The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

"Starting today, all freshmen in all majors across the school will take the graduation exam. The exam will last for three days. The final results will be announced on the fourth day. The top student in each major and each level will be selected, and awards will be presented according to the rankings on the same day."

The graduation exam is an elimination competition. Combat-related professions will compete in one-on-one elimination matches based on a draw. The Saintesses, on the other hand, will be divided into groups of five, drawn by lot, to cast spells on the combat monster puppets controlled by the school. The spells are divided into enhancement and healing spells. The Saintesses must first heal the puppets, who are injured and suffering from negative states such as poisoning or mental abnormalities, to their optimal condition, and then use enhancement spells to increase the puppets' stats. A comprehensive score will be calculated based on the healing time and the final enhancement level. Furthermore, the degree of injury, number, and severity of negative states on the puppets will vary in the preliminary rounds, semi-finals, and finals. Therefore, the Saintesses' healing abilities will be assessed in multiple ways, considering both their duration and subtlety.

"I see..."

After understanding the specific exam content and scoring criteria, Naka put down the document. Then, she looked out the window at the blue sky.

These past six months haven't seemed long, just a blink of an eye. But they haven't been short either. So much has happened. There's the relationship between herself and Tatia, Mitian, Pais (whom she killed), the organization, Fros, and the dragon under Naka's command, the Fang of Agh, which she hasn't been able to investigate yet. These unrelated events are too numerous and complex; Naka can't even recall what Mitian specifically taught her in class. But in terms of results, Naka's abilities as a saintess have indeed improved. She was Lv4 when she enrolled, and now she's Lv12. It's been worth the time and effort she's put in these past six months.

"Did Tatia practice hard after that? Can she win the championship...?"

A cloud drifted by at that moment, its shape strikingly similar to Tatsia's face. Naka couldn't help but superimpose the image onto Tatsia's.

She was willing to pay for Tatsia's education herself, hoping to make her stronger and thus facilitate her investigation into Ijima and the monster modification. Tatsia did indeed become stronger. But her heart seemed to have strayed in a direction Naka had never imagined. Was the road ahead bright or dark? And would she ever see Tatsia's innocent and straightforward smile again?

These questions constantly troubled Naka, and troubled the Demon King who viewed human emotions too simply. And none of them could have foreseen what would happen after their graduation exams...

In conclusion, whether it's joy or sorrow, whether problems are solved or not, the final stage of half a year of school life has begun.

Graduation exam (first round)

The fact that an adult person is missing, yet the exams proceeded as usual, suggests that the school didn't take this seriously and treated it as just another ordinary incident. That's what Naka thought.

Despite being a family member, Misha was still sent by the school to explain exam-related matters to the students in place of her sister, regardless of whether her mental state was truly up to the task. This suggests that everyone else, except Misha, probably just thought Mitian had drunk too much and overslept somewhere in town. In any case, this couldn't stop the long-awaited graduation exams from proceeding. Not a second later than scheduled, the graduation exams officially began.

Combat-oriented classes will fight in the school's arena. Naka and the other saintesses, however, have arrived at the school's large hospital and been invited to a spacious room specifically for their exams, large enough to accommodate all the examinees. Their exams will take place here.

Besides Naka's beginner-level Saintess class, higher-level Saintess who had already reached a considerable rank also participated in the exam. Naturally, the higher-level exams had higher priority than the beginner-level ones. The exams proceeded in the order of advanced, intermediate, and beginner classes. Beginner-level Saintess could only take the exam after the first two classes had finished. This is why the exam lasted three days.

The doll-like monsters used for treatment had all been programmed by the school to be immobilized, and they sat in a row on the floor of the room. Not far behind them was a row of tables and chairs. The proctoring saintesses sat there, constantly observing the students' techniques. Since it was an exam, cheating was naturally not allowed. Although cheating wasn't easy for the saintesses, occasionally they would prepare recovery potions or stimulants to temporarily enhance the target. However, under the teachers' watchful eyes, they couldn't pull any tricks.

One seat among the row of proctors was empty. A nameplate on the table there read the name of a teacher who would never proctor there again. A short while later, a woman in a white coat took the nameplate, replaced it with another, and sat down. The teacher who had treated Tatya in the infirmary, replacing Mittian, was now proctoring. Naka, however, didn't recognize her.

All invigilators were present, and the exam content and rules had already been explained to the students before they arrived. The students in the beginner saintess class had all carefully read the relevant manuals. No students raised any further objections or questions. A row of women, each dressed in a darker color than Naka and Jasmine's saintess habit, and wearing badges on their chests indicating their high-ranking saintess status, stepped forward. These were the high-ranking saintess, two ranks above Naka and Jasmine.

When Jasmine first entered, she was so nervous she couldn't speak, clutching tightly to Naka's sleeve, who was trying to remain calm and composed as always. But upon seeing the figures of those she aspired to be, she cast envious and longing glances her way.

"They are high-ranking saintesses... Look, Naka. Their clothing is different from ours. And they even have medals awarded by the kingdom itself... Some of these girls are still very young and have already reached this level..."

Her luxurious nun's habit and gleaming medals were the best proof of her status and ability, and also Jasmine's lifelong pursuit. For them, who had already achieved a certain level of cultivation, coming here to learn was less about improvement and more about stabilizing or perfecting themselves.

Unlike novice saintesses who can only heal one target at a time, advanced saintesses each possess the ability to rapidly heal the entire team and provide extremely powerful support magic. Therefore, the difficulty of their exams is a challenge that novice saintesses cannot handle. However, with the command to begin the exam, they immediately unleashed powerful magic far beyond the novice saintesses' comprehension. The novice saintesses were all stunned and dazzled, gaining a truly eye-opening experience.

Of course, Naka was an exception. Having witnessed the magic of the Saintess Hito, who was far more powerful than them, all that boring stuff made her want to yawn. For her, the time waiting for her turn to go on stage was utterly tedious.

Jasmine, standing beside her, was initially filled with excitement and anticipation. But as she watched, her spirits sank once more. She didn't want to, or rather, dared not look any further. She lowered her head and said dejectedly to her friend beside her...

"I said, Naka..."

"Um?"

"Will I ever be able to reach where they are now, just like them?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"Do I... truly lack the talent to become a saint?"

The oldest of those high-ranking saintesses looked to be only around thirty years old. Some were even the same age as Naka and Jasmine, or perhaps younger. At the same age, they had already achieved extraordinary things, while what about herself? Jasmine once again began to doubt herself. In the village, she was second only to Naka in ability. But after leaving the village, she realized how tragic it was to have only such pitiful abilities after more than ten years of training.

This was a double denial of Jasmine's hard work and talent. She also longed for the nun's habit worn by the high-ranking saints currently taking exams on the ship, and she also wanted to wear the medal that would make the whole village proud on her own chest. But now she felt that it might be a dream that she could never achieve even with a lifetime of effort.

Naka was well aware of Jasmine's worries; she had repeated them to herself countless times before the exams began. Jasmine's growth and progress were indeed slow, but Naka didn't believe Jasmine lacked talent. She had once told Jasmine that she believed she would become a great person who would make significant contributions to the world. Even now, she hadn't changed her mind. Perhaps there would be bottlenecks, confusion, and helplessness along the way. But those were simply necessary steps on the path of growth.

Now is the time for Naka to fulfill her promise.

"Don't be so down, Jasmine. I told you, didn't I? You look best when you smile."

In a moment unnoticed by anyone, Naka broke free of her "disguise." She gathered magic in her right hand and gently patted Jasmine's back to encourage her. At the same time, the magic in her hand seeped into Jasmine's body.

"Huh?...Naka, what did you do?"

Naka's slap was unexpectedly powerful. Jasmine was nearly knocked to the ground by the force. But more puzzling than that was the intense, unsettling sensation that came from her back. Despite the pain from Naka's slap, it vanished completely in an instant, as if it were a joke. Normally, pain relief shouldn't be this quick.

More importantly, Jasmine suddenly felt her body become much lighter, as if she had wings on her back and could take flight at any moment. The accumulated fatigue and pressure seemed to have been transformed into motivation. She felt like a completely different person from before. This wasn't "perfect condition," nor was it "improvement." If she had to describe it, Jasmine now had the illusion of having "evolved." She stared at Naka in astonishment. All this change was caused by that slap.

But Naka only returned a meaningful smile and a remark that hardly counted as an answer.

"Don't worry, Jasmine. I told you I would make you a champion. I'll help you achieve your dream."

Meanwhile, the arena was far less peaceful and tranquil than the hospital.

The enormous circular arena was divided into five fan-shaped areas. Warriors, mages, martial artists, archers, and heroes would each compete in one-on-one elimination matches within one of these areas. Each area was separated from the others by a sturdy barrier constructed by the school to prevent ranged attacks from archers, mages, and other classes from accidentally interfering with the battles of other classes.

There are no draws in this battle; only the winner advances to the next round to face another qualifier. This continues until only one person remains. That person is the champion of that class and rank.

The graduation exam is a real, hard-fought battle. Every candidate is allowed to use any weapon and can directly harm their opponent. The winner is decided when a candidate loses consciousness, concedes defeat, or the school determines that they are no longer fit to fight.

The only taboo is killing one's opponent. The school's purpose is to cultivate more promising talents, hoping they can compete healthily, not to let future talents die here. If one side's attack in battle is fatal, the barrier will automatically cast a disruptive spell to stop all actions and magical attacks of both examinees in the arena, forcibly ending the exam. In this case, the student who is about to kill their opponent wins. However, if someone is deemed to have the motive to kill, they will be disqualified from the exam.

An adventurer who cannot discern the true opponent to whom one should risk their life, and who, driven by jealousy, personal grudges, or self-interest, harbors murderous intent towards a comrade with whom one should be progressing, may possess undeniable combat prowess, but ultimately cannot shoulder great responsibilities. The school will not acknowledge him as a true pillar of the nation. This was stated by the school's founder, Fros, when establishing this rule.

In addition, there were proctors constantly observing the candidates. The graduation exams for combat-related professions also adopted an open examination format, allowing teachers, students, and even ordinary residents of Sunflower Town to watch as spectators. A tiered seating area encircled the arena. For the residents of Sunflower Town, this exam was like a biannual festival; many had reserved seats well in advance. Some candidates' family members had also traveled from afar out of concern for their loved ones. Some of the saintesses who had already finished their exams also came to observe how the combat-related professions' exam content differed from their own, ensuring their school life was complete. Even before the exams began, the seating area was already packed, bustling with excitement.

Similar to the Saintess Class, the combat profession exams also begin with the highest-level classes. The advanced class students are already rubbing their hands together in their respective lounges, making final preparations for the final battle.

Tatsia sat in a small room. In one hand she held a half-empty bottle of water. In the other, she gripped the "Elf Paradise," still in its broken form. Her eyes were fixed on the tournament schedule posted on the wall, on her own name, and on the name of her first opponent printed beside it.

The schedule didn't include Retty's name, who was supposed to be in the advanced class as well. Naka said he was just someone possessed by a monster and knew nothing about the enrollment process. Therefore, he dropped out and went home early.

The advanced class originally had six students, making it impossible to schedule the competition according to a multiple of four. The withdrawal of one student further complicated matters, causing the school a major headache. Ultimately, the school decided to bring in several top students from the intermediate hero class to compete against the advanced class heroes. However, Tatia didn't care about any of this. To her, defeating just one person was equivalent to defeating everything.

"Takia, your exam is about to begin."

A staff member knocked on the door, alerting Tatsia inside. She was scheduled for the second round, indicating that the first exam seemed to be over. Tatsia responded to the person outside.

"I understand... By the way, who won the first exam?"

"Of course it's Oz! Wow, Lord Frost's eye for talent is truly remarkable, incredibly sharp! That Oz defeated Yabo in just one move, breaking the record for the fastest victory in the school's graduation exam history!"

"Really... how long did it take him?"

"Twelve seconds! To me, it felt like just a blink of an eye! The fact that a battle between heroes of the same level could end so quickly really surprised the audience!"

"Oh, I see... I understand, I'll go right away."

"Okay! I hope you're ready soon... Ah, I didn't mean to discourage you, Tatya, I was just saying it casually... Don't worry about it! Just do your best!"

Seemingly realizing that his praise of Oz might have a psychological impact on Oz's future opponents, the employee said a few words of apology and then left without saying anything more.

Tatia is in the second match, while Oz is in the first. Is it bad luck, or did the draw simply not want them to meet in the final? Even if Tatia advances, she and Oz will officially face off in the very second round.

In knockout tournaments, unfortunate situations can sometimes occur. The champion is the champion, but the runner-up isn't necessarily the second-best. The second-best player might have bad luck and encounter the champion early in the tournament, resulting in an early elimination. The final champion, runner-up, and semi-finalists don't necessarily reflect the true strength of the team.

Some competitions use a revival round, giving eliminated contestants a chance to prove themselves again. However, this school didn't adopt this policy. Luck is also a part of skill. In the ever-changing adventure, one often encounters unreasonable, unfair, and powerless situations. Blindly pursuing fairness is meaningless for adventurers fighting monsters. Monsters don't care about fairness. Since that's the reality, Tatia had nothing to say.

As the bell rang, signaling the candidates to prepare to enter, Tatsia stood up and resolutely walked out of the room. Regardless of her opponents, her only goal was to win the championship.

She walked through a dimly lit passageway, where the sun shone brightly ahead. She walked slowly toward that ray of light.

The moment Tatia's body was enveloped in light was also the moment she appeared in the sight of all the spectators. As the examinees entered, the announcement was immediately made.

"The next exam will feature a match between Tatia, a fourteen-year-old hero from Isaad Town, and Nath, a twenty-three-year-old hero from the royal capital!"

From the other exit beside her, a young man with a light beard and short black hair walked out.

No one may begin to move before the exam is officially announced to have started. The two slowly walked to the designated spot and stood facing each other, awaiting the order to officially begin the exam.

Nath sized up Tatia and said in an unpleasantly sarcastic tone.

"Oh, it's you again. Do you remember what happened on our first day of school? Usually, that girl Worse is always hanging around, making it hard for me to make a move. But today I finally caught you. And now I've got something to show for it."

As he spoke, Nath brandished the longsword in his hand. It was indeed sharper and more durable than Tatsia's broken sword. He couldn't help but laugh when he saw Tatsia's weapon.

"You're going to fight me with this piece of junk? Hahaha, kid, don't blame me if you end up crying later! And don't think your weird joint locks will work!"

Nath raised his arm and tapped his elbow with his fingers, producing a metallic clanging sound. He did the same with his knee as well.

"To prevent you from hitting my joints, I specifically wore protective gear around them! That way, you have no chance of winning... I'll make you pay for the humiliation of that day tenfold!"

This inexplicably vengeful person was spouting seemingly powerful words. But his opponent, Tatsia, not only didn't respond, she didn't even look at him. She simply surveyed the audience, muttering to herself.

"Sister Naka, did you come to see me during my exam...?"

"you...!"

After spouting threats for so long, it turned out the other party didn't take him seriously at all. Whether she was serious or deliberately ignoring him, Tatsia's attitude successfully enraged Nas. Although killing was forbidden at the school, he now only wanted to cut off Tatsia's head. At the very least, he wanted to break one of her arms. Even if a high-ranking saintess would heal her immediately after the match, just letting Tatsia feel a moment of pain would relieve Nas's rage. He gritted his teeth and assumed a fighting stance, glaring fiercely at Tatsia, who was still looking around.

"start!"

This command signaled the official start of the battle, signaling the students to begin fighting. Nath immediately raised his longsword, letting out a roar to boost his morale and intimidate Tatsia, and swiftly ran towards her. After all, he was an advanced-level warrior who had undergone six months of training, and he possessed some genuine skill. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Tatsia from five meters away. His longsword was already not far from Tatsia's shoulder. Meanwhile, Tatsia's eyes were still fixed on the audience seats.

"Thump"

Everything happened so fast, leaving no time to react. The battle was already over by the time the audience realized that Nath had approached Tatia.

"＃%@＃￥＆……!"

The sword that Nath was about to strike Tatsia merely grazed past her shoulder and fell silently to the ground. Though so close, Nath was no longer able to move. He could no longer utter a single clear word. He could only let out a muffled groan before collapsing to the ground.

What exactly happened? Why did Nass suddenly stop moving as if time had frozen? And why did he suddenly collapse? Only after he collapsed did the audience's doubts disappear.

Although Tatsia wasn't looking at her opponent, she had somehow raised her right knee. Nas charged at her like lightning, only to have his groin slam into Tatsia's knee. His manhood was severely injured by the force of his own movement. Nas could only clutch his groin, writhing on the ground in pain that nearly made him lose consciousness. Tatsia hadn't even used her sword.

This incident caused an uproar not only among the audience but also among the invigilators. One invigilator asked another invigilator next to him...

"Um... how do we determine this situation?"

The other proctor also looked somewhat troubled.

"Hmm, there's no rule against attacking vital points. But generally speaking, would a hero win this way? It's a bit too dirty..."

"But it wasn't like Tatia deliberately aimed there to shoot, was it? He could easily say that he just accidentally lifted his foot and Nath bumped into it... It's really hard to tell whether he did it on purpose or unintentionally."

"But even if it was intentional, isn't that a foul?"

While the proctors held differing opinions, someone whose words carried far more weight than theirs offered his perspective.

"Now that Nath is down, and Tatia is still standing... isn't that enough to explain things?"

"Lord Frost!?"

Yes. The school's founder, Frost, was also one of the proctors. He remained silent during his recommendation of Oz's battle, agreeing with the other proctors. But now, faced with this unassuming student, he offered his own opinion.

"Regardless of whether Tatia did it intentionally or not, Nath has lost his mind and launched an attack without any proper consideration, resulting in his own humiliation. The difference in their mentality and level of composure is very clear. If it were a life-or-death battle, Nath is now in a state where he could be killed by anyone at any time... I think the outcome is self-evident, isn't it?"

When Frost spoke, the other proctors naturally dared not object. Moreover, what Frost said did make sense. Shortly afterward, the results of the second exam were announced over the loudspeaker.

"Tasia wins! Advances to the next round!"

"Sigh, it seems Naka hasn't finished her exams yet..."

Only then did Tatsia shift her attention from the audience seats. She didn't see Naka there and sighed in disappointment. She turned and walked towards the entrance she had used. Throughout the entire ordeal, her gaze hadn't lingered on Nath for even a moment.

However, before leaving, Tatia remembered something she wanted to confirm. She shouted loudly from inside the arena.

"Excuse me! How long did this exam take?"

The entire exam process was monitored by the school. Calculating the time wasn't difficult. Therefore, the announcement quickly answered her question.

"From the moment Nath launched his attack until he fell to the ground, it took a total of 1.5 seconds! That breaks the fastest record set by Oz in the previous match!"

"...good!"

Tatiana clenched her fist tightly, making a barely noticeable little celebratory gesture. She didn't want anyone to see it. But it didn't escape Frost's notice.

The moment she heard that she had surpassed Oz's record, joy immediately lit up her face. She specifically asked about the reason for the victory, which Frost already knew perfectly well.

"I see... So the formidable rival Oz mentioned to me back then was her..."

Not only her small gestures and subtle changes in expression... even her true gender couldn't be hidden from this man. He watched Takia slowly and deliberately leave, feigning composure, and a relieved smile appeared on his face.

"So, besides Oz, there's another student with such great potential among this year's freshmen... If it's her, maybe my special admissions system really won't work out..."

Although this was not good for Frost's prestige and influence at school, Frost was still immersed in the joy of discovering talent.

"Thank you for your hard work, Tatia! I was just saying Oz set a new record, and you broke it so quickly. I know you're determined to beat that guy Lord Frost also favors, right? I believe in you! You can definitely beat him!"

On the way back, the staff member who had reminded Tatya to prepare earlier came over, all smiles, and started flattering her. He had been praising Oz just moments before, but now he was acting like a completely different person, fawning over Tatya. But Tatya had no interest in such a person. Advancing smoothly was a given. Breaking Oz's record and indirectly declaring war on him was her real goal. The second round of assessments wouldn't begin until tomorrow. But Tatya couldn't wait.

"I originally thought the finals were the best stage for us to settle things. But this is fine too. Taking you out early means I can finally get a good night's sleep. Oz, it's a bit of a shame, but tomorrow is the anniversary of your death."

Although they hadn't seen each other for a long time, she believed Oz's skills hadn't waned at all. He must have been constantly improving himself during his confinement. To be honest, Tatia wasn't confident she could defeat Oz. But even if she was just talking to herself, she dared to utter such arrogant words, and she had her own reasons.

Because she still has one more way to defeat Oz. Tonight is the time to put it into practice.

"Phew! It's finally over..."

That evening, the entrance exam for the beginner saintess class, which was scheduled last, finally ended. Jasmine and Naka had spent the entire day in their hospital room. There weren't any more noteworthy performances from the senior saintesses to watch. They were utterly bored. After the exam, they didn't go anywhere and immediately returned to their dormitory to rest.