Goblin Library - Chapter 68

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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 68

「Good point: Takeda seems like a decent person. I’ve actually read that there were Japanese people supporting the Independence Movement back then. When you think about it, the problem isn’t the nation—it’s the people.」
「Lim Ok-beom: That’s right. Just as there were pro-Japanese collaborators among Joseon people, there were also Japanese who helped Joseon people and supported the Independence Movement.」
…
「Feng Yun Bi: I’m sure people like that really existed. There’s even a story about a famous wealthy man who lost his entire fortune gambling, but it turned out he was actually disguising it to raise military funds for the Independence Army.」
「Lim Ok-beom: I wish there had been many more people like that in those times.」

Yu Tae-poong, reading the comment Lim Ok-beom had shared, showed the final comment to Dung Carrier Goblin.
“This one seems a bit melancholic, doesn’t it?”
At Yu Tae-poong’s words, Dung Carrier Goblin read the comment and nodded.
“Lim Ok-beom was feeling a bit melancholic when he wrote that comment.”
“Why?”
“There are people who, like him, outwardly engaged in pro-Japanese activities while secretly supporting the Independence Movement… but most of those who collaborated with Japan were simply seeking personal wealth and glory.”
“I see.”
Watching Yu Tae-poong nod, Dung Carrier Goblin spoke.
“That’s why it’s melancholic. There were far too many Joseon people who collaborated with Japan.”
At Dung Carrier Goblin’s words, Yu Tae-poong smacked his lips, looked at his phone for a moment, then set it down.
“I’m grateful I wasn’t born in that era.”
“Why?”
“From what I can tell… I think….”
Yu Tae-poong trailed off and shook his head.
“Why did you stop talking?”
“…I don’t think I could have participated in the Independence Movement.”
Dung Carrier Goblin regarded Yu Tae-poong silently.
At that gaze, Yu Tae-poong sighed and spoke.
“Being an independence fighter was just too difficult.”
Yu Tae-poong met Dung Carrier Goblin’s eyes.
“You saw it firsthand, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
Dung Carrier Goblin shook his head as he spoke.
“Those people suffered terribly. And if they were caught fighting for independence, they didn’t just die—they were tortured to death.”
“Torture…. Ugh.”
As Yu Tae-poong shuddered with genuine revulsion, Dung Carrier Goblin spoke.
“Back then, the word ‘human rights’ didn’t even exist, so if you were caught….”
Dung Carrier Goblin paused and furrowed his brow.
“It was no less terrible than the torments of hell itself.”
Yu Tae-poong sighed.
“I’m easily frightened. I don’t think I could participate in the Independence Movement.”
At Yu Tae-poong’s words, Dung Carrier Goblin looked at him, smiled, and spoke.
“You can’t know that.”
“Do you think I’d participate in the Independence Movement?”
“That’s not it… what I mean is, people don’t know themselves until circumstances force them to act.”
Dung Carrier Goblin turned his head toward the window. Watching the people passing by outside, he continued.
“There are people who boast about being righteous and willing to sacrifice for others in their everyday lives, but when such situations actually arise, they only think of saving themselves. Conversely, there are cases where people who are normally timid and live ordinary lives suddenly find their bodies moving on their own to help and rescue others when circumstances demand it.”
Dung Carrier Goblin paused to catch his breath, then continued with a smile.
“Remember that news story about when a child’s mother’s car flipped over and citizens went and righted it?”
“I saw that news too.”
“Exactly. That’s what I mean.”
Dung Carrier Goblin met Yu Tae-poong’s gaze.
“You might act differently from what you normally think when circumstances arise. A single action is worth more than a hundred words.”
Dung Carrier Goblin drained his dew tea and stood up from his seat.
“And do you know what we call this kind of conversation?”
“Uh… small talk? Idle chatter?”
Hearing Yu Tae-poong’s answer, Dung Carrier Goblin let out a soft laugh.
“Needless worry.”
Dung Carrier Goblin headed toward the bookshelf and continued speaking.
“Why would you ever participate in the Independence Movement? It’s not the Japanese colonial period anymore. So it’s needless worry.”
“Ah!”
As Yu Tae-poong nodded as if understanding, Dung Carrier Goblin pulled out Bamboo Sword Goblin’s book from the front row of the bookshelf.
“Did you see the new episode of ‘Lim Sung-un’ that came out?”
“Not yet.”
“Then take a look…”
Sensing something gratifying in Dung Carrier Goblin’s voice as he recommended it, Yu Tae-poong smiled and spoke.
“Why? Did you really like this episode?”
“Because there’s an abusive boss character I hate.”
“I thought you liked abusive boss characters?”
At Yu Tae-poong’s words, Dung Carrier Goblin squinted his eyes.
“Not all abusive bosses are the same. Of course, my abusive bosses get cursed at and pointed at by their subordinates!”
‘That’s the problem.’
As Yu Tae-poong muttered inwardly, Dung Carrier Goblin continued.
“But they’re still good people to their families and they live diligently.”
“Are there people who aren’t good to their families?”
“There are.”
Dung Carrier Goblin grinned and waved Bamboo Sword Goblin’s book.
“The villainous abusive boss in this episode!”
Yu Tae-poong accepted the book Dung Carrier Goblin offered. From the way Dung Carrier Goblin spoke, this boss character must truly be despicable.
Yu Tae-poong opened the book.

***

Late in the evening, after all the Factory Employees had clocked out, Lim Sung-un remained alone in the Prosecutor’s Office. He gazed out the window before picking up a single document.
It was a file related to an assault case.
It wasn’t a case assigned to Lim Sung-un directly. Rather, it had come across his desk through a search conducted by Jang Ma-ru, with whom he worked.
The case summary was straightforward.
A Convenience Store Owner had struck a part-time employee.
Unlike the other cases that typically caught Lim Sung-un’s attention, this was an ordinary assault incident, and upon investigation, a settlement had been reached between the Convenience Store Owner and the part-time employee, so no arrest had been made.
However, the part-time employee who had been beaten was someone who had once treated Jang Ma-ru kindly. Learning of this case, Jang Ma-ru had asked Lim Sung-un to punish the unscrupulous owner.
Lim Sung-un handled cases involving those who committed crimes yet evaded legal judgment. Ordinarily, he would have simply refused such a request.
If he were to act based on emotion rather than law, he would be no different from any other criminal.
Knowing this, Jang Ma-ru had investigated the Convenience Store Owner’s background and sent over materials documenting his despicable history.
The Convenience Store Owner was a different breed of villain from those Lim Sung-un had dealt with thus far.
The commercial building he owned had originally belonged to his parents. However, he had persuaded them to transfer the deed to his name, and immediately after the transfer, he sent them away to a Rural Area.
His parents, never expecting such abandonment, attempted to reclaim it through litigation but ultimately failed. There had been no legal irregularities in the deed transfer process.
They now struggled to survive in a dilapidated house, relying on the goodwill of an acquaintance in the Rural Area.
Moreover, the owner had divorced before even transferring the building deed to his name. By divorcing when he had nothing, his ex-wife received no alimony and was forced to leave the house. He had even handed over his own child to his ex-wife.
Those Lim Sung-un typically dealt with were tycoons, politicians, or gang members—those wielding money, power, or violence. Any of them posed formidable opponents for ordinary people.
The Convenience Store Owner possessed a small commercial building and operated a convenience store, so he had money. But compared to those Lim Sung-un had faced, he was small-time.
Yet in some respects, his actions were worse. At least most tycoons, politicians, and gang members knew how to protect their own families.
This owner, however, had abandoned his entire family for his own comfort and prosperity.
After pondering briefly while reviewing the documents, Lim Sung-un shouldered his bag and left the Prosecutor’s Office.

Lim Sung-un and Choi Tae-sik gathered in Jang Ma-ru’s Workshop. With old-fashioned whole chicken and sweet and sour pork they’d bought on the way over as appetizers, Lim Sung-un and Choi Tae-sik drank their beer.
Jang Ma-ru, being underage, poured cola into his glass instead of beer and looked at Lim Sung-un.
“What are you going to do?”
At Jang Ma-ru’s question, Choi Tae-sik also looked at him with curiosity. Receiving that gaze, Lim Sung-un lifted his glass and asked Choi Tae-sik.
“Maru wants to do it. What do you think, Tae-sik?”
“Well, if you say we should do it, then we do it.”
At Choi Tae-sik’s words, Lim Sung-un nodded.
“First of all, this is different in scale and nature from what we’ve been doing so far.”
“That’s true.”
“And the Daelyeong Group matter still isn’t finished.”
At Lim Sung-un’s words, Jang Ma-ru interjected quietly.
“Isn’t that something we need to look at long-term anyway?”
Lim Sung-un nodded. The Daelyeong Group had both power and wealth.
Moreover, trials don’t end in a month or two, so it would be a matter that would take considerable time.
Lim Sung-un, who had fallen into thought for a moment, spoke.
“You’re right. The Daelyeong Group case is something we need to look at for at least a year.”
Then he continued, looking at the two of them.
“It’s different from what we usually do, but… making criminals pay for their sins is the same. If you’re human, you should at least protect your parents and family, but this bastard abandoned even that, so I’m not opposed to doing this work. In fact, I’m willing to do it.”
At Lim Sung-un’s words, Jang Ma-ru smiled brightly and nodded.
“Right. Making criminals pay for their sins is our job after all.”
“But…”
Lim Sung-un tapped the Convenience Store Owner’s file with his finger and spoke.
“There’s no crime we can prosecute him for.”
“What about the assault case?”
At Choi Tae-sik’s words, Lim Sung-un shook his head.
“The assault wasn’t severe, and they reached a settlement.”
“What about stealing his parents’ property?”
“Legally, it was a legitimate transfer of ownership. He even paid all the taxes.”
Shaking his head, Lim Sung-un looked over the documents and spoke.
“What we could pin on him is the illegal rooftop extension and container installation on the building… but that’s not enough.”
“So what do we do?”
At Choi Tae-sik’s question, Lim Sung-un thought for a moment, then sighed and looked at the two of them quietly.
“We need to bring in one more team member.”
“Another team member?”
“That’s dangerous, isn’t it?”
When both of them looked surprised, Lim Sung-un nodded. Security was crucial in what they did.
A prosecutor forming a team privately to track criminals and collect evidence through illegal means—that’s what it was.
Lim Sung-un met Choi Tae-sik’s gaze.
“When did you and I first meet, Tae-sik?”
“Five years ago.”
“That’s right. I met you five years ago.”
“If you hadn’t saved me back then, I wouldn’t be standing here now.”
Five years ago, Choi Tae-sik was part of an organization called the Mapo Gang. At the time, the Mapo Gang had gone to strike down a rival organization’s leader but found themselves losing ground instead. The rival organization made them an offer.
Hand over Choi Tae-sik and they would end the war. Choi Tae-sik had been the greatest asset in building up the Mapo Gang’s power until then, yet the Mapo Gang Leader abandoned him, thinking only of his own safety.
Of course, shortly after abandoning Choi Tae-sik, the leader was attacked by the rival organization and disappeared without a trace.
With Choi Tae-sik, who had sustained the Mapo Gang, gone, there was no one left to protect him.
In any case, from that point on, Choi Tae-sik had been with Lim Sung-un.
Lim Sung-un looked at Jang Ma-ru.
“Maru and I have been together for a year, right?”
“That’s correct.”
Lim Sung-un chuckled as he watched Jang Ma-ru answer. Jang Ma-ru had hacked into a cryptocurrency exchange and siphoned off coins. The exchange had kept the hacking secret, so it never became public knowledge.
If it became known that cryptocurrency—assets stored within computers—had disappeared through hacking, the exchange itself could collapse.
At that time, Lim Sung-un had been pursuing a certain conglomerate whose slush funds had been converted into cryptocurrency and hidden away.
Tracing that cryptocurrency led him to Jang Ma-ru. The money Jang Ma-ru had hacked was that very slush fund.
And the cryptocurrency exchange had also found Jang Ma-ru.
It was Lim Sung-un who saved Jang Ma-ru from that situation, and they had been together ever since.
“Everyone has a beginning.”
At Lim Sung-un’s words, Choi Tae-sik, who had been watching him for a moment, spoke.
“Do you have someone in mind?”
“Lee Hye-eun.”
Choi Tae-sik felt the name Lee Hye-eun strangely familiar and fell into thought for a moment. Soon, his eyes narrowed.
“The con artist seductress?”
Lim Sung-un nodded.

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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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