It Seems I Must Go to Work Even After Falling into a Horror Story Chapter 099

I knew.

The Disaster Management Bureau was rigorously managing the information about this horror story, “Goblin Workshop,” to ensure that it didn’t leak.

To be precise… that was the extent of what I knew!

‘Just how they manage these horror stories, I had no idea….’

It wasn’t even mentioned in the [Dark Exploration Records]!

Who would have thought they’d be undercover in the horror story, filtering visitors and monitoring the creation of equipment?

Disaster Management Bureau staff pretending to be goblins within the horror story!

[Oh my? You’re a bit slow to respond!]

My head was spinning.

‘…What do I do?’

Wait a minute, what was I rambling about until now?

With a chill running through me, I replayed the past conversation in my mind like a panorama.

The decisive mistake was… I didn’t actually make any mistakes.

‘…It’s fine!’

I can still recover from this. I can, I can…

In that case.

I deliberately displayed a slightly pale and flustered expression.

“I apologize, but sir, I haven’t received permission to discuss such matters…”

[……]

I had no clue.

I was a clueless newbie completely unaware that they were a person, my senior agent.

Really, I was just a nervous wreck trying to respond appropriately after the goblin in the horror story started asking about my details!

‘Please!’

I lifted my head slightly, wearing a face that screamed ‘What should I do about this goblin?’

[Wow, these government workers are quite anxious about their duties!]

“…….”

Phew.

[They say government employees refer to their department as a ‘team.’ Why can’t you disclose that??]

“Y-yes. Um, yes… I’m sorry, the government decided it that way.”

[Well, that’s just boring!]

The agent pretending to be a goblin licked their lips and took a step back.

‘Alright, they’ve come around.’

Are they on our side?

[However, kind Mr. Kim who gave me ginseng, I’ll let it slide!]

It seems the agent was continuing to pretend to be a goblin.

‘…Did the bait work well?’

This is what’s known as teasing the junior.

This newbie was cultivating a desire to faint later when I hear “That person is an agent” from my senior.

I inferred that the agent had caught a whiff of the ginseng preserving in their tattoo.

‘Haven’t they become similar to goblins in abilities or personality by imitating them?’

Could this be a type of “equipment” they’re using?

And goblins just can’t resist that kind of fun.

“Th-thank you.”

I bowed my head accordingly.

[Kind Mr. Kim, I must at least offer a drink to show my gratitude!]

[Now, tell me, what goblin item would you like? You can sing or dance if you want….]

Now they want to give a newbie a present.

They probably considered that the ginseng I was carrying was a precious item obtained from somewhere and that I had been too flustered to just hand it over.

‘…The most natural response would be,’

“It’s… it’s fine, sir! Then… I hope you’ll do a favor for the next people coming, um, ‘government workers like Mr. Kim’ as much as you’re in a good mood.”

[…Oh? Is that so?]

“Yes!”

[Alright, Mr. Kim. I’ll cover the expenses!]

I smiled brightly and nodded. The goblin also swayed a little, looking somewhat satisfied with me.

Great. It seems I’ve passed this topic.

And naturally, the next subject shifted to the grip talk I was holding.

[So Mr. Kim came here today because… you want this charm to be prettily fixed up, right?]

“…Yes.”

This is the problem.

This agent was aware that my grip talk wasn’t made here…

Cold sweat broke out from my palms.

Sure enough, the agent in disguise asked the question.

[Where exactly did this item come from?]

“Um, I don’t know well. I received it as a present from the government…”

[Oh, I see, I see. Nowadays, government workers are running factories too, so they often bring items from other places….]

[That’s a risky business.]

“…….”

[You never know when a day goblin will appear!]

Right. The Disaster Management Bureau clearly wasn’t the only place making equipment for agents anymore.

‘Isn’t that Eunshim’s from another place too?’

Anyway, it seemed they misunderstood that it was made in one of such places.

What a fortunate misunderstanding.

‘Thanks to that, I’m safe.’

Seeing the agent keep pretending to be a goblin while even mentioning day goblins calmed me down a bit.

This allowed me to accept the situation easily.

‘Anyway, I’m really in a bad spot.’

That agent would certainly remember me for dropping by out of nowhere and offering ginseng today.

‘The moment they step out of this horror story and start chatting with the Disaster Management Bureau, I’ll be tracked as a suspicious person.’

…Is there really no escape?

[In any case, I’ll fix this charm completely, so just wait!]

“Yes….”

The agent, imitating a goblin, took my grip talk and slipped inside the tile-roofed house, aka the ‘workshop.’

They probably intended to hand it over to other goblins inside.

I waited patiently.

What if the agent figured out the situation and confiscated my grip talk, then placed an emergency call to the Disaster Management Bureau? That ominous thought made me break out in cold sweat.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long.

[Here’s your charm!]

The returning agent lightly tossed my grip talk to me. I held back swearing as I cautiously caught it.

There was still a crack on the grip talk.

But the groove was smoothly filled with some glimmering substance.

A jade-like adhesive.

“Oh, is this the repair completed?”

[Oh come on, even making rice takes time; how could an old timer’s skills be done effortlessly? You must wait until the adhesive sets!]

[Just don’t use it for a month, and treat it as gently as a baby swaddled in a pouch. While thinking about how you want it to look, make your wish! Then it’ll become a wonderful charm!]

A whole month?

“…Thank you.”

I carefully held onto the grip talk.

‘…It feels like it would just split apart if I applied a bit of force.’

I needed to handle it very carefully for the adhesive to set over that month.

Which means…

‘I won’t be able to browse the wiki for a month.’

Right now, I was trying my best to remember everything I read through daily and keep it fresh in my memory, and now I wouldn’t be able to follow that routine.

Naturally, I became anxious as a person’s memory has limits… but there was no choice. I had to endure. Finding a new grip talk seemed quite difficult.

‘At least I succeeded in repairing it.’

Then the remaining problem was one.

How on earth could I slip out naturally?

[Now, let’s enjoy a buckwheat cake brought by young Mr. Kim… and maybe talk about what government workers are up to lately!]

I don’t even know that…

‘If I keep talking like this, it’s only a matter of time before I blow my cover.’

Being tracked or whatever, I could be directly bound and sent to a glass prison at the Disaster Management Bureau right here.

…Right.

I steeled my resolve.

‘In the long run, I’m already caught.’

Then… even if it leaves a deeper impression,

I’ll spill it!

“Y-yes, sir. I….”

I choked.

I couldn’t hold back and just blurted it out.

Gagging, a chunk of blood flowed down my chin.

Hastily wiping it with my sleeve, I looked at the goblin in shock.

“I-I’m sorry…”

It wasn’t just innocent blundering.

The blood was.

[Mr. Kim…!!]

Traditionally, it’s the reverse scale of a goblin.

Thud, thud, thud.

The massive tile-roofed house shuddered.

This is scary! This is scary! This is scary!

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

[Oh my! Everyone stop the fuss! Nothing’s going on!]

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

Even though the agent yelled, the tile-roofed house continued to vibrate. I turned pale, covering my mouth, and gagged.

“I-I’m sorry.”

[Get out now. I can’t let the fool who sent an injured newbie into the goblin workshop off the hook!]

“A-no! Sir, I… I came in without knowing anything.”

[What do you mean ‘sir’! This idiot, do you still not get it?]

It seems I really have to pretend to catch on.

“…!”

I widened my eyes and hastily stood up.

“C-could it be…?”

The goblin-shaped agent crossed their arms.

[You ought to be grateful that this senior is here. Newbie.]

“Yes, yes… I’m sorry.”

I just barely managed to lift myself up with a look that screamed, ‘What in the world is going on?’

Thud. Thud.

Now, sounds like brooms or wooden clubs hitting the door of the tile-roofed house could be heard.

Hearing that, the agent, clicking their tongue, yelled at me.

[If your body hurts, you should rest. Why crawl in here? Did the headquarters send you?]

Huh?

This could work out well…

“…No, I wasn’t.”

I quickly searched my brain for one of the various episodes that had happened at the Disaster Management Bureau.

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

It was a sort of courage test where we demonstrated our competence and bravery against one another.

Good. With this…

“…My colleagues told me to go and bring back the Memorial Grip Talk….”

The agent flinched.

[Do they still do that sort of thing nowadays?]

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

The agent, still in goblin disguise, seemed to be holding back laughter before rubbing their face and waved their hand at me.

[……I’ll let it slide this time without reporting it. Just get out.]

It worked.

“Th-thank you.”

[What’s your code name?]

“It hasn’t come out yet, so… I’m thinking about what would be good.”

[…I see. I’ll keep an eye on you if I get the chance.]

The agent pretending to be a goblin waved their hand.

Swish.

At that gesture, I was pushed out…

[Go in and get some rest.]