Goblin Library - Chapter 21

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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 21

In the car, Yu Tae-poong extended a teacup to the Dung Carrier Goblin.
Clink!
Whoosh!
As I slid the teacup forward, I spoke.
“Please, try this. It’s chrysanthemum tea.”
When I offered the chrysanthemum tea in a glass, the Dung Carrier Goblin smiled brightly and gazed at it.
“The chrysanthemum flowers have bloomed right in the cup.”
Just as the Dung Carrier Goblin said, chrysanthemum flowers were indeed blooming inside the glass, floating and swaying gently in the pale golden liquid—a truly beautiful sight.
“It has a wonderful fragrance and taste, but it’s lovely to look at as well.”
I smiled, took a sip of the chrysanthemum tea, and nodded. The Dung Carrier Goblin then caught the aroma and drank from the cup.
Watching the Dung Carrier Goblin savor the tea, I asked gently.
“By the way, do you always wear that same outfit?”
At my words, the Dung Carrier Goblin looked down at their hanbok and scratched their head.
“It’s a bit old-fashioned, isn’t it?”
“That’s not what I meant… It’s just that the other goblins I’ve met all wear trendy luxury suits.”
Of course, the other goblins I’d encountered were really just the Bamboo Sword Goblin and the Pot Goblin.
“I don’t care for that sort of thing. I prefer what’s comfortable like this.”
The Dung Carrier Goblin lifted the hem of their hanbok slightly as they continued.
“Goblins lack unity.”
“Unity?”
“Well… Tae-poong, my younger brother.”
The Dung Carrier Goblin looked at me.
“May I call you that?”
“Of course. You must be far older than me.”
“That’s right, that’s right. I am quite old.”
The Dung Carrier Goblin brightened and nodded. I smiled inwardly at the sight.
The Dung Carrier Goblin had a very timid personality and lacked confidence. And one more thing—they were the type to treat others well if those others treated them well.
Not overtly kind, but willing to help when needed.
In any case, the Dung Carrier Goblin continued speaking with a smile and nod.
“Since each goblin likes different things, they all dress differently. You’ve probably met the Pot Goblin before, and you know the Bamboo Sword Goblin is the owner here… Have you never met any other goblins?”
“Dung Carrier Goblin…”
The Dung Carrier Goblin raised a hand to stop me and spoke.
“What’s with the formality? Since I said to call me older brother, that’s what you should call me.”
“Is that really alright?”
“Of course it is.”
After a moment’s hesitation at the Dung Carrier Goblin’s words, I made up my mind.
‘I’ve entered the world of goblins—creating one more goblin brother shouldn’t be difficult at all.’
“I’ve met three of you, including my brother. Oh, and I’ve only heard Da-hyang Goblin’s voice.”
At Tae-poong’s words, Dung Carrier Goblin nodded and spoke.
“Ah! If you happen to meet Da-hyang Goblin, don’t spray any perfume on her.”
“Perfume?”
“Da-hyang Goblin hates artificial fragrances. She’d much prefer natural scents like cypress wood aroma.”
“Ah, I see. I’ll remember that.”
“Anyway… Bamboo Sword Goblin is sensitive to luxury brands and trends. And Pot Goblin likes luxury items too, but she’s fond of red tones. As for me, I prefer this comfortable style. Goblins each have their own preferred fashion sense like this.”
“Is that also related to their origins?”
“That’s right.”
At Dung Carrier Goblin’s words, Tae-poong nodded.
Then, remembering something he’d been curious about since last time, he decided to ask now.
“But what exactly is the bamboo sword that Bamboo Sword Goblin was born from?”
He had a rough idea, but wanted to understand it better. If a goblin’s personality and characteristics were determined by their origins, then understanding what a bamboo sword was would lead to understanding his boss better.
“There are several types of bamboo swords. Some are made entirely of bamboo, including the blade, and some are used for rituals or food preparation. Bamboo Sword Goblin’s bamboo sword was a self-defense sword used by scholars traveling abroad.”
“Scholars used swords?”
“If you watch historical dramas, there are plenty of scholars who are skilled with swords.”
Then Dung Carrier Goblin gazed into the empty air for a moment before speaking.
“People commonly think that Joseon scholars only read Confucius and Mencius at home, but usually they also cultivated martial arts to some degree.”
“I see.”
“Anyway, if you watch historical dramas, you’ve seen people carrying bamboo staffs, right?”
“Yes. Ah! So that’s a bamboo sword?”
“There are real bamboo staffs, but some of them had blades attached for self-defense—those were bamboo swords.”
Tae-poong, who had been nodding at Dung Carrier Goblin’s words, asked.
“But why did they carry bamboo swords? If they were scholars, it seems like they could carry proper swords instead.”
If they were scholars, they’d be nobility, and if they were nobility, they’d have money—so it seemed they could afford proper swords.
“Swords intimidate people.”
“Intimidate?”
“No matter how much of a scholar someone is, if they carry a sword, people find it frightening. Especially if those people are strangers seeing the scholar for the first time.”
“Ah… I suppose that’s true.”
“So when scholars traveled to unfamiliar places or went to Hanyang for the civil service exam, they’d carry bamboo swords instead. And Bamboo Sword Goblin was born from such a scholar’s bamboo sword.”
Having learned about Bamboo Sword Goblin’s origins, Tae-poong nodded.
‘So it’s a bamboo sword, but born from a scholar’s sword.’
Thinking of the upright image of a scholar, he began to understand why Bamboo Sword Goblin liked characters like Lim Sung-un.
‘And since it’s also a sword, it suits a prosecutor too.’
Even if the Chinese characters are completely different.
As he was thinking such things, Dung Carrier Goblin held out his empty teacup.
“Well, let’s go eat now.”
“Let’s do that.”
Tae-poong rinsed the teacup and put it away, then grabbed his bag. As Dung Carrier Goblin left the Goblin Library with Tae-poong, he spoke softly.
“So… have you thought about where you’d like to go?”
“We could go somewhere the Dung Carrier Goblin enjoys.”
At Tae-poong’s suggestion, the Dung Carrier Goblin smiled.
“Drop the ‘Goblin’ part—just call me Dung Carrier. As for food… I do enjoy most things, but…”
The Dung Carrier Goblin trailed off and sighed.
“Truth is, I don’t go to restaurants much.”
“Why… oh…”
Tae-poong nodded as if he understood. The Dung Carrier Goblin… smelled of dung.
So no matter which restaurant they visited, the owner would despise him. And the other customers would too, naturally.
Tae-poong found himself at a loss for words, unsure how to proceed. It felt awkward to suggest anywhere when he’d be an unwelcome guest everywhere.
After a moment of thought, Tae-poong recalled Jeonjujeon. Given the owner’s temperament, he doubted she’d dislike the Dung Carrier Goblin simply because of a smell.
“Would you like to go to Jeonjujeon?”
“Okja’s place?”
“You know the owner?”
“I’ve come to this library before, after all.”
The Dung Carrier Goblin then sighed.
“But Okja hates me.”
“The owner? That can’t be right…”
The Dung Carrier Goblin answered with certainty to the puzzled Tae-poong.
“No, that little brat mocked me relentlessly every time I showed up, complaining about the smell. If it weren’t for Hyun-hee, I would’ve given her a real piece of my mind.”
“Little brat?”
Tae-poong looked at him with confusion at the phrase and asked.
“When did you see her?”
“About this tall?”
The Dung Carrier Goblin gestured to his waist level, and Tae-poong laughed.
“That was when she was young. She’s not like that now. Actually, if you met her again, she might even apologize.”
“Ugh… that’s awkward.”
The Dung Carrier Goblin sighed.
“By the way, who is Hyun-hee?”
“Okja’s mother.”
“Ah…”
Tae-poong nodded and moved forward. Soon arriving at Jeonjujeon, he peered cautiously into the shop.
The interior was bustling with customers. Known for its delicious food and affordable prices, the restaurant was always crowded despite serving only the limited menu of jeon.
‘If we go inside…’
No matter how strong the scent of jeon and oil was, it seemed unlikely to overpower the Dung Carrier Goblin’s smell.
While the owner of Jeonjujeon might be understanding, it would be inconsiderate to the other customers, making him hesitant to enter.
So Tae-poong looked at the Dung Carrier Goblin.
“Um… is there any way to hide the smell?”
“If you hide your appearance, that works.”
As he spoke, the Dung Carrier Goblin unwound the cloth that had been rolled up at his waist.
I flicked the worn cloth with a sharp snap and shook it into the air, and the Dung Carrier Goblin vanished.
“You can’t smell it anymore, right?”
At the Dung Carrier Goblin’s voice, Tae-poong sniffed the air before waving his hand.
“I’m still not entirely sure.”
After all, scent doesn’t disappear instantly. In that moment, my sleeve was suddenly tugged.
“Come this way. The wind blows from here, so if you go over there, you’ll understand.”
Following the Dung Carrier Goblin’s guidance, I nodded shortly after.
“You’re right—there’s no smell at all.”
“When I hide my form, there’s no scent. That’s why I eat like this.”
At the slightly dejected tone, I asked him a question.
“Can’t you reveal your form and eliminate the smell instead?”
“The smell is part of me, the Dung Carrier Goblin. Just as I can’t remove my limbs because I dislike them, I can’t eliminate my own scent.”
With those words, the Dung Carrier Goblin revealed his form again. Watching him wrap the cloth around his waist once more, I asked.
“Is that perhaps your goblin club, Dung Carrier?”
“That’s right. This is my goblin club.”
The Dung Carrier Goblin laughed and tapped the cloth lightly. I watched it with fascination.
‘So each goblin really does have a different club.’
The Pot Goblin’s was shaped like a key, the Bamboo Sword Goblin’s resembled an orchestra conductor’s baton, and the Dung Carrier Goblin’s was cloth.
As I observed the goblin club, the Dung Carrier Goblin spoke awkwardly.
“Should I hide my form and eat?”
When the Dung Carrier Goblin hesitated, I looked at him and shook my head.
“This is our first time eating together—we should do it face to face. This doesn’t feel right. Why don’t you just come to my place?”
“Your place?”
The Dung Carrier Goblin asked in surprise, and I nodded as if everything had worked out perfectly.
“Let’s just go to my apartment. We can grill some meat and drink soju.”
The Dung Carrier Goblin stared at me blankly before breaking into a bright smile.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
The moment the Dung Carrier Goblin finished speaking, I turned around.
“Then let’s go.”
Though it was just a small studio, it was more than enough for a drink of soju.
As I took a step forward, the Dung Carrier Goblin laughed and spoke.
“We’ll never get there on foot.”
With that, the Dung Carrier Goblin looked around, then approached a small beer shop on one side and opened the door.
“Go inside.”
I looked at the Dung Carrier Goblin pointing at the open door with confusion, then cautiously peeked inside. My eyes widened.
“Wait—that’s my apartment?”
“That’s right, it’s your home. Now come in and invite me inside.”
I stared at the grinning Dung Carrier Goblin in shock and shook my head slightly.
‘What even are goblins?’
Questioning “why” and “how” when they could open any random door on the street and connect it to wherever they wanted seemed foolish at this point.
After all, the opponent was a Goblin.
Tae-poong stepped through the door. The moment he arrived at his apartment in a single stride and let out a sigh, the Dung Carrier Goblin spoke.
“You should invite me in too.”
At the word “invite,” Tae-poong looked at him with confusion. Couldn’t he just follow along inside?
“Please come in.”
“There we go.”
The Dung Carrier Goblin answered with a smile and stepped inside. Then, glancing around the apartment, he spoke.
“This is my first time visiting a friend’s home.”
“You didn’t have any friends, then?”
“I do know a few of those strange fellows I mentioned before, but we don’t visit each other’s homes.”
Tae-poong nodded at the Goblin’s words. Like gambling and drinking, the Dung Carrier Goblin had a few acquaintances among the goblins—eccentric types shunned by others.
Then Tae-poong asked.
“But why did you ask for an invitation if you could just follow me inside?”
“It’s someone else’s home. Spirit Servants like Goblins cannot enter without an invitation from the homeowner.”

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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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