"Their venomous bodily fluids can be used to concoct simple toxins, and their digestive glands serve as Magic Catalysts for the basic Magic, ’Acid Arrow.’ Their fat and oils are also common extraction solvents for many low-level Magic Potions, while their hides can be made into cheap waterproof materials to sell.
"Our team consists of an Alchemist, a Mage, and a Hunter. Although the materials and loot from Dung Eaters are quite cheap and won’t sell for much, they are exactly what we’ll need for our upcoming missions. This saves us the expense of buying them. It just so happens that they’ll be of great help to us in the future.
"In the end, we brought the largest Dung Eater back to the mission hall. The loot even helped us smoke out four-fifths of the people in the hall, allowing us to smoothly complete our team naming without having to wait in line..."
"The alliance’s Sewage Workers..." Talia let out a soft but distinctly disdainful sneer.
"...Apologies, I’ve made a fool of myself in front of you two monks who traveled so far," Randall sighed, not angered in the least, for it was the truth.
Under the absolute suppression of their true strength, his meager abilities were nothing worth mentioning.
He thought, "I knew Warrior Knights of this caliber would completely look down on our Garbage Beast team... What were Uncle Robin and Uncle Carlisle thinking?"
"No, no, no! I think you guys did great! Talan, d-don’t spout nonsense and dampen their enthusiasm!" Samael shoved Talia aside and pressed his icy Hand Armor onto Randall’s shoulder. "Brother Randall, you did very well. This is how smart people operate. Your team name is great, too!"
The freezing temperature of the armor made Randall shiver.
"R-really?" Randall asked instinctively. "What’s great about it?"
Randall stared at Samael, and Samael stared right back.
"I... uh, well," Samael stammered. "I, um, I love eating garbage the most..."
A heavy silence fell before Samael quickly recovered. "What I mean is, scavengers play an irreplaceable and vital role in this world. Someone has to do the dirty work that no one else wants to do, right?" Samael patted Randall’s shoulder. "Brother Randall, don’t be embarrassed by your team name. It shows that you’re practical, clear-headed, and have a solid understanding of your own capabilities."
He turned his head to look at Talia.
"Let’s... just roll with this team for now, how about it?" he asked, seeking her opinion. "I think they’re pretty good."
"They’re pathetically weak. If we actually have to get things done, they’ll be a massive burden. We’ll even have to spare the effort to protect them." Talia scoffed. "And that name... Aren’t you afraid of being a laughingstock if you say it out loud? You’re a Knight in the ’Garbage Beasts of Luojie City’ team?"
"We... we can change our name," Randall hurriedly explained, seeing a glimmer of hope. "If a rookie team has been established for over a year and completed over three hundred missions, they can change their name once the conditions are met—we only need a dozen or so more missions to qualify!
"Many famous adventurer teams today used to have weird names in the past. For example, the level-six senior, ’Wind Sword’ Norman’s team, ’Stormbringer,’ was originally called the ’Mottled Beaked Dogs of Luojie City.’
"When we discussed our team name back then, we felt that the most important things were distinctiveness, visibility, and prestige. For a rookie team, prestige isn’t important; only distinctiveness and visibility matter.
"Although a name like Garbage Beast doesn’t sound great, it’s very unique. It truly helped many mission clients remember us, and they were left with a deeper impression because of the quality and speed of our work. When future opportunities arose, they would sometimes issue fixed commissions, specifically requesting us."
"Come on, Talan. Let’s go with this team," Samael said. "It’s a really good team. I quite like them."
He threw an arm around Randall’s shoulder, signaling that he was standing on Randall’s side.
"Your taste is truly..." Talia sighed. "Fine."
"Thank you for your trust, Monks," Randall breathed a sigh of relief, feeling his heart pounding in his chest.
These two powerful Knights were acknowledged even by the experienced, sharp-eyed, and picky Guard. If the two of them were truly willing to join the team... and even stay long-term, perhaps in the future, the Garbage Beasts could become the cream of the crop among adventurers, just like Senior Norman’s Stormbringer.
"Is this your first time in Luojie City?" Randall asked as he led the way.
"Yes, Talan and I have hardly ever left the Monastery before. You can just treat us like isolated savages," Samael replied cheerfully. "Thanks, Brother Randall."
CLANK. Talia slammed her shoulder armor heavily against Samael’s, producing a muffled metallic crash.
"Then... let me give you a brief introduction. This is Luojie City, a mid-sized Alliance stronghold on the edge of the Kana Plain in the northwestern part of the continent," Randall introduced.
"Over here is the market where adventurers sell all sorts of loot and materials after their missions. Of course, if you see something you like while browsing, you can buy it too, but the vendors mark up the prices. The selling price is much higher than their buying price...
"This street is basically all adventurer barracks. Once you register your identity, you can choose your own lodging, but you have to pay. Different tiers have different prices...
"The streets near the barracks are full of vendors selling mission supplies, daily necessities, and food and drinks... And this street over here consists entirely of Magic Potion and equipment shops. If you need gear or Magic Potions, you can buy them here...
"Proper new equipment is quite expensive, so some strapped-for-cash adventurers will try their luck at the loot market. The loot market buys and resells second-hand equipment scavenged from corpses in the Barren Land by other adventurers. Those who don’t mind worn-out second-hand goods and Relics of the dead often go take a look. After all, the buyers aren’t always good appraisers, so you can sometimes stumble upon good stuff being sold for cheap..."