The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

Who was her roommate? This was something Tatsia was very concerned about. After all, they would be living in the same room for half a year, meaning he was the person Tatsia would be in closest contact with. In other words, he was the person Tatsia should be most wary of. Tatsia knew very well what it meant for a single man and woman to be alone in a room. So she had to be careful. This was something Naka had told her.

After several deep breaths, Tatsia finally calmed down. The deafening pounding of her own heart that had been raging in her ears subsided. She mustered her courage, raised her finger, and gently knocked on the door, then softly asked…

"Um, is anyone there...?"

However, after a long while, there was still no response from inside the room. Tatia wondered if her voice was too soft. So she raised her voice and asked again.

"Hello! Is anyone in room 9?"

But the result was the same. Only her own echo returned from the corridor.

"Hasn't it arrived yet?"

Considering that perhaps it was because she had arrived early and her roommate hadn't checked in yet, Tatsia tentatively turned the doorknob. But it opened easily with just one turn. The door was open, indicating that someone had already been to the room.

"No, no, I'm sorry! I didn't mean... Huh?"

Tatya was about to apologize for opening the door without permission and disturbing her roommate when she looked closer and realized the room was actually empty. Only a suitcase lay on the floor. The owner of the suitcase was nowhere to be seen.

Since no one was around, Tatia felt somewhat relieved. She placed her luggage at her feet and first looked around the room.

"Wow...can I really live in such a nice place?"

Compared to the cave she lived in with her father, and the conditions where she slept under the open sky and on the ground while on missions, this dormitory was practically paradise. It had all the necessary amenities, and the staff's meticulous cleaning made the room look as clean and tidy as if no man had ever lived there. The bed looked incredibly soft, and just imagining herself sleeping on the hard ground filled Taqia with barely suppressed excitement. The good natural light also bathed the room in a warm glow, making it feel cozy and inviting.

Perhaps because she had grown accustomed to her life over the past two years, Tatsia hadn't realized that living in such a place was actually normal. Sleeping in a dark, damp cave, she had been living a truly inhuman existence. As for Naka, who had rescued her from that place and allowed her to live this kind of life, Tatsia's gratitude was beyond words.

After her initial exclamation, her gaze finally settled on the suitcase. Although Tatsia had no right to judge others, the suitcase was worn and old, completely clashing with the room's overall style. Even Tatsia felt a pang of dislike.

While Tasia was touring the room, the owner of the suitcase still hadn't returned.

"Did you go out? Leaving your things on the floor like that without locking the door, you're so bold..."

Tatya's first impression of her roommate was that he was very poor. Her second impression was that he was careless.

The third impression is that he is a person who is very good at scaring people.

"Hello"

"Eeya ya ya ya!"

Just as Tatsia was surveying the room, a sudden impact struck her shoulder. A male voice rang in her ear. Tatsia screamed and quickly distanced herself, pressing herself against the wall on the other side of the room.

The person who filmed her was clearly taken aback by Tatia's strong reaction and was startled, taking two steps back and nearly tripping over the door frame.

"You've seen a ghost! You scared me half to death..."

At this moment, the two finally faced each other. Tatya's roommate was a boy about a head taller than her, with a slender build and short black hair. From a woman's perspective, he could barely be described as handsome.

Judging from his appearance, Tatya was probably around the same age as herself. This relieved Tatya somewhat. At least he wasn't some lecherous old man, which was good enough.

"No, it's nothing. I just didn't expect someone to be behind me," Tatia said, trying to appear calm.

She knew that from now on, she couldn't show her wavering on her face. Otherwise, those so close to her would definitely notice something was amiss. She tried her best to act more like a man and spoke to the boy...

"Um... what's your name, bro? Where are you from?"

In her eyes, this was how men talked. Although she didn't realize how strange it was that they were still room apart, her questioning was rather odd. The boy was also puzzled by her abrupt change of topic. But since she had asked, he introduced himself as well.

"My name is Oz, I'm fifteen years old, Level 9. And you?"

At fifteen, he'd only be a year older than Tatia. Their ranks were equally high. Tatia wasn't at a disadvantage compared to him. This gave Tatia some confidence, and she replied...

"I am Tatia, fourteen years old. I am also Level 9."

"Really? What a coincidence. Please take care of me, Tatia."

Oz was somewhat pleased that they were close in age and had similar abilities. He extended his right hand to Tatsia. Tatsia hesitated. Although Oz didn't seem like a bad person at the moment, she was still somewhat resistant to contact with men. But refusing would only make the situation very awkward. Although six months wasn't a long time, if a subtle atmosphere permeated the two of them during that time, life would be very uncomfortable. Tatsia had no choice but to reluctantly extend her hand. Right hands clasped together.

Just then, Oz gave Tatia a sinister smile.

"Hehe...you fell for it, didn't you?"

"?"

Before Tatia could react, Oz suddenly grabbed her arm, spun her around, and executed an over-the-shoulder throw, slamming her to the ground. A dull thud echoed as her back hit the floor.

"????"

Tatia was completely bewildered by what was happening. She felt the world spinning around her. Meanwhile, Oz was laughing hysterically.

"Hahahaha! You call yourself a hero like me... and you can't even dodge such a simple trick! Just now, I walked right behind you and you didn't even react. How pathetic! Even if we're the same level, my combat awareness is definitely superior!"

Although she felt dizzy, Tatsia's ears weren't deaf. She now realized that Oz was completely toying with her. He laughed even harder, while Tatsia grew angrier and angrier.

"You...you bastard!"

Already bottling up a lot of negative emotions, this further provoked her. Even the gentle Tatia finally snapped. She abruptly got up and threw a punch at Oz. Oz seemed surprised that Tatia had recovered so quickly, taking a solid punch to the face and nearly falling over. However, he wasn't angry; instead, he watched Tatia with interest, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Alright, looks like you do have some skills, otherwise you wouldn't be my roommate... Come on! Take this!"

Tatia and Oz got into a fight. It wasn't until someone from the next room heard the commotion and came to separate them that they were pulled apart. That evening, Tatia and Oz were summoned to the staff room. Before school even started, Tatia received a severe reprimand.

Little did she know that this incident would later become the catalyst for Tatia's infamy to spread throughout the entire school.

Before enrollment (3)

"One, two, three, four. Two, two, three, four..."

After a good night's sleep, Naka was full of energy, doing her morning exercises in front of the dormitory early in the morning. The sun hadn't fully risen yet; watching it half-hidden below the horizon and feeling the cool breeze was wonderful. Jasmine was still asleep. Naka really wished she could experience such a pleasant morning too.

"Sister Naka..."

Suddenly, a mournful voice drifted over, a voice that seemed quite familiar. Naka looked up and saw Tatya, whom she hadn't seen for only half a day, crouching behind the bushes with her arms wrapped around her knees.

"Tasia? What's wrong?"

Naka quickly went to her side. Only then did she notice that Tatya seemed to have dark clouds floating above her head. Her face was puffed up with anger, and the dark circles under her eyes indicated that she hadn't slept well all night. As soon as Naka approached, Tatya immediately threw herself into her arms.

She looked like she'd suffered some kind of injustice. Naka quickly patted Tatsia's back while anxiously asking...

"What's wrong? Has your identity been exposed, or has some man been groping you? Where did this wild boy come from? What's his name?"

Although it wouldn't be called clumsy, Tatsia was full of resentment and didn't care about telling the truth. She nodded vigorously and began to complain.

"I was bullied by a man..."

Upon hearing that someone had indeed disrespected Tatsia, Naka was instantly enraged. She grabbed Tatsia and headed towards the men's dormitory, rolling up her sleeves as she went, looking every bit the part of someone ready to fight.

"Where's that guy? I'll kill him!"

"No... he's not in the dorm anymore. I don't know where he went..."

"What exactly happened?"

"That's how it is..."

It wasn't appropriate to talk while standing in front of the dormitory building. Tatya and Naka went to a pavilion in the school, and after sitting down, Tatya told Naka everything that had happened the day before. Of course, she embellished the facts a little, describing Oz as even more willful and deserving of a beating.

The reason for this was simply that yesterday's events left Tatsia both angry and resentful. Oz might just be a belligerent person, but she had already been sufficiently polite; it was clearly Oz who started the trouble. When criticized, the staff only reprimanded Tatsia, ignoring Oz. Tatsia's request to change roommates was also refused by the school. Tatsia suspected that Oz might have gotten into the school through connections, and the teachers dared not confront him, pushing all the trouble onto other unrelated freshmen. This intensified her dissatisfaction with Oz. Tatsia did everything she could to portray Oz as an arrogant, spoiled brat. Even if it was just to vent her anger.

However, Naka was taken aback after hearing her explanation. The name "Oz" was not unfamiliar to her.

"Isn't he that..."

Although the memory was vague, Naka was certain she had seen the name somewhere before. After thinking it over, it suddenly dawned on her: before meeting Tatia, she had decided to team up with three adventurers. The first was a spoiled rich kid who had lied about his abilities; the second was a promising hero with some talent; and the third, a 15-year-old hero she hadn't met because he was teamed up with someone else, was named Oz.

This matter had been almost forgotten by Naka. Now it suddenly resurfaced, and even became connected to Tatsia. Naka couldn't help but sigh at the vicissitudes of fate in this world.

Seeing Naka's expression, as if she had suddenly figured something out, Tatia asked...

"Sister Naka? Do you know him?"

This was merely a plan that Naka herself had already fallen through, and had nothing to do with Tatsia. At this point, Naka had no intention of teaming up with Oz anymore. Therefore, she shook her head in denial.

"No, I don't know him. But from what you've said, that guy named Oz doesn't seem like a bad person. He's just someone who's arrogant and complacent because he has some ability, and wants to test his skills against others. Whether he really got in through connections or has real talent, you can just use your own eyes to find out, right? You've received my special training, so why are you afraid of him? You need to have some confidence in yourself. If he really is a person with questionable character, or if he discovers your identity, I will naturally take action. Right now, I still hope you can figure out a solution yourself. You still have six months to go with him. You should also learn to think and act independently. You should find the answer to how to deal with him yourself."

Oz didn't sound like a good person, but that was only Tatia's side of the story. Besides, as long as her identity wasn't exposed, everything else was just trivial. Moreover, it was really inappropriate for an adult like Naka to interfere in such childish squabbles. Naka decided to let Tatia handle it herself. This was partly to allow her to meet more different people and partly to teach her different methods of resolving conflicts and problems. Of course, her real reason was to use Tatia to investigate the background of the hero who might have been paired with Naka.

Upon hearing that Naka seemed unwilling to help her get revenge, Tatsia showed a slight expression of disappointment. However, she still listened to Naka's suggestion and nodded in agreement.

"I understand, Sister Naka... You're right, I am very strong. If someone hadn't intervened, I would have beaten him into submission long ago!"

As she spoke, Tatya raised her slender arm, showing Naka her barely visible biceps. Naka smiled helplessly.

"The problem is with him, not you. You don't need to be afraid of him. Just be yourself. If he still wants to fight you, tell him to go somewhere secluded so you won't be bothered by others."

"Um!"

Naka's words seemed to have some effect. The gloom over Tatsia vanished, and she became her usual cheerful self. Naka patted her shoulder with satisfaction, offering encouragement.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, go back. If he's awake, have a good talk with him. If he's not the type to listen to people, then ignore him. But if he dares to lay a hand on you, teach him a lesson."

"I understand, Naka. But..."

Although she had nothing else she wanted to confide in Naka, she still didn't want to go back to the dormitory and see that annoying boy's face. The pressure and displeasure that had accumulated throughout the day needed to be released and relieved; all Tatya wanted now was to be with the person she loved most.

"...I still want to talk to Naka-nee a little longer..."

Taqia rubbed her body against Naka's, wrapped her arms around Naka's waist, and rested her head on Naka's shoulder.

This girl, who had always been so strong-willed, was unusually and frankly acting coquettishly towards her today. Naka, however, welcomed this wholeheartedly. Being able to express her anxieties and desires without reservation was a kind of progress for Tatya. Naka's hand went around Tatya's back and rested on her head, gently stroking her hair. Tatya enjoyed the comfortable touch of Naka's soft little hand on her head, feeling that she would be able to muster the courage to face any difficulties that came her way.

Tatsia gave her most beloved person a sweet smile. This smile was also a great comfort to Naka, instantly making her feel refreshed and happy. Naka tightened her embrace of Tatsia, pulling her closer to her.

Tatya's cheeks flushed like the morning sun, her heart brimming with joy, as if her feelings had been acknowledged and reciprocated. She leaned entirely on Naka, nestled close to her, and gently inhaled her scent.

Upon waking, Jasmine discovered Naka was missing. She went out to search for her and witnessed the scene from afar. She wanted to call out to Naka, but ultimately refrained. Although the sight filled her with envy and jealousy, Naka and Tatsia, immersed in their own world, seemed so happy that Jasmine couldn't bear to disturb them. She silently turned and left.

They said they wanted to talk more, but in reality, the two of them just stayed close to each other all day without saying much.

By noon, the blazing sun was shining on the bench, making it feel slightly hot. Naka then suggested that they stand up and walk around.

"Takia, we just arrived at this school, and we went to bed early yesterday, so we haven't had a chance to properly explore the place yet. How about we go take a look around?"

"Okay, sure..."

To be honest, Tatsia wasn't particularly interested in the school itself. She just wanted to spend as much time as possible with Naka. Whatever Naka suggested, Tatsia had no objections.

So the two stood up, held hands, and began to walk aimlessly through the school.

This school truly lived up to its reputation as a massive investment occupying half of the town's land. Beyond its comprehensive facilities, it boasted numerous decorative touches. Everywhere you looked, there were buildings of all shapes and sizes, each serving a specific purpose. However, Tatiya had long since lost interest in admiring them.

Looking at Naka's profile, Tatsia felt that it was the most dazzling sight, more captivating than any other scenery. Her own heartbeat was clearly pounding faster and faster.

Tatya was well aware that she seemed to have developed feelings for Naka that shouldn't exist between two girls. And she had an urge to convey these feelings to Naka. If she didn't, she feared Naka might drift away from her... Even though Naka was right beside her, she felt a strange sense of crisis.

"Um...that! Sister Naka!"

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

Overwhelmed by emotion, Tatsia finally broke free of her lips. She ran in front of Naka, raising her voice to bolster her courage. But she couldn't bring herself to utter the crucial question.

She had this thought herself, but what about Naka? She couldn't be sure. If she just blurted it out because of her own wishful thinking, it would only cause Naka great confusion, and might even push them further apart... Tatsia was also afraid of this outcome. She had barely run out when she began to regret her rashness. Naka was now waiting for her to speak, but Tatsia was just babbling incoherently.

"I...I, Sister Naka, you, I..."

"ah!"

Just then, a scream suddenly came from behind Tatia.

Because Tatsia didn't stop when she blocked Naka's path, but instead walked backwards, Naka didn't see what was behind her. Therefore, she accidentally bumped into the person behind her. With a "whoosh," the papers in the person's hand flew everywhere as she fell.

"I'm sorry! I didn't notice... Are you alright?"

Tadiya quickly turned around and helped the person behind her to her feet. It was a woman wearing thick glasses, about a head taller than Tadiya. She was wearing a faculty uniform, not what one of the new students would expect. Naka knelt down and picked up the papers the woman had been holding, one by one.

"Remember to watch where you're going, Tatia. We can talk about this when we stop..."

"Yes, I'm sorry..."

The feelings she wanted to convey failed to be conveyed, and she ended up causing trouble instead—it was incredibly embarrassing. Tatia felt extremely ashamed. Fortunately, the woman she bumped into didn't seem inclined to pursue the matter further.

"No, it's okay. I was thinking about something, so I didn't notice what was in front of me..."

The female employee repeatedly assured her she was alright. However, as she stood up, she caught sight of Tatsia's face. In that instant, she swallowed her words, staring at Tatsia with an incredulous look. Her horrified expression was as if she had seen a ghost.

"No, no way...you, you are..."

"Um... what happened to me?"

Tatsia didn't recognize her. She found her reaction inexplicable. But she did recognize Tatsia... or rather, she knew a relative of Tatsia's. Looking at Tatsia's face, she uttered the name of the person who should have been dead.

"Vivian-senpai?"

Before enrollment (4)

Naka, Tatsia, and the woman all showed surprise at the same time. Tatsia's face reminded the female employee of someone very familiar, so she uttered the name of someone that greatly surprised Naka and the others.