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

Chapter 1 Sacred Treasure

When you turn twelve, you receive a sacred treasure from the gods.

A sacred treasure is a special weapon used to fight against demons and monsters.

Those who wield it and bravely fight against demons and monsters to protect people are called “adventurers.”

I admire adventurers like that.

Now that I’m twelve, I can finally take the first step to becoming an adventurer.

Today marks the beginning of my adventure, leading up to becoming a hero.

“Hey, Rust! If you don’t wake up soon, you’ll be late!”

“Mmm…”

Morning.

I, who had been sleeping with the blanket over my head, was awakened by the voice of a girl.

Rubbing my sleepy eyes and pulling off the blanket, I met the gaze of a red-haired girl peering at my face.

“Good morning, Rust. Today is the long-awaited ‘Blessing Ceremony.’ Get ready quickly, and let’s go to the temple.”

“…Ruby.”

My childhood friend, Ruby Blood.

She looks at me with amusement, wearing a bright smile as I struggle to wake up.

“Honestly, yesterday you were so excited about the ‘Blessing Ceremony.’ If you miss the ritual, it’ll be a disaster. So hurry up and get up, Rust.”

“Yeah, sorry, Ruby.”

Apologizing, I slowly get up from bed.

That’s right, today is the day we undergo the eagerly anticipated ‘Blessing Ceremony.’

Today, we officially become adults.

And, we will be bestowed with the ‘Sacred treasure’ from the gods.

There’s no way we can be late for the ceremony.

“Thanks for coming to wake me up. Because of you, I won’t be late. But seriously, why do you just barge into my room without permission? I’ve been telling you to stop doing that for ages.”

“Well, because Rust’s mom told me to ‘wake you up.'”

Oh, come on, Mom…

Ruby’s house is right across from mine, and we’ve been playing together since we were kids. She often comes over to hang out, even entering my room without permission since we were little. I didn’t mind it when we were kids, but lately, I’ve asked her to stop because it’s embarrassing.

“We’re already respectable adults, so you should stop.”

“Even Rust’s mom is looking forward to Rust’s ‘Blessing Ceremony.’ Yet, Rust is sleeping like a log until the last minute of the ritual. What’s up with that? Were you so excited that you couldn’t sleep yesterday?”

“Nah, it’s not like that. Quite the opposite. While looking forward to it, I’m also a bit nervous. That made it hard for me to sleep yesterday.”

“Nervous?”

I chuckle as Ruby tilts her head in confusion.

“Well, you see, I don’t know what kind of Sacred treasure I’ll receive. What if I get some weird Sacred treasure? I’m a bit worried about that.”

“Well, that’s true. Since Sacred treasures are weapons for protecting against demons and monsters, it would be troublesome if you got a weird one. The ceremony is a one-time thing, after all.”

Yes, the ‘Blessing Ceremony’ where you receive the Sacred treasure is a one-time event, and there’s no going back. Moreover, since Sacred treasures are special weapons for fighting demons and monsters, the artifact you receive somewhat determines your future life. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Blessing Ceremony is a ritual that can shape your entire life. Plus, you can’t use any Sacred treasure other than your own.

With such an important ceremony ahead, there’s no way I could sleep soundly. Well, unlike me, Ruby seems to have thick nerves and probably slept like a log. She seems to have enough leisure to come wake up her oversleeping childhood friend.

Thinking so, I run a comb through my hair, messed up from sleep, and Ruby, wearing a mischievous smile, says, “By the way…”

“Rust has always been a bit timid, you know. Because of that, the boys in the village used to tease you a lot, and it would be great if the ceremony could fix your personality a bit.”

“Uh…”

“But well, it’s understandable to be nervous about the ‘Blessing Ceremony.’ I feel the same way, you know. Because we made a promise…”

“…?”

Ruby, about to say something, directed a gentle smile towards me and continued, “We promised to become ‘adventurers’ together. If we get some weird Sacred treasure, our dream might not come true, you know?”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

I nod emphatically.

Ruby and I made a promise to become adventurers together. This is our shared dream. We both aspire to become cool heroes like those depicted in adventures.

“Let’s both receive good Sacred treasure from the gods, Rust.”

“…Yeah.”

I hope we both get a good Sacred treasure. It would be awkward if one of us got an amazing Sacred treasure while the other got a low-ranking one.

It seems that this concern isn’t mine alone, as Ruby casually let out an inauspicious comment.

“Well, if you end up with a weird sacred treasure, and I get an amazing one, maybe I’ll leave you behind and become a ‘Master Class’ adventurer first… just kidding.”

“Uh…”

It doesn’t feel like much of a joke, so I wish she’d stop. I don’t want to end up with a weaker sacred treasure and have Ruby succeed as an adventurer first.

Well, even if I end up with a mediocre D or E-ranked sacred treasure, making it difficult for me to become an adventurer, I don’t intend to give up on my dream. Even if I’m left behind by Ruby, I’ll definitely become an adventurer, no matter how much time it takes.

Once you’ve embraced a dream, it’s not something you can easily let go of.

“Alright, let’s get ready and head to the temple! I think everyone is already gathering!”

“Yeah, you’re right. By the way, I’ll change right now, so could you wait outside for a bit?”

I had actually been thinking about changing for a while, but Ruby didn’t show any signs of leaving. So I finally voiced my request, and just like before, Ruby flashed a mischievous smile.

“I’m worried you might take a nap again, so I’ll keep an eye on you here.”

“I’m not going to do that, so hurry up and leave!”

I might really end up being late.