For a month, Seneca and Maiol had visited the guild repeatedly, seeking to speak with Turia.

  At first, Turia had said that the dey was simply due to te notifications, but by the time two weeks had passed, she began to feel that something was amiss.

  The Baetica branch had no concerns regarding the two's abilities. Even without an increase in levels, their skills were sufficient to be considered copper-ranked adventurers, so the dey in promotion was simply a result of procedural oversight.

  Reports detailing their activities had been sent to the headquarters, and Baetica assumed that reviewing them would clear up any misunderstandings. However, recently, some strange aspects of their histories had come to light.

  One concern was Maiol’s sudden and rapid growth. Despite a year of retively underwhelming performance, she had begun handling more difficult tasks and even leveled up after joining forces with Seneca. While not impossible, it was something that warranted some discussion.

  The situation was further complicated by Seneca’s peculiar ability. The skill of [Sewing] was not one that seemed particurly useful for an adventurer. Even if Seneca was a prodigy in tailoring, it was difficult to gauge her potential as an adventurer based solely on that.

  It was not surprising that people raised doubts.

  The two of them had jointly submitted their application, so Turia had begun to suspect that the dey might be reted to these concerns.

  ...

  Both of them, unable to focus on their quests due to the uncertainty, decided to spend their time studying until the situation calmed down.

  The guild had a study room, which was suitable for academic learning as well. While waiting for any communication, they secluded themselves there.

  The guild had a vast collection of books on animals, monsters, and pnts, but there were also basic texts on history and arithmetic. Adventurers who didn’t grasp these subjects found themselves at a disadvantage, so many mid-level adventurers chose to study them after reaching a certain point in their careers.

  However, since it was uncommon for rough adventurers to frequent the library, they often resorted to studying in the guild instead.

  Seneca had been taught reading, writing, and arithmetic by her parents.

  However, her grasp of history was poor, and she couldn’t read maps very well.

  With so much to learn in preparation for the future, Maiol was determined to teach Seneca as much as she could.

  By the time adventurers reached silver-ranked status, they often found themselves meeting nobles, so Seneca had also been taught the basics of etiquette by her parents.

  Though her upbringing likely influenced her, Seneca ate neatly and had a grace that belied her origins in the orphanage.

  Her mix of rough edges and refined manners made Seneca an intriguing and complex individual.

  ...

  Two weeks passed.

  As before, the two continued to visit the guild and focus on their studies.

  Turia had repeatedly contacted headquarters, urging them to make a decision, and had also formally protested the prolonged deys.

  In the midst of this, a man arrived at the guild.

  “I am Attalos. I’ve been sent as an investigator from the guild’s headquarters. I have a request regarding the adventurers from this branch. Is the branch leader avaible?”

  Turia, who was on duty, responded. The man held a formal letter bearing the royal seal, so Turia promptly contacted the branch leader.

  ...

  That evening, Seneca and Maiol were suddenly summoned by Turia and led into a private room within the guild.

  There, they found a tall man standing.

  His cheerful expression gave a light-hearted impression, but upon closer inspection, it became clear that his posture was firm, and his muscles were compact and powerful. There was no sign of weakness.

  The man fixed his sharp gaze on the two of them as they entered the room.

  “So, you two are Moonlight Vow, eh? I’m Attalos. I’ve been sent by the Kingdom’s Adventurer Guild and the Royal Adventurer's Academy to investigate you. Which one of you is Seneca?”

  “That would be me,” Seneca replied, all the while continuing to observe the man.

  “I see. You’re Seneca, and the other one is Maiol. You two have quite the nerve, don’t you? You’re here, facing an unknown man, yet still determined to probe me.”

  A wave of pressure emanated from the man, causing Seneca and Maiol to start sweating.

  Maiol instinctively tried to activate a skill, but Seneca stopped her with a gnce.

  “Hahaha! The young dy seems to understand,” the man ughed. “If you sense the slightest hint of combat, I’ll move. You’d be wise not to act too impulsively, even if you’ve got a skill like [Detection].”

  With that, the intimidating aura dissipated, and the man’s cheerful attitude returned.

  “Apologies for testing you like that! But now I see. Anyone who can withstand my pressure is certainly not up to any foul py. I was sent here to investigate, and after seeing your abilities, my concerns have eased.”

  The two’s faces lit up with relief.

  Maiol was so happy, she nearly jumped for joy.

  “However, I must remind you that results are still necessary. There are many who question your abilities—particurly Seneca’s.”

  Their faces fell slightly, the mood shifting.

  “Hahaha! You two are so transparent. You’ve got the spirit of adventurers, and I like that. But at times, you’ve got to keep your emotions in check and not let others read you so easily.”

  “Sir Attalos, you’re going a bit too far with the jokes,” Turia remarked, having remained silent up until now.

  “Mmh, let it slide. You won’t make it in adventurer school without a little banter, you know?”

  Attalos stood up, preparing to continue.

  “From here on out, you’ll face me in a mock battle. If your performance meets the mark, I’ll request to have you both join the investigation I’ve been assigned. If all goes well, you’ll officially be copper-ranked adventurers and gain admission to the Royal Adventurers Academy as special students.”

  “Understood.”

  Maiol spoke, and Seneca nodded in agreement, gazing intently at Attalos.

  “Hahaha! Good eyes on you. No need to overthink it. Just show me what you’ve got.”

  Attalos, still smiling, firmly gripped his sword and left the room.

  ...

  The four of them arrived at the mock battle arena.

  The timing was convenient, as the arena was empty.

  Attalos stood in the middle of the arena, speaking loudly.

  “You two can team up if you like. Whenever you’re ready, come at me.”

  Without hesitation, Seneca sharply amplified her magical energy, then fired a [Magical Needle] aimed at Attalos’s leg.

  At the same time, Maiol activated [Detection].

  Attalos focused magic into his fist and struck the [Magical Needle], shattering it.

  “Interesting!”

  Before Attalos could say another word, Seneca was already charging toward him. Magic threads trailed from her back, but only Maiol could see them.

  Seneca thrust her sword toward Attalos’s leg, aiming to stitch him up.

  Though she had no hesitation in giving her all to someone she had just met, she couldn’t help but feel that her strike might not nd.

  As expected, Attalos swiftly evaded and moved behind her.

  As he prepared to strike, an arrow from Maiol shot toward him.

  For just a moment, Attalos diverted his attention toward the arrow, allowing Seneca to change the trajectory of her charge and once again head toward him.

  “Tch!”

  Attalos drew his sword, parrying Maiol’s arrow, and narrowly dodged Seneca’s attack. As they passed each other, he kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying.

  “Gah!”

  Seneca spun in the air but nded safely.

  Attalos swiftly approached Maiol, who had been following up with another attack. He struck Maiol’s wrist with the ft of his sword, forcing her to drop her weapon.

  Realising that there was no need to hold back, Seneca fully concentrated her magical energy. With just a hair’s breadth between them, she activated [Sewing] once more.

  Thud!

  With Seneca’s step, a loud sound rang out, echoing through the arena.

  “What immense magical energy!”

  Maiol could see the magic condensing at blinding speed around Attalos’s leg.

  Without warning, Attalos leaped toward Seneca.

  In the next instant, Seneca was knocked to the floor with a sword pressed to her throat. Meanwhile, at Maiol’s feet, a thrown knife embedded itself in the ground.

  Both of them were utterly lost as to what had just happened. They had been completely overwhelmed by Attalos.

  ...

  The mock battle ended.

  Turia, having chided Attalos for going too far, left to fetch the guild’s healer.

  Seneca’s ribs were broken, and Maiol’s wrist was swollen and red.

  Once Turia had departed, Attalos let out a deep breath and spoke.

  “Both of you pass. No, it’s more than that. When I saw the record of you two taking down a high-level wild beast together, I thought it was just luck. But now, it’s clear you’ve got the skills.”

  As he spoke, Attalos ughed heartily.

  “You two have the abilities of a solid mid-ranked party, even as copper-ranked adventurers. Seneca’s combat prowess and Maiol’s situational awareness make for a formidable duo.”

  Seneca, despite wanting to ugh along, winced from the pain in her ribs.

  “You two are worthy of special students. If you perform well on the upcoming assignment, I’ll make sure to report your achievements accordingly.”

  Seneca and Maiol, however, were still filled with a deep sense of defeat.

  They hadn’t stood a chance. They hadn’t even felt Attalos using any skills.

  It had been a raw dispy of strength.

  “Hahaha! What, you two are frustrated? That’s great. It’s refreshing to see rookies getting upset after losing to me. You’ll only get stronger.”

  Attalos, grinning, walked over and tousled both their heads, messing up their hair.

  Though they both disliked it, there was something about Attalos that made it forgivable.

  ...

  A little while ter, Turia returned with the guild’s healer, but there was someone else behind her: Naeus.

  Upon hearing that Seneca had been injured, he had stormed over in a fury.

  Naeus had a rare scowl on his face.

  When Naeus entered the arena, he saw Seneca, clutching her chest in pain, still trying not to ugh at Attalos’s antics.

  Naeus’s anger surged.

  He gred at the culprit, ready to confront them—only to be interrupted by a familiar voice.

  “Ah, if it isn’t young Naeus! How’ve you been?”

  Looking up, Naeus saw Attalos standing there, grinning broadly.

  “Mas—ter...!”

  Attalos ughed again, then enthusiastically cpped Naeus on the shoulder, clearly delighted at seeing his former disciple again.