The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

"I made myself very clear when I came. I want to know where you got the information about the Dragon's Fang."

"Is it still about this matter...? Are you sent by one of our colleagues on this mountain?"

"no"

"...If you were in the same line of work, I couldn't trust you. After all, the idea of ​​'honesty and trustworthiness' in our line of work is utter nonsense. But... well, I believe what you say."

"So, can you tell me now?"

"Telling you isn't impossible, but what good would it do us? Someone who knows such important information is no ordinary person. If we were to divulge it to an unknown outsider like you, and he found out, we'd be in deep trouble. Woman, the most basic rule of any transaction is cash on delivery."

"You want money?"

"Money is certainly a good thing. But something as valuable as the Dragon's Fang probably can't be measured in terms of a specific amount of money."

"So what do you want?"

"Well... let me think about it."

Scarface closed his eyes, pondering the conditions that would be worth exchanging information for. The person who leaked the information to the thieves was no ordinary individual; it was said that this person had numerous spies both inside and outside the city. Revealing that person's name would require Scarface to be fully prepared; Naka would likely offer something almost equally important in exchange. Finally, he remembered a pressing matter that had troubled him for many years. If that matter couldn't be resolved, Scarface would be restless and in danger. Due to his lack of power, even if he wanted to resolve it, he was powerless. And now, a golden opportunity had finally arrived. He made his demands to Naka:

"Woman, if you can cut off the head of a man named 'Oz' and bring it here, I will tell you about him."

The first step to achieving the goal

Upon hearing this unexpected name, Naka's usually cold and stiff expression showed a noticeable change.

The Oz he was referring to was none other than the previous year's specially recruited student at the Sunflower Town Adventurers' School, a genius hero highly praised by the hero Fros. He even nearly defeated Tatia in the final graduation exam. He was an extremely talented individual, and also someone with a significant connection to Naka.

She couldn't hide the surprise in her eyes and remained silent for a long time. Noticing this change, the scarred man asked curiously.

"What? You know Oz?"

"...Don't know him/her"

"But I can't see any sign that you don't recognize him... Oh well, the choice is yours. If you don't kill him, I won't tell you the information. Men, see them out."

Scarface adopted an indifferent attitude and turned to return to the cave. Naka immediately stopped him.

"Wait a minute!"

Naka still remembered what Oz had done to Tatsia at the beginning of the school year, what had happened before the placement test, and how he had injured Tatsia during the graduation exam. Naka understood that it was a fair fight. Tatsia's final fate was also her own doing.

However, if it weren't for Oz, Tatia wouldn't have ended up like that. Every time he struck Tatia, Naka felt as if her own heart was being stabbed. Although she hadn't said it aloud, she still didn't intend to forgive Oz. Naka had already decided that whoever hurt Tatia would pay the price. Moreover, Oz's extraordinary talent was truly astonishing; given time, he would surely become a hero even stronger than Frost, a formidable enemy of the Demon King's army. Naka hadn't forgotten her initial purpose for traveling. Now, an opportunity, both logical and emotional, had presented itself before her. She had initially considered using force if necessary to compel Scarface to reveal the information. But the conditions he proposed were exactly what Naka wanted.

Because she was in a state of turmoil, Naka wasn't in the mood to kill him when she left the adventurer's school. Later, Naka deeply regretted it. But now, the opportunity has arrived.

In the end, she nodded to Scarface.

"...I'm willing to do it. I will kill Oz."

"That's great! That's how we can say we've reached an agreement!"

Upon hearing that Naka was willing to accept his conditions, Scarface excitedly turned back and extended his right hand to Naka.

"Since you agree, then the deal is done?"

"but..."

Helping him kill Oz was no problem. But Naka didn't want to run errands for this stranger without any explanation. Why was this man, who seemed to have no connection to Oz, mentioning his name? Ignoring his offer to shake hands, she asked the scarred man directly.

"You must tell me why you killed Oz?"

"Why? Is it important?"

"important"

"Hmm... well, it's not a big deal, it's okay to talk about it."

Scarface sighed. It's a long story. But in short, it's because of one reason.

"Because that guy is a survivor of 'that orphan organization'."

That happened five years ago. Scarface and his gang of thieves arrived in a city. It wasn't wealthy, but the security was relatively lax, making it easier to commit crimes. Moreover, there were no other gangs nearby that would compete with them. So they decided to make it their primary target.

However, they misjudged the situation. While they didn't have any thieves, there was a disciplined and elusive gang of orphans in the city. A group of callow youths made a living by robbery both inside and outside the city. Unlike Scarface and his gang, these orphans didn't kill.

Several times, the wealthy merchants Scarface had his eye on, passing through the city, were all robbed of their opportunities by the group of brats. By the time Scarface and his men arrived, the merchants were completely empty-handed, leaving them with nothing. Once, twice, three times... Finally, Scarface could no longer tolerate these arrogant brats...

"...We first robbed a group of wealthy people, taking their valuables. Then, we had an orphan we bribed spread the word beforehand, luring them to our target location. We simply disguised ourselves and informed the officials beforehand. This way, we got the money and easily wiped out those scoundrels. It was a double win... But Oz alone managed to escape... Later, I heard he became a hero, more interested in eradicating bandit gangs than fighting monsters. I think he must have known that someone had..." He schemed against them, and thus seeks revenge for himself and his fallen comrades. Furthermore, he seems to have recently gained the favor of the hero Fros and is studying at the adventurer's school in Sunflower Town, making him even more formidable than before. And he's recently graduated... If things continue like this, he'll eventually trace it back to us and find out we were responsible for what happened back then. Frankly speaking, even if all of us ganged up on him, we probably wouldn't be a match for Oz now... So, I have no choice but to ask you, woman... no, Saintess."

After recounting his past and his grudges with Oz, Scarface once again reached out his hand to Naka.

"Only someone like you, someone he won't suspect, can lower his guard and kill him without his knowledge. If you help me with this, I'll tell you any information I need. How about it? Are you willing to take this job?"

"..."

From Naka's perspective, she was unaware that Oz had a past of stealing for a living within an orphanage. According to Scarface, this outcome was simply a deserved punishment for the ugly struggles among thieves, a consequence of their own actions, and not Oz's fault.

However, Naka is not someone who acts according to "right and wrong" or "good and evil." For her, as long as her own goals are achieved, that's all that matters. She has already killed countless so-called good people and virtuous individuals. Naka has no reason to refuse such a request.

"Alright. In that case, I'll kill Oz for you."

"Although I shouldn't be saying this, accepting the murder commission so casually, you, this saintess, are truly dangerous and terrifying."

Even Scarface, who lived a life of constant danger, had to admit that he felt a chill run down his spine from this seemingly cute girl. It was as if she saw human life as worthless, utterly insignificant. Only someone who had personally taken countless lives could exude such an aura. After telling his story, Scarface considered asking about Naka's past, but he dismissed the idea, believing it best not to delve into matters that perhaps shouldn't be touched upon.

His initial thought was that while Naka lacked the power to kill Oz, she was a saintess and could easily gain his trust to become his teammate. He could then kill him by ambushing him from behind during battle or by deliberately neglecting to treat his injuries inflicted by monsters. However, looking at Naka's sharp eyes and confident smile, Scarface believed she already had numerous methods prepared for killing him, and he didn't need to offer any further reminders or instructions.

"We probably won't be leaving here for a long time. So I'll be here waiting for your good news, Miss Saint."

"We'll exchange heads for intelligence, is that alright?"

"No. Although I did say something like 'honesty and trustworthiness are meaningless,' that only applies to my colleagues. Since you are not one of my colleagues, then I will naturally keep my promise and never go back on my word."

"Very well, I hope you remember what you just said. Also, I'm not called any woman, nor am I called any saintess. My name is Naka."

"I understand, Miss Naka."

Naka extended her hand this time. The thief leader and the demon king clasped hands tightly. They said in unison...

"It's a pleasure working with you."

Do not repeat the same mistakes

As Naka walked down the mountain, she kept thinking about the deal she had negotiated with Scarface. She had agreed to deliver Oz's head, but how exactly should she carry it out?

Since he was severely injured by Tatia and carried away by the school staff, Naka hadn't seen or heard from him again. His injuries seemed serious, but with the treatment from the school's saintess, he should recover in about a week. Naka had heard that he hadn't won first place in the recent Hero Class graduation exam. Since he wasn't the champion, he naturally wouldn't stay at the school. He must have gone somewhere else. Where could he have gone? Naka had no idea.

Scarface said he wouldn't be responsible for telling Naka about Oz's whereabouts. It was up to Naka to investigate herself. The only way Naka could think of was to go to the Adventure School and ask the staff, following the direction he had gone. It was a clumsy method, but it was the only way she could manage.

No sooner had one problem been solved than another arose. Before they could extract any information from those in the know regarding the Fang of Agh, another mission was thrown in, prolonging the plan. Naka thought about it carefully and realized that it was actually unnecessary to do all this.

"Sigh... If I had the time to go looking for Oz, I'd rather just force them to reveal the information."

The most efficient method would be to force them to reveal the information—simple and easy. Those greedy, lustful scoundrels would only need Naka to show a fraction of her Demon King powers, enough to terrify them into begging for mercy, and all the information would be readily available. There was no need to make any deal with them. However, thinking of what Oz had done to Tatia, Naka couldn't suppress her murderous intent. Ultimately, she couldn't help but agree. Strictly speaking, it really didn't have to be this way.

"Sigh, I still let my emotions get the better of me..."

Humanity isn't just about being kind to others. Losing your temper due to anger, or taking unnecessary actions out of hatred—these emotional outbursts that cloud your judgment are also signs of becoming more human.

Regardless, it's a feasible method. It's also an option for Naka. If a faster method is found, it can be left as is; if not, trying it again is perfectly acceptable. Having more options is always a good thing.

Thinking of this, Naka quickened her pace down the mountain. She needed to get moving as soon as possible, no matter what.

However, at this moment...

"Drink! Ha!"

"Um?"

The roars and clanging sounds coming from the distant woods made Naka stop in her tracks. It seemed there was some kind of argument going on nearby. Amidst the shouts of many men, a somewhat familiar female voice rang out. Curious, Naka walked towards the source of the commotion.

Pushing aside the obstructing branches and passing through several bushes, a clearing appeared before her in front of another cave. Just as Naka had sensed, there were about a dozen people locked in fierce combat. The larger group was dressed in rags, their faces covered with black cloths. They seemed to be another band of thieves entrenched in the area. Surrounded in the center was a woman clad in silver armor, her face radiating righteousness. Even outnumbered and surrounded, the woman showed no fear. She steadily held her spear, deflecting the thieves' attacks time and again.

It's her.

Naka recognized the woman. It was the meddlesome female knight who had just tried to rescue her. Naka pondered for a moment before remembering that her name was Lucia.

Not long ago, this poor female knight was completely fooled by Naka and Scarface, who conspired to deceive her into believing they were just vagrants. She abandoned the dangerous individuals she should have eliminated and left on her own. This was also because Scarface didn't want to escalate the situation by making enemies of the Royal Palace Adventurers. It seems that after leaving Scarface's stronghold, she went to other parts of the mountain to search for thieves. However, the thieves she encountered this time didn't seem to have the same foresight as Scarface. Knowing she was from the Royal Palace Adventurers, they still dared to fight her. Naka felt the abilities of this thief leader were somewhat questionable.

A group of people were engaged in a heated fight, but Naka neither joined in nor quietly left uninvolved. She simply watched the spectacle with great interest, like someone watching a play in a theater.

Although the battle remained deadlocked, Naka could tell that the female knight was merely testing and observing. She wanted to wipe out the thieves in one fell swoop, so she naturally needed to wait for as many of her henchmen as possible to arrive. Otherwise, if she killed too quickly, some of the henchmen would scatter in fear. These fleeing thieves might then regroup elsewhere. To prevent this, she deliberately delayed the battle. Naka used "Demon King's Authority - Insight" to confirm. These thieves were all around Lv2 level. This female knight, however, was a high Lv15. The Demon King nodded. Although she seemed somewhat unreliable, she was indeed a skilled warrior directly under the kingdom's command.

"when!"

Lucia easily raised her hand, using her long pole to deflect an attack from her side. She glanced around at the number of thieves surrounding her, then asked the leader in front of her a question.

"Hey! Is this all the guys you have?! I haven't had my fill of fighting yet!"

"Damn it! Don't think you can look down on us just because you're sent by the royal palace. We didn't survive this long by being pushovers...!"

Enraged by such provocation, the somewhat impatient leader grabbed his short sword and charged at the female knight. Of course, in a one-on-one fight, the leader was no match for Lucia. Within two rounds, Lucia tripped him with her long-handled sword, causing him to fall heavily to the ground.

"Damn it... what are you all standing there for! Charge!"

Seeing that he had no chance of winning alone, the leader simply ordered all his henchmen to attack together. However, in the previous battle, the henchmen had already witnessed the female knight's impenetrable defensive skills. No matter how they attacked—whether from the left and right, front and back, or all at once—they all missed. They were all filled with fear of Lushius. Even with the leader's order, no one dared to be the first to attack. They simply circled around her.

Lucia then counted the number of thieves present again. The number was exactly the same as before, not one more, not one less.

"Looks like that's all of you. No more reinforcements... Alright, it's my turn to make my move!"

Even a group of Lv10s working together wouldn't be a match for a Lv15 combat class. Moreover, these thieves are at most Lv3 leaders. Once Lushius prepares to make her move, they'll be powerless to resist.

Lucias moved with lightning speed, appearing before a dozen men could react. Her gleaming silver spear flashed out like lightning, piercing his throat. The unfortunate thief died without even knowing how he had died.

Then, with a twist of her wrist, she drew her spear and unleashed a wide, sweeping blow at the lower bodies of the three thieves around her. Their six legs were instantly severed in two from the knees up, and their three upper bodies, having lost their footing, collapsed to the ground. Overwhelmed by pain, they instinctively dropped their weapons. Though not dead, the three were left only with the ability to clutch their wounds and utter pitiful howls.

Only then did the others realize what had happened. In the blink of an eye, this female knight had caused one death and three injuries to their side, a heavy loss. The henchmen were all terrified, their courage shattered. One by one, they turned to flee. But Lucius, much faster than them, quietly approached from behind and stabbed each of the henchmen who tried to escape with their backs in the back. The last henchman had only run about five meters when all ten or so of them were wiped out in seconds.

Now only three incapacitated henchmen remained, writhing on the ground clutching their broken legs. There was only the leader left. Lucia raised her gun, aimed it at the leader who had wet his pants in fear, and pressed closer.

"You've been robbing and murdering people in the vicinity, and now, as members of the Royal Palace Adventurer's Guild, you dare to violently resist the law and harm law enforcement officers. According to orders and regulations, I have the right to execute you on the spot! Are you prepared for this?"

"No, please... spare me... I will never do such a heinous thing again..."

"Further words are useless!"

The chieftain was so terrified he was incoherent, kneeling and begging for mercy. But this did nothing to sway the impartial Lucius. A flash of light, and Lucius brandished her spear. The chieftain, still pleading for his life until the very last moment, had his head severed from his neck. Tears of fear still clung to his eyes as the severed head flew through the air, his mouth still uttering beggar's words, too late. He seemed to still cling to the pipe dream that he would be spared. His body then collapsed. Blood gushed from his bald neck.

The three remaining henchmen were unable to speak. They could only crawl desperately on the ground with their bare hands, oblivious to their broken fingernails. Even so, Lucia showed no mercy and showed no intention of letting them go. The warriors of the Royal Palace Adventurer's Guild were absolutely ruthless towards villains and monsters who sought to kill for money.

Lucia slowly walked to one of the henchmen, reversed the gun, pointed it downwards, and thrust it forcefully downwards. Then she went to a second person and repeated the same action. Soon, two more sinful lives were lost.

"Alright, only one left...wait, where did he go?"

She was so focused on killing the first two that when she turned back, Lucius noticed the third man seemed to be climbing faster than the other two, making it difficult for her to find him immediately. However, the bloodstains on the ground were indelible, and the last henchman had no chance of escaping. After clearing several trails of blood, Lucius quickly spotted the remaining bloodstains and hurried after him.

"You'd better just give in... Wait, who are you...?"

Ahead of the bloodstain, besides the henchmen still struggling to survive, stood a saintess who seemed to enjoy the spectacle. The henchman clung tightly to the saintess's leg, as if grasping at a lifeline.

"Please...stop that woman...I don't want to die..."

The henchman didn't actually know who she was or why she was there. But for him, facing a life-or-death situation, no matter who it was, he had no choice but to turn to her for help. Because behind him, a "Grim Reaper" was gradually approaching.

But what he didn't expect was that the saintess before him was not his savior. He had merely escaped from one death only to find himself facing another. His fate would remain unchanged.

"puff"

The saintess produced a dagger from who-knows-where and plunged it into the henchman's neck, severing his trachea. The henchman didn't even have time to scream before his body collapsed to the ground, motionless.

Don't get my clothes dirty.

Finally, the saintess violently pulled her leg away from his grasp and kicked the corpse away from her feet. She wiped the blood from the dagger and sheathed it back at her waist.

She had originally planned to handle everything alone, but suddenly an outsider appeared before her. Even the rigorously trained Lucia couldn't detect the saintess's presence. She looked at the girl who had appeared nearby without her noticing with some surprise.

"Yes, it's you...? What are you doing here?"

Just as the saintess knew her, she also knew this saintess. She was the young, silver-haired girl who had been trapped by a group of men who looked dangerous not long ago.

Saintess: Seeing that she had been discovered, Naka simply walked towards Lucy. As she walked, she gave Lucy a strange smile and praised her...

"Wow, as expected of the talent the Royal Palace Adventurers' Guild has their eye on. They killed all those thieves so easily. Impressive indeed."

As she spoke, Naka even began to clap. Killing the thief was undoubtedly an honor for Lucia. But Naka's ambiguous attitude left her somewhat puzzled. Moreover, she hadn't expected to meet this girl again here. She answered hesitantly.

"Are you...you're alright?"

"What did you say?"

"I thought you were threatened by those thieves and didn't dare ask me for help, so you sent me away. I was planning to deal with those guys before going back to check on things... Was I really overthinking it? Those guys let you come back, could they really be good people?"

"Well, who knows?"

Naka maintained her smile, giving ambiguous answers. This only confused Ruth even more. But for the warriors of the Royal Adventurer's Guild, ensuring the safety of innocent civilians and adventurers was enough. She kindly advised Naka...