Chapter 62: “She Lied to You, From Start to Finish”

Will crossed his arms, watching Treya’s stunned expression with satisfaction—though even her “stunned” look was rather subdued.

While it seemed like a chance encounter with Treya, in reality, Will had deliberately asked around about her training schedule and wandered in this direction to find her.

Her training routine was consistent; if she said she’d be practicing at this time, she would be—even with a banquet scheduled for the evening, she wasn’t one to slack off.

But…

Treya truly lived up to her reputation in the original story as a half-elf beauty who seemed to carry her own ethereal filter wherever she went.

Will had seen his fair share of beautiful women. For instance, Eir, who he was certain would look stunning with just a bit of effort, or Leah, whose adorable witch-like face was already unbeatable.

But…

Treya was different. Just standing there, she exuded an otherworldly beauty that made her seem like a figure removed from the mortal realm. Her long silver hair and porcelain-like complexion evoked the image of a noble elf deep within an enchanted forest.

However…

The moment Will remembered that this seemingly aloof girl’s cold demeanor and distance were actually the result of her endearing cluelessness…

He couldn’t resist the urge to tease her.

There was nothing more entertaining than watching a cold, high-and-mighty half-elf stumble over her own misunderstandings because of his playful remarks, right?

Treya stared at her silver sword, clearly deep in thought about what she might have done wrong.

“How could this be…”

She glanced at Will.

He remained silent, arms crossed, standing there as if waiting for her to figure it out on her own.

Her swordsmanship instructor—her elder sister—often did the same, encouraging her to reflect and learn.

So, she lowered her gaze back to her sword.

But…

It seemed she couldn’t arrive at the answer on her own.

After about half a minute, Treya slowly raised her head.

“I don’t understand.”

“What don’t you understand?” Will asked, his tone akin to a kindergarten teacher coaxing a child.

“My sword technique… the method was correct, the strength was correct, and the speed and trajectory were correct. There’s no reason it should have failed like this.”

Treya, ever persistent, began counting off her points on her fingers, reviewing each step.

“When you say ‘correct,’ are you basing that on your sister’s standards?” Will asked as he dragged five more training dummies from the rack nearby.

“Sir, how do you know I have a sister?” Treya asked, puzzled.

“Good question. How do I know? Want to guess who I am?”

“Aren’t you just ‘a passerby with a little knowledge of swordsmanship’?”

“Yes, yes, that’s me,” Will nodded, all the while positioning three of the new dummies where the previous ones had been.

Two of the dummies overlapped with the ones he had adjusted earlier, while the other three were placed in positions Treya frequently used during her training.

“Want to try again?”

“Alright.”

Treya, unwilling to admit defeat, prepared herself. With only three dummies left, surely she wouldn’t…

Whoosh.

Will felt the sharp gust of wind from Treya’s sword as it passed by him. This time, she was clearly putting her all into the strike.

—As expected of the swordswoman praised so highly in the original story.

Among the three heroines, Eir was clearly the weakest starting out, while Leah, despite her high potential, often strayed from the path and got distracted. Treya, however, was the backbone of the original team.

Though she was a bit naive, Treya’s dedication and focus were unmatched.

But…

No matter how strong her swordsmanship, how serious her attitude, or how determined her heart, the result remained unchanged.

Two of the dummies remained standing. This time, one of them was in a position she had previously used.

Will crossed his arms, pleased with the outcome.

What pleased him even more was the clear look of shock on Treya’s usually expressionless face.

This wasn’t surprising.

Will had noticed from the start that Treya’s “Entark Sword Technique, Eleventh Form: Slash” was flawed.

Of course, with his abysmal swordsmanship scores—the lowest among all his exams—he wasn’t capable of judging the technique itself.

He judged it by the results.

In the game, when Treya used this move, the slash would cover a hemispherical area, hitting all targets within it multiple times based on the total number of targets. It was an incredibly powerful area-of-effect skill.

This matched the original story’s description of Treya using the technique to deal with swarms of ice flies.

But Treya’s current slash…

Looked more like…

Uh…

A flat plane?

Or perhaps a narrow surface with some thickness but little width?

It was as if someone had entered an incorrect value for the z-axis during programming, resulting in a distorted effect.

And yet, the placement of her training dummies, though seemingly random, was actually aligned along a single plane—almost as if designed to trap her in a flawed routine.

So, by simply adjusting two of the dummies, Will ensured they fell outside her slash’s effective range.

Given her earlier comments, it was clear her swordsmanship wasn’t self-taught but taught by her sister.

Will began to piece together how Eugenie had set Treya up for failure at the banquet.

Eugenie had deliberately taught Treya a fundamentally flawed sword technique!

Then, at the banquet, when Treya hesitated, Eugenie would have insisted on her demonstrating the technique, ensuring her public humiliation and paving the way for the engagement to be called off.

It was a calculated betrayal, exploiting Treya’s unwavering trust in her.

And Treya…

Will observed her. She seemed oblivious to the flaws in her technique, standing there with her chin resting on her hand, deep in thought. She didn’t even think to ask Will directly.

She furrowed her brows in contemplation, occasionally biting her lip.

Treya’s facial expressions were subtle. Without careful observation, one might think she always wore a poker face. But if you paid attention to the nuances, it was easy to read her thoughts.

For instance…

Will could tell she was utterly baffled. But given her personality, she wouldn’t suspect her sister Eugenie. Instead, she’d blame herself for not performing well enough.

Eventually, Treya relaxed her furrowed brows and looked up.

“Sir, do you know the reason?”

As someone striving to become an exceptional swordswoman, Treya was serious and determined, unwilling to let this learning opportunity slip by.

Even if the person before her was a stranger she had just met today.

Even if he appeared to be her age.

Even if his hands didn’t look like those of someone who practiced swordsmanship.

Even if his tailored suit made him seem overly frail and unassuming.

If he could point out her shortcomings, she had to humbly seek his guidance.

So, Treya spoke with humility.

“I do. The reasoning behind it is quite complex—I could talk about it all night. But the cause is simple…”

“Alright. Please, go ahead. I’m listening.”

Treya nodded earnestly, her pointed ears perking up slightly.

“Because what you’ve been learning isn’t the true Entark Sword Technique. From the very beginning, you’ve been learning it wrong.”

“…Impossible.”

Treya immediately refuted Will’s claim. Though her voice was soft, her firm tone betrayed her conviction.

“This technique was taught to me by my sister Eugenie—the renowned swordswoman known as the Red Demon Sword. It can’t be wrong.”

Will crossed his arms, nodding repeatedly.

“Yes, yes, the Red Demon Sword, Eugenie.”

This was exactly the response he had been waiting for.

“Hmm… but, Miss, have you ever considered…”

Will, who had been maintaining a respectful distance, began to step closer as he spoke. His polished shoes creaked against the ground with each step.

And then…

He closed the gap between them.

Treya had never been this close to a man before—not even her father.

There was something unsettling and eerie about his presence. With each step he took, her heartbeat quickened.

Finally, he stopped just one step away from her.

Will, slightly shorter than Treya, tilted his head up. His gaze, framed by the top edge of his glasses, appeared unnervingly sharp and piercing.

“That your sister has been lying to you, from start to finish?”