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

Chapter 59 Responsibility

Helio’s gaze was fixed on the blue-haired young man who looked back at him lazily, squinting his eyes.

What connection did he have with the adventurer party that had come to our rescue?

As I pondered this, Helio scowled and addressed the blue-haired young man.

“Labrado, you…”

“But, but I had no choice! I thought only other adventurers could stop you!” the young man replied, seemingly unapologetic.

From the way he spoke, it seemed he was the one who had called the adventurer party. But he had been watching our fight from the sidelines the entire time. He couldn’t have had the time to go to the guild and bring adventurers back. Was it an ability of his artifact?

As I wondered about this, another young man with brown hair spoke up.

“I’m the one who asked him to call the adventurers. So if you’re going to get mad, get mad at me, Helio.”

“……”

Helio continued to glare at the young men without saying a word. Although he was angry about being reported to other adventurers, he seemed to acknowledge that he was partly at fault and was at a loss for words.

Watching their exchange, the male adventurer let out an exasperated sigh.

“Honestly, why are young people these days so hot-blooded?”

Presumably the leader of the party, he shrugged his shoulders while surveying the traces of our battle.

“It’s not uncommon for adventurers to start fighting over differences of opinion. But you all have taken it too far. Wielding artifacts and causing chaos in the area… Artifacts are meant to be used against demons, not against fellow humans.”

…His words stung.

Because they were absolutely correct, I stood there, unable to respond.

However, Helio immediately retorted to the lecture.

“That’s why I was trying to get rid of this weakling over here.”

“Hmm?”

The male adventurer’s gaze shifted towards us. His eyes gradually moved past me, landing on Dia and the demon girl. As soon as he saw the horns sprouting from the sides of the girl’s head, his brows furrowed deeply.

“Is that a demon over there?”

“――!”

The demon girl flinched, her shoulders trembling. She shrank back, seemingly trying to hide behind Dia’s shield. How should I explain this?

It might be best to be honest, but I hesitated. The moment they realized there was a demon, the adventurer party’s tension visibly skyrocketed. This was the natural reaction for adventurers encountering a demon. Though they weren’t completely sure yet, they stared at the girl with suspicion.

If I revealed her true identity and they decided to attack her, I wouldn’t have any right to complain. While it was unlikely they’d attack immediately, the possibility couldn’t be entirely ruled out. Caught up in these thoughts, I hesitated to speak, and suddenly, an unexpectedly relaxed voice cut through the tense atmosphere.

“I see~, it looks like there’s more to this story~.”

“――!?”

The owner of that voice emerged from behind the adventurer party. She was a young girl dressed in gothic lolita attire, holding a doll that added to her childish appearance. Recognizing her, I couldn’t help but let out a surprised exclamation.

“Ch-Charm-san? What are you doing here?”

“I heard that adventurers were fighting in the Seven-Colored Forest~, and I got a little curious~. So I decided to join the party investigating it~.”

I see. Charm-san was the one who arranged this search request, so she knew we were in the Seven-Colored Forest. Naturally, she’d be concerned upon hearing that a fight had broken out among adventurers there. Charm-san stepped out from behind the adventurer party, smiling as she stood in front of us. She glanced at the demon girl and spoke.

“The reason you two started fighting~, was because of that demon girl over there~.”

“Y-Yes.”

“I see~, I had a rough idea. So, Rusty-kun sided with the demon girl~, and the blonde boy opposed her, right~?”

…Too perceptive.

It was a simple response, but it wasn’t wrong. Hearing it put so concisely made me realize how childish it was to fight over such a trivial reason. It was no different from a spoiled child throwing a tantrum.

Helio, who was called “blondie,” furrowed his brows even more in irritation. Meanwhile, Charm-san, probably needing to confirm the situation as a guild staff member, suddenly questioned us.

“I understand what both of you are saying~, but regardless of the reason~, you both pointed your artifacts at another person~. That is indisputable~.”

“…Yes.”

“…”

I responded apologetically, while Helio nodded silently. Charm-san continued.

“Artifacts are meant for fighting demons~, not for attacking people~. If you harm another human with artifacts~, it’s no different from what a heretic renegade does~.”

“…I-I’m sorry.”

“So, naturally, both sides will be appropriately punished~, but there’s one thing I want to confirm first~.”

“…What is it?”

As I tilted my head, Charm-san, still smiling, asked a question like a teacher.

“Who struck first~?”

“Who struck first?”

“Though we say ‘both sides are to blame’ in a fight~, the one who throws the first punch is always more at fault~, whether it’s a child’s fight or an adult’s~. Since neither of you seem to be injured~, and opinions on the matter vary~, I believe it’s only fair to place the blame on the one who initiated the conflict~.”

The one who struck first is at fault.

When put that way, it made sense. Neither of us had inflicted serious injuries on the other, and it wasn’t clear whose stance was right. If one of us were visibly injured, it would complicate matters. But as luck would have it, both Helio and I were unharmed. Thus, it was reasonable to place the responsibility on the one who attacked first.

“So, who was it~?”

“Th-that…”

The answer was clear. I hadn’t forgotten in the short time that had passed. But I hesitated to respond. It wasn’t that I was intimidated by Helio anymore, although there was still some lingering fear. I hesitated because I believed that, as in any altercation, I bore some responsibility as well.

Just then, one of Helio’s companions spoke up, perhaps not intending to help me out.

“Helio did it.”

“Hey, aren’t you worried Helio will beat you up later?”

“I don’t mind. We’re supposed to be comrades, but we couldn’t stop him. So at least we should tell the truth.”

Helio watched his two companions’ exchange in silence. He didn’t blame them for tattling, nor did he deny it. Was this his way of acknowledging his fault?

Charm-san seemed to take his silence as agreement and nodded.

“In that case, I’m ordering a one-week ‘Artifact Deprivation’ for blondie~. Stay quiet in town for a while, okay~?”

“…That’s all?”

“Of course, there will be a staff meeting later to decide on further punishment~, but for now, that’s all~. Is there a problem~?”

“…No.”

Helio frowned briefly but quickly returned to his normal expression. A one-week artifact deprivation. While this punishment wasn’t uncommon, the duration seemed quite short. Was this leniency due to the circumstances? Or perhaps because Helio hadn’t argued back?

Maybe Charm-san had an inkling about the relationship between me and Helio—an old acquaintance with a complicated history. Perhaps she thought this had led to the excessive fight and decided to be lenient.

But can Charm-san even make such decisions? Considering it’s a dispute between adventurers, it might be natural for a guild official to handle it. Defying her orders could lead to the revocation of our adventurer status, so we had to comply. And since she mentioned “for now,” it implied that the staff meeting might impose additional penalties.

While these thoughts crossed my mind, Charm-san turned to me to deliver my punishment.

“Rusty, I’ll give you further ‘instructions’ later~, so stay quiet in town until then~.”

“…Yes.”

She used the word “instructions” instead of punishment. At that moment, I didn’t ponder the difference too deeply. I just felt deep remorse for pointing my artifact at a fellow human to assert my selfish desires, even though he was my enemy.

Thus, after this fight, we deepened our rift without reconciling.