I Became a Genius Swordsman in the Pretty Girl Game-Chapter 266: Forest of Sword Sacrifice (1)

“Your recent activities have been reported to me by the Chinese Public Security Hunter Association. You’ve stirred up quite an interesting situation over there.”

Upon entering the chairman’s office at Rina’s summons, the first thing she mentioned was the incident in China.

‘I wonder how much she knows.’

I hesitated briefly before letting out a small laugh. She probably knew most of it. Rina would have likely investigated as soon as she received the report.

“So that’s why Shin Do-hwa has been so quiet... I didn’t expect her to be causing trouble while hiding in China.”

As expected, Rina was already aware of the situation. We had deliberately kept Shin Ga’s involvement under wraps to prevent it from escalating into a national issue.

“Yes, I handled it quietly.”

“I see that. You managed to resolve it without causing any noise. Very impressive, Jin Yoo-ha.”

Rina praised me in an unusually soft and friendly tone.

“You’ve truly lived up to your reputation as one of the top cadets at Velvet Hunter Academy.”

I twitched involuntarily.

‘What’s gotten into this brat...’

Sure, I had achieved a better outcome than in the original game where the chimera spread, so I could understand her being pleased. But hearing such words from her with that sickly sweet expression made my stomach churn and sent shivers down my spine.

“Uh... why don’t you just act like your usual self? Acting all high and mighty doesn’t suit you, Chairman, and it looks like it’s taking a toll on you too...”

I narrowed my eyes as I spoke.

“Argh! Even when I try to praise you, you...!”

Rina immediately gritted her teeth and snapped back. Yeah, this grumpy little mage was more like her usual self.

“Anyway, what’s the reason you called me here? I doubt it’s just to talk about the China incident...”

“Hmph.”

Rina tilted her head and rubbed her chin as she looked at me. Due to her short stature, she had to look up to meet my gaze.

She stared at me for a moment before speaking.

“Jin Yoo-ha. I want you to spend some time in the Sword Sovereign’s Forest. Go there and receive the Sword Sovereign’s teachings.”

“What? The Sword Sovereign? Teachings...?”

I looked at her with a bewildered expression.

“Why? Do you have other plans? Or are you just going to stay idle?”

“No, I don’t have any plans... but it’s not like I’m idle! I’m a cadet, and I still have classes to attend.”

And I needed to get stronger to prepare for the major incidents that were coming.

Rina folded her arms, looking utterly unimpressed.

“Honestly, ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) neither you nor your party members gain much from the academy’s classes anymore. How much of a proper training experience can you get when you’re out on field practice with first-year cadets?”

She said this with an annoyingly smug look on her face.

‘Man, I really want to flick her forehead... just once, really hard...’

But she wasn’t wrong. My party members and I were already considered irregulars at the academy.

In group projects, we often worked alone, or when it came to competitive evaluations, we were more likely to serve as demonstration instructors than to be evaluated like the other cadets. Even the other cadets seemed to think this was fair.

So her suggestion to go train in the Sword Sovereign’s Forest was a considerate gesture on her part. However, there was a reason I couldn’t accept this favor at face value.

That reason was the sword technique I had just mastered.

Wolyeong Swordsmanship.

The only time I could practice it was during my master’s lessons!

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible because I need to attend my master’s classes.”

I politely declined Rina’s suggestion.

But Rina responded as if she had been expecting that answer.

“Oh, I must have forgotten to mention this. You won’t be seeing Seol-hee for the next month.”

“...What!?”

“I just sent Seol-hee on a long-term mission. She’ll be gone for about a month.”

“What do you mean...?”

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The sudden news of my master’s absence left me flabbergasted.

Without my master, who was I supposed to learn Wolyeong Swordsmanship from?

Making such a decision without consulting me first—what kind of nonsense was this?

I glared at Rina, who returned my gaze with a calm expression.

“Don’t look at me with those disrespectful eyes.”

“How can you suddenly drop something like this—”

“You’ve been receiving special treatment until now.”

“...What?”

“Seol-hee is usually so busy that even having ten bodies wouldn’t be enough. She’s been squeezing in time to train you, and that was the exception. This is how things are supposed to be.”

“...”

“She’s been putting off her duties for as long as possible, but now she can’t delay them any longer.”

Rina’s calm explanation felt like cold water being poured over my heated mind.

‘...Right.’

My master was originally someone who led the Demon Extermination Squad, working in the shadows. That wasn’t exactly a laid-back job.

I had forgotten that she always made time for me whenever I asked. I had momentarily forgotten how much she had been accommodating me.

In the end, I had no choice but to accept it.

If it were any other reason, maybe I could argue, but if my master was busy with her personal duties, then as her disciple, I couldn’t selfishly demand more of her time.

“...I understand. But in that case—”

After Jin Yoo-ha left the chairman’s office...

“Was it really necessary to go this far?”

A voice came from behind Rina. She glanced back briefly and replied curtly.

“Didn’t you say you had nothing left to teach Jin Yoo-ha?”

“That’s why I came to you, Chairman. To learn what more I could teach him.”

Baek Seol-hee, who had just had her disciple taken away, spoke in a voice laced with suppressed anger.

“This is the answer.”

“This is the answer? Sending my disciple to that woman, the Sword Sovereign?”

“Hmph, it’s just temporary. He’s not being handed over permanently.”

“But—!”

Baek Seol-hee, for the first time, raised her voice, but Rina cut her off.

“Hmph, your love for your disciple is admirable. But if you’re that worried, why not go with him?”

“...Go with him?”

“Yes, but only under the condition that I place a magical restriction on you.”

“What restriction?”

“For the next month, you won’t be able to speak or interact with anyone. You’ll only be allowed to watch from a distance. Will you still go?”

At Rina’s question, Baek Seol-hee nodded solemnly.

Bzzz—

Rina’s hand glowed with a blue light.

“The Sword Sovereign’s Forest, huh...”

Back in my private room at the hideout, I propped my feet up on the desk and tried to sort out my thoughts.

The offer itself wasn’t bad.

The dungeons around there were at a level appropriate for my current abilities. And getting trained by the Sword Sovereign was a rare opportunity, even something that didn’t happen in the original game.

‘Of course, the best option would still be learning swordsmanship from my master...’

Even if it was the Sword Sovereign, nothing could help me master Wolyeong Swordsmanship as quickly as my master’s guidance. But I couldn’t cling to something that wasn’t possible.

Sigh—

I let out a short sigh, shaking off my lingering regret.

“Well, since it’s the Sword Sovereign, I’m sure I’ll still gain something useful.”

The Sword Sovereign.

An SSS-ranked Hunter.

Notable for her obsession with swords.

She was undeniably one of the top Hunters in Korea when it came to swordsmanship. If Rina didn’t exist, she would probably hold the top spot in Korea.

But at the same time, she was a figure who wasn’t often talked about anymore. Few people even remembered her.

She had suddenly retired after briefly shining during the most intense gate incidents.

These days, if you mentioned her as the best sword-wielder in Korea, people would dismiss you as outdated or out of touch.

Even though she was slowly fading from memory, I knew a lot about the Sword Sovereign.

Because her granddaughter was someone special.

Someone who would play an important role in my life.

It might seem strange to say I had a deep connection with someone I hadn’t even met yet.

But of course, I did.

A connection deeper than the ocean.

No, deeper than the mantle of the Earth.

The Sword Sovereign’s granddaughter.

She was an incoming freshman at the Academy next year, a character who inspired both admiration and scorn with her five-star rating.

And she was the merciful person who would later pull out all the stops to help me survive in this world.

Alice Park, owner of the Alice Box.

[ Sword Blossom, Alice ☆☆☆☆☆ ]

Real name, Kim Malsook.

Yes, the very person responsible for my transmigration into this world!

I frowned and scratched my head.

“Tsk, I was planning to give her something when we met... but now I’ve used up most of it... Should I still bring what’s left?”

Just then...

Creak—

“Huh? What are you planning to give someone?”

Yu-ri, who had arrived unnoticed, opened the door and responded to my muttering.

“Oh, you’re here, Gukbap?”

“Yeah, everyone’s waiting in the meeting room. I came to get you.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

“But what were you going to give someone? And what’s this about leftovers?”

“It’s nothing.”

I shook my head and headed to the meeting room with Gukbap.