The Garbage Collector Who Stumbled Upon Mythical Weapons! - Chapter 17
In just a few minutes, Garm moved to the north side of the mountain and started searching for the Jewel Rabbit.
“Hmm? Is that Amber?”
Using “Search,” Garm noticed that Amber was about a kilometer ahead. He carefully took a detour and searched the area.
He ran up the mountain slope, passing through the dense trees.
As sunlight filtered through the leaves, he could sense the presence of animals living there.
Then—
“There it is!!”
He spotted the Jewel Rabbit hiding behind a large tree. He moved behind it quietly, closing the distance in an instant.
The rabbit noticed something was wrong and tried to leap away, but Garm was faster.
He grabbed the rabbit in midair with his right hand, dug his feet into the ground to brake, and came to a stop.
The ground was torn up, and dust rose into the air.
“Alright! Got it!”
Looking at the rabbit in his hand, he saw that it was frozen in shock.
“Don’t worry, I won’t eat you! I’ll take you back to your owner, so relax.”
Garm removed his helmet and happily made his way down the mountain.
◇◇◇
“The sun is about to set…”
Van, who had been searching for the Jewel Rabbit on the east side of the mountain, decided to end the search for the day.
He never expected to find it in just one day. He planned to narrow down the search area over several days.
He had told his team that whether they caught it or not, they should return to their meeting point before dark. So, he decided to head back as well.
After walking along the mountain path for about thirty minutes, he reached the base of the mountain where they had started.
The other three were already there.
“Hey, let’s call it a day and head back!”
When Van called out, the three turned to face him. That’s when he noticed that Sophia was holding something.
Long ears, white fur, and colorful jewels on its forehead.
“The Jewel Rabbit! Did you catch it, Sophia?!”
“Oh, Van. No, no, I didn’t catch it—Garm did.”
“Garm did!?”
Van rushed over in surprise.
“It’s definitely a Jewel Rabbit. Since it doesn’t belong in this area… it must be the lost pet.”
Garm stood proudly with a smirk.
“Wow, Garm… You really did it. Good job, Garm!”
“Well, yeah! For me, this was nothing!”
“At first, I thought you were just some old guy, but you’re actually pretty good at this!”
“I… I think so too.”
“Haha, see? You can praise me even more if you want!”
Van looked at Garm, who was laughing confidently, in disbelief.
—To think he found it in just one day.
“Garm, where did you find it?”
“Hmm? Oh, I was searching around when I happened to spot it behind a tree. I just snuck up from behind and caught it.”
“I see…”
Amber and Sophia were also playing with the cute Jewel Rabbit, gently poking its fluffy cheeks.
Van sighed in relief, glad they had completed the request.
“Alright! Let’s head back to the guild. Then we’ll have a celebration!”
“Oh, sounds good! That’s what I wanted to hear!”
Garm cheered, patting Van on the shoulder. Sophia and Amber made sure not to let the rabbit escape as they laughed and walked down the mountain.
Van smiled as he watched them.
—Ever since Garm joined, our work has been going smoothly. Maybe luck is finally on our side.
They returned from the mountain, reported the completed request at the guild, and then headed straight to the tavern.
They drank and partied late into the night. For Garm, who loved drinking, it was the best time ever.
◇◇◇
After that, “Great Eagle” continued taking on various requests.
Hunting goblins that attacked a farming village.
Gathering rare medicinal herbs.
Defeating a giant boar that destroyed crops.
Catching a pickpocket in town.
They succeeded in every task.
Even top-ranking parties only had a success rate of about 70%. But for a D-rank party, their achievements were almost unbelievable.
People in the guild started talking about them more and more.
And then—
The guild’s monthly evaluation day arrived.
“We did it!!”
A loud voice echoed through the guild hall.
A new ranking board had been put up in the guild, and the members of “Great Eagle” gathered around it.
Garm was especially excited.
“We ranked up from F to E! That was way faster than I expected!”
“I ranked up from D to C! Amber too!!”
“R-Really…? That’s great.”
Van also narrowed his eyes as he looked at the board.
“Finally… C rank.”
As the leader, Van had also been promoted from D to C.
This meant the party itself had moved up in rank, opening up new request opportunities.
“This is all thanks to Garm joining ‘Great Eagle.’”
“Yeah, before, things never went this smoothly.”
“I also… think it’s really good that Garm came.”
“Oh… Ohh.”
Getting praised by all three of them, Garm scratched his cheek, clearly embarrassed.
“Well, I mean… it’s not just because of me.”
Garm had never been praised or recognized like this before in his life. It made him feel strange, almost uncomfortable.
—Ever since I found those weapons and armor, my life has been getting better. Maybe I really can rise up as an adventurer with these guys.
As Garm was lost in thought—
“Hey! I’ve been looking for you guys!!”
A loud voice came from the guild entrance.
Garm turned around and saw a large man wearing steel armor and carrying a big shield on his back.
“Clay!”
When Van shouted his name, the man walked straight toward them.
“Clay, are you okay now?”
“Yeah! I’m back to full strength starting today!”
Van and Clay bumped fists, grinning at each other.
“Garm, let me introduce you. This is Clay, a member of ‘Great Eagle.’ He had been resting due to health issues.”
Clay stepped forward and looked down at Garm.
“I’ve heard about you. You covered for me while I was gone, right? Thanks, I appreciate it!”
Clay extended his right hand. Garm shook it firmly.
Feeling the strength in Clay’s grip, Garm thought he seemed pretty tough.
“Well, now that all of ‘Great Eagle’ is here, I’ll be the one taking the lead again! You can relax, old man!”
Clay spoke confidently, but Van called out from behind him.
“Hold on, Clay.”
“Huh? What is it, Van?”
“I plan to keep Garm in the party.”
Clay’s expression clearly darkened at those words.