Ten months had passed since Seneca acquired her skill.

  Seneca had risen to the rank of Iron-ranked Adventurer.

  She had defeated every monster in the forests near the town and gathered all sorts of materials. Though it was possible for her to have been promoted earlier, Turia had advised her to keep a low profile due to the incident that had occurred, thus she had taken a more cautious approach.

  Nord, Pike, and Mitz had all risen to Iron-ranked before Seneca. The three of them were the town’s shining hopes. Though they had not yet caught up to Seneca, they had gained considerable strength compared to other adventurers of the same rank.

  Emily had left the orphanage some time ago. Having turned twelve, she had completed her apprenticeship and began working at Torga’s shop. On her days off, the two of them would sometimes go out together.

  Seneca, meanwhile, had been working primarily on embroidery for Torga’s store. No one in the town could keep up with her speed when it came to sewing, a testament to her diligent practice.

  Kito was still studying at Yulia’s shop. Yulia, recognising Kito’s potential, seemed intent on recommending her for admission to the Royal Magic Academy. According to Kito, with Yulia’s recommendation, acceptance to the academy was almost assured, so the key was to pass the entrance exam with results that lived up to such a recommendation. Kito too would be heading to the royal capital the following year.

  News of Lucius had become strangely scarce. Despite the discovery of a new Saint, no rumours had reached Baetica. Seneca and Kito had written to him several times, but there had been no response. Knowing Lucius’ personality, they both believed he would not simply ignore them, so they specuted that something was preventing his letters from reaching them. Even if he couldn’t write back, Seneca hoped that at the very least, her letters had been delivered to him.

  Adventuring, embroidery, and gathering medicinal materials were all going smoothly. Thanks to this, Seneca had grown wealthy for her age.

  The work in monster subjugation and material gathering was stable, and the quality of the items delivered had dramatically improved. Embroidery, being inherently high-paying, provided a good return. Recently, Yulia had been pcing orders for high-quality materials, which had also raised Seneca’s share. In all, Seneca was steadily building her reputation and wealth.

  With her savings growing, Seneca decided it was time to leave the orphanage. Her departure would free up resources for the others. Most children left the orphanage after about one or two years, once they had received their skills. Though many orphans struggled with managing their finances and occasionally returned, most managed to get by.

  ...

  Seneca wasted no time in making arrangements.

  She consulted Kito first, then Turia, and finally came to a decision based on the information she had gathered. She trusted that if she then reported to Sister Cire, the best possible outcome would follow.

  Seneca was confident in this process.

  There was a dormitory for children attached to the Adventurers' Guild. The guild offered cheap accommodation by deducting a portion from request fees or through assisting with guild work. Baetica had several such guild-run dormitories, but there was one girls' dormitory where Kito’s mother’s acquaintance worked as the dorm matron. Seneca had decided to move there.

  Because Seneca wished to continue her embroidery work, she chose a slightly pricier two-person room. Normally, the rooms housed between four to six people. Her roommate would be a girl named Maiol.

  Maiol, one year older than Seneca, was known to possess the highly useful skill of [Detection]. She had chestnut-brown hair that resembled the colour of gold, kept neatly tied just above her shoulders.

  “You must be Seneca! Mint told me you’ll be my roommate starting next week!” Maiol greeted her cheerfully after Seneca had delivered an adventuring commission to the guild.

  Her lively manner contrasted greatly with Seneca, who preferred to keep quiet and avoid unnecessary attention.

  “I heard you’re not even a combat-type adventurer, but you’re already an Iron-ranked! That’s incredible!”

  Maiol’s words were straightforward and without a hint of pretension. Seneca, unused to receiving such direct praise, blinked in surprise.

  “I’m Maiol! Right now, I’m aiming to become a Copper-ranked Adventurer. Looking forward to getting along!” she said with a bright smile that radiated warmth and enthusiasm.

  ...

  The day Seneca left the orphanage arrived.

  The headmistress and Sister Cire made a big fuss about seeing her off, but Seneca felt she could always return, so she kept her farewells brief, giving a heartfelt hug.

  Some of the younger children, who had enjoyed listening to Seneca’s tall tales, began to whine as soon as they heard she was leaving. Seeing their endearing reaction, Seneca reassured them that she would visit again, managing to calm them down.

  Finally, Nord came to see her off.

  “I won’t lose to you,” he said, his words carrying an oddly competitive spirit, but he handed her a dismantling knife as a farewell gift, which made her quite happy.

  Seneca wasn’t above appreciating such practical gifts.

  ...

  When Seneca arrived at the dormitory with her belongings, Maiol was waiting for her.

  It seemed she was there to help.

  As they worked together, Seneca learned that Maiol was the daughter of a merchant family. Maiol had recently bought a new bnket and, upon seeing Seneca’s delight, gifted her the old one.

  Seneca was genuinely pleased, and Maiol was equally content with her reaction.

  Later, Maiol guided Seneca through the essentials for dormitory life, and the two of them went out to buy the necessary items. Maiol was observant, noticing that Seneca never bought unnecessary things but would act without hesitation when she deemed something necessary. It seemed Seneca had some savings, and Maiol grew to like her even more.

  Maiol was particurly astute at reading people through their spending habits.

  ...

  Back at the dormitory, the two of them sat down for their evening meal. Since it was Seneca’s first day, Maiol had prepared her portion without a word, but from the following day, it seemed Seneca would need to let her know by the evening.

  Meals were paid for, though subsidised by the guild, making them far cheaper than eating out. Some of the other residents even used the communal kitchen to cook their own meals, as cooking was a useful skill for adventurers to master.

  After dinner, Seneca and Maiol sat down to talk more deeply about their lives.

  Maiol, who was twelve, shared her goal of becoming a Copper-ranked Adventurer by the time she turned fifteen.

  There were schools in the royal capital for children between the ages of twelve and fifteen, and Maiol had set her sights on attending the Royal Adventurer Academy. Though one could pay for entry, if she became a Copper-ranked Adventurer, her tuition would be waived, and she would receive special treatment.

  Maiol was working hard day and night towards this goal.

  Seneca had never considered school, nor did she know that such opportunities existed. The adventurers Seneca had met were all practical, hands-on types, and none of them had attended any schools. But according to Maiol, it was often better to attend an adventurer school. The environment was well-suited for learning, and students could interact with higher-ranked adventurers. It was also a chance to form connections with the upper css and the wealthy.

  With these advantages in mind, Maiol said the competition for pces at these schools had become fierce in recent years.

  Seneca’s parents, like Lucius’s, were practical people who had honed their skills through experience. They hadn’t attended any school, preferring to learn in the field by exposing themselves to danger and failure. That was why Seneca had never thought of attending a school.

  “Seneca, my grandfather always told me that the world is vast. You should learn as much as you can while you’re young.”

  Seneca gave a thoughtful nod, murmuring, “I see.”

  ...

  It seemed Maiol frequently ventured solo into the Baet Forest, a pce that was only a short walk from the town gate. It was an area where both Iron-ranked and Copper-ranked adventurers gathered.

  Seneca had often gone there alone herself but had never encountered Maiol. Given the forest’s size, it was likely that they had been in different areas.

  Curious, Seneca asked Maiol why she went alone. Maiol expined that she hadn’t yet found any companions whose fighting styles suited hers.

  Maiol would invite people she got along with to explore the forest with her, but so far, she hadn’t found a good match. However, she had made many friends and expanded her network through her solo excursions.

  “Seneca, why don’t you join me on a trip to the Baet Forest?” Maiol asked with a smile.

  “I’m up for it.”

  Seneca seemed to have passed Maiol’s test.

  “I’m free tomorrow, but when would suit you?” Maiol inquired.

  “I have things to do today and tomorrow, but the day after would work,” Seneca replied.

  “Great, we’ll head out the day after tomorrow then. I’m looking forward to it!” Maiol said, holding her beloved broadsword and fshing a bright smile.