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 9

Episode 9: The Innocent Girl’s Dark Magic Practicioner

Seneca decided to hunt kobolds.

Since kobolds constantly multiply, they were always listed as a permanent quest.

For bronze-ranked adventurers, kobold hunting was practically a rite of passage.

The familiar forest made it ideal for solo adventurers like Seneca.

As she approached the city gates, she was almost stopped, but the gatekeeper recognized her and let her pass.

Normally, a ten-year-old girl heading into the forest alone would be cause for concern, but Seneca’s abilities were well-known, so she was allowed to go without issue.

With light steps, she made her way to the forest.

Given her current skills, dealing with a few kobolds posed no problem for Seneca.

However, if there were too many, she’d be overwhelmed. Ideally, she needed to take down isolated targets swiftly.

The feral child moved through the forest, suppressing her presence.

Following tracks, Seneca spotted two kobolds.

The kobolds seemed to be scavenging for food.

Seneca climbed a leafy tree at a distance and concealed herself.

Carefully observing the kobolds, she took out a small stone she had picked up along the way.

She threw the stone in the opposite direction to draw their attention and heighten their alertness.

By rhythmically tossing a few more stones, she tricked the kobolds into moving toward her position.

This technique mimicked the sound of an animal approaching, fooling low-intelligence monsters into fleeing in the wrong direction.

With the kobolds distracted, their guard was down.

Seneca leapt down, slicing the neck of the nearest kobold with her blade.

She swiftly circled behind the other and swung her sword, taking its head as well.

Kobolds could be formidable in a head-on fight, but with experience, they often fell into predictable patterns.

Seneca used her magic to conjure a needle and thread.

She picked up the kobolds’ severed heads and began sewing their mouths shut.

The kobolds’ bite attacks were troublesome, so she had been thinking of ways to counter them.

From afar, the scene might have looked like a young girl performing a dark ritual.

Even with minimal magic, she found it easy to sew the kobolds’ mouths shut.

However, doing so during combat was clearly impractical.

As she worked, new ideas started to form.

Sewing the legs and torso tightly could hinder movement. Sealing the nostrils could prevent breathing.

Ideas came easily, but time was her greatest obstacle.

To improve, Seneca realized she had to become faster at sewing.

The solution was simple: she needed to practice and grow her skills.

Though still hazy, Seneca felt a path opening before her.

Whether for immobilizing or disrupting her enemies, she resolved to make full use of her unique skills.

With this decision, Seneca retrieved her dismantling knife and skinned the kobolds. She planned to use the hides for sewing practice.

After collecting the kobolds’ fangs as proof of subjugation for the guild, she buried the meat and headed back to town.

◆

At the guild, Seneca found Trulia at the reception desk.

When Seneca and Lucius first arrived in this town, they had begun hunting.

The leftover materials and proof of subjugation were difficult to handle, so they decided to sell them to the guild.

Trulia had been their assigned receptionist.

At first, Trulia found it hard to believe that young children could slay monsters, but the two consistently delivered results.

Their materials, processed with care far beyond the norm for adventurers, became highly sought after by craftsmen.

Seneca ran up to Trulia.

“Trulia-san!”

“Seneca-chan! I heard all about it! That must’ve been so hard for you!”

“You mean about Lucius?”

“Yes! And I also heard about your skill from the guild master’s report.”

“Oh, that. I’ve been granted a skill that isn’t swordsmanship or magic.”

Trulia furrowed her brows in concern. Incidentally, Trulia’s worried expression was quite endearing and popular among the guild’s male members.

“Are you managing okay now that you’re working alone?”

“Somehow,” Seneca replied.

“It’s fine if you stick to the outskirts of the forest, but don’t venture too deep. Solo work is a whole different game.”

“Got it!”

Seneca raised one hand in a big gesture and gave a loud reply.

The other receptionists nearby watched the exchange and smiled softly.

“Next time you have some free time, tell me all about it, okay? About Lucius, too.”

“Sure. Here’s today’s proof of subjugation.”

Seneca handed over four kobold fangs.

Trulia accepted them and processed the payment.

Before heading home, Seneca hesitated for a moment before turning to Trulia with a determined expression.

“Trulia-san, I’ve decided to become an adventurer with this skill, no matter what! So please keep supporting me.”

“Of course! I’m looking forward to seeing you shine, Seneca-chan!”

Trulia responded with a radiant smile.

“Thank you! See you later, Trulia-san.”

“See you.”

Seneca left the guild. Watching her back as she walked away, Trulia made up her mind to help Seneca however she could.

◆

From that day on, Seneca continued to hunt kobolds every morning.

She stayed away from the deeper parts of the forest, focusing instead on defeating kobolds and using their remains to experiment with applications for her sewing skill.

By midday, her kobold hunts were typically finished. She’d spend the rest of the day gathering herbs for Yuria, hunting weaker monsters or animals, and delivering her findings to the guild or the orphanage.

While taking down a few kobolds daily wasn’t considered a major achievement, maintaining such consistent results was rare even among bronze-ranked adventurers.

Some at the guild began to take notice of Seneca’s reliability. However, Trulia discreetly asked those around her not to spread stories about Seneca.

◆◆◆

Recently, strange rumors began circulating among the adventurers in Baetica.

They spoke of a silver-haired sorceress.

This sorceress was said to carry kobold heads, sewing their mouths and eyelids shut as part of some grand ritual.

As the rumors grew, embellishments were added: she appeared as a girl but was actually 400 years old, or she was plotting to summon kobold spirits to destroy the town.

It was even said that the sorceress laughed joyously while stitching kobolds, as though engaged in something deeply entertaining.

Though the tales disturbed some, those who had supposedly witnessed the scenes described them as mesmerizing.

“An ethereal beauty crafting with thread as she cradled severed heads—it was haunting yet strangely elegant,” remarked one eccentric admirer.

The stories escalated until they suggested the sorceress planned to summon a ghostly kobold army or overthrow the kingdom itself.

Trulia eventually caught wind of the rumors. Knowing that Seneca’s hair gleamed silver in the sunlight, she waited for her to arrive.

When Seneca returned to the guild after her usual hunts, Trulia immediately called her into a private room.

Though Seneca didn’t understand what was happening, she suspected she was in trouble and decided to stay quiet.

Trulia explained the rumors and quickly realized the supposed sorceress was undoubtedly Seneca.

Hearing how her actions were perceived, Seneca turned pale. At that moment, her expression might have made her look like a practitioner of dark magic.

After some thought, Trulia decided the priority was to stop Seneca’s suspicious activities before the rumors escalated further.

Luckily, most witnesses were newcomers unfamiliar with Seneca, and since she kept her head down while working, there was still a chance to resolve things discreetly.

Trulia instructed Seneca to change her hairstyle to avoid recognition.

Seneca, who usually let her shoulder-length hair fall loose, tied it back for the first time. Using some spare thread, she twisted and secured it neatly—though she wisely refrained from sewing it in place.

Additionally, they adjusted her outfit to further alter her appearance.

Following these changes, reports of the forest sorceress abruptly ceased.

In her place, rumors began to emerge about a different girl who sewed together the bodies of monsters—but that’s a story for another time.