Goblin Library - Chapter 46

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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 46

Yu Tae-poong sipped his honey water contentedly, his face relaxed as he read the book.
“Lee Gang-hun really has guts.”
In dramas, when someone quits their company under pressure from those around them, they usually leave while drawing the stares of their coworkers, carrying their belongings in a cardboard box.
Most of the time, they’d lower their heads as if they’d committed some crime and shuffle out weakly.
But Lee Gang-hun had shut down the conversation completely and decisively.
Especially the way he’d mimicked typing instead of speaking—it was truly satisfying to witness.
Would I be able to act like that in such a situation? Yu Tae-poong shook his head at the thought.
He didn’t think he could. Even if he quit the company, it would still feel awkward to face someone who was technically his superior.
Lost in such thoughts, Yu Tae-poong suddenly lifted his gaze. Then he flinched.
Bamboo Sword Goblin was watching him.
“Ah… I apologize.”
Realizing he’d spoken his thoughts aloud, Yu Tae-poong quickly apologized, but Bamboo Sword Goblin shook his head.
“When you’re reading a book, a little exclamation is only natural. It seems Shoe Goblin wrote this quite well.”
“It’s quite good indeed.”
At Yu Tae-poong’s words, Bamboo Sword Goblin nodded and glanced briefly at the laptop.
“But when are you planning to go home? Humans need sleep and rest, don’t they?”
At Bamboo Sword Goblin’s words, Yu Tae-poong checked his watch. His face then hardened.
‘Oh no!’
It was already past 2 AM. He’d meant to read just a bit longer before leaving, but he’d ended up reading far more than intended.
Yu Tae-poong sighed and pulled out his phone to search for something. Soon, his eyes narrowed.
There was no jjimjilbang nearby. He could check into a motel, but he’d only be lying there for a few hours before having to return to work, so it felt wasteful.
If he checked in now, they’d charge him for a full night’s stay anyway.
After a moment of hesitation, Yu Tae-poong glanced cautiously at Bamboo Sword Goblin.
“Um…”
Whoosh!
Seeing Bamboo Sword Goblin’s attention, Yu Tae-poong spoke.
“Would it be alright if I slept here for the night since it’s too late to go home?”
But Bamboo Sword Goblin’s response was cold.
“Sleeping at your workplace is a bad habit.”
“I… understand.”
Yu Tae-poong answered weakly in resignation, then shelved the book and stood up.
‘I’ll have to sleep at a motel.’
It was wasteful, but as he was tidying up with that thought, Bamboo Sword Goblin rose from his seat.
Then he opened the door to the Goblin Library.
Click!
And Yu Tae-poong’s face brightened.
Beyond the open Goblin Library door, I could see my apartment.
“Thank you!”
At my words, Bamboo Sword Goblin looked at me and spoke.
“Pot Goblin gave you the club, right?”
“Yes.”
“Show me.”
I pulled a yellow key from my pocket. Bamboo Sword Goblin took it, cupped it in both hands, and closed his eyes for a moment.
Then he handed the yellow key back to me.
“I’ve connected the library to your home. Hold the key to the door and think of either your apartment or the library—it will open.”
“Thank you.”
I smiled brightly at Bamboo Sword Goblin’s words, genuinely grateful.
For office workers, commute times were truly a nightmare. But with this, I could now finish my commute simply by opening a door.
I pocketed the key, gazing at it with satisfaction.
Then I suddenly remembered something I wanted to ask Bamboo Sword Goblin, and spoke hesitantly.
“Um, there’s one thing I’d like to ask.”
“What is it?”
“Could you activate the invisibility function on my goblin crown?”
“The public bath house?”
At the same words Dung Carrier Goblin had once said, I quickly shook my head.
“No. How could you think that of me?”
Bamboo Sword Goblin watched me wave my hands dismissively and asked.
“Then why?”
“Sometimes I want to see the protagonists directly.”
Even at my answer, Bamboo Sword Goblin remained cold.
“How is that different from peeping at a bath house?”
“What?”
“They don’t know you’re observing them. You want to see the private lives of people who are unaware of you… How is that different from watching people at a bath house? Either way, you’re just satisfying your curiosity.”
“That’s….”
I couldn’t respond. I couldn’t say it was absolutely the same as peeping at a bath house, but I also couldn’t claim it was completely different.
Of course, if I wore the goblin crown and observed the protagonists, I could perhaps provide them with necessary information or help.
But as Bamboo Sword Goblin pointed out, watching someone secretly was the same as peeping. Just like how I had hesitated to read the Goblin Library books at first.
Though now I simply watch as things unfold….
Seeing me unable to answer, Bamboo Sword Goblin spoke.
“I joked about wanting to go to the bath house, but… humans are simple creatures.”
“What?”
“Humans are easily consumed by desire. There’s a reason men are warned to be careful of three things.”
“Three things?”
“The tip of the tongue, the tip of the hand….”
Bamboo Sword Goblin glanced below my waist. I quietly brought my hands forward.
“The desire to speak what you know, the desire to use what you have, and the fundamental desire. You know you must be careful of those three, but ultimately humans fail to restrain themselves and are ruined by one, two, or all three of them.”
Bamboo Sword Goblin paused mid-sentence and looked at Yu Tae-poong.
“That’s why I deactivated the function of the Goblin Headband. I have no way of knowing what desires might sway you.”
Then he continued.
“If you cause trouble, I bear responsibility for giving you a Goblin item. And that responsibility will never work out well for you.”
Though he was smiling, Bamboo Sword Goblin’s voice was cold. Yu Tae-poong remained silent for a moment before nodding.
No—the instant I nodded, I shook my head and looked at Bamboo Sword Goblin.
“But don’t Goblins observe humans?”
“So?”
“That contradicts what you told me.”
After all, Goblins use Goblin items according to their desires.
“Humans and Goblins are different species. We Goblins are creatures that pursue amusement. Without amusement, we Goblins cannot exist.”
“Then it’s acceptable to observe people?”
At Yu Tae-poong’s challenging words, Bamboo Sword Goblin looked at him and spoke.
“Can you live without eating?”
“What?”
“Can you live without eating rice?”
“Of course I have to eat to survive.”
“Humans must eat rice to live. Without food, you cannot survive. For us Goblins, amusement is the same as rice. Without something entertaining, there is no reason to exist. You might think there are more amusing things than observing humans, but… humans are the most entertaining to us. That’s why we must watch humans to survive. It’s the same as humans slaughtering pigs and cattle to eat.”
Then Bamboo Sword Goblin looked at Yu Tae-poong.
“It’s no different from that.”
When I thought the silence meant he was finished, Bamboo Sword Goblin added one more thing casually.
“And we don’t go to public bath houses.”
At Bamboo Sword Goblin’s words, I looked at him. My heart felt slightly lighter.
That last remark was clearly a joke directed at me. His tone was cold and his behavior wasn’t particularly kind, but he was still being considerate.
He was telling me not to feel awkward about such a serious conversation.
“If you think later that I won’t go to public bath houses, will you activate it for me?”
At my words, Bamboo Sword Goblin looked at me.
“You understand that a public bath house isn’t simply a public bath house, right?”
“I do.”
I hadn’t meant it literally either. I meant I would suppress my desires.
After observing me for a moment, Bamboo Sword Goblin spoke.
“There was once a human who used a Goblin item recklessly. That human probably did it with the conviction that they were righting the world, but… because of that human, the world fell into chaos.”
Bamboo Sword Goblin, gazing into the distance as he recalled the past, continued.
“If what happened was caused by abilities that human cultivated and developed on their own, there would be no problem. But because it was caused by a Goblin item, the Goblin who gave that item bore the responsibility and was destroyed.”
“Destroyed?”
Confused by his words, I looked at Bamboo Sword Goblin, who nodded.
“Yes, destroyed. We Goblins are beings who observe and enjoy the human world, not beings who change it. If we cause chaos in the human world, we must bear that responsibility. That’s why we lose our place to return to and are destroyed.”
Bamboo Sword Goblin, reflecting on what he’d said, opened his mouth.
“Since I’ve had alcohol, let’s end the conversation here.”
Then, looking at my Tae-poong’s Apartment visible beyond the open door, he continued.
“And you still don’t understand the responsibility that comes with using goblin items. Once you grasp what that responsibility truly means… then we can speak again.”
At Bamboo Sword Goblin’s words, Yu Tae-poong nodded. The conversation had grown serious anyway, and he was already feeling the weight of it.
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As Yu Tae-poong bowed and stepped toward the door, it swung shut on its own.
Click!

***

The next day, after arriving at work, Yu Tae-poong had prepared a warm honey water and placed a chair by the window, gazing blankly outside.
“What’s on your mind?”
Dung Carrier Goblin pulled up a chair beside him and asked. Yu Tae-poong answered in a vacant voice.
“…The Public Bath House.”
Taken aback by the unexpected answer, Dung Carrier Goblin stared at him blankly before slowly turning away.
“I never thought you’d be so serious about the Public Bath House, little brother.”
Yu Tae-poong didn’t immediately grasp the meaning, looking confused before his face suddenly flushed crimson with embarrassment.
“That’s not what I meant. Yesterday….”
When Yu Tae-poong explained what had happened yesterday, Dung Carrier Goblin nodded.
“So that’s what occurred.”
Yu Tae-poong, now nodding, spoke.
“I was thinking about what the Company President meant by responsibility regarding goblin items.”
“Responsibility, you say….”
After a moment of thought, Dung Carrier Goblin suddenly raised a hand.
Whoosh!
The beverage refrigerator door swung open and a drink flew toward him.
Catch!
Yu Tae-poong watched with astonished eyes as Dung Carrier Goblin caught the drink effortlessly and spoke.
“You can do that without using your club?”
“This much is basic goblin ability.”
Then Dung Carrier Goblin pulled out his club—a tattered cloth.
“But when I use the club, my power grows stronger. I haven’t tested how far it goes, but I could probably lift a truck.”
“A truck?”
“Yes.”
Dung Carrier Goblin looked at Yu Tae-poong and spoke.
“You’re watching the protagonist.”
“Pardon?”
“Hypothetically speaking.”
When Yu Tae-poong nodded, Dung Carrier Goblin continued.
“You’re watching the protagonist, and a truck is about to crash into a daycare van. And you’re holding a club with its power activated.”
“That….”
Yu Tae-poong couldn’t finish. He understood what it meant. The answer was… you simply have to watch.
But in such a situation, Tae-poong would have swung the goblin club without even realizing it.
The Dung Carrier Goblin spoke to such a Tae-poong.
“We goblins don’t directly intervene in stories. Like what Pot Goblin and I did before, inserting situation upon situation is the maximum extent of our involvement.”
The Dung Carrier Goblin spoke while looking at the bookshelf.
“Remember that bookshelf we saw before, where only stories of novel protagonists dying quickly were gathered?”
“Yes.”
“Looking at them, they die from illness, but also frequently from accidents. Traffic accidents, falls, drowning, and so on. We could obtain them as easily as snapping our fingers if we wanted, but we don’t.”
Then, as if adding a remark, the Dung Carrier Goblin continued.
“We are not benevolent beings. We are merely goblins who pursue amusement.”

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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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