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

Chapter 62 Journey

After deciding to take the demon girl to the guild headquarters, Charm-san brought her in front of us.

It had been about a day since we last saw each other.

She had the same beautiful face I remembered from our first meeting. Her long golden hair was striking, and her black dress looked elegant. But the most distinctive feature was still her horns, which were currently hidden under a hood, presumably to prevent any confusion.

Seeing that she wasn’t bound by chains or ropes, it seemed that she was considered safe within the guild. However, once we stepped outside, it would be a different story.

That’s why Dia and I had to keep a close eye on her and ensure she reached the guild headquarters without incident.

If she tried to escape, or if I deliberately let her go, I would face severe punishment, and she would become a target for extermination by adventurers.

We had to make sure to get her to the town of Clearland, where the guild headquarters was located. She didn’t seem like she was going to run away, so our main concern was any trouble we might encounter along the way.

And so, we were ready to depart.

“Take care!” Charm-san’s voice followed us as we left the guild and began walking towards the northern gate of the town, heading for Clearland to the north.

“Um, Rust-san?”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Are we not going to use a carriage? We could probably get a discount if we show our Adventurer’s Guild Book.”

Dia asked, tilting her head as we headed towards the northern gate instead of the carriage station. It was a reasonable question.

I had a clear reason for not heading to the carriage station, and it wasn’t to save money.

“I thought it might not be a good idea to take a demon girl on a carriage. If her identity gets exposed, it could cause a huge commotion.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

Even though her horns were hidden, there’s always a chance they could be discovered. Plus, we might run into trouble at checkpoints when we arrive in other towns.

Clearland was quite far, but traveling on foot seemed like the safest option.

So, we passed through the northern gate on foot and began our journey towards Clearland. As we walked, I spoke to the demon girl, who was following us with a troubled expression.

“So, I’m sorry to make you walk,” I said.

“…It’s fine,” she replied, barely audible, without even looking at me.

Since our reunion, she had kept her mouth shut, and that was her first word. Given that we were going to spend a long journey together, I wanted to get to know her better. But her attitude made me anxious about our trip. I remembered that she mentioned disliking adventurers. Though I wasn’t sure why, it meant she probably didn’t like us either.

It might be tough to get close to her… or at least, that’s what I thought. But I wasn’t ready to give up just yet. Since it was going to be a long journey, I was determined to make it as enjoyable as possible by befriending her.

“By the way, I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Rust. Rust Stone. And this is Dia. You’ve probably heard, but we’re here to guide you to the guild headquarters. Looking forward to traveling with you.”

“…Likewise,” she responded curtly.

The emotional distance between us seemed to grow wider. Maybe she found my help to be a nuisance? Perhaps she didn’t want to live in a human town and just wanted to return to her area…

That was quite possible. Maybe she was just biding her time until she found an opportunity to escape. I hoped to understand her true feelings during our journey, but whether I could achieve that was uncertain.

“If you don’t mind, could you tell me your name?” I asked, trying to sound friendly.

I wondered if she even had a name. Who gives names to demons, anyway? As I pondered these questions, she lifted her head slightly and glanced at me.

“…Citrine,” she said.

“Citrine?”

“Citrine Treat. That’s my name.”

I was momentarily speechless, not because I was surprised she had a name, but because she told me honestly. I was touched more than I expected, feeling that the emotional distance between us had narrowed, even if just a little.

I found myself repeating her name softly, letting it settle on my lips.

“So, Citrine, huh? That’s a cute name. It suits you perfectly,” I said.

“…”

She turned her face away for some reason when I honestly complimented her. Even though our eyes met just now.

Did I say something that offended her?

Feeling a bit down about it, I belatedly noticed we were approaching the entrance to the “Forest.”

I recalled that this area was also supposed to be dangerous. While getting along with Citrine was important, it was even more crucial to remain vigilant of our surroundings.

As we entered the forest again with renewed caution, a question popped into my mind.

“Oh, by the way, what was Obsidian Mountain like?”

“Huh?”

“I heard you were in that area before, so I was wondering what it’s like…”

It was just idle chatter to alleviate the boredom of the journey. But for some reason, Citrine seemed incredibly surprised. Not only that, she seemed to tremble slightly.

Did I inadvertently ask something unpleasant again?

With that concern in mind, Citrine answered my question in a halting manner.

“…It’s a burnt place.”

“Burnt?”

“Always… something burning, and everything is scorched.”

“Huh?”

Her description didn’t quite make sense to me. An area where something was always burning and had a burnt smell? I had heard of an area called the “Flame Desert” where the earth itself was constantly burning. Was it something similar?

If so…

“You lived there, right? Wasn’t it difficult to live there? And you mentioned persecution from other demons…”

I found myself asking more than I intended.

Experiencing persecution from demons of the same race must have been a very painful past for her. Realizing I might be bringing up painful memories, I tried to change the subject quickly, but it was too late.

Citrine’s expression turned stern, almost as if she was angry, and she clenched her fists tightly.

“That place… that place…”

Her reaction was more sensitive than I had anticipated. It seemed odd for her to react so strongly just from being driven out by other demons.

What could have happened at Obsidian Mountain?

I was intensely curious about what event could make gentle Citrine so upset, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask further.

“Rust!”

“――Huh!?”

Suddenly, Dia’s voice came from behind, snapping me back to reality. Immediately, I focused ahead, and from the bushes in the distance emerged two “figures.”

They weren’t human but rather skeleton-shaped monsters. One had its right arm bone sharpened into a blade-like edge, while the left arm bone spread out thickly in an oval shape, resembling a swordsman equipped with a sword in the right hand and a shield in the left.

If my memory serves me right, these monsters were called “Skull Fencers.”

“Clack!”

“Clack clack!”

With teeth-chattering sounds, they lunged at us.

The skeletal creatures, resembling swordsmen, swung their blades towards us. However, thanks to Dia’s warning, I was able to quickly assume a defensive stance.

Without panic, I ran my hand across my back.

“Hah!”

Drawing the “Rusted Sword,” simultaneously evolving it into the “Cursed Magic Sword.”

A chill ran through my body as the blessings of the artifact flowed through me.

In an instant, I lunged at one of the Skull Fencers.

“Clack――?”

It was still in mid-swing.

While not slow, I closed the distance in an instant and swept horizontally across its exposed abdomen.

The Skull Fencer completely lost sight of me.

Helplessly, it split into upper and lower halves.

“Clack clack!”

Witnessing this, the other Skull Fencer jumped back in surprise, raising its left arm bone shield instead of its blade.

Thick and wide, it likely boasted the highest hardness among its magical armor.

It retreated and defended, wary of my sword.

Ignoring its defensive stance, I once again readied the artifact and closed in on the skeleton.

“Shhh!”

And then, I flashed the “Cursed Magic Sword.”

As if there were no bone shield, the blade sliced smoothly through.

The sacred power of my “Cursed Magic Sword” numbered at “500,” a force not easily resisted by typical magical armor of creatures.

As a result, like the previous Skull Fencer, the one before me split into upper and lower halves and fell to the ground.

“……Phew.”

I immediately returned the “Cursed Magic Sword” to its “Rusted Sword” form and sheathed it on my back. It had only taken about ten seconds.

At this rate, the “curse” of the “Cursed Magic Sword” wouldn’t exhaust me. I aimed to finish battles quickly to minimize the burden of the curse. Strangely, it felt like the curse’s strain had lessened compared to before. Was my body getting accustomed to it?

Regardless, now that the battle with the skeleton warriors was over, I prepared to move forward again.

But…

“Hm? What is it, Dia?”

“Oh, it’s nothing…”

For some reason, Dia stood still in place, staring vaguely at me. There was a hint of surprise in her expression. What could it be? Did something seem odd about me? Or was there something on my face?

“Um, well, it’s just that… compared to before, Rust-san, your movements seemed really amazing…”

“Amazing?”

As she mentioned it, I belatedly realized it too.

Indeed, this battle felt somewhat different from usual. When monsters ambushed us before, Diawould step forward first and block the initial attack with her shield. Then I would calmly strike with my sword—a well-established tactic.

But this time, I had managed to defeat the enemies without Dia’s initial defense. Of course, it was thanks to Dia’s timely warning, but clearly, I was faster than before.

It was probably the influence of yesterday’s battle with Helio-kun. Upon closer inspection, Dia had been ready to step forward with her shield, but I had moved faster than expected to dispatch the enemy, leaving her unsure of what to do.

Was she surprised by that?

“Well, actually, I’ve been feeling really good since yesterday’s battle. I think I’ve figured out how to use my body a bit better. And even when using the magic sword, it doesn’t feel as difficult. Maybe the limit of its use has extended quite a bit too.”

“I see…”

As I explained the situation, Dia still seemed surprised and remained absent-minded. After a brief silence, she suddenly exhaled deeply, as if coming to terms with the reality.

At that moment…

“Huh?”

Was it my imagination, or did a faint shadow seem to briefly pass over Dia’s face?

“Well then, let’s keep moving forward. We should try to get through this forest before it gets dark.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Though I felt a slight sense of unease about Dia’s demeanor, I decided not to mention it and continued ahead.