I Became a Genius Swordsman in the Pretty Girl Game

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Alice’s eyes were fixed on the back of the black-haired man and two women walking in front of her.

‘Eh…’

‘What is this…?’

‘Who am I, where am I…?’

Having lived her entire life on Sword Emperor’s Mountain with just her grandmother, the current situation was too confusing for her.

She wondered if she was dreaming.

Underneath the mansion where she had lived her whole life was a tree monster, and suddenly, she was kidnapped by that horrible creature, losing control of her body.

She almost killed her grandmother with her own hands, but then, with the help of some guests who came to the mansion, they managed to defeat the monster, but in the process, the entire mountain was blown away.

Just like that, she lost her home and was separated from her only family.

‘…I didn’t even get to say a proper goodbye.’

Of course, her grandmother had told her that she could visit whenever she wanted, but that didn’t bring any comfort.

Now, she was on her way to the Velvet Hunter Academy, a year earlier than planned. Who would have thought she would be rushed off like this?

Alice tried to hide her confusion, stiffening her expression, but she couldn’t stop her eyes from trembling.

As the saying goes, even a mutt wins half the battle at its own home. Now that she had lost her home and the support of her grandmother, Alice felt intimidated.

Thump, thump.

Nervous sweat formed on her clenched fists, and her mouth felt dry.

Thud!

Suddenly, Lee Yoo-ri sat down on the spot, startling Alice, who took a sharp breath.

“Ah, no… My 191,493 won babies…”

Lee Yoo-ri held the broken pieces of metal in her hands, trembling. With teary eyes, she looked up at Jin Yuha and said,

“…Can I take these to get them repaired?”

Jin Yuha scratched his cheek, looking embarrassed.

“Hmm, they’re pretty much destroyed, so I don’t think they’ll fix them… Let’s just give up.”

“How can you say such cruel things!”

“I’ll buy you a good one when we get back.”

“Sniff, sniff… I sang the ‘getting tougher every day’ song to them every day…”

“How about a 20 million won one?”

“…Huh?”

At Jin Yuha’s suggestion, Lee Yoo-ri’s tears instantly dried up.

Tap. Tap.

She stood up, brushing off her knees, and said,

“Sometimes, you have to let go of your fully grown babies. They’ve done their part and it’s time for them to move on. Let’s go, we’re in a hurry.”

‘Hmm… It’s going to be a bit difficult to get close to them.’

Alice thought to herself as she listened to their silly banter.

.

.

.

Vrooooom—

On the way back, they rode in a large car. Alice was startled when a box suddenly appeared and a car appared out of it, but she pretended to be calm and nodded.

“Hmm! I’ll drive. Jin Yuha.”

“I’m going to take a nap.”

Lee Yoo-ri sat in the driver’s seat, and Kang Do-hee took the passenger seat.

Alice sat in the back seat with Jin Yuha.

“… …”

“… …”

An awkward silence hung between them, and the heavy atmosphere seemed to weigh on their shoulders.

It was uncomfortable.

Lee Yoo-ri and Kang Do-hee had some conversations during the training sessions, but Alice hadn’t exchanged a single word with Jin Yuha.

Moreover, he was a man.

When had she ever talked to a man before?

Locked up in the mountains, her only exposure to men had been through animations and comics.

Glance.

Glance.

The man who had saved her and her grandmother when they were in danger was no longer an enemy, and she was aware that she owed him a debt of gratitude.

‘Should I say thank you first?’

Hmm.

That’s difficult.

Putting aside her prejudices, the first thing that caught her eye was his appearance.

Perhaps due to a lack of proper nutrition, he looked thinner than when she had first seen him.

He had a sickly, pretty boy vibe.

His half-lidded eyes exuded a decadent air, and his high nose and pale skin gave off a strange sense of pressure and aura. Her gaze kept drifting to his red lips and slightly exposed collarbones.

‘…He’s really handsome.’

So, was this person going to be her senior at the academy?

Were there only handsome men like him at the academy?

As she let her imagination run wild about her future academy life, Jin Yuha, who had been staring out the window, suddenly turned his black eyes towards her.

“!”

Alice quickly turned her head away and looked down at her knees. Soon, a lazy, low voice reached her ears.

“Alice.”

“Y, yes! I mean, yeah. Why did you call me?”

‘Am I crazy!’

She was so flustered that she even lost her usual composure.

“You’re suddenly going to the academy, aren’t you worried?”

“…It’s, it’s fine. I was going to enroll next year anyway, so I’ll, I’ll be prepared!”

Alice closed her eyes tightly.

‘What do you mean, I’ll be prepared!’

Just like the first time they met, why were her words and actions so awkward? Alice felt like crying.

Jin Yuha looked at her quietly. Alice couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze and instead stared at the headrest that Kang Do-hee was leaning on.

“Well, I’m quite interested in you, Alice.”

“…Interest?”

Glance.

She briefly looked at Jin Yuha and then looked away.

‘You’re interested in me?’

Hmm.

Her heart raced.

“…You’re interested?”

“Yes. I’m interested enough to want you in our party. Well, I think Lina, the chairman, will take care of you at the academy, but if you’re okay with it, I thought it would be nice if we lived together.”

Gulp.

Alice swallowed hard.

It was unexpectedly proactive.

Saying he was interested right from the start, and suggesting they live together after only a short conversation.

‘…Is this what men in the outside world are like?’

Alice, who was completely ignorant about men, felt her head spinning with confusion.

‘What should I say? I don’t know…’

She wrinkled her brow, trying to come up with a good response.

“What!? Jin Yuha, are you thinking of bringing her into our home?”

At that moment, Lee Yoo-ri, who had been quietly driving, looked at them through the rearview mirror, and Kang Do-hee, who had been dozing off, suddenly opened her eyes wide and glared at Alice.

“Little Fool, I think it’s a bit hasty to bring in an outsider without consulting us.”

Alice was even more surprised by their reaction.

‘You, you want me to live with you? An outsider?’

It was a culture shock for Alice, who had always been taught that men and women should be kept separate.

‘Is this what they do in the city?’

Jin Yuha, who had been addressed, replied,

“Alice was also suddenly separated from the Sword Emperor, and she doesn’t know anyone or have any close friends… It’s not right to just leave her alone, is it? And she’s the Sword Emperor’s granddaughter, so she won’t be a burden, she’ll be a help.”

“Hmm…”

“Hmm…”

Lee Yoo-ri and Kang Do-hee looked at her doubtfully, and Alice shrank back.

She hadn’t said anything, but things were progressing.

Jin Yuha smiled at her and said,

“It’ll be fine. They’re all nice kids.”

“I’ll, I’ll think about it…”

“Yes. Try to think positively.”

“Okay, and, you’re too close…”

“Oh, was I too close? Sorry.”

.

.

.

The real reason I asked Alice to join us wasn’t something else.

‘I’m curious!’

It’s the nature of gamers to squeeze out every last drop of a new character, cooking and seasoning them in various ways.

Especially in this case, I hadn’t even gotten to use Alice after summoning her because I got possessed right after.

I know everything about the other kids’ personal stories, traits, and skills, but not Alice’s.

So, in my eyes, Alice is an unexplored territory!

‘And the basic bread is guaranteed.’

After all, Alice is a born 5-star limited character.

How could I resist the temptation to squeeze her right from the start?

‘Hmm, but… I do feel a bit bad about not giving her what I promised.’

Still, I have no regrets.

It’s right that my master should have it.

It’s better for her to learn a new ice sealing sword technique and hunt down demons instead of using the Moon Shadow Sword Technique and putting herself in danger.

‘But I do feel a little bad, so… I’ll just let her take a spatial tattoo from Lina, the chairman.’

Soon, the academy came into view through the window.

“We’ve arrived.”

Alice’s eyes widened as she exclaimed,

“This is the Velvet Hunter Academy…”

“Welcome, Alice.”