The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

"Everything is ready."

The author's words:

As I mentioned before, Volume 3 will unfold the story using a dual-narrative parallel structure. Quite a few events have already occurred in Tatsia's storyline. Finally, Naka's storyline has officially begun.

The Naka route begins in the capital of the human kingdom: the royal capital. There, Naka will encounter entirely new characters, unfolding a new story she never imagined. However, compared to the first two volumes, Naka's attitude and stance will undergo some significant changes. If one had to categorize her, the Naka in the first volume was half saint and half demon. In the second volume, tormented by love, she repeatedly shows concern and protectiveness towards Tatsia. Finally, her all-night conversation with her supposed killer significantly shifts her allegiance to the saint.

The difference between the Saintess and the Demon King is not merely a matter of status; it also symbolizes the changes in Naka's personality and her feelings towards others. That's my opinion.

In the third volume, I will create a Naka who leans significantly towards the Demon King's side. This is also the demeanor Naka should have as a Demon King before disguising herself as a saintess. What kind of characters will this "Naka" encounter, and what kind of clashes will they have? Will the "true self" Naka is so desperately searching for ultimately be a saintess or a Demon King?

Please stay tuned.

Arrival in Vado Town

"This is Vado Town..."

Following Mayera's instructions before she left, Tatia embarked on her journey once more. After another day of walking, a massive city appeared before her. A sign stood before the enormous city gate, clearly stating, "Welcome to Vado Town." Tatia breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Mayera, who had deceived her in so many ways, had finally told the truth.

She picked up her luggage and walked to the city gate. Soon, a male staff member stepped forward and asked...

"Hello, may I ask who you are...? Hmm? I remember you seem to be..."

"...May I go in?"

Judging from his reaction, he seemed to have heard about what happened in Sunflower Town. Tatia simply took out her identification documents and handed them to the staff member.

"Um, please wait a moment."

Whether or not to let Tatsia, who was suspected of attempted murder, into the city was a dilemma even for this low-level employee. He returned to his office to seek his supervisor's opinion. He quickly returned, this time with a red stamp on Tatsia's file.

"Just entering the city is fine. But we hope you will abide by the law and not do anything out of line. Otherwise, we have the right to put you in jail."

"I know"

Now, Tatia no longer dwelled on the resentful things that had almost cost her everything. She silently accepted the documents and entered the city. Now, all she wanted to do was be an adventurer.

Crossing the city gate, a massive and bustling city, comparable in size to Isard Town, came into Tatia's view. Among the throngs of people coming and going were many fully armed adventurers, soldiers maintaining order, and capitalists engaged in trade and commerce. It was a vibrant and lively place. Tatia was certain that a great deal of information and intelligence circulated here.

The Demon King's Daughter, Meera, said she was also heading here. Having set off earlier than Tatia, she should have arrived long ago. But the town is still peaceful and tranquil. It seems Meera hasn't caused any trouble yet. This somewhat reassured Tatia, who was worried that the town had become a battlefield.

Even those stationed in other towns had heard about her, and Tatsia realized that the impact of her actions seemed to be greater than she had imagined. To avoid being recognized and causing more trouble, Tatsia immediately covered her green hair with a towel upon entering the city. While not exactly a disguise, it significantly reduced her conspicuousness and recognizability in the eyes of others. Only after making these preparations did Tatsia officially step into the bustling city.

"First of all... I should check the time."

Lost in her own world, Tatia had no idea how long she had been away from Sunflower Town or how long she had been unconscious. She had also forgotten to ask Maya. So she had no idea what time it was. But asking someone would expose her identity, so she began looking for newsboys selling newspapers on the street, knowing that the newspapers would definitely have today's date printed on them.

Even after searching several blocks, Tatsia couldn't find a single newsboy carrying a stack of newspapers and hawking them on the street. Finally, because she was thirsty, she went to a roadside grocery store to buy water and discovered that all the newspapers were for sale on the shelves. Tatsia couldn't help but marvel at how this town seemed more developed and civilized than others.

She took a newspaper from the shelf. The date on it was clearly stated as "January 15th." That was nine days after Tatsia was expelled from school.

"Nine days have already passed... The seven days before I met Mayera two days ago felt like seven years..."

Turning to the second page, she found information about the Sunflower Town Adventurers' School. The school's graduation exams were a topic of conversation in major cities every year. Several representative exams and promising new students were reported. First, there was a list of top scorers in each profession and level from this year's graduation exams. Tatya, still quite interested in how the exams had progressed since her departure, couldn't help but continue reading. She was eager to know who had ultimately taken the top spot.

After being disqualified, Oz should have been the most likely winner. However, the name appearing in the champion's column surprised Tatia greatly.

"Herminu?"

He was a hero in the advanced class, just like Tatia. However, compared to herself and Oz, his presence was extremely weak. Even though Tatia remembered his name, she couldn't recall his face immediately. In terms of strength, he was definitely no match for Oz. But after reading the description that "Oz, the original favorite to win, was seriously injured in the second round of the exam and unable to participate in the final round, thus forfeiting in resentment," Tatia fell silent.

Looking back now, Tatia realizes that she acted impulsively, nearly committing an irreversible act against Oz, who had done nothing wrong and had never wronged her. He considered her a good friend and a worthy rival. Yet, she attempted to kill him in front of everyone. Even though she ultimately failed due to Frost's intervention, it prevented Oz from continuing to fight, causing him to miss a golden opportunity to win the championship. All of this was Tatia's fault.

A wave of self-reproach and regret washed over her. She couldn't face Oz's name any longer. Escapistively turning the page that contained information about the Hero Class, the champion's interview, and the instructors' evaluations, she moved to the second page. This page detailed the Saintess Class. And the Saintess Class champion's name was all too familiar to Tatia.

"The person who won the beginner level championship was... Sister Jasmine?"

She had initially hoped to see Naka's name there. That would at least pinpoint Naka's location. After all, the winning students were assigned by the school to the capital to receive one-on-one guidance from top adventurers in the kingdom's elite adventurer corps. They would also be given a place in the corps' reserve force. Going to the capital would allow her to reunite with Naka. But she wasn't the one receiving this special treatment.

Tatya was happy for Jasmine's victory. But the bad news of losing track of Naka's whereabouts was far more disheartening. After reading the news about the two professions she cared about, she closed the newspaper, put it back in its place, and left the general store. She had completely forgotten her initial purpose for entering the store to moisten her dry throat.

What should she do next? Going to the capital to find Jasmine and ask her about Naka's whereabouts might be one option. But Tatia didn't know how she could face Jasmine, who had once cared for her so tenderly, in her despised position. Moreover, being sent to the capital was a privilege reserved for champions. Since Naka wasn't a champion, she wasn't qualified to go with them. It was also highly likely that Jasmine was unaware of Naka's current situation. Even if she went to the capital, met Jasmine, and she forgave her, it might all be a wasted trip.

Going is not an option, but what should she do if she doesn't go? Tatia was caught in a dilemma.

"...I'm so hungry."

The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. Her rumbling stomach made it impossible for her to concentrate on thinking about the distant future. The hunger pangs from not eating for nine days were truly unbearable. Finally, Taqia realized that she should focus on the most important thing in front of her: finding a way to earn money, at least enough to fill her empty stomach and prevent herself from starving to death on the streets.

Following the signs in the city, Tatia arrived at the gate of the Adventurers' Guild in Vado Town.

This place isn't under the jurisdiction of Mr. Ijima, the head of the Adventurers' Guild in Isaad Town who was vehemently preventing her from accepting quests and teaming up with others. There shouldn't be any issues with not being able to accept quests and earn money here. Taqia didn't think much of it and pushed open the door to go inside.

But things didn't go as smoothly as she had imagined. Even the female guild leader here, a complete stranger, looked hesitant when she heard Tatsia's request to accept the quest. She said...

"Well... although the higher-ups haven't issued any notice prohibiting you from teaming up with others, aren't you... that freshman who was expelled from school? I'm really worried about whether you can successfully complete the mission and ensure the safety of the people..."

Because of her past record of nearly killing Oz, Tatia's application inevitably encountered obstacles. But Tatia knew nothing but combat. Now, with the freedom to use the liberated "Elf Paradise," she could complete more difficult and rewarding quests that she couldn't do before. She desperately needed these quests to replenish her resources and take the first step in her next adventure. Therefore, even resorting to shameless pleading, Tatia continued to beg the guild leader of Vado Town to make an exception for her.

"I'm sorry! What happened in Sunflower Town was definitely my fault. I've been reflecting on my actions ever since I left, and I swear I'll never make the same mistake again! Please give me a chance! I'll prove myself! I don't need any teammates; I can complete the mission by myself! Please believe me!"

"No, anyone can just say things..."

Although not explicitly refusing, the guild leader remained unconvinced, hoping to persuade Tatya to back down through tactful words. However, Tatya, penniless, refused to yield. The stalemate continued, neither willing to back down.

Until someone walked into the guild

"Hey! I registered here yesterday, have you found me any suitable teammates yet?"

A slightly young girl's voice, tinged with a hint of spoiled arrogance, sounded behind Tatsia. She instinctively turned around. There stood a girl with short orange hair, dressed in a pristine, brand-new nun's habit. She was shorter than Tatsia. Her round face was filled with an air of self-importance and haughtiness.

Tatsia turned around, allowing the girl to see her as well. She froze for a few seconds, then pointed at Tatsia with her index finger and screamed.

"Ah! It's you! You're the one from the Hero Class who defeated Oz with that strange power! Your name is Tatia, right!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down..."

Because of the girl's loud voice, everyone in the Adventurers' Guild turned to look. Taqia's name was already well-known in the industry. Taqia had to pull the girl aside amidst the strange looks and gently remind her to watch her voice. The girl also realized she seemed to have attracted something Taqia didn't like, and stuck out her tongue somewhat embarrassedly.

Tatia could tell that the girl was just a bit oblivious. She wasn't really malicious towards her for speaking so loudly. She had no intention of pursuing the matter. She simply took a closer look at the girl, who looked even younger than herself.

The news of the near-murder had already spread, so it wasn't surprising that the girl knew about it. What was strange was her choice of words. The term "Hero Class" was something that only someone who knew about the incident but wasn't familiar with Tatya or the school would use to refer to her. Tatya assumed that the person who unconsciously uttered such a phrase must be a student who had enrolled at the adventurer's school at the same time as her. However, while the person recognized Tatya, Tatya had no recollection of him, so she asked...

"I am indeed Tatsia... May I ask who you are?"

"I just graduated from there too, just like you."

"I think so too..."

"What? You're here too? Looking for someone to team up with?"

"No, I just want to take on a mission to earn some money... I don't have a single gold coin on me right now."

"Oh? So, that means you're all alone right now?"

"Yes..."

"That's great!"

The girl excitedly ran up to Tatia and grabbed her hand.

"Takia! Let's team up!"

"Huh?"

Despite knowing she was a delinquent who had plotted to kill her close friend and had been expelled from school, this unfamiliar girl nonchalantly invited her to team up. Tatia herself was both surprised and suspicious. After what happened with Mayera, Tatia, even as a woman, had become somewhat distrustful of other women.

"Why? You should know what I did and what happened to me, right? Why do you still want to team up with me?"

"I know. But so what? I watched that exam. In terms of pure strength, ten Ozs combined couldn't beat you at your full power, right? Based on the intensity, you were undoubtedly the champion of that exam. Isn't that enough?"

"Is that enough?"

"Yeah, I think for adventurers, strength is everything. Strength without the ability to defeat enemies is meaningless. If my brother were as strong as you, he probably wouldn't be... Anyway! No matter what others say, I don't care if you've been expelled from school! I've got my eye on your skills! If you're ever short of teammates, be sure to team up with me!"

"Is that so...?"

Despite her young age, this girl possessed a repertoire of theories about the survival of the fittest. She was also a rare individual who sided with Tatsia. This somewhat improved Tatsia's mood.

After several exchanges, Tatsia still didn't know anything about this little girl who had appeared out of nowhere. So she asked...

"Speaking of which... who exactly are you? If you want to team up with me, at least tell me your name, right?"

"Didn't I say that?"

"No?"

"Oh well..."

The carefree girl, who couldn't even remember the names given in the brief conversation, lightly touched her chest and proudly introduced herself.

"My name is Pais. I graduated second in my class."

New Adventure Team

The girl with short orange hair looked up. With a mix of pride and arrogance, she announced her name and grades to Tatia.

"My name is Pais. I graduated second in my class."

"First published on 705u.com - Book Club"

"Huh? Second place in the Saintess Class? You're amazing!"

Tatia couldn't help but praise her. Although she didn't know the situation in the Saintess Class, achieving second place at her age was truly remarkable. More importantly, Tatia had always thought Jasmine was first and Naka was second. If this girl named Pais was second, it meant she was even stronger than Naka.

Hearing Tatiana's praise, Pais became even more smug. She wiped her nose with feigned modesty.

"Hehe, it's nothing special. I was aiming for first place, but second place is still pretty good. Let me tell you, I had only recently become a nun before enrolling, and immediately after graduation, I was recognized by the Royal Capital Church and ordained a saint. The church said I'm the fastest person in history to be ordained a saint from nun!"

As she spoke, she pointed to the specially made garment she was wearing, which differed from the ordinary nun's habit. Because Naka had once used it to cover her ears, which had fueled Jasmine's suspicions about her relationship with Naka, Tatsia was very familiar with this fabric. She recognized that it was indeed a genuine garment representing a saint's identity.

Tatya had overheard Naka and Jasmine talking, saying that Jasmine had cultivated for nearly ten years, while Naka had only cultivated for two years before gaining the church's recognition. Naka, who had taken two years, was already considered a "genius." To become a saintess from scratch in just six months further impressed Tatya.

"You, you're really something... By the way, I wanted to ask you something."

"Please speak!"

"...Do you know a saintess named Naka?"

Since she was a student in the Saintess Class, she should know Naka, who was also studying in the Saintess Class. Tatia was eager to know about Naka's situation and grades after she was expelled, so she asked without much thought.

But the moment she heard the name, Pais frowned, visibly wavering. She also hesitated to answer Tatia's question. This unusual attitude aroused Tatia's suspicion, and she continued to ask:

"Um, did you not hear me clearly? I want to know what happened to a saintess named Naka, the one who's about your height but is already twenty years old, the one with short silver hair... Do you know anything about her?"

"I know...of course I know..."

The name was all too familiar to Pais. The more she spoke, the tighter her fists clenched, until her entire arm and body trembled with rage.

"Because that woman named Naka is the useless saintess who caused my brother's tragic death when we teamed up!"

"Wh-what!"

Although Naka is hailed as a genius and her abilities are impeccable, for unknown reasons, she had teamed up with many adventurers before joining Tatia's party, resulting in numerous mission failures and the deaths of her teammates. Very few adventurers who completed missions with Naka have returned alive. Therefore, Naka has been given the less flattering title of "the cursed saintess." Tatia, who has survived numerous missions alongside Naka, is an exception among exceptions... Tatia herself has heard these rumors.

However, due to her excessive trust and admiration for Naka, coupled with her genuine growth under Naka's guidance and the successful completion of the mission, Tatia didn't take these things to heart at all. Now, she was naturally taken aback when she encountered the family of Pasio, the hero who had teamed up with Naka and died in battle.

Regardless of Naka's past, in Tatsia's eyes, she was the person Tatsia valued, respected, loved, and cherished most in this world now that her parents had passed away. Hearing a stranger so bluntly and offensively label her as "useless" naturally ignited a nameless anger within her. She couldn't help but retort...

"Um, Naka and your brother teamed up, and he died... I didn't mean to offend your brother, and I understand you must be heartbroken after losing a family member. But how can you shift the blame to Naka? I don't think Naka wanted this to happen either."

"Naka... Sister? You call her that, so you know her?"

"That's right! I've been working with Sister Naka since before I enrolled, and I'm still alive and well, aren't I? I regret your brother's death, but I believe it was just an unfortunate accident. Please retract your slander against Sister Naka!"

"..."

Pais had only voiced his thoughts somewhat defiantly, but he hadn't expected such a fierce rebuttal. He was speechless for a moment.

In fact, a similar principle had already been conveyed to Pais by the two women after she recognized Naka on campus and followed her. Pais knew it wasn't Naka's fault. But she still felt resentful. If her brother had been stronger, if Naka had been stronger, perhaps this tragedy wouldn't have happened. Pais didn't hate Naka. She hated Naka and her brother's "incompetence."

To avoid a recurrence of the same situation, Pais resolved to strive for self-improvement, becoming a saintess stronger than Naka and teaming up with a hero stronger than her brother. Only by constantly improving herself could she reduce the possibility of dying on the battlefield. Therefore, Pais always saw Naka as a goal she must surpass, wanting to prove that Naka was indeed inadequate. She wanted to prove that she was the most qualified person to be her brother's teammate.

So, besides her brother's death, Pais had another reason to harbor resentment towards Naka...

"I know the reasons... I don't really hate her... I just want to prove I'm better than her... I just want to beat her in the exam... But she suddenly disappeared! She hasn't come to the exam since the second day, she just vanished without a trace!"

The rival she had always wanted to defeat vanished on the day of the exam, disqualified... When Pais learned of this, it was like a bolt from the blue. Even though she had achieved second place and received a series of generous rewards, including money, the regret of never surpassing her desired goal still occupied Pais's heart. Naka and her partner's irresponsible attitude towards their profession as saintesses, towards such an important trial as the graduation exam, and towards her efforts over the past six months, were what concerned Pais most at this moment.

But for Tatia, this was a shocking experience in a different sense.

"You, you said Sister Naka...she's missing!?"

"Yes. She only participated in the first round of the exam; she disappeared after the second round. Even the older sister who was very close to her said she didn't know where she went."

"The second round...that was the day I fought Oz...!"

Naka disappeared on the same day Tatsia was expelled from school. The last time Tatsia saw Naka was at the school gate. In other words, after she was expelled, Naka also disappeared from everyone's sight.