The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

"Are you going to let your mother down?"

"Mother?"

Tadiya didn't understand why her father was bringing up her mother at this moment. After speaking, her father seemed to realize something and stopped talking. Instead, he changed his tone.

"Even if it's just you, you must survive. Remember what happened today, understand?"

Tatia nodded vigorously.

........

It's hard to say whether it was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. No pursuers followed. Tatiana and her father lived in the tree hollow for a month. During that time, they ate fruit from the trees in the forest, and her father would occasionally go out to hunt small animals, which they would treat to meat. Although life was hard, they persevered to survive.

A month later, Tatia asked to return to the Elf Kingdom for a visit; after all, it was her home. Besides, the Demon King's army might have retreated, and it might not be so dangerous anymore. But her father firmly refused. She didn't understand why her father wouldn't let her go home. She remained resentful about it.

By chance, Tatsia discovered that her father still kept a bottle of strange potion—the very potion he had forced her to drink that day, the one that made her body transparent. She took the bottle when her father wasn't looking. She also learned from her father during a casual conversation how to get back to the elven kingdom from the forest.

So one day, when her father went out hunting, Tatiana drank the stolen potion and ran back to her hometown.

"Those monsters should have retreated by now. Even if they haven't, I'm transparent now, so they won't be able to detect me. Dad, there's no need to be so nervous."

She took it for granted and understood it that way. But this became the decision she regretted most.

When Tatiana returned to the street where she lived, it was no longer the familiar sight she remembered.

The once vibrant forest had been reduced to scorched earth. The elven settlements that once dotted the landscape were now unrecognizable. Houses were reduced to charcoal, interspersed with what appeared to be the burnt corpses of elves. The pungent stench nearly made Tatsia vomit. She could no longer discern where her former home was.

As she walked further on, that scene remained etched in Tatia's memory forever.

The plaza, once a place where everyone played together, was now littered with blood-stained guillotines. Countless elf corpses lay on the amusement park rides they had built themselves. Some of the bodies were headless, others disemboweled. It seemed as if all the blood had been drained from their bodies, leaving them all shriveled and dried up.

That morning, the elementary school I visited as usual was now a scene of devastation. It seemed that after being destroyed, it had been used as an execution ground for the elves. Many child elves had died there.

Tatia recognized one of the corpses as her best friend, Bransa. Her head was still attached to her neck, but her heart had been ripped out. Her expression was contorted in pain; she died with her eyes open, unable to rest in peace. The bodies of her other friends, the boy Tatia had a childhood crush on, and the teacher who had always helped her when her parents were absent—all of them were found here.

The rotting corpses emitted a stench Tatsia couldn't even imagine, and countless maggots wriggled at her feet. The smiles she once saw were now just a blurry pool of flesh and blood. Her former home was now a sea of ​​blood. Tatsia finally couldn't bear it any longer and vomited. Although the invisibility effect had worn off, she still ran away from her former home without hesitation. From that day on, those bloody images haunted Tatsia like an inescapable nightmare. The beautiful dream of reuniting with her parents was gone forever; whenever she dreamed, her blood-soaked teachers and friends, and the laughing monsters, would flash before her eyes.

When she returned to the tree hollow, her incessant weeping and the missing potion immediately made her father realize what had happened. From that day on, Tatsia's father became increasingly violent. He would often beat Tatsia over trivial matters. He also began to degenerate, no longer going out to hunt and drinking excessively all day. Eventually, he fell ill.

"Living in this forest any longer would only make things worse... at least that's what I thought. So I assembled a small wooden cart myself, helped my father onto it, covered our ears with strips of cloth, and pushed him out of the forest, heading towards the human town. I hid my father in this cave, while I acted as a male human adventurer. I think if I said I was a woman, I would probably be looked down upon and wouldn't be able to get any more meaningful quests... Sister Naka, this is everything that my father, my elves, and I have experienced."

Naka was speechless as she listened to Tatsia's story. She could only listen as Tatsia continued to recount the misfortunes that Naka herself had brought upon her.

"Dad just told me that if we're going to talk about it, we should tell Sister Naka everything without holding anything back. That's why I've said so much. I'm really sorry if you think I'm being long-winded."

"No, no..."

Tatsia stood up, picked up a small pebble, and threw it forcefully into the river.

"Naka, it's not that I'm trying to gain sympathy by exaggerating how miserable my life is. But I really want to state my position formally this time. I will never forget what happened that day, even if I die. That was the most direct reason and motivation for me to become a hero. Even if my father abuses me now, I will never complain. Because I believe that as long as my father's illness is cured... as long as I defeat the Demon King, he will definitely return to his original self."

"Defeat...the Demon King?"

"right"

Tatsia turned around. Her eyes now held a resolute look that Naka had never seen in her before.

"That demon king who destroyed everything I have, I must kill him with my own hands... that is my true purpose in becoming a hero."

The unnoticed truth

Tatia had no idea that she was now threatening to kill the Demon King in front of him. The Demon King, hearing someone so directly tell him that they wanted to kill him, felt a mix of emotions.

"Why are you telling me this?" Naka asked. "These things seem to have nothing to do with me."

"The Demon King is now also declaring war on humanity. If he wins this war, the human kingdoms will suffer the same fate as our elves. At that time, the town of Isard, and your hometown, Naka, will probably become a blood-soaked hell on earth. And then, the only place I have left to live will probably be gone... I feel that this matter is very relevant to both of us. So, Naka..."

The one who had vowed to kill the Demon King was now extending his hand towards him with an expression of anticipation and longing.

"I hope you and I can team up long-term and give me a helping hand."

"..."

"Helping someone else kill you" was something Naka definitely couldn't do. Rather, as the Demon Lord, it would be more reasonable to immediately kill the person who made that request. But Naka didn't do that. She simply looked at Tatya without saying a word.

Seeing that Naka did not respond, Tatia had no choice but to withdraw her hand in disappointment.

"That's true... I don't have the right to force Naka, nor can I cause her any more trouble. I'm sorry for dragging Naka into this mess because of my stubbornness. Forget what I just said. I will keep my promise and terminate our team relationship in a month..."

Although they had only known each other for a few days, Tatya already regarded Naka as a strong, reliable, and gentle older sister. While their first meeting had been terrible, Naka, after teaming up with her, was the kindest person Tatya had ever met since she, disguised as a human male, infiltrated human society. Initially, Tatya hadn't thought much of Naka's condition that they only teamed up for a month. Now, she just wanted to extend that period as much as possible. If possible, she wanted to team up with Naka forever. This was precisely her true purpose in bringing Naka to her base today.

However, the decision wasn't in Tatsia's hands. If Naka disagreed, all her beautiful plans would be in vain. Tatsia was already incredibly grateful that Naka, knowing her secret, hadn't revealed her identity. She had no right to ask for anything more.

Although she understood, although she could comprehend, she would be saying goodbye to Naka completely in a month. The days ahead would be filled with uncertainty and danger, all of which Tatsia would have to face alone. Even if she teamed up with someone else, only heaven knew whether her new teammates were trustworthy. Thinking of all this, she couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat, and her vision began to blur.

She mentally pounded at herself countless times, telling herself she couldn't cry anymore. But the overwhelming sadness still prevailed over reason. Tatiana simply pressed her hands firmly against her eyes before the tears could fall.

"No, I've changed my mind."

But then, the words that became Tatya's hope came from Naka's mouth.

"I can cancel the one-month deadline and team up with you long-term."

"Really...really?!"

"But I have two conditions."

Naka extended her index finger

"First, no matter what happens from now on, no matter what you know, you must tell me everything without reservation. You are not allowed to lie to me. Understand?"

"Yes! I agree!"

Tatsia nodded repeatedly. This was perfectly natural to her. She had brought Naka here precisely to reveal everything about herself to her.

"Secondly, you must obey my orders. If I say east, you can't go west. As long as you do as I say, you won't have to worry about not succeeding. Can you accept that?"

"Mmmmmmmmmmm!"

Although Naka's arrangement led to her identity being exposed, it also allowed her to open up to Naka and gain a deeper level of trust and connection. Tatsia felt this was a blessing in disguise. There was no reason to refuse.

She rushed forward excitedly and hugged Naka tightly, repeatedly expressing her gratitude.

"Thank you! Thank you, Sister Naka!"

"Hey, hey, your ears..."

When an elf is in a state of extreme joy, their ears twitch violently. Tatsia's ears were currently slapping against Naka's forehead. Noticing this, Tatsia quickly pulled away and lowered her head in embarrassment.

"Yes, I'm sorry, I was just too happy, so..."

Naka rubbed her forehead. She didn't blame Tatsia at all. On the contrary, seeing Tatsia so happy made her feel incredibly gratified.

"You silly child... Alright. Since you've agreed, let's start tomorrow."

"Start with what?"

"Need I say more? Special training!"

Naka rolled up Tatsia's sleeve, revealing her slender arm, so thin that Naka's small hand could easily encircle it.

"You should know, right? The Demon King's level is infinitely large. With your skinny, matchstick-like physique, how many lifetimes would it take you to defeat the Demon King at your own pace? And to lighten my burden, you, the hero, should also become stronger, shouldn't you? Starting tomorrow, you'll be training again according to the special training menu I gave you. Understand?"

"Okay! I understand!"

Tatsia didn't know how to become stronger. Her father was bedridden and unable to offer any help. She had been aimlessly training in what she thought were the right methods, resulting in her still only reaching Lv5, unable to learn even the lowest-level spell. If she could receive targeted training from the experienced Naka, it would undoubtedly be much more effective. With this in mind, Tatsia readily agreed.

"Good answer. I'll come find you here tomorrow, so get plenty of sleep and be ready for me... but before that..."

Naka looked up at the sky; the twilight had now transformed into a star-studded night.

"We've been chatting all day, I'm sure you haven't eaten much. Let me treat you."

"real?"

"I'm hungry too."

Naka patted her stomach. She wasn't actually very hungry. But Tatsia's stomach had been rumbling since earlier. She probably hadn't had a proper meal in a long time.

"Great! I'll go tell my dad right away!"

Tatya skipped and hopped back to the cave to find her father. She wanted to share with him as soon as possible the joy of continuing to team up with Naka and the fact that Naka had treated her to a meal.

Naka followed behind her, moving at a leisurely pace.

"Your Majesty, what are you thinking? That child is deliberately trying to become your enemy. Why don't you kill her? Why do you want to extend your alliance with her? Could it be... that you really want her to defeat you?"

At this moment, Fan spoke up. He had also heard Tatsia's stories. He was puzzled by Naka's decision.

"Huh? How is that possible?"

Of course, Naka hasn't had enough of being a demon lord yet, so there's absolutely no possibility of her helping others defeat her.

"Even if you gave that girl ten lifetimes and she got all the strongest equipment in the world, she still wouldn't be able to touch me in the slightest."

"So what are your plans?"

"Didn't you hear what she just said...?"

The story Tatsia just told, including the part about her being abused by her father in the cave, clearly mentioned a key word.

"Her mother, don't you think there's something seriously wrong?"

Her father's words, "I've let your mother down," combined with the transparent potion he produced on the day the Elf Kingdom fell, which helped them escape, led Naka to a conclusion.

"Her mother is probably still alive. And she created something only elves could make, successfully deceiving my Demon King's soldiers... Tatsia and her father are irrelevant now. I want to use Tatsia to find her mother."

Ordinary elven warriors are not a threat, but those with strange abilities are a different story. Tatsia's mother seems to be one of those elves who possesses some strange knowledge. Naka had never imagined there was a potion that could make one's body invisible, which explains why Tatsia and her father were able to slip through Naka's elaborate trap undetected. Her mother had disappeared a year before Naka conquered the elven kingdom, and Naka was deeply concerned about her whereabouts. As long as she was alive, news of the elven kingdom's destruction would surely reach her ears. What would she do with her unknown powers? She was like a ticking time bomb, ready to unleash a massive disaster at any moment, causing constant anxiety.

"Therefore, she has no choice but to become stronger. Otherwise, she won't be able to get anywhere in this world. But don't worry, once she finds her mother, I'll send them both to hell."

"Since that's the case, I have nothing more to say."

Naka's plan didn't seem problematic at all. Fan had nothing to say. However, Naka's confident assertion, "I will kill Tatsia sooner or later," left Fan with a huge question mark in his mind: would she actually do it? Regardless of what she said, her actions couldn't hide from Fan's eyes. Eyes don't lie. When Naka rescued Tatsia, when she washed her hair, and before that, when she covered for Tatsia by the lake... the Demon King, who valued blood, fear, and despair more than three meals a day, looked at Tatsia with eyes full of genuine affection.

If Naka always keeps her identity and purpose in mind, this little incident wouldn't be a big deal. But is it really a "small" incident? Even Fain couldn't predict it.

"I never imagined or ever saw that Karenla could be so considerate of others..."

Farn couldn't bring himself to say those words. He kept them as a sigh in his heart.

"What, what is this...?"

Back in Isad Town, Naka took Tatsia to the restaurant she'd visited on her first day in the city. Upon entering, the dazzling array of dishes overwhelmed Tatsia. The menu was like a foreign language to her. Seeing her bewildered expression, Naka smiled slightly, took the menu, and ordered some generous portions. She knew from Tatsia's thin frame that she hadn't had a proper meal in a long time.

A moment later, the waiter brought over a plate of fried rice piled high like a small mountain. For Tatsia, who had been struggling to find food, this was an incredibly lavish meal.

"Really? Can I really eat this much?"

"If you're not full, just let me know, and I'll get you some more."

"Thanks..."

"You'd be thanking me if you just ate quickly."

"Then I won't be polite..."

Tatsia clutched her chest with both hands, muttering incantations in the elven language, seemingly performing some kind of pre-meal ritual. A moment later, having finished the ritual, Tatsia picked up a spoon, scooped up a small spoonful of rice, and put it in her mouth.

I had expected Tatya, who hadn't had a proper meal in ages, to wolf down her food. But she was surprisingly demure and well-mannered. She didn't talk while eating. Although she looked like she wanted to say something, she quietly ate spoonful by spoonful. Naka, sitting opposite her, simply watched her, as if Tatya's enjoyment of the meal made her full. But Naka herself was unaware of this; she simply thought she was sitting there daydreaming because she had nothing else to do. She didn't realize that while watching Tatya eat, a very contented smile was spreading across her face.

Thank you for your hospitality.

About twenty minutes later, Tatsia put down her spoon and bowed with both hands. However, about a third of her rice was still left on her plate. Naka asked...

"What? Can't you finish it?"

Tatia shook her head

"I want to pack the rest to take home for my dad. When I told him earlier that Sister Naka was treating me to dinner, he said not to order too much food and make Sister Naka spend money, and that I shouldn't worry about him, that I'd be fine with myself. But judging from my dad's expression, he actually really wanted to go too, because he hasn't had anything good to eat in a long time..."

"...Waiter, pack this up for her."

She'd rather go hungry than forget her father who had abused her that morning. Was she a good child, or simply blindly filial? Naka didn't know. But she chose to respect Tatsia's wishes and raised her hand to call a waiter.

.......

"Thank you so much for today, Sister Naka."

On the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, Tatsia bowed deeply to Naka at a 90-degree angle. As Naka reached out to help her up, she placed a heavy cloth bag into Tatsia's hands.

"Sister Naka, what's this?"

"Have you forgotten? That strange fish we killed yesterday. This is your reward for the mission."

She opened the bag, and it was almost overflowing with gold coins. Only then did Tasia realize what was happening.

"Oh, I forgot!"