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 53

Episode 53: Twisted Threads

A girl walks through the twilight-lit city.

Her steps are light and graceful.

Her soft expression matches her gentle, downturned eyes. She isn’t overwhelmingly beautiful, yet something about her draws attention.

From the outside, she appears calm and composed.

However, within her mind, her extraordinary intellect is fully engaged, lost in thought.

A sense of relief lingers within her.

The moment Seneca secured a place at Spelunca, the minimum requirement had been met.

Now, there was no risk of missing out on information about Lucius.

Her childhood friend had once again delivered remarkable results.

Maior, too, had proven exceptional.

From the initial research to gathering intel, every step had led to results.

On the surface, it might seem like a fortunate coincidence that their teacher happened to know something useful—but she knew better.

One had fully succeeded, and the other had nearly done the same.

Progressing this far on such a difficult task within two days was an achievement in itself.

She truly felt relieved.

Yet, to say she wasn’t frustrated would be a lie.

They were working together, so the success wasn’t solely one person’s doing.

Still, some rule—perhaps an unspoken one—dictated that only one guide could bring only one person to Spelunca.

It felt as though they were being tested. Calling it a “trial” might be an exaggeration, but unless someone acknowledged them, they couldn’t go.

“To come this far, only to be unable to hear about Lucius firsthand…”

That thought filled her heart.

And so, she immersed herself in it.

She delved deep.

She kept thinking of how she, too, could reach Spelunca.

Seneca knew.

Whenever Kito shut out the world and focused on her own thoughts, her expression became bittersweet, delighted, and enigmatic all at once.

The newly risen moon cast a faint glow on Kito.

Passersby couldn’t help but be captivated by her presence.

Maior stood by the Hero Fountain, waiting, when Attalos arrived.

Though dressed as an adventurer, Attalos was unusually neat. His hair seemed slightly slicked back with fragrant oil.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Maior followed Attalos through the royal capital, walking briskly behind him.

They seemed to be heading outward, little by little.

From a main road, they turned into a medium-sized street, then finally into a quiet alley with few people.

After a few more turns through narrow paths, they reached a lantern-lit shop.

“The person we’re looking for is in there. He’s friendly and easygoing, but don’t use your Detection skill. He’ll notice. Of course, if you sense danger, do as you must.”

Maior nodded. “Understood.”

Attalos smiled and stepped into the shop.

“Is Old Man Gray here?”

Attalos asked the shopkeeper at the counter the moment he walked in.

There was a counter immediately upon entering, but no customers sat there. Maior assumed there were more seats further inside.

“Oh! If it isn’t Attalos. Been a while. Gray’s in Tokara’s room at the back, as usual.”

“Got it.”

Without hesitation, Attalos strode deeper into the shop.

Through one door, a staircase immediately came into view, leading downward. Since Attalos remained silent, Maior said nothing as well.

After descending for quite some time, they reached a corridor lined with multiple rooms. Judging by the distance they had traveled, this was likely an underground level.

Attalos headed straight for the room at the very end. The door bore the name Tokara.

He pushed the door open with confidence.

“Old man, it’s me—Attalos.”

“I figured you’d be arriving soon, Attalos.”

Inside, an elderly man with a rugged face grinned broadly as he spoke.

Then, his gaze shifted to Maior.

“Oh? And who might this young lady be?”

His words were so blunt that Maior could only manage a wry smile—though, deep down, she couldn’t help but feel a little hurt.

“I understand. So this young lady wishes to meet Gradius, is that it?”

“Yeah, that’s right. And I, Attalos Pergamon, vouch for her.”

Attalos seemed to be in a good mood.

“Understood. In that case, I shall take full responsibility and bring her to Spelunca!”

“Hah! ‘Take full responsibility,’ you say? You’re a funny old man.”

As the conversation continued, Maior listened to the two men talk. Attalos remained cheerful, and Gray spoke with an easygoing demeanor.

“You two seem to be quite close,” Maior hesitantly remarked during a lull in the conversation.

“I’ve known this rascal since he was a kid. We’re practically old friends,” Gray said, looking at Attalos with the fondness of a grandfather.

“Well, this old man helped me out a lot back in the day. He was like the guardian of our party. Sure, he nagged at me plenty, but looking back, those are good memories.”

“‘Nagged,’ you say!? You were just a little troublemaker, that’s why!”

“What are you talking about? I was the most well-behaved kid you’d ever meet!”

Their words were sharp, but their grins showed they were enjoying the banter. Seeing that, Maior decided to quietly observe.

Occasionally, the conversation shifted to her, but no matter what she answered, the two simply smiled and didn’t pry further. So, she spent the time peacefully.

After the meeting, Attalos escorted Maior back to the adventurer academy.

Maior had many questions she wanted to ask, but Attalos wasn’t very forthcoming with answers.

“Tomorrow, you’ll learn a lot. Once you’ve processed that, we’ll talk. And then, I’ll tell you more about myself, too.”

Attalos spoke with a mischievous grin, which left Maior feeling slightly exasperated.

She tried pressing him for details a few times, but he brushed her off each time, so in the end, she gave up.

The next day, Kito made her way to Instructor Semia’s office.

Semia was a renowned scholar of magical chemistry. Her creations ranged from potions to weapons, and even ink.

She was a distinguished honorary member of the Magus Church, well-connected in countless circles, yet she never wielded her influence for personal gain.

Her gentle and ever-smiling nature seemed to align well with Yulia. The two were close friends, and Yulia had once told Kito, “If there’s anyone you can trust completely, it’s Semia.”

Kito’s steps were neither light nor heavy.

She had done what she needed to do. She had conducted the necessary research.

She had investigated thoroughly, deep into the core of the matter, and arrived at a conclusion.

Perhaps she was wrong. But if so, that was fine.

She would accept her lack of ability and start over. That was how Kito saw it.

Early that morning, she had gone to the Royal Adventurer Academy to speak with Seneca and Maior.

As expected, Maior had secured a way into Spelunca.

To Kito, even the exchange between Attalos and Gray seemed to hold subtle hints and clues.

The connections were fragile at best.

So thin that she hesitated to call them connections at all.

Yet, as she carefully twisted those fine threads together, a clear picture began to form.

If her assumptions were wrong, her conclusions would collapse entirely.

Seen from a different angle, her deductions might seem absurd.

The more time one spends crafting a hypothesis, the more terrifying it becomes to voice it.

As she pondered these things, Kito finally arrived at Semia’s office.

She knocked lightly on the door and waited for a response.

Now, the real test was about to begin.

With steady steps, Kito stepped into the room.