Damn, I Have to Marry the Strongest Antagonist at the Start?-Chapter 566 - 16-What?! This Roasted Bird Is a Legendary Phoenix?!

Elena nodded innocently, completely unaware of why this "ordinary roasted bird" had caused such a drastic change in everyone's expressions.

"Yeah, it was made by my father! He just cooked it and sent it to me—it was still warm when I got it!"

"You… your father…" Yevna crouched down with a gentle expression, pulling out a silk handkerchief to wipe the grease from the corners of Elena's mouth. "Your mother here would really like to meet him sometime… I'd love to pay my respects to the strongest man on the continent."

"There's no need to rush your food. With your mother here, no one will dare steal your meal."

Though it was just a small gesture, Elena's heart was touched. She'd never had a mother growing up, and the warmth in Yevna's voice made her eyes sparkle.

So this… is what it feels like to be cared for?

Is this what people call… motherly love?

Elena has a mother now!

It was just a pity… her adoptive mother wasn't her father's partner.

"No, he didn't come in person," Elena said, completely unaware of the ripple her words would cause. "He gave it to me through this spatial pouch!"

She proudly patted her magical pouch. "It's one of his treasures—he said he got it during an old adventure. Whenever he has tasty food, he sends it to me this way."

She spoke with openness and cheer, without the slightest worry that someone might take it from her. After all, these people were the nicest folks she knew—aside from her father.

Hearing that, the group exchanged glances, each heart pounding in stunned silence.

Spatial Transmission?!

Elena's father could transmit fresh food through a spatial pouch across who-knew-how-many miles?!

Without question—he had surpassed even the realm of Grand Archmage.

Each of them took a deep breath to suppress the storm rising in their chests.

"Old Leon, do you have any idea what kind of bird meat this is?" Eldritch asked urgently. "Whatever it is, it's incredibly beneficial to me! If I can find a few of these birds… I'd love to raise some!"

Leonchi pondered for a moment, then turned his gaze toward Eldritch with an amused smirk.

"I don't know what kind of bird it is—but I do know what kind of toad you are."

"You think you can just raise something like that?"

Eldritch scowled. "You damn rascal! You looking to get smacked?! What's so wrong about raising a few birds?!"

Leonchi shrugged, but his face quickly turned serious. He looked around the room and spoke in a low, solemn tone.

"This isn't ordinary bird meat. You and I both… are unworthy to raise such a creature."

"This meat… its properties are identical to those described in ancient texts about the legendary beast Phoenix."

"I suspect… the roast bird in Elena's hands is none other than a Phoenix. And it was freshly slain!"

BOOM.

The words exploded like thunder in everyone's minds.

Stunned silence.

"A… Phoenix?! But… that's a mythical creature far beyond legendary tier! How could that be possible?!"

"Why not?" Leonchi's eyes narrowed. "Tell me—other than a Phoenix, what kind of bird could heal your ancient wounds in a single bite? What kind of spellbeast carries such pure and overwhelming life energy?"

Leonchi himself was shaken. This was a Phoenix—a divine beast, often revered as the guardian spirit of entire nations—and today, it had been… roasted.

Has the world gone mad?

None of them wanted to believe that the bird in Elena's hand was truly a Phoenix.

But they couldn't refute it. The effects, the energy—it all matched too perfectly.

"To roast a Phoenix and serve it as food… Elena's father truly is… on another level."

"To be born the daughter of such a peerless being… Elena is truly blessed."

Leonchi and Eldritch exchanged glances, both men swallowing hard.

They didn't say it out loud, but deep down they were thinking the same thing:

I wonder if Elena's father… is still accepting adopted sons?

If not, maybe we can apply as disciples—or family pets?

Faced with Elena's generosity, none of them could speak. Their perception of her father's power had been shattered and rebuilt again.

But Elena didn't know what a Phoenix was. As far as she was concerned, it was just bird meat. And these were her people—the only ones besides her father who treated her so well. Why would she be stingy?

"My father taught me that good food should always be shared with your own."

"Pretty Mother, this drumstick is for you! Sister Ursula, you get the liver and the breast!"

"Elena will take the other drumstick. That's enough for me. The rest—Grandpa Eldritch and Brother Leonchi—you can split between yourselves!"

With a warm smile, she began tearing the roast bird apart piece by piece, handing it out to everyone.

The moment the meat reached their hands, each of them trembled slightly.

Phoenix meat…

Something even Grand Archmages couldn't dream of tasting—and yet here they were, being handed a portion like honored guests at a banquet.

Indeed, hugging this little girl's thigh was more valuable than any adventure or inheritance!

"Elena," Eldritch said, just before taking his first bite, "are you sure your father won't mind that we're eating his gift to you?"

That was a serious question.

This wasn't just food—it was a treasure of untold power. If Elena's father disapproved… could their entire empire withstand even a single spell from such a being?

But Elena just waved a greasy little hand casually.

"Father won't be mad. It's just a bird! Don't worry, we have lots of them at home. Around thirty-something, I think?"

"And my father still catches more from time to time. Sometimes we even eat dragon meat!"

Silence.

Even Yevna's refined face froze—her eyes wide, lips parted in astonishment.

Thirty Phoenixes… being raised at home?

And her father occasionally goes out to catch more?

Have Phoenixes really become this common? And why haven't we seen a single one in the wild?

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

And the "dragon meat" Elena mentioned—was that from ancient dragons?

Hiss…

Don't even think about it!

The word "Lord" no longer seemed enough to address Elena's father.

With her casual reassurance, everyone set aside their worries.

Slowly and carefully, they chewed their portion of Phoenix meat—savoring every bite as if it were the elixir of life itself. Not even a speck of bone was wasted. Every scrap was crushed and swallowed.

After all, it was Phoenix. Even a single feather could be considered a national treasure.

By the time the roast bird was fully devoured, the changes were already underway.

Eldritch's internal injuries had fully healed, and he gained another ten years of life. The man who looked seventy or eighty now appeared barely over fifty.

Leonchi had broken through to the late Legendary Tier, his aura stabilizing and intensifying.

Yevna advanced from mid to late Legendary Tier, gaining a solid tier.

Ursula… had shattered the limits of her own talent, stepping into the ranks of Legendary Mages for the very first time. Her foundation was still unstable, but she was finally on a level beyond High-Rank Mages.

The difference was like night and day.

"I thought I'd be spending the rest of my years dragging this crippled old body around," Eldritch muttered, eyes moist with emotion. "But today, not only are my organs healed—my mana has never been more refined."

"At this rate… I am but one step away from transcending the Legendary Tier!"

Tears streamed down his face.