully returned to the Adventurers' Guild, ready for another adventure. But as soon as he entered, he heard adventurers talking.
"Did you hear? The Valley of Despair that appeared over a decade ago has shown up again."
"What? No way."
"I don't know if it's true, but from the outside, it looks exactly like it did over a decade ago. Inside, it's filled with storms, fire, and lightning—a veritable hell."
"I recall a group of old adventurers went in back then. Did they make it?"
"I think they did. No one knows what treasure they found, though. Those old geezers took it to their graves."
"Who cares? They explored the valley's end a decade ago. We can do it now. Let's go on an adventure together!"
The adventurers drank and chatted about the day's news. Hearing about the valley's reappearance, many eagerly accepted the commission and set off.
Because of the complexity of the mission, there was no limit on how many could accept it. Anyone could take it, even if others had already done so. Adventurers rushed to claim it.
Seeing this, Bennett became intensely interested. The place where his seven dads had once adventured must be fascinating. So he walked up to Katheryne and asked to take the commission to explore the Valley of Despair.
"I'd like to accept the commission to explore the Valley of Despair," Bennett said seriously.
Katheryne thought she had misheard. "What?"