The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

"It doesn't matter!"

Jasmine rejected her offer without hesitation. She had no confidence in her abilities to begin with. Not taking the assessment wouldn't cost her anything. She was only worried about Tatsia.

But just as she reached the door and stepped over the threshold, a figure suddenly appeared from the left side of the doorway. The figure seemed incredibly strong; Jasmine, who had run towards it, was knocked down on her backside, while the figure remained completely still.

"Ouch!...Huh? Young man?"

Jasmine rubbed her aching backside as she stood up. Only then did she realize that the figure before her was none other than Tatia, whom she had been waiting for. But in the last minute before the assessment began, she finally appeared. Jasmine smiled and went to greet the person she had been eagerly anticipating.

"Long time no see, young man. Oh dear, I've been waiting for you for ages! What have you been up to?"

"..."

Tatia, however, maintained a cold expression, completely ignoring Jasmine's warm greeting, and brushed past her. In her hand, a tattered weapon dragged on the ground, making a grating metallic sound.

"Hey, that saintess is greeting you. She's someone you know, right? What's with your attitude?"

Even the warrior, a complete stranger, couldn't tolerate Tatsia's arrogant and rude attitude. He questioned her, but Tatsia only gave him an even colder look and a curt, indifferent "Shut up."

"I think you need a good beating, kid. You're so late, and you still dare to give others a hard time?"

The soldier was a middle-aged man. This was the first time he had been treated like this by a younger person. As a combat professional, he wasn't some easy-going old man who would let just anyone talk back to him. How could he tolerate such a blatant provocation? He rubbed his fists together, ready to fight her.

"Alright, alright! The assessment is about to start, and we all need to cooperate. Let's not ruin the harmony!"

Jasmine, treated this way by Tatsia, couldn't help but feel surprised, confused, and disappointed. However, she still intervened to stop the impending fight. She had heard that Tatsia had been in solitary confinement for a week. Her bad mood was understandable, and she didn't intend to pursue the matter further.

Tatia ignored Jasmine and the warrior. As if nothing had happened, she walked to a nearby bench and sat down, resting her chin on her sword hilt. She sat there motionless, like a wooden stake. Seeing that Jasmine, the person directly involved, had stepped in as a peacemaker, and that Tatia hadn't said anything more, the warrior clicked his tongue in annoyance and then fell silent.

What should have been a time for getting to know each other and building initial understanding to better coordinate later was instead filled with a chilling tension within Jasmine's team. Everyone awkwardly lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact with anyone. For those five people, a minute felt like an hour.

But that minute eventually passed.

"The assessment is about to begin. All new students, please be prepared."

A loud announcement blared from the simulation hall. The magical communication devices hanging throughout the hall emitted commands from the school. The four combatants gripped their weapons, assuming combat stances. Tatya also stood up.

However, from the moment she failed to team up with Naka, she lost all interest in the assessment. Teaming up with anyone else would have been equally boring for her, even with Jasmine, who had been very caring. But seemingly calm, she had long forgotten Jasmine's kindness, which was why she had shown her such an unpleasant expression and rude attitude.

Even so, she still came here to participate in the assessment. Because, if she had to say, this assessment still held a worthwhile significance for Tatsia.

"Young man, are you alright?"

Just then, Jasmine moved closer to her. Even though Tatsia ignored her, Jasmine still spoke to her. She whispered in Tatsia's ear...

"I'm not doubting your abilities... but the sword you're holding is really weak, isn't it? You plan to use this to pass the test?"

Mitian had explained this to the Saintess Class students beforehand. The monsters they would face in this assessment were all puppets controlled by the school. While they were aggressive, they were not lethal. Even if they failed, they wouldn't die or be crippled. Even so, Jasmine felt that Tatia bringing a broken sword that looked like it could break at any moment was far too careless.

"I remember Naka said she bought you a good sword, right? Why aren't you using it?"

"..."

Explaining the details would be too complicated. Besides, Tatsia had no intention of answering her questions honestly. She simply remained silent.

Seeing that Tatia was ignoring her again, Jasmine asked once more. Tatia ignored her, so she asked again. After three or four rounds of this, Tatia finally became impatient with her persistent questioning and shouted loudly...

"You're so annoying! I'm using this, what's it to you!"

"ah..."

Jasmine hadn't expected her well-intentioned question to elicit such a furious outburst. She had been looking forward to a pleasant and harmonious conversation with Tatsia, sharing their experiences and thoughts, and the joy of progress. But reality was so cruel and cold. Jasmine slowly distanced herself and sheepishly apologized.

"Excuse me, I shouldn't have asked... It's your prerogative to choose what weapon you use."

After saying that, Jasmine turned and left, heading towards where the soldiers were.

"Honestly, you don't understand the power of this thing at all, just spouting nonsense... It's something my mother left me, who are you to say is good enough or not?"

Even after Jasmine left, Tatia cursed inwardly. She hadn't considered that Jasmine was unaware of the sword's origins or its hidden power. This was also Tatia's reason for reluctantly teaming up with strangers and undergoing the trial.

She picked up the relic Vilia had left her. The true power hidden beneath those rusty surfaces, a power that would impress anyone, and how to wield it perfectly and freely—that was her real purpose in coming here. Nothing could better test the capabilities of "Elf Paradise" than a real-world combat opportunity.

"Just you wait and see, you bunch of mediocre people... I'll make you, and that bastard Oz, understand who's the strongest, and who's the most qualified to stand beside Naka...!"

Even though her teammates were ostracizing her, and even her acquaintance Jasmine had been driven away by her, Tatia felt no guilt or remorse. Her eyes were only on the sword, the first-place throne, and Naka's retreating figure. Of course, she didn't realize that her expression and gaze were no longer those of the innocent elf girl that Naka was willing to do everything in her power to help.

Naka's team didn't have as many unexpected situations. Oz, who was originally supposed to team up with Naka, was disqualified from the assessment. This created a vacancy for the hero spot in Naka's team. Since the total number of students wasn't always a perfect multiple of five, some freshmen were left without teammates. If a team couldn't gather the agreed-upon five members before the assessment due to unforeseen circumstances, a substitute would be drawn from the unteamed freshmen. This was the case for Naka's team.

She was in a forest. Like Jasmine's group, everyone except the hero was already there. Like Jasmine's group, Naka and her companions were also waiting and waiting, but the substitute hero never arrived.

Not only did the original hero fail to make it, but the substitute also dropped the ball. Would the assessment even be able to proceed smoothly? Naka was extremely worried. Fortunately, the substitute hero soon returned to the forest, looking apologetic, and successfully reunited with Naka and the others. He then gave the complete self-introduction that Jasmine's group hadn't been able to do.

"Hello, I'm Retty from Reni town."

The substitute hero was a middle-aged man. He extended his hand to each of his companions. They understood his intention and shook his hand in turn. Naka was the last.

However, at the moment of shaking hands, Raiti suddenly leaned closer and whispered something to Naka.

"Let's leave first, go somewhere where there's no one."

"..."

A stranger under normal circumstances would never say such a thing. Naka understood immediately. After letting go of Reti's hand, she lied to her teammates that she needed to go to the toilet and secretly went into the forest. Since the assessment hadn't started yet, this was naturally a place where no one else was.

Soon, Reti also slipped away under an excuse. He arrived at the large tree where Naka was. Naka looked the middle-aged man up and down; she had no recollection of him. She then asked...

"Who are you? What do you want with me?"

After all, the assessment was about to begin, and their team would soon be rushing in. Even if Nakareti had the audacity of a bear and the courage of a leopard, she wouldn't dare to have any improper thoughts or actions at this time. It wouldn't hurt to do as he suggested and meet with him alone, to hear his advice.

Raiti certainly didn't have any improper thoughts. Rather, he dared not have any. He suddenly bent his knees and knelt before Naka, speaking with utmost respect.

"Your Majesty, I was so disrespectful just now."

The author's words:

Tatia has become rather annoying in recent stories... I believe readers who have reached this point will share this feeling. And her attitude towards Jasmine in this chapter will likely infuriate everyone even more. However, I also have something to say.

Over the past few months, she has been misled by Mitian, unleashing the dark side she had previously suppressed. She's become just as annoying as she was when she first appeared... or even more so. But Tatia is just a child. She's immature. There's no truly discerning adult to guide her correctly while she's lost in this confusion. She doesn't know what to do, simply indulging her desires and immature, ill-considered thoughts. Tatia does indeed possess a somewhat willful side. Readers of the first volume should know that she was roughly like this before teaming up with Naka. It's just that now it's become somewhat more pronounced.

However, Tatia certainly won't remain like this throughout the rest of the story. This is just one part of the setbacks and trials she faces. There will definitely be storylines about how she absorbs these negative emotions, improves her self-control, learns emotional management, and recognizes the true nature of her recent actions. Hopefully, everyone won't develop any aversion to this character. All of this is a build-up, a prelude to later developments. Please understand and be tolerant.

Assessment Begins (Part 1)

Naka's true identity, hidden in the shadows and unknown to anyone except the monsters she trusted implicitly, was easily revealed by this middle-aged hero. Naka immediately heightened her alertness, dispelled her "disguise," and assumed a fighting stance against Retti.

"Who are you?"

"Your Majesty, please calm down."

Reti bowed deeply to Naka, kowtowing repeatedly. Otherwise, if he had been even a fraction later, he might have vanished from the face of the earth in an instant. He quickly explained his identity and purpose.

"I am a parasitic monster sent by Lord Fan. My name is Nubron. I am parasitizing this hero named Rei and controlling his body."

"What? Farn?"

"That's right. Lord Farn told me your true identity, which is how I was able to find you."

Naka was no stranger to parasitic monsters. They were small in size but possessed high intelligence. They could parasitize the bodies of any creature, completely seizing the host's original consciousness and taking over the body. Even if the host died, as long as the parasite within the brain wasn't fatally attacked, it could escape the host's body to find another target and continue surviving. They were monsters of great strategic value. Of course, this parasitic ability was ineffective against the Demon Lord.

However, even with such convenient advantages, parasitic monsters have corresponding drawbacks. One is their very low reproduction rate, leading to a decline in the species' population; the number of newborns cannot keep up with the number of deaths, and their total number is decreasing year by year. Another drawback is their inability to remain exposed to the elements for extended periods. The vitality of parasitic monsters separated from their hosts is extremely low.

But none of that matters. What Naka cares more about is the person who sent Nubron here: the undead monster Fan, who is both her subject and her adoptive father.

"What did Farn send you here for?"

"Lord Fan has ordered me to carry out a classified mission."

"What top-secret mission?"

"this..."

Faced with the Demon King's question, the subordinate demon stammered and refused to answer. Naka asked, displeased.

"What? Is it so confidential that even I, the Demon King, cannot reveal it?"

"Uh... that's how it is. Please, Your Majesty, show leniency and don't make things difficult for me. If you truly order me to confess, I will naturally do so. However, if I tell you, it would be disobeying Lord Fan's repeated instructions. I would also find it difficult to explain to Lord Fan when I return. But please rest assured, it is absolutely not something that would harm you."

"What on earth is that old guy up to... Hey! Farn! Explain yourself!"

Nubron was merely a servant following orders, and Naka couldn't press him further. It was better to directly confront the mastermind who had secretly instructed him to come to her side. Naka gripped the cross hanging around her neck and sent a communication to Fane.

Whether Fane was deliberately ignoring the call or genuinely busy, Naka couldn't get a response even after several attempts. She had no choice but to give up. She released the crucifix and turned her gaze back to the middle-aged man before her.

"...Since you have your own reasons, I won't pry into why he sent you here. But what brings you here now? Is it related to your mission? Was your assignment to my team intentional?"

"No. What I was doing has no direct relation to Your Majesty, the Demon King. Lord Fan revealed your appearance to me because he was worried that I wouldn't recognize you and might be disrespectful or unintentionally harm you. It was purely by chance that I had the honor of fighting alongside you. You are the ruler of all of us demons, the supreme and absolute being. Every one of us under your command admires you greatly. Therefore, I couldn't suppress my desire to be known and remembered by you, so I took the liberty of summoning you. I deserve to die."

"Tch, that bastard Fane dared to tell others what I look like without my permission. I'll definitely hold him accountable for deceiving the emperor... But if what you said is true, it shows how much Fane trusts you. Although I've never heard him mention you before."

She usually appeared in armor, and only a handful of monsters knew Naka's true appearance. Since he was someone she trusted most, Naka lowered her guard and helped him up from his knees. She then gave him some instructions.

"I command you to continue playing your role and faithfully complete the tasks Fan has assigned you. Also, you only need to know my appearance; do not reveal it to anyone else, not even the person you trust most. Furthermore, I hope everything you've said is the truth. Otherwise, you should understand the consequences."

"Yes, Your Majesty! I obey!"

Nubron solemnly expressed his loyalty to the Demon King. Naka said nothing more, but silently left and returned to the group's location.

Although she couldn't get confirmation from Fane himself, Naka decided to believe him. Of course, at this time, Naka was unaware of the details of the secret mission mentioned by the parasitic monster named Nubron, or that the current assessment was the perfect opportunity for him to make his move.

The assessment was about to begin. In the final moments, Naka's team reviewed the specific details of the assessment one last time. Nubron... or rather, Nubron, who was playing Reti, took out the detailed project proposal that the school had distributed to every new student a few days earlier and checked it one by one.

"So, let me explain again... The goal of this assessment is for all the teams gathered in this simulation training hall to assemble at the designated location. The moment the assessment begins, they will enter their current simulation scenario and proceed towards the assembly point in the very center of the training hall. The school has already arranged training puppet monsters in each scenario. Finally, the school will rank the teams based on a comprehensive evaluation of their arrival time at the assembly point and the number of puppets defeated. In other words, ignoring the monsters and rushing towards the finish line, or focusing solely on accumulating kills without regard for the finish line, is meaningless. The key is to defeat as many monsters as possible while reaching the finish line as quickly as possible. Everyone agrees on that, right?"

Naka raises her hand to ask a question

How is the team's arrival time determined? Is it enough if just one person arrives, or does everyone have to be present?

"That's a very good question. According to the instructions, the team whose 'all team members arrive first' is the winner. Even if all four members of a team reach the finish line first, if the fifth member arrives later than the fifth member of other teams, they will not be considered the champion. This rule was established because the school considered that some teams might abandon individual members while the others continue on their own. Mutual assistance and teamwork are the main focus of this assessment. Naturally, such behavior will not be recognized. Any other questions?"

The team members were already fully aware of the objectives and winning conditions for this assessment. There were no further questions. Therefore, Reti proceeded to explain the other important points.

"First, mutual harm and attacks between team members are absolutely unacceptable. This is similar to the issue mentioned above where leaving any team member behind will disqualify you from being recognized as the champion. Using a lottery system instead of allowing freshmen to freely form teams is also to account for the possibility of small groups excluding, isolating, or ganging up on unfamiliar team members. Therefore, if such a situation occurs and is confirmed, everyone on that team will be disqualified. Since the opponents' puppets are not enemies that require risking your life to defeat, failing to consider friendly fire is also unacceptable. Second, passive participation in the assessment is also not allowed. The assessment ends at midnight tonight. Teams that fail to reach the finish line before then will all be disqualified and will not participate in rankings or judging. Also..."

Explaining all the questions one by one would naturally take a considerable amount of time. Before he could finish speaking, the loudspeaker in the training ground announced that the assessment was about to begin.

"The assessment is about to begin. All new students, please be prepared."

"Alright. That covers about all the issues. Everyone, give it your all! We absolutely must win this championship!"

""""good!""""

The other four responded in unison. The five of them clasped their hands together and raised them high, symbolizing unity and their determination to win. With a long whistle, the assessment officially began. Naka's team of five positioned themselves in three rows: a warrior and a hero, both skilled in melee combat, as the front line; a mage and an archer, both ranged combatants, as the rear support; and Naka, the saintess, as the final support and stamina restorer. They carefully entered the forest, forming the front, middle, and rear positions.

On Jasmine's side, things weren't so harmonious and orderly. That's because of Tatsia, who only wanted to work alone.

Unlike Naka's group, they lacked an archer, a ranged combat class. Therefore, they decided to send the fighter, warrior, and hero to the front, with the mage and saintess positioned at the rear. While Tatia did indeed "lead the charge," she didn't wait for the other four. After the whistle sounded, she charged into the mountains on her own. By the time the other four realized what was happening, they could only see her back.

"What on earth is that hero up to now?!"

Before the assessment even began, she hadn't uttered a single audible word. Once it started, she completely disregarded the "teamwork" and "cooperation" emphasized by the school. Without discussion or seeking her teammates' consent, she began acting on her own. The hot-tempered warrior really wanted to just abandon her. However, this assessment stipulated that a valid score was only awarded if the entire team was present. If something went wrong with Tatiya, the other four would also be affected. They couldn't simply ignore her.

So the other four didn't have time to think about formation. They hurried after her, chasing after Tatia. Except for Jasmine, the other three were constantly grumbling to themselves. They were complaining that having such a weirdo in their group was really bad luck. Only Jasmine still had some concern for her, such as, "Is it okay for the boy to walk so fast? What if the monsters come out and we can't catch up in time? Her weapon is so bad, how can she deal with it alone?"

Tatia didn't care about her teammates' opinions at all, nor was she worried about her current situation. In fact, she was eager for a few puppets to pop out soon so she could begin her experiments.

"Come on, the moment you appear will be the moment my 'Elf Paradise' unleashes its power...!"

Tatia gripped her sword tightly. She recalled the battle against the wolf demon in the mansion. When Naka saved her on the verge of death, rekindling her fighting spirit, the sword underwent a dramatic transformation. In other words, no matter the opponent, she would never give up; only when her fighting spirit reached its peak would the sword transform into "Elf Paradise."

Having made the above judgment, Tatia now only wants to encounter an enemy as soon as possible. Unless there is a truly aggressive enemy, fighting spirit is something that can hardly be ignited by mere "memories."

Completely ignoring the voices of her teammates behind her, Tatia maintained her own pace, her eyes fixed solely on the front. What teamwork? What coordination? Trivial matters like winning first place in the assessment never even crossed her mind. As long as she could confirm the activation method of the "Elf Paradise," confirm that she could freely use that vast, mysterious power at her own will, and confirm that she possessed the ability to send Oz to his death—that alone would be enough for Tatia.

Soon after, the teammates' fears became a reality. After traversing a rugged mountain path, a lynx-like monster suddenly emerged from a crevice in the rocks. With lightning speed, it attacked Tatia, who was walking at the front.

The enemy she had longed for had finally appeared before her. Tatiana drew her sword, channeling all the fighting spirit within her. She superimposed the lynx doll before her onto the green wolf. She imagined herself not undergoing an invincible trial, but facing a formidable foe against whom a single misstep could be fatal. With this resigned resolve to certain death, she swung her sword...

The author's words:

Starting with this chapter, the final event before the graduation exam begins: the assessment arc. Following the assessment arc is the graduation exam arc. After the graduation exam arc, Volume Two will conclude, and the story will begin in Volume Three. Volume Two is expected to conclude at around 200,000 words. We are now in the final sprint. Volume Three will be set in a completely new environment, introducing a larger number of more distinctive new characters, offering a story with a completely different style from Volumes One and Two. It will also resolve some foreshadowing elements planted in Volumes One and Two. Please look forward to it.

Assessment begins (middle)

"Why...why did this happen..."

Tadiya stared in disbelief at the sword in her hand. It was still in its tattered state. Even though she tried to treat the puppets, who posed no real threat, as mortal enemies, and fought them with the resolve to risk her life, just like that day in the mansion, the same miracle hadn't occurred again. The sword in her hand hadn't transformed into that dazzling holy sword. It remained that piece of scrap metal that couldn't even cut through the puppets.

Currently, Tatia, who was at the forefront, had to face the onslaught of puppets alone. If it were just one, Tatia could handle it. However, the lynx-shaped puppets, taking advantage of her isolated position, attacked her in large numbers. Her unawakened "Fairy Paradise" alone couldn't reduce the number of enemies. Tatia gradually began to struggle against the onslaught, showing signs of fatigue.

Jasmine, already deeply worried about Tatia's situation due to the weapon problem, became even more anxious when she saw Tatia wielding something completely useless. Leading her teammates, who were reluctant to catch Tatia, she quickly arrived at the scene. A single sweep of the warrior's heavy axe easily dispatched several puppets, rescuing Tatia. Jasmine swiftly approached Tatia to assess her condition.

"Young man! Are you alright?"

"....."

"Are you hurt? If you are, please tell me and I will treat you..."