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 23

Chapter 23: The Gold Coin

Seneca and Maior had reached Level 2.

They decided to simultaneously apply for a promotion to Copper-ranked adventurers and admission to the Royal Adventurer Academy.

To be promoted due to a level-up, proof was required. Copper-ranked adventurers were recognized by the guild for their abilities, so promotion could not be granted based solely on self-declaration. Applicants needed to visit the church to obtain a level certification.

To be recognized as a special scholarship student at the Royal Adventurer Academy, an assessment was also necessary. While there were various procedures, Maior mentioned that submitting the level certification via the guild was the quickest way.

Thus, the two of them came to the church together.

Obtaining the level certification required a donation, essentially a fee, amounting to one gold coin.

A gold coin was a considerable sum. Despite being relatively stable earners as Iron-ranked adventurers, and with the high sale price of materials from the variant Rampage Ape collected by Menon, it still wasn’t enough.

Maior had been saving diligently for this day, and Seneca had an extra income from embroidery work for a noble, which made it possible.

They would spend nearly all their hard-earned savings on the certification, leaving only a small amount for essential expenses.

Seneca, unused to handling such a large sum, felt her head spinning.

At the church, they informed the sister at the reception desk that they wished to obtain a level certification.

It was rare for young girls to request such a certification, so the sister gave them a suspicious look.

However, when Maior presented a gold coin, the sister panicked and suddenly adopted a polite demeanor.

The two were led to a private room.

The sister left to call someone, and after a short wait, a man entered the room.

The man, addressed as Father, introduced himself.

“Young ladies, I am Primus, the one in charge of appraisals at this church. I understand you wish to obtain a level certification today. Is that correct?”

Primus greeted them with excessive politeness.

Seneca decided to stay silent in situations like this to avoid giving anything away.

Maior answered.

“Yes, that is correct. We were informed that a donation is required, so we have brought a gold coin.”

She placed the gold coin on the table.

“May I inquire about the source of this gold coin?”

Maior sensed suspicion in the priest’s expression.

“We earned it by completing tasks from the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“I see. Do you have any documents to prove that?”

“No, we do not.”

“I’m sorry, but we cannot accept donations from unknown sources.”

Maior thought this was merely an excuse since guild tasks typically didn’t come with documents.

Seneca and Maior were dressed in shabby clothes, intending to visit the guild immediately after. They didn’t look like they’d be carrying a gold coin.

Maior regretted not dressing more appropriately.

“That being the case…”

“Please wait!”

Maior stood up and spoke.

“Could you give us just an hour? I’ll bring someone from the guild to verify.”

The priest pretended to consider, then abruptly adopted a haughty tone.

“Just an hour, then? Fine. But if they don’t come, that will be the end of it.”

Maior turned to Seneca.

“Seneca, I’m sorry. Please bring someone from the guild, preferably Trulia, but anyone familiar will do!”

“Understood.”

Seneca dashed out of the room.

Normally, it would be impossible to make it in time, but if Seneca ran at full speed, she could make it.

Maior was left alone with the priest.

He seemed irritated.

Maior thought the situation odd.

Even if they had stolen the money, the appraisal would reveal their level, making any deception futile.

If they had truly leveled up, possessing a gold coin shouldn’t be so unusual.

The contradictions in the conversation led Maior to believe the priest simply didn’t like them.

As soon as they were left alone, Maior considered the possibility of being attacked but saw no signs of such intentions. She remained on guard, ready to retaliate, but exhaled slowly to avoid letting her guard down completely.

After a short wait, Seneca returned with Trulia. It was clear that not even an hour had passed. Trulia was out of breath, suggesting she had hurried significantly—perhaps Seneca had even carried her part of the way.

The priest was about to say something, but Seneca interrupted.

“I had the receptionist record the time from when I left until I returned. It hasn’t been an hour yet.”

The priest’s frustrated expression suggested he had been planning to make an issue of the time.

Trulia and the priest then began their conversation.

“Primus-sama, I had formally requested that such incidents be avoided in the future. Do you still intend to continue this behavior?”

“Yes, I received your notice. However, I must stress that the church has a duty to question anyone suspicious. Is it natural for a young girl to bring a gold coin? I think not.”

“I understand. We will report this to the Archbishop from the guild, and I expect you’ll provide the same explanation when questioned. The Adventurer’s Guild will request a different representative, and we’ll follow up in due course.”

“Wait. If it’s about verifying their levels, that’s fine. Since you’ve confirmed their identity, the issue is resolved.”

The priest seemed flustered.

“Alright. Please proceed with issuing their level certifications immediately. I’ll return to the guild now. Excuse me.”

Trulia left promptly.

The priest, now visibly irritated, muttered incomprehensibly, “Hurry up and hand over the gold coin! How dare you deceive me!”

Seneca, unfazed, replied, “I’ll be reporting this to Trulia-san,” effectively silencing him. She then proceeded with the appraisal.

After receiving their certifications, Seneca and Maior left the church and found Trulia waiting for them.

“Did you get your certifications? That man seems to have a grudge against adventurers, he’s always like this. We protested last time too.”

“Why is someone like him in charge? Most level certifications are for adventurers,” Maior asked.

“It’s partly harassment. There’s an anti-guild faction in the church. The higher-ups tend to overlook minor annoyances, but incidents like this can escalate, prompting stronger guild protests and making it harder for them to ignore.”

Despite their inquiries, Trulia skillfully deflected, revealing little.

“By the way, reaching Level 2 is impressive! Was it the Rampage Ape from last time? It must have been tough, but I’m glad it ended well.”

“Yeah!” Seneca replied energetically, hugging Trulia’s arm.

“How long will it take for our Copper-rank promotion to be approved?” Seneca asked brightly.

“You’ll apply now, and the Baetica branch will approve it before notifying the capital guild. With express communication, you might hear back by next week.”

“Great!”

“Given your high completion rate, you’ll likely become Copper-ranked after a simple interview. Within a week or two, you should be recognized as scholarship candidates.”

“Wait, I thought we’d be scholarship students once we reached Copper rank?”

“There’s a brief interview and mock battle. Skills are important, but character matters too. Though, I’ve never heard of anyone failing. Still, stay focused.”

“Got it!” Seneca raised her hand enthusiastically.

“Seneca, you should also study. The Adventurer School has classes, and it’s good to prepare.”

Maior looked a bit proud.

“Studying, huh…” Seneca appeared downcast.

“Don’t worry. You’re smart, and I’m sure you’ll pick things up quickly,” Trulia reassured her, patting her head.

“I’ll go home after our scholarship application is approved,” Seneca said, chatting with the others as they headed back to the guild.

However, two weeks passed, then three, and their promotion to Copper rank still hadn’t arrived.