I Became a Genius Swordsman in the Pretty Girl Game - Chapter 385

After hearing the warning from Lina,

I gathered the party members.

Yoo-ri, Kang Do-hee, Shin Se-hee, Lim Ga-eul, Sophia, Ichika, Alice, and even my mentor.

Everyone assembled in the conference room.

First, the regular report.

“…So, it has been revealed that the core of the Chinese government is composed of Demons. Instructor Baek Seol-hee has handled this matter separately.”

At Shin Se-hee’s report, my mentor nodded indifferently.

“And the group that attempted to assassinate Jin Yuha and our Utopia… Ugh.”

As Shin Se-hee clenched her teeth, names flashed through my mind.

Yoo-ri scowled.

“Hah, there are really so many of them. I just want to wipe them all out.”

At that, the atmosphere among the party members turned even harsher.
As if we weren’t already under constant assassination attempts and public attacks.

Human Rights Protection Association
Awakened Autonomous Alliance
Anti-Discrimination League
New Age Salvation Society
Awakened Supremacy Union
Mana Research Foundation
Human Evolution Alliance
Moonblood Cult
Illuminati 13 Elders' Council
Children of Chaos
.
.
.

Human rights and environmental protection groups, certain religious organizations, supremacist factions, and even conspiracy groups like the Illuminati that I wasn’t even sure really existed.
An endless list of organizations came to mind.

Demons had rooted themselves everywhere.
Politics, media, economy, religion—there was hardly a sector they hadn’t infiltrated.

If it weren’t for Lina, the world would have long fallen into the hands of the Demons.

‘In the game, the moment Lina’s influence weakens, everything spirals into chaos.’

I had wondered how the world could collapse so quickly,
but thinking about how these cockroaches had hidden themselves everywhere, it wasn’t surprising at all.

“…We’ve dealt with about 60% of them. However, the remaining 40% are still under investigation.”
“Master, how is the Slayer Squad holding up?”
“Hm, things have actually calmed down compared to before.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We eliminated a large number of Demons this time, and since the groups we need to monitor have been identified, the workload has become more manageable.”

Good.
This should be enough.

I judged that Utopia’s sub-party and the Demon Slayer Squad would be enough to handle the remaining 40%.

“In that case, our main Utopia force will step back from dealing with the Demon groups. The same goes for you, Master. Please delegate the remaining tasks to the Demon Slayer Squad.”

The party members all turned their heads toward me.

Alice’s eyes widened.

“...Huh? But wouldn’t there be a huge backlash—”
“Lina, the Chairwoman, has agreed to handle that.”

I had already received confirmation from Lina. She would take care of the remaining Demons herself.

“We’re entering the final chapter now.”

At those words, the expressions of the party members hardened.

“…Final chapter.”
“Yes, we don’t have much time left. Before that, we need to prepare.”
“…Prepare?”
“Yes.”

I answered Kang Do-hee’s question and raised my hand.

A pink light shimmered from the ring on my fourth finger.

The party members’ eyes widened.

They knew what this was.

“The Ring of Affection and Obsession…”
“That’s right. Our first priority is this—raising the Ring of Affection and Obsession to 5% for everyone.”

Yes, our next step was leveling up the entire party.

.

.

.

The Ring of Affection and Obsession.

─ A ring bestowed by a Demon Incubus to their most cherished apostle.

It increases all abilities by 3-5% based on the wearer’s Affection Level.

Current Affection Bonuses:

【 Shin Se-hee 】 - 5%
【 Yoo-ri 】 - 4%
【 Kang Do-hee 】 - 4%
【 Lim Ga-eul 】 - 4%
【 Sophia 】 - 4%
【 Ichika 】 - 4%
【 Baek Seol-hee 】 - 4%
【 Alice 】 - 4%

I gazed at Shin Se-hee for a moment—the only one who had reached 5%.

Memories of the previous night flashed through my mind.

‘…The reason Shin Se-hee has the highest score.’

Several reasons came to mind.

After dealing with the third Demon Gate,
the night she was the first to notice my secret and confess to me—

That night, her Affection Level reached its maximum.

‘Most likely, the condition is revealing my secret.’

If not that…

It could also be kissing.

‘Hopefully, it’s the secret-telling condition.’

After all, having to kiss just to raise Affection would be a bit much.
I wanted this to be as natural as possible—something that came from the heart.

The night before this meeting,

I had a private conversation with Shin Se-hee.

.

.

.

"You came to see me separately like this… That means you've made up your mind, right?"
"Yeah."

I nodded firmly.
Yes, delaying the truth any longer would be foolish.
The party members still believed that the words I unconsciously muttered were just me being self-deprecating.

"I never intended to drag this out for too long, either. Of course, sharing a secret between just the two of us, away from everyone else, was a thrilling and special experience… But I decided to put more meaning into the fact that it was the ‘first time.’"

The word first had an oddly ticklish feeling to it.
Without realizing it, my gaze drifted to Shin Se-hee’s lips.
Noticing my stare, she let out a small cough and turned her head away.

"Ahem! But even so, I wouldn't recommend gathering everyone at once to talk about it."
"…Why not?"
"We all love you, Jin Yuha, but at the same time… we all want to be the only one for you."

Her voice took on a dreamy, almost languid quality.

"I was truly happy that night. The emotions, the warmth, the atmosphere of that night… Even the way you looked and spoke, Jin Yuha."

The moonlight streaming through the window cast a soft glow on her face.

"It felt like it was just the two of us in the entire world. I think I'll remember that night until the day I die."

Yeah. Me too.
Every moment of that night was burned into my mind like a brand.
What Shin Se-hee wore that day, what we talked about, the way she smiled…
And even… the feeling of her lips.

"So, I recommend confessing to each party member one by one. That way, everyone can feel that they’re special."
"Special…"
"That’s the way we all love you together, Jin Yuha."

Shin Se-hee answered with a gentle smile.

I received her consultation on how to approach each of them.

But the thing she emphasized most… was the order.

— Jin Yuha, you must never decide the order yourself.
Sure, as the leader, I found out first… but let’s say I knew nothing.
If you decide the order yourself, and another party member learns your secret first while I only find out later…
I would probably be so overwhelmed by feelings of deprivation and jealousy that my mind would go blank. I might even have some really dark thoughts.

*

Recalling the conversation from the previous night, Jin Yuha spoke to the party members.

"So… I’d like you all to decide the order. What I’m going to talk about is deeply personal and private."
"…Deeply personal and private?"
"Yeah. It’s about the things you’ve found strange about me."

The party members exchanged glances for a moment.

"…Things we found strange?"

Sophia cautiously spoke up.
Jin Yuha nodded.

There were certainly a lot of oddities.

Jin Yuha was beyond common sense.
Even in battle, he moved as if he already knew what was going to happen. Sometimes, he saw through enemy patterns as if he had memorized a strategy guide.
His way of speaking and behavior felt slightly foreign at times.

The party members had noticed all these anomalies,
but they had been waiting for him to explain them one day.

And now, Jin Yuha was finally about to do just that.

"Then! I'll go first—"

Before he could finish, Yoo-ri suddenly shot up from her seat, raising her hand.

"No, me!"
"I—I want to go first too!"

One after another, the other party members jumped up from their seats.
Everyone wanted to hear Jin Yuha’s story first.
And no one wanted to miss their chance.

"Our benefactor’s secret…"
"I’m the oldest, so I should hear my junior’s secret first."
"Unnie! That’s not fair. I should go first…"
"No, I’ll go first! I have my reasons…"

Only Shin Se-hee remained seated, a faint smile on her lips.

‘As expected.’

She looked like she had predicted this all along.
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
I hadn’t expected them to be this enthusiastic.

‘Wow, if I had decided the order myself, this would’ve turned into a disaster.’

At that moment—

"Let’s settle it with a lottery."

My mentor spoke.

And so, the order was decided.