I Became a Genius Swordsman in the Pretty Girl Game-Chapter 272: Sword Sacrifice (2)

Thump.

Thump. Thump.

Alice walked ahead, her footsteps steady, while Kang Do-hee and Lee Yu-ri trailed behind her. Both of them couldn’t help but glance back, their thoughts clearly on Jin Yoo-ha, whom they had left alone with the Sword Sovereign.

"Are we really sure we can trust that woman?" Lee Yu-ri whispered, her voice tinged with doubt.

"Hmm, anyone who starts touching you the moment they meet you is hardly normal... And to think that woman is the legendary Sword Sovereign... I honestly don’t know what to believe," Kang Do-hee replied.

"She’s definitely suspicious..." Lee Yu-ri agreed.

"I’m seriously considering going back right now," Kang Do-hee added, her voice uncertain.

As the two continued their hushed conversation about the Sword Sovereign, Alice suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned to glare at them.

They froze. While it wasn’t exactly polite to criticize someone's family in front of them, Kang Do-hee and Lee Yu-ri averted their eyes, feeling somewhat guilty under Alice’s icy stare.

"What’s your elemental attribute?" Alice asked, her voice cold as ice.

"Attribute?" Lee Yu-ri echoed, taken aback by the sudden question.

Alice nodded, waiting for an answer.

‘Why is she asking about our attributes all of a sudden?’ Lee Yu-ri thought. At least she wasn’t bringing up their earlier conversation, which made answering easier. After all, it wasn’t hard to provide a straightforward answer.

"I’m Earth."

Lee Yu-ri was attuned to the Earth element, a common attribute for tanks. The solid body and steadfast stance she naturally adopted in battle were a result of this affinity.

"I’m Fire," Kang Do-hee replied.

Although she shared the Fire attribute with Shin Se-hee, Kang Do-hee's flames were different—where Shin Se-hee’s fire was a slow, consuming blaze, Kang Do-hee’s was a brief but intense inferno, capable of destruction in an instant.

Alice pointed to a direction and addressed Lee Yu-ri first.

"Those with the Earth attribute, go that way."

Then, she pointed in another direction, indicating it to Kang Do-hee.

"Those with the Fire attribute, go this way."

Alice bit her lip, her voice growing even colder as she gave the instructions.

‘I’m so annoyed. No matter how much I begged Grandma to teach me the sword, she always refused! But now, she’s practically begging some random guy she just met, just because he looks good!’

Alice was seething with frustration. She really couldn’t stand it.

"Why on earth would you refuse to become my disciple? Are you doubting my skills?" the Sword Sovereign asked, her tone urgent.

"Excuse me?" Jin Yoo-ha responded, caught off guard by her sudden change in demeanor.

"I am the Sword Sovereign. There is no one who can match me with the sword, and I’ve never allowed a single defeat. Even now, I pride myself on being second to none when it comes to the sword," she said, listing her achievements in a desperate attempt ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) to persuade him. It felt embarrassingly undignified for someone of her stature to speak this way.

"If you accept me as your master, your swordsmanship will reach heights you could never imagine."

(How pathetic, Sword Sovereign... Did you really think my disciple would be so easily swayed?)

Despite her impassioned plea, Jin Yoo-ha’s expression remained unchanged.

"Well, yes, I know you’re no ordinary person, especially since Director Rina introduced you. I don’t think you’re a bad person either," Jin Yoo-ha said, trying to acknowledge her reputation without committing.

"Then why...?"

"I already have a master whom I serve," Jin Yoo-ha explained.

(...Hmph. That’s the perfect answer, my disciple.)

In that moment, the Sword Sovereign realized she had been too hasty.

‘I assumed, since he’s a student at the academy, that he wouldn’t have a proper master.’

In Rina’s academy, instructors taught swordsmanship, not masters. Naturally, she had assumed this boy had no true master.

A true master-disciple relationship was something profound—a bond where the disciple would inherit not just techniques but the very essence of the sword from the master, willing to carve their mentor’s path into their own body and soul.

The Sword Sovereign had considered the possibility that Jin Yoo-ha might mistake an instructor for a master, but the resolve in his eyes showed he understood the weight of the word "master."

"Ahem."

The Sword Sovereign cleared her throat, softening her tone.

"I see. It’s admirable that you hold your master in such high regard. But don’t you want to become stronger?"

"I do want to become stronger. That’s why I came to learn from you," Jin Yoo-ha replied earnestly.

(My disciple, you don’t need to force yourself to learn from such a woman. You can become strong on your own. Realize this.)

"In that case, why not have two masters? It wouldn’t be a betrayal, right? After all, you have multiple instructors at the academy, don’t you?"

(What kind of nonsense is this woman spouting?)

The Sword Sovereign knew full well what she was suggesting was unconventional, even impolite, but she felt she had no choice. Letting Jin Yoo-ha slip away now meant she might never have such an opportunity again.

Her instincts were screaming at her that this boy was the one—he had to be the one to inherit her sword.

‘Whoever his master is, I’m sorry, but I’m desperate here. If you have a problem with it, you can come and challenge me yourself.’

(Unsheathe your sword, Sword Sovereign.)

Faced with the offer of dual mentorship, Jin Yoo-ha thought for a moment before smiling and shaking his head.

"I’m sorry, but I’ll have to refuse."

"...What? Why?"

"My master... Despite how she might seem, she’s actually quite possessive. And, well... she’s also very jealous," Jin Yoo-ha said, recalling the time he had mentioned his respect for Rina in front of Baek Seol-hee. Her reaction had been like a puppy that had just been kicked, utterly crestfallen.

‘She was so adorable back then.’

It was only a passing comment, yet Baek Seol-hee had looked utterly devastated.

Given how hurt she had been by something so small, what would happen if she found out he had taken on another master without her knowing?

‘I’m curious, but... I can’t do that to her.’

Jin Yoo-ha chuckled to himself, thinking of Baek Seol-hee.

(...My disciple.)

Rejected once again, the Sword Sovereign’s patience was wearing thin.

A vein throbbed visibly on her forehead, her pride stinging. Had anyone ever dared reject her so bluntly before? No, never.

Countless people had come to her, begging to learn the sword, yet she had never taken a disciple.

"Hah. Your master must have really done a number on you!"

Even with that provocative statement, Jin Yoo-ha only nodded innocently.

"Yes, I suppose she has."

(...How shameful. To think I, as your master, would show such a lack of trust in you...)

"So, who is this incredible master of yours? The Sword King? The Sword Emperor? Or perhaps that fledgling Blade Emperor?"

The Sword Sovereign listed the names of some of the most formidable sword wielders she had encountered, hoping to pinpoint Jin Yoo-ha’s mentor.

But Jin Yoo-ha shook his head.

"None of them. My master isn’t known by those names."

"Then who is it?" she pressed.

"My master is..."

Jin Yoo-ha paused for effect, then spoke with pride, directing his gaze at the Sword Sovereign.

"Baek Seol-hee. Some people call her the 'Butcher’s Madwoman,' but I think that name doesn’t suit her at all. She’s far too beautiful and adorable for such a harsh title."

(...)

The Sword Sovereign’s mouth dropped open at the unexpected name.

"What... That little brat is your master!?"

"Yes, that’s right."

The Sword Sovereign was stunned. The girl she remembered, who had once come to this place brimming with bloodlust, had grown into someone’s master.

But at the same time, it made perfect sense.

The number of people she had deemed true monsters could be counted on one hand, and Baek Seol-hee had been one of them.

‘Wait a minute, this might actually work out better,’ the Sword Sovereign thought, a sly smile forming on her lips.

"Well, isn’t that a coincidence?"

"...Excuse me?"

(What is this woman scheming now?)

"You see, the one right above Baek Seol-hee is me."

(What...!?)

"I don’t choose my master based on their strength—"

"No, no, that’s not what I mean. Your master, Baek Seol-hee, was my disciple," the Sword Sovereign declared.

"...What?"

Jin Yoo-ha’s eyes widened as he stared at the Sword Sovereign.

"Which means I’m your master’s master. In other words, I’m your grandmaster," she said with a self-satisfied grin.

‘Well, she’s not here right now, so who cares? It’s not exactly a lie anyway,’ she thought, mentally justifying her claim.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

(No, that’s a lie!)

Not far away, Baek Seol-hee bit her lip until it bled, pounding her fists against the barrier.

(That woman is not my master! Don’t fall for her tricks, my disciple!) freewёbnoνel.com

Baek Seol-hee was shouting in a voice unlike any Jin Yoo-ha had ever heard from her—one filled with genuine distress.

But the magical barrier that Rina had set up was too strong. No matter how hard Baek Seol-hee yelled until her throat was raw, neither Jin Yoo-ha nor the Sword Sovereign could hear her.

She could only watch in helpless fury as the sly old fox tried to manipulate her disciple.

"Your master’s... grandmaster? My grandmaster?" Jin Yoo-ha stammered.

"That’s right. So it wouldn’t be unreasonable for you to inherit my sword as well," the Sword Sovereign said, her tone full of confidence.

Jin Yoo-ha’s pupils dilated in shock as he tried to process what she was saying.