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 86

Episode 86: Interaction

After completing Apiana’s request, the four hurried back to the royal capital. They delivered the goods, replenished their supplies, and then began preparing for their classes.

Since most second-year courses were advanced versions of first-year subjects, they didn’t need to start their studies from scratch. However, they were cramming as much as possible, wanting to earn their credits quickly. Cutting down on study time wasn’t an option.

Last year, Seneca and the others had focused almost exclusively on training. But starting this year, they had begun expanding their social circles with an eye on the future.

Seneca often met with people within the academy. She had attended two noble banquets, but they hadn’t been particularly beneficial. For now, she was simply trying to get used to such gatherings.

Maior’s family, the Merida Trading Company, was preparing to open a store in the royal capital, and her father frequently visited. Maior accompanied him and learned various things along the way.

Plautia seemed to be meeting with Kito frequently. She was also deepening her connections with students in the magic academy’s apothecary course. When Seneca met Kito the other day, they discussed a new pharmaceutical formula utilizing Plautia’s skills. Additionally, as a noble herself, Plautia maintained a reserved but steady social engagement with other nobles.

Gaia, too, had many interactions with academy students. Sometimes, he and Seneca moved together. The adventurer academy had many scholarly types focused on fieldwork, and Gaia gathered information from them.

Seneca found herself participating in more mock battles.

Conversations with fellow students often led to someone wanting to see techniques firsthand, which naturally brought them to the training grounds. And once they were there, mock battles were inevitable.

Additionally, influential figures occasionally provoked fights to test the skills of adventurers. Seneca, sensing ill intent, made a habit of avoiding these encounters. So far, she had managed to steer clear of trouble. On the other hand, some of the bodyguards serving these influential figures were surprisingly kind. When Seneca met such individuals, she made an effort to converse with them and gather useful information.

Although Seneca often found social interactions tiresome, she convinced herself that they were necessary and diligently continued.

The promotion exam for Silver-ranked adventurers was held twice a year. Since a recommendation was required before taking the test, they wouldn’t make it in time for the first exam this year. Thus, Seneca set his sights on the second one and focused her efforts accordingly.

As she interacted with more people, Seneca started questioning the importance of gaining favor among the upper class. She understood the value of trust, as Attalos had emphasized, but it seemed fleeting—something that could disappear in an instant.

Maior worried about getting too entangled in political relationships. If they got too involved with the powerful, they might find themselves unable to protect Lucius when the time came.

Considering everything, Seneca realized that the true purpose of these interactions was to find people she could trust deeply. Whether she became a hero or an outcast in the future, she wanted to find those who would stand by her regardless.

With that in mind, she felt that the initial introductions were enough. Now, she just needed to determine whom among those she had met could truly be trusted.

If she aimed to be the hero who slays dragons, then she couldn’t afford to waver in the face of wealth and power.

In fact, wouldn’t overwhelming strength be enough?

That was the ultimate goal, wasn’t it?

The thought struck Seneca like a revelation—she should only engage in the minimum necessary social interactions and instead focus on developing absolute strength. Trust and experience would come as natural byproducts.

Having reached this conclusion, Seneca consulted Maior.

Maior responded, “That makes sense,” and decided to gather everyone for a discussion.

“And that’s why I called everyone together—what do you all think?”

The four of them gathered in Maior and Plautia’s room to discuss their recent activities.

“I don’t dislike our current lifestyle,” Plautia said, “but I have started feeling the need to dedicate more time to training. So, I was thinking—it might be a good idea to form a research group and deeply examine magic skills, starting with 【Artillery Magic】.”

“I also think it’s about time to step away from dealing with nobles,” Gaia added. “The fact that ‘Moonlit Vows’ includes a noble member is already widely known. That should be enough, right?”

“Since they know that a daughter of House Helva is involved, it’s already an established fact,” Plautia said with a wry smile.

When Seneca and Maior had first learned that Plautia was of noble birth, they had been surprised. Gaia, on the other hand, had suspected as much based on her refined demeanor.

House Helva was an old and well-established noble family, and naturally, Maior’s father was aware of them. He had advised her to handle their relationship carefully.

“What about you, Maior?” Plautia asked confidently—her growing self-assurance evident.

“I basically agree with Seneca,” Maior replied. “If we gain overwhelming strength, we can ignore most things. That’s the nature of being an adventurer. But if the church or the kingdom starts paying too much attention to us, things could become difficult. So, while we focus on training, I want us to also have contingency plans for when we find ourselves cornered.”

Hearing this, Seneca’s expression turned slightly apologetic.

When she reunited with Lucius, she intended to travel and adventure with him. Even if the entire world turned against them, Seneca was ready to keep fighting if that was what Lucius wished.

Maior was fully prepared to follow Seneca. She couldn’t abandon someone who had continued to show her new dreams. However, Gaia and Plautia might not share that same resolve. They trusted each other, but it would be unfair to drag them into Lucius’s affairs without their consent.

Seneca had told them everything about Lucius, but she didn’t know what they truly felt deep down. It wasn’t something she could ask outright, and besides, no one could predict what lay ahead. There was no way to plan for every possible scenario.

“I think Gaia’s idea of a small research group is a good one,” Maior said. “It would allow for deep exploration of magic without isolating ourselves too much within the party.”

In the end, they decided to explore their greatest interests with people they trusted. The discussion was left open-ended, with plans to revisit the topic later.

………

………

Seneca found herself wandering the royal capital alone more often than before.

She had more personal meetings, and sometimes she needed to kill time before an appointment.

As she walked, she gradually memorized the city’s layout, becoming more comfortable with venturing out on her own.

Since today is a day when only Seneca finishes classes early, she plans to replenish her rations and browse weapons on her own.

In the past, she would have quickly taken care of her errands and returned to school to start training immediately. Even now, she is practicing mana manipulation while walking, making sure not to be noticed by passersby, but she can’t say she’s fully focused.

As she wandered, Seneca stepped into a narrow alley. Without hesitation, she walked straight ahead and visited a shop on the second floor of an old building.

It was a tea shop. Run by a gentle woman, the shop had a serene atmosphere. There were no explicit rules about silence, yet it felt natural to keep one’s voice down. The place exuded a calming presence.

Seneca quietly took a seat and ordered tea. The lighting was dim, but bright natural light streamed in through the windows.

It has been four years since she was separated from Lucius.

They met when she was six and spent time together until she was ten. Now that she’s fourteen, the time they’ve spent apart is becoming longer than the time they spent together.

Lucius’s face, once so vivid in her memory, has started to blur.

Lucius must have grown, and his appearance must have changed.

Seneca has no idea what Lucius looks like now.

That thought made her eyes sting, as if she alone had been left behind.

The tea arrived. In this shop, a very strong tea is served in small amounts.

Seneca picked up the cup and slowly took a sip. The rich flavor spread across her tongue. The aroma was floral, with only a mild bitterness. Though the quantity was small, it was satisfying.

It felt as if the haze clouding her mind had cleared just a little.

She had been running forward blindly.

Finally, she had found a clue about Lucius.

Perhaps their reunion was not so far off.

A surge of joy welled up inside her.

At the same time, anxiety crept in.

She wanted to immerse herself completely in the joy.

She wanted to be swallowed whole by the anxiety.

But at the end of either path lay stagnation.

Her heart was constantly worn down by the uncertainty of the situation.

It must be painful. Feeling exhausted was only natural.

She wanted to do something about it, yet there was nothing she could do.

At times like this, she couldn’t help but wish for some magical solution to save her.

After all, Seneca had learned to use magic.

Inefficient to a frustrating degree, but she could conjure fire.

She could release ice.

She could heal.

Yet, the more she learned about magic, the more she came to realize—

There is no convenient spell in this world that can overturn one’s fate.