Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work Novel - Chapter 99

I knew it.

The Disaster Management Agency was strictly controlling the leak of information about this urban legend, “Goblin Workshop.”

To be exact… only that much!

‘I didn’t know what methods they used to manage the urban legend…’

It wasn’t even mentioned in <Dark Exploration Records>!

Who would have thought that they would be undercover in the urban legend itself, weeding out visitors and monitoring the creation of equipment?

A Disaster Management Agency employee, pretending to be a Goblin in the urban legend!

[Whoa there? Your reply is slow!]

My head is spinning.

‘……What do I do?’

Wait, what have I been babbling about?

With my blood running cold, I reviewed the past conversation flashing through my mind like a panorama.

The crucial mistake… No, I didn’t make a mistake.

‘…It’s okay!’

I can still recover. I can recover…

Then.

With a slightly pale expression, I deliberately showed my bewildered look.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I haven’t received permission to tell you about that…”

[…….]

I don’t know.

I’m a newbie who didn’t notice that he was a human, my senior agent.

It’s just that, a Goblin in the urban legend was asking about my personal information, and I was so startled that I was flustered and trying to cope well!

‘Please!’

I slightly raised my head, as if I was wondering ‘What do I do with this Goblin?’.

[Wow, those government agents named Kim have so many things to worry about.]

“…….”

Phew.

[They call their affiliations ‘teams’, don’t they? Why can’t you tell me?]

“Yes. Y-yes… I’m sorry. The government decided that way.”

[This is no fun!]

The agent pretending to be a Goblin licked his lips and took a step back.

‘It worked.’

He came this way.

[But I’ll let the kind-hearted Kim agent who gave me the ginseng pass!]

The agent seemed to continue pretending to be a Goblin.

‘…The deception worked well.’

It’s called teasing a junior.

This made the newbie develop a desire to make him faint from shock later when he hears from his senior, ‘That person is an agent.’

I guessed that from seeing the agent smelling the ginseng he was keeping in a tattoo, just like a real Goblin.

‘Didn’t he become similar in ability and personality by imitating a Goblin?’

I thought that he might have used that kind of ‘equipment.’

And Goblins can’t resist such pranks.

“T-thank you.”

I bowed deeply accordingly.

[Kind-hearted Kim agent, I have to give you a drink in return!]

[Tell me, what Goblin item do you want! You can sing a song, dance….]

Now he’s trying to give something to the newbie.

He probably thought that the ginseng I was holding was a precious item obtained somewhere, and I gave it away too readily in my panic.

‘…The most natural response is,’

“I-it’s okay, sir! Then… I would like you to be kind to the other ‘government agents named Kim’ who visit in the future. As long as you are in a good mood.”

[…Hoo, is that so?]

“Yes!”

[Okay, Kim agent. I’ll pay for the drinks!]

I nodded brightly with a smile. The Goblin also looked at me with a slightly satisfied expression and swayed.

Good. This topic seems to have passed.

And naturally, the next topic moved to the griptock I was holding.

[So, Kim agent, you came here today… because you want me to fix this ornament beautifully, is that it?]

“…Yes.”

This is the problem.

This agent realized that my griptok wasn’t made here…

My palms were sweating.

Sure enough, the agent, pretending not to be an agent in Goblin disguise, asks.

[Where was this item made?]

“I, I don’t know well. It was a gift from the government…”

[Right, right. Nowadays, government agents named Kim also run factories, they keep getting things from other places….]

[That’s dangerous.]

“…….”

[You never know when a daytime Goblin might appear!]

That’s right. The Disaster Management Agency didn’t only use this workshop to make supplies for its agents.

‘Silver Heart is also from another place.’

Anyway, he seemed to misunderstand that it was made at one of those places.

It was a very welcome misunderstanding.

“Thanks to you, I lived.”

Seeing the agent pretending to be a Goblin until the very end, even mentioning the daytime Goblin, calmed me down a little.

Thanks to them, I could laugh it off and accept it.

“Anyway, I’m screwed.”

That agent will definitely remember me, the one who suddenly visited today and offered three offerings.

“The moment that person leaves this bizarre situation and talks to the Disaster Management Agency people, I’ll be a person of interest and tracked.”

…Is there really no way out?

[Anyway, I’ll fix this trinket, so just wait!]

“Yes…”

The agent, mimicking a Goblin, went into the tiled house, the “workshop,” holding my griptok.

They’re probably going to entrust it to the other Goblin inside.

I waited quietly.

The ominous thought that the agent might understand the situation, confiscate my griptok, and make an emergency call to the Disaster Management Agency made me break out in a cold sweat.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long.

[Take the trinket!]

The returning agent lightly tossed my griptok to me. I carefully caught it, suppressing my urge to curse.

The griptok still had the crack.

But the crack was smoothly filled with something shiny.

Jade-colored, glittering adhesive.

“Ah, is the repair finished with this?”

[Heh, even when cooking rice, you need to let it simmer. How can an elder’s skill be as easy as eating soft rice porridge? You have to wait until the adhesive is completely dry!]

[Don’t use it for a month. Treat it like a baby wrapped in a swaddling cloth, as precious as gold and jade. While making a wish on what you want it to look like. Then it’ll become a wonderful trinket!]

A month?

“…Thank you.”

I gently held the griptok.

“…This looks like it’ll crack open with a little pressure.”

It means I have to be very careful for the month it takes for the adhesive to dry.

In other words…

“It means I can’t access Wiki for a month.”

Right now, I’m desperately trying to memorize as much as possible by rereading it every day, but I won’t be able to do that routine.

Naturally, human memory has limits, so I’m worried, but…there’s nothing I can do. I have to endure it. Getting a new griptok seems impossible.

“At least it was successfully repaired.”

Then there’s only one problem left.

How do I naturally leave here?

[Now then, shall we have some buckwheat rice cakes brought by a young Kim agent…and talk about what these Kim agents working for the country are doing these days!]

I don’t even know…

“If I keep talking like this, it’s only a matter of time before I’m exposed.”

Whether I’m wanted or not, I might be tied up right here and sent to the Disaster Management Agency and end up in a glass prison.

…Fine.

I made up my mind.

“In the long run, I’m caught anyway.”

Then…even if it leaves a stronger impression,

I’ll do it!

“Yes, elder. I…”

Cough.

I didn’t suppress the hemoptysis and just spat it out.

Cough, a lump of blood flows down my chin.

I quickly wiped it off with my sleeve and looked at the Goblin with a surprised face.

“I’m, I’m sorry…”

It wasn’t just a simple surprise.

Blood.

[Kim agent…!!]

Is traditionally a Goblin’s weakness.

Thump thump thump.

The huge tiled house shakes.

Scary! Scary! Scary!

Why is it scary? Why is it scary? Why is it scary?

[Oh my! Stop making such a fuss! Nothing happened!]

Scary! Who is it? Scary! Who is it?

Even though the agent shouted, the tiled house still vibrated. I turned pale, covered my mouth, and felt nauseous.

“I’m, I’m sorry.”

[Get out of here. I’m not going to let the crazy bastard who sent a sick newbie to the Goblin’s domain get away with it…!]

“No, no! Elder, I… I came in without knowing anything.”

[Elder? What elder? You still don’t know, you brat?]

I should pretend to realize.

“…!”

I widened my eyes and hurriedly stood up.

“Perhaps…”

The agent in the Goblin’s guise crossed their arms.

[Be grateful that this senior is here. Newbie.]

“Yes, yes… I’m sorry.”

With a look like my soul had been ripped out, as if I didn’t know what was happening, I barely managed to stand up.

Thump. Thump.

Now, a sound like a broom or wooden stick hitting the gate of a tiled-roof house was heard.

Hearing it, the agent clicked their tongue and yelled at me.

[If your body hurts, you should rest. What are you doing sneaking around here? Did headquarters send you?]

Huh?

If I play this right…

“…No.”

I quickly searched my mind, pulling out one of the many episodes that had occurred at the Disaster Management Agency.

‘…There was a culture of making bets during training!’

A kind of courage test, a competition of competence and courage.

Good. This will work!

“…My colleagues told me to fix the Memorial Griptok myself… .”

The agent flinched.

[…Do they still do that?]

I just gave a wry smile.

The agent, wearing an oni mask, seemed to suppress a groan, rubbed their face, and waved me away.

[…I’ll let you off without telling headquarters. Just go.]
It worked.

“Th-Thank you.”

[What’s your codename?]

“It hasn’t been assigned yet… I’m still thinking about what would be good.”

[…Okay. I’ll see you when we’re connected.]

The agent pretending to be an oni waved their hand.

Swish.

With that gesture, I was pushed…

[Go in and rest.]