Goblin Library - Chapter 23

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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 23

The punishment Bamboo Sword Goblin had given me was the finest treatment any Korean office worker could ask for. Realizing this, Tae-poong’s face brightened.
Observing Tae-poong’s reaction, Bamboo Sword Goblin sighed after pondering something for a moment.
Working with a goblin… it was something any human would despise. That’s why I had ordered him to work at the Goblin Library.
But… when you assign work, you must provide treatment befitting that labor.
‘A sandwich and coffee…’
Such a small gesture had elevated the treatment considerably. Bamboo Sword Goblin shook his head slightly and spoke.
“Regardless of what you think, this is a punishment I have decreed. So do not be overly delighted.”
“Ah… yes. I am not particularly pleased about it.”
Bamboo Sword Goblin watched Tae-poong speak those insincere words for a moment, then shook his head once more and continued.
“Before I knew it, we’ve already come to discuss such matters… but we goblins are not numerous.”
As he spoke, Bamboo Sword Goblin turned his body. Tae-poong, watching him, asked a question.
“Say, if I read the book of a deceased… I mean, a goblin who has already passed on, wouldn’t the author speak to me?”
“A goblin who has once departed no longer seeks amusement.”
With those words, Bamboo Sword Goblin moved away and disappeared completely from sight. Tae-poong picked up the book about Cha Dol once more.
“A book whose author goblin has departed.”
Muttering to himself, Tae-poong opened the book and began reading the story.
Cha Dol was a slave in a Yangban Household. Life as a slave during the Joseon Dynasty Era was inevitably exhausting and arduous.
Simply encountering it through the book was enough to make me think, ‘Wow… this is hell.’
Cha Dol grew up in a Yangban Household where slaves were driven like beasts. From childhood, he performed grueling labor, but he endured because his parents and siblings were there with him.
However, when those family members were beaten to death by the yangban’s hands or sold away, he ultimately fled.
He thought that even begging would be better than living here.
Hiding in the mountains, Cha Dol came to help an injured Taoist priest. And from that priest, he learned martial arts—that was where Cha Dol’s true story began.

***

At lunchtime, Yu Tae-poong was eating at Jeonjujeon. Though I’d had tea that morning to settle my stomach, that was merely first aid—I needed a proper remedy.
So I called Choi Ok-ja for the first time, requesting food to cure my hangover.
She prepared a spicy jeon stew for me. Jeon stew was a soup dish made by simmering leftover jeon from holidays together with kimchi, cooked like a hot pot.
Though cooking with jeon might seem greasy, the addition of kimchi and seasoning made it spicy and peppery—perfect for settling a hangover.
“Ahhhh! This is excellent.”
I scooped a spoonful of the rich, peppery broth and drank it, then picked up a piece of pollock jeon from the stew and put it in my mouth.
The pollock jeon, coated in egg batter, was thoroughly soaked in broth and tasted wonderful.
Choi Ok-ja smiled and spoke to me.
“If you drank that much, you should have come by in the morning to get a proper remedy.”
“Can I come during work hours?”
“Next time, come by and take the food with you.”
“Take it with me?”
“You can step out for a bit, can’t you? I’ll pack some simple hangover soup and rice for you to eat at the library.”
Now that I thought about it, I remembered Choi Ok-ja mentioning before that I could grill samgyeopsal at the library. Still, wouldn’t I get scolded by Bamboo Sword Goblin if I brought food there without permission?
I hesitated for a moment, then popped a meatball into my mouth and spoke.
“I’ll ask the manager first, and if he permits it, I’ll do that.”
“He’ll allow it. Bamboo Sword is the type who thinks convenience is what matters most.”
I nodded at Choi Ok-ja’s words, then suddenly looked at her.
“Do you happen to remember Dung Carrier Goblin?”
“You know Dung Carrier?”
“I drank with him yesterday.”
“Ah… so you had drinks with Dung Carrier.”
Choi Ok-ja looked at me as she spoke.
“When I was very young, I made a mistake with Dung Carrier.”
“I’ve heard about that.”
“Ah… you remember?”
I nodded at Choi Ok-ja’s words and spoke.
“That’s why I told him that you were young and thoughtless back then, so it was just a mistake, and that things would be different if you met now.”
“You did well. I’ve actually wanted to apologize to Dung Carrier for what happened back then, but I haven’t been able to meet him since, so I’ve regretted it.”
“If you tell Dung Carrier, he’ll accept your apology.”
I nodded at my words, then suddenly looked at him.
“Since you had drinks together yesterday, next time come here with him for a drink. I’ll apologize to him and prepare some good side dishes.”
At Choi Ok-ja’s words, I glanced around. There were no customers now since it was before business hours, but there would be many once we opened.
“That’s just… a unique characteristic of Dung Carrier….”
I paused and hesitated. No matter how absent Dung Carrier Goblin was, it felt wrong to openly mention his foul odor or stench.
“…he has a particular body odor. If he comes to the shop, customers would be uncomfortable.”
“Is it still quite strong?”
I nodded at Choi Ok-ja’s question. She seemed to fall into thought, recalling old memories.
Then she smiled and spoke.
“I was so young back then that I don’t remember how strong the odor was. But if you’re saying it like that, it must be quite strong.”
I couldn’t bring myself to say that the storm was severe, so I simply nodded slightly.
At that, Choi Ok-ja paused in thought before speaking with a smile.
“We can eat at the Goblin Library.”
Taken aback by her unexpected answer, I looked at her and spoke.
“So it really seems the goblins ate and drank quite a lot at the library.”
Generally, one must maintain silence in a library and shouldn’t eat food. Even if one does, it’s only beverages like water.
But seeing how Choi Ok-ja frequently encouraged eating at the library, it was clear she considered eating and playing at the Goblin Library perfectly natural.
It was a difference in perspective.
“Back then, there was no TV or internet like there is now. So goblins really frequented the Goblin Library often. They would share stories about the humans they observed, discuss events and happenings from across the nation, and even go out to play together.”
Choi Ok-ja paused briefly before smiling.
“That was an era when group entertainment was far more common than solitary amusement.”
I nodded at Choi Ok-ja’s words.
“That makes sense.”
Nowadays there’s no shortage of things to enjoy alone, but back then, that wasn’t the case.
“Would it be easier if I conveyed the message to Bamboo Sword Goblin for you?”
“No, I’ll do it myself.”
It wouldn’t be right to make such an uncomfortable request through someone else. If someone who wants to refuse ends up agreeing because of another person’s face, they might harbor resentment about it later.
Even if refused, it was better to ask directly myself.
“I’ll try to set up a time with Dung Carrier Goblin.”
“I’d really appreciate that.”
The comment about Dung Carrier Goblin smelling bad seemed to have weighed on her mind for quite some time.
“Wait, you call Dung Carrier Goblin ‘brother’?”
“Ah! We’ve really become close. And he really likes it when I call him that.”
“That’s good.”
I finished my meal while chatting. After finishing, I stood up and suddenly looked at Choi Ok-ja.
“Have you ever experienced a special ability through a goblin’s book?”
“A special ability?”
“Yesterday, I looked at Da-hyang Goblin’s book and gained a trait that improved my sense of smell, which I’ve been enjoying.”
At my words, Choi Ok-ja laughed and spoke.
“No wonder you ate so deliciously today.”
“Even without a good sense of smell, your food is delicious.”
“My food has flavor. But with a better sense of smell, you can enjoy it even more. Food is eaten with the tongue, but also with the nose.”
Then Choi Ok-ja paused before speaking.
“I experienced many special abilities thanks to the Colorful Robe Sister.”
“What kind of abilities?”
“There were many, but… the one I liked most was the ability to see colors with remarkable clarity.”
“See colors with clarity? Is your eyesight poor?”
At my words, Choi Ok-ja laughed and shook her head.
“Though I’ve aged, I’m still no worse than someone young.”
Choi Ok-ja gazed into the distance as if recalling old memories, then continued speaking.
“The day I could see colors clearly through a play, I went out with my mother, and the world looked so beautiful. The red flowers were redder, the yellow flowers were yellower…. It felt like I had stepped into a flower garden from a fairy tale. That play was the most enjoyable.”
Choi Ok-ja smiled at the memory and headed into the kitchen. She returned with skewered pancakes.
Choi Ok-ja placed the skewered pancakes gently on the table and spoke.
“My skewered pancakes have beautiful colors.”
Tae-poong nodded. Indeed, the colors were as beautiful as she said.
The ingredients—red imitation crab, blue scallions, and well-cooked brown meat—were no different from ordinary skewers.
Yet Choi Ok-ja’s skewered pancakes felt more vivid and beautiful in color. You might call it an appetizing palette.
Choi Ok-ja smiled as she gazed at the skewered pancakes.
“The play doesn’t last long, but the experiences gained through it remain. That’s why I can see colors well and create food with such beautiful hues.”
“Through the play?”
“Yes. That experience opened my eyes to a new perspective on color.”
Choi Ok-ja looked at Tae-poong.
“As you read many books going forward, you’ll experience many plays. They will become new experiences for you.”
“Even though it’s only been about a day, such a thing is possible?”
At Tae-poong’s question, Choi Ok-ja smiled.
“Someone who has climbed to the summit of a mountain once knows what the base looks like from above, doesn’t it? It’s similar to that. Through the play, you will have climbed that mountain once.”
After speaking, Choi Ok-ja laughed and continued.
“It’s difficult to explain precisely, but it’s something like that. It’s the feeling of coming to know an unknown world.”
At Choi Ok-ja’s words, Tae-poong scratched his nose with his hand.
‘What kind of experience comes from improved sense of smell?’
For now, it didn’t feel like much of an experience. It was simply that tea smelled pleasant and food tasted better when eaten.
Watching Tae-poong, Choi Ok-ja smiled.
“You’ll understand as you continue with the plays.”
Tae-poong laughed and bowed his head.
“Thank you for the good advice.”
He checked his watch once and spoke.
“I should be going now. The meal was truly delicious.”
“Yes. Please tell the Dung Carrier Goblin that I’m truly sorry.”
“Of course.”
Leaving Jeonjujeon, Tae-poong pulled out his phone. Now that he knew Choi Ok-ja still felt sorry toward the Dung Carrier Goblin, he wanted to resolve the tension between them quickly.
[Our little brother!]
‘Our country’s drinking culture truly makes no distinction between people and goblins.’
Koreans, after all, become older and younger brothers—sometimes even sworn siblings—after sharing a drink together.
Of course, relationships forged this way often end just as quickly in fistfights.
Laughing inwardly, Tae-poong conveyed Choi Ok-ja’s apology.

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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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