I Became a Genius Swordsman in the Pretty Girl Game-Chapter 270: Botch the Alice (2)

After walking for what felt like ages along the cliff, we finally arrived at the Sword Sovereign’s abode.

"Wow..." "Unbelievable..."

Even Lee Yu-ri and Kang Do-hee couldn’t help but express their amazement. I, too, stared wide-eyed at the structure before us.

The Sword Sovereign’s Forest—true to its legendary name, the place was nothing short of magnificent.

Gigantic spears flanked the massive entrance, and a blanket of white mist covering the ground added an air of mystique.

It was baffling how such an enormous house could be perched on a mountainside, and even more so that we had only noticed it when we were practically on top of it.

Just then...

CREEEAAAK—

The gate slowly opened with a screech, as if the hinges were grinding against metal.

And from within, a figure emerged.

Long, silky silver hair that shimmered in the light. Eyes as blue as the sky, set against a pale, cold complexion.

It was her—the very person responsible for pulling me into this world, and the one who laid the foundation for my survival here.

Alice.

There she stood.

‘It’s really her.’

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her, the real-life version of the character I had only seen in illustrations.

‘It’s really Alice in the flesh.’

Why had I drained my already empty wallet to summon Alice? Was it because she was a limited-time character? Because of her insanely powerful stats? Or because the developers at Velvetsoft had been hyping her up for three months straight?

None of that mattered.

From the beginning, all that was revealed about Alice was that she was the Sword Sovereign’s granddaughter, with a real name like Kim Malsook. There were only her combat animations and illustrations.

But it was that illustration that got me—'Silver hair and blue eyes'—a look that hit my aesthetic preferences dead center.

Unlike other characters, whose personal stories were well-known, Alice was an enigma, with just enough revealed to spark a sense of mystery.

‘But... what is this?’

As I stared at her, something seemed off.

Her eyes were trembling uncontrollably. Her lips quivered, opening and closing as if struggling to find the right words. Her hands were lightly shaking as well.

Having trained under a master who barely showed any expression, I’d become adept at reading even the slightest hints of emotion. And it was clear as day—she was nervous.

‘Is she flustered? Wasn’t she supposed to come out and greet us?’

Given that she appeared just as we reached the front gate, I naturally assumed she had come out to welcome us. But it seemed that wasn’t the case.

"..." "..."

We stood there in awkward silence, locked in a prolonged staring contest.

Kang Do-hee, unable to bear the tension any longer, began to fidget, prompting me to speak up first.

"Hello. We’re students from Velvet Hunter Academy, introduced by Director Rina, and we’ve come to the Sword Sovereign’s Forest."

Alice’s eyes widened in shock.

"Ve-Velvet Hunter Academy...?!"

She was so flustered that she even stuttered.

"Yes, so... we’re here to see the Sword Sovereign. Could you perhaps guide us?"

Without a word, Alice spun around and started walking—straight into the closed door.

THUD.

THUD.

THUD.

She banged her head against the door three times. Hard.

‘That must hurt.’

"What is this? Some sort of Sword Sovereign ritual?" Lee Yu-ri whispered behind me.

"Hmm, I heard the Sword Sovereign is quite eccentric, but this is a bit... odd," Kang Do-hee murmured.

Their whispers, clearly audible, made Alice’s ears turn bright red.

THUD.

She banged her head against the door again, and I finally couldn’t just stand by anymore.

"Uh... you’re supposed to push, not pull."

"Oh."

With a look of realization, Alice bit her lip and pulled the door open.

CREEEEAK—

"Is she... a bit slow? She doesn’t look that young; that’s a bit sad."

"Hey, your voice is too loud, Kang Do-hee!"

"Yours is louder."

I chuckled to myself.

‘They really know how to craft characters, those Velvetsoft developers...’

The character with a cold, aloof exterior, but a clueless, slightly off-kilter side—it was a classic trope. The contrast between her demeanor and her actions was irresistible. It was a major appeal for many.

Despite the frustration I’d often felt toward the developers, I had to admit, they nailed this one.

"I’ve brought them, Grandma."

With her forehead now bright red, Alice quickly guided us to the Sword Sovereign and then disappeared.

In the middle of the training ground, a woman stood, holding a long pipe in one hand, drawing in a deep breath of smoke.

Sssssk—

"Hmm... so it’s you lot? No wonder she was so flustered."

The Sword Sovereign surveyed us with a bemused expression, her tone dripping with amusement.

I, too, was taken aback as I silently observed her.

She looked much younger than I had anticipated.

‘Wasn’t the Sword Sovereign supposed to be an old woman...?’

Given that Alice was her granddaughter, I had naturally expected an elderly woman. But instead of a granny, I was greeted by a striking beauty with dark blue hair tied up in a bun.

‘They say mana users age more slowly, but... this is something else.’

Even knowing that, she looked too young to be Alice’s grandmother.

As the Sword Sovereign’s gaze swept over us, her eyes stopped on me. Her expression, which had previously been one of mild disinterest, suddenly sparked with curiosity.

"This one’s special."

Oh, right. I remembered that Director Rina had given me a letter of introduction for the Sword Sovereign.

I reached into my pocket to retrieve it, but...

"No need."

She shook her head, cutting me off before I could hand it over.

"Pardon?"

"It’s just a letter from that brat Rina, isn’t it?"

I nodded awkwardly.

"Y-yes, that’s right."

"Let me guess—she’s asked me to teach you a thing or two about swordsmanship. But you’re the only one here who uses a sword?"

"Yes, ma’am! I’m a tank!" Lee Yu-ri replied enthusiastically.

"I’m a martial artist," Kang Do-hee added, just as energetically.

"Alright then. It’s been a while since I had guests, and I wouldn’t want to be a poor host. Follow me."

The Sword Sovereign turned on her heel and began to walk. My party and I exchanged glances before trailing behind her.

She definitely had a strong "my pace" personality.

The Sword Sovereign led us to a place behind the building.

"...Is this..."

My voice trailed off in surprise as I took in the sight before me. The Sword Sovereign nodded in response.

"Yes, this is the Forest of Swords. It’s the reason why this place is called the Sword Sovereign’s Forest."

Before us lay a dense thicket of enormous, razor-sharp sword blades, standing upright like trees. The edges gleamed ominously, and the narrow gaps between them looked too tight for anyone to pass through unscathed.

SWOOSH—

A leaf caught by the wind drifted into the sword forest, only to be instantly sliced in half by one of the blades.

"Your first task is to make it through here," she said, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.

"Sure, it might seem a bit daunting at first. Malsook, show them how it’s done."

In response, Alice suddenly appeared from behind and marched up to the Sword Sovereign. With her lips pressed into a thin line, she shot a glare at her grandmother.

"Just give them a demonstration."

With a sigh, Alice propelled herself forward and dove into the Forest of Swords.

SWISH!

She twisted her body, weaving through the blades with remarkable speed. The razor-sharp edges barely missed her, but her expression remained composed throughout.

"All you need to do is cross the Forest of Swords, reach the other side, and then come back. Think you can handle it?"

The Sword Sovereign flashed us a challenging smile.

‘...Can we handle it?’

I couldn’t help but feel a bit baffled.

Because...

It was too easy.

I had already gone through this kind of training.

It was something my master had made me do less than two months after I entered the academy.

In that training, I had to dash through a virtual space filled with densely packed swords at top speed. After a week of training, the swords would start moving on their own. And another week after that, my master would launch sword strikes at me, aiming for any gaps in my defense.

I glanced at my party members. They, too, looked bewildered.

The training I had received from my instructor had been passed down to the Utopia Party members as well. This meant that Lee Yu-ri and Kang Do-hee had already experienced this kind of training long ago.

‘Hmm... even with our physical and mana restrictions, it should still be manageable... We used to do this like it was second nature, so this shouldn’t be a problem.’

As we stood there, staring at the Forest of Swords, the Sword Sovereign spoke up again.

"Is this too difficult for you? If so, then—"

"No, it’s fine. We can do it."

I cut her off before she could finish.

Right. The Sword Sovereign didn’t know the level of our party yet. She was probably testing us with a basic task to gauge our abilities.

If we showed her we could handle this easily, she would likely adjust the training to match our level.

With that thought, I propelled myself forward at full speed into the Forest of Swords.

My party members quickly followed suit, pushing off the ground right behind me.

‘Hmm, maybe I’m asking too much of them...’

The kids # Nоvеlight # that Rina sent for training had surprised the Sword Sovereign when she first saw them. Their physical conditioning and the flow of mana within them were exceptional, even in this place where the unusual energy nearly drained all physical and magical abilities to the bare minimum.

If she could still sense their strength despite these limitations, it meant they were quite formidable.

Especially that boy with the black hair.

He was truly something special.

He reminded her of that monstrous prodigy she once knew, Baek Seol-hee...

‘No, it can’t be.’ ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

There couldn’t possibly be another like that in this world.

But still, the aura she sensed from him was extraordinary, which is why she had decided to test them with the Forest of Swords, a trial of considerable difficulty.

And then, she noticed their initial shock, their surprise visible to the naked eye.

‘Maybe I overdid it from the start...’

But then, her thoughts were shattered in an instant.

"W-What!?"

Thud.

The pipe she had been holding slipped from her fingers and fell to the ground.

"No way...!"

Her half-closed eyes, usually filled with indifference, suddenly flared with intense interest.

"My sword! That boy... he must inherit my sword!!!"