I Became a Genius Swordsman in the Pretty Girl Game

‘Hmm, my body’s performance seems to have improved significantly…’

I thought to myself as I held my sword to Elena’s neck.

‘Lina’s library quest is a fairly high-level mission…’

Of course, Elena wasn’t a real enemy, and she was more like a mob-level opponent.

Still, I had expected to exchange at least a few blows, but I had managed to subdue her without even crossing swords.

Having recently reached the 3-star rating and achieving a Sword Skill grade of SS after defeating the Fire Dragon, I had assessed my abilities with the help of my master and the training ground upon returning to the Academy. However, my body’s movements now felt even more natural than they had during that assessment.

‘Could it be because I consumed the Fire Dragon’s Elixir before entering this world?’

But that only increased my magic power by 1. While it was still an increase, it didn’t seem like it could account for the significant improvement I was feeling.

‘Or maybe it’s because I burned away all the impurities in my blood vessels?’

Instead of directly absorbing the elixir’s power, I had burned away the impurities in my blood vessels and only absorbed the remaining energy.

‘I just let the elixir naturally burn the impurities, but…’

Whoooooosh…

As I circulated my magic power, I could feel that the flow was much smoother than before, almost like driving on a highway instead of a national road.

So, there was no reason to be disappointed that my magic power had only increased by 1. It was a qualitative improvement, not a quantitative one.

As I continued to assess my body, Elena spoke in a strained voice.

“Again… let’s do it again…”

“I, I underestimated you… Let’s do it again.”

‘Hmm, she still seems to be underestimating me…’

I had encountered such situations countless times before.

‘How many times does she need to be defeated before she acknowledges me?’

I sighed inwardly and removed my sword from her neck.

“Yes, I’ll accommodate you until you’re satisfied.”

And so, the duel between Jin Yuha and Elena began anew.

“Just… one more time…”

“Again!”

“Once more…”

The duel repeated several times, and the atmosphere grew heavier.

Instructor Elena, once a source of fear and intimidation in the training ground, was now continuously losing to a trainee, a man, without even landing a single blow.

Thud!

Elena charged again.

Swoosh.

Once more, Jin Yuha’s sword found its way to her neck.

“E-Elena! Defeat!”

The referee, another instructor, stuttered as she declared the outcome.

The trainees watching the duel were perplexed.

“……Why is Instructor Elena losing?”

Jin Yuha’s movements were straightforward.

He simply dodged the spear rushing at him and struck with his sword during the opening.

It was a blatant move, yet Elena couldn’t counter it even once.

“What’s going on?”

“Why can’t she dodge?”

“Why isn’t she able to counter such an obvious attack?”

At first, the trainees thought that Elena might be playing a prank, but they soon closed their mouths.

Her expression told them that this wasn’t a joke. This defeat was real.

“…?”

Elena’s face was a mix of shattered pride and humiliation. She bit her lip, her body trembling, unable to utter the words “one more time.”

Swallow.

One of the trainees slowly opened her mouth.

“……Is it even possible for a male trainee to defeat an instructor like this?”

Her comment sparked a chain reaction, and the other trainees began chiming in.

“Now that I think about it, it’s strange that she can’t dodge such obvious attacks.”

“Yeah, it’s really strange.”

“……Could he be a minion of the Devil?”

At the mention of the Devil, all eyes turned to Jin Yuha.

Elena, hearing the speculation, looked at me and spoke.

“A minion of the Devil…?”

The atmosphere began to shift subtly.

Once again, I was facing a PTSD-triggering scenario.

‘Damn it.’

I cursed inwardly.

When I first enrolled in the Academy, my male body and displayed abilities had led to suspicions of being a Devil. Now, in a different era and setting, the situation was playing out like a carbon copy of the past.

‘Well, since this is the medieval era, I guess it’s more like a witch hunt…?’

The thought of having to prove that I wasn’t a Devil’s minion again made my head spin.

‘But do they have an artifact like the Devil’s Discernment here? Hmm, I think medieval witch hunts just burned people at the stake without much fuss…’

“A minion of the Devil…”

“They say that minions of the Devil often have exceptional appearances…”

“Look at Instructor Elena, unable to resist at all. It’s suspicious! He must have bewitched her somehow!”

The accusation that I was a Devil’s minion was gaining traction, and the atmosphere was heating up. Even the instructor before me seemed convinced, her eyes now filled with the determination to face an arch-nemesis.

I sighed inwardly, assessing the situation and the approximately 200 people around me.

‘About 200 people, huh? Well, defeating them should be easy enough, considering the instructor’s abilities…’

However, doing so would result in me becoming a wanted criminal as a Devil’s minion, which was not ideal.

This was not good. The plot was veering towards a disastrous direction.

‘For now, I’ll just leave this place.’

As I calmed my mind and tightened my grip on the wooden sword, a quiet voice interrupted.

“Stop.”

Everyone jumped at the unexpected intrusion and turned their heads. I, too, saw a familiar face.

It was Ichika, wearing a long purple robe and a wide-brimmed wizard’s hat.

Her appearance instantly froze the tense atmosphere.

Thud.

Elena abruptly lowered her spear and knelt, bowing her head to Ichika.

“M-Minister of Magic…”

“I watched the whole thing from behind.”

Ichika, looking down at Elena’s head, spoke in an indifferent tone.

“Pathetic.”

“Huh?”

“It’s pathetic how you refuse to accept your defeat and keep struggling.”

Elena, filled with a sense of injustice, pointed at me and shouted.

“But! How can a man defeat me like that?! He might really be a Devil’s minion!”

However, under Ichika’s unwavering gaze, Elena couldn’t maintain her protest and fell silent.

Ichika’s lazy eyes then turned to me.

“You. Are you really a Devil’s minion?”

“No…”

“I know.”

At Ichika’s confirmation, even those who had claimed I was a Devil’s minion fell silent.

She was a core member of the government, the Minister of Magic. No one dared to raise their voice against her.

“But I’ll still check. Come with me.”

And so, despite the tense atmosphere, no one dared to stop Jin Yuha as he casually left the training ground.

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.

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Step, Step

I followed Ichika silently, thinking to myself.

‘Ichika is the Minister of Magic…’

This was a jackpot draw.

The reason I had chosen Ga-eul as one of the quest participants was simple.

She started the game as a king, and her kingdom was the only one with a giant. The other characters all started in enemy kingdoms that would attack hers.

So, why did I choose Ichika?

It was because of her ability! For this quest, aerial attack capabilities were essential.

While Shin Se-hee, with her magic, and Sophia, with her archery skills, could have been candidates, their damage output as dealers would be relatively low. Additionally, one of the quest participants had to be me, so Ichika was the best choice.

And now, Ichika, whom I had chosen solely for her abilities, turned out to be the Minister of Magic!

My life was set.

Step. Step. Step.

Ichika’s steps gradually quickened.

Creak… Thud.

She opened a lavishly decorated door and stepped inside, promptly closing it behind her.

Then…

Swoosh.

Ichika suddenly rushed into my arms.

“Huh?”

“Charging.”

I was taken aback for a moment but smiled and patted Ichika’s head.

“Purrrrrr…”

Ichika, like a cat, rubbed her head against my hand, savoring the sensation.

“It hasn’t been that long since we last met, has it?”

“……It’s stressful being in an unfamiliar place, and there are too many strangers.”

Ichika nuzzled her head against my chest, grumbling.

“Still, you managed to find me quickly. Did you use your shadow powers?”

“Yeah, I did. And as the Minister of Magic, I can protect my savior.”

“So, have you figured out what’s going on here?”

Ichika lifted her head slightly, still nestled in my arms.

“……We’re probably going to war with the Kingdom of Lilliput soon.”

‘War with the Kingdom of Lilliput.’

The kingdom we were about to go to war with was the one where Ga-eul was the king.

‘Hmm, but surely, Ga-eul won’t declare war just to kill the giant, right? The giant isn’t one of the monsters sealed by Lina.’

I thought about the Kingdom of Lilliput and suddenly had a realization.

‘No, that can’t be…’

The Ga-eul I knew had an all-encompassing sense of tolerance(?) and a gentle personality(?). She would at least listen to the giant’s side of the story.

I vigorously shook my head to dispel the nagging worry.

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.

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Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Lilliput.

Ga-eul, sitting on the throne with her legs crossed, looked bored as she rested her chin on her hand. She listened to her ministers explain the situation in detail.

“Hmm, so the giant is causing problems…”

She nodded decisively.

“Very well, we shall kill it.”

“Your Majesty!!! What a brilliant and wise decision!!!”

The ministers bowed low, their voices filled with admiration.

It was the worst-case scenario for Jin Yuha.