The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

"Mr. Frost, what would you do if the person you value most felt differently about you than you expected or anticipated?"

"Hmm?"

"This is what happened to me today..."

"This... is a difficult question to answer."

Judging from Naka's words, what happened to her didn't seem to be some kind of unjust violence. Rather, it seemed to be a huge rift in her relationships. This somewhat relieved Fros, who was worried about school order. However, he couldn't ignore the problem troubling his student. It was just that her problem was truly one that could stump many people, perhaps one that everyone was struggling with. Giving an immediate answer was impossible. Fros didn't know what had happened between Naka and the person most important to her, and therefore couldn't offer any specific advice.

Seeing that Frost seemed confused, Naka explained her questions in detail without mentioning Tatsia's name or actions.

"Although we've only known each other for a short time, I'm always thinking about her... She lives a very poor and difficult life. She has very lofty goals. I want to help her, and I have indeed helped her a lot... No matter what happens, I want to protect her. I want to see her happy smile... But..."

As she spoke, the painful and terrifying scene from just moments ago flashed before Naka's eyes again. She hugged her shoulders, and involuntarily began to tremble once more.

"But...it seems she has different feelings for me...she did things I just can't understand...why? I just wanted to do my part for her dreams, to help her become stronger, better, and more reliable...I'm scared. I don't know if I can reciprocate her feelings. I don't want to say she's wrong, but if I continue to give in to her, it's like negating everything I've done for her...If I harshly reject her, I'm afraid she'll leave me...this isn't the kind of person I want to help..."

When the topic turned to sadness, Naka burst into tears again. She had never cried in nearly a thousand years since birth until yesterday, but today she cried three times.

Because Naka used the pronoun "she," Frost knew that she seemed to be loved by a girl who was attracted to the same sex, and that girl had frankly expressed her stance that day. However, Naka herself did not have such feelings. Yet, she did not want to sever this connection with her. That was why she felt confused, puzzled, and uneasy.

Frost has no experience dating men, nor has he ever been confessed to by a man. He can't offer any valuable advice on same-sex relationships. However, regardless of gender, the feelings between them are real. Frost has something to say about this.

"Young lady, did you clearly explain your intentions to that girl beforehand?"

Naka shook her head.

"You didn't tell her your opinion, so she couldn't hold back and expressed hers to you first. Whether you can accept it or not, at least her feelings are genuine, right?"

"...Um"

Although Naka didn't know Tatsia's motives for everything she did, she could at least see that Tatsia's eyes during the attack were filled with raw, unadulterated desire. Her gaze, her movements, her words—none of it was a pretense to deceive Naka.

However, this does not mean that Tatsia did not try to conceal Naka's true intentions.

"But before today, you didn't think she was this kind of person. That's because she'd been hiding her true nature. A three-foot layer of ice doesn't form in a day; what she did to you today shows that she'd actually had these thoughts for a long time. She just knew that if she were honest with you, you might dislike her and leave her. That's why she never revealed her desires, only interacting with you in the way you desired, which led you to develop the kind of perception she didn't want. And she realized this too. In her eyes, you were gradually changing in a direction she didn't want to see. So she finally couldn't tolerate it anymore... This is probably the biggest rift in your relationship."

"..."

The more Naka listened to Frost, the more sense he made. She could only remain silent. Looking back now, she realized she hadn't clearly expressed her feelings to Tatsia. When Tatsia asked her what she thought of her that day, she hadn't taken it seriously, just giving a vague answer. It might not have meant much to Naka at the time, but it deeply hurt Tatsia, leading her down a twisted path. If time could turn back, Naka would only want to retract those irresponsible words.

His words seemed to have had some positive effect. So Frost continued...

"She likes you and wants to be in a romantic relationship with you... but what do you think? You don't want to be in a romantic relationship with her. So, do you just want to be friends with her?"

"No..."

"So what do you want to be to her?"

"This, this..."

The same question kept recurring, leaving Naka speechless time and again: she didn't know what her feelings for Tatsia were. After spending some time with her and learning about her identity, she always found herself unconsciously helping her and doing things for her. This seemed to make Naka feel a little better, but when Tatsia expressed her gratitude, Naka felt a heart-wrenching pain. Even in pain, she still wanted to help her more. This self-contradiction was utterly incomprehensible. Naka couldn't describe it in words.

Seeing Naka's conflicted expression, Frost guessed what she was thinking.

"It seems you don't know exactly how you feel about her either... That's not a bad thing. Feelings are very complex and abstract things. You can't see them or touch them. You can't simply summarize them with words like 'like' or 'dislike.' To understand them, you need a lot of time and experience a lot of things... just like me."

Somehow, Frost was stirred up with some unpleasant memories by Naka and her descriptions. Even a man as strong as steel had a story that made him choke up.

"Me and my former teammates...that's how Hito is."

"..."

Naka frowned slightly upon hearing Hito's name, but said nothing. Fros, on the other hand, began to recount his mistakes.

"Hito was a teammate I met shortly after becoming a hero... She was the first and only saintess to team up with me. Her abilities as a saintess were also very powerful. When we first teamed up, I only thought about how I had found a treasure; with her by my side, I could embark on more and more difficult adventures, become a stronger hero, and defeat more formidable enemies. My young mind was filled with nothing but getting stronger, stronger, and stronger still. I didn't pay any attention to any one person at all... But later I began to realize that Hito was not only powerful, but also incredibly beautiful..."

"is that so..."

"But you have to understand, for a naive young man who has never been with any women, this kind of feeling is something shameful. My heart races whenever I see her. I'm restless. But I don't know what that feeling is. To dispel it, I even intensified my training so that I could focus solely on combat. I figured we could find out the truth about this feeling after we retired... But I was too naive. Before the day of retirement arrived, we encountered that day first..."

As he recalled this, Frost's tone became even more intense. He began to grit his teeth as he spoke. He would never forget what happened that day, nor the sadness and anger it brought.

"Our adventure team has encountered that Demon King..."

"..."

"That demon king was far more powerful than we imagined. Our team used every trick in the book, but we couldn't even scratch him. I didn't even get a chance to touch him before Hito rescued me. And just like that... before I could figure out my own feelings, before I could even tell Hito, we were separated forever."

The memory stirred up painful memories, and a glimmer of light appeared in the corners of Frost's eyes under the moonlight. He patted Naka on the shoulder and earnestly advised her...

"Always keeping your feelings bottled up inside will only lead to lifelong regret if you encounter irreversible consequences. Young lady, you need to understand your feelings for her, and then use your own words to express all your feelings for her without reservation."

"Should I...say it?"

"Don't always think there's plenty of time and opportunities. Nobody knows what the future holds. You're both wearing masks of pretense to hide your true selves, and the gap between your hearts will only widen. Whatever your feelings for her, I hope the day comes soon when you can open your hearts to each other and be honest and sincere. Only through direct communication can you find the balance in your relationship and truly begin a life that brings you both happiness and fulfillment. I understand my feelings back then now, but I can only express them in my dreams to someone who can no longer reciprocate... No matter what, don't become like me. Understand?"

The problem Frost faced was remarkably similar to the one Naka was currently grappling with. Frost's greatest regret was never being able to convey his love to her. It was precisely because he understood this pain that he spoke so much to Naka, not wanting her to repeat his mistake.

Interpersonal relationships and emotional interactions are incredibly complex. When Naka was the Demon King, she never imagined such a challenge awaited her in the human world. In a sense, Naka is facing an even greater difficulty than defeating her predecessor, the Demon King.

But Frost's words had indeed left an impression on Naka's heart. Lost in a fog of confusion, she could now vaguely see a winding path. No matter how tortuous or long that path, Naka decided to take it. Just to unravel the doubts in her heart.

"I understand... I've remembered everything you said."

Feeling somewhat better, Naka stood up again. This time, she didn't run away. Instead, she bowed deeply to Frost, her upper and lower body at a right angle.

"Thank you so much, Frost, for being willing to listen to my complaints and for offering guidance and advice."

"No need to thank me. The students are like my family, my hope. I'm honored to have been able to help you. And actually, I've always wanted to thank you."

"To me?"

"That wild kid Oz...did you have some kind of conflict with him?"

"..."

"It's alright. Although Oz got into this school through my connections, I won't pursue the matter. Rather, it's thanks to you that I've managed to keep that kid in line and stop sending a team to look for him every day."

"That's not what I meant."

"alright"

Frost clapped his hands and stood up. The sky was already beginning to lighten. An hour had passed in the blink of an eye, and a new day of study and work was about to begin.

Contrary to Frost's expectations, he didn't have the hour to himself. But he wasn't dissatisfied. Rather, he felt it was more meaningful to use it on his students, helping them solve problems.

"Since it's not a matter of conduct, I'm relieved. Let's keep tonight's events a secret between the two of us."

"Um..."

"Go back and pack your things, get ready for class. I wish you the best of luck in the exam in six months."

"Thanks"

Most of the knot in her heart had been untied. Naka felt much better. She could finally see Jasmine with a more relaxed attitude and begin to greet the new day. Naka left the rest area with light steps.

"Um... could you wait a little longer?"

...But then Frost suddenly remembered that there were still two questions he hadn't confirmed with Naka.

"Can you tell me your name?"

After chatting for a while, Frost realized he hadn't even asked her name. He remembered she was twenty. Calling her "little girl" seemed rather impolite to a grown woman.

"...My name is Naka."

"Naka...yes, I've got it."

However, the first thing wasn't actually that important. If he just wanted to know the name, he could simply go back and check the freshman records. The reason Fros was so concerned that he called Naka back as she tried to leave was something else entirely.

He had already started to care during his conversation with Naka. Now he finally asked her about it.

"Naka, your voice sounds so familiar. Have we met somewhere before?"

Naka answered decisively

No, not at all.

解决问题的方法

The night that marked a major turning point in the relationship between Naka and Tatsia was one they would never forget. But they weren't the only ones affected. Two other people were also deeply troubled: Tatsia's rival Oz and Naka's close friend Molly.

The two waited all night in the dormitory, but their roommates didn't show up. Although they were worried about them, the dormitory door was locked after lights out. They had no choice but to go to sleep and try again the next day. However, what they received was an unexpected response from their roommates.

Naka fared somewhat better. After parting ways with Frost, she washed her face thoroughly before meeting Jasmine, removing all traces of her crying. As a result, Jasmine didn't notice anything amiss. When Jasmine asked what had happened, Naka gave the excuse that she had "accidentally fallen asleep in the rest area," which she used to smooth things over. The two saintesses went to class as usual the next morning. Mitian also showed no unusual behavior. Things were relatively peaceful in the saintesses' class for a while.

But it wasn't so easy to fool Tatia. When Oz saw Tatia in the training gym the next day, he was quite startled.

"Takia! What are you doing! Don't do this!"

Tatsia, kneeling on the ground, continued to punch herself. Her hoarse voice could no longer utter a cry, only the sound of flesh colliding with flesh remained. And even that was no longer the sound of normal blows; it was mixed with sounds like liquid flowing. Her face was covered in flowing blood and bruises accumulated beneath her skin. Her entire face was a gruesome sight. If it weren't for her familiar clothing, Oz would hardly have recognized her as Tatsia. Oz quickly stopped her, who was still determined to self-harm, and grabbed her wrist tightly.

"Let me go! I... I'm a damn bastard..."

"Calm down! What happened?"

Yesterday, Tatsia seemed normal after class, showing no signs of negativity. She left the training hall saying she had something to take care of and left. Oz didn't think much of it at the time. But seeing her now, so heartbroken and despondent, something serious must have happened last night. No matter how Oz asked, Tatsia just gritted her teeth and refused to talk. She only kept saying she wanted to die.

Oz had no idea what had happened in those few short hours to drive her to such despair. All he could do now was try to stop Tatia from doing anything foolish. No matter how much Tatia struggled and attacked him, he remained silent, attempting to restrain her.

However, Tatia's power was far greater than Oz had anticipated. Initially, there was little difference between them, but Tatia was in a state of extreme agitation, hysterically exerting all her strength. Oz, on the other hand, had just woken up and was completely bewildered by the situation. Although he hadn't held back, he couldn't fully utilize his power. Oz gradually began to feel the strain. If this continued, Tatia would soon break free of his control. And if that happened, Oz had no confidence he could stop her.

"Hey! You guys over there, what are you doing!"

Fortunately, Wolse, the instructor of Oz's class, arrived at that moment. She had heard the sounds of an argument from a distance and hurried over. She saw her two students seemingly fighting, and Tatia's face was bruised and swollen, covered in bruises and blood. Seeing this, she assumed Oz had attacked Tatia without permission and immediately rushed forward to pull Oz away.

"You brat, I was just about to praise you for being well-behaved for a few days, and now you dare to fight and cause trouble again?"

"No, it's not..."

"What do you mean, 'not'? Look at the state you've left Tatya! How can you be so cruel to a classmate? I'll take you to Lord Fros later. Let's see how he deals with you!"

"..."

He had only meant well to stop Tatia from hurting him, but she misunderstood him as attacking Tatia. Wolse insisted he was the bad guy, and the taciturn Oz didn't know how to explain. He could only silently lament his injustice.

However, Oz was soon exonerated. After Wolse separated the two, Tatia continued her self-harm, even banging her head against the ground. Wolse then realized that things were not as she had imagined, thus sparing Oz from being taken to Frost for punishment.

Oz and Tatia were only roughly equal in strength, so naturally they couldn't stop her. But Wors, whose strength was many times greater than theirs, easily subdued the out-of-control Tatia. She also reached out and grabbed Tatia's arms, rendering Tatia unable to move.

"What's wrong? Tatsia, why did you do this?"

"..."

How could she possibly articulate the reasons that made her so distressed, even causing her to doubt her own character and life? No matter how many times Worth asked, Tatia remained silent.

"You silly child... Fine, if you don't want to talk about it, I won't ask. But you're badly injured. You're exempt from class today. Come on, let's go to the infirmary."

"No..."

"Gone."

Tatsia was about to refuse. But she couldn't defy Wolse's power. Wolse pulled her towards the front door, and Tatsia could only follow behind her like a puppet being carried.

"Teacher, I..."

"You stay here and wait. I'll be right back."

Osborne wanted to go with them, but Wols ordered him to stay. He had no choice but to obey. Watching them walk away, he was truly worried.

"Takia... what's wrong with you?"

It is one of the most unpleasant sights for adventurers to see their formidable rivals in such a dejected state.

"Huh? I typed this myself? No way?"

The teacher in charge of treating the students' injuries at the medical office was truly shocked when she saw Tatia's current state. Over the years, she had witnessed many fights between students and had treated countless injuries for them. But it was extremely rare to see a fight between students that was more serious than most private brawls.

"I saw it with my own eyes. He just won't tell me the reason."

"Seriously, do you have a grudge against yourself?"

The medical staff gently touched Tatsia's face, which was covered in wounds. Just the touch of her finger caused Tatsia to instinctively let out a soft cry, "Ouch!" The medical staff jokingly remarked...

"So you know what pain is? If you're afraid of pain, don't do this kind of thing. Besides, if you keep doing this, it will only hurt more. Hurry up and thank Teacher Worth."

"...Thank you, teacher..."

Tatsia obediently listened to the nurse and bowed her head to thank Wors. However, Wors could tell that the gratitude wasn't genuine. She only dared not cause trouble because of her presence. Deep down, Tatsia probably still considered herself a meddlesome busybody. But Wors didn't care about those things. As long as the students' safety was guaranteed, she had fulfilled her responsibility.

Wolse didn't leave immediately. She stood silently beside Tatsia while the medical examiner examined her. Only after the medical examiner put down the magical device used to see through bones did she speak.

"Is Tatya alright?"

"It's alright. She only has superficial wounds on her face. Her facial bones are not damaged. She'll recover quickly with a healing spell."

The healer gathered magic in her hands and placed it on Tatsia's forehead. She was using basic healing magic. Injuries like this, which didn't involve broken bones, would heal completely in just a few seconds.