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 36

Chapter 5: Royal Adventurers’ Academy Arc (1)

Episode 36: “Trial”

Seneca and her companions arrived in the royal capital.

For the three of them, the sight of the capital for the first time was exhilarating.

The towering walls, the bustling crowds, the well-maintained roads—everything felt new and exciting.

Maior noticed that the people of the royal capital had their own distinct styles. Whether wealthy or not, they all seemed to share a certain aura.

Some laughed at Seneca’s blatantly rural demeanor, but most people simply passed by without giving the trio a second glance.

“This is the royal capital.”

Seneca muttered those words as she trudged in the direction of their destination.

Kito had arranged to stay at an inn run by an acquaintance of Yulia’s.

After escorting Kito to her accommodation, Seneca and Maior secured their own lodgings nearby. Since they would be moving into the academy dormitories once school began, their current stay was temporary.

The entrance exam for the Royal Adventurers’ Academy was scheduled for ten days later, with results announced three days after that. Although they were allowed to observe the exams, Seneca and her companions decided not to, feeling it would be in poor taste.

Kito’s exam followed the same schedule.

Although Kito’s acceptance was virtually guaranteed, she emphasized how much the results could affect her future life.

Yulia, who recommended Kito, was apparently an honorary member of the Pharmacists’ Association. Achieving honorary membership required remarkable accomplishments, and there were fewer than ten such members in the entire kingdom.

Yulia earned her honorary membership by developing a treatment for a specific endemic disease.

When Kito looked up books on the history of pharmacology, she found Yulia’s name prominently featured in a chapter introducing recent breakthroughs. Yulia was hailed as “a towering figure in contemporary pharmaceutical research.”

Seneca once asked Kito why such an accomplished person was living in Baetica.

According to Kito, Yulia had no interest in seeking power and wanted a quiet retirement. Additionally, she was working on developing a cure for a rare disease that occasionally emerged near Baetica.

The Royal Academy of Magic, known for its tradition and prestige, sought to nurture exceptional talent while avoiding the dilution of its standards through abuse of its recommendation system. Thus, the use of recommendation slots was strictly regulated.

First, honorary members of the Mage or Pharmacists’ Association could only recommend one candidate at a time to the academy. As a result, only a select few received recommendations.

Second, the performance of recommended candidates during their time at the academy would later be reviewed to evaluate whether the recommendation was justified. If the evaluation was poor, the recommender would lose their right to recommend anyone to the academy ever again.

In other words, Yulia’s reputation was on the line with Kito’s performance.

Yulia had mentioned that she had no intention of ever using her recommendation slot. However, upon meeting an extraordinarily gifted disciple, she decided to make an exception.

Kito felt honored by Yulia’s high regard for her but was also overwhelmed by the weight of such expectations.

The more Kito learned about Yulia’s achievements, the heavier the burden on her shoulders became.

Yulia’s accomplishments were dazzling, hailed as exemplary research. To be seen as her disciple after only two years felt like an immense challenge. Kito felt the pressure nearly crush her several times.

Yet, she overcame it.

That was because she was able to reframe the situation as a “trial.”

Kito often spoke with Seneca, Lucius, and Maior, and through these conversations, she became well-versed in the stories of heroes.

Heroes all shared one common trait—they faced trials.

Time and again, they confronted seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and by overcoming them, they became heroes.

Even the “Sword Saint” could surpass their limits only because they were born in the era of darkness.

So, Kito decided to face her challenges head-on.

Seneca, concerned for her friend who was unusually determined, found herself deeply moved by the sight of Kito motivating herself with such noble resolve. In the end, Seneca chose to simply watch over her.

Maior had one lingering curiosity—Lucius, the boy Seneca often spoke of.

From Maior’s perspective, both Seneca and Kito were extraordinary—too extraordinary.

Among all the people Maior had encountered, no one matched their drive to keep moving forward.

What kind of person could push these two to grow so desperately, someone they seemed unwilling to be left behind by?

Seneca’s swordsmanship was phenomenal, according to adventurers. Even among her peers, she seemed leagues ahead in terms of skill with the blade.

Yet, according to Seneca, she stood no chance against Lucius in a swordfight.

Maior found that hard to believe.

Seneca explained that Lucius was a formidable opponent, even without considering his ability to wield a sword while casting healing magic.

Seneca said something unforgettable:

“If Lucius were Level 1, I could win. If he were Level 2, I might lose. And if he were Level 3, I probably couldn’t win.”

Her expression was one of both frustration and joy.

While Seneca and Maior spent their time sightseeing in the royal capital and visiting the adventurers’ guild, Kito’s entrance exam came to an end.

After the exam, Kito had a satisfied look on her face, and Seneca thought it must have gone well.

On the day of the results announcement, Seneca and Maior went to the Royal Adventurers School to complete their enrollment procedures.

The Adventurers School, which they visited for the first time, was more luxurious than expected, with an impressively large campus. Seneca felt a little overwhelmed.

The people gathered for the results announcement were mostly dressed similarly to Seneca and Maior, though some clearly came from impoverished backgrounds, while others could only be described as nobility.

According to Maior and Thullia, the Royal Adventurers School leaned more toward meritocracy compared to other royal schools. While it couldn’t be said that there was no class distinction at all, it appeared that one’s origins weren’t scrutinized to a degree that would trouble someone as sheltered as Seneca.

Upon reaching the plaza where the results were being displayed, they saw that the results had just been posted.

Some children were jumping for joy, while others were collapsing in tears.

Feeling somewhat awkward, the two made their way to check their own names.

And sure enough, they found them:

Seneca (Baetica Branch): S-Class Scholarship Student
Maior (Baetica Branch): S-Class Scholarship Student

“I had a feeling, but now it’s certain,” Maior said, exhaling slowly.

“Hey, Maior. It said ‘S-Class.’ What does that mean?”

“It’s the highest class in this school. There are six classes in total, ranked from E to S, and students are assigned based on their grades. The S-Class is limited to twelve students, and passing the entrance exam for it is considered incredibly difficult. There are over a thousand applicants nationwide, and the twelve most talented individuals are recognized as the S-Class. We may not be on Kito’s level, but we’ll definitely draw a lot of attention.”

Seneca, who hadn’t done much research, widened her eyes in surprise.

Maior was already looking through the names of the other successful applicants.

“Hey, Seneca. This is amazing. There are five scholarship students this year. There are years when there’s not even one, so I thought it might just be the two of us.”

This meant there were three other individuals who had become Bronze-rank adventurers at an astonishingly rapid pace.

“I hope there’s another girl, but you can’t tell from just the names. Anyway, let’s finish the enrollment procedures!”

With that, Maior quickly began to move.

Despite its formal sound, the enrollment process was simple. They just needed to confirm their identities with their Adventurer Cards. After that, they were informed about the dormitory check-in and the date of the entrance ceremony.

Other people seemed to be discussing tuition fees and other detailed procedures, so it appeared that non-scholarship students had a lot more to deal with.

After finishing their tasks, they planned to meet up with Kito.

Since Seneca and Maior expected to finish earlier, the meeting point was set at the Royal Magic School.

They rode a shared carriage for about half an hour to reach the Magic School.

The Royal Magic School was even more luxurious than the Adventurers School. Its gate was made of fine wood adorned with metallic decorations.

The gate seemed to have magical mechanisms built into it, though its exact functions were unclear.

The school building itself was made of smooth stone and looked immaculate. Seneca thought they might be using magic to keep it so clean.

Seneca and Maior casually entered the premises and headed toward the area where the results were being announced.

“Seneca! Maior! Over here!”

Looking toward the voice, they saw Kito waving her hand.

Seneca broke into a light run, prompting Maior to follow.

“Kito! Great job! We finished the Adventurers School procedures and got accepted!”

Seneca laughed sheepishly, and Maior found her quite endearing.

“I got accepted, too,” Kito said with a smile.

“Judging by your expression, things went well,” Maior said with a sly grin.

“Yes, I managed to score high enough to be recognized as a top student. But there are still people better than me, so I have to work hard!”

Seeing Kito’s radiant face, Seneca hugged her enthusiastically.

Later, they learned that Kito’s overall rank was fifteenth, and she placed second in the Apothecary course. Simply put, this meant that among the children in the nation with magical skills, Kito ranked fifteenth in academic achievement.

When Maior heard this, she shouted, “Unbelievable!” three times.