The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

Since Tatia wouldn't continue the conversation, and knowing that further discussion would only be pointless, Mayera turned to leave. But as she brushed past Tatia, this time Tatia didn't let her go. She grabbed Mayera's wrist again and said...

"stop"

"What are you doing now? Haven't you already arrived in Vado Town? Do you expect me to show you the way?"

"That's not how it works."

"So what do you want?"

"I'm saying, if you just leave like this, you'll just go find someone else to risk their life for you, won't you?"

"So what if it is? It has nothing to do with you."

"Then I can't pretend I didn't hear that..."

Tatia had this premonition as early as when she first parted ways with Mayra. If Mayra couldn't deceive her, she would surely deceive others, leading them down a path of no return. Now, it seemed her prediction was correct. If Pais hadn't suddenly suggested bringing her here for dinner, those men would likely have been completely deceived by Mayra, unknowingly selling their souls to a man-eating demon.

Being her travel companion was impossible. But Tatia knew she couldn't let this woman, who would harm the world, leave again. As the only one who knew her true nature and identity, she had a responsibility and obligation to prevent this from happening. Therefore, Tatia made her decision.

"...Meila, I can work with you. I'll keep your identity a secret for you. So, don't go after anyone else."

"...What?"

Tatia, who had so righteously rejected her, was now offering to join her. Mayera was initially surprised. But after gradually understanding Tatia's purpose, she couldn't help but chuckle.

"Ha, ahahahahahaha! Sister Tatya, are you trying to spy on me?"

"That's right"

"Do you think you can keep me under your thumb?"

"I don't know... but I can't let you wreak havoc on the world. The only one who can stop you is me."

After listening to Tatia's righteous and eloquent speech, Mayera sighed.

"Ugh, where does your sense of justice come from, Sister Tatia? The first time I met you, you looked so lost and dejected, like you didn't care about anything in the world... Now you're acting like some great philanthropist who'd sacrifice yourself for the world? It's disgusting."

"I didn't mean that... I was just doing what I should do, what I could do."

"...What?"

"I've made so many mistakes, utterly disappointing Sister Naka and many others who have cared for me... I'm so sorry for all they've done for me. I want to be able to proudly show them my changes when I reappear before them, to prove to them that I'm different from before. At the very least, I don't want to let a potentially destabilizing factor slip by. If my inaction leads to irreversible consequences, I won't be able to hold my head high and say to them that I've become an upright and conscientious person. In order to be able to meet Sister Naka again in my best form, I absolutely cannot do anything that I might regret!"

"...I have absolutely no idea what you're thinking."

Tatiana's impassioned speech sounded utterly nonsensical to Mayera. Mayera had no opinion whatsoever about her pretentious relationship with that Naka-san. But then, a sinister smile crept across her face.

"However, since Sister Tatia has put it that way, I might consider it. All I need is a travel companion who can conceal my identity and make my movements easier. If Sister Tatia is willing to keep my secret, I'm perfectly happy to team up with you."

"Of course I will keep your secret. As you said, revealing your secret seems to only lead to worse consequences."

"Hehe, Sister Tatia is so clever, that's exactly right!"

"I know you don't want me to restrict your personal freedom. And I don't have the ability to do so. But I have one condition... no, I should say a request. Mayera, I hope you won't harm those humans who haven't intentionally harmed you."

To prevent Mayera from harming humans, to prevent her from causing a major upheaval... these were the real reasons why Tatia ultimately decided to keep this dangerous princess by her side. Mayera, however, replied nonchalantly...

"I would never do such a thing. I came here for sightseeing. Since I came here, I have only killed those who first plotted against me. Haven't I already said that? Harming and killing humans is something that Mother, Grandfather, and other officials should consider, not something I should do."

"Okay, that's good."

"However..."

Mayera abruptly changed her tone and launched an attack on Tatia instead.

"Isn't it unfair that only Sister Tatsia made demands of me?"

"That's right, that's exactly it."

"Then I cannot accompany you for nothing. Unless you grant me one request."

"Go ahead and tell me. As long as your request isn't too unreasonable, I'll try my best to fulfill it."

"That's not excessive at all."

For the immortal Mayera, there was nothing in human society that she could worry about or fear. But there was one thing that she couldn't help but feel anxious about and couldn't stop thinking about.

Humans aren't scary, but her mother, Nama Kalena, would certainly not ignore her for leaving home without a word. Mayera didn't know how long it would take her mother, who had been away from the Demon King's castle for so long, to discover her absence. But sooner or later, the news would reach her ears. When that time came, her mother would definitely send powerful monsters to capture her. Even if Mayera was immortal, she wasn't confident she could easily escape from those battle-hardened officers. If the officers her mother sent possessed powerful magic that restricted movement, even if Mayera was incredibly resilient, she would ultimately be unable to resist.

Therefore, she needs a human to risk their life for her and take the fall for her. This is also why the immortal Mayera is so obsessed with seducing humans. Her demands on Tatia naturally revolve around this matter.

"I hope that, by some chance, if the assassins sent by Mother discover my whereabouts, Sister Tatya can step forward and join me in repelling them... How about that? Is that too much to ask? Don't worry, my mother will not personally take action. Since becoming the Demon King, she has never personally gone to the front lines."

They say they'll work together, but if things change, Mayera will just abandon Tatia and leave on her own... She just used that kind of rhetoric to make it sound like she wouldn't have to fight alone.

As for Tatia, she also longed for the opportunity to fight the Demon King's army's executives, hoping to extract more information about the Demon King. These were questions Meera would never reveal. Only a defeated demon, perhaps begging for mercy, would divulge everything. Besides her immortality, Meera's combat abilities far exceeded Tatia's expectations. If Meera were willing to help, Tatia believed that defeating the Demon King's army's executives wouldn't be an impossible task.

After careful consideration and weighing the pros and cons from all sides, Tatsia finally accepted her conditions.

"Okay. As long as you don't intentionally harm humans, I'll keep your secret and help you fend off the assassins your mother sent, ensuring your safe travels."

"A promise is a promise? Lying is like swallowing a thousand needles!"

It's a deal.

Tatya had thus successfully fallen for Mayera's trap, willingly becoming her scapegoat. Mayera secretly sneered at her naiveté and ignorance, while outwardly displaying a delighted smile, and extended her hand to Tatya.

"From today onwards, I will be your travel companion, Sister Tatya. Please take good care of me!"

However, having learned her lesson once, Tatia had long since realized that beneath Mayra's sunny and gentle smile lay only boundless malice and scheming. The same tricks wouldn't fool Tatia anymore. She didn't believe Mayra would actually behave as promised. But with her constant observation, the probability of Mayra engaging in any underhanded tactics was naturally much lower than allowing her free rein in the human city. Regardless of what Mayra said, she only needed to focus on her actions to prevent her from harming anyone. This was the lesson Tatia had learned over the past two days. Nevertheless, she still maintained a friendly attitude towards Mayra, extending her hand to accept her invitation.

The two girls, each with their own hidden agendas, clasped hands formally. They were both fully aware of each other's secret intentions, only putting on a facade of a fake smile.

However, this was only the first step in their getting to know each other.

The Demon King arrives in the capital.

Thousands of miles away from Vado Town lies what is arguably the largest city in the entire human kingdom. Even Vado Town, Sunflower Town, and Isaad Town combined pale in comparison. Its level of development, population size, and population flow are unparalleled in the human kingdom. The number of soldiers guarding the city's perimeter and within its walls is also incomparable to those in other cities. Every soldier is on high alert, watching the every move of every passerby. Here, any disturbance or incident is absolutely forbidden.

That's right, this is the location of the king, the political center of the human kingdom, and the gathering place of all the top adventurers: the royal capital, Vefen.

Once again donning her nun's habit and fully "disguised," the Demon King Nama Kallenra has arrived here today.

"So this is the royal capital..."

Upon arriving in Isard Town, Naka was immediately struck by the city's urban planning, exclaiming, "Impressive!" But when she reached the city gates, she realized that there was always something more to see. Compared to the capital, the decorations, thickness, and sturdiness of the city walls made Isard Town seem rather perfunctory. And the royal palace, marked on the map in her hand and located at the very center of the city, appeared far more magnificent and opulent than even the Demon King's castle where Naka resided.

Unlike the town of Isad, where soldiers would proactively approach and question people to process their entry permits, a long queue had already formed at the reception area in front of the capital's city gates. The line stretched far beyond the city gates, almost reaching the outskirts. Soldiers meticulously and repeatedly verified the identity, belongings, and purpose of entry of each individual. The level of strictness and attention to detail was unlike that of other towns.

According to Naka's original plan, she thought that since she had arrived in the capital today, she could enter the city and begin investigating the whereabouts of the Fang of Agh. But faced with such a long queue, she couldn't help but regret: she should have come out two days earlier.

However, it was too late to regret it now. In order to carry out the operation more discreetly, Naka had no choice but to obediently join the end of the line.

The capital's reception office operates 24 hours a day, constantly processing paperwork for adventurers wishing to enter the city. Even so, the complex process makes the journey extremely lengthy. Naka arrived in the capital at noon, but by late at night, the group was still less than halfway through.

Many well-trained adventurers couldn't withstand standing for so long; some gave up, some collapsed into bed, and others brought out stools they carried with them, sitting while waiting in line. Naka, however, maintained her upright posture, occasionally shifting forward slightly. She seemed oblivious to fatigue.

The waiting time was not only arduous but also easily became boring. To pass the time, many adventurers who were not originally acquainted struck up conversations with the people in front of and behind them, beginning idle chatter that lasted all night. Of course, Naka was not one of them.

However, the adventurers behind her seemed unable to bear the boredom and started chatting about this and that.

Naka didn't turn around, but judging from the voices, a burly man behind her was discussing the recent graduation exams at the Sunflower Town Adventurers' School with a young man. Naka was unaware that this was a highly influential and well-known "event" among many adventurers, and was initially surprised by the coincidence. But as she listened, she frowned.

It was only because that burly man mentioned that matter.

"By the way, I heard that something went wrong with the graduation exam for the Hero Class this time."

"trouble?"

The young man, seemingly unaware of the details, voiced a question. The burly man, somewhat arrogant, launched into a boastful monologue.

"Yeah. I heard that a girl named... Tatia? I think that's it, cheated on her exam, using methods not recognized by the school to severely injure her opponent and even tried to kill him. As a result, Lord Frost was so angry that he expelled her from the school, disqualified her from the exam, and banished her! Sigh, young people these days just don't know how to train themselves properly; they're always thinking of some inexplicable tricks and opportunistic schemes. It's really outrageous!"

"Oh, is that so...?"

Before leaving the Demon King's castle, Naka kept telling herself that she had parted ways with Tatya and Jasmine. She had completely severed ties. Their affairs would no longer concern her. If she encountered them again, and they dared to obstruct her, Naka would decisively end their lives without a second thought... That was Naka's plan.

But hearing people gossiping about Tatsia behind her back, mocking and ridiculing her, stirred a strange anger within Naka, who had initially intended to ignore the matter. She told herself to calm down; she shouldn't get angry over this. Whether Tatsia lived or died, whether she was good or bad, was no longer her concern.

But the burly man seemed not to have had enough of his rant and continued shamelessly.

"To be honest, people who resort to such underhanded tactics lack confidence in their own abilities. They always pin their hopes for victory on dubious means. What reliable things can these young people possibly have? The thought that after we retire, we'll be replaced by this group of guys who are oblivious to the dangers of the world and have never fought any particularly strong monsters makes me truly worried about the future of our kingdom."

"It seems so."

"Seriously, these kids are a bunch of scum who need to be taught a lesson. They need us old hands to give them a good thrashing and show them what real adventurers are like..."

"...Then go ahead and do it."

The man's arrogant remarks finally pushed the saintess before him to her breaking point. His slander against Tatsia had ultimately crossed Naka's line. Without offering a reply, she uttered a cold statement and slowly turned to look behind her.

"Since you're so capable, why don't you go teach that Tatsia a lesson? What's the point of just talking big?"

"Who are you? Why are you interrupting us adults?"

"Who I am is none of your business. I just want you to shut your mouth. Not only is your voice unpleasant, but your breath is also foul. Please have some consideration for those around you, okay?"

From the man's perspective, he was simply having a pleasant conversation with someone when a "saintly woman" interrupted him in a sarcastic and provocative tone. Naturally, this ignited his anger.

"Don't be so ungrateful, you saintess! I can say whatever I want, what's it to you? You think my mouth stinks? Either you stop breathing, or you try and shut me up."

"You said it yourself..."

Calm down, calm down. Naka kept telling herself this. The capital wasn't a place to cause trouble. Especially since she was about to launch an infiltration operation. She couldn't afford to be conspicuous. But she still lost her mind. It was impossible for her not to breathe. Naka had no choice but to grant him another request.

In a place where she shouldn't be using her true power and reverting to her original identity, Naka removed her "disguise." She placed her hands behind her back, where dark magical energy began to gather. She would silence this man, forever.

The burly man noticed that no one else came to his aid after she provoked him. He concluded that Naka was alone. In that case, what right did a mere saintess have to challenge him? He became even more arrogant. Therefore, he failed to notice that Naka's eyes, now filled with murderous intent, had locked onto his life. If he had been a second slower, the news that "The Demon King has appeared in the capital" would have immediately become the front page of all humanity.

But a man stepped in and salvaged the situation.

"Never mind... don't get angry."

The young man who had been echoing the burly man's words stepped forward, pushing Naka's shoulder with one hand and the burly man's abs with the other, creating distance between them. He smiled ingratiatingly and said to both of them...

"It's so late, there are still people resting here, it's not appropriate to argue, right? Besides, this is the capital city. If the soldiers guarding the city find you fighting and causing trouble here, no matter whose fault it is, neither of you will be allowed to enter the city. So don't act impulsively, be peaceful, be peaceful."

"...cut!"

Someone came to mediate, and the burly man realized that arguing so seriously with a girl who looked to be only a teenager was unbecoming of an elder, so he turned his head away unhappily. But his anger had subsided considerably.

Naka withdrew her magic, reverted to her "disguise," and turned back. But her heart was not at peace.

"...What was I just about to do?"

After calming down a bit, Naka realized that she had lost control once again.

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard Tatsia's name.

Hearing someone speak ill of Tatsia filled Naka with an overwhelming rage. Even if someone were to openly curse the Demon King to her face, Naka wouldn't be this angry.

To vent her anger, she even considered unleashing the Demon King's power here without considering the consequences, which would be tantamount to completely negating this operation, completely negating her future plans, and burning all her efforts to the ground.

Why? Why am I so disoriented because of Tatia, who has so deeply disappointed me? I had already decided to distance myself from her. If what Fros said before he died was true, Tatia is even the hero who will kill me in the future. I should be killing her without hesitation and enjoying the world's ridicule.

But no matter how much Naka tried to deceive herself, she couldn't deny that she was still worried about Tatsia's feelings. Even though she had done her utmost these past few days, committing cruel and atrocities befitting a demon lord, trying to view human lives as mere toys, treating them once again as insignificant dust... all that effort lost its meaning the moment Tatsia's name reached her ears.

"No, we can't do this... Don't think about her! Don't worry about her, don't try to speak up for her!... Get away, get away!"

Naka raised her fist and pounded it against her head, trying to banish the suppressed "human touch" from her mind. It was a negative emotion that would only hinder her future actions. One punch, two punches, three punches... no matter how hard she hit, she couldn't shake off this longing. She continued her futile efforts, swinging her arm, which was actually quite weak.

"Hey, has this saintess gone mad...?"

For the rugged man, this girl, who inexplicably revealed hostility, was now inexplicably self-harming. Her incomprehensible actions and abrupt emotional changes instilled fear in him.

Naka wanted to become more like a demon king. Those behind her saw her more as a madwoman. From then on, there was no longer any interaction between someone immersed in their own world and someone who dared not utter a sound.

Another day and night passed. Naka finally reached the reception desk and began processing the paperwork.

The capital's screening process was exceptionally strict and meticulous; ordinary fake identification and passes couldn't fool them. Therefore, Naka had prepared exceptionally comprehensive documents, meticulously modified from files searched by the Demon King's army officers from the corpses of adventurers who came to challenge them. The paper used and the uniquely stamped seals were all personally certified by the human kingdom. Only then did she manage to slip through this hurdle and obtain permission to enter the city. Naka picked up her luggage and officially began her journey towards the human kingdom's headquarters.

Upon entering the capital, Naka first found an inn and settled in, putting away all her luggage. Then, instead of immediately going out to search for the whereabouts of the Fang of Agh, she sat on the bed, closed her eyes, and rested, carefully planning her future actions. First, she gave a preliminary assessment of her current situation.

Naka's mission isn't to kill adventurers, so there's no need for her to team up. However, this also means losing her source of income. Prices in the capital are much higher than in Isard Town. Achieving her goal before running out of funds is paramount.

According to Fros's dying words, he kept the Fang of Agra from Oz for about five months before handing it over to the royal capital a month before his graduation exam. The reason given was that the royal capital had not responded to his report for five months, only suddenly ordering Fros to hand it over in the last month. Now, the Fang of Agra has been in the royal capital for a month. Fros said it has been sent to the research department for study.

Logically, the first step to achieving the goal should be to find out the location of the research department. But Naka doesn't think so.

While dragons aren't invincible, they are powerful monsters capable of deterring most adventurers. This means that dragon scales, blood, teeth, and other materials are incredibly rare and valuable. Humans would undoubtedly guard such precious items rigorously and with heavy security. Even if they could locate the research department, stealing it undetected would be a major challenge. While a direct assault wouldn't be difficult for Naka, it would make her too conspicuous and expose her identity. Naka hopes to complete the mission without humans knowing who stole the Fang of Agh or what their motives are.

Furthermore, the Research Department received the Fang of Agh a month ago. Whether the Fang of Agh is still with the Research Department or has been researched and moved elsewhere is unknown. Such classified information would naturally not circulate in the city. Only high-ranking officials of a few human kingdoms would likely know the whereabouts of the Fang of Agh. Having reasoned this way, Naka understood that her first step should be to target high-ranking personnel in the human kingdoms and extract information about the Fang of Agh from them by any means necessary. After determining its current location, she would then conduct an on-site investigation of the terrain and personnel deployment, and then formulate a targeted infiltration plan.

Stealing the Fang of Agh was not the end of the plan. The real key question that concerned Naka was why the Fang of Agh had been knocked off in the first place. After obtaining the Fang of Agh, she would immediately continue her search for Agh's true form and investigate who had knocked off its tooth. Finding that target, and then having the Demon King personally send this foolish traitor who harmed his subordinate to his doom... this was the whole story of Naka's journey, and her true purpose.

After double-checking what she needed to do, Naka sat up in bed and lightly patted her face. Then she looked around the hotel room.

To save money, Naka deliberately chose a run-down inn very similar to the one she had stayed at in Isard. The decor and room layout truly reminded Naka of that time six months ago. But unlike then, the empty room contained only her and a bed. Because of the memory, she almost thought Jasmine's cheerful voice would soon be beside her. But in fact, that didn't happen.