The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

This city is home to the kingdom's national adventurer training institution: the Sunflower Adventurer School. The school's exceptionally high teaching quality, excellent learning environment, and strong faculty resources attract adventurers and aspiring adventurers from all over the kingdom's towns. But what's most captivating is the school's reputation: its chief instructor, the hero Fros.

Although he is now nearing sixty, he is still a top-tier adventurer with a level of 64. He is a key member of the elite adventurer team directly under the King. He is also the only adventurer in the world to have fought a Demon King of Level ∞ and returned alive. The vast majority of new students come here because of his name. Of course, he is not the only one who can carry the school. All courses related to various professions are taught by senior adventurers with extremely high prestige and achievements in their respective professions.

Every year, a large number of people come here to study. Therefore, the school's scale is constantly expanding. Now, half of the entire Sunflower Town belongs to the Adventurer's School. It boasts dormitories that can accommodate all new students, ensuring they don't have to sleep outdoors; separate teaching and laboratory buildings for each profession; various realistic combat training grounds; a canteen where students can have a hearty meal after their hard work; a large library for students and teachers to access resources; a large auditorium that can hold all faculty and students for group meetings... In addition, there are various recreational areas where students can socialize and engage in entertainment during their free time. Although it's just a technical training school, its scale and comprehensiveness are comparable to a city. Since its establishment ten years ago, it has sent off batches of outstanding graduates. Many now-famous adventurers graduated from here. This summer, it welcomed another batch of new students. Among them are three...

"Nanana, Nanana, Sister Ka, I...I...I...what should I do..."

A trembling warrior with short green hair, dressed entirely in green, and a rope tied around his forehead spoke.

"There's really no other way now... Do your best, Tatia."

A saintess with short white hair, dressed in patched-up nun's habit, who looked like a young girl but was actually a young woman, patted the hero on the shoulder to encourage him.

"Hey! What are you two still whispering sweet nothings about! Naka! Come give me a hand! And boy, shouldn't you be here? The boys' dorm is across the street!"

A long-haired saintess, carrying two bags and appearing the most mature of the three, called out to the two.

The green-haired heroine is named Tatia, the white-haired saintess is named Naka, and the long-haired saintess is Jasmine. The three of them arrived here from Isard Town a week ago.

Registration closed a week ago, and there's still a week until the official start of the semester. This intervening week is for the school to organize materials, arrange the work of faculty and staff, and for the new students to move into their dormitories and settle in. The three of them were currently standing in front of their dormitory. But then, Tatia suddenly realized a problem that she and the two saintesses had overlooked: although the hero was listed as male in the records, he was actually a fourteen-year-old girl.

Only Naka knew about this; Jasmine was unaware. Neither of them had found a suitable opportunity to tell her the truth. So, when registering, they simply went along with the situation. The result was this disastrous outcome: Tatya, a girl, was forced to live in a male dormitory. And without Naka's help to care for her, she was left alone under the same roof as strange men.

Tatsia had never had this experience before. In the elven kingdom, she had only ever made female friends, and since coming to the human kingdom, she had either lived with her father or slept alone outdoors. Sleeping with another man was something she had never even considered, nor dared to imagine. To be honest, she had almost zero experience even talking to boys her own age. She gripped Naka's sleeve tightly, refusing to let go. Extremely nervous, she was covered in cold sweat. She stammered as she spoke.

Naka was also very worried about Tatsia. Ultimately, this was all Naka's responsibility. But given Tatsia's current situation, Naka was truly powerless to help. It was too late to back out now. If the school found out Tatsia had provided false identification, no one could guarantee she would still be officially enrolled. Naka could only offer her some advice.

"Takia, try not to wear thin clothes, and don't bathe with other boys. It's best to go to the bathhouse when you're the only one there. Also, don't have too much physical contact with boys; keep your relationships at most nodding acquaintances. Don't take the rope tied around your ears off at any time... Understand?"

"I...I...I don't know..."

"Oh, by the way, if any boy dares to be rude to you or touch you inappropriately, be sure to tell me, and I'll teach him a lesson."

"No, not this..."

"Keep it up!"

Naka handed Tatsia's luggage to her and patted her on the shoulder to encourage her. Tatsia, however, remained terrified and refused to move.

Advice is just advice; if something were to happen, Naka wouldn't be able to teleport from the girls' dormitory to the boys' dormitory to help her. No matter how confident Naka was, Tatya still couldn't shake her worries.

"Hey! What are you guys dawdling about!"

Jasmine, growing impatient, called out to them from afar. To Jasmine, who mistook Tatya for a man, Naka and Tatya appeared to be engaged in a tender, bittersweet farewell as they prepared to be separated for six months. Still searching for her dream lover, she couldn't bear to witness this heart-wrenching scene and had no choice but to intervene.

"What are you shouting at the door? Some students who have already moved in are resting right now, don't you know that?"

Jasmine's loud voice attracted the attention of the female dormitory supervisor. Jasmine quickly bowed her head, apologized, and explained the situation. The supervisor then approached Naka and the others, and warned them...

"You two, stop blocking the way. Let's go inside and talk... Hmm? Who are you?"

The dormitory supervisor scrutinized the trembling Tatsia. Because Tatsia's appearance and figure were very androgynous, she couldn't immediately discern her features. So she asked...

"May I have your name?"

"My name is... Tatia..."

"Takia? Let me see..."

She took out a list. It contained the names of the new students who would be moving into this dormitory. After carefully checking it, she didn't see Tatsia's name on it. So she confirmed that Tatsia was a boy.

"Are you a guy? What are you doing in front of the girls' dormitory? And why are you shaking?"

"This...this..."

"He's my... um, boyfriend. We still have a few things to talk about."

Seeing Tatsia's stammering manner, it was clear she wouldn't be able to give a proper answer. Naka had no choice but to bite the bullet and help her out.

"Really... then hurry up and tell us, and then leave quickly. New students are coming soon, what are you doing blocking the way? Girl, you go inside. Little brother Taqia, if you don't know how to get to the boys' dorms, I can show you. It's not appropriate for you to stay here too long, understand?"

"No, no, that's not necessary. I know where the boys' dormitory is..."

"Then you should leave quickly."

Since someone was urging her, Tatsia knew she couldn't linger any longer. Despite her reluctance and worry, she had no choice but to pick up her luggage and stiffly wave goodbye to Naka.

Goodbye...

"Oh, goodbye..."

Her steps were heavy as she left. In the instant she turned her head, Naka seemed to see something crystalline fly out from the corner of her eye. And there was a low, muttered chant, like a spell.

"Be strong...be strong...I can do it..."

The more this happened, the more uncertain she felt inside. The evidence was that even Tatia herself didn't realize she was walking with her feet in the wrong order when she left.

Before enrollment (2)

"Ah~~~ That feels so good!"

Jasmine threw her luggage on the floor, turned her back to the bed, and jumped backward, landing squarely on the soft mattress. Two days of carriage travel had left her with a sore back and aching waist; now she could finally lie down comfortably. Jasmine felt as if she were immersed in a cotton paradise, instantly relieving most of her fatigue. She let out a sigh of relief.

"Don't do that, Jasmine. Have some self-awareness, will you?"

Naka sat on the edge of the bed, opening her package and tidying up her luggage while reminding Jasmine not to be so careless. However, Jasmine didn't listen at all, remaining listless no matter what Naka said. Naka sighed, finished packing her few belongings, and then pulled Jasmine's luggage over, helping her friend pack her own as well.

The girls' dormitory is a double room with two beds for two people. It's larger than the hotel they stayed in in Isad. In addition to basic furniture such as desks, bookshelves, and wardrobes, the rooms also have their own bathrooms. Overall, the living conditions are better than when they stayed in the hotel.

"Can you believe it, Naka? Such a nice room, and the cost for six months is only 600 gold coins! That's more than half the price of the room in Isaad Town! Aren't they making a profit?"

"This school is funded and supported by the Kingdom's government, so there's no need to worry about budget issues."

"Hey, what do you think about starting a similar educational institution after we retire?"

"don't want"

"Then... how about we open a small clinic together? Using our healing magic, we can help people suffering from illness..."

"You drive it yourself if you want."

"You won't do this or that, so what are you planning to do in the future? You can't be an adventurer for the rest of your life, can you?"

"..."

Naka had never considered being an adventurer for life, nor had she ever thought about going into business. Her plan was simple: once she eliminated the prophesied hero, she would reclaim her identity as the Demon Queen, completely conquer the human kingdoms, rule the entire continent, and become the Queen of the World... That was her vision. But Naka could certainly consider the "future" that Jasmine mentioned.

After conquering the human kingdom, what should be done with Jasmine, Tatia, Sister Jess, and that village? When Naka left the Demon King's castle, she only thought that the people and things she would encounter were merely tools, to be discarded when no longer needed. But two years later, Naka has a different feeling.

Let alone the future, even if she were asked to kill Jasmine and Tatsia on the spot, Naka knew she would find it difficult. Continuing to spend time with them and developing a relationship would only increase the difficulty. If she didn't kill them, it was only a matter of time before they learned her true identity. Having deceived them for so long, they would surely be angry and join the other adventurers in actively rebelling against Naka. What if things developed to that point? Jasmine's question was an important one that couldn't be ignored. It truly troubled Naka.

Actually, Jasmine's words were just casual conversation, not a serious discussion. Seeing Naka's worried expression and silence, it was clear she had taken the joke seriously. Jasmine quickly tried to ease the tension.

"Why are you making such a long face? I was just joking... We can talk about the future later, right? Don't look so gloomy, come on, smile."

As she spoke, Jasmine hooked her index finger around the corner of her mouth and made a face at Naka. Seeing her comical expression, Naka finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Yes, Jasmine is right. We can deal with the future later. Naka thought to herself. The prophet hadn't mentioned how many years into the future the duel with the prophesied hero would take place, and it was hard to say whether the hero had even been born yet. Perhaps even after Jasmine passed away, she would still be investigating as a saintess. For now, she might as well put those worries behind her and enjoy this six-month period of campus life. Thinking this, Naka decided to relax a bit and not be so reserved.

"Ah, that feels so good!"

As Naka placed the last item in its designated spot, she buried her head in the pillow. Just as Jasmine had said, Naka felt a wave of tingling comfort wash over her. Although Naka wasn't actually tired, she gradually succumbed to the temptation, and her eyelids began to grow heavy.

Unlike the naturally energetic Naka, Jasmine hadn't had a proper rest after two days of bumpy carriage travel. She craved the warmth of a bed even more than Naka did. Ten minutes later, both of them began to drift off to sleep...

"Knock knock knock"

But just as they were drifting off to sleep, a sudden, urgent knocking on the dormitory door pulled them back to reality. Naka opened the door to find the dormitory supervisor standing there, carrying a large bag.

"Is there something you need?" Naka asked.

"Two things. First, there's news about the official start of classes. The school has decided to hold a general meeting in the Great Hall at 8:00 AM next Tuesday to arrange class assignments. The Headmaster and the founder, Mr. Frost, will both give speeches, and every new student must attend."

"I understand. What's the second thing?"

"The second thing..."

The dormitory supervisor opened her palm to Naka

"This is a school, not a battlefield. Since some students already possess a certain level of combat ability upon enrollment, a private fight could easily escalate into a serious situation involving swords. Therefore, regulations stipulate that all new students must surrender all weapons except for actual combat drills, and these weapons will be kept by the school."

Naka understood what the dormitory supervisor was saying, but it seemed she had approached the wrong person. Naka pointed to her nun's habit and emphasized her profession.

"But I am a saintess, I have no weapons."

"You have a dagger strapped to your right boot, don't you?"

An ordinary person would definitely be fooled. But even the dormitory supervisor at this school is an adventurer. She can see through anything a freshman is hiding at a glance.

"..."

With that said, Naka had no choice but to silently take off her boots and untie the bandages binding her calves. With a clatter, a gleaming dagger fell to the ground. Just as she had said, Naka had concealed her weapon by using the high top of her boots.

Naka picked up the dagger and handed it to the dormitory supervisor. But even after receiving the dagger, the supervisor showed no sign of leaving. She knew that Naka was only using one weapon to deceive the supervisor; in reality, she possessed far more than just this one item.

"Also, take out the stuff from under your left armpit, the cuff of your left sleeve, and the right breast pocket of your shirt."

"Your eye for detail is truly impressive."

While offering praise, Naka kept pulling out weapons from the places she mentioned. Hidden under her arm was a folded switchblade. Concealed in her sleeve was a silver needle that Naka had set to launch. Finally, she took out a short sword engraved with cherry blossoms from the inside pocket of her nun's habit. She handed them all to the dormitory supervisor.

Although the dormitory supervisor already knew that Naka was carrying multiple weapons, he still couldn't help but sigh when he actually received them.

"How come you, saintess, are covered in such dangerous things..."

"Precisely because I am a saintess without combat abilities, weapons for self-defense are especially important," Naka replied firmly.

"...Remember, don't be late next Tuesday."

The dormitory supervisor seemed to want to say something more, but in the end, she only left with this one sentence.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Naka?"

Still half-asleep, Jasmine vaguely sensed that someone was there, but she couldn't make out who it was or what they were saying.

"It's nothing. Just something about a meeting in the auditorium next Tuesday."

Naka answered her while closing the door.

"This...this is the boys' dormitory..."

Just arriving at the gate took Tatsia a lot of courage. But the countless men coming and going made her stop in her tracks and dare not go forward.

Some were boys around Tatsia's age, some were younger, and some were middle-aged men who exuded a dangerous aura, radiating male hormones. The thought of being crammed into a building with these people made Tatsia's skin crawl. She couldn't suppress her physical repulsion and disgust.

"Hey! What are you standing there for?! Come on in!"

If she could, Tatia really wanted to conceal her presence so that no one would notice her. But before she could finish this thought, the dormitory supervisor noticed her and walked towards Tatia with the roster in hand.

"What's your name?"

"Tap tap tap..."

"What?"

The dormitory supervisor for the men's dormitory was also male. Even just talking to him made Tatsia so nervous she could barely speak. The supervisor had to ask her name several times before she finally managed to squeeze it out.

"Tasia!"

"Tower... um, you live on the fifth floor, room 9. Here's your key."

"Thank you, thank you!"

Taqia snatched the keys from his hand and grabbed her luggage to leave. She wanted to distance herself from men as quickly as possible, and worried that further conversation might reveal that she wasn't male. But just as she was about to leave, the dormitory supervisor grabbed her hand.

"etc"

"Eek!!! Is there anything else?"

"...Why are you so startled?"

The moment he grasped her hand, Tadiya let out a sharp scream and jerked her hand back. Such a reaction during a conversation between men was extremely strange. The dormitory supervisor gave Tadiya a suspicious look. To Tadiya, however, it felt like he was judging her with a lewd gaze. This only fueled her panic. She turned and ran.

"I...I have to go now!"

Before she could figure out what was going on, Tatia ran away like the wind. The dormitory supervisor had no choice but to chase after her.

"No...your weapon! School rules state that all weapons must be handed in! Hey! Stop! Don't run away!"

...

Passing by one man after another, Tatia could only clear her mind and treat them like cabbages. Otherwise, she would have already fainted from the sheer tension.

Not only was she living alone in a male-dominated area, but even her weapons had been confiscated. If these men were just ordinary people, it wouldn't be so bad, but they were all skilled adventurers. Bare-handed, Tatsia was at a complete disadvantage against them. She was now a lamb led to the slaughter. If her identity was exposed, she would likely be devoured by these wolves. The thought sent a shiver down Tatsia's spine. She lowered her head, trying to avoid looking at the men, and quickly ran towards her room.

Fortunately, nothing happened on the way to the fifth floor. Soon, Tatsia arrived at her dormitory room. Before entering, Tatsia took several deep breaths, mentally encouraging herself.

Having overcome the previous difficulties, the biggest challenge truly looming over her was now beginning: the man she shared apartment number 9 with. If she couldn't get past him, then nothing would have been worthwhile.