When Maiol reyed the news to Julia, it quickly spread to Naeus, and eventually, nearly every adventurer in the guild became aware.

  So, by the time Seneca arrived at the forest clearing, a rge crowd had already gathered, some even whistling sharply.

  Nord was already waiting, his gaze directed at Seneca with an accusatory air. However, Seneca did not recall any reason for this hostility and did not react. What puzzled her instead was why Maiol looked so apologetic.

  Although it was unexpected to see so many onlookers, Seneca had long since grown accustomed to being the centre of attention. As a stunningly beautiful young woman, her occasional eccentricities ensured that people were always drawn to her.

  Nord, on the other hand, wasn’t used to such situations. But today was a once-in-a-lifetime match, and he was determined to give it his all.

  He stepped forward, drawing his practice sword, and spoke with fervour.

  "Seneca, I want you to give it your all today! I don’t care if I look foolish, I just want to know where we stand now!"

  "I understand."

  Many were pleased by Nord's words. Despite the spectacle, he had chosen to fight honestly, without posturing. Even those who didn’t know him well were impressed, their respect for him growing.

  "Seneca, do you remember when we first received our skills?"

  Seneca tilted her head in confusion, unsure of what he was referring to.

  "I told you your skill was a ‘failure’."

  As soon as she heard that, Seneca’s eyes hardened, and an intense atmosphere filled the air.

  "I thought my [Swordsmanship] skill was the one that would lead me to greatness. Yet here I am, finally an iron-ranked adventurer, while you’ve already reached Copper rank."

  Seneca, with an air of mysterious intensity, remained silent, listening to Nord’s words.

  "It may seem like I’ve fallen behind, but I’m not going to take back what I said. My ‘lucky’ skill will inevitably catch up to your ‘failure’ skill!"

  Nord took a firm stance with his sword, his blue eyes alight with determination. Anyone who could recognise the signs would know that, for his age, he was extraordinarily well-trained.

  Seneca, hearing Nord's words, let the tense atmosphere ease slightly.

  "I don’t dislike that about you, Nord. You know saying that would make me feel compelled to give it my all, right?"

  "Hahaha!"

  "Ahahaha!"

  The two burst into ughter suddenly, leaving the surrounding adventurers bewildered.

  "Nord, just so you know…"

  Nord, watching Seneca’s every move intently, made sure not to miss a thing.

  "You’ve gotten really strong."

  Nord focused even more, sensing something was about to happen.

  He didn’t even blink, his eyes fixed firmly on Seneca.

  At least, that was how it seemed.

  But before he realised it, Seneca had vanished from his sight.

  He was struck from behind with a sword, and just like that, he fell unconscious.

  ,,,

  "So, what exactly was that?"

  On the way home, Maiol asked Seneca.

  At that moment, to Maiol’s eyes, it had seemed like Seneca merely moved swiftly behind Nord and struck him with her sword. True, it was fast, but given that Nord was considered a promising young adventurer, it didn’t seem like something he couldn’t react to. After all, there was a clear difference between not being able to react and being unable to avoid an attack.

  "I… sewed myself through the gaps in Nord’s awareness."

  "Eh?"

  "People’s consciousness isn’t as continuous as it seems. When you focus hard, your field of vision narrows, so I aimed for those gaps. I’ve fought against Nord enough to think I could manage it."

  "So, you tried it, and ended up exhausting almost all your mana?"

  "Looks like it."

  Seneca grinned in a way that was undeniably cute, though the action itself was far from charming. Maiol couldn’t help but think that if Seneca could do this at will, she would be practically invincible.

  "Wouldn’t it be the ultimate technique if you could train that?"

  "Mm… Well, there are always people who don’t have any gaps, or those who can’t be thrown off bance. But it might work really well on low-intelligence monsters."

  "Where did you get that information?"

  "My dad used to tell me about it."

  Seneca suddenly wore an overwhelmingly lonely expression. Although she likely didn’t realise it, whenever she spoke about her parents or Lucius, Seneca’s face grew terribly sad, as if she might break.

  Maiol, realising this, tried desperately to change the subject.

  ,,,

  Nord was roused from unconsciousness shortly after Seneca had left the area.

  Seneca knew that there were skilled healers among the crowd, so she had struck with enough force to ensure he would be well looked after. It was her way of responding to Nord’s request to give her all.

  In the end, it was Julia who healed Nord.

  Julia only healed those she particurly liked. While she might make exceptions in cases of severe injury or shared quests, she couldn’t afford to be indiscriminate with her magic. If she constantly used her healing spells, they would eventually run out. For this reason, Julia drew lines when deciding whom to heal, and this was a matter of pride for her.

  She would not hesitate to heal Seneca or Maiol, not just because they were cute juniors, but because she held deep respect for their attitudes and actions.

  Many of their fellow adventurers recognised that Seneca and Maiol had become Copper-ranked adventurers through sheer merit. It was clear to all that their relentless drive and sincerity had earned them their position.

  Julia didn’t dislike Nord. She knew he was serious, and she recognised his diligence. While he occasionally seemed arrogant, that was not unusual among adventurers, and she didn’t mind it.

  He was talented, but unimpressive. This was Julia’s impression of him.

  However, after witnessing Nord face Seneca, her view began to change.

  Seneca was simply incredible, even to Julia. Her talent was so immense that it made Julia feel a twinge of jealousy.

  The "Oak Branch" party was made up of talented individuals. They were all expected to rise to Silver rank soon. Still, despite their own impressive abilities, they had often been overtaken by other rising talents. The world had a way of constantly reminding them that there was always someone stronger.

  When "New Green Prayer" arrived, it had been a shock. Annia, a brilliant young woman, had quickly reached Copper rank and assembled one of Baetica’s most renowned parties.

  Even when compared to Annia, Seneca’s greatness was undeniable. And Maiol, following her own path, was equally extraordinary.

  Julia had never thought about these things while in their company, but now, as she reflected, she was struck by the realisation.

  Even Julia, who had witnessed such talent up close, was in awe. What must Nord have felt after facing Seneca?

  Nord was undoubtedly skilled. Without Seneca or Maiol around, he could easily have boasted of being the finest young adventurer in town. If he continued to grow at his current pace, he might one day become a Silver-ranked adventurer. This was the same path Julia and her friends had once walked.

  But what if, when Julia was a child, Seneca had been by her side?

  The thought made her heart ache.

  In the face of such overwhelming talent, even the brightest sparks would pale in comparison.

  Perhaps, had she been in Nord’s position, she might have run away. She might have crumbled under the pressure.

  And perhaps that was why, when she saw Nord boldly charge forward despite the inevitable humiliation, Julia’s heart was stirred.

  When Nord fell, she was the first to rush to his side.

  There were many other adventurers who had done the same.

  Once his treatment was complete, Seneca and Maiol noticed that several other adventurers had gathered around Nord, including the members of "Oak Branch". These were all experienced individuals, and young adventurers were quick to mock Nord, calling him pathetic and foolish.

  These voices were silenced by a single gre from Naeus, who sent the troublemakers fleeing.

  ...

  When Nord regained consciousness, he found himself surrounded by senior adventurers.

  He took in his surroundings and, from the look on Naeus’ face, quickly deduced that he had lost.

  Nord’s memory was clear, but the details of what had happened were entirely unclear to him.

  It was a familiar sensation—whenever he fought Seneca, he often found himself losing without understanding how. Unlike Lucius, whose strength was straightforward, Seneca possessed a different kind of strength, one that was difficult to comprehend. Nord knew this very well.

  Seeing Pike and Mitz nearby, both were smiling awkwardly. They had advised him and helped him prepare for his fight with Seneca, but none of it had worked.

  Despite having never managed to counter Seneca or Lucius, Nord had been able to deal with most other opponents.

  To stand against them, he and his companions had trained with incredible speed. Nord was confident that this defeat would fuel his growth.

  And so, he whispered quietly to himself:

  "Next time, I’ll make it a fair fight."

  It was a soft murmur, but several people overheard it.

  Among them was Naeus, who, with a pleased expression, replied:

  "Nord, you’re a good one. I’ll help you with your swordpy. Next time, come to us."

  Being invited by his admired Naeus, Nord couldn’t help but break into a beaming smile.