"That’s everyone, then. Based on today’s battles, we’ll begin practical training next week. Now, everyone, return to the cssroom and wait for Miss Mitora," Attalos said as he began walking towards the central building.

  However, as if remembering something, he stopped mid-step and turned back.

  "Oh, Seneca and Maiol, when you’re free, come to my office in the central building. Right, that’s all! Dismissed!"

  Attalos quickly ran off, leaving the students behind.

  As Seneca and Maiol stood there somewhat absent-mindedly, their cssmates gathered around.

  "Seneca! You were amazing! That swordsmanship... what was that? I couldn’t even see your movements!" Fabius excimed.

  "Indeed, it was incredible. As much as I hate to admit it, I was completely defeated. That final move—was that a skill? It looked like something simir to [Great Sword], but the output was far too high. I take it it’s some kind of swordsmanship skill?" Pulker joined in, bombarding Seneca with questions. Though he seemed down after the match, it was clear he had already recovered.

  "My skill is [Sewing]. It’s not a swordsmanship skill or a magic skill, just a ‘hazard’ skill," Seneca replied hesitantly, even referring to it as a "hazard" skill herself to avoid others bringing it up.

  "What!?"

  Both Pulker and Fabius’s faces turned serious as they exchanged a look.

  Seneca braced herself, preparing for the expected criticism.

  "That’s amazing... that’s incredible!" Pulker said, his tone filled with awe.

  "Yeah, it’s truly impressive, Seneca," Fabius added.

  "Huh?" Seneca blinked, surprised by the response.

  "[Sewing] is a non-combat skill, right?"

  "To refine it to such a degree and incorporate it into your swordpy—this level of effort is no small feat," Pulker continued, his eyes wide in admiration.

  "How exactly do you apply it in combat? If you can, share with us! Just the basics would be fine."

  "Yeah, I’d love to hear it too!" Fabius added eagerly.

  Unexpectedly receiving such positive reactions, Seneca fumbled, trying to continue the conversation.

  As she spoke, she struggled to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes.

  ...

  Meanwhile, Maiol also had people gathering around her. Naturally, at the front was Stroh.

  "Miss Maiol! About earlier, you were using [Detection] in close-quarters combat, right? The precision was incredible," Stroh remarked, impressed.

  "But Maiol doesn’t seem like the typical scout, right? I honestly thought you were a swordswoman at first," he added, while the others nodded in agreement.

  Maiol, wondering why her defeat had brought so many people to her, decided to continue the conversation, curious about how her fight had been perceived.

  "I use my skill to fight in a mid-frontline role. Since it’s just me and Seneca, we don’t have strictly defined roles, but Seneca tends to take the lead in a scout-like role. Of course, I’m the one handling detection," she expined.

  "That’s a rather unusual setup. So, you’re using your skills to direct your movements?" Stroh asked, intrigued.

  "Yes. By supporting with my skills, I can eliminate blind spots. I’m still refining it though," Maiol replied, the wheels of her mind turning as she spoke.

  "It’s an interesting approach. There are definitely some issues to work through, but if you can make it work, it could be a very powerful party setup," Stroh said thoughtfully.

  Though they had only seen six matches, the cssmates were already deep in discussion, brainstorming strategies and concepts. Maiol, determined to keep up, focused intently on the conversation.

  ...

  Back in the cssroom, Mitora, the young instructor, gave an expnation on course registration.

  According to Mitora, students in higher csses had more freedom, but in return, they were expected to produce results.

  Students in Css S, in particur, were required to make significant achievements as adventurers each semester. Failure to meet these expectations would result in being demoted to a lower css without hesitation.

  In addition, Attalos’s weekly lessons were mandatory, though there was some flexibility for adventurer activities.

  There were also several elective courses to choose from, and students were required to register based on their interests.

  Seneca, already pnning to discuss things with Maiol ter, found herself intrigued by several courses.

  ...

  After Mitora’s briefing, Seneca and Maiol followed instructions and headed to Attalos’s office in the central building.

  They knocked, and upon receiving a response, entered the room.

  Attalos, who had been seated at his desk, stood up and approached them.

  "You two made it. I’ll tell you right off, this room is equipped with various mechanisms that make eavesdropping and information gathering extremely difficult," he expined, casting a magical seal on the door with a quick surge of mana.

  "Now, we’re safe," Attalos said, turning towards them with a more serious expression.

  "Let’s get straight to the point. Seneca, you’ve leveled up, haven’t you?" Attalos asked, his gaze soft yet probing.

  "I’ve noticed a significant improvement in your physical abilities since we took on that request together. Particurly in your strength—it’s obvious that your physical abilities were enhanced when you leveled up. It’s normal for adventurers to keep their abilities hidden, but this is important for your future training, so I need you to be honest with me."

  Seneca had expected this and, knowing there was no point in hiding it, decided to tell the truth.

  "I leveled up to Level 3 when we defeated the Cyclops," she admitted.

  "Ah, I thought so," Attalos nodded, clearly relieved that his suspicions were correct, though he seemed concerned by how quickly Seneca had grown.

  "Then, just to confirm, Maiol, when you leveled up to Level 2, your physical abilities increased as well, correct? For [Detection], that’s typical, but you two aren’t exactly ‘typical,’" Attalos continued.

  "My physical abilities improved," Maiol responded immediately.

  "I see. Thanks to both of you," Attalos said, taking a brief pause before continuing.

  "Now, considering this, I should have spoken to Maiol earlier. Menon probably didn’t know how to approach it, either. To get to the point: both of you have let your sword techniques deteriorate. Especially you, Seneca. You were once a precise swordswoman, but now you’ve become more reliant on brute force. Against opponents weaker than you, it might be enough, but you won’t stand a chance against someone stronger."

  Seneca felt a heavy weight in her chest at his words.

  "The cause is simple. You’re being overwhelmed by your increased physical abilities. You’re relying too much on your skills. It’s only been a short time since your st level-up, so you should be able to correct it soon, but from now on, you’ll need to be careful every time you level up."

  Maiol looked at Attalos steadily, absorbing every word.

  "But, I also take responsibility for not guiding you properly, Maiol. Had I done so, Seneca wouldn’t have ended up in this situation. I sincerely apologise."

  Attalos bowed his head.

  Seeing this, Maiol quickly spoke up.

  "We understand that we’ve become too reliant on brute force. But it’s not your fault, Teacher Attalos. We take full responsibility."

  "No, normally, senior adventurers should guide you," Attalos replied. "If it had been the 'Oak Branch' or 'New Green Prayer', they would have taken care of you. But since I came and told Naeus and the others to ‘take charge,’ they backed off. I didn’t provide proper guidance, and that’s on me."

  Both Maiol and Seneca fell silent for a moment, but Seneca, determined to move forward, fixed Attalos with a sharp gaze.

  "So, what should we do?" she asked.

  "I’ll teach you how to rein in your skills. The first step is to spend time using as few skills as possible in daily life. This will help you return to your old fighting instincts. Then, you’ll need to rework your techniques using the enhanced strength as a foundation," Attalos expined.

  "Rein in our skills?" Maiol asked, still unsure.

  "Yes. The physical abilities gained from leveling up can be temporarily suppressed. This technique is called ‘cutting skills.’ It’s essential for martial skills," Attalos crified.

  Maiol frowned, concentrating as she listened.

  "I’ll expin how to do it now. You might have some doubts, but hear me out first."

  Both Seneca and Maiol nodded in unison, determined to follow through.

  ...

  After their lesson with Attalos, the two returned to the dormitory.

  Their faces were grim.

  It wasn’t anyone’s fault. If anything, they knew their own ck of information had been their downfall, but they couldn’t shake the feeling of dissatisfaction.

  However, Seneca had made up her mind. Maiol had steeled herself for what was to come.

  "We’ll only be angry today. Tomorrow, we’ll train like our lives depend on it and master this," Seneca decred, her resolve clear.

  With that burning determination, the two returned to their rooms.