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 105

Episode 105: The Reason

After the meeting ended, Attalos and Rentulus came over to where Seneca and her group were. The two of them looked deeply apologetic.

Since it was going to be a serious conversation, they were led by Attalos into a small conference room, entering together as a group of six.

Once everyone was inside, Attalos bowed his head and said, “I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t expect Zenon-sama—no, Master Zenon—to go that far. The way he said it made it hard for you to refuse, and being put on the spot like that couldn’t have felt good.”

“That kind of wording ends up forcing you to make a choice that could cost your life. Attalos and I will handle the consequences, so please—just tell us your honest thoughts first.”

Seneca and the others shrank back a little at their awkward, regretful demeanor. But it wasn’t a time to dwell on that.

Still carrying feelings they hadn’t fully sorted out, Maior was the first to speak.

“What Zenon-sama said earlier—that ‘our strength is needed’—was that true? Is the situation really that dire?”

“Yeah. It’s true. I believe I understand your strength pretty well, and after reading your investigation report, I was convinced. If things spiral into chaos, the ones with the potential to break through it are ‘Moonlit Vow.’”

“But… we’re inexperienced, and our abilities still aren’t enough.”

“That’s fair. But in certain conditions, I believe you have the capability to match even Gold-ranked adventurers. Rentulus holds a similar opinion, though maybe not with quite as much certainty.”

Attalos then turned to look at Rentulus.

“Seneca’s surprising ability, Maior’s exploration skills, Plautia’s adaptability and combat sustainability, and Gaia’s magic—all of them are worth recognizing. I believe they could fill the gaps in Attalos and my capabilities.”

Rentulus spoke solemnly.

After hearing that, Maior went silent. She was likely thinking deeply.

Next to speak was Plautia, who asked Attalos a question.

“What exactly will our role be?”

“To be honest, I don’t know for sure—but primarily, think of it as exploration and gathering intel. This unit has two major objectives. One is to investigate the cause of this situation. That might reveal a way to resolve things quickly—or even prove that our current plan is flawed.”

“Hmm, I see,” Plautia said, nodding along as she listened.

“The second is to find and, if necessary, subjugate powerful monsters. This Stampede is believed to involve a powerful creature known as a ‘Guardian.’ And there are likely other monsters of comparable strength. You’ll need to either report or eliminate any such threats you discover.”

“But… wouldn’t we just get in the way when fighting such strong monsters?”

That question came from Gaia, who had been listening quietly.

“There is that possibility. Protecting all of you is one of our most important tasks. But resolving the Stampede is just as important. So, in critical moments… you’ll have to protect yourselves.”

Attalos said this in a harsh tone, but Seneca could tell—it came from a place of kindness.

“I understand…”

Both Gaia and Plautia fell silent, deep in thought.

As the three of them quietly pondered, Attalos and Rentulus turned their eyes to Seneca. So Seneca decided to ask something that had been on her mind for a while.

“Are you two—Attalos-san and Rentulus-san—acquainted with each other?”

When she asked, Rentulus grinned and pulled out a shiny golden object from inside his armor.

“That’s…”

It was the same golden branch emblem that Attalos had once shown.

“I figured you didn’t know, so I hadn’t said anything, but I used to be in a party with Eus and Anna. I’d heard about you from Attalos, but I never imagined the daughter of those two would grow into such an interesting girl…”

“I see…”

After a moment of silence, Seneca spoke.

“Alright. I’ll go. I’ll go to the front lines and investigate the Stampede.”

“Thank you,” Attalos said, bowing his head.

Then, Maior immediately spoke up.

“I’ll go too. From what you’ve said, it’s more about our unique skills than combat ability, right?”

“That’s exactly right. Rentulus and I will handle most of the fighting, and we’ll do everything we can to protect you. I’m sorry we can’t offer any guarantees, given the situation.”

Gaia and Plautia were still deep in thought.

But continuing to agonize wouldn’t change anything—so they decided to voice their questions to Attalos.

“Given how things are now, there’s no real difference in danger no matter where we are, right?”

“Yeah, that’s absolutely true. Of course, there’s always the option of rear-line support, but even if you stay in the city, you’ll still be expected to fight.”

“I believe my Artillery Magic has situational usefulness. But rather than using it for urban defense, would it be better utilized if I were assigned to this unit?”

“In my opinion, yes. There’s no doubt Gaia’s magic is exceptionally powerful, but each unit already has Gold-ranked mages. Instead of having someone unfamiliar with Artillery Magic try to make use of it, I think we could figure out more effective applications ourselves.”

Hearing this, Gaia and Plautia exchanged glances. Then, after nodding at each other at the same time, they said:

“We’ll go too.”

Attalos looked once more at the four members of Moonlit Vow.

“Understood. Then everyone, get your things ready. We’ll likely be heading out very soon.”

With that, he sent the four of them off.

After Seneca and the others had left, Attalos spoke with a stern expression to Rentulus.

“I’ll protect them. Even if it costs me my life.”

“Of course. There’s no way we can afford to lose such bundles of talent here. But… are you sure it was the right call to bring them along?”

“Yeah, it was the right call. I don’t know which option would’ve been better in the end. But I figured it’d be safer to have them operating somewhere within our sight, even if it’s a bit dangerous.”

“You could’ve just said that directly. But no, you had to steer things around in such a roundabout way.”

Rentulus laughed like he’d just seen something amusing.

“That way was more effective. Especially with Maior and Plautia—if I told them things outright, they’d probably push back.”

“Gahaha! What the hell, Attalos. You’ve got the face of a teacher now. I never thought I’d see you looking like that.”

Rentulus said with heartfelt amusement.

Attalos suddenly looked up at the ceiling.

“Hm? Something up there?”

“No… Just thinking… to adventure alongside Eus and Anna’s daughter, and with you again, Rentulus—it stirs something in me, even if it’s a bit inappropriate.”

“For us, who once charged into a Stampede looking for a place to die, to end up with a future like this…”

Rentulus slowly exhaled, then held out a fist toward Attalos.

“Attalos. Earlier, you said you’d protect those gals, right? That’s my job. I won’t let any more comrades die.”

Attalos put all his strength into clenching his fist and bumped it against Rentulus’.

“Yeah. I’m counting on you, Rentulus! ‘That golden light—into our hands!’”

“‘That golden light—into our hands!’”

The two of them shared a nostalgic laugh.

But now, only the two of them knew the meaning of that old phrase.