The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

"Fellow clansmen? Forget it. If there are several more like that, I really can't handle it. I'll just have to wipe them all out with ice magic..."

"However, as it stands, while this monster possesses a certain level of intelligence, it cannot speak or communicate. Its habits seem not to differ much from some wild-type beast-like monsters... I'll note down its information and begin researching it later."

"Hmm. Well... Anyway, this guy's taken care of. Now all that's left is... that fat pig, right?"

After a short rest, the female demon stood up and returned to the Demon King's castle. She gazed towards the highest point of the castle, both speaking to herself and declaring war on those who lived there.

"Long time no see, you fat pig. What you owe me, I'm going to collect it all, principal and interest... Today is the day of change that will completely transform this country...!"

Having said that, she strode confidently towards the city gate without hesitation or doubt...

The author's words:

Last night I uploaded a massive 24,000-word chapter, and immediately after that, I started writing the prologue for Volume Three. In total, I wrote nearly 30,000 words in one go. I'm really quite mentally exhausted from writing. Please point out any inconsistencies. I'm so tired I almost forgot what I wrote. But overall, it's still within my outline and won't go off track... I guess.

Starting with this volume, a completely new story will unfold. An even richer, more complex, and more intricate adventure than volumes 1 and 2 will begin. Many new characters and events will appear in this volume. I hope you will continue to support this book. Thank you.

Elf Warrior and a New Encounter

We cannot fall here. If we don't move forward, we will never find that dazzling light.

What's truly important is something you have to strive for; it will never come to you on its own.

As long as we can find her, any amount of hardship and sacrifice will be worthwhile.

These three sentences were the greatest motivation that kept Tatsia moving forward. She neither ate nor drank, neither rested nor slept, still searching in the pitch-black darkness for the one who could bring her light. But as she walked, she seemed to trip over something, and when she tried to get up, the writhing dark matter on the ground had already entangled her body, dragging her into a bottomless abyss of despair.

She struggled desperately, crying out in anguish. She said, "I don't want this." She cried out, "I can't die in a place like this."

Even as despair descended, Tatia never considered ending her life. As long as she lived, she could search. As long as she didn't give up, she knew there would be a day when she would see the light again.

For that day, she had to live. She had to change herself, she had to earn her forgiveness. So, with all her might, she tore away the black substance binding her. It was her despair, her sorrow, her anger. It was the original sin that had made her who she was now. To them, Tatiana let out her most sincere cry.

"Get out...all of you get out!"

...

"what!"

When she came to her senses, Tatsia sat up in shock. There was no lurking darkness around her, only a patch of dry grass.

Looking ahead, she saw a wide road. All around her stretched an endless plain. The sun shone brightly, blinding Tatsia and causing her to instinctively raise her hand to shield her eyebrows.

Where was she? She didn't know. She didn't know how she got here. Sunflower Town didn't seem to be nearby. At least, she hadn't taken this route when she came from Isad Town.

"Oh, right, I..."

Once she regained some consciousness, memories of the events that had occurred not long ago flooded back. She remembered everything—how Frost stopped her, how she was knocked unconscious, how Naka abandoned her, how she was kicked out of school—all those painful memories.

She hugged her knees, gripping her arms tightly. Now, she finally understood how foolish she had been, how much disappointment and trouble she had brought to those who trusted her. But it was too late for regrets. Now, she could only grit her teeth and move forward.

Taqia leaned against a tree trunk, trying to get up. But her injuries, hunger, and drowsiness had already drained her strength. Plus, lying in this place, her body was already frozen stiff. She tried three times, but each time she felt too weak to stand and sat back down. Even this simple movement made her gasp for breath. She was so vulnerable now.

"Oh, you're awake?"

Just as Tasia was pondering what to do, a delicate whisper, as soothing as a song, sounded beside her. She turned to see a girl carrying something approaching.

"....!"

Although they were both girls, Tatsia was stunned by her beauty. A slender figure, clad in a gorgeous, pristine, and elegantly flowing dress, moved with a graceful gait that was clearly the result of careful training. With each step, the bracelets on her wrists clinked together, producing a pleasant tinkling sound. Even though they were several meters apart, Tatsia could clearly smell a delicate, non-irritating perfume emanating from her fair skin, which was so white it almost seemed like she had some kind of skin condition. It was the epitome of luxury, a luxury Tatsia had never even dreamed of experiencing.

As she walked, her face, partially revealed from under the parasol held atop her forearm and shoulder, accentuated her striking features: delicate, beautiful, and elegant. Her long, silvery-white hair shone brilliantly in the sunlight.

Even back in the Elf Kingdom, Tatsia had never seen such a noble, elegant, and graceful figure. From this information, Tatsia judged that the other person's age should be around the same as her own. It was truly unbelievable that a girl still so young could exude such a pure and sacred aura.

Just as she was marveling, the woman had already walked up to Tatsia, gently put down what she was carrying, and asked with a smile.

"How are you? Are you feeling cold? I have some hot water here, have some to warm yourself up."

"....Who are you?"

Despite her stunning beauty, she was, after all, a complete stranger. Her unusual attentiveness towards a stranger lying on the roadside suggested a hidden story. Tatsia warily eyed her, taking a slight step back.

Tatsia's action seemed to surprise the girl. She asked, somewhat incredulously.

"Oh dear? You look very thirsty and hungry, and the weather is so cold, so I wanted to help you. Why are you asking who I am?"

"I can't accept things from strangers. Because you might have drugged them."

"Drugned? Why?"

"You might have ulterior motives towards me, trying to get something out of me."

"You? I got something out of you?"

At this point, the girl couldn't help but chuckle and burst out laughing.

"Hahaha...you're quite an interesting person! Take a good look at yourself. Is there even the slightest thing about you that would make someone want to take advantage of you? Even if I sold everything I owned, I still couldn't afford a drug to knock you out."

"..."

Her smile was even more beautiful and adorable than usual. But the content ruthlessly exposed the fact that Tatsia was worthless. Even though Tatsia was somewhat indignant, she looked down at herself and couldn't refute it at all. She could only remain silent.

"However, there were actually a few people who wanted to sell you just now."

But at the end of her radiant smile, she uttered something astonishing. Tatia hurriedly asked...

"What? What happened?"

"Is there anything strange about that? It's normal for some unscrupulous people to try and steal something from you while you're lying here, right? But you don't have anything valuable on you, so they decided to sell you to slave traders... It's that simple. Now, hurry up and drink some water, or it'll get cold."

Tatsia was about to ask another question when the girl handed her the water glass. She sniffed it briefly, but didn't detect anything strange. Tatsia then quietly thanked her and carefully drank the water.

The warm water flowed into her mouth, esophagus, and stomach. Her body, long chilled by the cold, instantly felt a warmth that spread from within, as if she had been reborn. Just a simple cup of hot water had such a significant restorative effect on Tatsia in her current state. After the first sip, there were no adverse reactions; on the contrary, she felt her body rapidly regaining its energy and strength. She lowered her guard and drank it in large gulps...

"Oh, I see..."

While she was drinking water, the girl told her what had just happened. Just as Tatsia's hands were bound and they were about to tie her feet, the girl intervened and stopped them. Tatsia shook her wrists; she had felt a slight tingling sensation there since waking up, which she had assumed was frostbite. Now she realized that wasn't the case at all.

"Hmm? But..."

After listening to the girl's story, Tatsia felt something was amiss. She scrutinized the girl sitting beside her with an incredibly elegant posture, legs slightly crossed. This impeccably dressed girl possessed breathtaking beauty, and was adorned with numerous jewels that were clearly very expensive. Tatsia initially assumed she was the beloved daughter of some wealthy family, but then she noticed the small crown on her head. Furthermore, from the beginning, she had been using the term "this humble servant," a term that ordinary women would never use. Tatsia only knew one person with this appearance and self-reference: the princess of her homeland, the Elf Kingdom.

Taqia then deduced that she was either the daughter of a city lord or a princess of a human kingdom. Therefore, it seemed very strange that this girl, adorned with jewels and possessing a considerable background, had driven away the three adult men.

"...But are you alright? Did those three grown men just get scared of you and obediently leave?"

"Hmm...of course not."

The girl answered somewhat casually.

"I only stopped them to ask for directions. But those three refused to answer my questions. They circled around me, saying that my belongings were worth more than yours, so they wanted to rob me and sell me to slave traders. Then they started to grope me... What a bunch of rude and uncouth people!"

"Really? But..."

Tatsia looked around but saw no signs of a struggle. She couldn't see any figures resembling three men either. Only she and the girl were around on the road. Looking at the girl, her thin frame didn't seem like she had any fighting ability whatsoever. So Tatsia asked…

"But what happened next? Where did those guys go?"

The girl spoke in a light, matter-of-fact tone.

"Because they were so rude, I killed them all."

"Huh...?"

Because her words were so different from her image, Tatsia's thoughts froze. She completely failed to grasp the meaning of her words. The girl then went on to reveal even more astonishing facts.

"I thought it would be troublesome to leave the bodies here... I heard that murder is illegal in this society, and the authorities would come to arrest me. So I simply didn't leave any evidence. I swallowed all three of them whole in one gulp."

As she spoke, the girl gently stroked her clearly flat stomach and said with some dissatisfaction.

"But these three things are really awful. They smell sour and stinky. I'm even feeling a bit nauseous now. Sigh, I'll go eat something sweet later. I heard humans invented something called cake, I really want to try it!"

"You...you..."

Hearing this, Tatia had no choice but to understand, even if she didn't want to. She pointed a trembling finger at the girl who seemed so delicate and beautiful, yet could so calmly commit such horrifying and terrifying acts.

"Who...who are you?"

"Oh, right. You asked this question as soon as you woke up. It would be very impolite of me not to answer properly. My grandfather taught me that no matter who you are dealing with, whether it is a high-ranking official or a general, or an ordinary person living among the common people, you must never forget the manners of a lady."

After speaking, the girl stood up, gracefully twirled in place, held the umbrella in her left hand, lightly lifted the hem of her skirt with her right, and gently bent down, giving that self-introduction that Tatsia would never forget.

"Greetings. My name is Nama Mayera. I am the daughter of the Demon King Nama Karenla, the Demon Princess."

The author's words:

The most important new character in this volume, arguably the "third protagonist," Mayera, finally makes her appearance in this chapter. Her identity might surprise many readers... but I've already provided a detailed explanation of it. She's not a "daughter" in the traditional sense. So, all you yuri fans, rest assured. The prologue deliberately rewinds the timeline twenty years, which is actually a hint at her identity. Although this hint might be somewhat subtle, it will be fully revealed in the next chapter.

Demon King's Daughter

For Tatsia, her only purpose in life now was to find Naka. She had no other desires. But now things were different. She finally remembered that there was something she had to do herself.

To comfort the spirits of her fallen kin, she resolved one day to kill the demon king who had ordered the destruction of her homeland. And now, the perfect opportunity had presented itself before her.

"You say you're... the Demon King's daughter? Hahaha... hahahahaha!"

After listening to Mayera's self-introduction, Tatia suddenly burst into eerie laughter. Her laughter was tinged with sobs. It appeared to be laughter, but with each laugh, copious tears streamed down her face.

She was so happy. So excited. And also so sad. Mayera, unaware of the situation, only saw her strange, ambiguous expression—neither crying nor laughing. She tilted her head and asked...

"What's wrong? Did your brain get frozen?"

"Finally, finally, the day I've been waiting for has come... I've waited for this day for far too long... No matter how I searched, I could only find some insignificant fodder. I couldn't get any information about the Demon King at all... How lucky I am that, in a place like this, heaven has sent me such a great gift..."

"What are you talking about?"

Mayra genuinely thought she had some mental problem and was about to approach her to check on her when Tatiana suddenly drew her sword from behind her back and swung it at her. Mayra was startled and quickly took three steps back.

"What are you doing? I saved you, and this is how you treat me with such rudeness?"

"Politeness? That kind of thing is completely unnecessary for you monsters... Girl, I'm asking you one last time, you're not joking, are you? You should think this through carefully, don't just say things for fun..."

"Are you doubting my identity? I never joke! I am the genuine daughter of the fifty-first Demon King, Nama Kalena, and the current princess of the Demon Kingdom!"

"Is that so? Then don't blame me if you die here!"

Taqia immediately reached into her bosom, pulled out her mother's necklace, and clutched it tightly in her hand. Her eyes widened in fury as she glared at her enemy. At that moment, her fighting spirit reached its peak.

The will to fight, the necklace, and the weapon... these three things converged once more. The broken sword in Tatia's hand was instantly enveloped in light, transforming into a sacred greatsword: "Elf Paradise."

Tatiana raised it, pointing it at Mayella. She said viciously.

"Daughter of the Demon King! I want your head!"

The bizarre scene unfolding before her eyes, like a "rags to riches," made Mayella nod with interest. But seeing a gleaming weapon pointed directly at her, she said with a hint of annoyance...

"Why? I clearly saved you!"

"Then you're truly unlucky... because the one you saved is the person in this world who most wants to destroy you monsters! Today is the day to avenge the blood feud of my fallen comrades and the destroyed kingdom!"

"Dead compatriots? Destroyed kingdoms? Did the Demon King's army do something to your homeland and people? But that has nothing to do with me."

"It has nothing to do with you... I don't think a sheltered young lady like you could have gone to the battlefield that time. But judging from your appearance, that damned demon king must have doted on you quite a bit..."

"..."

At this point, Mayella's expression froze, a hint of displeasure clearly showing. But Tatia was oblivious to the meaning behind this subtle change in her expression and continued...

"...So what will that Demon King think if I kill you? Let him experience the pain of losing a loved one... Although it's not even a ten-thousandth of my pain!... But don't worry, I won't kill you right away. I still need to extract information about the Demon King from you."

As she spoke, she held the sword in her right hand and braced it with her left arm, assuming a fighting stance. Besides revenge, there was another reason that led her to do this.

"Also, if I were to kill you, it would be a tremendous contribution to the human kingdom. Then, I could proudly face Sister Naka... Sister Naka would definitely praise me...!"

In short, Tatia seemed to have found a shortcut to that ray of hope. Her fighting spirit soared, and the healing light emanating from "Elf Paradise" replenished the hunger, cold, fatigue, and injuries of the past few days. Her body had recovered. Now she was in her most perfect battle condition.

Seeing Tatia's intense hatred towards her, Mayera sighed deeply after a moment of silence.

"Sigh. Although I feel you're just taking your anger out on others. I helped you, yet I'm treated like this; I feel truly innocent and wronged. But it seems that just talking won't calm you down. Since you're so eager to fight..."

Mayera gently raised her slender arm, pointing the still-open parasol at Tatia. This was her response to her hostility.

"...Then I'll play along with you."

"Die! Daughter of the Demon King!"

The moment her opponent accepted her challenge, Tatia swung her greatsword. After six months of rigorous training, her speed was now vastly different. In an instant, she appeared before Mayra. The gleaming greatsword swiftly and mercilessly slashed at Mayra, who hadn't even had time to change her stance.

"when!"

In Tatia's eyes, Mayera's body had been cleaved in two by the sword. However, she was shocked. She didn't feel the sensation of "hitting flesh." Upon closer inspection, she realized that the spot where Mayera had been standing was now empty. Her greatsword had completely missed its mark, crashing heavily into the ground and leaving a huge gash in the earth.

"Here you are, handsome!"

Her voice, pleasant to the ear but utterly irritating to Tatsia, came from behind. Tatsia had no idea when or how the woman had dodged her attack and moved behind her. She stared at her in disbelief.

Mayera seemed to notice the astonishment in Tatia's eyes and deliberately provoked her with an unpleasant tone.