When I Tried Strengthening 【Rusted Sword】, It Evolved Into An Overpowered Magic Sword - Chapter 39

When I Tried Strengthening 【Rusted Sword】, It Evolved Into An Overpowered Magic Sword

Chapter 39   Self-introduction

After meeting the client, Gem, safely.

For some reason, we were guided into a room at the inn.

Since there was no time for idle chatter, Gem smiled and said, “Let’s chat inside,” and we found ourselves nodding along, being swept along by her cheerful demeanor.

Shouldn’t we head to the search request as soon as possible?

We could explain the situation on the way to the area, so there was no need to sit down and relax in the room.

But well…

“Well, I’m really grateful that you guys took the request! And to think you came so quickly, I was surprised! I only placed the request yesterday! I was so stuck because I couldn’t go anywhere without the relic!”

With Gem speaking so cheerfully like this, it was hard to ignore her.

Does she just enjoy talking to people? Or perhaps she’s happy to talk to people after a long time?

Either way, although it was a bit late, we decided to introduce ourselves properly.

“Um, for this search request that Gem-san submitted, I’m the adventurer in charge, Rust Stone. And this is Dia Carat.”

“P-pleased to meet you.”

As we awkwardly bowed together, Gem-san nodded in understanding.

“So, it’s Rust-kun and Dia-chan, huh? Got it! Nice to meet you!”

Once again, our hands were taken, and we shook hands.

She’s so close…

Her way of closing the distance with people is completely different from usual.

I’ve never seen such an assertive older sister figure before.

But I can’t just be surprised. We need to ask about the request.

“S-so, could you please tell us about how you lost the relic, Gem-san?”

“By the way, you two have such cute faces. I never thought adventurers would look like you. I was expecting more rugged warriors to come, but you’re completely different, huh?”

“…”

I wanted to ask about it, but I got derailed by a completely different conversation.

Is she not hearing my words at all? Are they just going in one ear and out the other?

“I wonder how old they are? My birthday was just last week on the ‘First Day’ of the ‘Moon of Blades,’ so I just turned eighteen, but both of you have such youthful faces that I can’t tell at all. Oh, but you’re not older than me, right!?”

Caught off guard by her rapid-fire questions, I couldn’t help but be surprised.

As expected, she’s not listening to me at all.

No, it’s more accurate to say she’s not hearing me.

It’s like her desire to talk is overriding everything, and she’s impulsively speaking without really listening.

What should I do? If I don’t do something soon, we won’t be able to get any information about the request.

…I have no choice. I need to quickly answer Gem-san’s questions and steer the conversation back to the request.

“Um, I’m fifteen years old. My birthday is on the ‘Eleventh Day’ of the ‘Moon of Swords.’ And Dia is…?”

“I-I’m also fifteen. My birthday is on the ‘Tenth and Eleventh Days’ of the ‘Moon of Fists.'”

As both of us answered Gem-san’s question, she smiled genuinely, seeming delighted.

“So, you’re both younger after all! Even at such a young age, you can become adventurers. Maybe you have some incredible talent?”

“Uh, well, it’s not exactly like that… And there are plenty of adventurers younger than us who are already making a name for themselves.”

“Wow! That’s the world of adventurers for you!”

Her eager demeanor and curiosity were evident as she leaned in to listen.

She really loves talking to people.

Her cheerful personality, which lights up the surroundings, reminds me a bit of Ruby.

She seems like someone who would have a lot of friends.

Watching Gem-san’s reaction, I suddenly had a question in mind.

“Do you mean you’ve never seen adventurers before, Gem-san?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s right. I hardly ever saw any until I came to this town. I’d heard stories about them, though.”

…As I suspected.

She’s been asking a lot of questions about adventurers since earlier, so I thought she might not have seen one before.

She probably hasn’t talked to adventurers before, either. That’s why she’s so eager to ask questions.

Well, there are plenty of towns without adventurer guilds, and if she’s been in a remote village or something, it’s understandable that she’s never seen adventurers.

She didn’t seem to know about the monsters stealing relics in the Seven-colored Forest either, so she must have come from some distant place.

Come to think of it, her clothing is unusual too. I wonder where she’s from?

Although she couldn’t have heard my thoughts, Gem-san seemed to address my unspoken question.

“I came from a small rural village called ‘Gray Village’ to this town. It’s a village located in the northernmost part of the continent, and it’s really a place with nothing.”

“…Including an adventurer guild?”

“Yeah. Since there’s no adventurer guild, there are no adventurers either. It’s really a boring place with nothing fun to do.”

Gem-san pouted in dissatisfaction.

A place without an adventurer guild and nothing fun to do, huh?

It must be quite a remote village. I don’t even recognize the name ‘Gray Village.’

My hometown, Red Village, was also a rural village without an adventurer guild, but we often had festivals and it was reasonably lively.

So, I never felt bored.

But Gem-san’s Gray Village seems to be a place with absolutely no entertainment.

Given her personality, it’s not surprising that she finds it boring.

“So, when I came to this town, I was really surprised! There are so many fun things to do, and delicious food is everywhere. I had no idea the world could be so interesting!”

As she spoke, a deep sense of joy permeated her expression.

It seems like she’s experiencing quite a stimulating feeling, feeling the vitality of the city firsthand.

She’s like a lively, innocent girl who has burst out of a boring rural village.

Well, it’s about time we ask about the search request.

We can’t just sit here chatting forever.

With that in mind, I cleared my throat and changed the subject.

“Well, it’s been a bit of a detour, but I’d like to hear about the search request if that’s alright.”

“Oh, right, I completely forgot about that.”

…She forgot.

Seeing Gem-san’s startled expression, I couldn’t help but smile wryly inwardly.

It seems she got so caught up in chatting with us that she forgot about the request she made.

We didn’t come all this way just to chat.

She’s definitely an unusual person, but not a bad one.

Anyway, I decided to quickly ask Gem-san only the necessary things before heading out for the search request.