The Garbage Collector Who Stumbled Upon Mythical Weapons! - Chapter 10
Garm and his group were heading to Chamber, a trading city located in the southwestern part of the Kingdom of Britend.
The carriage traveled along a road surrounded by rural scenery, passing through mountain valleys.
Since it took a full two days from the city of Rayford, they decided to stop at a village along the highway before sunset and stay there for the night.
“I’ll go to the inn and handle the check-in. I’ll also reserve a room for all of you, so take turns resting.”
With that, Mattio got off the carriage and walked toward the inn.
“What do you mean by taking turns?”
Garm asked as he stretched after stepping off the carriage. Van, looking exasperated, answered.
“What are you talking about? We have to guard the cargo, so we need to take turns keeping watch at night.”
“Oh, I see… Well, that makes sense.”
Garm nodded, realizing it was only natural.
“We should arrive at our destination by tomorrow night, so we only need to keep watch tonight. First, you and Amber will take the first shift outside.”
“With Amber, huh…”
“Meanwhile, Sophia and I will take a nap, and at 3 AM, we’ll switch.”
Saying that, Van headed toward the inn with Sophia. The surroundings darkened, and lights began to flicker on in the village houses.
It was a small village with only about a dozen homes.
Despite that, the inn was quite large. Garm figured it was likely because of the steady flow of travelers along the highway.
Amber, looking nervous, said, “P-please take care of me…” so Garm responded with a cheerful “Sure!” and began preparing for the watch.
As the night grew colder, they borrowed firewood and tinder from the inn and started a fire near the carriage.
They also borrowed a small wooden box to use as a chair while warming themselves by the fire.
Amber sat across from Garm, looking restless and staring silently at the flames.
“But keeping watch over the carriage like this is tough. If we go inside the inn or the carriage, we can’t see the whole area, so we have no choice but to stay out here.”
“Y-yes, that’s true…”
“Well, at least it’s not raining—that’s something to be thankful for.”
“…Yes.”
The conversation with Amber wasn’t going well, making Garm anxious.
—This is bad… Sitting in silence for hours is mentally exhausting.
Trying to break the ice, Garm decided to ask about Amber.
“Oh, so you graduated from the Royal Magic Academy! That’s impressive, Amber. You must be a real elite.”
“N-no… I’m really nothing special…”
“Man, I’m jealous. People with talent have it good… Meanwhile, I’ve got no talent at all, and I’m still just drifting through life at my age.”
“T-that’s… I don’t think that’s true…”
Garm noticed Amber’s voice trailing off, but he decided not to dwell on it.
Then, as if gathering courage, Amber spoke up.
“U-um, Garm… Why did you become an adventurer?”
“Huh? Me?”
The flickering firelight cast shadows on their faces.
“Isn’t it obvious? I became an adventurer to rise through the ranks, make tons of money, become famous, get admired, and be popular with women.”
“I-I see…”
“Isn’t that why everyone does it? What about you, Amber?”
“I… I admired Grand Mage Alicia… I wanted to help people…”
Alicia was an A-rank adventurer who graduated from the Royal Magic Academy. She was known for her charity work and was widely respected.
“Oh, one of those types, huh? The adventurer I look up to is Runeos! He discovered an enormous treasure hoard and married ten stunningly beautiful women—now that’s a true hero!”
Garm spoke excitedly, while Amber looked at him with a blank, unimpressed stare.
As the two of them continued their mismatched conversation, the flames of the campfire suddenly flickered.
What’s that? Garm wondered—then he felt a blade against his neck.
“Oh dear, sorry to interrupt your fun chat.”
“Huh?”
A woman stood beside Garm. She had black hair and wore black clothes. He had no idea when she had gotten so close.
With a swift motion, she swung her sword—bl00d spurted from Garm’s neck.
“Agh—!”
Clutching his throat and groaning, Garm collapsed onto the ground.
“Kyahhh—!?”
Amber let out a scream, but the woman quickly covered her mouth.
“Now, now, you mustn’t make noise. I still have to go inside and kill everyone in the inn.”
“Mmmph!?”
Amber looked down—there was a sword sticking into her stomach. The blade was shorter than a standard sword, its black surface gleaming.
The woman twisted the sword slightly, as if savoring the moment, before slowly pulling it out.
Amber’s body lost strength, and she collapsed onto the ground. She convulsed, unable to even scream. The woman in black crouched beside her, watching with fascination.
“Mmm, that’s a great expression. I love seeing people die in despair. I’d love to watch you longer, but I don’t have time.”
She stood up, sounding regretful.
“Take your time and savor your ‘death.’ Hehe.”
With that, the woman in black walked away. Terror filled Amber’s body, leaving her unable to move a single finger. In the corner of her vision, she saw Garm lying motionless.
—I don’t… want to die… Not here…
Her vision blurred, and only despair filled her mind.
All she could feel was the slow fading of her life.
◇◇◇
Van, on the verge of dozing off, suddenly opened his eyes.
He thought he heard something. He got out of bed, picked up his sword, and called out to Sophia, who was sleeping in the next bed.
“Hmm? What, are you sneaking into my bed?”
Sophia, half-asleep and drooling, muttered drowsily.
Ignoring her, Van spoke in a serious tone.
“Something’s not right… Get ready. We’re leaving.”
Seeing his serious expression, Sophia immediately shook off her sleepiness. She got out of bed, grabbed her staff, and followed Van.
Van opened the door and cautiously peeked outside.
Their room was on the second floor, at the corner of the inn. The hallway was dark and eerily silent.
—Too quiet… The people from the Bonal Trading Company should be staying on this floor, but there’s no sign of them at all.
Even if they were asleep, Van should have been able to sense their presence. Something was clearly wrong. He stepped out into the hallway.
Sophia followed him—
“Oh, too bad. You’re already awake.”
A voice suddenly spoke. Startled, Van and Sophia turned around.
A woman in black stood there.
—When did she get this close!?
Van reached for his sword—but before he could react, the woman’s blade pierced his shoulder.
“Urgh!”
Staggering backward, Van gritted his teeth and raised his sword, pointing the tip at the woman.
“Oh my, how cute. This might actually be fun.”