I Became a Genius Swordsman in the Pretty Girl Game-Chapter 279: Teacher Qualifications (3)

In the game Velvetra, stories about the "Sword Sovereign" rarely appear.

In fact, if I hadn’t reviewed the storyline while trapped in that pit, I wouldn’t have remembered how little information there was about the Sword Sovereign. In the game's lore, the Sword Sovereign was mentioned only occasionally, like a legendary figure.

"Most likely, the full story about the Sword Sovereign was supposed to be revealed with the release of Alice’s character and her personal story."

However, on the day Alice was released, I was suddenly thrust into this world.

This means that I know nothing about Alice’s personal storyline.

So, when asked if I had any idea what was going on in this situation, my answer would be "yes." I had some small clues.

In the game, as I explored Velvet Hunter Academy, there were occasional moments when characters would talk to themselves or exchange lines with others.

—"Sigh... If the Sword Sovereign were healthy, I’d love to ask her to evaluate my sword... Where on earth did she disappear to?"

This was something a female sword-wielding character would say while sighing in the hallway.

—"Is it true that the Sword Sovereign is tied to a strange tree? They say she mutters things like, 'Kill me!'... Oh my gosh!"

Another character, with a mind full of 19+ thoughts, would cover her face with both hands and blush furiously as she whispered this.

—"The Sword Sovereign is a respected figure, both in the past and present. Although there are rumors that she’s not in a good situation right now..."

A senior instructor would sometimes say this before beginning a lecture.

—"There was once a demon in the form of a tree in this world! It’s terrifying... If it weren’t for that person with the sword, Korea would have faced something horrific..."

An extra character in the academy cafeteria would say this while eating.

—"Sword Sovereign, you idiot..."

And finally, there was Rina, muttering this as she stared out the window at the view of Velvet Hunter Academy.

Typically, the idle chatter from characters during interactions wasn’t significant, often just light-hearted jokes. But looking back, these dialogues now seemed meaningful.

From these interactions, a few key points could be inferred:

The Sword Sovereign is not in good health.The Sword Sovereign is tied to a strange tree.The Sword Sovereign once stopped a demon in the form of a tree.However, the Sword Sovereign I encountered recently didn’t seem to be in poor health, nor was she tied to any tree.

"So, this must be something that happens in the future."

And most notably, the mention of a "demon in the form of a tree."

"It seems highly likely that this refers to the final boss..."

As I pieced these thoughts together, Kang Do-hee and Lee Yu-ri, who I hadn’t seen in a while, appeared with the Sword Sovereign in tow.

"Jin Yoo-ha!"

"Nureongi!"

They ran toward me with smiles on their faces, their hair fluttering in the wind, but the Sword Sovereign pushed past them to reach me first.

"You... Do you have any idea where my granddaughter might have been taken?"

The Sword Sovereign’s voice was desperate. I stroked my chin and nodded.

"Yes, but first, let me ask—do you know about the 'Magesu'?"

At my question, the Sword Sovereign’s expression stiffened.

"...Magesu? Disciple, are you talking about that tree demon?" novelbuddy.cσ๓

It was then that my master, who had been standing beside us, intervened.

"Yes."

"I heard that Rina dealt with that creature a long time ago..."

The Sword Sovereign, who had been listening to our conversation, spoke in a trembling voice.

"Are you saying... that it’s the Magesu that has taken Alice...?"

"Probably. Sword Sovereign, do you know the characteristics of the Magesu?"

"No, I don’t. All I know is that Rina supposedly took care of it."

"It drains life force and mana."

"!"

Everyone’s eyes widened in shock, understanding the implications.

There was a peculiar phenomenon in this part of Taebaeksan: as soon as you step into this area, your physical abilities and mana diminish, and recovery is slow.

This likely occurred because the Magesu had established its territory here, draining life and mana from the area. The Sword Sovereign’s face hardened.

"How... how could {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} it...?"

"Well, the Magesu is a troublesome creature."

Indeed, the Magesu, which appeared in the final chapter of the game, was notorious for its annoying characteristics.

It had a pattern where it absorbed the opponent’s mana and used it to launch attacks, making it incredibly frustrating to deal with. Even if a small part of its roots remained, it would use the life force it had absorbed to regenerate, much like a cockroach. And if that wasn’t bad enough, it also had a pattern where it could parasitize a player’s character, turning them against their allies.

It was such a pain that even veteran players would shudder at the mere mention of the Magesu.

—"I’m going to finish off that firewood today..." —"Aaaaah! I’m being NTR’d by a tree! This is absolute BS!!!" —"Heh, losers. I actually enjoy it. I even let it happen on purpose just to see the scene where the tendrils wrap around the characters and they start biting their lips." └ "Dude." └ "Bro." └ "Kuk, die."

In the game’s lore, the Magesu had been nearly destroyed by Rina, but a few roots had survived, allowing it to recover and return for revenge in the final chapter.

"But beyond that, there wasn’t much information, which always felt a bit vague..."

If additional details about the Magesu were released after Alice’s character was launched, it would make sense.

"If I can take it down here and now, that would be ideal."

As I mentioned before, there are no gachas in this world.

With powerhouses like the Sword Sovereign and my master here, it seemed like a fight we could win. But there was still a problem.

To fully defeat the Magesu and rescue Alice, we would need someone with a strong ice attribute.

"Then, let’s—"

The Sword Sovereign, realizing that a demon might have taken her granddaughter, looked ready to rush out immediately.

"Wait. Sword Sovereign, Alice will be fine. The Magesu has a habit of capturing and storing humans. If we just rush in, it might use Alice as a hostage."

At my words, the Sword Sovereign hesitated.

"...That..."

She bit her lip, her fists trembling visibly.

"Ah, I think I understand now why the Sword Sovereign ended up tied to that tree."

Based on my experience playing Velvetra, I could piece together the situation from her reaction.

With Alice held hostage, the Sword Sovereign must have exchanged herself for her granddaughter. And then Alice, seeking help for the captured Sword Sovereign, must have gone to the academy.

I could easily imagine the dialogue that might have transpired.

—"Grandma... My body... It’s not responding... I don’t want to hurt you, but... I don’t know why this is happening..." —"Just hold on... I’ll save you!" —"Keh keh keh, Sword Sovereign, if you kill me, this child dies too." —"What...?" —"Do you want to save this child? Then give me your body in exchange. If you do that, I’ll guarantee the child’s safety." —"...You’d better not be lying." —"I’m a demon. I always keep my word." —"...Fine. Take my body, and release Alice." —"Grandma! No, don’t!!!" —"Go to Velvet Hunter Academy. Ask Rina for help, Alice."

In my mind, the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place, and the flow of events was becoming clear.

"More importantly, we need to plan how to deal with it before we go."

"...A plan?"

The Sword Sovereign’s eyes wavered. She might not have much confidence in the words of a mere academy student.

But there was no time to lose. I had to push forward.

"Sword Sovereign, do you happen to have any ice attribute abilities?"

At my question, the Sword Sovereign shook her head.

"No, I don’t. My attributes are earth and light."

"Tsk, that’s not good..."

As I said before, dealing with the Magesu requires a strong ice attribute.

I’m attribute-less, Kang Do-hee has fire, and Lee Yu-ri has earth. None of our abilities are suitable for this fight.

It would take someone with the Sword Sovereign’s level of power to stand a chance.

"In that case, maybe we should focus on rescuing Alice and escaping..."

Just then—

"Disciple."

My master, who had been silent until now, called out to me with a calm expression.

"...Yes?"

"Is ice the attribute we need?"

"Yes, with ice, we can rescue Alice and deal with the Magesu for good."

Shing—

At my words, my master drew her sword.

Ssshhh—

The air around us instantly cooled, and a frosty aura began to form around her blade.

"My attribute is ice."

"...!!!"