Chapter 29
Blink. Blink.
At the sudden turn of events, the merchants simply blinked blankly with their eyes wide open.
People approached them.
“Excuse me, is this really the Goblin Market?”
The people who had come here were customers who had heard the song sung by the little children and had come out of curiosity.
And there were as many as twenty of them.
After all, it was only natural that they would feel a little frightened about going to a secluded place at such a late hour based solely on a rumor.
So a large group had come all at once.
“Isn’t it? The Goblin Market?”
“Well, I…”
The merchant who was holding Hayun hesitated to answer, looking troubled by the repeated question.
“Ow!”
Hayun poked him sharply in the side.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and get ready to receive the customers.”
“Huh? Oh, right, right. We should.”
As though nothing had happened, the merchants quietly lowered Hayun back onto the ground.
“Customers really are coming…?”
“I know…”
Whatever the reason, customers had come at this late hour.
And not just a few… they numbered nearly twenty.
It was the exact same number of people who had visited Eun-pyeong Market throughout the entire day.
“Ahem. Ahem.”
After being set down on the ground, Hayun put something over herself. What she had put on was none other than a goblin mask.
“Ah, ah.”
After briefly checking the condition of her voice, Hayun began delivering the lines she had prepared beforehand.
“Greetings. Welcome to the Goblin Market. We are goblin merchants. We appear every night at sulsi and disappear again.”
“Wow! It really is a goblin!”
The customers enthusiastically cheered at the introduction that sounded just like that of a real goblin.
Although she was wearing a mask right in front of them, making it obvious that she was fake, that was not particularly important.
‘It’s kind of like a maid café, I guess.’
The customers knew, too.
They knew there were no real goblins here. But the reason they had come was that they wanted to see goblins, even if they were fake.
And Hayun’s role was to satisfy the customers’ fantasies.
Immersing herself in the setting, Hayun continued her lines.
“The human customers who have come today are quite lucky.”
“Why?”
“Today is the first day the Goblin Market has opened.”
After pausing for a moment, Hayun opened her mouth.
“I shall give each of you a chance to draw a lucky pouch.”
“A lucky pouch?”
“Here, take one from inside.”
As Hayun said this, she held out a pouch whose contents could not be seen.
Then, after giving a subtle signal with her chin, one of the customers standing nearby put a hand inside the pouch.
“Like this?”
“That’s right. Take one out from inside.”
A moment later, when he pulled his hand out, there was a piece of paper folded in half.
“Check it.”
At Hayun’s words, he unfolded the paper.
“It says fifth place.”
“Fifth place… Let’s see.”
After checking the ranking, Hayun rummaged through another pouch she had prepared beforehand.
Then she took out the prize corresponding to fifth place.
“For fifth place, I shall present you with a cute goblin club.”
“Hahaha. Thank you.”
The goblin club Hayun gave him was a small toy carved from a tree branch.
It was not as large a gift as he might have expected, but considering the theme of this place, it was an item that fit perfectly.
“I want to draw one too!”
“Me too! Me too!”
“Please let me get a good one!”
“I’m definitely getting first place!”
The other customers took turns enthusiastically trying their luck, but the highest ranking anyone managed to draw was fourth place.
Naturally, among the numerous lucky pouches, there was only one first-place ticket. The rest were mostly fifth-place tickets that were practically duds.
“Aww, fifth place. What a shame.”
“I wanted to draw something better, too…”
“Tch, can’t be helped…”
For the disappointed customers, Hayun said,
“Do not be disappointed. There is still another chance.”
“Really?”
“From now on, anyone who purchases an item from the Goblin Market shall be given another opportunity to draw a lucky pouch.”
“Wow!”
It was nothing more than a small event. But that small gesture provided something interesting for the customers while also promoting sales.
Hayun hurriedly said,
“The market will close in half a shijin, so it would be wise to look around quickly. Once the moon rises, we must leave.”
“Yes!”
Upon hearing that they had little time left, the customers hurriedly began wandering around Eun-pyeong Market.
Eun-pyeong Market, with darkness settling over it, was the very definition of a goblin market.
The abandoned buildings scattered here and there, the enormous goblin statue, and Hayun, welcoming customers while wearing a mask.
All of it came together to create the illusion that they had truly entered a goblin market.
“The atmosphere is incredible…”
“I know. It feels like a real goblin might actually appear.”
“Heh heh, even though it’s summer, it’s making me break out in a cold sweat.”
“Wow, this is way too good to keep to myself!”
“Me too. I think I’ll come back with some other people tomorrow.”
In an era like Joseon, when there were almost no things to see or enjoy, the Goblin Market designed by Hayun was practically a kind of theme park.
And Hayun knew.
She knew that when people went to a theme park, they opened their wallets easily.
‘You’re not spending money. You’re buying memories.’
A theme park visited by the whole family.
In such a place, it was difficult to refuse when a child asked their parents to buy something.
Any parent wanted to give their child a special memory. Even if they were not family, everyone tended to be more generous with their spending for at least that one day.
“Oh! Look over there! Pumpkin taffy!”
Just then, the customers spotted a pumpkin taffy seller and approached him. Hayun frowned when she saw him.
‘Ah! That person!’
He was the merchant who had sold pumpkin taffy to Hayun on her very first day. The quick-witted merchant was already wearing a goblin mask as he welcomed customers.
“Excuse me… How much is this?”
When asked the price, the merchant silently held up one finger.
“One coin?”
Nod. Nod.
“It’s not very expensive. I’ll take one.”
Even though pumpkin taffy was not an expensive item, it normally was not something that would sell this easily.
At the same price, there were plenty of similar snacks to choose from. But perhaps because it was being sold by a merchant wearing a goblin mask, even ordinary pumpkin taffy felt more special.
After that, countless customers purchased pumpkin taffy.
“I was getting hungry anyway. This works out perfectly. I’ll take one pumpkin taffy, too.”
“Oh? Then I should get one as well.”
“Me too. Maybe because I’ve been sweating so much, I’m craving something sweet.”
“I’ll just take ten.”
The power of the goblin mask was tremendous. Just by wearing a single mask, people were naturally gathering around.
At the Goblin Market, only those wearing goblin masks looked like real goblin merchants.
As if to prove it, the stalls of the merchants who had not yet put on masks remained completely empty.
‘That’s it!’
The merchants who gained an insight from watching that scene began putting on goblin masks one after another.
And they immediately began promoting their goods.
“Come over here! Take a look at these things made by goblins!”
“Shoes made by goblins! These shoes are as light as feathers!”
“Goblin rice cakes for sale! They’re wonderfully chewy and absolutely delicious!”
Perhaps because they were merchants, every one of them was exceptionally quick to catch on.
The merchants realized that the goblin masks helped their business and voluntarily began claiming to be goblins themselves.
Then something magical happened.
Customers who, in the past, would have simply walked past no matter how much the merchants called out to them began crowding around the stalls and examining the goods.
“That rice cake… Should I try one?”
“Sure, since we’re here anyway, might as well buy one.”
“They said this was the Goblin Market. There really are all kinds of things to see here.”
“Look at these shoes. Maybe because they’re goblin shoes, they really do look light.”
“Mister. No, Goblin-nim. I’ll take a pair of shoes, too.”
“I’m going to wear these tomorrow. And I’m going to brag about them all over the neighborhood.”
This was the power of a story. Even when the exact same object was being sold, its value changed depending on where it had been purchased.
The things purchased here today would be talked about by people for quite some time.
That alone was enough reason to purchase something at the Goblin Market.
They had gained something to brag about for several days.
“You bought something at the Goblin Market?”
“A market where goblins sell things?”
“It only opens for one hour every night?”
“No way. Where is there a market like that?”
“If you don’t believe me, why don’t you go see for yourself?”
The rumor would spread like this, stimulating people’s curiosity.
And there was no doubt that people who could not overcome their curiosity would come to the market, and then bring other customers with them.
‘There’s no need for promotion anymore. People will gather on their own.’
Hayun was already planning the next stage, beyond mere promotion. For this place to be maintained for a long time, it needed not only a concept, but also the merchants’ sincere hearts.
“Wow! Look over there! They even have a goblin hat!”
“Then is this a goblin’s clothing?”
“Maybe because they were made by goblins, every single one looks special…”
“I want to buy this one, and that one, too…”
Just as the customers were thoroughly enjoying themselves as they looked around the Goblin Market with curious eyes…
Ding, ding, ding!
Suddenly, the sound of a bell rang out.
Then Hayun appeared, wearing a goblin mask.
“I’m sorry, but that concludes our business for today.”
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