The Garbage Collector Who Stumbled Upon Mythical Weapons! - Chapter 18
“What!? This old man? What do you mean? I didn’t hear anything about this!!”
Clay furrowed his brows and glared at Van.
“Clay, let’s talk outside.”
Van said this and led Clay out of the guild hall.
“Sorry, Garm. I’ve visited Clay a few times while he was recovering, but I haven’t told him officially that you’re joining the party yet.”
Sophia sat down on the sofa in the room and explained to Garm apologetically.
“Is there some reason why it’s hard to tell him?”
“Well, yeah. We’ve all been childhood friends, but Clay has a particularly strong sense of camaraderie. I thought he might oppose it.”
“I see.”
“But… I’m sure he’ll understand… eventually!”
Amber also seemed to want Garm to stay.
Garm was happy about that, but whether Clay would accept him was another matter entirely.
—It’s true. If an old guy like me suddenly joined a party made by childhood friends, they’d probably hate it.
“I hope he accepts it…”
◇◇◇
Bam! A loud sound echoed. Passersby turned to look and saw a large man slamming his fist against the guild wall.
“What the hell, Van!?”
“Calm down, Clay.”
Van tried to keep the enraged Clay from losing his cool.
“At first, I only planned to have him help us once. I had no intention of working with him long-term.”
“Then why—”
“Because he’s exceptional! Without Garm, Sophia, Amber, and I would be dead. Not only that, but our recent success is also thanks to him.”
“Come on, aren’t you overestimating him? I heard he quit being an adventurer and worked as a garbage collector! There’s no way a guy like that is amazing!!”
As Clay leaned in angrily, Van let out a sigh.
“What’s wrong with you, Van? We’ve been together since we were kids. We always said we’d become the best adventurers together! And now, out of nowhere, you want to add some old guy to our team? Are you kidding me!?”
“Clay, my feelings haven’t changed. But adding Garm is already decided.”
“What!?”
“You’ll understand once you work with him. With Garm, we can aim for something we never thought possible—becoming A-rank adventurers. I truly believe that.”
“Hah!”
Clay took a step back and shook his head in disbelief.
“If he was really that amazing, he would’ve been A-rank a long time ago. Isn’t he 34 now? Doesn’t that seem weird to you!?”
“That is…”
“Anyway, I won’t accept this! If you insist on adding this old man, then I’m leaving Great Eagle! Are you really okay with that!?”
“……”
Van fell into deep thought. To Clay, this was a sudden decision—it was natural for him to resist.
Understanding this, Van made up his mind and spoke.
“Alright. Then at least work with Garm once. If, after that, you still think we don’t need him, we’ll reconsider his addition. How about that?”
“……Fine. That works for me.”
◇◇◇
“—And that’s why, Garm, you’ll be working with Clay.”
“’That’s why’? You’re just throwing me into this, Van.”
Garm, who had been waiting for them inside the guild, looked at Van with an exasperated expression.
“What? Are you scared, old man!?”
Snorting, Clay looked down at Garm.
—He doesn’t seem like he’ll ever accept me… Is this really going to be okay?
“Don’t worry, Garm! Once Clay gets to know you, he won’t have any complaints. Right, Amber?”
“Y-yeah… I think so too.”
“No, no, no.”
—Not just Van, but Sophia and Amber are taking this way too lightly. Do they really want me to join? Or do they just trust me that much?
“Well, either way, I can’t deny that this puts you at a disadvantage, Garm. So, you get to decide what kind of job you’ll take.”
“I get to choose the request?”
“Yeah. Clay agreed to that as well.”
When Garm looked over, he met Clay’s gaze. Arms crossed, Clay snorted and scratched his head.
“Relax! I won’t unfairly judge someone with real skills. So go ahead and pick a request you’re good at!”
With that, Clay plopped down onto the sofa with a sour look.
“Even if you say that…”
Garm walked up to the guild’s request board.
“I have to pick something I can definitely complete while also proving my ability. That makes this tricky.”
“Come on, Garm. Just do what you always do!”
“Y-yeah… Let’s do our best…”
“Easy for you to say when it’s not your problem.”
As Garm grumbled while scanning the board, one request caught his eye.
“This is…”
He took the request down, unfolded it, and read it carefully.
“What is it? What kind of request?”
Sophia and Amber peeked over his shoulder, full of curiosity. It was a raid mission meant for multiple adventurer groups.
――――――――――――――――
Emergency Recruitment: Monster Subjugation in the Northern Abaraid Mine
A large number of monsters have appeared deep in the tunnels of the Abaraid Mine, located northwest of here. The attack happened during mining operations, resulting in many casualties. The tunnels are currently sealed off.
However, due to the mine’s high output, Viscount Randel has urgently requested assistance for its reopening.
Requirements: Parties must be at least C-rank. Up to three groups will be accepted.
For details, please inquire at the reception desk.
――――――――――――――――
It was the perfect request to prove his ability.
As he finished reading, a slight grin formed on Garm’s lips.
—Right now, I’m still a low-rank adventurer. Being in a party would make it easier to rank up.