The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

"Is this necessary?"

"You think I wanted to take you?! If it weren't for Sister Jessie..."

Five repeated rudenesses and offenses finally made Jasmine speak her mind. She immediately stopped herself after speaking. No matter what, directly expressing her dissatisfaction was inappropriate. Jasmine only wanted to complete her saintly training as quickly as possible and didn't want to create any unnecessary trouble or make enemies. She abruptly changed the tone of her second half of the sentence.

"...Anyway, just follow me. That way you won't be lost about how to get around the village later."

Naka didn't seem to take her outburst to heart. She simply pondered for a moment, then turned and walked into the house.

"Alright then. Wait for me a moment, I'll make some preparations."

"What's there to prepare..."

She was just strolling around the village; she didn't need to carry anything. But Naka still went back to her room. Jasmine had no choice but to wait for her in the living room.

Taking advantage of this time, Jasmine carefully observed Naka's dwelling. Jasmine was astonished. Not only was the exterior grand and the area vast, but every piece of furniture inside was a luxury Jasmine had never seen before. Besides necessities like tables and chairs, there were even antique decorations of unknown origin and age—vases, jars, paintings…none of which could possibly be found in this village. Jasmine suddenly felt incredibly inferior, like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world. She sighed in amazement.

"Hey, are you some kind of princess from some kingdom? You come out to cultivate and you need to live in such a nice house, bringing all this useless junk with you?"

Naka's response came from inside the room through the wall.

"This dilapidated house is even worse than the toilet in my old place."

"..."

This was not something a delicate woman on vacation would say. If your family is so well-off, why are you even traveling? Who are you, some rich girl, that you can afford to live in a place with a toilet this big? If your toilet is this big, how fast and how much metabolism does your family have? Jasmine had a lot to say, but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to say it. She thought it best to remain silent about this inexplicable and dangerous guy.

Anyway, their relationship was only temporary, a shared cultivation journey. Nothing more. At least, that's what Jasmine believed at the moment.

Jasmine had no idea what Naka had spent so much time preparing. When Naka came out of the house, apart from wearing a leather jacket that Jasmine found offensive, she seemed no different. She wasn't carrying anything extra.

But that was none of her business. As long as Naka said she was ready, she would take her out and fulfill Jess's request. Whatever happened next, Jasmine planned to ignore it.

That was her plan. But man proposes, God disposes. The moment she stepped out of Naka's house, her plan completely fell apart.

"Oh, it's Jasmine. You're here today too..."

Just then, an older man who recognized Jasmine passed by Naka's house and greeted her warmly. Before Jasmine could reply, Naka suddenly rushed forward, grabbed the man by the collar, and pulled out a dagger, holding it to his chin.

"Who are you? What are you doing at my doorstep?"

"babble!!"

"What are you doing! Let him go!"

Jasmine quickly pulled Naka away from the trembling uncle who was terrified by the sudden attack. The uncle, who had just been smiling, scrambled away.

"I can't believe it! You actually dared to pull out a knife and threaten people in broad daylight on the street... Don't you have any common sense at all?"

"This guy's been loitering right outside my house. I suspect he's an assassin, is that wrong?"

"Where did all these assassins come from that were targeting you! Do you really think you're some big shot? He was just someone who happened to be passing by! And the speed at which you drew your knife was really fast! Where were you hiding that dagger? I didn't see you take it out at all..."

"Hello"

Jasmine was simply teaching her some basic common sense, but Naka, clearly annoyed, pointed the dagger at Jasmine again. Jasmine stopped lecturing and raised her hands in surrender.

"What are you trying to do now? Didn't I tell you I was sent by Sister Jessie?"

"I know, but you've been yelling at me and ordering me around ever since. Watch your words and tone. If you dare to be rude to me again, don't blame me for being impolite."

Anyone would clearly see that Naka was the rude one. Yet, she started blaming herself for being impolite, like a thief crying "stop thief!" She kept doing things that constantly increased her level of dislike in other people's eyes, yet she acted like she was in the right and wouldn't let it go. Was there no justice left? But facing her sharp knife, Jasmine could only cry out in her heart, "I understand, put the knife away..."

"Good to know. Show me some respect, girl."

The dagger twirled lightly on Naka's fingers twice before she sheathed it at her waist. But her hand remained firmly on the hilt. Including those on her ankles and calves, Jasmine remembered that Naka carried at least three weapons.

This kind of unreasonable, domineering, and violent individual wouldn't be surprising if she actually committed murder. Jasmine decided to report to the church immediately after showing her around. For now, it was best to keep her calm.

"Well, let's hurry up and go. Um, I hope you can calm down. Everyone in the village is a good person. Nobody wants to harm you. Please stop brandishing your sword at people like that, okay?"

Naka did not respond to Jasmine's request, but simply said "Let's go".

"Okay, okay, I understand. Then come with me."

Jasmine walked in front, with Naka following behind. Jasmine guided Naka through the village, maintaining this position throughout. The village wasn't large, and as Jasmine had anticipated, she taught Naka about all the key areas in about half a day.

However, the process was fraught with unexpected events that caused Jasmine considerable headaches. It wasn't surprising that Naka wouldn't obediently follow orders.

Anyone of any build, anyone who looked somewhat robust, who brushed past them would immediately have Naka draw her dagger. Jasmine, who had been watching Naka's movements, intervened before the other woman noticed, thus preventing a conflict.

As Naka passed a vendor selling agricultural products, she grabbed an apple and popped it into her mouth before continuing on her way. Jasmine had to turn around, apologize to the vendor, and pay for the apple herself.

Upon arriving at the fields where crops were being cultivated, Naka disregarded the seedlings beneath her feet and stepped right into them, drawing the ire and accusations of many farmers. Since the farmers were all armed with hoes, shovels, and other metal implements, Naka threatened to draw her sword and fight them. Jasmine had no choice but to kneel down and apologize, begging for the farmers' forgiveness. This averted a large-scale bloodbath.

But Jasmine knew perfectly well that she hadn't done anything wrong. Why should she have to humbly apologize to her neighbors, with whom she had previously been on good terms, all because of this woman? The anger simmering within Jasmine grew ever stronger. If Naka hadn't been carrying a weapon, Jasmine feared she would have already beaten her up before anyone else could.

However, this wasn't the only thing that puzzled Jasmine.

As the two reached the area where the farmers lived, a ball rolled to Naka's feet.

"Excuse me! Big sister, could you please throw the ball back for us?"

A boy in the distance waved and called out to them. Beside him, a group of children were playing a soccer game. Jasmine quickly reminded them...

"Hey, don't you dare pull out a knife on these kids!"

"..."

No matter how much she reminded her, Naka would still brandish her weapons at others, but now she quietly squatted down, picked up the ball, and examined it carefully, looking at it with the eyes of someone looking at something new. Jasmine scoffed.

"What? You've never even seen a ball before?"

"Ball...?"

Jasmine was right, Naka repeated the ball's name in a questioning voice, tilting her head slightly.

"No way, my dear lady! You live in such a nice place, use such nice things, and you don't even know about these things that poor kids can play with? What kind of environment do you live in...?"

"...I've never seen anything like this before."

"Ha, it seems you're still a celestial being, untouched by worldly affairs..."

"Big sister! Can we have the ball now?"

While Naka was still wondering, the boys were growing impatient. They loudly reminded Naka, who seemed lost in some memory. Naka raised the ball high and tossed it to them.

"Thank you, big sister!"

The boy who got the ball back smiled innocently and thanked Naka. Then they continued their football match.

"Alright, let's go. There's more to come..."

Jasmine turned to leave, but Naka, who had been following her without stopping, now stared intently at the boys playing, completely still.

What the children's games revealed was something truly beautiful. The joy of the children, their innocence, their friendship... these purest things, unique to children, seemed to stir ripples in her otherwise calm heart. It wasn't until Jasmine realized the person behind her hadn't caught up and went back to find Naka that she pulled her along to continue the tour.

"Honestly, what's so interesting about those kids' games?"

"...I've never seen it before."

"Yes, yes, I understand, Your Highness."

"I am not a princess"

"Okay, okay, okay"

Jasmine didn't care who Naka was. The titles of young lady and princess were nothing more than mockery for her extravagant lifestyle and her curiosity about the poor. She figured she'd report back to the village about Naka's journey, and Naka would probably disappear by tomorrow. To prepare for that moment, Jasmine continued her tour casually, ending the day's visit rather haphazardly. She didn't even take Naka back to her lodgings, simply making an excuse and telling her to find her own way. After parting ways with Naka, she immediately went to the chapel.

but....

"No, no? High Priest, what are you doing..."

"I won't send her away. You don't need to say anything more."

Jasmine reported Naka's actions that day truthfully, but received only a stern refusal from the priest. Jasmine retorted loudly...

"High Priest! I saw it with my own eyes, and I know exactly how dangerous that woman is! If you don't believe me, Uncle Bu can also testify for me!"

Uncle Bu was referring to the man who appeared at Naka's doorstep and was frightened away by Naka's dagger. If you ask him, you'll definitely get testimony supporting Jasmine's story. But the priest showed no intention of pursuing the matter further.

"I've already said it, you don't need to say more. That girl is destined to become a saint, and a genius saint worthy of being remembered in history. Our monastery has decided that nothing can affect her spiritual practice until she truly becomes a saint. I don't believe what you're saying is a lie. But you should still go back."

".....yes"

Jasmine gritted her teeth and left the chapel, unwilling to accept the priest's explanation.

No matter how talented Naka is, such a dangerous individual who could harm others at any moment is not qualified to be a noble, holy saint who brings hope and salvation to others. She did not give up. Since the priest refused to intervene, Jasmine went to the village's security organization for help.

But there, she only received a cold response.

"You say she carried weapons and threatened innocent villagers, what evidence do you have?"

"Uncle Bu can testify..."

Uncle Bu passed away this afternoon due to an accident.

"Wh...what?"

"It seems he was running around in a panic and accidentally fell into the river. When we sent people to pull him out, he wasn't breathing. It's such a shame... So, do you have any other witnesses?"

Besides herself, the only other person who witnessed Naka drawing her sword died in an accident that very day. Jasmine believed this was Naka's attempt to silence her. But Naka had been by her side all day; there was no way she could have had the time to do so. Besides Uncle Bu, Jasmine couldn't find any other witnesses. Apart from that one time, Naka had always stopped herself from drawing her sword before the villagers noticed.

"No, no... but I saw it with my own eyes!"

"I'm sorry, please leave."

After all, it was just a security organization spontaneously formed by the villagers. In this village that had been peaceful and stable for many years, it had hardly ever been of any use. And nobody wanted to cause trouble. They sent Jasmine, who was still strongly advocating that there were dangerous elements in the village, back home.

That night, Jasmine cried alone at home for a long time. Her parents asked her what had happened, and she told them the truth. Her father, who usually stayed at home, said Naka was unforgivable, but her mother said something else entirely.

"Really? I've seen Naka outside too... Although she's a bit strange and always has a stern face, giving off an aura that keeps others at bay... but she shouldn't be a bad child. I heard she helped an elderly person in the village heal their wounds the day before yesterday."

"Wha...what? Healing? Her?"

"Yes. Don't let that child's short time here fool you; he can already use some weak healing magic. Jasmine, you need to keep it up! You've been training for almost ten years..."

When Naka first arrived, she was just an ordinary person who knew no magic whatsoever. The healing magic that she had painstakingly mastered for years had been learned by that wretched woman in just a few days? Her mother's praise of Naka sounded so grating to Jasmine's ears. Unable to bear it any longer, she finally locked herself in her room.

"Why...why am I progressing so slowly...why that awful guy..."

Jasmine, burying her face in the pillow, kept questioning herself and the unfair world. She was clearly wicked, yet even the heavens seemed to be on her side. This added a layer of jealousy to Jasmine's anger towards Naka. "Disgust" had now turned into "hatred."

"Thump!"

Jasmine slammed her fist heavily on the bed. She forced out words she had never uttered before in her life.

"Naka...I will definitely drive you out of here...out of my hometown!"

This thought remained steadfast in Jasmine's heart. Every time she saw Naka, she kept a close eye on her every move. If Naka did anything out of line, she would immediately report it to the priest. However, Naka seemed to have learned her lesson somewhat after that. Aside from frequently not wearing her nun's habit and being late—issues the priest had long since turned a blind eye to—she hadn't done anything particularly dangerous. But Jasmine wasn't going to give up. Until the day she truly became a saint and left the village, she decided to continue observing Naka. She believed she would eventually catch Naka's true colors.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye. They maintained this strange relationship until that day, when Jasmine finally changed her opinion of Naka...

One's own powerlessness

It was an ordinary, unremarkable day. As usual, Sister Jasmine and the other nuns were chanting prayers in the chapel, while the villagers silently offered their prayers for the happiness and peace of their families and friends, and for a bountiful harvest. If there was anything strange about it, it was that Sister Naka, who had only recently arrived, had once again asked for leave.

Despite her seemingly leisurely lifestyle, she had an inexplicable amount of work to do, frequently requesting leave from the church, and sometimes even missing two or three days in a row. Even though the priests and Sister Jess didn't complain, the other nuns were indignant. Why should she receive so much preferential treatment despite her low attendance? Some nuns, dissatisfied with this unfair treatment, ended their residency early and left the village. Those who remained, while not completely abandoning the village, still harbored resentment towards Naka.

After finishing her work for the day, Jasmine, as usual, cleaned with the other nuns. However, just as she picked up the broom, someone suddenly rushed into the chapel.

"Please, please save my child!"

The nuns recognized the anxious intruder; she was a peasant woman from the village. They quickly invited her in and offered her a seat. But even after sitting down, the woman hadn't recovered from her panic. She could only stammer out fragmented words. Jasmine handed her a glass of water, reassuring her.

"Auntie, please don't worry. Tell us slowly. We will definitely do our best to help you."

The peasant woman, with trembling hands, took the water and drank it all in one gulp. Only then did she finally calm down a little. She then explained the whole story to the nuns.

"Yes, I'm sorry. It's because it's my child's fault, so I'm a little... My child got hurt while playing a couple of days ago, he was pricked by a pitchfork. We thought it was just a minor injury, so we treated the wound simply and didn't pay much attention to it. But for the past few days, he's had a persistent high fever, and he vomits up everything he eats very quickly... If he can't eat, he'll starve to death! Oh dear, what should I do..."

After listening to the peasant woman's explanation, most of the nuns immediately understood the cause of this phenomenon: the wounds, which had not been properly disinfected, had become infected, leading to complications.

If it's a fresh wound, a healing spell can quickly bring it to a healed to a stop. However, if the wound has been left untreated for some time, becoming infected and causing other symptoms to appear inside the body, the nuns are helpless. Normally, such cases are handled by High Sister Jess. But today, Jess happens to be out of the village. After a brief discussion, the nuns all turned their attention to Jasmine, the nun closest to the saint among them.

"Huh? I'll do it?"

"Of course, Jasmine. If Naka were here, we'd send her. If she's not, then it's naturally you."

"What do you mean? I'm Naka's substitute?"

"That's not what I meant. But since Naka isn't here, and none of us are as capable as you, we can only rely on you now."

Originally, Naka was the closest to becoming a saint among the current nuns. While Jasmine acknowledged this, being told such a thing still displeased her. Moreover, Naka's frequent troublemaking and absenteeism, even with her abilities, made Jasmine disagree that Naka was more suitable to be a nun than herself. Since everyone was pushing the responsibility onto her, Jasmine decided to go all in. She immediately volunteered to the peasant woman.

"Auntie, Sister Jessie is out today, so please let me check on your child. I don't know if I can be of any help, but I will do my best."

"Okay! Jasmine, if it's you, then we're relieved!"