The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

"Hey!! Stop talking!"

Jasmine covered her face, which was so red with embarrassment she couldn't bear to look at anyone, and kept apologizing. She never expected that before finding a boyfriend, she'd be made blushing by her best friend's flirting. In the end, Jasmine didn't know if Naka's words were sincere or just a joke to cheer her up. Too shy to ask directly, Jasmine didn't dare. But looking back, she realized this was just one of Naka's strange traits.

*Tabi-oka is pronounced the same as the Japanese word タピオカ. It refers to bubble tea.

Interlude about the Demon King

Shortly after Jasmine's girlish heart was stirred by Naka's mischievous prank, the two chatted for a while on a bench before returning to the hotel. During this time, Jasmine raised the following question to Naka.

"Naka, what do you think that Demon King... really means? Since it has such a terrifying level as Lv∞, why doesn't it take action itself? With its strength, there isn't a single hero who can stand against it right now. Even if all the current adventurers joined forces, they probably wouldn't be able to defeat it. So why does it only send its monster subordinates to attack humans? Isn't that redundant?"

Naka pondered for a moment. Then she held up three fingers.

"The first possibility is that it's just a lazy bum, too lazy to take action itself. The second possibility is that it doesn't want its monsters to become useless creatures who rely solely on its king and can't fight independently. Regardless of its own level, the most important thing is to hone the combat abilities of its subordinates. This way, even if the Demon King is gone, the monsters can continue to fight humans with a high level of combat power. The third possibility is that the Demon King is a sadist who enjoys slowly tormenting humans, relishing their faces filled with fear and despair at its power, rather than simply wiping them out..."

Naka turned to look at Jasmine. A meaningful smile played on her lips.

"Jasmine, which of these three possibilities do you think is correct?"

Jasmine didn't know why Naka was smiling at this moment. And behind that smile seemed to lie something untouchable, making Jasmine's hair stand on end. Naturally, Jasmine couldn't answer Naka's question either.

"Who, who knows? I'm not the Demon King. Heaven knows what it's really thinking."

"Then stop thinking about those useless things. Compared to that, finding a boyfriend seems more realistic."

"Hey, what do you mean by 'on the contrary'?"

And so, the topic ended with the two of them laughing and joking. This question wasn't just Jasmine's question; it was a question for the entire human world. Although Naka, the Demon King, offered three explanations, the true answer wasn't actually among them.

The Demon King's Determination

The bustling town of Isard finally succumbed to nightfall. Before the stars graced the sky, Naka and Jasmine returned to their inn early. They had originally planned to explore the town further, but after several days of travel, Jasmine's strength had reached its limit. Overwhelmed by fatigue, she abandoned her plan to stroll through the streets and went to bed early without even washing up. Lying beside Jasmine, Naka watched her already snoring and quietly got out of bed. Jasmine was exhausted. But Naka, the Demon King, remained full of energy.

She leaned against the edge of the bed, took out the crucifix she was holding, and placed it in her palm. She silently recited in her heart:

"Fan. Did you hear me?"

Farn responded immediately from the other end.

"Your Majesty, how is the situation?"

"It's going very well, and there's even an unexpected bonus."

"Are you referring to... the hero who escaped from your grasp back then?"

"That's right"

Demon Lord: Nama Kalena's level is infinite... This information is absolutely true. However, Nama doesn't intend for humans to know this. Since becoming the Demon Lord, she has been intentionally controlling the leakage of information. She was shocked to hear today that humans already knew about this and has been constantly thinking about how it was leaked. At first, Nama thought there was a traitor within the Demon Lord's army. But after directly questioning them, she suddenly realized the truth.

That happened almost twenty years ago. Naka had only recently become the Demon King when, during an outing, she encountered a group of heroes who had come to challenge her. The leader of the group was a spirited young man, accompanied by a mage, a saintess, a warrior, and an archer. The five of them challenged Naka.

The result was predictable. The warriors at the forefront didn't even withstand Naka's first attack, instantly turning to dust. The mages and archers then launched ranged attacks. But before they could reach Naka, her magic had already struck them first, killing them instantly. Their attacks had no effect on Naka whatsoever.

Although it didn't hit directly, the aftershock of the magic Naka used to kill the warrior sent the hero behind him flying like dust, crashing heavily against a nearby wall. This single blow caused him to cough up blood, seemingly from internal injuries. Even though the saintess used healing magic in time, he was only able to stand up with difficulty when Naka, who had already killed three people, closed in on them.

Sweating profusely and with blood trickling from his mouth, the hero finally managed to stand, but showed no fear. He still pointed his sword at himself, ready to fight to the last moment. But the saintess slapped him hard, telling him not to sacrifice himself in vain and that one day he must avenge his fallen comrades. After speaking, the saintess cast a teleportation spell on the hero, sending him back to the human settlement. The saintess herself stayed behind. Of course, without the ability to fight, the saintess's death was instantaneous. Now, Naka recalled that before the hero was teleported away, he seemed to have taken something out and pointed it at her. Only after hearing the receptionist's explanation today did she realize that the thing the hero took out was the device humans used to measure level.

"At the time, I didn't know enough about humans. I didn't expect they had mastered that kind of spatial teleportation magic, which allowed that hero to escape. It was definitely my mistake. No wonder that almost twenty years have passed since then and no human has come looking for me again."

"It seems Your Majesty's boundless power has caused a tremendous impact on the entire human realm. Unfortunately, it appears our secrecy plan was a complete waste of effort from the very beginning."

"...No, not necessarily."

"What do you mean by that?"

Naka deliberately kept her level a secret from humans for some purpose. But then she thought about it from another angle. What would happen if humans knew her level? Besides the fact that most adventurers would give up on challenging her, as the host had mentioned, what other possible consequences might arise...? Lost in thought, Naka suddenly smiled. A new plan formed in her mind.

"No, I should say, it's exactly what I wanted."

"What have you been saying all this time?"

"I can't say right now, but I have my own plans. Farn, you don't need to say anything more."

Even Fan was baffled by Naka's inexplicable statement. She was the one who ordered that this matter not to be spoken of, and now she was the one saying it would be better if people knew. But Naka was, after all, the Demon Queen. He, as her servant, couldn't very well interfere. He could only obey her orders and remain silent on the matter.

"But that hero who escaped from my grasp... what was his name again? Frost?"

"That's right, Your Majesty the Demon King."

Naka abruptly changed the subject, returning to the hero who had revealed her information. Her companions had indeed called out that hero's name during the battle. But Naka, who had considered them insignificant ants at the time, naturally hadn't bothered to remember their names. If she had to name one, the only name she still remembered was that of the saintess who had risked her life to cover Fros's escape.

"And the saintess who was with him, I remember her name was Hito."

She placed all her hopes on her hero, and even when facing him alone, she showed no sign of despair. Even in her final moments, she steadfastly believed in the saintess named Hito from Frost, and Naka couldn't help but feel admiration for her.

"She's an amazing woman. Those guys were the first humans I'd ever encountered. You can't find monsters like them, who would risk their lives and trust their comrades even at the cost of their own. Maybe my choice of the saintess as my disguise was influenced by her to some extent...but..."

No matter how much praise she receives, Naka is a true demon lord. She will never forgive human resistance, nor will she tolerate this great stain on her reputation. Even after twenty years, those targeted by Naka cannot escape.

"That hero Hito was determined to save at all costs, the hero I failed to kill twenty years ago: Fros... I'll make you the sacrifice for my journey this time."

"That would be perfect, Your Majesty the Demon King."

"But before that... the most urgent task right now is to successfully form an adventurer's party with other adventurers."

Saintesses aren't a class that can accept quests alone. The guild has also told Naka to stay in town and wait for further instructions. Venturing out alone would only draw attention. Even knowing Fros's name and location, now isn't a good time to make a move.

"That's roughly the situation. The plan is progressing smoothly. Also, keep a copy of the city's internal structure that I sent you today. I'll send you more in the next couple of days for the operations department to analyze."

"Understood, Your Majesty."

"Well then, I'll go to sleep now."

"No, um... please wait a moment."

The work report between superior and subordinate was over. But after observing Naka and the others all day, Fain had some personal questions he wanted to ask Naka.

"Demon King... no, Kalena. As your father, I want to ask you... what do you think of that girl?"

"That girl?"

"It's Jasmine, the one you're sharing a bed with right now! Even close friends don't usually sleep in the same bed, right? And what you said to her at noon... wasn't it sincere? Was it just to gain her trust?"

It was the same when they ate, the same when they drank Tabioka, and it was the same now. The distance between Naka and Jasmine made Faen feel very uneasy. They seemed to be getting too close. Faen had been suspicious since they only asked for a double room at the hotel. And they actually ended up sleeping together. Even if Naka said it was to pretend they were getting along well, Faen felt it was really beyond the norm. He couldn't help but wonder if Naka had truly developed feelings for a human.

Naka was taken aback. Turning to look at Jasmine, who was sleeping peacefully beside her, completely unaware of her plans, she smiled and replied...

"Everything I said to her was the truth."

"What! You really did..."

"That's perfectly normal, Father. Although the first humans I met were Fros and his group, the first human I truly got to know and spent these past two years with was her."

Naka gained a lot from her first experience living with humans. Jasmine's strength, optimism, energy, and consideration for her friends... all these qualities are absent in the dog-eat-dog world of monsters. For Naka, who had never experienced anything like this before, they were so new and so appealing.

"When I saw how listless she looked today, I felt a tightness in my chest. I didn't want to see her looking so gloomy; I just wanted to see her smile as always... I remember that this feeling, in human terms, is called 'liking'."

"Karenra..."

"That saintess named Hito, Jasmine, and the people in that village are all like that. These guys always have something that monsters don't possess, and each one is different. Father, besides wanting to kill that prophesied hero, another reason I came out on this trip is probably to learn as much as possible about different kinds of humans."

"..."

Having said all that, even with a thousand opinions, Farn could only remain silent. Naka had never been in contact with humans before, and the sparks that might fly if they did were completely unpredictable. He had long worried that Naka might be infected by humans. But seeing Naka's happy appearance now, he couldn't help but ask himself: as long as his daughter is happy, what's wrong with that? Naka didn't want to make Jasmine sad and wanted Jasmine to always be smiling. How was this feeling any different from his own feelings for Naka?

But if that happens, can Naka still be a good Demon King? A Demon King should be ruthless and cold-blooded, not swayed by emotions. If Naka develops excessive pity for humans, it will definitely affect her judgment. Should he, as a subordinate, boldly offer his advice, or as a father, respect her choice? These two emotions leave Faen deeply conflicted.

Naka seemed to see through Fane's inner conflict. She then continued...

"Rest assured. I clearly distinguish between public and private matters, between the greater good and personal feelings. Whoever becomes an obstacle to our plans, I will eliminate them without hesitation."

"I believe in you, Karenla."

"Then you can rest assured. Prepare a victory celebration for my triumphant return. Now, I'm going to sleep... Oh, right, there's something I also want to say."

"What?"

"When the Demon King's army attacks the Eastern Kingdom, remember to save those who sell Tabioka."

"Tower... what do you mean by selling?"

"Zzz..."

"Karenra? Hey! Karenra!"

That day, the conversation between the Demon King and his subordinates ended with the unforgettable Tabioka.

The first mission

Early the next morning, a notice from the Adventurers' Guild was sent to Naka's room.

The role of a saintess seemed more sought-after than Naka had imagined, perhaps because the selection criteria for teammates were so vague, practically nonexistent. The invitations from other adventurers were as thick as a dictionary. Just looking through them one by one was giving Naka a headache. It reminded her of her days as the Demon King in the Demon King's castle, when mountains of documents like this would arrive every day. However, Fan was quite satisfied. He said this would prevent Naka from forgetting the feel of paperwork after being out in the world for so long.

In short, after a morning of screening, Naka narrowed it down to three adventurers. One was a 17-year-old warrior at level 10; another was a 21-year-old hero at level 13; and the third was a 15-year-old warrior at level 7.

They were all relatively young, yet their levels were relatively high. While some were higher level than them, they were significantly older. In other words, their growth rate was faster than other adventurers. If the prophesied hero truly existed, he would certainly be someone capable of significant progress in a short period, not some seasoned adventurer already middle-aged. It was for this reason that Naka chose them.

Incidentally, because Jasmine's requirements were too high, she received zero invitations that day.

After finally shaking off Jasmine, who was clinging to her arm and grumbling enviously, "This is so great! I want to team up with someone soon too!", Naka finally arrived at the Adventurers' Guild.

"Sorry I'm late."

"Oh, it's Miss Naka. Have you decided who you'll be partnered with?"

As soon as she entered, the kind receptionist from yesterday approached her. He was the middleman who contacted Naka and the other adventurers. Naka handed him the invitations for the three adventurers.

"I'd like to try teaming up with them. Could we do a trial mission first to see if it's a good fit before deciding whether to team up?"

"Of course. You can disband the team at any time if you're not satisfied. Let me see... So, which of these three would you like to try teaming up with first?"

"That 17-year-old soldier, right?"

"Are you... sure you want to choose him?"

For some reason, the receptionist looked somewhat hesitant, as if she was reluctant.

"Just pick him. What's wrong? Is there something wrong with him?"

"No, it's not that it can't be done... it's just that I'm afraid it will be too much trouble for you, Miss Naka. I'll contact him right away."

"?"

The receptionist seemed to have something in mind but wouldn't say anything before leaving, leaving Naka completely confused. Soon after, the 17-year-old soldier was brought here. Naka's first impression of him was absolutely terrible.

"Oh, so you're that saintess with a pretty good LV. I heard you're quite the beauty, buddy, you're right. This girl's not bad."

"Haha, you're right..."

"If we reach an agreement, I'll treat you to dinner later."

"No, no, I can't let you spend the money! I'll pay for it myself."

He spewed vulgarities and launched into a sexually harassing speech. His face also revealed his despicable nature. He gesticulated wildly as he spoke, completely lacking any semblance of decorum. Yet, the receptionist seemed to have some kind of leverage over him, displaying a fawning and obsequious manner. Naka rolled her eyes at them and offered no reply.

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and give me something to do. Can't you see that Miss Saint is so bored she's about to yawn?"

The soldier, completely oblivious to the fact that Naka's eye-roll seemed directed at him, was still urging the receptionist to hurry up. The receptionist meekly picked a mission sheet from the mission board and handed it to him. The soldier glanced at it and snorted dismissively.

"You have the nerve to give me such a simple task? Who do you think you are? That saintess! What's her name again...?"

"Young master, her name is Naka."

"Oh, right! Naka! Naka, do you think this mission will work? If it does, we'll leave right away!"

Naka took the quest and saw it was a level 5 quest to defeat boar-type monsters in the mountains surrounding Isard Town. This wasn't a difficult task for a level 10 warrior. The reward was also decent. Naka nodded in agreement.

"Alright! Let me go home and get ready, then we'll leave! But before that..."

Before leaving, the warrior, referred to as "Young Master," suddenly pulled a square box from his robes—a Level 5 detection device—and pointed it at Naka. He carefully examined the ability window that appeared afterward, then nodded.

"Hmm, Lv4, stats and skills are as described in the data... No problem!"

What are you doing?

"Sorry, Naka. These days, many adventurers bribe members of the Adventurers' Guild to deliberately list a higher level when registering. This way, they can team up with higher-level players to take on more difficult quests and earn more rewards. I can't afford to be careless. But you're an honest person, so I'm relieved."

"....."

That day, Naka understood for the first time. Humans possess qualities of truth, goodness, and beauty that demons lack. However, they also have an ugly side that even demons would tremble at.

Then, Naka's first quest as a human adventurer officially began. The mountainous area where the quest was located wasn't far from Isard Town. The monsters weren't very strong either. It was a very suitable quest for a beginner's first time. However, there were some things that novice adventurers probably wouldn't experience. For example, her companions didn't walk to the quest location themselves, but instead rode on a handcart pulled by people.

"Hey... what the hell is going on?"

Only two registered adventurers participated in this mission. However, they were accompanied by ten muscular men. Four stood on the left side of the cart, four on the right, and two pulled it from the front. The warrior, meanwhile, sat on the cart with his legs crossed. Naka could only think, "What the hell?" to this unbelievable sight.

"What? What's going on? You expect me to walk there myself? Don't be ridiculous! Why would I want to stretch my noble legs and run to some desolate place? What if my shoes get dirty?"