The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

This wasn't said to any one person specifically. Naka rejected all of Fan and Mitian's claims. This prompted the two of them to raise questions.

"This isn't about money, or even whether we'll die... The most crucial question is, what does Tatsia herself think... Have you consulted her?"

Naka knew perfectly well that she had no compelling reason or argument to force Tatsia to stay. Tatsia wouldn't have any better prospects with her than if she had gone with Mitian and lived a peaceful life. But she didn't want to let Tatsia go so easily. "No reason." This wasn't a rational judgment, but a forceful change of topic.

Mitian was still imagining what arguments and reasons Naka would present. Unexpectedly, Naka suddenly shifted her focus from reason to Tatsia. Although somewhat surprised, she calmly replied.

"I did ask her. Tatya still cares about you and wants to go with you. That's why I specifically sought you out, Naka. If you explain the situation to her personally, she'll definitely understand..."

"So that's how it is... So it was you who caused Takia's unusual behavior that morning."

Naka had completely understood the strange questions Tatia had asked that morning, and her domineering attitude towards Jasmine. Mitian had first tried to speak with Tatia alone, but without success, which was why she had come to her. To put it nicely, Tatia wanted to leave with Naka; to put it bluntly, Tatia had rejected Mitian. That was all.

Given this, Naka was even less inclined to hand Tatsia over to her.

Mitian was completely unaware that Tatsia had gone to see Naka after their conversation that night. Hearing Naka's explanation, he tilted his head in confusion.

"That morning? Something unusual?"

"You don't even know something like this? That shows how little she trusts you, Teacher Mitiam."

As if she had gained some kind of advantage, Naka's words became even more vehement.

"Teacher, that child is still very young. Her worldview and values ​​are not yet formed, and she is easily swayed by others. Please don't say anything irrelevant to her."

"What nonsense? I..."

First, she said she would consult Tatya herself. After consulting her, she then admitted to saying things she shouldn't have to her. Mitian was about to refute Naka's contradictions when Naka interrupted her with a string of seemingly righteous but actually impulsive remarks.

"Ignoring Tatsia's own choices and opinions, simply imposing your own thoughts and desires on her, robbing her of her dreams and future... Teacher, how can you call this acting in her best interest?"

Mitian wanted to say, "She's still too young to make the best choices calmly. That's why she needs an adult like me to guide her," but Naka beat her to it.

"Before his father died, he entrusted his daughter to me, and I promised him. No matter what happens, I will do everything in my power to protect Tatya... Teacher Mitterian, he has never mentioned a word about you to me."

"Is her father... that Osider?"

Mitian really didn't want to mention that hateful name, but she wouldn't forget it either. It was that man named Osid who stole her beloved Vilia from her. Now, he'd been brought up again, ruining her plans. Mitian had initially tried to calmly persuade Naka, but now she was starting to lose her composure.

"That man is my rival. Of course he would never entrust Tatia to me. You can't just..."

"Teacher Mitis"

Naka stood up from her chair, her eyes fixed on Mittian, who seemed somewhat defiant. She formally declared her position to her.

"Perhaps you can give Tatsia a peaceful life. But the only one who can give Tatsia happiness is me."

"Wh...what?"

"You're only emphasizing the objective benefits you can offer her, without considering Tatsia's own feelings at all. I chose to respect her wishes and give her what she wants, not what I think she deserves. I think that's why she rejected you."

"you..."

"By the way..."

Mitian's proposition actually gave Naka some clues. She had never thought about what her relationship with Tatia really was. She believed that if Mitian could become what she was, she could too. Or rather, if she became what Mitian wanted to be, then Mitian would have no room to interfere between them.

"Teacher Mitian, I also want to be Tatia's foster mother."

"What, what did you say?!"

Mitian was furious that her own purpose had been used against her.

"You, do you know what nonsense you're spouting? You're only six years older than her, you have no stable income, and no place to call home... What right do you have to be her foster mother!"

"Who does Tatsia want as her new mother...? Why don't we just ask her directly?"

"Gurgle..."

If Tatiana had to choose between Naka and Mitian, she would undoubtedly choose Naka without hesitation. Mitian was also well aware of this. As long as Naka brought up Tatiana's opinion, Mitiana wouldn't be able to refute it. She could only manage a reluctant sigh.

"Teacher, I will find a way to give Tatsia everything she wants. Whether I have a stable income or a place to live is none of your concern. I appreciate your guidance these past few days, and your desire for Tatsia to live... I deeply appreciate your kindness. But I hope you understand."

Her destiny should be in her own hands. Whether death or great success awaits her, Naka only hopes she can live an honest and fulfilling life. This is the biggest difference between Naka and Mitian's views.

"Tasia doesn't belong to anyone."

After saying that, Naka didn't even bother to say goodbye. She snatched the keys from the table, opened the office door without permission, and stormed off.

Mittian sat motionless in her chair for a long time. Suddenly, she grabbed a teacup and smashed it heavily on the floor.

"Snap"

Ceramic shards flew everywhere. They cut Mitian's index finger.

Miscalculated.

Mitian completely underestimated this girl named Naka. She did indeed exude an extraordinary aura, and possessed a shrewdness and competence beyond her years. But Mitian truly hadn't expected her to be so intensely devoted to Tatsia. She was even willing to formally declare war on her teacher rather than let go of Naka's hand.

No matter how flawlessly the theory was explained, Mitian could never win Tatia's heart. Sometimes, the human heart is such a subjective and irrational thing. If one cannot understand this, then even the most profound reasoning will not bring about the desired outcome. Today, Mitian realized that his student had given him a good lesson in this regard.

However, Mitian would not give up. Tatia, like a reincarnation of Vilia, was right before her eyes. Mitian was determined to obtain her, no matter the cost.

Even if it comes at a heavy price, she will not hesitate.

"It's time to take some more radical measures."

She stuck out her tongue and licked the blood off her finger.

"Your Majesty the Demon King! Your Majesty the Demon King! Please answer my question!"

Naka walked quickly down the corridor. The voice of Fan, which only she could hear, kept echoing in her ears. Naka's words had not only shocked Mitian, but also greatly impressed Fan.

"You're joking, aren't you? Just saying that to fool that saintess? You don't really want to adopt Miss Tatya as your daughter, do you... Your Majesty!"

"Shut up, Fan."

At first, Naka didn't respond. But under Fan's persistent questioning, she finally spoke.

My mind is made up. You don't need to say anything more.

"No...please reconsider, Your Majesty the Demon King!"

As the Demon King's adoptive father, if the Demon King had an adopted daughter, it would be equivalent to him having a granddaughter. Fan didn't dislike this. It's just that this particular person was such an unfortunate choice.

"You are the Demon King, and it was you who ordered the destruction of the elven kingdom... If you harbor too many useless feelings for Miss Tatia, an elf who wants revenge against you, now that things have come to this... you will only harm her, and you will harm yourself in the end!"

"I know"

"You don't know! If Miss Tatia is indeed the prophesied hero..."

"impossible"

"Why not?"

"I know very well how talented Tatsia is. Even if she trained until her death, she couldn't possibly harm me in the slightest. Even if there were a hero strong enough to defeat me, it definitely wouldn't be her. Fan, are you trying to say that my judgment of people is wrong...?"

"No, that's not what I meant...but..."

"No buts. If I say it's impossible, then it's impossible."

"Can..."

"Fan! Are you trying to rebel?"

His earnest advice was met with a blunt rebuttal from Naka, who displayed her true identity as the Demon King. As a subject, Fan said no more. He simply replied with "I'm sorry," and after receiving Naka's permission to leave if there was nothing else, he silently ended the communication.

"Sigh...how did it turn out like this..."

Farn slumped over the table, letting out a heavy sigh.

Although the hero's identity has not yet been confirmed, Fan also doesn't believe that Naka, given her strength, could possibly lose to the hero.

But now, Farn is thinking... Perhaps the outcome of that prophecy wasn't determined by rank...

Reasons to become a hero

Combat-related classes often end a little later due to sparring practice. By the time the Hero Advancement class finished, it was already evening. Tatya tossed aside her wooden stick and slumped onto the bench. Today had been a fulfilling and rewarding day.

"call..."

"Here, Tatia. A towel."

"Oh, thank you."

Oz reached out and handed her a towel. Tatiana thanked him, took it, and wiped the sweat from her brow. Oz then sat down beside her, unscrewed a bottle of beverage, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Pfft... It feels so good to have a cold drink after exercising. Hey Tatia, you did pretty well today!"

"Yeah?"

"Your movements are crisp, clean, and powerful. Has something good happened lately? You seem to have become more proactive."

"How could anything good possibly happen?"

Tatia waved her hand casually, responding jokingly. However, something had indeed changed about her. Oz couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he could sense it.

"Nass, you've improved significantly recently. However, your old arm injury causes your sword swings to be a beat slower than others. In actual combat, this could be fatal. To compensate for this deficiency, I suggest you always wield the sword with both hands. Use your uninjured hand to assist and increase the frequency of your swings, reducing any openings that enemies might exploit..."

In the distance, Ms. Worth was providing tutoring to the new students. Oz watched and listened to the dedicated teacher's detailed and precise advice, filled with admiration.

"At first, I thought it was absurd for a woman to be a hero, and because I didn't trust her, I didn't want to come to class. Looking back now, I was such an ignorant person..."

"I was surprised too. Ms. Worth is truly a strong woman."

Tatia also seconded the motion.

Oz was a staunch chauvinist, believing that close-quarters combat, a profession heavily reliant on physical strength, should be male. He considered women, no matter how experienced, insignificant. However, after being exposed to Naka, he completely changed his mind. Re-evaluating Wols from a different perspective, he discovered many admirable and worthy-of-learning qualities in her. Now, Oz no longer saw himself as a privileged student. He began to humbly learn from others as an ordinary freshman. The world was far wider than he had imagined.

"I said, Tatsia."

"Um?"

"Why do you think Ms. Worth became a hero?"

Every adventurer has their own dreams and goals. These things become their driving force, propelling them to grow stronger. Why did Wolse, a woman, become so strong? Oz was very curious. But Wolse always exuded an aura that made it difficult to inquire about her personal affairs. Coupled with the difference in their roles as student and teacher, and the age difference, Oz didn't dare ask Wolse directly. He could only bring it up as a topic of conversation with Tatsia.

"How would I know?"

"I didn't go to the first day of class. Didn't she say anything?"

"No"

"I see... What a pity."

Tatia, after all, is not Wolse. This topic had to end there. However, Oz had much more to say about goals and dreams. Every adventurer has their own goals, and Oz was no exception.

"Takia, do you want to know why I became a hero?"

"why?"

To be honest, since they met, Oz hadn't really talked about his personal life. Tagia wasn't interested in asking; Oz had been focused on training these past few days and hadn't had much opportunity to unleash his full power. Now was a good opportunity to open up to a worthy opponent. Oz frankly stated his fundamental reason for becoming a hero.

"Because my best friend was killed by bandits."

"...Huh?"

At this point, Oz clenched his fists tightly.

Even though it happened many years ago, Oz still felt angry when he recalled it. He also felt regret for his powerlessness at the time. He suppressed his grief and told Tatia about that day he could never forget.

Five years ago, Oz, only ten years old, was not yet a hero. He was just a member of a group of homeless children.

Orphans who lost their parents at a young age, were abandoned by their parents, or were abandoned by relatives after their parents' death, spontaneously formed an organization to survive. They would steal and rob passersby or shopkeepers of their belongings and food to fill their stomachs. Of course, they wouldn't kill anyone.

At that time, Oz was a member of such an organization. Gifted with exceptional skills, he was the organization's top enforcer. During thefts, he would send smaller, more agile, and more dexterous accomplices to carry out the robberies. Oz was responsible for the frontal robbery and covering his comrades' retreat. It's no exaggeration to say that, against ordinary people, Oz at that time was capable of taking on a hundred men single-handedly. Ordinary merchants were simply no match for them.

Even when feedback was relayed to the soldiers in the town, the effect was minimal. The elite officers and soldiers wouldn't bother with such trivial matters, and the lower-ranking officers and soldiers were no match for Oz. The problem of orphans running rampant in the countryside had always plagued Oz's hometown.

Of course, Oz and his friends had far too many targets. Whom they had offended, who they could afford to mess with, and who they couldn't—these young orphans had absolutely no idea. For them, surviving was simply a matter of taking it one day at a time. And so, without realizing it, they fell into the trap set by those who wanted to destroy them.

One day, the boy in charge of intelligence gathering in the organization brought this message.

"I've heard that a very wealthy merchant will be passing through the main road leading to this town tomorrow at noon. He's not traveling with many men, but he has a large amount of gold and silver treasure."

Initially, there were voices within the organization questioning the veracity of this intelligence, but the leadership ultimately decided to take the risk and gamble. According to the intelligence, if the operation succeeded, they would receive enough funding to ensure their survival for several months and to allow them to relocate to a new base. Such an opportunity was incredibly rare.

So when the day came to work, everyone in the organization set off fully equipped and on high alert.

but...

"Hey, what's going on here...?"

When they reached the main road, they were all stunned by the horrific sight before them.

The horses had long since been driven away, and the coachman sat in the front cabin, clutching his severed head. Several servants lay dead on the floor around him. In the rear carriage lay the body of a wealthy man, decapitated, just like the coachman. The chests used to hold money appeared to have been pried open, and all valuables were gone. The entire carriage and the ground around it were stained crimson with blood.

The orphans, who had never killed anyone before, were all terrified by the excessively bloody scene, losing their bladder and bowels. The leader, though also trembling with fear, forced himself to remain calm and analyze the situation.