The Garbage Collector Who Stumbled Upon Mythical Weapons! - Chapter 37
“But… with your level…”
Kaus looked troubled as Sophia pressed forward, pleading with him.
“I’ve learned the basics of dispel magic! I just want to help, even a little. Please, let me do this!”
Sophia’s intense gaze left Kaus speechless. In the end, he allowed her to use dispel magic for treatment.
They knew it was a long shot, but there was no other way.
“She’s really fired up… This isn’t like the usual Sophia.”
Garm was overwhelmed by the determination on Sophia’s face. Van nodded in agreement, and the two left the tent.
“Sophia lost her parents to an epidemic. That’s probably why her desire to save lives is stronger than anyone else’s.”
“I see…”
“She originally wanted to become a doctor for the Cleric Association. I had to convince her to join our party instead.”
“You were that persistent in recruiting her? Was Sophia that famous?”
“In the village she lived in, yes. She could use high-level healing magic in her early teens and was a genius in academics too. When she arrived at the monastery in Rayford, people were already talking about her. I met her several times before finally convincing her to become an adventurer.”
“Wow… I had no idea.”
Garm walked through the campsite, watching the sun set. He was impressed. Usually, Sophia acted childish whenever they argued, but when she was treating the wounded, she looked dignified and cool.
“Still… we really can’t do anything right now. All we can do is watch.”
Garm was wearing his usual gauntlets and leg armor. The gauntlets had the ability to heal wounds, but he couldn’t use them openly.
Besides, even with his gauntlets, he couldn’t dispel a curse.
Garm and Van headed back to the tent where Clay and Amber were stationed, ready to take turns keeping watch. Just then—
A flash of light streaked across the night sky. A distant explosion followed. Soldiers’ voices filled the air in a frenzy.
Garm had no idea what was happening, but everyone rushed out of the tents to look around. The western sky, swallowed by darkness, glowed red.
“Is that… fire?”
As Garm hesitated—
“Let’s go!!”
Van sprinted towards the burning tents. Clay and Amber followed, and Garm ran after them.
As they neared the source of the fire, they saw a tent and its surroundings engulfed in flames.
“What happened!? Is it an enemy attack?!”
Van questioned a nearby Port Grand soldier, but the young soldier trembled violently, unable to answer.
“Everyone, stay alert! The enemy is close!!”
Garm and Clay scanned the area. If they didn’t protect the tent, not only the wounded but also the clerics treating them would be killed.
Garm instinctively looked up at the night sky and noticed something.
A break in the clouds. The moonlight illuminated figures floating in the air. Black wings, black clothing, silver hair flowing in the wind—three humanoid figures. No, not humans—
“Demons…?”
Garm’s words made Van and Clay gasp. They had heard the rumors, but this was the first time any of them had seen one. Their pale skin and blue eyes looked almost human.
“If they’re demons, then we have no choice!”
Garm drew his sword. Van, Clay, and Amber also readied their weapons, glaring up at the sky.
Tension filled the air as the demons slowly descended—
“Do not engage!”
A deep voice boomed from behind. Garm turned around to see Ike, the general in charge of security for the Allied Forces.
“We’ll handle them. You focus on evacuating the wounded!”
Ike, accompanied by allied officers, locked eyes with the demons as they landed. Seeing the standoff, Garm hesitated, unsure of what to do.
“Let’s leave this to them!”
In the heavy silence, Van spoke up. He quickly entered the tent, moving to carry out any wounded who couldn’t escape on their own.
“Van, are you sure?! You’re not going to fight?!”
Garm followed Van into the tent, but he couldn’t help but keep glancing outside.
“It’s fine. The Allied generals are the best of the best, gathered from all nations. They also have more experience fighting the Demon Lord’s army than we do.”
“I mean, that’s true, but…”
—Honestly, I’m probably stronger than the general. But stepping in when I haven’t been ordered to would be reckless.
Following Ike’s instructions, Garm focused on helping evacuate the wounded.
They carried the injured out of the burning tents to safety. Loud crashes and explosions echoed from behind, but Garm didn’t turn around.
He put all his effort into what he needed to do.
Van and Clay carried the wounded, while Amber used water magic to put out the spreading flames.
Even as soldiers ran around in chaos, Sophia remained completely focused on dispelling the curse. Her patients couldn’t be moved, no matter what.
After finishing the evacuation, Garm and the others stood guard around Sophia, who couldn’t leave her post.
“Come on, General, don’t mess this up!”
Clay muttered as he glared at the western sky outside the tent. Explosions and shockwaves filled the air. The battle between the demons and General Ike was intensifying.
“Even from this distance, we can feel the impact.”
Garm placed a hand on the sword at his waist. If the demons attacked them, he was confident he could fend them off.
But that would mean the general and the allied soldiers had already been defeated.
—Please, let this end without me having to fight.
Unease and impatience. Tension and excitement. The night deepened, with no one able to sleep.