Our Hotel Is Open for Business as Usual Chapter 40

[Was he truly a traditional Goblin?]

 

“To my eyes, yes.”

 

[But I thought the lineage of Korean Goblin had died out….]

 

“There is no law saying a new one cannot be born.”

 

[….]

 

A brief silence. Baek Mujin spat out a remark while looking up at the starry night sky.

 

“You must be wondering what kind of madman would go about creating a Goblin in this modern age, am I right?”

 

[…You misunderstand.]

 

“Whenever I speak with you, it seems I end up with quite a few misunderstandings.”

 

[It must be your imagination.]

 

“That as well.”

 

The rain had stopped, but the sound of it still echoed through the rooftop garden. A faint, passing sound that seemed to cling to the ears. The 25th-floor rooftop was so serene that it seemed it wouldn’t allow even a summer shower to intrude.

 

“Who knows how that Goblin was made.”

 

[…Could someone have created him artificially?]

 

“That is also unknown.”

 

Goblin are created for various reasons.

 

“He must have been the recipient of someone’s gaze, entangled in a relationship, for a very long time.”

 

From old objects or tools. Or perhaps from a spirit inhabiting natural things like plants, especially trees. From the condensation of Yin energy, or from discarded items.

 

But that man….

 

“….”

 

…It is a story too early to voice.

 

“Is it not a story too old now to deduce a time one has not even seen?” 

 

[…It is.]

 

“Who would have imagined a young Goblin being born in this day and age?”

 

[You did, Chairman.]

 

“I merely did not exclude the possibility. The young man in Seonhae’s stories was so full of human touch and so honest. That was not a demeanor a labyrinth with an ego could show.”

 

[That is true.]

 

“To think, a Goblin in this era. It is a marvelous thing.”

 

Whether the target is an object or a living thing, no one in the modern era gives that much of their heart. Not enough spirit and energy gather for such a thing.

 

“In truth, traditional Goblin are closer to an endangered species.”

 

[….]

 

“Are you thinking this old man is spouting more nonsense that would get me in trouble?”

 

[You misunderstand.]

 

“This old man has already misunderstood twice in less than ten minutes.”

 

[Yes.]

 

“Impudent thing.” 

 

[But calling them an endangered species… no Goblin would like that title.]

 

“Even if you call them ‘Goblin,’ there are only two of them.”

 

[But in Asia, there are many specifically….]

 

“I do not treat miscellaneous foreign ghosts as Goblin.”

 

[…If miscellaneous foreign ghosts heard that, it would be a statement to make them angry.] 

 

“That is why they are called miscellaneous ghosts.”

 

Korean Goblin value promises and loyalty. They are innocent and humorous, and they like people enough to live among them. They enjoy alcohol, pork, and buckwheat, and they live within honest rules.

 

Though they are not as naive as the ones in old fairy tales, they are still deities.

 

“Goblin are different from those overseas ghosts who suffer from intermittent explosive disorder.”

 

[….]

 

“They are a truly foolish race.”

 

[It seems you’ve taken a liking to him.]

 

“It is only right to accord proper value to things that are rare and special.”

 

[Which part was rare, and which part was special?]

 

“Well.”

 

If he were to choose the side that was comfortable to tell. 

 

“He considered himself a person.”

 

[Was he a person?]

 

“I do not know.”

 

[Surely….]

 

The child Baek Mujin cherished quite a bit asked.

 

[…Was he a person?]

 

The words were the same as before, but the meaning was different.

 

[From what I heard from Seonhae, he had the appearance of a young man around twenty years old. If you are suggesting that a young man of that age became a Goblin, then the possibility… in the first place, for a human to become a Goblin….]

 

“It was exceptionally deep and clear, looking like that of a pure human.”

 

Baek Mujin clicked his tongue.

 

“I’m saying all sorts of things now that I’m old.”

 

[That is….]

 

“I’ve said this, but it is an uncertain story. I could not bring myself to count the years that have passed within this hotel. My eyes ached, so I simply closed them.”

 

[Then, was he trapped?]

 

“He was imprisoned.”

 

[Who on earth would do such a thing?]

 

“I suspect it was the first master of this labyrinth, but I am not certain.”

 

There was too much to be seen, touched, and felt. His ears ached from the layers of screams and shrieks, and the flickering flesh of life and death on every wall dazed his eyes.

 

“Seonhae said that he looked like the only human in this place.”

 

Indeed.

 

“It was worthy of that.” 

 

In the middle of this living hell, he alone was keeping his humanity. 

 

“It seems he was offered as a sacrifice, yet to become a Goblin in the process. Things have become quite ironic.”

 

[….]

 

“This is not a labyrinth forged simply through something like a massacre. It is only when one conducts deeper research and puts in more sincerity that a place can be this chaotic.”

 

If someone had committed a deed of this magnitude, there was a place that came to mind. However, since the background of that place was primarily not Korea, he wasn’t certain. Baek Mujin organized his thoughts.

 

‘Being two while being one.’ 

 

Whether it be a labyrinth or an individual, it is by no means a common outcome.

 

“If possible, I would like for him to be well-preserved as he is.”

 

[…Yes.]

 

“Are you thinking I’m tiresome?”

 

[You misunderstand.]

 

“I hope today’s misunderstandings end within five times.” 

 

[I will keep that in mind.]

 

Baek Mujin’s children generally avoided him. Or tried to devour him. 

 

[Is it a Korean labyrinth for sure?]

 

“That is also not certain. The actors all took on the appearance of East Asians, but that much can be changed arbitrarily. The point to note is why they bothered to do so.”

 

[It must be because of that co-owner.]

 

“Seeing that he claims to be Korean and possesses such appearance and attitude, the essence must be Korean. Did a young man named ‘Lee Yeonwoo’ come up among the materials you searched?” 

 

[No.]

 

Alas, it was a regrettable answer.

 

[There is no one.]

 

“Nowhere?”

 

[…Instead of having been a person, could he be a Goblin that looks like a person? If there was no person named Lee Yeonwoo to begin with and he was just born now, that would at least make more sense….]

 

“Then there would be no way for a human spirit to dwell within him. It would have been difficult for a Goblin not even a century old to possess such humanity. If such a young Goblin exhibited such seasoned social skills, there would be no excuse for it.”

 

[But if such a young man has no records existing to this extent….]

 

“They were erased.”

 

At that point, Baek Mujin was rather impressed.

 

“Is it not marvelous? It means his value was great enough to warrant such measures. Because a single human named Lee Yeonwoo possessed that much value, they went to such lengths to erase him from the world.”

 

[….]

 

“What are you thinking? ‘You misunderstand’?”

 

[Yes.]

 

“You have one left now. You’d best use it sparingly.”

 

[I will restrain myself.]

 

“Right.”

 

Baek Mujin turned his gaze to the rooftop garden.

 

Nameless flowers and trees were in exquisite harmony. Appropriate lighting added to the ambiance of the night garden, and though it was by no means dark, the stars in the night sky were chillingly vivid.

 

A narrow waterway flowed gently along the garden path. Small minnows could be seen swimming inside it.

 

‘They are alive, yet withered as if dead.’

 

Ultimately, it meant this place was also a labyrinth.

 

It was a terrifying degree of peace, as if flowers blooming from white bones were whispering.

 

“He was broken.”

 

[…Do you mean the young Goblin?]

 

“He was embracing all the ominous things of this labyrinth.”

 

He didn’t know what the man had been thinking or what the process had been.

 

“That is why this labyrinth, this hotel, is so peaceful. Because he swallowed all those screams and all that pain alone, it can be this clean and pure.”

 

This was a paradise created by crushing a young Goblin.

 

“All sorts of ghosts stop by this place. There were many miscellaneous foreign ghosts as well. Despite having a status high enough to make them docile, his body is infinitely weak. He looks like he could die just from choking on his own spit.”

 

[Choking… you must be joking, right?]

 

“I suppose I don’t have much talent for that sort of thing.”

 

[….]

 

“Are you cursing me?”

 

[No.]

 

“My child, you have so much heart.”

 

Solemnly keeping silent at the tragedy of a young man whose face he doesn’t even know, and infusing his voice with grief. These are things Baek Mujin doesn’t have.

 

Things like a universal sense of responsibility toward humanity, sentiment, or anguish.

 

“Do not do that.”

 

Lest you be broken too.

 

Baek Mujin was always afraid of that. He worried that the things he cherished would be swept away and hurt by those trivial emotions.

 

It was an affection toward things he could not empathize with.

 

“To summarize, he is a young Goblin who was perhaps once a young artist… held captive by a labyrinth that systematically piled up blood and pain.”

 

[Could he even be an artist?]

 

“He is a material they labored over enough to have to erase him from the world entirely. It would be harder to think such a material was not an artist.”

 

[All the artists I know were just like you, Chairman.]

 

“That they have bad personalities? So that kind and diligent young man couldn’t have been an artist, which is a synonym for a personality disorder? Is that what you wanted to say?”

 

[….]

 

“Go ahead and say it’s a misunderstanding again.”

 

[You misunderstand.]

 

“Pathetic fellow.”

 

However, he understood. Because the artists Baek Mujin knew were generally ones with strong pride, knowing only themselves, and being arrogantly impudent to no end. 

 

Because they were so obsessed with their own work, they were ‘artists.’

 

‘So from this fellow’s perspective, it must be hard to see that man as an artist.’

 

It wasn’t that there were no artists who helped people and interacted favorably. It was just that such people were a secluded bunch in some ways, so it seemed difficult for the youngest, who didn’t know the inner workings of the art world, to understand.

 

How should he explain it so this child would be convinced? Baek Mujin continued in an impassive tone.

 

“…He actually showed talent.”

 

[What kind of…] 

 

“His ability to handle people was quite something.”

 

Those eyes seemed to pierce through Baek Mujin, and his ears seemed to swallow all sounds. He grasped Baek Mujin through his nose, mouth, skin, and unknown senses. It happened in an instant.

 

‘For a newborn Goblin, his skill at handling humans was excessively seasoned.’

 

It seemed similar to Baek Mujin’s own, but it was fundamentally different.

 

‘And that bell.’

 

The golden bell he used to call and command the staff.

 

“…Since every Goblin carries their own toy….”

 

Every time that bell rang, his gaze was forcibly pulled. Sometimes, a command was given.

 

Why was it a bell with that kind of power? Baek Mujin saw it as a fragment of the artistic talent the General Manager had possessed when he was a human. To wedge into another person’s world,

 

And call out to them as one pleases….

 

“….”

 

Should that inhumanity also be viewed as someone’s humanity? Baek Mujin didn’t know.

 

“…Since you failed to become an artist, you wouldn’t have a feel for it.”

 

[Then how did it look to you, Chairman?]

 

“A young Goblin, and, well.”

 

Baek Mujin withheld his words for a moment.

 

Perhaps he was once a student overflowing with talent. Now he has died and become a ghost, and even a horribly broken existence. Even while repeating death and pain close to eternity within warped time.

 

And one who held the leash of this deep and heavy labyrinth for the sake of a single thing: ‘humanity.’

 

“A monster, I suppose.”

 

[….]

 

A brief silence descended. His son answered in a low voice.

 

[…Your evaluation is harsh.]

 

“It was high praise.” 

 

[It didn’t sound like one to me.]

 

“I understand.”

 

But Baek Mujin remembers. When he tried to look into the General Manager’s inner self, his vision was blocked countless times and his hearing was blurred.

 

‘Something is preventing me from perceiving it.’

 

He is a young Goblin who hasn’t even lived for a century. He should even be ignorant of the ways of the world, stuck only in this hotel, yet such a being blocked the power of the seasoned Baek Mujin.

 

All while appearing as if he himself didn’t even know what he had done.

 

‘What a massive sprout this is growing into.’

 

In reality, it was simply that the ‘Existence Detection’ function of the game system had been activated, but Baek Mujin, who did not know the specific identity of this place, could only evaluate it that way.

 

“Do not pity him easily. Do not judge him recklessly either. He became a Goblin under the gaze of the labyrinth and is currently in the process of constantly suffering and dying, held captive by this hellish disaster, is he not?”

 

[….]

 

“Nevertheless, he saved people. He has lived as a human that way and still bestows goodwill.”

 

Though I still do not understand.

 

“To my eyes, it appeared that he ultimately succeeded in protecting ‘himself.’”

 

What on earth was that ‘person that is me’ he spoke of? When he heard those words, Baek Mujin truly wanted to ask. He simply refrained because it was obvious he wouldn’t get the answer he wanted.

 

“If he were an existence easy enough for you to pity and judge, do you think he could have done that?”

 

[You are telling me to kill even my human emotions.]

 

“…My impudent and foolish son….”

 

Baek Mujin lamented. How could he be so dim-witted?

 

“With what arrogance does a beast of the stall attempt to pity a man who holds not a knife, but money?”

 

It is a foul labyrinth, foul enough to require a death row inmate as a living sacrifice. It was that young Goblin who decorated such a place as this paradise. This was merely the trace of his young days.

 

“Without even worrying about being devoured in an instant before that existence.”

 

Baek Mujin knows. As long as he knows that essence, he also knew there would never be a day that Goblin became weaker than he is now.

 

[A Goblin who prides himself on being human. Fortunately, that won’t happen.]

 

“Who knows about that.”

 

What on earth did a Goblin priding himself on his humanity have to do with this weak-willed child? As if that man’s ‘humanity’ could guarantee anyone’s safety.

 

He hadn’t intended to say this much, but out of annoyance, more words came out.

 

“From what I can see, he seems to be involved in Blood Magic.”

 

The reaction was intense when he brought up the dangerous term.

 

[…Pardon?]

 

“Yes.”

 

[No, what do you mean by—]

 

It was the expected reaction. Baek Mujin listened to his son’s voice, which sounded like a groan, with a dry face.

 

[Then, has he perhaps become a cannibal by now….]

 

“My joke was excessive. Do not worry. No such signs were seen.”

 

[Then, is it the side where it has degenerated into a thirst for blood?]

 

“Not that either.”

 

[For one who isn’t even human, much less a young Goblin, that is impossible. There’s no way he could overcome instinct….]

 

“Even if a desire cannot be absent, it can be suppressed.”

 

[But….]

 

“Do you see now why I said it was dangerous?”

 

Baek Mujin knew what kind of existence he was. That was why he judged him so.

 

“…….”

 

[….]

 

It wasn’t that it was absent, but that it was there and being suppressed.

 

“Is this enough for you to understand?”

 

[…Even so, after hearing that he’s only 19, I can’t help but feel sorry for him.]

 

“The perspective through which you view the world is truly arrogant every time I hear it.”

 

To feel sorry for a monster of that magnitude—that, too, is a remarkable thing. Baek Mujin said as much.

 

* * *

 

At that time.

 

“….”

 

Lee Yeonwoo in the administrator quarters.

 

“…?”

 

While wiretapping the rooftop garden, he was experiencing an identity crisis.

 

“What… does this mean?”

 

“Hello?”

 

“I am not doing hello.”

 

Me, a Goblin?

 

‘I’m a person, though?’

 

A pitiful young Goblin?

 

‘I’m a sturdy adult, though?’

 

Really?

 

‘Me?’

 

Why…?

 

Can I just not do that?