The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

Although it has only been half a year, Oz has made tremendous progress in both his personality and abilities. He is now completely different from the Oz we first found him in the wilderness.

Undeterred, hardworking, empathetic, and possessing a strong sense of responsibility... while his abilities may not yet match Tatia's current level, he already possesses all the qualities of a top-tier adventurer. Frost seemed to vaguely foresee the day he would surpass himself and become a new legend. As the saying goes, the younger generation is truly formidable; this is indeed the case.

Frost nodded in satisfaction. He founded this school precisely to cultivate such talent. His judgment was indeed correct.

"Really... I'm very satisfied with your ambition. Even if you don't win this championship, I won't blame you. Oz, I believe in you. Don't forget your current mindset. Keep climbing. There are many more difficult and interesting challenges and stronger opponents waiting for you in this world. No matter what happens, don't stray from your path, be true to yourself. Understand?"

"Yes, I will."

Having said that, Frost had nothing more to add. He believed Oz could figure out the rest on his own and understand his true intentions. He told Oz to rest and recover well before leaving the infirmary.

Afterwards, Fros went to a small hill outside the school. Following what had happened at the school, many people were asking him about Tatia's condition, the truth behind her power, and the aftermath. He had answered many times, but the same questions continued to come in droves. This matter was no longer just a concern within the Adventurers' School; it had spread throughout Sunflower Town through the spectators. Fros was already overwhelmed dealing with the related issues, and now he just wanted some peace and quiet.

"call"

Looking down from the hill, the vast school was barely visible. He lit a cigar, took a deep drag, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. His already hectic work schedule had become even more stressful today. Relaxing like this felt absolutely wonderful.

However, this rare moment of peace and quiet for him didn't seem to last forever. He'd just taken a couple of puffs of his cigarette when he heard a rustling sound. It wasn't the sound of wind rustling through the grass; it was the sound of something approaching. Frost turned his head and saw a small girl standing under a tree not far behind him.

"Mr. Frost, do you have a moment? I'd like to discuss something with you."

"It's you."

Although it had been a long time since they last met, Frost still found the girl's voice and appearance very familiar. During the three-day exam period, the normally closed school temporarily opened to the public. Not only could outsiders come in, but students could also leave. It wasn't unusual to see students there. Of course, they still needed to show identification for verification when entering and leaving.

Smoking while talking to a lady is extremely impolite. He took out a small ashtray he carried with him and extinguished the cigarette. He then accepted the girl's invitation.

"Just say what you want to say, Naka."

Naka and Fros stood side by side on the hilltop, looking down at the school. Fros wondered what Naka's purpose was in coming here at this time. He also wanted to ask her if the difficulties she had encountered a few months ago had been properly resolved. However, Naka spoke first.

Her first words were an unexpected expression of gratitude to Frost.

"Thank you, Frost."

"What are you thanking me for?"

"Thank you for stopping Tatia, who was already in a bloodthirsty frenzy, and preventing her from becoming a murderer."

"..."

Frost assumed she would talk about what happened months ago—how she was grateful for Frost's guidance, which had allowed her to reconcile with the girl who liked her. But instead, she unexpectedly mentioned Tatsia, the girl who had caused such a mess that day. After a brief moment of thought, Frost realized that what she had assumed wasn't wrong.

"Oh, I see. So the person you were talking about back then was her..."

"...You knew all along?"

"Yes. After all, I've seen all sorts of people. I've also seen people who want to hide their gender. Whether it's a man dressing as a woman or a woman dressing as a man, it's nothing new to me. Tatia is a woman disguised as a man... I knew that the moment I saw her. But she must have her reasons for doing so, and I can't expose her. Judging from her state when she fought Oz later, and what you just said, I think the girl you mentioned who fell in love with you is probably her."

"That's right"

"So...you called me here to plead for her? Although she didn't actually kill anyone, what she did was more than enough to constitute attempted murder. I only kicked her out of school and didn't report her to the police department for questioning, which is already a huge leniency towards her. If you want to make more demands, I really can't accept it."

"That's not what I meant. Besides... I've completely broken up with her."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Naka recounted to Frost what had happened in front of the school gate that evening. She described how Naka had wept bitterly, confessing her wrongdoing, and how cold-hearted Frost had been, unmoved by her actions. After listening, Frost sighed with mixed feelings.

"Sigh. That girl is so pitiful. She liked you, but you couldn't reciprocate her feelings. This led her astray and caused her to lose herself. The lack of communication between you and the misunderstandings between you were also contributing factors to today's tragedy. I can't say whether it's your fault or hers. It's just fate playing tricks on us... That girl is really unfortunate. Meeting you may have brought her more than just happiness."

"Yes. So I've decided to leave her. It might be better for both of us..."

"But is that really what you think? Abandoning her... will that satisfy you?"

Although Naka portrays herself as an incorruptible figure, her insistence on abandoning Tatia to Frost seems like a form of "sacrificing family for the greater good." However, Frost can see that Naka's true feelings are far from that.

"Actually, you're still worried about her, right?"

"No, I didn't..."

"You can fool her, and you're trying to fool yourself. But you can't fool me... The fact that you came all this way to thank me for what happened to her is the best proof that you still care about her."

The girl's first words were a thank you to herself. She thanked herself for preventing Tatya from becoming a murderer. If Naka truly didn't care about her anymore, she wouldn't have said such a thing. Tatya not being a murderer meant that after leaving school, she could still travel and adventure as she pleased. This was exactly the outcome Naka hoped for, not for her to be imprisoned. As long as she was free to roam the world, there was always a possibility of meeting again. That's why Naka expressed her gratitude.

Even if Naka herself doesn't admit it, Frost will expose this fact for her.

"Naka, although Tatsia has made a grave mistake, it doesn't mean she's completely lost her future. She needs to think calmly, to understand what she did wrong, and what she should truly do. She's only fourteen years old; I don't believe she can reach the right conclusion simply by thinking for herself. She likes you and trusts you. I don't think you should abandon her so decisively. Instead, you should be her guiding light, so that she can possibly return to normal, to the person you truly want to see... Don't you think so?"

"But I..."

"I know this is difficult and will take time, and you need to be mentally prepared. But it's not the slow progress that's the problem, it's the inaction that's the problem. You think you've said everything you needed to say, but you probably still have more thoughts and information you want to convey to her, don't you? Our heart-to-heart talk a few months ago didn't get the right results. I wasn't involved, so I don't know the specifics of what happened between you. But I don't think you fully took what I said to heart, did you?"

"..."

"To be honest, even though I expelled Tatia, I still greatly admire her abilities. I thought Oz was the most talented child I had ever seen. But seeing her, I couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of the world. Her mysterious powers also intrigued me. With a little guidance, she will surely become a legend, no less than Oz... no, perhaps even surpassing Oz, transcending mythology. And the only one who can lead her down that path is you, Naka. I hope you can go and find her after graduation. You don't need to thank me. I was just doing what the founder of this school should do. I will never allow any student to die in front of me. But nurturing every promising talent has always been my ultimate goal and dream. My belief in her growth will not change, now or in the future."

"I see..."

After listening to Frost's words, Naka gradually understood some truths she herself hadn't grasped. She didn't want to face the fact that she still couldn't let go of Tatya. She wanted to appear more ruthless, but ultimately, she couldn't. When Tatya was expelled from school, she turned her back to her, simply because she didn't want Tatya to see her tears. Those crystal-clear tears that kept falling from Naka's face, no matter how much she tried to deny it, were irrefutable proof of her true feelings, which she couldn't deceive herself about.

Naka turned around. Just like that night, she bowed deeply to him once more. Frost said there was no need for thanks, but Naka couldn't help but express her gratitude.

"I will always remember your words, Mr. Frost. You have made me realize that Tatia is not the only one who needs to reflect. I also have many things I should reflect on."

"No need for formalities. I'll say it again: you must convey your true feelings honestly. If you keep it bottled up inside and deny it because of pride, you'll only regret it for the rest of your life. That will hurt her and you. No matter how much time it takes, you should find her and tell her your true feelings. I believe you do have an answer; you just don't want to admit it."

Frost's words resonated deeply, each one striking a chord with Naka. Every word dissolved the unease and confusion in Naka's heart. One bow was far from sufficient to express Naka's gratitude. She bowed her head once more.

"What you said is truly invaluable advice that I should savor; it has benefited me greatly. Thank you, Frost. To express my gratitude..."

However, her tone suddenly changed towards the end.

Naka followed Fros to this desolate place to confide her troubles, which was certainly one reason. But there was another reason that drove Naka to do so. And this reason was Naka's true purpose for coming. This purpose was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. It had already taken root in her mind before she even enrolled in school... even when she registered as a formal adventurer. And now, it was time to fulfill it.

When she raised her head again, the expression and gaze that Frost saw were no longer those of an ordinary saintess.

"...Just die here."

The author's words:

I sincerely apologize. It was originally agreed that the previous chapter was the penultimate chapter, so this chapter should have been the final chapter of Volume Two. That was my original plan. However, after finishing writing, I realized that if I continued writing until the very end, the word count per chapter would be terrifying. That's a massive amount of information that no single chapter should contain. Therefore, I ultimately decided to add another chapter. This is the penultimate chapter; the next chapter will be the true final chapter.

Well, a similar situation occurred with the first volume. Content that I thought could be written in one chapter actually had to be split into more chapters. The second volume not only failed to correct this, but I also broke my promise again. I'm truly sorry. Starting with the third volume, I won't make promises that I can't even guarantee I'll keep...

In short, the next chapter will truly be the final chapter of Volume Two. I hope everyone will support it.

The End of Heroes and Their Choices (End of Volume 2)

"Please...let me die here?"

"To express my gratitude, please die..." This unexpected statement, whose meaning was completely unpredictable from the first part, initially took Frost somewhat by surprise. But after a brief moment of astonishment, he laughed heartily.

"Hahahaha!...I thought you were going to say something like, 'I want you to die'? Naka, that's not a funny joke at all. Are you that angry about kicking out your good travel companion?"

A saintess, utterly powerless, threatened to kill him. Of course, Fros could only treat it as a joke to be laughed off. Besides, he had demonstrated his formidable strength in front of everyone, easily defeating Tatia, who wielded "Elf Paradise." No one would dare to harbor any ill intentions and want to fight him.

Naka had said the same thing to Tatsia's father, Osider. His first reaction was simply that Naka was making a slightly mischievous joke. He expected Frost wouldn't take it seriously. However, she had a way to make Frost completely believe her.

"then"

She reached into her bosom, pulled something from the inside pocket of her nun's habit, and tossed it to Frost. Frost caught it instinctively.

"This is?"

It was a dagger. And the hilt was engraved with cherry blossoms. At first, Frost didn't pay much attention, but upon seeing the cherry blossoms, his expression changed drastically. He then turned the blade to look at the bottom of the hilt. There, engraved, was a name. A name Frost would never forget.

"Hi...Hito...!"

Now he finally recognized the dagger. It was the gift Fros had given to Hito more than twenty years ago. The cherry blossom pattern represented the beauty of Hito's hometown, and the name on the bottom was engraved by Fros himself. Now, this item had traveled through more than twenty years and returned to his hands once again.

This dagger, which Hito always carried, should have been lost along with Hito's body twenty years ago. Why is it here now? Before Fros could even ask this question, Naka had already provided the answer.

"Twenty years ago, after that saintess teleported you away while you were severely injured, she bravely used this dagger to attack me. After killing her, I put this dagger away and kept it with me until today, so that I could return it to you. It also serves as proof of my identity."

Having said that, Frost no longer treated this saintess—no, merely the apparent saintess—with a joking attitude. She knew things that only Frost and the Demon King knew. Therefore, her true identity was naturally obvious.

He had sensed something amiss that night when they talked. However, so much time had passed, and the voice hadn't traveled directly to his ears but had been subtly altered by the heavy armor. Therefore, even though Naka's voice sounded familiar, Fros couldn't recall where he had heard it before. Now, he remembered everything. The last time he heard Naka's voice was twenty years ago, on the day he lost all his teammates. On that small mountain in the Demon Kingdom.

"Hmph... Haha, hahahahahahaha!"

Frost, who had just finished laughing, burst into laughter again. But this time, he wasn't laughing at how funny Naka's joke was. He was laughing at his own nightmares and regrets of the past twenty years, which he could finally understand.

"I see... So that's how it was... Twenty years have passed... It really has been a long time, Demon King...!"

Fros roared, drawing his weapon from his cloak. For years since retiring from the front lines, this beloved sword, which had accompanied him on countless adventures and slain countless monsters, had remained by his side. Some said it was useless. Some said it would only stun him. Fros didn't deny it. It was ridiculous for a retired hero to still believe he was young and strong. He knew that one had to accept old age. But he always had a premonition that his lifelong companion didn't want to return to the collection. It wanted to fight one more time. Now, that premonition had finally come true.

Although he was already very familiar with Naka's appearance, Fros still scrutinized her from head to toe again. This time, he didn't see her as his student, but as a demon king who was finally revealing her true face, a sight never before seen by any human. The human kingdom had countless speculations about the demon king's appearance. Giant monsters with bared fangs and claws, hideous small monsters, tentacle monsters covered in tentacles... in short, many different opinions. But no one had ever imagined that the true appearance of that terrifying level ∞ demon king would be such an endearing and pitiful sight, indistinguishable from a young human girl.

"When I first heard you speak twenty years ago, I thought you might be a woman... but I never imagined that such a petite body would be wearing such a tall and imposing suit of armor... Demon King, you've truly opened my eyes."

"I'm sorry. I also have various circumstances, making it difficult to reveal my appearance."

"Really? It seems you've been working very hard."

Over the past twenty years, Fros had mentally rehearsed countless times what he would do if the Demon Queen reappeared before him. The result was almost always the same: he would grab his weapon and attack without hesitation. But when the event actually occurred, Fros found himself chatting amicably with her, even though she was his greatest enemy. After a few exchanges, he himself found it utterly unbelievable.

"Honestly. I never imagined that terrifying demon king would be a little girl like you. Doesn't this make things difficult for me?"

"But he'll still take action, won't he, Mr. Frost? The person who killed your lover and comrade is right in front of you; there's no reason to let her go after a few words of conversation, is there?"

As Naka spoke, she opened her arms wide, striking a pose as if to welcome Frost's attack at any moment. After the initial shock of her identity and the twenty-year-old grudge subsided, Frost was left only with a heart full of questions.

"Demon King, what are you thinking?"

"Hmm? What are you thinking about?"

"Why did you become a saintess and come here to study? How did you manage to evade our ability detection? And... why didn't you reveal your identity that night and just kill me?"

If the enemy's leader were to personally intervene, Fros could only deduce that they were there to scout, infiltrate and steal crucial secrets, or assassinate one of their high-ranking members. But Naka's actions so far didn't fit any of these scenarios. However, if she truly was the Demon Lord, she would have had countless opportunities to act months ago, in the dead of night on campus with no other witnesses besides the two of them. A Demon Lord of Level ∞ could certainly do that. Yet she didn't. Even now, she didn't launch a sneak attack, but instead openly revealed her identity. Fros completely failed to understand the Demon Lord's intentions.

"Well..."

Not only did Frost not understand, but explaining it all to Naka herself wasn't an easy task either. She scratched her face somewhat awkwardly and gave him only an apologetic smile.

"It's a long story. How about this: if you can do me a little something, I'll tell you."

"How about just a little something to satisfy you?"

"Yes. Twenty years ago, even your team of five attacking together was incredibly boring to me. Especially you, your teammates at least managed to land a few hits on me, but you didn't even touch me until you were eliminated. I had no idea how strong you were. And you must have been very resentful, right? If you had defeated me, you could have achieved great success, become famous, and be remembered in history... but you couldn't even get close to me, and you could only watch your fallen teammates retreat in defeat under the protection of a woman. I'm sure you were very unwilling to accept that, right?"

Naka extended her right hand and beckoned to Frost with her four fingers excluding her thumb.

"Now, I'll give you a chance to prove yourself and redeem yourself. If your strength can even slightly surprise me, I'll tell you everything I've ever done. Don't worry, this time I won't end the fight quickly. Use all the skills you wanted to use but couldn't before, unleash them all on me!"

"...Twenty years ago, I just thought you were a scary guy. But now I find you're not only scary, but also very strange... However, what you said isn't wrong."

Fross didn't mean to belittle himself. But he thought that if the Demon King really wanted to kill him, he wouldn't have needed to go to such lengths. It could have been much simpler and more direct. He still couldn't understand what this girl was up to.

However, Naka's statement, "He was utterly defeated by the Demon King without even launching a single attack back then, and has held a grudge about it ever since," hit the nail on the head. That's exactly what Fros was thinking. But that's all that matters. What Fros wanted most at that moment was, of course, to avenge his comrades who died twenty years ago. He raised his sword, adopting a stance completely different from his physique twenty years ago.

"Then I'll go, Demon King. Although I'm getting on in years, I haven't completely given up on my body... I'm not the same person I was twenty years ago!"

"Yes, I hope so."

Naka flicked her wrist, transforming her provocative gesture into a ready-to-fight stance. Both were prepared for battle. They shared a single thought: to finally settle the score for the grudges they hadn't resolved twenty years ago.

The air was thick with tension, and finally, Naka herself set it ablaze.

"bring it on!"

The words had barely left his mouth when Frost vanished from Naka's sight. This wasn't some kind of invisibility or teleportation magic; rather, his speed had surpassed the limits of human perception. Even sound couldn't keep up with his movements.

That should make it completely impossible to determine their whereabouts. But Naka's gaze didn't change direction. She simply raised her left arm slightly to her ear, and the next instant, a violent metallic clang rang out from her forearm, sending sparks flying.

Fros, who had been standing in front of Naka, appeared behind her in a single movement and unleashed a sword strike towards her neck that was almost at the limits of human capability in terms of speed, power, and accuracy. But even that was ultimately just below the human limit. Naka easily blocked the attack. His sword didn't even break the skin on Naka's arm.

Although she couldn't see Fros's movements, Naka's extraordinary perception and judgment as a Demon King allowed her to be fully aware of them. What seemed like a critical moment was, to Naka, no different from an adult seeing a toddler slowly walking towards her.

Almost all the other monsters Frost encountered in his life couldn't withstand this move. Only a few powerful monsters could fight him for a few more rounds. But against the Demon King, it had absolutely no effect.

However, this was also within Frost's calculations.

"As expected of you, Demon King. I knew this move wouldn't work on you. But if you think this is my full attack, you're sorely mistaken."

Facing the invincible King of Demons, Fros naturally wouldn't resort to such a simple attack. This move may seem like a mere martial art, but in reality, Fros had already made his next move before even getting behind Naka.

"ha!"

With a loud shout from Fros, the temperature of the sword pressed against Naka's arm began to rise rapidly. When it reached the critical point, a violent explosion occurred at Naka's arm with a deafening roar. Flames billowed into the sky, billowing black smoke.

This attack was a combination of swordsmanship and magic. Using the sword as a medium, he unleashed a top-tier fire magic at point-blank range on Naka. Fros, however, had already left the area a split second before the explosion. This ensured that Naka could absorb all the damage while he himself remained unaffected. However, looking at the enormous flames before him, Fros was somewhat taken aback.

"Oops, I accidentally went too far. What if it starts a wildfire...?"

"You don't need to worry about that."

However, a calm reply came from within the flames. Just as she had twenty years ago, she emerged from the flames with unwavering composure. She showed no signs of injury and calmly explained to Frost...