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 43

Episode 43: Maior Is the Type to Silence with Strength

A month had passed since Seneca had enrolled.

Since then, the four of them—sharing adjacent rooms—had been training together every morning.

Seneca stood facing the forest, searching for the sensations within her chest.
Then, she mentally “sealed” the well-like part within her body, effectively “shutting off” the influence of her skills.

This was the method Attalos had taught for suppressing skills. For some, it might be a door or a window, but for Seneca, it took the form of a well in her mind’s eye.

After shutting off her skills, Seneca practiced her swordsmanship with slow, deliberate movements—starting with footwork drills, then progressing to practice swings.

Maior began with archery practice before moving on to sword training. The trees in the forest already bore large dents from repeated impacts.

Gaia also trained with a sword. Her technique was straightforward, adhering strictly to the basics. She wasn’t exceptionally strong, but her admission into the Royal Adventurer Academy was well-earned, showcasing her solid skills.

Plautia practiced with a sword too, though hers was more akin to a dagger. She continued drills that emphasized mobility, thrusting, and reverse-grip slashes.

Without considering the influence of their skills, Maior and Gaia were nearly equal in strength, with Plautia slightly behind. However, in rough terrains like forests, Plautia held a slight advantage.

After training, they’d have breakfast and head to class.
Classes were concentrated in the first half of the week, leaving the latter half for training or adventuring activities for most students.

Seneca took practical courses like “Introduction to Magic Theory” and “Basics of Botany.”
Maior, in addition to such courses, attended future-oriented lectures like “Logistics” and “Command Strategy.”

They also continued their weekly classes with Attalos.
In the mornings, they’d all gather for lectures or practical instruction. Each week, three students would spar with Attalos one-on-one to receive personalized advice.

When it was Seneca and Maior’s turn, they held back on their skills during the sparring, so they didn’t receive any significant feedback. In contrast, someone like Pulcher, who possessed Lightning Spear Techniques, seemed to match well against Attalos and frequently received detailed guidance.

Attalos was highly skilled in both swordsmanship and magic, making him a popular instructor.

After classes, they’d return to their foundational training.
Seneca divided her time between running, sword drills, and magic practice.
Maior and Gaia practiced archery and magic at the outdoor training grounds.

Weekends were reserved for party activities.

While a vast forest lay near the royal capital, it wasn’t home to strong enemies.
Most S-Class students, from Iron to Bronze-ranked adventurers, would travel by carriage to distant locations to face tougher foes.

However, Seneca, Maior, Gaia, and Plautia decided to steadily build their accomplishments within the royal capital’s forest.

When Maior asked their assistant homeroom teacher, Mithoa, about achievements, they were advised that flashy tasks weren’t necessary in their first semester.
Thus, they focused on assignments that would allow them to solidify their foundation.

Their chosen assignment was the rather mundane “Survey of the Ecology and Topography of the Tinopul Forest Region.”

Although maps of the Tinopul Forest—adjacent to the capital—existed, there were few reports on how the forest’s conditions changed with the seasons.

Therefore, Maior and the others decided to document their observations every time they entered the forest.

Seneca was in charge of animals and magical creatures, Maior handled the study of magical energy concentrations, Plautia focused on plants, and Gaia, with her deep knowledge of earth sciences, conducted detailed geological and topographical surveys.

Thanks to Attalos’s rigorous training in documentation and Gaia’s organizational skills, the four of them felt confident that their work would yield significant results.

Incidentally, while first-year S-Class students typically achieved recognition through monster subjugation or rare material collection, Maior’s group inspired their classmates to shift toward research-oriented projects. As a result, their diligent activities earned them a reputation as capable students with strong foundational discipline—even without direct intervention from the school.

In the royal capital’s forest, Seneca and Maior made a conscious effort to suppress their skills.
They also rotated roles within their formation, avoiding fixed positions.

Seneca learned scouting techniques from Plautia and further honed her plant identification skills.
Maior, eager to absorb Gaia’s wealth of knowledge, often engaged her in deep discussions.

Thanks to their intense training alongside Seneca and Maior, Gaia and Plautia’s basic abilities had significantly improved.
Although they ensured ample rest to prevent overwork, they were gradually catching up.

Another month passed.

Plautia proposed that they take one weekend off each month to spend time individually.

With plenty of things they wanted to do—rest, recreation, equipment maintenance, request investigations, lecture reviews—they all agreed unanimously.

This break was especially important for Plautia and Gaia, who had heavier course loads compared to Seneca and Maior.

During last month’s break, Seneca and Maior had spent their time on shopping and research.
However, for this month’s break, they planned to meet Kito.

Seneca had been restless for days, unable to hide her excitement.
Seeing this, Maior offered only light, comforting words—after all, it had been two months since Seneca last saw Kito.

They arranged to meet Kito at a café in the royal capital.

The day before, Seneca and Maior had gone shopping with Gaia’s fashion advice, purchasing outfits suitable for the occasion.
Thanks to that, they could confidently walk through the city without standing out.

When the two arrived, Kito was already there, waiting.

“Sene-chan! Maior! It’s been a while!”

Seeing Kito looking well, Seneca felt relieved.

“Kito! Long time no see! I’m glad you’re doing well.”

After some light conversation, they each ordered cake and drinks.

“So, how’s the Magic Academy treating you?”

Maior asked without hesitation.

“Well… I almost got caught up in faction disputes and other stuff, so I leveled up. Things are peaceful now, I guess.”

Kito answered in her usual tone.

“Wait, you leveled up already? You were so hesitant about it before! But I guess your prediction about being close to leveling up was spot-on. Oh—sorry, I should probably keep my voice down when talking about levels.”

“It’s not something to advertise, but when it’s just about levels, it’s common knowledge at school, so it’s fine.”

“How did it end up like that?”

“Let’s see… The Magic Academy is basically merit-based. But, you’ve got mages, magitechs, alchemists, and so on, right?”

Seneca and Maior nodded.

“When the fields are so different, it’s hard to compare actual abilities. So, grades are one way to show differences, but since everyone’s still an apprentice, the gap isn’t that significant.”

“Sounds like a hassle.”

“Exactly. Ideally, people would just respect each other, acknowledging that we’re all more or less the same. But that’s not how it goes—everyone wants to create distinctions.”

“So grades are the most important thing?”

“Grades are the foundation, but they’re not everything. The criteria are all over the place. It’s chaotic because, even though they claim to be merit-based, there’s no clear standard.”

Seneca groaned, “Ugh.”

“Some say mages are superior because they’re combat-oriented. Others argue bloodlines are what matter. Then there are those who think non-magic skills are more important since they support daily life. In reality, there are two or three big factions, and constant small skirmishes between them—that’s the current state of the Magic Academy.”

“I see. But how does leveling up fit into all this?”

“Imagine a commoner with non-magic skills, recommended by the Mage’s Association, suddenly enrolling. What do you think happens?”

“Oh, someone like that would be the perfect target for faction enthusiasts.”

“Exactly. Of course, there are good sides to factions—they often work like mutual aid groups. But I didn’t want to be used as a symbol for their causes. I just didn’t want to waste my time with all that.”

Maior seemed to understand completely, while Seneca was just barely keeping up with the conversation.

“Like I said earlier, the Academy is supposed to be merit-based, but no one knows how to properly gauge ability, so it causes conflict. If you just show your strength and prove you can stand alone, even the faction people will leave you alone. The easiest ways to do that are through achievements and leveling up.”

“I get it now. That’s why you chose to level up.”

“Yep. Sure, there are upperclassmen at level 2, but among first-years, only a handful have reached that. And soon, if I rack up some accomplishments, no one will have anything to say.”

“Is the Magic Academy really that kind of place?”

“That kind of place.”

Maior sighed, placing a hand on her forehead with a wry smile.

“So basically, Kito, you were swamped with recruitment attempts, so you showed your strength and shut them up? That’s pretty much the adventurer’s way of handling things!”

Seneca said cheerfully, clearly amused.

“Reluctantly, yes… That’s exactly what happened. I even spent a lot of money proving my level. Now I’ve got to earn back both time and money.”

“I’d never survive at the Magic Academy.”

“Really? I actually think Maior would fit right in. Don’t you think so, Sene-chan?”

“Yeah, totally. Maior’s the type who silences people with sheer strength.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

Watching Maior fume with frustration, the three of them continued their lively conversation in the cafe, laughing and enjoying each other’s company.