Goblin Library - Chapter 17

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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 17

Typhoon accepted the shoehorn and examined it curiously before asking.
“Is this also something like a tiger’s eyebrow?”
At Typhoon’s question, Bamboo Sword Goblin glanced at him and replied.
“Keep it with you. You’ll find a use for it eventually.”
Typhoon regarded him with a puzzled expression for a moment before tucking the shoehorn into his pocket. After all, there was no harm in heeding his advice.
“Go home. It’s getting late.”
At Bamboo Sword Goblin’s words, Typhoon glanced at his luxury wristwatch. Indeed, the workday had already ended.
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As Typhoon turned to leave, Bamboo Sword Goblin spoke.
“Don’t forget the book.”
“The book?”
“You need to know about Lim Sung-un before you meet him or speak with him. The book contains information about the places he frequents, so study it carefully.”
Typhoon gazed at the book, then spoke with concern.
“I’m worried that the book might get damaged or lost. That would be terrible.”
“Then be careful with it.”
At Bamboo Sword Goblin’s response, Typhoon hesitated briefly before picking up the book.
“Yes, I’ll read it with the utmost care.”
Typhoon picked up the book and retrieved the document bag he’d left beneath the counter.
It wasn’t much, but there were still several things he needed to carry to work, so he’d purchased one this time.
A portable battery, a wallet, and such. In truth, the primary reason was that during his job-seeking days, he’d watched office workers commuting with document bags and leather backpacks and thought how wonderful it would be to do the same.
In any case, Typhoon placed the book in his document bag and bowed.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
At Typhoon’s farewell, Bamboo Sword Goblin nodded.
Typhoon opened the Goblin Library door and stepped outside.
He paused at the entrance, lost in thought for a moment, then began walking.
“I should head to the Prosecutor’s Office first.”
Soon the prosecutors would be leaving for dinner. And Lim Sung-un always ate at the same place in the evening.

***

Lim Sung-un always had dinner at a baekban restaurant near the Prosecutor’s Office. The food was reliable, there was no need to choose from a menu, and the side dishes changed daily—making it the perfect establishment for someone as indifferent to menu selection as Lim Sung-un.
Of course, there was one other reason as well.

Imo’s Baekban Restaurant

Typhoon glanced at the restaurant’s sign, checked the time, and slipped quietly inside.
The interior was bustling with patrons—office workers like Lim Sung-un looking to grab a quick meal.
Typhoon scanned the crowd, searching for Lim Sung-un.
‘Lim Sung-un always sits where he can see the door… not here.’
He always chose a seat with a view of the entrance. Given how many enemies his character had accumulated, one could never predict when someone might make a move against him.
Scanning the main hall, Typhoon found no one matching Lim Sung-un’s description seated at a table facing the door.
So Typhoon quietly peered toward the private room.
Inside, a long dining table was set up with several patrons eating their meals.
In one corner, a handsome man with an athletic build—appearing to be in his mid-thirties—caught his eye.
Above the man’s head floated a nameplate.

「Lim Sung-un」

The protagonist of the novel Typhoon had read—Lim Sung-un himself. Typhoon smiled.
‘I thought he’d have a more imposing build, but he’s got that well-maintained look of a disciplined man in his thirties.’
In the novel, he was described as strong enough to take down multiple gangsters in one breath with impressive durability, so Typhoon had expected a larger frame. Instead, he maintained a physique that was simply pleasant to behold.
As Typhoon studied Lim Sung-un, his attention shifted to the nameplate. Then….
Whoosh!
A description materialized beneath the nameplate.

「Lim Sung-un.
The protagonist of Bamboo Sword Goblin’s novel 【Lim Sung-un】.
He lost his parents to a burglar who broke into his home. Driven by the resolve to prevent others from suffering as he did, he became a prosecutor who captures and imprisons criminals.
He defines crime as evil and delivers the law’s thorough judgment upon those who commit it.」

After reading the brief description of Lim Sung-un, Typhoon quietly took a seat at an empty spot at a nearby table.
This restaurant had an unusual system—if empty seats were available, patrons would automatically share tables.

「If there are empty seats, you must share a table. If no seats open up, you may not be seated together.」

Such a notice was plainly written at the entrance.
As Typhoon took his seat, small dishes of food were immediately placed before him on a tray.
The small bowls contained modest side dishes—a composition perfectly suited to a 6,000 won set meal.
Typhoon spooned up some bean sprout kimchi soup and took a taste, nodding in approval.
‘This is delicious.’
While there were no particularly outstanding dishes, all the side dishes tasted quite good. Moreover, the stir-fried fish cake wasn’t cold and stale like at other restaurants—it was warm and tender, as if freshly made.
‘Come to think of it, the book mentioned they make fresh side dishes here frequently.’
The side dishes that tasted best when warm and freshly prepared were made and served once every hour.
With that thought in mind, I began eating, savoring the side dishes and the main course of braised pork.
‘This place is a hidden gem. If it were closer to home, I’d come here often.’
While I was absorbed in my meal, relishing the taste of the meat, I noticed Lim Sung-un rising from his seat.
At that sight, I hastily shoved the remaining braised pork into my mouth. Since my purpose wasn’t merely to eat, I needed to follow Lim Sung-un quickly, but as a self-sufficient student, I couldn’t leave the meat behind.
After stuffing all the braised pork into my mouth, I drank some water and stood up.
I hurried to follow Lim Sung-un out of the restaurant, but I noticed he hadn’t yet left the shop—he was looking around, searching for something.
From the way he was halfway through putting on his shoes, it seemed he was looking for a shoehorn. That’s when the shoehorn Bamboo Sword Goblin had given me came to mind.
‘So that’s it….’
Realizing that ‘Bamboo Sword Goblin gave me the shoehorn for this reason,’ I found my own shoes, put them on, and offered the shoehorn to Lim Sung-un.
“Please use this.”
At my words, Lim Sung-un glanced at me once before speaking.
“Thank you.”
Lim Sung-un bowed his head and used the shoehorn I’d offered to adjust the heel of his shoe.
After using the bamboo shoehorn—small but perfectly functional—Lim Sung-un handed it back to me.
“Usually there’s a shoehorn hanging here, but someone must have moved it elsewhere. Thank you for letting me use it.”
“It’s nothing, really.”
I accepted the shoehorn and put it in my pocket.
Lim Sung-un bowed once more, then took a coffee from the vending machine at the shop entrance and stepped outside.
I also bought a coffee.
‘Smoking a cigarette while drinking coffee is Lim Sung-un’s pleasure.’
So he would still be outside by the time I got my coffee and left.
Stepping out of the shop with my coffee, I could see Lim Sung-un standing to one side, smoking a cigarette while drinking his coffee.
Slurp.
Sipping the vending machine coffee, I quietly approached Lim Sung-un’s side.
‘Hmm… I’ve broken the ice with the shoehorn, but how should I approach him?’
As I was thinking this, Lim Sung-un spoke.
“Who sent you?”
Startled, I looked at him, unsure what he meant. Lim Sung-un wasn’t looking at me, yet I felt an overwhelming pressure that made it hard to take even a step. And was he speaking informally?
“Pardon?”
Lim Sung-un asked in a dry voice.
“Whose errand are you running?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Lim Sung-un opened his mouth without even glancing at Typhoon in response to the question.
“I saw you when you came in to eat. You glanced over a few more times. And when I left, you hurriedly finished your meal and followed me out. But you didn’t leave any of the spicy braised pork—you ate it all. And you did it in a rush just to keep up with me. That’s too strange.”
“Ah….”
‘That’s right. Lim Sung-un was sitting facing the door to see who would come in…. He’s figured me out.’
Typhoon, having grasped why Lim Sung-un was acting this way, let out a sigh.
“So who sent you?”
At Lim Sung-un’s words, Typhoon took a moment to collect his thoughts before speaking.
“You seem quite certain that I followed you.”
“If I’m wrong, I’ll apologize. But… you did follow me.”
Then Lim Sung-un looked Typhoon up and down.
“And since you don’t seem like the type to throw punches, you must have come here to say something. Say it.”
At Lim Sung-un’s words, Typhoon bit his lip. He didn’t like how openly suspicious Lim Sung-un was being without even confirming anything first.
Of course… it was the truth, and his deduction was sharp, but still.
‘There’s nothing to say since he’s right and it’s the truth.’
Typhoon, who had been watching Lim Sung-un for a moment, nodded. He wondered if there was any need to complicate things by going around in circles.
“There are people trying to kill you.”
At Typhoon’s words, Lim Sung-un chuckled.
“As if there’s just one or two people trying to kill me. Tell them to draw a number.”
Lim Sung-un stubbed out his cigarette in a paper cup and tossed it into the trash.
“If you’re going to threaten someone, at least send someone with a proper face.”
Lim Sung-un shook his head as if amused, then looked away from Typhoon.
“Since you’re cute, I’ll let it slide this time.”
He seemed to think it was merely a simple threat. Typhoon looked directly at him and spoke.
“Rat face, horse mouth.”
“What?”
As Lim Sung-un turned back to look at me, Typhoon continued.
“If you see two men who look like that, run.”
Then Typhoon turned away from Lim Sung-un. Since he couldn’t get too involved in this situation, he felt he’d already told him what he needed to know.
Lim Sung-un called out to Typhoon, who was walking away with his back turned.
“Who sent you?”
Typhoon, who had paused briefly in his steps, answered.
“Consider it luck for today.”
As Typhoon resumed walking and disappeared into the alley, Lim Sung-un, who had been staring in the direction where he had been, squinted his eyes.
“If today is luck… then next time could be misfortune?”
Lim Sung-un glanced up slightly and looked at the building near the alley.
A small CCTV was installed there. One of the reasons Lim Sung-un frequently came to this restaurant was precisely because of that CCTV.
Knowing that there were many criminals targeting him, Lim Sung-un kept his daily movements as simple as possible.
By doing so, it was easy to spot and monitor those who were targeting him, following him, or showing suspicious behavior.
Looking at the CCTV, Lim Sung-un pointed with his finger to where Typhoon had been standing.
Then a text message came to Lim Sung-un’s phone.

“Understood.”

Lim Sung-un nodded after reading the message.
No matter how skilled a prosecutor Lim Sung-un was, there were limits to what one person could accomplish alone in gathering, analyzing, and tracking criminal information.
Since these methods were illegal, he couldn’t rely on the resources of law enforcement either.
That’s why Lim Sung-un had assembled people to assist me. They became his eyes, hands, and feet—gathering intelligence and apprehending criminals.

***

Even after warning Lim Sung-un, Typhoon continued working at the Goblin Library as usual.
The work was always the same: cleaning and reading books. And lately, I’d been devouring more writings from people knowledgeable about coffee.
Though Typhoon typically only drank iced Americanos, actually brewing coffee myself had revealed its wonderful aroma, sparking a desire to learn more.
Whoosh.
The piece I was reading now came from someone whose profession involved importing coffee.
‘Coffee characteristics vary so dramatically depending on the country.’
Typhoon jotted down the distinctive qualities of beans from different nations in my notebook.
While taking notes, I closed the book as Bamboo Sword Goblin entered the library.
“Welcome.”
Bamboo Sword Goblin nodded at my greeting and spoke.
“From now on, you’ll be working at the Bookstore.”
“The Bookstore?”
Bamboo Sword Goblin pointed downward with his hand.
“The Bookstore.”
“Ah!”
Understanding what he meant, I glanced toward the door.
“Is there something specific you need me to do?”
“New books should have arrived. Just organize them.”
Though it was odd to suddenly be assigned to the Bookstore, I didn’t ask further questions.
‘If the boss says so, I’ll do it.’
With that, I turned to leave the library but paused to look at Bamboo Sword Goblin.
“Do I just open the door and go in?”
Bamboo Sword Goblin nodded, so I exited the library and closed the door.
Then I opened it again.
Click!
Before me appeared the Goblin Library Bookstore—a place I’d never entered before.
‘So this is the Bookstore.’
Having only ever visited the Goblin Library itself, I looked around the interior.
Boxes containing what appeared to be newly arrived books sat on the floor of a modest neighborhood bookstore-sized space.
I began unpacking the boxes and removing the books.
Click!
Typhoon turned his head at the sound of the door opening, his attention drawn away from the books he’d been examining.
Gasp!
Surprise flickered across Typhoon’s face.
‘Lim Sung-un?’
The person who had opened the door and entered was Lim Sung-un.

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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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