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 79

Episode 79: The Warrior

Who is the strongest at the Royal Adventurer Academy?

This question has been debated countless times.

As the latter half of the term progressed and students gained a clearer understanding of each other’s strengths, opinions began to split into three main camps.

The first name that always came up was Balkar, a third-year student. Balkar wielded the extremely rare Light Magic. This skill was known for its versatility and offensive power, said to rival Holy Magic, making Balkar a highly anticipated talent for the future. However, as a mage, Balkar had never participated in the martial arts tournament in all three years.

Next was Keito, a second-year student. Last year, despite being a first-year, Keito had won the Level 2 division. His skill was Martial Arts. While generalist combat skills often risked becoming a jack-of-all-trades and master of none, Keito had mastered it completely.

And then, there was a name that had only recently started gaining recognition—Seneca. At first, it was only the first-years who supported her overwhelmingly, but as time passed, even those well-acquainted with the strengths of Keito and Balkar began to acknowledge her.

Since neither Balkar nor Seneca participated in the tournament, most students believed that Keito would claim victory in the Level 2 division once again this year.

Maior had fought her way to the semifinals.

She knew that most students hadn’t expected much from her. Even so, she had managed to narrowly defeat skilled second- and third-year students along the way.

Maior’s combat ability wasn’t particularly high. Her swordsmanship and defensive techniques were, at best, below average among Level 2 students. And yet, she had made it this far.

Her opponents had all mysteriously failed to bring out their full potential, falling one after another.

The Adventurer Academy valued results above all else. Because of this, everyone acknowledged Maior’s achievements—but a lingering sense of unease remained.

“Her next opponent is a warrior. A true warrior never falters.”
“That’s right. I’m rooting for the warrior.”
“Me too. But, well… Maior-chan is kinda cute, isn’t she?”
“‘Kinda’ cute? She’s way more than that!”

Among the students, such conversations were taking place.

The “warrior” they referred to was none other than Keito. He had built a solid reputation within the academy and was respected enough to be called “warrior” with admiration.

Maior’s next opponent was Keito, renowned as the strongest close-combat fighter in the academy. His unwavering dedication to honing his skills had even earned Maior’s respect. In an atmosphere where no one expected her to win, she would have to face him in battle.

But Maior considered making it this far a success.

She had reached the semifinals of the Level 2 division.

That meant she was one of the four strongest close-combat fighters in the academy.

Of course, Maior herself knew better than anyone that this wasn’t the full truth.

Seneca wasn’t here, and Nina, Stolo, and even Keito had already defeated strong contenders.

Still, her evaluation of herself remained unchanged—she had done well.

But it wasn’t enough to become a hero.

To grow stronger, trials were necessary. That was what Kito had told her.

If she didn’t face the challenge here, there would be no future.

Before Maior and Keito’s match, the other semifinal would take place.

It was a battle between Pulcher and Fabius.

Both of them had fought their way to the semifinals against the odds.

Pulcher carried himself like a noble prince, always composed and unshaken.

Fabius, too, was patient and often maintained a graceful demeanor.

Yet now, the two of them stood face to face, their tension palpable.

It was as if the raw emotions they usually concealed were about to burst forth.

Maior watched their match unfold, captivated.

It was a fierce battle.

Pulcher activated [Thunder Veil] from the start and launched an aggressive offense. Fabius responded by skillfully utilizing his [Round Shield] skill, executing seamless defensive and offensive maneuvers.

As Pulcher’s relentless attacks rained down, Fabius met them with his shield and sword, countering in the briefest openings. He even used his shield offensively at times, catching Pulcher off guard.

Both fighters poured their magic into their attacks without hesitation, pushing their limits. As a result, their magical energy was quickly depleted.

From that point on, it became a pure contest of skill—spear versus sword and shield. Though there were no flashy techniques, the level of refinement in their combat thrilled the audience.

Yet, despite the fierce exchanges, neither of them could land a decisive blow.

Both had been fighting at full power from the very start. Now, they were breathing heavily, their movements strained—but neither was willing to yield.

Not much time had passed, but the rapid shifts in momentum made the battle feel far longer to Maior.

Then, at the climax of the match—

Pulcher thrust his spear with all his strength.

Fabius met the strike with his shield.

And in that moment, the force of their clash sent both weapons flying.

Now, neither had a weapon in hand.

Fabius, for some reason, discarded his sword and charged at Pulcher with his fists. Pulcher accepted the challenge, and now the match had turned into a fierce brawl.

Both of them were already quite popular. Handsome faces, undeniable skill, and unwavering composure. Among the first-year girls, it was common to debate who was the most attractive among the three—Pulcher, Fabius, and Stolo.

From the very start of the match, high-pitched cheers had echoed through the arena. Now, those cheers had grown even louder. The normally composed pair were baring their emotions, throwing wild punches at each other with reckless abandon.

Seeing even the usually dependable upperclassmen getting caught up in the excitement and shouting their support, Maior felt a pang of disappointment.

In the end, the one who emerged victorious from the brutal exchange was Pulcher.

Some of the girls in the audience let out something between a scream and a gasp at the sight of the two beautiful men lying on their backs, completely exhausted. Some seniors even shed tears upon witnessing the result.

And yet, despite all this, Maior’s own battle was about to begin. She couldn’t help but feel conflicted.

Shaking off her unease, Maior focused on preparing for her match.

Across the arena stood Keito.

“The warrior is here! The warrior has arrived!”
“You gotta win again this year!”

As the deep voices of support rang out, the atmosphere in the arena grew tense.

“Maior-chan, you’re adorable today too!”
“Hope your opponent’s off his game!”

Unclear whether they were cheers or heckles, such voices reached Maior.

She let out a wry smile before shifting her gaze to Keito.

A massive, muscular frame.

Close-cropped hair.

Eyes sharpened with discipline, as if they had stripped away all traces of weakness.

“Yeah… definitely a warrior.”

Keito was wielding a blunted halberd.

A troublesome weapon.

With his skill, Keito had mastered numerous martial arts. The halberd could slash, thrust, and even be used like a staff for blunt attacks. And of course, he could fight in close quarters with hand-to-hand combat as well.

No openings.

That was the opponent she had to face.

Pushing aside the distraction from the audience, Maior sharpened her focus.

“The second semifinal match will now begin. Both competitors, step forward.”

Maior stepped into the arena and advanced.

Her eyes met Keito’s.

She could sense it—they were both entering a state of deep concentration.

She had hoped, just a little, that he might underestimate her.

But she knew Keito wasn’t the type to do that.

If anything, he was the kind of person who would crush even a mere mouse with full force.

And that was exactly why he was worth surpassing.

Maior realized she was smiling faintly. At some point, she had started to feel excited about facing strong opponents.

“I guess I’m becoming more like Seneca.”

Seeing her expression, Keito also let a slight smile form on his lips.

Then, the usually taciturn man spoke.

“It seems you are my worthy rival.”

Maior didn’t fully understand what he meant.

But she didn’t dwell on it.

Standing before a powerful opponent, there was no room for trivial distractions.

Without waiting for a signal, both of them raised their weapons at the same time.

“Begin!”

Maior’s challenge had begun.