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 13

Episode 13: The Fourth Strike

Seneca had always been a solo adventurer, occasionally receiving greetings from others at the guild or on the field. While she never ignored them, she wasn’t particularly talkative or skilled in socializing.

Now, however, she was working together with Maior to complete quests.

Maior was sociable and had been part of many different parties, so she had a wide network of acquaintances. Naturally, this led Seneca to interact more with other adventurers and guild staff as well.

A New Quest

One day, Maior spoke up.

“Hey, you know New Moon Day is coming up soon, right? There’s a request to escort some children from a nearby village to the Baetica temple. What do you think? It might involve teaming up with a few other parties.”

“Let’s take it. We’ll probably get more requests like this in the future.”

“Alright. I’ll let the guild decide on the location and team members.”

Seneca nodded quietly.

The Day of the Meet-Up

The day of the meet-up for the request arrived.

The guild had grouped several parties together to escort children traveling from small villages to receive their skills. Each group was assigned a specific destination.

Seneca and Maior were assigned the farthest village, with the journey expected to take three nights.

Once the team members were revealed, Maior quickly arranged a meeting.

Their companions for this request included the veteran party Oak Branch and a younger party called Verdant Prayers, consisting of seventeen- to eighteen-year-old women.

Oak Branch was a team of four seasoned bronze-rank adventurers: three men and one woman. With their experience, they were expected to lead the group effectively.

Verdant Prayers had a bronze-ranked leader and sub-leader, making them a rising star among young adventurers. Maior had been eager to meet them, hoping to learn more about the demeanor of female adventurers.

When everyone gathered at the guild’s meeting spot, they began with introductions.

Seneca made it a point to remember the names of the two party leaders.

The leader of Oak Branch was Naeus, a sturdy man who wielded a two-handed straight sword.

According to Maior, Naeus was currently the adventurer closest to silver rank in all of Baetica. He was said to be in his late twenties.

The leader of Verdant Prayers was a woman named Annia. She had long red hair tied back and carried a short staff.

Though her exact skills were unknown, it was said she could use both offensive and healing magic.

Her sharp, alluring eyes made her popular among male adventurers, as Maior helpfully mentioned.

After Seneca and Maior introduced themselves, the group flocked to them with a barrage of questions.

The women had been curious about Seneca for some time, but her reserved demeanor and the crowd of men around her had made it difficult to approach.

However, with Maior’s influence, Seneca had recently begun smiling more at those she was comfortable with, encouraging others to seize the chance to speak with her.

After some light conversation, the group decided to hold a mock battle to gauge each other’s abilities.

It was mainly intended to assess Seneca and Maior, so the two stepped forward without hesitation.

When asked to choose their opponents, Seneca naturally selected Naeus, whom she judged to be the strongest present.

Testing Strength

Seneca wanted to understand her current power.

However, she wasn’t sure if using her full range of skills was appropriate in this setting. She decided to rely on her swordsmanship alone and use her skills sparingly if an opportunity arose.

Naeus picked up a mock two-handed sword with dulled edges.

Standing before him was a ten-year-old girl.

Though he had heard of her strength, her youth made him wary. He reminded himself to avoid injuring her at all costs.

Seneca selected a light, curved sword from the guild’s mock weapon rack since there were no katanas available.

While excitement at facing a strong opponent surged within her, she consciously restrained it, knowing such emotions could interfere with her performance.

Seneca and Naeus took their positions, maintaining a distance between them.

Naeus noted how composed her stance was, raising his guard further.

“Come at me anytime,” Naeus said.

The moment he finished speaking, Seneca lunged.

“She’s fast!”

Naeus was taken aback by her unexpected speed. But he was no novice—this was far from enough to catch him off guard.

He deftly parried Seneca’s strike.

Seneca adjusted her stance, not expecting the first attack to connect.

She quickly unleashed a second and third strike, but Naeus effortlessly deflected these as well.

To Naeus, Seneca’s attacks were swift but monotonous. Although her speed exceeded his expectations, he realized her predictability allowed for counterattacks or preemptive strikes. Readying himself, he tightened his body to counter her next move.

Seneca suddenly pivoted at an astonishing speed, preparing to launch a fourth attack from a distance, moving only her right foot.

Naeus, assuming Seneca was a rudimentary swordsman attacking in a fixed rhythm, was thrown completely off balance by her sudden pause after moving only one foot.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Had Naeus remained calm and advanced steadily, things might not have turned for the worse. Instead, he faltered, throwing himself off balance entirely.

Seneca stopped for just a moment before charging forward. Naeus, caught off guard and unsteady, was forced to receive her attack in a compromised position.

Maior, observing this, felt a surge of excitement, convinced Seneca would claim victory.

“ 【Great Blade】 !”

Naeus activated a subskill. Magic surged through his body, explosively amplifying his strength.

With terrifying speed, Naeus swung his blade, knocking Seneca’s sword aside. The impact sent Seneca flying, but she managed to regain her balance midair and land gracefully.

Maior almost screamed when she saw Naeus’ overwhelming strike, but Seneca remained nonchalant.

“That was light,” Seneca remarked casually.

Despite her comment, the tides turned against her. Every move she made was countered, attacks were repelled, evasions were pursued, and defenses were broken. She wanted to surprise Naeus with her [Magic Needle] skill but couldn’t find an opening to execute it.

Naeus fought with full intent, convinced that any arrogance or hesitation could cost him the match. His pride as a warrior compelled him to take her seriously, though the result left Seneca battered and bruised while he remained unscathed.

“I yield,” Seneca’s clear voice echoed through the arena.

Bruises and cuts adorned her face, painting a painful picture. Meanwhile, Naeus stood without a scratch.

Annia from Verdant Prayer rushed to Seneca’s side, presumably to heal her wounds with magic. Maior and the rest of their companions prepared to protest Naeus’ excessive display, but he spoke first.

“She’s a swordsman equal to me. Criticizing me would insult her. I had no choice but to go all out. So, praise her. She was strong.”

Naeus smiled, an expression betraying admiration. It was almost unbelievable, but he believed this ten-year-old girl would soon ascend to bronze rank—a prodigy destined to stand among seasoned warriors. Naeus, the man closest to silver rank in Baetica, had become an ardent fan of Seneca.

After her treatment, Seneca seemed completely unfazed.

Maior, reflecting on the mock battle, was deeply impressed by Seneca’s determination. She considered Naeus’ words partly flattery, as Seneca’s skill, while formidable, didn’t yet match Naeus’. Still, factoring in her ranged abilities like 【Sewing】 , Seneca’s capabilities might indeed rival a bronze-ranked adventurer.

Inspired by Seneca’s performance, Maior decided to challenge the person she most wanted to fight.

Taking a deep breath, she declared, “Annia-san, I’d like to ask for your guidance.”

Annia nodded curtly. “Understood,” she replied, preparing for the bout.

Maior faced Annia, who, at twelve, had entered the adventurer academy, reached bronze rank during her time there, and graduated at fifteen. Annia might even have been stronger than Naeus at the same age.

Maior wielded a lightweight broadsword in one hand and a small shield in the other, still uncertain what weapon suited her best. Annia, in contrast, held a small wand adorned with a red gemstone.

Relying on her newfound ability to sense magic, Maior activated 【Detection】. She discovered this skill by reacting to Seneca’s overwhelming magic, initially mistaking her for a transformed beast. While her sensing ability was still unstable and brief, she decided to test its limits here.

The match began with Maior charging in, intent on forcing Annia to use magic. To her surprise, Annia cast a spell immediately, hurling small shards of ice to obstruct Maior’s advance.

Maior balanced her direct view with her 【Detection】 senses, though it strained her focus. She managed to deflect the ice shards with her sword and shield, closing the distance.

As Maior swung her sword, Annia gracefully evaded and retreated, maintaining the gap between them with fluid movements.

“Not all mages are slow,” Annia teased, resuming her attack.

Her spells grew increasingly complex. Large ice projectiles concealed smaller ones, but Maior’s dual senses allowed her to fend them off.

The battle devolved into a defensive struggle for Maior. She knew recklessness would lead to defeat and patiently awaited an opportunity.

Sensing this, Annia resolved to demonstrate her full strength. Magic surged around her, condensing in her hands.

This time, Annia unleashed her trump card. From her right hand came an ice projectile, and from her left, a streak of lightning.

Caught off guard, Maior hastily defended, but the electric current numbed her shield arm, leaving her vulnerable. Before she could react, Annia closed the distance with startling speed, placing a dagger at Maior’s neck.

“Enough!” Naeus’ voice ended the match, and Maior collapsed to the ground.

Annia knelt beside her, using healing magic to ease her fatigue.

“You held your ground well. Waiting for the right moment to act was wise,” Annia whispered. “To make me use 【Dual Magic】 —that’s something to be proud of, Maior.”

Her warm smile left Maior blushing, her admiration for Annia deepening.

Watching from afar, the Oak Branch members cheered for Maior’s effort, though some couldn’t avoid a light-hearted scolding for their antics.