I Will Be Unrivaled With The Skill [Sewing]! They Said It Was A Bad Skill, But With Effort, I will Make It A Hit~ - Chapter 103

Volume 11: Silver-ranked Adventurer Promotion Arc (3) – Turmoil

Episode 103: Not a Master

That day, Attalos was going about his usual work.

Though he was an instructor in charge of the S-Class, his school duties were not particularly heavy. As a temporary lecturer hired to teach practical knowledge, he often spent his free time patrolling the training grounds, offering advice to students.

That day as well, he had assisted in training at the students’ request and had just returned to his office. He was about to sit down and take a breather when he suddenly sensed a sharp presence of mana outside the room.

Attalos instinctively reached for his sword. However, he recognized the tense air and immediately relaxed his grip.

“Master, is that you?”

When Attalos called out, the door opened, and a man with long silver hair stepped inside.

“You look well, Attalos.”

“Yes, and you haven’t changed a bit, Master.”

The man should have been of an age to be considered elderly, yet he appeared as youthful as a man in his thirties. However, his demeanor and voice carried an undeniable sense of authority.

“You look much more composed than before. Did something good happen?”

“To some extent.”

“I see. I’m glad I recommended you to this school.”

“So it was you who pushed for me after all, Master.”

The man let out a soft smile, and Attalos found himself smiling in return.

But his expression soon tightened. There had to be a good reason why this man had suddenly appeared.

“So then, what brings you here personally, Master?”

“Ah. I’ve come to deliver a request from the Adventurer’s Guild, the military, and the Senate.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“Unfortunately not.”

Attalos was certain it was troublesome business.

“I have an official request for Gold-ranked adventurer Attalos Pergamon. It has been determined that the likelihood of a stampede occurring near the city of Trias is extremely high. You are to head to the site immediately and assist in bringing the situation under control.”

“A stampede in Trias? But right now, Trias is…”

“Yes. The Silver-ranked adventurer promotion exam was taking place there, but I’ve heard that it has been canceled. One of your students should have been among the examinees.”

“They’re on site as well?”

“Yes. In fact, it was their report that first revealed the possibility of a stampede.”

“…Maior, huh.”

Attalos pictured the energetic face of his student.

“According to the report from Gold-ranked adventurer Shimeneme, there is a concern that, depending on the circumstances, this could escalate into a national-level disaster. Because of that, I will also be joining the fight.”

“You too, Master? More importantly, why is the military and the Senate getting involved in requesting me, of all people?”

“…Rentulus is on-site. He’s acting as an examiner for the test.”

“That guy?”

“Yes. That’s why everyone is expecting something. After all, you two were the heroes who saved the nation with only the two of you during the last great monster outbreak.”

“…That’s an overestimation.”

“I feel bad about placing so much expectation on you two. But the truth is, I can’t help but believe that the two of you will accomplish something.”

“Master…”

Attalos was surprised to hear his mentor say such a thing.

“I will be in charge of defending the city. Peripatos will also be coming, so the big threats will likely be left to him.”

“Even Peripatos-sama?”

“Yes. But from what I gather in Shimeneme’s report, if a stampede does occur, I have a feeling this won’t be an ordinary one.”

“Like last time?”

“Yes. It might even be worse. If that happens, Peripatos and I will be fully occupied. But if you and the others act as a mobile force on the battlefield, I can’t help but feel that it will shift the tides of battle.”

“I understand. If you’re saying that much, Master, then I have no choice but to go. Not that this is an order I have the right to refuse in the first place.”

Attalos looked straight into the man’s piercing, crystalline eyes.

“Good. That’s a relief, Attalos. Now, prepare yourself and head to the guild headquarters immediately. I have a few more people to speak with before I go there myself.”

“Understood. I’ll be waiting for you there.”

The man turned to leave but suddenly paused and glanced back.

“Attalos, you’ve been calling me ‘Master’ this whole time, but I’ve never really done anything to be worthy of that title. I never taught you. You simply grew on your own while watching me. So there’s no need to call me that.”

“I call you Master because that’s what you are to me.”

“I see. If that’s how you feel, then I have no right to object.”

With those words, the man smiled and left the room.

The man pointed out Attalos calling him “Master” as if noticing it for the first time today, but this exchange had already occurred over a hundred times. Despite being a keen and meticulous thinker, he had a tendency to be somewhat absentminded at times.

The name of the man Attalos called “Master” was Xenon.

He was a great mage standing at the pinnacle of adventurers.

————–

When Nina and Fabius arrived in Trias, the city was in an uproar. Just moments ago, the Adventurers’ Guild had issued a statement warning of a potential stampede.

That must have been the reason why there were so many carriages leaving the city. Those who had caught wind of the situation had fled as fast as they could.

Fabius understood why the city was in chaos. The guild had merely stated that citizen evacuations would begin in the evening but had given no clear course of action.

The guild was actively reinforcing the city’s defenses and purchasing supplies. The lord seemed to be involved as well, as the city’s soldiers were moving about in a hurry.

Fabius decided to head to the guild first. While he wanted to check on his family, he knew he couldn’t act without information.

After all, he and Nina had come to Trias to support Seneca in her rank-up exam. They had been delayed due to the time needed to recover from injuries sustained in the tournament, but since the exam was supposed to be a long process, they had prepared quickly, believing they would still make it in time.

Fabius wanted to do his part to protect his hometown. However, acting recklessly could put the very people he wished to protect in danger. Right now, gathering information is the priority.

With Nina, who had been quiet ever since they returned to Trias, Fabius made his way to the guild.

As the guild came into view, Nina suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky.

“Nina, what’s wrong?”

“Something’s coming.”

“Something?”

“Yeah.”

Fabius wasn’t sure what she meant, but he decided to wait for her to move while also looking up at the sky.

Even if her actions seemed strange to others, Nina usually had a clear reason for them. If she had stopped in a situation like this, there had to be a good reason.

“Fabi-kun, it’s almost here.”

The moment Nina said that, the sky flashed brightly. The light was so intense that the people around them also began to look up.

As they watched, the sky suddenly split in a cross shape and began to glow blue. The murmurs around them grew louder.

Boom!

A loud noise erupted, and when they looked, eight figures were standing in front of the guild.

The man at the front carried an absurdly large cross-shaped sword on his shoulder, wearing a fearless grin.

Someone murmured,

“‘Peripatos the Cross Blade…?”

Fabius thought, No way. But given the overwhelming presence and the ability to unleash such a technique that seemed to split even the sky, there was likely only one man who could do this.

As the air buzzed with tension, another man walked forward with an air of grace.

“Peripatos, that was quite the flashy entrance you made for yourself.”

Saying that, he placed a hand on Peripatos’ shoulder. Peripatos didn’t respond to the words, merely deepening his fearless grin.

“No way…”

Someone else muttered.

The man who spoke so casually to Peripatos had silver-white hair. There was only one person in the world like that.

“Xenon. Even the ‘Spacetime Seeker’ has come here?”

Fabius watched as the two platinum-ranked adventurers conversed as if they were old friends.

“Sensei.”

“Huh?”

Nina suddenly spoke up.

“Attalos-sensei.”

Following her gaze, Fabius spotted Attalos standing there, his expression unreadable.

As they watched, Attalos noticed them and walked briskly toward them. Most of the surrounding people were still fixated on Peripatos and Xenon’s interaction.

“Nina, Fabius. You two came to Trias as well?”

“Yes. We originally came to support Seneca-san, but the moment we arrived, we heard about the stampede and were left stunned.”

“Sensei, weren’t you supposed to be working? When did you get here?”

“I was summoned to the royal capital earlier. Xenon-sama’s magic brought us here in one go.”

“”…What?””

Nina and Fabius reacted in unison.

“More importantly, what are you two planning to do? I’m heading to the guild now to hear the full details. Do you want to come with me?”

“Is that okay?”

“Maior and the others should be there too, so I’ll make sure you can join in. Besides, if you’re willing to fight, being Trias natives means you’ll be valuable assets.”

“Does that mean… the situation is so bad that even our strength would be needed?”

At Nina’s question, Attalos made an expression that was difficult to describe before speaking.

“That’s my expectation. But I won’t know for sure until I hear the details. Either way, let’s go. Peripatos-sama’s performance should be wrapping up around now.”

With that, Attalos started toward the guild, and Fabius and Nina followed.