Volume 1 - CH 5

Translated by : kyrusai

Edited by : kyurusai

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“Hmm, I think that’s enough for today.”

After killing the third Treant this day, I put my sword away.

Then, I started walking towards the exit of the forest to return to the village.

It’s been three years since I received the blessing.

I’ve been living like this for a long time.

Even now, my abilities have not changed from three years ago.

My own power is the same, but more importantly, there hasn’t been a single change in my sacred weapon.

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Name: Rusted Sword

Rank: F

Level: 9

Attack Power: 9

Benefit: 

Skills :

Durability value: 10/15

—

This is the current properties of the [Rusted Sword].

Since the time I received the ceremony and was blessed, my level has risen to [9].

The attack power has increased accordingly, but still, no magic or skills are possessed.

All the benefits are still zero.

Did it make it just a little bit easier to defeat Treant? The changes are so subtle that you may not realize them.

This is what I have achieved in the past three years.

“……Ha~a”

Inevitably, I sigh a lot.

When I started my training, I thought, ‘Everything is a trial,’ and I was able to work positively.

But I have to admit, I’ve been feeling very skittish lately.

Is there really any point in continuing to do this?

I don’t mean to borrow the words of that hero, but I guess I don’t have it in me.

I’m not as enthusiastic about my training as I used to be.

I was able to raise the level of my sacred artifacts to [9], but that was a year ago, and they haven’t been leveled up at all for a while now.

It’s as if the [Rusted Sword] is telling me that this is the limit.

And on top of that, the rumors are putting more and more of a damper on my mind.

“Ruby Blood, the hero’s right hand……”

It’s been three years since she left Red Village, and Ruby is now a prominent member of a party of heroes.

I heard that she performed as well as the other major members of the group and raised her adventurer class to “Platinum” in three years.

There is a class system for adventurers, and there are five ranks from the bottom: [Bronze], [Silver], [Gold], [Platinum], and [Master].

Platinum is second from the top. It was proof enough that She was already a first-class adventurer.

In addition, Ruby is only fifteen years old and is known as the youngest adventurer girl ever to reach Platinum.

Recently, she has been called the “Fiery Swordsman” and has become established as the right-hand man of the hero.

I’m sure she’ll go down in history as an amazing female adventurer.

“I’ ve come a long way, haven’t I?”

I couldn’t help but look up at the blue sky and think of my childhood friend.

The fact that we had promised to become adventurers together seemed like a fairy tale when I think about it now.

I promised myself that I would catch up to her, but the gap between us grew wider and wider as time went on.

I can’t do this anymore…….

“Hey, look at that guy.”

As I was feeling weak as usual, I suddenly heard a male voice coming from somewhere.

I glanced over and saw two young men carrying an ax.

I think it was the two brothers…… who is a lumberjack in this forest?

The ax they were carrying was a sacred weapon given to them in a blessing ceremony, and I had heard that they were using it to work as lumberjacks.

So when I’m training in the forest, I sometimes see them.

Well, I’ve never talked to them directly.

“I can’t believe you’re still doing that.”

“Don’t you know it’s pointless?”

“……”

Apparently, they knew me the same way I knew them.

Three years ago, I was the only person in the [Bountiful Harvest Generation] that produced many high-rank divine weapons to be blessed with an F-rank divine weapon.

And that I’m still trying to become an adventurer with that [Rusted Sword].

It would be ridiculous from an outsider’s point of view. Their contempt is understandable.

If I were in the opposite position, I would have thought that I was wasting my time.

“…….Ts!”

I clenched my fists in secret and gnashed my teeth in frustration.

Then I ran in the opposite direction to get away from the lumberjack brothers.

“Fuck, shit, damn it……!”

I know better than anyone else that it’s futile.

I don’t need to be told that, I’ve already despaired so many times.

I have no talent. I have no qualities. I don’t have the ability.

I’m getting a lot of support from my mom, but there’s no chance of it paying off if I keep doing this.

I want to be an adventurer…….

“Um, big brother!”

“……?”

Suddenly, I heard a girl’s voice from nearby and stopped in my tracks.

I looked over and there she was the girl who lives in Red Village.

This girl is also often seen around the forest.

Whenever we meet on the way home from training, we greet each other lightly.

Or rather, it seems that I just realized that I had reached the exit of the forest.

“You dropped this, big brother.”

“What?”

The girl presented me with a lunch box.

My mother always makes me bring my lunch.

I was running so fast to get away from the lumberjack brothers that I didn’t even notice that I had dropped it.

“Thank you, ……. Thanks for going to the trouble of picking it up.”

“You’re welcome!”

I took the lunch box from the girl and put it in a cloth bag around my waist.

Then I immediately turned to leave in front of the girl…….

“What are you always doing in the forest, big brother?”

She asked me a question as if she could stall me.

The wounds I received from the lumberjack brothers have not yet healed, so I would like to go home and recuperate as soon as possible.

I couldn’t just ignore the naive girl’s question and leave.

I suppressed my depression for the time being and gave a bland answer.

“It’s my job. I slay monsters that appear around here.”

“He~e, I see!”

It’s really distressing.

The truth is that I haven’t earned a single penny.

I’m still an unemployed person, being taken care of by my mother while I continue my training.

I probably should have answered honestly, but some kind of strange pride got in the way.

It wasn’t a payback, but it was a good opportunity for me to ask the girl something I had been wondering about.

“By the way, what are you doing here? I often see you around here.”

The girl blooms a dazzling smile.

“I’m playing hide-and-seek with my friends! They can’t find me on this side! I haven’t told anyone else!”

“Oh, I see.”

That’s because there’s Treant over here and it’s dangerous, so the kids are told to stay away.

Now that I understand why she is here, like a big brother I will give her a reminder.

“It’s a little dangerous over here, so I think you should play a little closer to the village. It’s pretty easy to hide and hard to find in the back of the village chief Beril’s house.”

“Oh, I see! I’ll do that then!”

The girl smiled again, waved her hand, and left.

I used to play hide-and-seek with other kids my age when I was little.

Though I was only invited to play to make up the numbers.

Back then, everything was so fresh and everything I saw was so new and beautiful.

I dreamed of being an adventurer with my childhood friends, and we often played games together.

I’m sure I must have had the same radiant smile as that girl back then.

Now, I am a sad, worn-out person who sighs and is hopeless about the future.

“……”

……I wonder what.

It’s kind of frustrating to leave here so reluctantly.

I feel like if I were to leave at this point, I would be denying myself even the memories of my childhood.

At the time, I was certain of my desire to become an adventurer.

Seeing the girl’s innocent smile made me remember some of the passion I had back then.

More importantly, I don’t want to be insulted by the lumberjack brothers…….

“I think I should try to do this a little bit more.”

I turned my attention back to the forest and drew the rusted sword that hung on my back.

Then, I run deeper into the forest to find Treant.

It may be pointless. I may not have the aptitude.

But everything’s a [Trial]!

That’s what I told myself, and that day I continued to hunt Treant until the sun went down.

—

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The road on the way home was dimly lit.

I hurried on my way home, reflecting on my performance today.

Five Treant in total.

Even though I stayed until sundown, the number of kills was quite small.

In the end, there were only two that I was able to defeat after I parted ways with the girl.

I felt like there wasn’t much trace of Treant today.

And the Whispering Forest is too quiet, which makes me feel a bit nervous.

Well, maybe it’s just my imagination.

I thought to myself as I walked quickly towards the exit of the forest.

My mom will scold me if I’m staying too late, so I’ll go home as early as possible.

And that’s when–

“Kyaaaaaa!”

“What the!?”

Suddenly, a girl’s scream echoed through the forest.

This is the voice of the girl from earlier!

Why didn’t she go back to the village yet? I mean, I told her to stay away from the forest because it was dangerous.

I don’t care about that right now! That scream I just heard, something must have happened to that girl!

I immediately started to run in the direction of the voice.

I ran through the thick woods until eventually, a large clearing came into view.

There was the girl from earlier and an unknown figure standing over her, trapping her.

“That’s….”

A human being, but not just any human being.

The body is human itself, but there are some monster-like features here and there.

Dark hair that stands on end like a wolf’s. Sharp eyes that instill awe with just a glance. Vicious fangs and claws.

A werewolf, I suppose you could call it.

And in his right hand, he holds a jagged jet-black greatsword.

“Ma, Majin…!”

A Majin.

A higher-ranking monster that possesses intelligence.

They are extremely belligerent, cunning, and have a strong preference for killing people.

Rumor has it that if a monster is able to survive for twelve years, the gods will give him a “Sacred Weapon”.

But not from the gods who watch over us humans, but from the “Evil Gods” who harbor an evil heart.

Probably that black big sword.

I’ve heard that the demons were blessed by the evil gods to give them those horrible “Sacred Weapon” so that they could attack people with them.

How such a Majin ended up in a place like this made no sense to me at all.

No, now is not the time to worry about that. I have to help that girl somehow…….

Just then, someone came from behind me.

“Oh, is that a Majin?”

“You’re kidding, right? why is it near such a rural village …”

It was those lumberjack brothers I saw around noon.

They must have been working in the forest until this time.

Then they heard the girl’s voice and came here.

Then they heard the girl’s voice and came here.

The two young men, however, were clearly terrified of the vicious Majin that stood before the girl.

His hands trembled as he held the sacred weapon, his face contorted with fear.

Perhaps that was why the young men immediately tried to turn on their heels.

Immediately, I grabbed the young man by the sleeve.

“Wait, where are you going?”

“What?　It’s obvious!　We’ve got to get out of here!　Can’t you see that Majin?”

…… I can certainly see the Majin, though.

“But we have to save the girl…….”

“This is no time to be talking like that! We’re no match for this thing! Our first priority is to call the village guards!”

One of the lumberjack brothers shouts, but I’m not convinced and keep grabbing his sleeve.

If we take our time, she’ll surely be killed.

Besides, isn’t the axe that the two of them are holding a sacred weapon to fight the monster?

It should have a much higher attack power than my [Rusted Sword].

Even if we can’t defeat it, we should at least be able to stall it.

If we confront that Makin right now, we might be able to save her.

“Just let me go!”

“Ah!”

I was forcibly jerked out of the way.

Then the lumberjack brothers disappear from the scene as if they were running away.

As the only one left behind, I couldn’t help but become absent-minded and look around for no reason.

“Hey, someone …….”

Somebody help her, please.

Somebody help that girl who is about to be attacked by a Majin.

If we don’t hurry, that girl is going to be killed by that demon.

Somebody …… Someone …… Anyone……

“Some…one…..”

There is no one!

I’m the only one who can help her!　Right now, I’m the only one who can help her!

What’s the use of having a sacred weapon in my right hand! How can I be an adventurer if I can’t fight at a time like this!

Don’t try to rely on anyone else!　The only thing you can rely on is yourself!

Even if it’s a [Rusted Sword], I can still fight!

What I need is not a strong sacred weapon!

Only the courage to face my fears!

“U, uwa ~a~a~a~a~a!!!”

I let out a pathetic cry as I charged at the Majin.