Goblin Library - Chapter 117

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 117.

When the Dung Carrier Goblin looked at me with confusion, I explained how I’d received gold from the Bamboo Sword Goblin.
“It was small, but gold is gold.”
“You like gold? Can your older brother have some?”
At the Dung Carrier Goblin’s words, I laughed and shook my head.
“That’s alright.”
“Why? You said you like gold.”
“I haven’t done anything to deserve it, so taking it just because we’re acquainted feels wrong. Later, when I read your work and come up with good material for you, then—whoosh!—give me something big.”
“Your words…”
Knowing I wasn’t being sincere, the Dung Carrier Goblin laughed and approached the Han-kki Restaurant door.
“Hm? This must be today’s menu.”
I read the text written on the standing sign in front of the shop.

「Lunch.
Main Dishes
Pork Bean Sprout Kimchi Stew.
Squid and Beef Stir-fry—Choose your preferred ratio of squid to beef.—
Side Dishes
Pink sausage, squid strips in seasoned vinegar, cucumber pickle, kimchi, rolled egg omelet.
—We serve smaller portions to reduce food waste. Please ask for more if needed.—」

Looking at the main dishes and side dishes listed, I licked my lips and spoke.
“Let’s get two of your kimchi stews and one more squid and beef stir-fry.”
That would be three servings total. But when the two of us usually ate, we ordered like this.
Just like last time at the Chinese restaurant when we ordered two bowls of seafood noodle soup and one more bowl of black bean noodles.
Of course, it had to taste good, but as long as it did, the Dung Carrier Goblin ate like a mukbanger, consuming enormous amounts.
So there was never any leftover food, no matter how much we ordered.
“Let’s do that.”
Speaking, the Dung Carrier Goblin opened the shop door and went inside.
Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling.
A pleasant wind chime sound rang out, and I could see the ordinary restaurant interior.
The dining hall, with about nine tables arranged throughout, was neither particularly large nor small.
And one acrylic box placed on the counter caught my eye.
Text was written on the opaque acrylic box.

“You simply put in whatever amount of money you wish to pay after eating.
For change, you can take it from inside the box.
Only call the owner when you need to pay by card.”

Yu Tae-poong tilted his head at the words written on the acrylic box.
“So we’re supposed to put in the money ourselves?”
“Apparently so….”
“Is it like this at other Afterlife Restaurant locations too?”
“No, not at the others. They collect a fixed price.”
As the Dung Carrier Goblin spoke, Yu Tae-poong examined the sign with a puzzled expression, and a young man who appeared to be the owner approached with a smile.
“Welcome. Please sit wherever you’re comfortable.”
At the owner’s words, Yu Tae-poong looked around before choosing a nearby seat.
“You’re new faces. Is this your first time at our restaurant?”
“You seem to remember all your customers’ faces.”
“Most of our customers are office workers from this area.”
The owner smiled and pointed to a menu board hanging on one wall.
“Today’s specials are those two. Just order whichever you’d like.”
As the owner began to turn away to let them choose, Yu Tae-poong spoke.
“We’ve already decided. Two stews and one serving of braised pork, please.”
“Understood. Though our portions are quite generous—I think one dish per person would be plenty.”
“We eat quite a lot as well.”
At Yu Tae-poong’s words, the owner nodded with a smile and turned toward the kitchen.
“Two kimchi stews, braised pork….”
The owner paused briefly, then added with a chuckle.
“Make that one portion but serve it in two bowls.”
Then the owner retrieved a cold pitcher of water from the refrigerator and brought it over with small dishes.
Watching the owner, the Dung Carrier Goblin spoke.
“Is the previous owner dead?”
“Brother.”
It wasn’t strange to ask about someone’s life or death, but the manner was crude.
Normally in such cases, one would soften it by saying “What became of the previous owner?” or deflect with “Where did he go?” or “Is he ill?” instead.
At Yu Tae-poong’s point, the Dung Carrier Goblin glanced around and spoke.
“There are no other customers besides us….”
The Dung Carrier Goblin looked at the owner.
“And if you’re the owner of the Afterlife Restaurant, you wouldn’t be moved by someone’s death. You know that death isn’t an ending but a new beginning.”
At the Dung Carrier Goblin’s words, the owner looked at him with eyes full of confusion and surprise.
“You… know about our restaurant?”
“I do. So the previous owner is dead?”
“He passed away four years ago.”
“Four years… I see. The previous owner had a good character and did many good deeds, so he’ll live well in the Afterlife.”
Then the Dung Carrier Goblin glanced toward the kitchen.
“But whoever’s cooking in there feels like a ghost… Do you employ spirits as staff?”
At the Dung Carrier Goblin’s words, Yu Tae-poong turned to look at the kitchen with startled eyes.
“A ghost?”
“Yeah. There are a few spirits here. One in the kitchen, a couple over there.”
The Dung Carrier Goblin glanced once at the kitchen veiled by cloth, then shifted his gaze toward the entrance leading into it.
Two female spirits stood there, watching him with wide, astonished eyes.
The Dung Carrier Goblin smiled and raised his hand in greeting.
The Restaurant Owner, observing him, asked a question.
“You can see spirits?”
“Of course I can.”
Since goblins could naturally perceive spirits, the Dung Carrier Goblin answered as though it were obvious, and the Restaurant Owner turned to Yu Tae-poong and spoke.
“It seems you cannot see them?”
“He’s human, so he can’t.”
“Human?”
The Company President, who had been muttering in confusion, suddenly widened his eyes as understanding dawned.
“Then the guest is…?”
“Ah! I’m a goblin.”
“A! A goblin!”
The Restaurant Owner stumbled backward in shock.
At his reaction, the Dung Carrier Goblin’s eyes narrowed. Already acutely self-conscious about how others perceived him, he disliked seeing the Restaurant Owner retreat uncomfortably.
Sensing the Dung Carrier Goblin’s displeasure, Yu Tae-poong quickly interjected.
“You’ve never seen a goblin before. And… isn’t it natural to be skeptical?”
After all, when the Bamboo Sword Goblin had first revealed himself, I had doubted him and even suspected he was mad.
“But you believed right away, even though this is your first encounter with a goblin?”
At Yu Tae-poong’s words, the Restaurant Owner studied the Dung Carrier Goblin briefly before turning his gaze back to him.
“Well, I…”
The Restaurant Owner trailed off and turned the question back on him.
“But you believed when I said there were spirits, didn’t you?”
“That’s because I’ve been around goblins… Oh!”
Yu Tae-poong realized they were in the same situation. Both of them had grown accustomed to encountering Spirit Servants like goblins and spirits, so they naturally believed such claims from one another.
“Well, this is…”
The Restaurant Owner smiled and looked at the Dung Carrier Goblin.
“Though I run the Afterlife Restaurant, most of my guests are spirits or members of JS, so meeting a goblin is truly a first for me. I apologize for my surprise—please don’t take offense.”
He then extended his hand toward the Dung Carrier Goblin.
“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Lee Gang-jin, owner of Han-kki Restaurant.”
At Lee Gang-jin’s apology and greeting, the Dung Carrier Goblin regarded him with a reluctant expression before nodding and shaking his hand.
“I’m the Dung Carrier Goblin.”
“The Dung Carrier Goblin?”
Lee Gang-jin tilted his head, finding the name peculiar, and Yu Tae-poong laughed as he spoke.
“Goblins name themselves after the objects they’re born from.”
“Objects?”
“Things like these. A Table Goblin, a Spoon Goblin, a Chopstick Goblin—that sort of thing.”
As Yu Tae-poong pointed to the items on the table, Lee Gang-jin gazed at them with fascination before speaking.
“But… you said that one over there is a person, didn’t you?”
Yu Tae-poong nodded.
“Yes.”
Then, glancing toward the kitchen and the passage leading to it, he asked in a hushed voice.
“But… are there really ghosts here?”
“You don’t believe me?”
Lee Gang-jin spoke with a smile, and Yu Tae-poong replied.
“I do believe you. I work with Goblin brothers and sisters myself, after all.”
“You work with… Goblins?”
The Dung Carrier Goblin spoke flatly to a startled Lee Gang-jin.
“You’re working with a ghost right now.”
Then, turning to look beside him, he asked.
“You seem to be the one who cooks. Why are you out here instead of making food?”
Following the Dung Carrier Goblin’s gaze, Yu Tae-poong looked in that direction. There was… naturally nothing to be seen.
“There’s… a ghost next to you, hyung?”
“Yeah. But you’re a ghost yourself—how have you never seen a Goblin before? Really? Though I suppose when we take human form, we don’t look much different from people.”
The Dung Carrier Goblin was conversing with the ghost, but since I couldn’t hear what was being said, I felt somewhat frustrated.
However….
“Should I let you hear it?”
“Ah….”
Yu Tae-poong, who had hesitated for a moment, replied.
“This is my first time encountering a ghost….”
Then he bowed slightly toward where the ghost was.
“I’m not sure how to treat you properly. If I’ve offended you in any way, I sincerely apologize.”
The Dung Carrier Goblin looked at Yu Tae-poong.
“What are you apologizing for?”
It seemed Yu Tae-poong hadn’t done anything wrong, so why the apology? To this, Yu Tae-poong spoke softly.
“When you mentioned being a Goblin, Mister Gang-jin was startled, and you seemed upset about it.”
“Ah….”
“The ghosts here might also feel hurt if I’m uncomfortable calling them ghosts.”
The Dung Carrier Goblin nodded.
“That could be true.”
The Dung Carrier Goblin glanced at the ghosts, then spoke quietly to Yu Tae-poong.
“For now, I think it’s better if you don’t see the ghosts.”
“Why?”
Yu Tae-poong shifted his gaze toward where the ghosts were and spoke.
“I may only know about ghosts through dramas and movies, but… if they’re just people who have died, shouldn’t we simply treat them like ordinary people?”
Lee Gang-jin laughed at Yu Tae-poong’s words.
“That’s right. Even if they’re ghosts, there’s no reason to fear them more than living people.”
For those unfamiliar with what happens after death, it was easy to feel fear toward ghosts.
However, both Yu Tae-poong and Lee Gang-jin worked with the Spirit Servants, so they felt less discomfort about such things.
Of course, Yu Tae-poong had been startled by ghosts, and Lee Gang-jin had been startled by Goblins.
The Dung Carrier Goblin looked at Yu Tae-poong with a playful expression.
“Really? Then show me?”
Yu Tae-poong was about to nod absently when Lee Gang-jin hurriedly spoke up.
“That’s a bit….”
“Why?”
Seeing Yu Tae-poong’s puzzled expression, Lee Gang-jin glanced to the side and spoke.
“Our Yong-su… ah, our restaurant’s head chef, a friend named Bae Yong-su.”
“Nice to meet you, Yong-su.”
Yu Tae-poong spoke while looking in that direction and waited briefly for a response. But as expected, he couldn’t hear the ghost’s voice.
Seeing this, Lee Gang-jin laughed and relayed the message instead.
“He says it’s nice to meet you. And he also says that he thinks it might be difficult for you to see him right now.”
Seeing Yu Tae-poong’s confused expression, Lee Gang-jin explained the reason.
“Actually, I only saw ghosts directly after I started running this restaurant. Back then… I almost wet myself seeing Yong-su.”
“Wet yourself?”
Lee Gang-jin glanced toward where Bae Yong-su was before speaking.
“You know how in horror movies, a ghost’s face suddenly appears with a bang? That’s the kind of face you should imagine.”
At Lee Gang-jin’s words, Yu Tae-poong smiled faintly and spoke.
“Then… let’s save the face-to-face greeting for next time. If I get too startled, it would be rude.”
“Sure. Yong-su, go prepare the food.”
Lee Gang-jin, who had instructed the invisible Bae Yong-su to prepare the food, looked at Yu Tae-poong.
And Yu Tae-poong also looked at Lee Gang-jin. There was something special about two people connected to the other world meeting like this.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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