The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

Two nuns, one old and one young, sat facing each other. Naka kept her head down quietly, saying nothing. Jess asked...

"Naka, why aren't you looking at me?"

"It is very impolite to stare at someone's face without saying a word. I don't know why the High Sister called me. I don't dare to ask questions rashly. So this is all I can do."

"You silly child... Although I'm often called old-fashioned, you're even more rigid than me... But it's rare to see a young person as well-mannered as you. No wonder the High Priest recommended you to me so strongly."

Jess stood up, her back to Naka, so that Naka could look up. Naka understood the implication, straightened her posture, and gazed at Jess's back.

"Naka, how have you felt about the past two years you've spent in this town?"

Faced with Jessie's sudden question, Naka pondered for a while before answering.

"Although there are still many things I'm not yet proficient at, everyone has been very understanding. The High Priestess and Sister Jess have been very helpful. The nun's friends also quickly accepted me. Everyone in this town is very kind and friendly. I'm very happy."

Jess nodded slightly, trying to keep it from being noticed by Naka. Naka's words pleased her greatly. However, verbally, she still softened her tone with a slightly forceful one.

"That's not what I'm talking about. Naka, how do you see yourself? What is the real you?"

"this..."

Naka was speechless for a moment.

Two years ago, Naka, not yet a nun, arrived in this town. The priestess of the chapel said she wanted her to work here as an apprentice nun. She came from a place Jess had never heard of. Even on a map, she couldn't find that place. But the priestess strongly assured her that she was a very capable girl and of impeccable character. Her hometown hadn't been recorded simply because it was too remote.

Since the priest said so, it wasn't uncommon for nuns to come to this town for internships. Jess initially didn't take it to heart. But the day she first met her, she said...

"I don't intend to be a nun for life... I want to strive here to become a saint."

Becoming a Saintess is a profession that nuns can only attain after reaching a certain stage in their spiritual practice. While not extremely difficult, it still requires considerable hard work. Unlike nuns who can easily obtain their positions in chapels across the continent, Saintess earn their rewards by participating in numerous dangerous combat missions alongside other adventurers. Furthermore, unlike heroes who can take on missions solo, Saintess with low combat abilities cannot even accept any missions without teammates. Many nuns compromise on their path to becoming Saintess. Some lack the talent or effort, while others want to avoid such dangerous work.

If she were to go to a big city to train nuns at a specialized institution, that would be one thing. But to come to this neither bustling nor lively town to study the arts of a nun was truly perplexing to Jess. However, her sincere attitude didn't seem like a joke. Jess had no reason to refuse. Coincidentally, another nun named Jasmine, who was born in this town, also planned to strive to become a nun. The two were about the same age and shared the same goal. It's all the same whether you're herding one or two sheep. Jess accepted her without much thought.

Over the past two years, Jess had witnessed Naka's diligence and honesty. In terms of character, she was impeccably kind. In terms of talent, her progress was undeniable. In this small town lacking medical resources, Naka and Jasmine took on the task of treating the residents' injuries, large and small. And after only a year of training, Naka was already able to wield healing magic surpassing that of Jasmine, who had been training since childhood.

But the most important quality a person can have is the ability to "know themselves." Jess wanted to hear Naka's understanding of herself. And this was a very difficult question to answer for anyone. Being overly self-important could easily be seen as arrogant. Being overly humble might lead others to look down on them. Naka stammered, unsure how to answer.

Jess knew this wasn't a question a young girl could answer properly. So she pointed out to Naka that she herself had always been concerned about the issue.

"Naka, your abilities are beyond doubt. Before even becoming a saintess, you've already mastered healing and enhancement magic—skills usually reserved for mid-level saintesses—while still a nun. You could probably count such talent on one hand across the entire continent."

"Thank you for your praise..."

"But, Naka, while I don't intend to pry into your personal life, you're still hiding things from me, from the priests, and from the other nuns, aren't you?"

"....."

Naka chose to remain silent.

Jess walked to the table, opened a drawer, took out two parchments, and continued speaking.

"You've been here for two years now. In those two years, you've never mentioned your past to us. I won't press you for anything now. I just feel that you've been suppressing yourself. Your abilities are beyond question. But I, and the other nuns, have noticed. After making such great progress, you haven't shown any joy or excitement. It's as if it's all taken for granted... Maybe I'm just overthinking it. But Naka, is becoming a saint really your goal? What do you really want to achieve? Or rather, what is your ideal self like? And what do you want to do after becoming a saint?"

"Sister Jeunesse... I am still exploring the answers to these questions myself. And that is one of the reasons why I left my hometown and started traveling."

"This isn't really an answer. But it's alright. I hope you can avoid some detours. To put it bluntly, you've been suppressing your true self all this time, and maybe one day you'll end up on a completely different path from the future you envisioned... You're a rare and wonderful child, and I hope you can live your true self. May God bless you so that you can find your own answer soon. I called you here today just so you can remember this: never forget your true self, no matter what."

"I will remember this. Great Sister Jeunesse."

"Then, please accept this."

Jess turned around and handed the two parchments to Naka.

"This, this is...!"

Naka's eyes widened. The parchment clearly displayed the words: Notice of Qualification.

"This is a letter from the Church of Saints headquarters today... Congratulations, Naka. You and Jasmine have been recognized by headquarters. From today onwards, you are no longer nuns, but saints."

"Thank you so much!"

Naka quickly bowed her head in thanks. Jess helped her up.

"You're welcome. This is the result of your own hard work. Quickly, tell Jasmine the good news. You two are the pride of the whole town!"

"Okay, then I'll take my leave..."

Go ahead.

Naka bowed deeply and left the room. Jess watched her retreating figure with satisfaction, then turned to look out the window at the night sky with a touch of sadness.

After they became saintesses, the town, devoid of an adventurers' guild, could no longer hold them. Jasmine's childhood motto, "I want to become a great saintesse, earn enough money to defeat the Demon King, and then return here to rebuild this place into a beautiful and bustling place," still lingered in Jessie's ears. Thinking of this, Jessie couldn't help but feel sad.

She wanted to see her children grow into strong, independent adults, but she also didn't want them to encounter life-threatening difficulties. Adventure and fighting monsters were completely different from living in a peaceful, quiet town. But she could only respect their wishes.

"This already quiet town is going to get even quieter..." Jess sighed as she began preparing for tomorrow's work. But one thing still weighed on her mind.

"I'm so grateful... Although that's what the child said, she didn't show even the slightest bit of joy. What an unfathomable child."

Although she tried to hide it, why did Naka still have that empty, emotionless look in her eyes after learning she had become a saint? Jess was still unaware of this.

...........

After leaving the chapel, Naka went immediately to her good friend Jasmine's house and gave her the notice. She then went straight back to her own residence.

Pushing open the door, the room was completely dark. Naka casually tossed the notification letter onto the table by the door. Without even taking off her clothes, she collapsed onto the bed, buried her head in the pillow, and took a deep breath.

"Mmm...it smells so warm..."

A pleasant scent wafted into Naka's nostrils. The sudden, complete relaxation after a long day was irresistible. Gradually, her consciousness began to fade...

"...My lord!...My lord!"

However, just as she was about to drift off to sleep, the crucifix on Naka's chest emitted a urgent cry, pulling her back to reality. Naka rolled over onto her back in bed and brought the crucifix to her face.

"What are you doing, Fain?"

"I know you're very tired today, but I'm still worried... Is this plan really going to succeed?"

"What are you worried about? I'm handling this personally, what problems could possibly arise? Besides, isn't everything going very smoothly now? I didn't expect to secure the Saintess qualification so quickly."

"But it's still dangerous. I thought that nun had seen through your identity..."

"When she spoke of her true self, I almost thought I'd been exposed. Luckily, I got away with it. But that high nun was really perceptive. Although she didn't reveal my true identity, she could see that I was hiding something. Her decades of life certainly weren't wasted. But even if she knew, it wouldn't matter. The priests of this town are on our side. There are plenty of ways to suppress this matter."

"So what are your plans next?"

"Jasmine and I have agreed that we'll set off in a couple of days for the Adventurers' Guild in the big town. That way, our plan can officially begin, right?"

"You're right... Although I feel this plan is still a bit too risky, I have no choice but to trust Your Majesty now. Demon King: Lady Nama Kallenra"

"Thank you for your hard work, Fan."

From that point on, the cross ceased to make a sound.

Generally speaking, crosses are never meant to speak. Of course, that applies to ordinary crosses. The cross distributed by the church was thrown into the river by Naka the very day she received it. The cross she wears now is simply a communication tool she prepared herself.

Despite having no traceable identity, she still managed to infiltrate the church. This was because the original priest had long been killed, and Naka had assigned her subordinates to impersonate him and take his place.

Although she had memorized the praises to the gods during worship, Naka herself did not believe in God. She concealed her identity for one purpose.

"It's all for the sake of killing that prophesied hero..."

The Demon King's Castle Two years ago

That was two years ago.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

In the empty corridor, Naka strode resolutely toward the exit of the Demon King's castle. Even the urgent calls behind her didn't slow her pace. Until the owner of the voice caught up with her and blocked her way.

"Why are you stopping me, Farn?"

Naka asked the white-haired, panting undead monster in front of her in a calm tone. For him, who was already quite old, catching up with Naka was taking a lot of effort.

"Your Majesty, do you really believe the nonsense of that so-called prophet?"

"....."

Naka chose to remain silent.

A few days ago, a man claiming to be a traveling prophet suddenly visited the Demon King's castle. He said he had important matters to inform the Demon King's army. After receiving him, he made the following prophecy to the Demon King.

"Demon Lord, in a few years, you will die at the hands of a hero who comes to challenge you."

In the image displayed on the crystal ball he claimed to use for prophecy, a figure clad in the Demon King's armor shouted, "This is the final blow! Hero!" before being pierced through the heart by the Hero's holy sword and collapsing into a pool of blood. Although the image in the crystal ball was not very clear—neither the Demon King's face nor the identity of the Hero who killed him could be identified—the voice emanating from the crystal ball was indeed Naka's voice.

After showing Naka the image in the crystal ball, the traveling prophet departed. Before he left, Naka asked him how many years into the future this was, but the prophet did not answer. He also did not reveal the identity of the hero who killed him. His name, even his gender and age, remained unknown.

The Demon King's army's officers all said he was just a charlatan and shouldn't be taken seriously. Some even wanted to catch up with the prophet and kill him. But Naka made a different decision.

"I will disguise myself as an ordinary human and infiltrate a human adventurer's group. I will investigate the hero's identity on my own. Before he grows into a powerful being capable of killing me, I will nip him in the bud."

This decision greatly puzzled the Demon King's high command. Regardless of whether the prophecy itself was true, even if it were, infiltrating human society could be easily accomplished by having the intelligence-gathering demons conduct reconnaissance. Once discovered, assassins could be dispatched to carry out the assassination, and everything would be fine. There was no need for the Demon King himself to go undercover. But Naka said something else entirely:

"If it is a hero capable of killing me, then he must possess incredible combat talent and extraordinary luck to overcome all obstacles and reach me. He would not be so easily killed. If other monsters were to act, it might alert him and even accelerate his growth. Here, it is I, the Demon King, the strongest monster, who must personally kill that hero. Only in this way can we ensure absolute success."

Although the higher-ups still felt that Naka was making a mountain out of a molehill, they had no choice but to obey the Demon King's orders unconditionally. However, there was one demon who tried his best to dissuade Naka until the very day she was about to depart.

"My Lord Demon King, forgive my bluntness, but you need not take the nonsense prophecies of those unknown individuals to heart. You are the Demon King; this might just be a trick by someone targeting your life. What if an internal rebellion breaks out while you are away?"

Taking advantage of Naka's silence, the monster reiterated its claim, which it had emphasized to her many times before. But once again, Naka rejected it.

"It's alright. Only a few of our trusted officers know about my infiltration of human society. Even if someone within our ranks has ulterior motives, they can handle it properly."

"Furthermore, if a prophet comes today, and tomorrow some fortune teller says the same thing will happen to you, and the day after that someone else spreads rumors, are we supposed to verify them all? Even the hero's whereabouts are unknown; searching like this is like looking for a needle in a haystack! You shouldn't waste your time and energy on this. Please reconsider your decision!"

"It doesn't matter if we don't know the hero's identity. As long as they are heroes with even a little talent, we can just kill them all."

"Forgive my bluntness, but what you're doing is a complete waste of your time and energy. You should use that precious time on something more meaningful..."

"Fan!"

Faced with her subordinate's increasingly aggressive tone and increasingly defiant words, Naka sternly stopped his rude remarks.

"Are you trying to rebel?"

One was a demon king, the other a high-ranking official. The difference in their status was obvious. Farn could only sigh helplessly.

"I know perfectly well that if you really want to leave, there's no way I can stop you. I'm just worried about you, Demon Lord... no, Kalena."

Instead of addressing Naka as "Your Majesty the Demon King" or "Demon Lord," they addressed her by her first name. This was undoubtedly disrespectful and contemptuous... however, this applied to other demons. But when this demon named Fan said it, it carried a different meaning. Naka was slightly surprised upon hearing this. When she spoke again, her tone was completely different.

"You meant it not as a relationship between a monarch and his subject, but as a relationship between a foster father and his foster daughter... is that what you meant, Father?"

On the surface, Naka and Fan are just a Demon King and his subordinate, but on the other hand, they share a secret known only to the two of them within the entire Demon King's castle. Only when no outsiders are present do they have the opportunity to communicate in a way that goes beyond the "lord and subject" relationship.

"Kalena, you should know very well that the ability you use to disguise yourself as a human... will cause all your abilities to be reduced to a human level. If you were a warrior, a profession with high combat capabilities, that would be one thing, but you insisted on choosing a saintess with low combat capabilities... This..."

"If it were anyone else, it wouldn't matter. But if you say that, Father, you really underestimate me."

Naka strode towards the gates of the Demon King's castle once more. Reaching Fan's side, she patted him on the shoulder and whispered...

"I am not like the former Demon King, a cowardly and incompetent person who became Demon King by bloodline inheritance."

"you..."

"I want to change my destiny and find my own future through my own efforts."

"Kalenra! Do you mean to..."

At this point, Naka simply patted Fan on the shoulder and walked away without looking back down the path she had chosen. Fan knew perfectly well that he could no longer stop Naka. But he still called out to her one last time.

"Kalena! If you insist on going... take this with you."

He took a cross from his pocket and handed it to Naka.

"This is...?"

"The communication device I developed... With this, I can see directly what's happening on your end. We can also have conversations that only the two of us can hear. I know I can't stop you, but I hope I can at least offer you some help within my power..."

"...Your equipment development department should report everything they do to me, right? Is this the kind of thing you're referring to?"

"This is something I...made overnight last night. Because I knew I couldn't persuade you otherwise..."

Naka took the cross, remained silent for a long while, and then put it around her neck.

"You're still such a worrywart, Dad."

"There's nothing I can do... because you look unlike any other race among our demons, but exactly like those humans. I'm worried that some wild human brat might rashly approach you..."

"Don't worry. I would never have even the slightest thought for those lowly humans. So... while I'm away, I'll leave the Demon King's work to you, Fan."

She no longer addressed him as "father" but by his given name. Fan immediately understood Naka's current position. He immediately knelt on one knee and respectfully replied.

"This is nothing to us. For you, we demons would even sacrifice our lives... We await your triumphant return, Your Majesty the Demon King."

Naka didn't answer. She just smiled.