The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

"Greetings, Sister Pais. My name is Mayera, and I'm thirteen years old. I'm just an ordinary girl on a trip to see different cities."

Because Tatia had instructed her not to let anyone but herself know that Mayera was the Demon King's daughter, Mayera concealed her surname and only gave her first name. This in itself wasn't a problem. However, Mayera's unusual self-designation, her strange etiquette never used in everyday life, and the expensive ornaments she wore—all of which were clearly not ordinary—all pointed to the fact that her claim of being an "ordinary girl" was a complete fabrication. Pais wasn't one to mince words and directly pointed out her doubts.

"No, no, no... you don't seem normal at all, do you?"

"Huh? Why do you say that?"

"These days, who in their right mind would refer to themselves as 'this humble servant'? And that crown on your head... are you perhaps a princess?"

"ah"

It was only then that Tatia noticed that Meera had been wearing that crystal-like crown the whole time. Because she was using a parasol, not many people had noticed. However, this crown would completely expose Meera's identity, and if the soldiers saw it, they would inevitably suspect her of rebellion, attracting even more attention and suspicion. Without waiting for Meera's explanation, Tatia snatched the crown from her head and hastily made up an excuse for Pais.

"Oh, this is just a toy!"

"Toy?"

"Mayera is the daughter of a very wealthy family in another city, which is why she's always dressed in gold and silver. She's also quite well-mannered! She always thinks she's a little princess, so she wore a fake crown. She's not a princess at all, really!"

"Sister Tatia, why are you stealing my crown? Give it back to me!"

"I'll return it to you in a bit... Also, it's really inconvenient for you to carry this around, so if possible, I'd appreciate it if you could put it away..."

She stammered as she explained. Shortly after, she whispered something to Mayra. Anyone else would have realized that Tatia's words were clearly an attempt to cover something up. But Pais, a young girl who had only recently become an adventurer and was unaware of the dangers of the world, naively believed her. She then turned around and earnestly lectured Mayra.

"I see... I can tell your family is very wealthy. But even the richest family has things they can't do. A crown is something only His Majesty the King and his family are entitled to wear. Even if it's just an ornament, anyone who dares to wear it casually will be beheaded."

Always the youngest child in the family, the older sister of her older brother, she had finally met someone even younger than herself. Therefore, she deliberately acted like an older sister, and was even somewhat smug about it. Seeing that she had fooled her, Tatia breathed a sigh of relief. Mayera echoed her sentiments.

"Yes, I understand!"

"That's good... But are you really that strong?"

Since Tatia claimed to be a pampered young lady from a wealthy family, Pais became even more skeptical of her combat abilities. She reasoned that wealthy people wouldn't allow their precious daughters to learn combat skills. Tatia, however, confidently patted her chest, vouching for Mayera's strength.

"I'm not exaggerating, she's even more powerful than me when I unleash my full potential... really."

"Huh!? Really?"

"...Although I hate to admit it, it's true."

When Tatia wielded that greatsword, she displayed a terrifying strength that far surpassed Pais's understanding, exceeding even his own brother's. While not as powerful as Fros, Pais believed that Tatia at her full strength was virtually unmatched in the world. But even this Tatia was no match for this pampered young lady? Pais stared incredulously at the seemingly frail girl. Meanwhile, Mayera, somewhat disgruntled, rubbed her cheek.

"Really? Sister Tatiya has a colorful weapon, it's really fun. But it's not powerful enough. When I was sparring with Sister Tatiya, I was wondering what other fun toys she hadn't brought out yet, but it turned out to be just that one thing. I'm really disappointed."

"..."

Not only did he criticize Tatia for not being powerful enough despite using her full strength, but he also regarded the divine weapon in Pais's eyes as a toy. What kind of person would dare to utter such arrogant words, leaving Tatia speechless? Pais truly couldn't believe it.

But since both Tatia and she herself had said so, Pais decided to test her. Originally planning to reject Mayera, she ultimately nodded.

"Alright, I'll believe you... Well, Tatia and I are about to go on a mission to defeat the monsters. Could you lend us a hand? Let me see what you're capable of."

"On a mission? To fight monsters? But I'm just here for sightseeing! Why should I do such a thing?"

"If you help me and show me your abilities, I'll take you to some of the famous tourist attractions around here, okay?"

"Really?! That's wonderful! I agree!"

After all, she was just a thirteen-year-old girl. Even the not-so-mature Pais managed to persuade her with a few words, offering to take her sightseeing. Meera was overjoyed, jumping and skipping with delight. Tacia wasn't sure if this was acting or her genuine reaction. But the conversation still made her smile, and she couldn't help but sigh.

"The Demon King's daughter is surprisingly easy to please..."

When they left the guild, they were a two-person party, but now a third person had temporarily joined. Since the Adventurers' Guild recognized the practice of temporarily forming parties during quests, they decided to complete the quest first and then go back to the guild to complete the party-forming procedures for Mayera as well. The three of them walked out of the city gates and headed towards the quest location: a plain half a day's walk from Vado Town.

This mission has a difficulty level of 15, making it suitable for a team of adventurers around level 15 to complete. Although Pais is only level 10 at this point, it's already a very easy mission for Tatia, who is level 18. With Mayera by their side, they confidently embarked on their journey.

During their journey, they chatted idly. The main topics revolved around where Mayra lived and what her wealthy lifestyle was like. Mayra simply fabricated a series of lies to cover it all up.

Although it was a lie, she made it coherent, with each part connected and echoing the previous one. She described herself as a well-bred young lady born in a town Pais had never heard of, confined to her room by her parents from childhood, never allowed to step outside. Despite her parents' doting love, she ultimately couldn't suppress her yearning for the outside world and ran away... Pais, unaware of the truth, was completely captivated. She took Mayra's hand, empathizing with her, and encouraged her...

"I understand you! My parents are the same way. They always feel that the only one they can rely on is my brother. They think that a girl like me shouldn't be an adventurer and should just stay at home obediently... Parents always feel that children can't grow up and can't become reliable! Especially for girls! The patriarchal mindset is so serious in this world! That's why I decided to become an adventurer, to make my parents... and my brother look at me in a new light!"

"Oh my, Pais is such a thoughtful and proactive girl!"

"That's right! Because I won second place in the Saintess Class, now neither Dad nor Mom can say anything about me anymore! Mayera! I believe you can do it too! Achieve something great and completely change your parents' opinion of you!"

"Um..."

Mayra nodded thoughtfully. Pais's last words seemed to have touched something deep within her. Meanwhile, Netacia listened silently. Although Mayra's story contained some falsehoods to conceal her identity, she spoke with conviction and emotion when discussing her parents and the reasons for running away from home. Despite being the Demon King's daughter, she was ultimately just a girl yearning for freedom. Netacia re-examined herself. While losing her parents was unfortunate, it seemed that children with parents also experienced a kind of suffering that she, an orphan, could neither understand nor comprehend.

Mayera's story was somewhat heavy. After she finished speaking, there was a moment of silence among the three of them. Then, after a brief silence, Pais, suddenly remembering a crucial question, spoke up.

"By the way...Meira, what's your profession? Judging from your appearance, you don't seem to be a warrior or hero, a profession that involves physical combat. Are you an archer? Or a mage?"

Faced with this question, Mayera tilted her head and asked...

"Occupation? What's that?"

"...Huh? You don't even know what a profession is?"

"This is my first time traveling so far from home, and I really don't understand many of the terms used in the outside world."

Despite Tatia claiming she was stronger than him, Pais was completely ignorant of even this basic knowledge of adventurers. This made Pais even more suspicious of how she had managed to develop combat abilities that even Tatia would be willing to concede defeat to, all within the confines of her home where real combat was impossible. Pais could only offer a rough explanation...

"Ah... Listen carefully. Classes are the categories of adventurers. Different adventurers choose different classes based on their abilities, talents, and preferences to embark on their adventures. Tatia is a hero, a combat class that uses a sword as its weapon, primarily employing swordsmanship and martial arts, with magic attacks as a secondary weapon. Besides that, there are warriors, martial artists, knights, and other classes that focus on close combat. Those who are naturally weaker will choose ranged combat classes that specialize in using magic and ranged weapons like bows and arrows, avoiding direct confrontation with enemies. Mages use various elemental magic attacks, while archers use enchanted bows for long-range sniping. In addition, there is a class called the Saintess. This class doesn't have the attack abilities of the other classes. However, it can restore the stamina of teammates, heal injuries, and enhance their physical and magical abilities, making their martial arts and magical attacks even stronger. I am such a Saintess."

"Eh, is that so...? Humans are really interesting that they can divide adventurers into so many different styles."

"Huh? Humans?"

"Aren't you human?"

"That's true... but your wording..."

"This is my first time traveling so far from home, so please forgive me if I have said anything offensive, Sister Pais. Don't take it to heart."

"...All right"

Hearing Mayera utter the word "human" startled Tatia. She initially thought Mayera had accidentally let it slip. Just as she was about to smooth things over, Mayera silenced the suspicious Pais with a few words. Whether Mayera intentionally provoked Pais or simply extricated herself from the awkward situation, Tatia couldn't help but admire Mayera's silver tongue. If she hadn't intervened, many humans would likely have been deceived and misled by her eloquence. Tatia realized even more clearly that her decision had indeed done a great service to the world.

The three continued chatting and laughing throughout the rest of the journey. The half-day trip passed quickly...

"Is this the place?"

As the sky turned from the red of sunset to the black of night, they finally arrived at the plains where the mission was to take place. The three of them stood on a high earthen slope and looked around. All they could see was grassland covered with weeds swaying gently in the evening breeze. There wasn't a single monster, not even a rabbit in sight. Taqia took out the mission sheet again to check it, puzzled.

"This is the right place... It's still before the mission deadline. Logically, we shouldn't be late, but..."

She looked up again at the surrounding plains. Still, there was no sign of any living creature. Looking up at the sky, she saw only the occasional eagle soaring overhead and the twinkling stars on the horizon. She couldn't help but wonder…

"What happened?"

Pais was also undecided, looking around. Only one person, Mayera, had her eyes fixed on a place that neither of her two teammates noticed.

"Sisters, if we can't find the target in front, behind, left, right, or above, then there's only one possibility, isn't there?"

Mayera lowered her head and looked at the ground at her feet.

"boom!"

The moment the words left their mouths, the high earthen mound beneath their feet began to tremble violently. The three quickly retreated, stepping off the mound and creating distance between themselves. The mound beneath their feet grew higher and higher, eventually bulging upwards. Finally, with a deafening roar, a gigantic figure emerged from it, accompanied by a cloud of flying sand and gravel.

"That's...!"

The creature was long and thin, with writhing legs extending from its head to its tail along both sides. It stood on the plain, a creature resembling a centipede magnified many times over, emitting a piercing shriek.

At the same time, a circular, emblem-like magic circle was shining brightly on its forehead.

The author's words:

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The first mission, fraught with hidden conspiracies

A gigantic centipede stood upright on the plain, its body almost reaching the sky. It hissed and roared at the three small girls before it. Even if Tatia, Pais, and Meera were stacked upright, they wouldn't be more than a fifth as tall as it.

By all accounts, it seemed a hopeless situation, and the sheer size difference meant they had no chance of winning in a fight. However, Tatia and Pais, who had already received training at the Adventurers' Academy, and Meera, the daughter of the Demon King, all remained calm and composed. This centipede, which had been lurking near the plains for months, posing a significant problem and danger to the surrounding villages and travelers, was their target for this mission. Its appearance, ironically, only served to highlight the three girls' intentions.

Tatiana drew her broken sword, and Pais cast a physical enhancement spell on her. Meanwhile, Mayera remained motionless, resting her umbrella on her shoulder, watching the centipede with keen interest.

"Is this what a wild monster is? This is the first time I've ever seen one in person!"

Mayera was born and raised in the Demon King's castle, a strategic stronghold and headquarters of the Demon King. Naturally, only demons with a certain level of intelligence and communication ability were allowed to enter. For Mayera, who had never left that place in her entire life, this was the first time she had encountered wild demons who acted like beasts, refusing to bow down to her. She was filled with the same curiosity and interest she felt when she first saw Tatia's sword.

"Mayera! What are you standing there for! This isn't the time for sentimentality! Get ready! Don't get hurt!"

Mayra's attitude, however, was extremely worrying for her teammates. Pais couldn't understand why the girl was sighing about such a trivial matter when a formidable enemy was at hand. Tatia wasn't worried about anything happening to her immortal body. But if Mayra were accidentally attacked and then bounced back alive, it would inevitably arouse Pais's suspicion and expose her identity. She had to loudly remind Mayra, implying that she shouldn't display her regenerative abilities in front of Pais.

Tatia wasn't sure if she had truly conveyed the deeper meaning of her words to Mayra. After hearing Tatia's instructions, Mayra simply replied with a nonchalant "Okay~," showing no sign of becoming wary. However, she did raise her parasol, pointing it at the centipede in front of her.

However, this centipede didn't seem to be entirely without intelligence. Mayra's provocative gesture made it even more piercing, and it hissed loudly, as if enraged. Then, with a speed completely disproportionate to its enormous size, it pounced on the three of them.

"So fast!"

The centipede head, which originally required tilting one's head back to be seen, bared its fangs in less than three seconds and arrived in front of the three in one fell swoop. Taqia hurriedly grabbed Pais's hand, who hadn't reacted yet, and quickly dodged away. Just half a second after she dodged, the centipede head, a meter thick, left a deep trench in the ground where the two had just stood with astonishing force.

Saintesses weren't combat professionals, and Pais had only recently graduated from school; this mission was her first real combat experience. Her sensitivity to attacks and her ability to react were far inferior to Tatsia, a hero with considerable mission experience. It wasn't until Tatsia pulled her away, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground, that Pais realized Tatsia had just saved her from the centipede's attack at the last second. If she had been any slower, her body would have been shattered to pieces by the centipede's charge. Pais felt a wave of fear wash over her, cold sweat pouring down her back. She thanked Tatsia profusely.

"Thank you, Tatia..."

"You're welcome. Pais, this is the true meaning of fighting monsters to the death, the adventurer's mission. Until the target falls completely, you must keep your nerves on edge and not relax for a moment. Understand?"

"Uh-huh..."

While not exactly arrogant, Pais's second-place ranking in the Saintess class did lead her to the somewhat naive thought that "adventurers are nothing more than that." After receiving the certificate of sainthood from the church, she believed becoming an adventurer wouldn't be difficult. But now she finally understood the truly dangerous circumstances her brother Pasio had faced fighting enemies. The puppets she encountered in the school's placement tests, in terms of both oppression and danger, paled in comparison to real, gaping monsters. From the very first round of the mission, she felt a heart-pounding fear.

However, she was determined to become a true adventurer, to prove her parents, who believed she lacked the ability, and to comfort the spirit of her brother who died without seeing her become a saint. She would never back down. Though afraid, Pais gritted her teeth, nodded, and stood up, her legs trembling slightly. This time, she focused even more intently on observing the monster's every move.

After its first attack missed, the centipede didn't immediately launch another. It also observed the situation of the three. Tatia and Pais were now standing on the left, while Mayra herself was on the right. Because Tatia had dodged the first attack, the centipede turned its head towards Mayra's side this time.

"Mayera! Watch out!"

Tatia reminded Mayra again, intending for her to be more careful. However, Mayra seemed to misunderstand her good intentions; upon hearing Tatia's call, Mayra turned her head towards Tatia and waved.

"I understand, Sister Tatya."

"Hey! What are you doing! I told you to watch out..."

Just as Tatia was about to reprimand Mayera for saying she knew but not doing what she said, the centipede seized the opportunity and struck.

It crouched down again, charging at Mayella with even greater speed than before. It opened its mouth, revealing sharp teeth. This time, it wasn't a charge, but a ploy to tear Mayella to pieces and swallow her whole. Even if Tatia noticed the centipede's movements, it was too late to correct herself or rush to intercept the attack, as she had only spoken halfway through her sentence.

"Whoosh!"

The centipede's body conjured a violent whirlwind, utterly crushing the grassland where Meera stood into sand and gravel, leaving behind an even deeper, longer crater. Tatia anxiously called out the name of the demon king's daughter, who had vanished without a trace.

"Mayera!...Huh?"

Tatia had expected that after being shattered, she would immediately see Meera regenerating and rebuilding her body. But upon closer inspection, there was nothing that resembled Meera's fragments. Only sand and weeds. She uttered a sound of confusion. The next instant, however, the voice of the girl who had vanished from somewhere rang out behind Tatia and Pais.

"Are you worried about me, Sister Tatia?"

"Whoa!"

"how..."

Even having witnessed Mayra's almost imperceptible speed before, Tatia was still startled. Turning around at the sound, she saw that Mayra, unharmed, hadn't been hit but had dodged the attack like herself, which relieved Tatia. Faced with Mayra's innocent smile, Tatia could only give a vague reply.

"Yes, yes..."

"Hehe, Sister Tatya is really interesting, knowing my secret all along..."

Mayera, however, gave a sneer in a seemingly veiled way to Tatia, who was clearly trying to hide her guilt. Did Mayera understand Tatia's intentions or not? Tatia dared not speculate. Although they both knew each other's secrets, they had not yet developed a tacit understanding.

"Wait... how did you dodge that? Even Takia might not be as fast as you!"

But the most surprised and unexpected person was Pais, who was witnessing Maya's abilities for the first time. Not only did she dodge the centipede's attack, which also caught Pais off guard, but she also appeared behind them without either Pais or Tatia noticing. Pais was amazed by her behavior, which was completely different from her delicate and frail appearance.

"Did you run here? Or did you use some kind of magic?"

"Hmm... if I had to say, I'd say I used magic."

"So, your profession is actually a magician?"

"Well..."

"Let's stop this small talk... That guy's even angrier now."

Just as Pais was about to delve deeper into Mayera's abilities, the centipede, its attack missing once again, became even more enraged. It straightened up, its legs writhing disgustingly. Pais felt a chill run down her spine. She hugged her shoulders and asked Tatiana...

"What is this guy trying to do? Is he going to pounce on us again?"

"It doesn't seem so..."

Tatsia shook her head. She saw the centipede's abdomen suddenly swell, then the bulge rapidly moved upwards, finally reaching its throat. Sensing the attack it was about to unleash, Tatsia was terrified. She stepped in front of Pais, shielding her with her body, and roared...

"Pays! Don't leave my back! You can only move when I said you can!"