In the early morning, Seneca and Maiol exited the gates and began their journey.

  Since they had set off from the same room, Seneca thought it felt unusually rexed.

  Today, they were to hunt at the edge of Baet Forest. Seneca was eager to see the full extent of Maiol's [Detection] skill, as well as for Maiol to observe her own skills with a sword.

  As they walked, they spoke, but their vigince remained unshaken. On the open road, danger could emerge from anywhere—be it monsters, beasts, or even other humans. Maiol could use [Detection] to sense the presence of monsters, but other threats were still unknown.

  Maiol gnced at Seneca. Despite the rexed posture, Seneca’s alertness was unmistakable. The bance between ease and tension was fwless. Even compared to mid-rank adventurers, Seneca showed no signs of weakness.

  Maiol, though a senior, was determined to offer guidance, yet found herself thinking that perhaps it was she who might need rescuing. This sharp intuition and her ability to learn quickly were Maiol’s greatest strengths.

  Maiol had mentioned having a favourite hunting ground, so Seneca decided to follow her lead. Though she had heard of Maiol’s reputation from Turia the previous day, Seneca remained cautious but not overly concerned.

  ...

  They emerged from a narrow path and the Baet Forest appeared before them.

  Maiol activated her [Detection] skill.

  “Let’s head this way. There’s an anteater nearby.”

  Seneca realised that Maiol’s skill could even determine the type of monster they were facing. She decided to follow, trusting in Maiol’s expertise.

  After walking for a short while, Seneca began to sense the presence of the monster as well. It seemed that Maiol had deliberately taken a detour, possibly to avoid some other threat in their path.

  “How do you usually fight?” Seneca asked in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

  “I wait for the right moment, watching closely for any opening. When I think I can make a move, I strike fast,” Maiol replied.

  “I see. So you don’t attack from a distance, then?”

  “No. I can use a bow, but I didn’t bring one today.” Maiol was carrying only a sword and a small shield.

  “Then I’ll take the first shot. It’ll hold it in pce, and then we can close the distance and fight,” Seneca said, her tone shifting as she focused.

  Though Maiol didn’t quite understand what Seneca was pnning, she could tell that the young girl was about to act, so she stayed silent.

  Seneca moved quietly, her steps barely making a sound as she closed in on the anteater. Maiol watched, internally impressed by how swiftly and silently Seneca moved, her experience evident.

  “I’ve got a clear shot. I’m firing now,” Seneca murmured.

  With that, she clenched her fist briefly before extending her index finger and raising her thumb. She aimed it at the anteater’s heart.

  In that instant, Seneca’s magical energy surged into her fingertip, gathering and condensing.

  With a sharp, almost imperceptible pop, a high-speed needle of magic shot from her finger. It was rge, its core imbued with magical threads.

  The needle struck the anteater’s abdomen, piercing through to its back before embedding itself into the ground.

  Seneca then altered the magical thread’s properties, causing it to stick to the anteater’s body, before severing the thread.

  “I missed slightly,” Seneca noted.

  The anteater, having been struck, immediately attempted to move, but the thread held it back, rendering its movements sluggish, as though it were a dog on a leash.

  “What’s going on?” Maiol’s eyes widened in confusion as she watched the scene unfold before her.

  “Maiol, don’t just stand there! Let’s go!” Seneca called out, already closing the gap with the anteater. She struck from its blind spot, severing its neck with a clean and precise cut.

  The fluidity and grace of her attack was remarkable.

  Maiol had begun moving on instinct, but there was no way she could match Seneca’s speed. She could only watch from a distance as the anteater’s head fell to the ground.

  ...

  After transporting the anteater to a retively safe spot, Seneca and Maiol began the dissection.

  While they worked, Maiol continued to question Seneca.

  “I have so many things I want to ask, but first, what was that thing you shot earlier?”

  Maiol was visibly rattled, her hands shaking slightly as blood spttered onto her face.

  “It was a needle.”

  “A needle?”

  “Yes. I figured out that if I concentrate my magic and release it, I can fire a needle,” Seneca expined.

  “Wait a minute! Isn’t your skill [Sewing]?” Maiol asked, still in shock.

  “That’s right. I used it to pin the anteater to the ground. Didn’t you notice how it struggled to move after that?”

  Maiol, taken aback, was at a loss for words.

  “Hold on. I understand what you’re saying, but I can’t wrap my head around it.”

  Seneca, seeing Maiol’s confusion, conjured another magical needle, focusing her magic into it.

  “Maiol, look. This is the needle I just shot. It’s made entirely of my magic.”

  “That’s... I’ve never heard of such a skill before.”

  “The priest who appraised me said that [Sewing] was a rare skill,” Seneca replied with a shrug.

  “Well, of course it’s rare, but that’s not the point,” Maiol said, her forehead now glistening with beads of sweat.

  “Seneca, I get that your skill allows you to create a magical needle. But why are you shooting it?”

  Seneca thought for a moment before responding.

  “I’ve been experimenting with ways to fight using my skills. I tried making a very long, very sharp needle by condensing my magic, and when I released it, the needle shot out with great force. I thought, maybe this is how I can attack enemies from a distance. I’ve practiced a lot.”

  “How long have you been practising?”

  “About six months, I think.”

  “That’s... impressive, considering how good you are,” Maiol replied, her voice filled with disbelief.

  Earlier, they had been at a distance where only a bow would have reached the target. For Seneca to hit her mark from such a far range with such precision was nothing short of extraordinary.

  “If I aim to pin the target, the needle moves slightly in its direction. It takes more magic to do that, though,” Seneca added.

  “I... see,” Maiol said, her voice trailing off.

  So much of what Seneca had said was beyond the norm, and Maiol, unable to process it all, finally fell silent.

  The dismantling was completed after a while.

  The skin of the anteater could fetch a decent price, so Maiol thought the day's efforts had been worth it.

  Maiol used her [Detection] skill to confirm that no monsters were nearby.

  She then took Seneca’s hand and led her towards the rge tree.

  Seneca felt a little puzzled but, sensing no ill intent from Maiol, allowed herself to be led.

  Upon reaching the tree, Maiol activated her skill once more, confirming there were no threats before speaking.

  “Hey, Seneca. Could it be that you’re actually level 2?”

  Maiol’s voice was low, slightly trembling.

  “I’ve been thinking about it while we were talking. There’s no way someone at level 1 would be able to do all that. If you're comfortable sharing… Seneca, could you tell me your level?”

  Maiol's tone was almost pleading.

  Seneca paused, deep in thought.

  After some research, she had become convinced that it was best not to talk about her level too freely.

  The only people who knew about her level were Kito, Yulia, and Sister Cire.

  Seneca looked at Maiol again.

  To her, Maiol seemed trustworthy enough. However, Seneca didn't have the same confidence in her ability to judge people as Kito did.

  Perhaps it was best not to reveal it after all.

  But no, Seneca thought to herself.

  She had started to feel that it would soon be impossible to keep her true abilities hidden.

  Perhaps, just perhaps, she could deal with any rumours that might arise now.

  If the risks were small, she was willing to trust Maiol.

  Seneca decided to follow her instincts.

  “Alright. But in exchange, tell me about the Adventurer’s School.”

  Maiol seemed to know information that others didn’t, and Seneca was intrigued.

  “Fine. But if I’m telling you this...”

  “I’ve leveled up. I’m level 2 now.”

  “Just as I thought… Wait, you said you trained for half a year. When exactly did you level up? Could it have been...?”

  Seneca had expected this question.

  Maiol was aware.

  “...A little over two months ago.”

  “Huh?”

  “I leveled up just over two months after acquiring my skill.”

  “Huuuaahh?!”

  Maiol’s voice was louder than expected, causing Seneca to press her index finger to her lips, signalling for quiet.

  “Seneca, do you know what the fastest recorded level-up time is?”

  “I do.”

  Suddenly, Seneca looked away, beads of sweat starting to form on her forehead.

  “Go on. Tell me.”

  Oddly, Maiol seemed to enjoy this.

  “...Eleven months.”

  “You’re absolutely shattering the record! The fastest person in history to reach level 2. When you said it was half a year ago, I thought that was already impossible, but two months? How did you manage that?!”

  Seneca had been just as sweaty when Kito had said the same thing to her.

  “Maiol, please calm down. There must be people who’ve kept their progress hidden, so it’s not recorded.”

  “That may be true, but no one could have leveled up in two months. I’m sure of it.”

  “I’m sure there are!”

  “There aren’t.”

  “There are!”

  They began to bicker over something trivial, both of them becoming quite heated.

  Eventually, Maiol regained her composure first and attempted to calm the situation.

  “Sorry, I got carried away with something so trivial. But seriously, that’s incredible.”

  Seneca was still slightly annoyed.

  “Later, I’ll tell you about the school in the capital. If you’re willing, maybe you can teach me how you managed to level up so quickly. But only after you’ve decided whether you trust me more.”

  Seneca had already made her decision long ago. Nodding deeply, she thought to herself that she would talk to Maiol in the next day or two.