The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

Although Kemre was a valiant warrior who had fought countless battles, he certainly didn't possess the ability to teleport to the heavens or the earth. This juncture was causing him considerable trouble. But a few days ago, the man in black who had suddenly appeared here told Kemre that he had a way to teleport them to the Elven Kingdom's headquarters and directly attack the King.

At first, Kemre didn't trust him. But after he demonstrated numerous high-level spells that left the monsters speechless, Kemre decided to take a gamble. And just as the man in black had predicted, the raid on the palace was a complete success.

"Those elves were only playing on our home turf, relying on their familiarity with the terrain to stall us and wage a war of attrition. Now, having lost their composure and faith, they're nothing but a rabble. Now that they've abandoned their terrain advantage and launched a preemptive attack, I believe the news of their victory will soon reach His Majesty the Demon King's ears. I am deeply grateful for this. But..."

The plan succeeded, but Komre still had many questions about the man in black.

"Who exactly are you...? Why are you helping us? Why can your teleportation magic send us directly to the elven palace?"

The man in black before him was completely concealed. His voice also seemed to have been magically altered. Neither his appearance nor his gender was discernible. The magic he used was a new type that even the experienced Kemre had never seen before. And Kemre couldn't understand his motives for helping him.

"You... could you be sent by His Majesty the Demon King?"

The man in black laughed loudly and shook his head.

"So who exactly are you?"

"No one gets up early without a reason. The destruction of the Elven Kingdom is more beneficial than harmful to me. That's all I can say. Why bother digging deeper, General Komre? Anyway, it's none of your business, and we'll never meet again."

"Whether it concerns me or not, shouldn't you at least ask my opinion? You're a very capable person. But to be frank, I just think you're talking nonsense."

In terms of results, he did indeed achieve merit. However, his pretentious and arrogant tone truly displeased Komre, who responded fiercely. But the man in black didn't take his provocation to heart and continued speaking.

"By the way, while you were away, I found a talented orc in your camp. He learns magic very quickly, and I even taught him a few tricks. I believe he'll bring you even greater success in the future."

Are you even listening to what people are saying?

"Alright, now that the elves' defeat is certain, I need not linger any longer. General Komre, I take my leave."

With that, the man in black walked towards the door. Komre stepped in front of the door, blocking his path.

"Hey you, don't get carried away just because you've achieved a little success..."

This arrogant attitude truly enraged Kemre. He was also an orc known for his wildness; although highly intelligent, he was still a hot-tempered brute at heart. He grabbed the man in black by the collar.

In the next instant, the black robe hung limply in Komre's hand. The person dressed in black vanished into thin air before Komre's eyes, leaving only the black robe behind.

Komre was certain he hadn't blinked. Nor had he heard him chant any magic. Yet he had vanished completely right before his eyes, as if he had evaporated into thin air.

"What...what kind of magic is this?"

That wasn't the kind of teleportation magic Kemre had seen many times before. But he couldn't think of any other possibility. Who was that person, and what was his purpose? Kemre didn't know. The only thing he was certain of was that the man in black hadn't appeared before him again in the three years since. And Kemre still harbored resentment about that. The inexplicable words that man had spoken at the end had also left Kemre shrouded in unease.

"...As mentioned above, the Elven race suffered a complete defeat the day before yesterday. Except for a very small number of remnants who are still putting up a stubborn resistance, the majority of the troops have surrendered to our army."

A high-ranking officer in the Demon King's army, the undead Fan, knelt before the Demon King's throne, reading aloud the frontline battle report sent by Kemre. A month had passed since then. As Kemre had predicted, the elven army, having lost its faith and tactics, quickly crumbled and was easily defeated by the Demon King's army. Now the palace belonged to the Demon King's army, and with the frontline forces attacking from both sides, the elves had nowhere to escape. The human kingdoms that had inquired about the situation and sent troops to help the elves resist the Demon King's invasion had also withdrawn their forces from their human strongholds last week.

This war, which lasted for more than a decade, finally ended in a resounding victory for the Demon King's army. The Demon King, Nama Kalena, sitting cross-legged on her throne, nodded in satisfaction.

"Thank you for your hard work, General Komre. Reply to him and tell him that I will reward him handsomely upon his return."

"Yes"

"But who exactly is this mysterious man in black robes he mentioned?"

General Kemre also said he was unaware of this.

"Hmm... well, never mind. At least we don't have to give him his reward, which saves the national treasury some money."

Naka picked up the glass filled with red liquid, tilted her head back, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Your Majesty, is that red wine? I believe it's too early for you to be drinking..."

"No, it's just a drink made from the blood of the Elf King, Queen, and Princess. Would you like to try some? I've heard that elven blood has many beneficial effects on the body; at your age, you should pay attention to that..."

"I must refuse, Karenla."

Farn instantly switched to his adoptive father's tone and sternly refused her. Naka could only reluctantly place her wine glass back on the armrest of the throne, saying with slight dissatisfaction...

"You really are a clueless fellow, Father. Always wearing that stern face... Finally, we can say goodbye to those pesky elves forever. What's wrong with relaxing a little?"

"We cannot relax yet, Your Majesty the Demon King."

Fane reverted to his subordinate-like demeanor, continuing to report the remaining military intelligence to Naka.

"General Kemre has inquired about the fate of the remaining elves. His intention is to utilize their power for the benefit of our demon race. They will be used as breeding tools to produce offspring, thereby strengthening our demon race's future talent pool..."

"That's just an excuse he makes to satisfy his pent-up desires from being away for so long. Orcs are all like that, easily swayed by their reproductive instincts... Besides, we demons are already a superior race enough; there's no need for us to crossbreed with elves. Breeding them would require a considerable budget to support them. I don't want to waste money on such meaningless things."

"So you mean...?"

"Just kill them all."

Naka spoke as casually and lightly as if deciding on dinner.

However, she immediately added a sentence

"Oh, right. When you kill them, make sure to save all their blood for me. I want to drink some more."

The Secret of the Elf Girl

Back at the hotel, Naka just wanted to rest. Although she was physically fine, so much had happened in the past few days that had left her mentally exhausted. She needed to calm down and sort things out. Unexpectedly, she was met with Jasmine's endless nagging.

When she entered, Jasmine greeted her with a smile. However, upon seeing Naka's attire, she appeared somewhat furious.

"Naka, where's your nun's habit?"

After giving Tatsia her nun's habit, she was now only wearing a white shirt, a clear difference from when she left the inn that morning. Naka, believing that Tatsia's situation should also be kept secret from Jasmine, fabricated a story: she said it was bitten during a fight with a strange fish and had been thrown away.

But Naka's attempt to gloss over the issue completely enraged Jasmine.

For Jasmine, who dreamed of becoming a saint, the specially made nun's habit, representing her saintly status, held a very profound meaning. It was also a symbol of the saints' honor. Just wearing it brought her immense pride. Even a tiny stain on the habit would make Jasmine willingly spend half a day washing it clean. She truly couldn't imagine that Naka would discard her aspirations so casually, like trash. Unlike her, Naka had never invested any emotion in such things from the beginning. As a result, she was forced by Jasmine to kneel on the edge of the bed and listen to her lecture for an entire afternoon.

The lecture mainly emphasized the special nature of the saintess profession to Naka, explaining the differences between a saintess's and a nun's habit, and its significant meaning, etc. Naka only casually chimed in and didn't remember the specifics of what was said. She only remembered that at the end, Jasmine suddenly did a 180-degree turn.

"Never mind. I know you didn't do it on purpose. Clothes are just clothes, no matter how expensive they are. It's good that you're alright."

"Then why did you talk for so long..."

"What?"

"No, no, no, nothing's wrong."

She deliberately lowered her voice to grumble, but unfortunately, Jasmine overheard a bit. Naka quickly waved her hands in denial.

"By the way, how did the mission go? Was it finally a success this time?"

"It was a success!"

Naka naturally chose to conceal the details of the mission and Tatya's identity, only giving a brief overview.

The monstrous fish, the target of the mission, actually died from a magic needle fired by Naka. Naka had made that magic needle exceptionally small, so the wound wouldn't be noticeable to humans even during an autopsy. Therefore, Naka simply claimed she didn't know the cause of death. As for the fish, which showed no signs of modification yet had become unusually large and ferocious, and the cause of its death, she said that the guild should handle the investigation. This was also what she told the guild when she went to turn in the quest after separating from Tatia. Despite the twists and turns, she finally received the quest reward.

After listening, Jasmine simply nodded, congratulating Naka on successfully completing her mission. Then she turned back to attend to her own business.

After a long and eventful day, Naka finally had some time to calm down and sort out the current situation. She lay down on the bed and closed her eyes to rest.

"Ugh, I really want a glass of Elf Blood to perk me up..."

Since the destruction of the Elf Kingdom, whenever Naka felt weary, she would sit on her throne, holding a goblet filled with elven blood, gently swirling it to observe the flow and color changes of the crimson blood. Then she would take a small sip, savoring the pleasant sensation of the blood's tang. Finally, she would pour the entire goblet into her mouth and drink it down. Although the process was somewhat complicated, it was very effective at relieving Naka's stress. She deeply missed that taste. But now, having left the Demon King's castle, she couldn't even drink it anymore.

"By the way, speaking of elves..."

"You're going to...take me to your base?"

Naka couldn't believe her ears. She had spared Tatsia's life hoping to find the whereabouts of the surviving elves. Before she could even formulate a plan, Tatsia had extended an invitation to her. But Tatsia's determined gaze told Naka that she wasn't joking.

"...It might sound strange coming from me, but aren't you overestimating me? I'm not the pushover you think I am; I might betray you, who knows?"

If the other person sees her as a gentle, considerate, and caring older sister, Naka wants to clear up the misunderstanding as soon as possible. Even without explicitly stating that she is the Demon King, she doesn't want others to perceive her as the kind of person she dislikes the most.

Whether Tatia truly believed this, Naka wasn't sure. Because that's what she said when she answered herself.

"Sister Naka, you already know my identity. If you intend to expose me, then I have no choice but to die. Once I'm dead, what need is there for me to continue keeping those secrets hidden in my heart..."

"..."

"Even if Sister Naka doesn't report me, I still want to tell her all my secrets. Firstly, as an apology for hiding it from you for so long, and secondly, to show you my sincerity in wanting to continue teaming up with you and not hiding anything from you anymore. So, please come no matter what!"

"I told you, I would never tell anyone about your affairs."

"Thanks...!"

Let's meet here tomorrow.

"Okay! Sister Naka, I'll be waiting for you!"

In the last second before they parted, Tatia finally managed to smile again.

This was a conversation between Naka and Tatsia before they parted ways. In the end, Naka still didn't know why Tatsia had taken her to her base. Naka thought the two reasons Tatsia gave were just excuses. However, based on her understanding of Tatsia, Tatsia wasn't someone with that many tricks up her sleeve; she wouldn't deliberately use her identity as bait to lure Naka into anything.

Moreover, this saved Naka a lot of trouble.

"I remember Tatia saying that she was taking care of her sick father and that her mother was missing... Putting aside her mother's uncertain fate, there are at least two elves that are confirmed to be alive... Farn."

"I am here, Your Majesty the Demon King."

Having been interrupted by the old man by the lake and unable to explain her intentions to Fain earlier, Naka now finally had the opportunity to reveal them.

"I suspect that the surviving elves were the ones who created that magic circle and secretly modified the monster."

"What?...No, that's possible."

Elves are a race superior to humans, possessing unique magic that many humans cannot master. It wouldn't be surprising if they could use magic that even Naka, the Demon King, was unaware of. Naka's genocide of the elves, and any survivors, would undoubtedly remember this blood feud and seek revenge against Naka. At least compared to humans and other monsters, the likelihood of elves being responsible is much higher.

Having made this judgment, Naka was determined to rectify this oversight.

"Although I'm not keen on cleaning up after that guy Kemre, I am, after all, the king, and he is the subject. Besides, I was the one who ordered him to do it. It seems that in the end, I'll have to take the blame myself."

What are your plans?

"Of course, we should start with Tatsia."

Recalling Tatya's trust in her, how she had invited Naka into the house like a wolf in sheep's clothing, completely unaware of Naka's identity and purpose, Naka realized that the worst outcome was merely Tatya informing on Naka to humans. Even if Naka wasn't the Demon King, Tatya's actions were undoubtedly self-destructive. Naka inwardly mocked her naiveté.

"O elven maiden. Perhaps you are the one who caused the utter destruction of the elven race."

But when Naka saw Tatia again, her previous contempt for her vanished.

"Sister Naka!"

Under the clear blue sky, with the grassland as a backdrop, Taqia waved her hands as she ran towards Naka, who was waiting at the spot where she had gotten off the bus the day before. Her radiant smile, combined with the weather and the surroundings, created a breathtakingly beautiful scene, like a painting come to life. Naka was mesmerized.

When she came to her senses, Tatsia had already run up to Naka and grabbed Naka's hands.

"Sister Naka, I finally managed to complete the task yesterday, but I performed so poorly, I really caused you trouble. Although it's a bit late, I wanted to thank you properly!"

As she spoke, Tatsia knelt on one knee, interlaced her fingers, pressed her thumbs together, and raised them above her head. Then she swayed them from side to side. This series of movements seemed very strange to Naka.

"What's wrong with you?"

"This is the highest form of courtesy we elves use to express our gratitude."

"oh oh..."

To use elven etiquette to thank the culprit who caused the destruction of the elven kingdom—how laughable… Naka wanted to mock her in her heart, but for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to do it. The moment she saw Tatsia's face, those hostile thoughts simply vanished.

"By the way, why are you still wearing that outfit?"

Tatsia was still wearing the same water-soaked clothes she had worn yesterday. It seemed as if they had only been airing out for a day; as soon as Tatsia approached, Naka could feel the dampness emanating from her. And judging by the size, they had even shrunk somewhat.

"Because this is the only piece of clothing I own."

"..."

Not only her clothes, but even the cloth used to tie her ears was the same strip Naka had torn from her nun's habit yesterday. It seemed Tatsia couldn't find even a spare piece of cloth. Naka truly couldn't imagine what kind of life Tatsia had been living for the past three years.

However, there's no need to imagine; the answer will be revealed soon.

"Let's go quickly, Sister Naka, please follow me."

Tatya took Naka's hand again and pulled her in one direction. Naka simply followed her lead, unable to say anything or think about anything.

Unknown feelings

"We've arrived, Naka!"

First, they passed through a small grove of trees and came to a dark, rocky path. After passing through there, they came to a small cave, where Taqia stopped.

"This is...your base?"

The previous paths were all secluded trails that almost no one ever traveled, which gave Naka a slight premonition. Although she could somewhat predict the outcome, Naka still didn't expect Tatsia to live in such a deserted place.

Several charred remains lay on the ground near the cave entrance, wisps of smoke rising from them. These were traces left by Taqia when she lit a fire for warmth or cooking. Evidence of this was the presence of broken pots and pans scattered around the charred remains. And that dark, gaping cave was, of course, where she lived.

Naka had assumed Tatya must be having a tough time, but she never imagined she was living such a savage life. Naka finally understood why Tatya called this place her base. Because it really didn't feel like a "home."

How many people live here in total?