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

Chapter 27 That’s why I want to become stronger

It was said that they would provide more details after returning to town, but Dia continued to talk even on the way back.

It seems that after parting ways with me, Dia found Spinel and Lapis, the scythe sisters, a little later.

The two of them seemed to be accompanied by guild staff.

It appears that after being released by Amethyst, they coincidentally encountered guild staff who were scouting the area.

Spinel and Lapis, concerned about Amethyst fighting against demons, were trying to return here with the guild staff.

At that moment, Dia and Amethyst seemed to have encountered them.

“So, are those three currently with guild members…?”

“Yes. I believe they have safely returned to the town.”

The reason Dia said, “Everyone is safe,” is as mentioned above.

Certainly, with guild staff, even with the three injured individuals, they should be able to return to town without any issues.

With this, we can rest assured about those three.

“So, Dia came back to me alone.”

“Yes. I thought about sending Amethyst and the others to the town and asking for help from the guild staff, but I was the only one who knew where you were, and above all, you’re an important party member.”

She said that again with a captivating smile.

When she said it so formally, it somehow felt embarrassing.

“By the way, Rust.”

“Hmm?”

“There’s something I also want to ask you. What happened to that demon?”

Dia looked at me with a curious expression.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t mentioned it before. Dia must have been curious all along, but she hadn’t prioritized asking, probably wanting to leave that place first.

It’s a bit late, but I should tell her.

“I defeated that demon.”

“Defeated? Just you, Rust?”

“Yeah. A little before Dia arrived.”

As I answered, Dia’s eyes widened in surprise. However, she quickly wore a face that seemed to understand and nodded in agreement.

“As expected, you’re amazing, Rust.”

“N-no, not at all. I just got lucky, and besides, it was a mess after defeating the demon. It’s really not something to be proud of. I’m still weak.”

Involuntarily, I put on a self-deprecating smile and looked down. At the same time, I remembered being almost killed by a single monster, lying defeated on the ground, covered in mud, looking utterly pathetic. I even had to be protected by a girl; it was truly embarrassing. At this rate, I’m far from the hero I aspire to be.

“Still, you’re alive now.”

“Huh?”

“Being alive means there’s still a chance to become stronger. Isn’t the possibility of getting stronger something to look forward to? So, let’s face forward and keep moving.”

“…”

Suddenly receiving such words from Dia, I was taken aback. Being alive means there’s still a chance to become stronger. That’s absolutely true. If there’s a possibility to become stronger, there’s no time to look down. This time, I found myself being encouraged by her.

“Hey, you guys!”

“…?”

As we exchanged words, a man’s voice suddenly echoed from somewhere. Looking around, eventually, a man and two women emerged from behind the trees.

One of the women had a “long staff” on her back, and the other had a “chain” wrapped around her right arm. The man, on the other hand, wore oddly “thick gloves,” probably all “artifacts”…

What’s more eye-catching is that all of them are wearing headbands on their foreheads, securing their pure white outfits with black belts.

Are they intentionally coordinating their outfits?

Wait, who are these people?

“Could it be that you guys are the participants who were reported to be in combat with a cat-like demon?”

“…Y-yes. Probably.”

It’s unimaginable that there would be other participants in such a unique situation as ours. In response to the question, I reflexively answered, and the man raised his voice.

“Oh, I see! You made it through safely! We’re adventurers commissioned by the guild to search for you! Sorry for being late!”

“…N-no.”

I involuntarily flinched at the loud voice that seemed to come from the depths of his stomach. So, they are adventurers. That’s surprising. If that’s the case, the coordinated outfits make sense; many parties coordinate their outfits.

“We were instructed to protect you, and at the same time, we received a request for demon subjugation. So, where is that cat-like demon now? Were you able to escape from the demon?”

“Oh…”

The male adventurer looked around anxiously.

But, of course, there was no sign of the cat-like demon.

If they had just arrived after receiving the report, it’s natural that they wouldn’t know yet.

“I defeated that cat-like demon just a while ago.”

“Defeated it? You alone against a demon?”

“Y-yes…”

Similar to when Dia asked, I awkwardly nodded in response.

The male adventurer froze in surprise, his face visibly taken aback. Likewise, the two women behind him were also stiffened with a look of astonishment.

Huh? Dia believed me right away, but why are they so surprised?

But thinking about it, this is quite a bizarre story. An ordinary person who hasn’t even become an adventurer yet, defeating a demon all alone – it’s not something easily believable.

However, after a moment of stiffness, the male adventurer relaxed and blushed slightly before saying, “Well…”

“Oh, I see! That’s a remarkable feat! Who would have thought, a boy who isn’t even an adventurer yet, defeating a demon all alone – you’re quite the prodigy!”

“Uh, thank you.”

I winced as my shoulders were slapped vigorously. Even though he was probably holding back his strength, it still hurt a bit. It seems like the benefits of muscle strength are quite high. Truly befitting an active adventurer.

“In that case, you should hurry back to the guild. There’s only about twenty minutes left until the end of the exam. All the other participants, except for you guys, have already returned to the town.”

“Huh, really?”

“Yeah. Well, most of them gave up on the exam.”

The male adventurer sighed in disappointment, his shoulders dropping. Oh, so many people gave up on the exam, huh? Well, it’s better to prioritize safety over aimlessly getting injured or encountering accidents. Especially considering the abnormal situation of demons invading this time. Those who gave up early were fortunate, given the circumstances.

If that’s the case, it seems like the number of successful participants this time will be quite small.

“We’ll check if there are any other participants or demons left. Is it okay for you two to go back together?”

“Yes, I think we’ll be fine.”

“All right! Then, give it your all until the end of the exam!”

Leaving behind these passionate words, the three individuals in white swiftly departed. They were like a storm.

Anyway, we started walking towards the town once again.

Eventually, the exit of the Seven-Colored Forest came into view.

Transitioning from the dazzling seven-colored scenery to a world of just two colors – the blue sky and the grassy plains – we breathed a deep sigh of relief.

“Phew, we finally made it out of the forest.”

“Yes, indeed. It feels like I’ve seen the sky after a long time.”

Glancing around, it was clear that no other participants were emerging from the forest. Just as the male adventurer mentioned, it seemed like everyone else had already returned to the town.

Let’s hurry as well. The remaining time for the exam is only twenty minutes, as they said.

We quickened our pace, heading towards the guild.

Passing through the eastern gate of the town and returning to the facility we saw at the beginning of the exam, we naturally let out a sigh of relief.

“Oh, Dia!”

“…?”

As we were taking a moment to relax, a voice calling Dia came from inside the guild.