The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

Skills: Basic Healing Magic, Intermediate Healing Magic, Physical Enhancement Magic, Detoxification Magic, Basic Magic Attack Barrier Magic

Occupation: Saintess Name: Jasmine Race: Human

Lv: 2

Power: 7

Defense: 5

Sensitivity: 2

Mana: 6

Skills: Basic Healing Magic, Physical Enhancement Magic

(Note: Strength affects the effectiveness of physical attack skills. Magic affects the effectiveness of magical skills. Even when using the same skill, the one with higher Strength or Magic will be more effective.)

"So, this is what our current abilities are... Then, may I ask, what is the highest level we can reach?"

"I'm curious," Jasmine asked. Judging from these two statistics alone, she seemed to be a little inferior to Naka. But that wasn't surprising. Back in the village, Naka's healing magic was clearly much more effective than hers. She had also mastered some magic that Jasmine hadn't even learned yet. However, Naka had already been described as a "genius" by High Sister Jess. Jasmine wanted to know her more accurate assessment.

"The highest level... that might be a long way off for you. However, the highest known human to reach this level is the legendary hero, Lord Isard. According to records, he reached level 100 two hundred years ago, a level no one before him had ever achieved. This city is named after him in his honor. As for the highest level among the saintesses, it's probably Lady Shimaya, the only one to become a saintess and attain the higher-level profession of goddess. She is level 90. That's a level rarely seen in history. And your single-digit levels are probably just at the beginner level. Adventurers of similar or even stronger than you are everywhere in this city."

"Is that so...?"

Recalling it, before leaving the village, High Sister Jess had indeed given them similar advice. She said that although they had become saintesses, they were still beginners, just starting out. They had many skills yet to learn, and their abilities were still quite low. They must not be arrogant or conceited, but humble and cautious, for a long and vast road awaited them... and so on. Jasmine, who had always held herself in high esteem, clenched her fists somewhat resentfully. Having studied the knowledge and skills of saintesses since childhood, she had always felt a deep resentment at losing to Naka, who had only been there for two years. Leaving the village she had never left, she realized that she was merely an insignificant existence in this boundless world, and that there were always people more capable than herself, and that there was always something beyond her reach.

"At this rate, when will I ever be able to defeat the Demon King..."

"What? Defeat the Demon King? Miss Jasmine, I advise you to stop dreaming. You'd be better off taking on some low-level goblin quests; that's more reliable."

"Huh? What do you mean? Are you looking down on me?"

"Look for yourself."

The receptionist pointed to the quest board beside them. It was covered with quest lists from all over, seeking help. Here, adventurers gathered, and quests posted were immediately taken down and submitted to the quest application window. Almost no quest stayed for more than a minute. But there was one quest that no one dared to claim. It was placed at the very top of the quest board. The paper was old and yellowed. It read: [Quest details omitted].

"Mission Objective: Kill the Demon King Kalena. Mission Difficulty: ∞. Mission Time: Unlimited. Mission Reward: None. Grant the completer all their wishes."

There was something else written on the back, but even when Jasmine leaned closer to look, she couldn't make it out clearly anymore.

"This quest is merely a morale-boosting tool for adventurers; nobody really expects anyone to dare take it... Placing the ultimate goal of all humanity in such an accessible place gives the feeling that a bright future is actually just around the corner, right? Well, in the end, it's nothing but self-deception. The best proof is that this quest has been there since the Adventurers' Guild was founded, and the fact that no adventurer has ever dared to take it over all these years is the best proof of that."

The receptionist said to Jasmine in a low voice, with a hint of self-deprecation. Jasmine, however, questioned the statement above.

"What does ∞ mean by 'difficulty level'? Does it mean an 'eight' level of difficulty while lying down'?"

The highest difficulty level for other tasks was only Lv30. ​​Most were below Lv10. Based on her own Lv data, it wasn't hard to guess what the difficulty level of this task was. But for this particular task, the difficulty column displayed a symbol that Jasmine couldn't understand.

"It's not some lying-down 8. That symbol is read as INFINITY, meaning infinity. As I just said, the highest level in human history is Lord Isard's Level 100. But the highest level in the entire history of the world... is Demon Lord Kalena."

"So, what does 'difficulty level' mean in this context?"

"Because Demon Lord Kalena's level is a realm that no previous Demon Lord in this world or history has ever reached, an unparalleled level... Lv∞, which is infinity."

The Saints' Leisure Time

The receptionist's explanation startled Jasmine, causing her eyes to widen in surprise. Although the concept of rank numbers was new to her, she already understood the meaning of the symbol and the despair it represented.

"Infinite... Is there such a thing as an infinitely large entity? In human history, there has only ever been one hero at level 100, but the Demon King is infinitely large... How can we possibly defeat such an opponent?"

"Impossible, impossible. That's why I advised you to stop dreaming. Level is a reflection of ability value. So if the level is infinite, it means that the Demon King's strength, agility, magic power, defense, and other ability values ​​are all infinite. Even Lord Isard, the highest-ranking person in human history, only barely exceeded 100,000 in ability value. The difference between 100,000 and infinite is something that cannot be summarized by the word astronomical number."

At this point, the receptionist couldn't help but sigh.

"Generally speaking, even the strongest should have a limit, right? But that's already beyond our human comprehension. In fact, most adventurers already know that the Demon King is an opponent we can't possibly defeat. All we're doing now is stalling for time. Although the Demon King Kalena has been conquering human cities, she has never personally taken action. This way, humans can still maintain a certain balance in their struggle against the demons. Although we don't know why the Demon King doesn't go to the battlefield herself, once she dies of old age, there's no need to defeat her anymore, right? No matter how strong a being is, they will eventually die of old age. Although we don't know if the Demon King will personally take action before she dies, or how many more years she can live, for now, waiting for her to die of old age is the only thing we can do. It sounds cowardly, but we humans have no choice but to be conservative like this..."

"..."

Jasmine, who had just been dreaming of finding a handsome hero to partner with, couldn't help but lower her head in regret in the face of this harsh reality. The receptionist also realized she had unknowingly uttered some very realistic, yet also incredibly discouraging, remarks. After all, this boosted the morale of others while diminishing their own, and it would certainly have a negative impact if others heard it. The receptionist immediately shut her mouth. The entire atmosphere became extremely awkward.

But then, a sound broke the silence.

"I said, how much longer will it take to get it done? Can you speed it up?"

It was Naka who spoke. Her tone was very calm, as if she hadn't heard the previous conversation at all.

Those unaware of the horrific truth behind this situation remained remarkably calm after hearing the despairing reality, which surprised the receptionist. However, processing documents was, after all, his job. After regaining his composure, the receptionist smoothed things over and efficiently continued working on the documents in his hands.

"Well, well... those were just my personal opinions. Don't take them too seriously. Maybe one day a Level ∞ hero will appear on our side and defeat that Demon King... So, there's only one last step... Please write down your recruitment messages. Be sure to write them carefully. This is important information for other adventurers to refer to."

Jasmine pondered for a moment, then left a message filled with her purpose and desire.

"My name is Jasmine. I'm a bright and innocent nineteen-year-old girl from the countryside. All handsome men and beautiful girls are welcome! Let my healing magic soothe your minds and bodies."

"...Ahem, next up is Miss Naka."

Naka answered without hesitation

"My name is Naka. I am a saint. I am currently traveling and recruiting adventurer companions to travel with me."

"You two really do have very different personalities... Alright, all the formalities are now complete."

The receptionist stamped all the documents and put them into the archives. With that, Naka and Jasmine became officially registered adventurers.

"Alright. Miss Naka, Miss Jasmine. Forget about my rambling. Go back now. We'll contact you as soon as we find a suitable candidate. So please don't leave Isard Town until we send out the notification."

Thank you.

Because the Saintess is a non-combat class, the guild, for safety reasons, only allows her to accept quests if she is already part of an adventure party with other combat classes. Therefore, Naka and Jasmine can only return and wait for news. With one foot out of the door and the other still inside, Naka suddenly stopped and turned to ask...

"Speaking of which, how did you obtain the information that the Demon King's level is infinite?"

"It was told by one of the heroes who initially fought against the Demon Queen Kalena. Although everyone in his party except him perished, he luckily survived. Before escaping, he used the Lv detector... the same thing that scanned you just now. The result was Lv∞. The people above said they checked it, and the machine is not malfunctioning. So it wasn't incorrect data. And that's how it was confirmed."

"So, what's the name of the surviving hero? Is he also in this city?"

"It seems so... Let me take a look."

The receptionist pulled out a roster from a large stack of documents and began to browse through it. In a moment, he found the hero.

"Found him... His name is Frost. He's a level 64 veteran elite adventurer. He came to this city last week, but only stayed for two days before leaving."

"What is he doing here? And where did he go?"

"He established a training institution for heroes in the neighboring Sunflower Town, where he serves as the chief instructor. He came here to recruit students. But I don't know where he went afterward. Maybe he went back to Sunflower Town, or maybe he went to other cities to recruit students."

"Hmm...I see..."

Naka nodded thoughtfully, then gave the receptionist a sweet smile.

"Thank you so much, sir."

"Oh, oh...it's nothing. It was just a small favor."

After saying that, Naka and Jasmine left the guild.

"It's probably just the curiosity of a new adventurer... But speaking of which, that saintess named Naka is really beautiful..."

The receptionist, preoccupied with these thoughts, didn't take the matter to heart. He also failed to grasp the true meaning behind Naka's enigmatic smile before she left. He was simply lost in thought, savoring the memory of that last, heart-flutteringly beautiful face.

After leaving the Adventurers' Guild, the saintesses began to explore the bustling town. This was their first time in Isard, and they didn't want to waste this rare opportunity.

Needless to say, there were shops selling weapons and armor, as well as consumables. Even cosmetics stores, shops selling merchandise from famous heroes, snack shops, elegant clothing and jewelry stores, and various entertainment facilities were all readily available. Jasmine, who came from the countryside, was naturally fascinated by everything before her. She kept tugging at Naka's sleeve, exclaiming in surprise.

"Hey, what's this? This..."

As they walked, Jasmine pulled Naka's arm and led her to a small stall. She was drawn to the aroma wafting from it and to the colorful liquids she had never seen before displayed on the stall. There seemed to be some black, round objects floating in the liquids. Naka had never seen anything like this before either.

"Oh, would you two ladies like a Tabioka?"

"Tabi...Ouka?"

"Don't you ladies know? This is the most fashionable drink right now, brought from the Eastern Kingdom! Look, we have all kinds of flavors. Please take your pick!"

Upon closer inspection, the cups of various colored drinks were labeled with different flavors. A variety of fruits, chocolates, vanilla... the two saints were overwhelmed by the choices. In the end, Jasmine chose vanilla, and Naka ordered a strawberry-flavored Tabioka.

I put the straw in my mouth and took a small sip. The first thing I noticed wasn't the drink itself, but a round object inside. Startled, I quickly pulled my mouth away.

"Wow! What is this thing? It's round, and a little...soft?"

"This is called a pearl, miss. But it's not the real pearl found in seashells; it's just something made from tapioca starch. Eat it without worry. Don't worry about it getting stuck in your teeth!"

"Mmm, good...mmm! It's really delicious! Naka, this..."

The first sip of the drink sent a rush of unfamiliar flavor straight to her brain. It was the sensation of something entirely new, something that didn't exist in her small village. The sweet taste lingered intensely in her mouth, circling and refusing to dissipate. Jasmine had no idea such a drink existed. Excitedly, she wanted to share her experience with Naka, only to find Naka already holding an empty cup, her cheeks twitching. She had long since finished her Tabioka and was now chewing the remaining pearls. When Jasmine spoke to her, Naka only managed a muffled "Hmm?"

"You, you drink so fast..."

"Hmm. *gulp*... Boss, one of each of these, please."

Naka swept her finger horizontally across all the flavors of Tabioka. Clearly, she wanted all the remaining flavors.

"Oh, great! Miss, you're quite bold!"

.....

As a result, because there were too many Tabiokas to drink while walking, Naka and Jasmine had to find a bench by the roadside and sit down to enjoy them slowly.

"Mmm! This tastes even better than vanilla! And this one too..."

Although they were all drinks called Tabioka, the different flavors made them feel like they were drinking completely different things. Each flavor was like a new world full of its own unique characteristics. With each sip, Jasmine's face beamed with happiness. Meanwhile, the quiet Naka remained unchanged, silently drinking her own cup without uttering a sound or showing any expression.

But this feeling of happiness quickly dissipated in Jasmine's heart. A shadow gradually fell over her sunny expression. Although the receptionist later said not to worry, everyone could see that it was just evasive talk. The shocking news he uttered went far beyond simply "damaging one's confidence." Jasmine put down her glass and said softly...

"Naka..."

"Um?"

What do you think of what that receptionist just said?

"What did you say?"

"What else could it be? It's about the Demon King."

"Oh...I don't really want to."

Naka answered casually, still sucking on a straw, seemingly completely unconcerned. Jasmine, on the other hand, lowered her head with a worried expression.

"If what that host said is true, then what's the point of leaving our hometown to come here, and then risking countless dangers on missions...? What do you mean by delaying? Isn't that like our saint ignoring a serious arterial hemorrhage to use healing magic on a superficial wound—it's putting the cart before the horse!"

"..."

"If they're just trying to stall for time, then whether we come or not is completely irrelevant. Even if we're one more person, will it really buy them another day? Even if we're one less, will it stop them? If that Demon King with infinitely high level really starts attacking us personally, you and I are nothing but a drop in the ocean. We can't possibly withstand that Demon King... In other words, we're not even needed, right?"

The more she thought about it, the stronger her resentment became. Unconsciously, Jasmine squeezed the now empty plastic cup tightly, her hands trembling uncontrollably.

"I know the Demon King is definitely an incredibly powerful being. Defeating him will be extremely difficult. But no matter how difficult it is, as long as the possibility exists, I believe that our actions will directly or indirectly contribute to that possibility, even if it's just a tiny, insignificant part. But if the possibility was zero from the start, then why should we humans resist..."

Recalling all her efforts since childhood, the faces of everyone in the village and the expectations they placed on her would ultimately vanish like a bubble. Jasmine's resentment reached its peak; her lips twitched uncontrollably, and tears began to well up in her eyes.

At that moment, Naka gently patted her back, causing her to instinctively straighten up.

"Hey, what's wrong with you today? You're always so optimistic and full of energy, but this is the third time you've shown weakness. This isn't like you, Jasmine."

"Na, Naka..."

"I can't predict the future. But I can assure you that if you, Jasmine, can maintain your current pace and continue to work hard, sooner or later you will become a great person who can make significant contributions to the world. I can guarantee you that."

"...How much is your guarantee worth?"

"It's not worth much money. But it means I sincerely believe in your abilities. So, don't give up on yourself. Besides, there's no such thing as someone who can't be defeated... no matter what their level is."

"Naka..."

Although they had only known each other for two years, Jasmine still couldn't quite figure out what kind of person Naka, who always had a calm and indifferent expression, really was. But whenever she talked to Naka, she always felt like she could gain some kind of strength. Many of her doubts and confusions were swept away by her. The two girls, who shared the same goal, became close friends in this way.

Unlike the highly respected Sister Jessie, Naka seemed to possess a unique and rich life experience. Every time Jasmine realized this, she found it utterly incredible. And from Naka's words of comfort, she did indeed feel a strange warmth. This feeling was so inexplicable that Jasmine couldn't help but laugh through her tears.

"Honestly, you have no idea how to comfort people. After all that talk, you still don't have a good way to defeat the Demon King. You're just spouting empty slogans."

"Anything that makes you laugh is the best."

"Huh? What are you saying? Really... haha"

Jasmine, who only likes handsome men, inexplicably reacted to Naka's blush-inducing remarks beneath her serious expression. Her heart suddenly raced. Realizing her cheeks were turning red, she quickly avoided Naka's gaze.

"Naka, you... I didn't expect you to be so handsome. If you weren't a girl, I might actually fall for you."

"Why? We're both girls, so you don't like me?"

"No, that's not what I meant! What I meant by 'like' is that kind of..."

I really like jasmine.

"Stop talking! Stop talking! I'm sorry, okay?!"

"You look best when you're smiling, Jasmine."