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

Chapter 52 The healing treasure

What is she doing in a place like this?

She looks about ten years old.

Not an age where one should be alone in the middle of this area without a guardian or companion.

And her attire was a bit peculiar.

A black dress that matched her long golden hair.

There were modest white frills on the collar, sleeves, and hem, with a thin pink ribbon hanging from the neckline.

She wore a hat with a short brim pulled low, as if she didn’t want anyone to see her face.

Rather than suspicious, I found her mysterious. It was not an outfit suitable for wandering through the forest.

It wasn’t just me; Dia also looked at the girl with a puzzled expression.

“Hm?”

As I watched the girl, I noticed a faint glow around her hands.

She didn’t seem to be holding a lamp or a candle; it looked as if her hands themselves were emitting light.

What’s that? I squinted to see better and noticed a “puppy” on the girl’s lap.

The puppy let out a small whimper, fussing over its hind leg.

It seemed to be injured. Whether it had fallen or gotten snagged on a branch was unclear.

The girl held her glowing right hand over the injured area.

What is she doing? I was filled with more questions when suddenly, something astonishing happened before my eyes.

“No way.”

The puppy’s leg injury vanished before my eyes.

To be more precise, the wound closed as if time were reversing, right under her glowing right hand.

An ability to heal injuries. No, it would be more accurate to call it magic.

If my memory served me right, this was unmistakably…

“Healing magic.”

“—!?”

Did she hear my muttered words?

The girl stood up from the stump in surprise.

Her hat fell off in the process, but she gently cradled the puppy, ensuring it didn’t fall.

I must have startled her.

Feeling remorseful, I decided to show myself from behind the tree, displaying my hands to indicate I meant no harm.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I just happened to notice a faint light and followed it here…”

As I approached the girl and spoke, I suddenly found myself at a loss for words.

Likewise, Dia, who had followed a bit behind, also seemed taken aback.

Her head, which had been hidden under the hat until moments ago—

Now that it had come off, whether by chance or intentionally, revealed a truth that had been concealed within.

Almost unconsciously, I found myself asking the girl.

“Are you… a demon?”

“…”

The girl didn’t answer immediately.

Her brief silence seemed to serve as an answer in itself.

At first glance, the girl appeared like any ordinary human girl.

But there was a distinctive feature on her head that clearly set her apart from ordinary humans.

She had “horns.”

They were modest enough to be covered if she wore a hat, but they were jet black, almost as if they were painted on.

One horn sprouted from each side of her head, just above her temples, and their appearance was undeniably reminiscent of a “devil.”

To anyone’s eyes, the girl before me was unmistakably a demon.

So, I asked to confirm, and yet the girl remained silent, keeping her lips sealed.

But eventually, she turned a cold gaze towards me and said,

“If I am, then what?”

“No, I mean, um… well…”

Thrown off by her counter-question, I struggled to find my words.

What should I say in response?

I was deeply confused right now.

I couldn’t fully grasp what I had seen with my own eyes.

But I gathered my thoughts and decided to clarify what I had witnessed.

“You healed that puppy’s injury, didn’t you?”

“…”

I pointed towards the puppy she was holding.

She slightly widened her eyes at being asked such a thing.

Perhaps she hadn’t expected to be questioned about that?

Then, she softened her slightly cold gaze and responded,

“It looked like it was in pain, so…”

“I see…”

The girl gazed fondly at the puppy she held in her arms. Hearing her response just now, I gained several convictions.

Without a doubt, this girl was the owner of a catalyst-type artifact capable of using healing attribute magic elements.

As Dia and I had discussed, artifacts were originally weapons for defeating demons. Conversely, demon artifacts were said to be weapons for killing humans. That’s why artifacts capable of healing others, which contradict the purpose of the existence of artifacts, were considered very, very rare.

Yet, the fact that such an artifact was in the hands of a demon was nothing short of astonishing.

Even more surprising to me was the existence of a “kind demon.”

The girl before me, despite being a demon, possessed a very “kind heart.” A heart so gentle that she would help a puppy that was injured.

Such a demon existed. I had always thought demons were cunning and cruel.

But I couldn’t deny it.

Lowering my gaze slightly, I relaxed my cheeks and said,

“You’re… kind, aren’t you?”

“…?”

“I mean, even though you’re injured yourself, you prioritized healing the puppy’s injury first.”

The girl had a scrape on her left knee similar to the puppy’s hind leg. It looked quite severe, and seeing it untreated, it must have been quite painful.

The fact that she prioritized treating the puppy’s injury over her own spoke volumes about her kind heart.

Dia seemed to notice the same thing, and we exchanged smiles.

The girl, who had been watching us with curiosity, suddenly furrowed her brows.

“…Who are you?”

“Huh? Us?”

“Why are you here in a place like this?”

Once again, Dia and I exchanged glances.

What did she mean by that question?

I wasn’t sure, but for now, I decided to give an honest answer.

“We’re adventurers. We’re exploring the forest to find a lost puppy.”

As I said this, I was convinced that the puppy the girl was holding was the one we were looking for.

It perfectly matched the description of the puppy Charm had told us about.