The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

"As Sister Naka said, we must carefully observe the opponent's movements, pay attention to our center of gravity, and be wary of their attacks..."

She silently reviewed the results of her month-long intensive training. Taqia deliberately created an opening, leaning forward slightly.

This trick successfully fooled the wolf demon. It leaped up and pounced on Tatsia. But that was just a feint from Tatsia. Once the wolf demon leaped, it couldn't change its direction. Tatsia immediately leaned back and took two steps back. The wolf demon's claws only dug into the ground where Tatsia had just been standing.

"We succeeded!"

The power of this attack came not only from the wolf demon's own strength but also from its weight. The wolf demon couldn't easily pull its claws out of the ground on its own. Tatia naturally wouldn't miss this excellent opportunity; she swung her sword fiercely towards the wolf demon's neck.

"Pfft"

The wolf demon's head fell to the ground with a thud. Its body, in its final moments, tried to pull out its claws, but quickly lost its strength and collapsed.

"It's done! I did it! Sister Naka!"

"good"

After defeating her opponent, Tatya excitedly ran to Naka to show off her achievements and growth. Naka nodded in satisfaction and praised her.

To be honest, Naka was somewhat surprised that Tatsia was able to defeat the wolf demon. The wolf demon's strength exceeded Naka's expectations. Naka had originally planned to use her physical enhancement magic to help Tatsia when facing the wolf demon leader. However, she hadn't expected to have to use it prematurely. During the battle, Naka had even prepared to remove her "disguise." But Tatsia ultimately secured a victory without major incident.

"Sister Naka, can we go back and turn in the mission now...?"

"No, that's not the leader."

Tatia seemed to have identified the wolf demon as the target of their mission. But Naka knew perfectly well that this was merely a preliminary skirmish with a lookout monster. The true leader wouldn't launch such a reckless attack. She turned to look at the mansion they hadn't yet set foot in. This was their true destination.

"The real leader of these monsters is here. And the other monsters living here probably already know that the lookout was killed. They'll probably attack us in greater numbers and with even more ferocity."

"No, really..."

The fight against this monster alone kept Tatsia on edge the entire time. If this was just one of many wolf demons, and the real leader was even stronger, Tatsia couldn't help but start to have second thoughts.

"Let's go quickly. It won't be safe here near the entrance soon."

"Huh?"

While Tatya hesitated, Naka pushed open the door and went inside. Tatya couldn't understand why the Level 4 Saintess would be so bold. She herself, at Level 9, had struggled so much to defeat just one, yet Naka dared to walk carelessly into a mansion where who knew how many more were hiding. Although somewhat uneasy, Tatya was genuinely worried about Naka's safety, so she had no choice but to follow her inside.

"Sister Naka! Wait for me..."

洋馆

If I had to put it into words, the battle inside the mansion could only be described as "nine out of ten chances of survival".

Upon entering the mansion, packs of wolves, even stronger than the one at the entrance, relentlessly attacked the two. Unlike the spacious courtyard, the mansion's interior was extremely complex, with many walls, furniture, and decorations significantly obstructing the view. The wolves cleverly exploited these advantages, frequently launching surprise attacks from unexpected locations.

Thanks to Naka's precise and swift judgment, Tatya either killed or repelled the attacks, managing to survive countless assaults. But now, she felt her heart pounding faster than ever before, and she was sweating so much that her sweat glands had dried up.

Inside the mansion lay many skeleton-like objects. Tatsia didn't know if they were decorations, the remains of failed adventurers who had come to challenge the place, or the bones of former residents. But these objects seemed to foreshadow Tatsia's fate; if she made the slightest mistake, she too would become like them. She was under immense psychological pressure. Naka had told her not to make a sound, but Tatsia couldn't help herself, breathing heavily. Otherwise, she felt she would suffocate.

Leading the way was Naka. Unlike Tatia, who was in a state of extreme tension, she appeared calm and composed, as if she were strolling through the streets of Isard Town rather than at a perilous mission site.

"Check this out."

As she walked, a wooden door appeared at the end of the corridor. There were no forks in the path or other doors on either side. Naka reached the door, turned the handle, and stepped inside.

"Sister Naka..."

"It's alright, there are no monsters here."

Tatia was terrified that a wolf demon would burst out the moment she opened the door. But Naka, as if she already knew what was inside, swaggered in. And indeed, just as Naka had said, once inside, there were only the two of them in the room.

A long table stood in the center of the room, with several wooden chairs lying haphazardly around it. A fireplace for heating was located directly in front of the table.

Judging from the layout, this room appears to be a living room. It's significantly larger than the other rooms. However, like the other rooms, it's a complete mess. Scratch marks and bite marks are everywhere. The chandelier that should have been hanging from the ceiling has fallen onto the long table some time ago. Broken glass is scattered all over the floor. The entire room looks like it's been ransacked by a robber with obsessive-compulsive tendencies, searching for valuables.

"Let's take a break."

For now, however, this room was still considered a safe zone. Naka casually grabbed a chair and straightened it, but then she lightly leaped onto the long table herself. The chair wasn't for Naka's own use; it was prepared for Tatsia.

Tatsia sat down in the chair, her grip on her longsword never easing for a moment. Her weight remained centered on her feet, so she could quickly rise and counterattack should anything happen.

"I told you to take a break. Don't be so nervous, it'll be okay."

"Well, since Sister Naka has said so..."

Naka seemed quite confident in the safety of the place. Tatya also gradually relaxed her tense nerves.

"Strange? Why do I suddenly feel so tired..."

As soon as she relaxed her body slightly, a wave of immense fatigue suddenly washed over her. She hadn't noticed it because her mind and body had been in a state of high tension, but Tatsia's body was already extremely exhausted.

It had taken half a day just to get here, and then she was immediately thrown into intense combat. It would be abnormal if she weren't exhausted. The adrenaline rush during the battle had numbed her senses in that area. Now, when Tatiya tried to get up, her legs were too weak, and she could only slump in the chair. Even moving a finger was extremely difficult. Her hands, having lost their grip, inadvertently loosened their hold on the longsword. With a clang, the longsword fell to the ground.

If enemies attacked now, they would be doomed. Tatya tried to pull herself together just in case, attempting to bend down to pick up her sword. But she lost her balance and fell to the ground.

"Ouch, that hurts..."

Tatya lay on the floor, clutching her lower back and writhing, unable to stand. She had told herself not to be nervous, yet she persisted in her stubbornness. Naka, exasperated, jumped off the table and helped her up.

"You silly child... Come on, get up."

"Are you really okay? I'm so scared..."

When Naka helped her up, she noticed that her body was trembling. It wasn't just muscle spasms from exhaustion, but also fear of the harsh environment and the unknown enemy.

Although the wolf demons didn't attack in packs, even a single one was a formidable enemy that required complete concentration to defeat. Thinking back to the battle, Tatia was simply grateful that she could still speak—it was a miracle.

She was terrified; if she could, she would run away right now. But she gritted her teeth and persevered. She wanted to overcome this obstacle and reach greater heights, and also to avoid disappointing Naka and her father, who had such high expectations of her.

Actually, Naka had considered giving up on the mission. In her memory, wolf demons weren't generally this strong. This unexpected difficulty seemed a bit premature for Tatya. But seeing Tatya's fearful yet unwilling-to-give-up attitude, she smiled with relief. Raising her hand, a pale white light appeared in Naka's hand and slowly floated towards Tatya.

"This is..."

"How are you feeling? Are you feeling any better?"

Tatsia recognized that Naka was using basic healing magic, primarily for treating superficial wounds. However, she wasn't injured, so there was no need to use this spell on herself. Just as she was about to ask why, Tatsia noticed that the fatigue that had been making her body feel unresponsive was gradually subsiding. Her previously aching limbs had regained their strength. Bending down to pick up the sword from the ground was no longer difficult.

"Besides healing wounds, my healing magic also relieves fatigue. Your muscles have been constantly tense; the healing effect won't be very noticeable unless you relax them. How are you feeling now?"

Tatya finally understood why Naka had suggested taking a rest: it was to allow her, who had exhausted a lot of energy, to regroup and be in top condition for the upcoming battle. Tatya stood up and stretched her limbs, and indeed felt much lighter and more comfortable.

"Let's go if you've rested enough."

"Um!"

Now that Tatia has recovered, there's no need to waste any more time here. Finding the leader of the wolf demons is the most urgent task at hand.

Besides the door they had entered through, there was a second door on the other side of the room. Since they had explored almost the entire route, Naka stepped towards the door that had not yet been opened.

"Hmm? This is..."

As Naka reached the doorway, a white piece of paper on the ground caught her eye. It stood out starkly against the dark floor. Perhaps it contained something about the mansion... Thinking this, Naka picked it up.

Like the room itself, the paper was tattered and torn. It appeared to have been torn from somewhere, consisting of only about half a sheet. The remaining portion didn't seem to be in the room either. Looking at the contents, Naka's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Experimental Subject Report: Wolf Demon..."

The text describes the wolf demon's habits, strengths, and weaknesses. It seems someone has specifically researched these wolf-like monsters. More importantly, it includes the following information.

Naka didn't know who wrote the report, but just by reading it, she was certain that the author was a very dangerous person.

The report detailed various inhumane experiments conducted on the wolf demons by a person who identified himself as "this humble one." These included physical modification, gene rewriting, interspecies breeding experiments, and viral experiments. And this was only about half of one page. What was written on the other half, and how many pages the report actually contained, was completely beyond Naka's comprehension.

...That alone wouldn't have been enough to shock Naka. The real reason her eyes widened was a crest depicted in the report. The crest was only half there; the other half seemed to be on a torn piece of paper. But even with only half, Naka recognized the crest.

That was the wild boar she encountered on the day she first met Tatia, and the emblem that appeared in General Komre's report.

For the past month, no monsters bearing the emblems have appeared. Even if they wanted to investigate, they had no starting point. Naka then prioritized the investigation over training Tagaya. Who could have predicted that the clue they'd been searching for would appear here?

Staring at the all-too-familiar pattern, Naka remained silent for a long time. Naka, who had initially said she would continue forward, suddenly stood there in a daze, prompting Tatya to curiously pat her.

"Sister Naka? What's wrong?"

"The plans have changed."

"Huh?"

Naka suddenly turned 180 degrees and headed back towards the door they had come through. Tatya quickly stopped her.

"Isn't that the way we came from? We should have checked that area already, the leader isn't there..."

"Perhaps there are some clues we've missed, who knows?"

"A clue?"

Tatsia didn't know why Naka was turning back. She had no idea what clues Naka was investigating. Naka said the plan had changed, but what exactly had changed? Tatsia was completely baffled. But Naka was determined to go back, and Tatsia couldn't dissuade her.

The search yielded no new discoveries on the way there. They proceeded through the living room anyway, continuing their journey into the unexplored area.

The living room was located on the first floor of the mansion. Opening the door on the other side of the living room revealed a staircase leading to the second floor. The two exchanged a glance and nodded. Remaining cautious, they ascended the stairs.

Upon reaching the second floor, the sight before them left them speechless.

Unlike the first floor, which was densely packed with many small rooms, the second floor contained only one room. It was a huge chapel. Directly in front stood a colossal statue, its head long since destroyed, plaster fragments scattered across the floor, almost beyond repair. The two were unable to identify the original statue.

In the center of the hall were rows of seats, flanked by rows of small stone sculptures. Some of the sculptures depicted figures wearing crowns, others clad in golden armor. Some held swords, others scepters. They appeared to be categorized as kings, queens, priests, knights, and soldiers.

The decorative armor displayed at the far end was over two meters tall, but to them it looked like a grain of rice. Taking just two or three steps forward, the echo of their footsteps filled the air. On the first floor, they had been focused on finding their rooms and memorizing the route. They hadn't realized just how enormous this mansion truly was. Now, it seemed like a plaza.

The entire chapel was magnificent, solemn, and dignified. Tatya even considered bowing to the statue, wishing them a successful mission. But she immediately remembered that this was also the enemy's lair, and besides, she couldn't recognize who the statue depicted. So she gave up the idea.

Such a vast and silent space is perfect for repelling enemies. Although wolf demons are agile monsters, their footsteps would still be quite noticeable if they moved around here. There are no corners or turns, and the furniture could provide cover for them to ambush. The second floor, devoid of such noise, seems to be free of any monsters.

Naka and Tatsia carefully searched the entire second floor. They indeed found no enemies. However, they also failed to find anything else of importance.

"Naka, is this the second floor? From the outside, there should be a third floor... but where are the stairs?"

Aside from the staircase they came up, there were no other entrances or exits on the second floor. There weren't even windows, let alone staircases. The only ventilation was the skylight overhead.

The third floor is not a flat design. Above the statue, about four meters below the skylight, there is a circular corridor with an openwork center. This indicates that there is indeed a third floor. It's just unclear how one gets up there.

Unlike Tatsia, who was searching for a way out, Naka kept a close eye on any clues related to the experiment mentioned in the report. She even carefully revisited the places Tatsia had also investigated. The result was the same—nothing came of it.

"Takia! Come here for a second!"

They didn't find anything that looked like an exit. However, Naka discovered the following inscription on a stone tablet beneath the giant statue:

"The queen was executed because the king discovered her affair with the priest. The priest fled the kingdom overnight. A knight who dared to speak out against this was banished by the king. The enraged knight led his soldiers to overthrow the king and destroy the country. The knight became the new king, but the biggest winner was the priest who personally beheaded the king."

"What is this? A fairy tale?"

After being summoned to the statue by Naka and looking at it, Tatia said this. At first glance, it does seem so, but Naka has a different opinion.

"No, this is probably a code."

"signal?"

"Look."

Naka pointed to the small stone sculptures on either side of the hall. Only then did Tatya realize that the figures in those sculptures perfectly matched the characters who had appeared in this story. The queen and the priest were on one side; the king, knight, and soldier were on the other. There were five statues in total.

However, Tatsia still didn't understand the connection between this story and these statues. She said, puzzled.

"So... what should we do next?"

Seeing her bewildered expression, Naka knew that Tatsia hadn't understood at all. But the moment she saw the text, she understood its secret.

"Just do as I say."

"oh oh..."

Following Naka's instructions, Tatsia first went to the statue of the priest. With everything ready, Naka began to explain the meaning of the story to her.

"In terms of the timeline of this story, the first thing that happened was that the queen had an affair with the priest. As a result, the priest fled. Therefore, the statue of the priest was pushed away first."

"it is good"

Tatiana pushed the sacrificial statue out. Then she noticed something protruding from the statue's base. It sprang out immediately after the statue was removed.

"Sister Naka, this is..."

"Then, the king killed the queen. So the queen no longer exists. Let's push away the queen's statue too."

Naka ignored Tatsia, who was about to ask a question, and continued speaking. Tatsia didn't dare to say anything more and could only follow Naka's instructions to push aside the queen's statue. There was something similar under the base of the queen's statue. Moreover, Tatsia clearly felt that the weight of the different statues seemed to differ. The queen's statue was heavier than the priest's statue.

"The knight boldly offered advice, but was banished. So the knight overthrew the king and became the new king himself. Now, please push aside the king's statue, and then push the knight's statue on top of the king's statue. The knight led the soldiers to overthrow the king, so after the knight became king, the former soldiers will also be promoted to knights. Therefore, the next step is to push the soldiers' statues back to where the knight's statue used to be."

"Um"

Tatsia meticulously followed Naka's instructions. Each statue had one of those protrusions underneath it. Even without asking Naka, Tatsia understood the purpose of these things. The statues currently being presented were those of the King, Queen, and Priest.

"The one who ultimately executed the king was the priest. But a priest couldn't possibly be the executioner. That means the priest here isn't actually a priest. Nor could he be the king, queen, or knight. So the answer is obvious, isn't it? The priest could only have personally carried out the killing by disguising himself as a soldier. So the final step was to push the priest's statue back to where the soldier's statue used to be."

After listening to Naka's explanation, Tatiya finally understood. The moment she pushed the priest's statue into the designated position, a loud rumble suddenly erupted. The ground, walls, and statue shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck. Dust that had accumulated for who knows how long immediately billowed up, obscuring Tatiya's vision in a gray haze.

"Sister Naka!"