A Dark Fantasy Spy

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“Are you that famous money exchanger?”

Francesca asked.

“Maybe yes, maybe no,”

the goblin said.

“You wouldn’t come here at this late hour for fun…”

The goblin bared its snow-white teeth, and the flickering candlelight turned its sharp fangs a bright red.

“Are you here to sell something? Or to buy?”

“Isn’t it human nature to come to sell, but then end up buying?”

“…That’s not wrong.”

Whoosh!

In an instant, the magic inside the building surged. The wind from the magic swept away the dirt clinging to everyone’s clothes and bodies like a rain shower.

The goblin adjusted its glasses, its expression intrigued by the spectacle in front of it.

Camila and Pereyti, who had just come out of a shower, opened their mouths.

“I think I’ll survive. Thank you.”

“Well. Your skills are quite impressive.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

Francesca’s eyes formed soft arcs.

“My, my. I thought you were an adventurer, but you’re actually a magician.”

“Not like I was hiding it… Is that a problem?”

“None at all.”

The goblin scanned Francesca, Camila, Pereyti, and my faces before graciously welcoming us with the utmost politeness.

“Please come inside, guests.”

—

Episode 11 – Report from the Northern Front: All Clear

—

The goblin is quite an unusual race.

Most races, including humans, elves, and beastmen, are classified biologically as a single species. However, even if most races might belong to a single species, they are further classified based on physical characteristics, culture, customs, and religion.

Simply put, it’s somewhat similar to the concept of ethnicity.

Even among creatures belonging to the same human species, those living in Asia, Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East have slight differences. No two beastmen or elves maintain exactly the same physical attributes and cultural practices. Just like dog beastmen and cat beastmen are grouped into the ‘beastman’ race, but they are not entirely identical creatures.

However, goblins and the ‘greenskins’ are different. Greenskins have the same appearance and tendencies regardless of the continent.

The most famous characteristic of these goblins is their greed.

“Looks like everyone is familiar with goblins.”

“Seen a few at the bank.”

“Oh, fellow workers at the bank. There’s not many of those in the Empire. Very successful friends of yours.”

Goblins are as greedy as dwarves, and their obsession for riches can be compared to that of dragons.

To see them go mad over gold is akin to dwarves’ insanity over treasures piled in their lairs, explaining just how greedy a race goblins truly are.

Therefore, placing your trust in them with money is extremely difficult.

But,

“A trustworthy goblin is more reliable than any bank.”

In fact, there’s no race more stable and trustworthy than goblins to hold onto your money.

Stability and trust are relative concepts. In that sense, goblins who engage in commerce are one of the most trustworthy kinds of goblins.

The goblin leading with the candle smiled contentedly.

“I hope there’s a day I hear good reviews about my services.”

“Same here.”

Francesca conversed briefly with the goblin before we continued. The sound of several footsteps broke the silence as we crossed the dim corridor.

The windows, blocked so that not even a sprinkle of starlight could enter, made the hallway eerily gloomy. The goblin, holding the candle, began to speak in a calm voice.

“By the way, it seems this is your first time seeing me. Have you come to find the money exchanger?”

Francesca, nearest to him, nodded.

“Since you know the name ‘money exchanger,’ you must have some idea of what this place is. You know it’s a place for exchanging money, right?”

“It’s not just an ordinary money exchanger. There’s no merchant dealing only in items.”

The goblin grinned slyly at Francesca’s answer.

“Why would I only sell items? We also find them for you.”

“Find them?”

“Whether it’s a lost person or a lost item, it makes no difference. We can find anything for you.”

“……”

“But…”

The goblin, leading the way, suddenly halted.

Turning its head, it surveyed us with an intrigued smile.

“If you request, you would likely prefer to look for people rather than items.”

Its red tongue flicked across its green lips.

The somewhat impudent, slightly threatening grin elicited reactions from our group.

Francesca’s fingers gathered magic unseen behind her back, and Pereyti, wielding the essential gear of a typical adventurer, revealed his outline beneath his robe.

The silence in the corridor was so thick you could hear a pin drop.

I grabbed my pistol tucked at my waist, ready for any moment.

“…Whoa.”

Then the goblin’s voice broke the hush.

The goblin took a step back, placing a hand to its chest and bowed politely in apology. It spoke in an overly respectful tone.

“I had no intention of intimidating you. Please forgive me if I seemed rude.”

“…….”

All eyes surveyed the goblin’s face.

Francesca’s icy gaze lingered briefly on the grinning goblin’s face before shifting toward me. Though unspoken, I knew what she was inferring, so I gave a slight nod, indicating that ‘the back corridor is safe.’

At this, Francesca smiled as if nothing had happened. The magic gathered at her fingertips rippled like a mirage and vanished.

“Well, I understand. You probably meant no harm.”

“Thank you, guests. Now, shall we move on?”

The goblin gestured humbly towards the door at the end of the corridor. It was an old, heavy door.

As we approached, the goblin quickened its pace, racing ahead to reach the door first.

“Hmmm…”

Its thin fingers quickly traced the patterns on the door. Up, down, diagonally. The sharp nails continued to roam the door until we arrived.

And then,

“…Done.”

– Kwooom.

The door began to open.

Bright light poured in from the dark hallway, causing me to squint my eyes against the sudden brightness.

Without a care, the goblin bowed respectfully, extending its finger to indicate inside.

“Welcome to the exchange station, emporium, and information center. This is a place where you can be anything and nothing at all.”

The goblin’s white incisors gleamed in the dark.

“I hope you experience no loss during your stay.”

—

The shop nestled within the crumbled hotel was surprisingly neat compared to its shabby exterior.

It resembled a fancy bank branch cut out from somewhere and squished into this dilapidated ruin.

A bizarre shop with items haphazardly sewn and intertwined.

I stepped into this curious shop in the northern black market, where martial law had been declared, feeling as if I had stepped into a building I had seen somewhere before.

“Wow…”

Employees sat at long marble desks. Despite the late hour, they worked diligently as if just starting their shift, wearied expressions nowhere to be found.

Under the dancing, floating magical quills, letters were inscribed on the luxurious paper.

Seeing this, Francesca showed an intrigued expression.

“It reminds me of a magic tower. A self-moving quill is a magical tool that’s difficult to create; you’d hardly see it unless it were a place like a secretariat.”

“Are you bragging about it? Seems overly patriotic.”

“Hmmm… But, being an employee… One would have a sense of loyalty, right?”

For heaven’s sake. The spy sold secrets and still talks about loyalty. Francesca’s face, who had passed me classified documents from the Secretariat just a few days ago, was downright shameless.

I shook my head and turned my gaze; that’s when I noticed Camila being curious about something.

Within a wall completely filled with glass tanks, unusual tropical fish swam about.

“How cute…”

As Camila pressed her finger against the glass, the tiny tropical fish swam over excitedly, brushing their mouths against the glass as if to kiss her finger, causing her eyes to sparkle.

However,

“Whoa…”

Tentacles suddenly shot out from the bottom of the tank, attacking the tropical fish dancing in front of Camila. The purple tentacles, looking like those of an octopus and a squid mixed, quickly snatched a few fish and dragged them down to the bottom.

Camila’s eyes dulled as she witnessed the scene.

The tropical fish that had clustered around her finger had long since scattered, and something that had been the tail of a fish began to rise from the bottom but was caught by the purple tentacle, dragged down once more.

I patted Camila’s drooping shoulders sympathetically.

“It’s okay, Camila.”

“Wah…”

“Not as bad as the British releasing perch into Lake Victoria and wiping out tropical fish, right? Ah, dammit, fire, fire, fire! Put it out! Right now!”

Seeing the flames spring from her tightly clenched fist, I panicked. Camila shot me a glaring warning, suggesting that the next time I mentioned that, she would stuff a fire punch into my mouth.

Our bickering drew the shop staff’s momentary attention before they returned to their tasks.

Meanwhile, Francesca quietly beckoned Camila and me, both of whom were threatening each other with fire.

Having magically tidied her outfit, she surveyed the shop’s interior with an elegant posture, much like a noblewoman on an outing when the goblin who led us here spoke to Francesca.

“You’ve come to exchange, right?”

“Yes.”

“This way.”

The goblin gestured politely to guide us. The leading goblin walked ahead for a moment, stopping in front of a desk, then placed the candle down atop the desk.

The employee seated at the desk was also a goblin, and they talked without any distance between them. In fact, all the shop’s employees were goblins.

“This is a customer.”

“Are you here to exchange, Deputy Guild Master?”

“Yes. Start with the appraisal.”

“Right away.”

The goblin referred to as the Deputy Guild Master smiled back at us as he turned.

“This is the staff responsible for appraising your items. They may be new, but their skills are top-notch.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“Yes. I have some business to tend to, but feel free to ask our staff if you have any questions.”

The goblin, known as the Deputy Guild Master, bowed politely before disappearing somewhere. The goblin introduced as an employee put on his glasses and extended his hand.

“Please show me the item you want appraised.”

With a swish, gemstones poured into the goblin’s hands. As Francesca poured jewels of various colors from her fingers, she rubbed her thumb and index finger together, retracting her hand.

A spark of interest flashed in the eyes of the goblin behind the circular spectacles. Francesca’s form was unmistakably that of a magician, even to a fool.

Surely that wasn’t solely due to her magic.

“Hooh…”

Desiring mingled in the goblin’s gaze as it eyed the gemstones.

The goblin picked a green gemstone between its fingers, holding it up to the light, tapping the enchanted spectacles.

As it touched the frame with its nails, the magical glasses suddenly began to move. Strange colors swept across the lenses, and the goblin’s pupils widened dramatically before shrinking repeatedly.

Watching from the side, Camila whispered in my ear.

“What’s that?”

“Using magic. To be precise, infusing magic into a magical tool.”

It wasn’t me who answered. The head of the Order of Saint Andrew, Pereyti, brushed his beard with a peculiar look as he glanced at the glasses.

“It seems to be magic that helps in appraising, observing the gem. The spells are inscribed on the glasses, allowing even children to easily appraise items as long as they infuse their magic.”

“Oh… so this is used when appraising gems?”

“Not only limited to gems. Antique porcelain, artworks, even scores or books, or even cursed items can be appraised. Though, when identifying cursed items, no matter how excellent the magical tool, it cannot compare to a priest.”

Listening to him belittle wizards while elevating priests, I found myself at a loss for words.

The current alchemist’s amused smile suggested his disbelief. Perhaps Francesca and Pereyti were not the types to get heated and bicker, thus the situation did not escalate into chaos.

All the while, the goblin remained fixated on the gemstones as if entranced.

To outsiders, it might seem like he was displaying an impressive focus, but peering beyond the lenses revealed a greedy glimmer in his eyes, slithering like a snake while his tongue flicked along his lips.

“Hmmm.”

The goblin, continuing its appraisal, placed the gem on a silver platter.

The magical quill danced, and numbers and formulas densely filled the sheets of paper.

—

Lost in the gemstones, the goblin removed its glasses and jotted down numbers on a notepad, handing it to Francesca.

“I believe the appraisal value is about this much.”

As Francesca checked the value scribbled on the paper, she nodded with a smile.

“Not bad.”

“But if you apply the market price, the amount might differ a little.”

The goblin handed her another piece of paper.

On this one, only a pitiful amount compared to the initial appraisal remained.

Francesca’s eyes traced the figures, sketching arcs. Though her smiling countenance hadn’t changed, a slightly different smile emerged.

“Are you sure about this price?”

“Absolutely. I assure you there is no error. The price of appraisal gems declines over time due to the diminishing purity of magic within the stones. Although this one is in decent condition, it’s priced reasonably. Excluding the service fee, of course.”

“…….”

“If you wish to haggle, it’s not impossible…”

“Haggle?”

The goblin grinned, twisting the corners of its mouth.

“Oh, I suppose haggling is a term not befitting a magician. I misspoke, I apologize.”

“…….”

Magicians, as a race, are typically prideful. They did not form a magical society due to their high self-esteem. Rather, their high self-esteem flourished from living in a magical society.

When everyone else trudged around on foot, how could they not have self-esteem flying on broomsticks? Therefore, actions that humiliate their pride tend to be taboo within magical circles.

One such action is haggling. Those who cannot accurately assess the value of items are deemed unworthy of being called a magician.

Of course, this does not mean that every magician refrains from haggling when purchasing items; however, the manner of expressing it discreetly is vastly different from openly blaring it in front of someone. Delving into the group’s taboos transcends logic and practicality, bordering on emotional and face-saving issues.

And magicians are famously highly respectable, oftentimes even pompous.

“…Sigh.”

What else could I expect? What kind of expectation could there be of a black market? Rescheduling the price and humiliating others is quite characteristic of lowlifes. The goblin before my eyes seemed akin to the street vendors of Dongdaemun or Yongsan electronics market.

Hearing this made my frustration shoot up. What could this possibly be?

“Hmm!”

A strange sound escaped Francesca’s lips.

Looking through her fine, lilac-colored eyes halfway opened, she seemed ready to rip the goblin to shreds using elemental magic at this very moment.

However, neither magic gathering at her fingertips nor bloodshed occurred. Francesca’s voice reverberated around the shop buzzing with the noises of goblins just doing their jobs.

“Well, it’s okay. Let’s just forget this transaction.”

She tucked away the gem and turned to leave, still wearing a smile.

Yet, the voice of the goblin staff cut through the air, seizing her ankle.

“Where do you think you’re going without paying?”

The goblin’s outstretched hand bore down on Francesca.

“Pay? For what?”

“You need to pay an appraising fee.”

The goblin raised a finger.

“One gem. Preferably the smallest one. If you have any Takhorns, you may use those to pay.”

“…That’s quite an expensive appraisal fee.”

“Well, everything has its price, doesn’t it?”

The goblin bared its sharp teeth while flashing a grin. Unlike the goblin called Deputy Guild Master, this one’s yellowed, dirty teeth shone in the light.

Its green fingers, looking as though they could snap just by touching, pointed menacingly at us.

“If cash or gems aren’t possible, we also accept physical payments. Although a proper price would apply.”

“What do you mean?”

The goblin pointed at Pereyti.

“For instance, the sword the adventurer over there has or the brooch the magician is wearing.”

“…….”

“Though there will be an appraisal fee for valuating a physical item, we’re willing to waive this for our first-time customers.”

The goblin’s lips twisted. It appeared to mock someone.

Even though the situation was already getting somewhat chaotic, the other goblin staff members continued their tasks without even a glance our way.

“What will you do?”

I lightly nudged Francesca on the shoulder.

“Just toss them a gem. I can pay you back later.”

“Would that be wise? I’m curious if I give you something.”

“…Let’s not get too carried away among fellow civil servants. Let’s just be fair here.”

“Hmmm…”

At that moment, the goblin scraping against the desk suddenly spoke up.

“If physical items are too much of a burden, there are other options.”

“Other options? What do you mean by that?”

“By paying with your bodies.”

From between its twisted lips, sharp fangs emerged.

“You would simply need to assist our guild. From the payment we provide, you’ll receive the remaining amount after deducting referral and appraisal fees, making it a decent way to earn.”

“Hm… the kind of work you’re suggesting is…”

“Oh, fear not. It’s only similar to what adventurers do. Although, unlike adventurers, the requests we deal with are not necessarily legal.”

“…….”

Pereyti, as a knight, lightly tightened his grip on his sword.

In a place under martial law, with demons lurking nearby, engaging in illegal activities would be unthinkable for someone of his stature.

Glaring fiercely at the goblin, I held onto Pereyti’s shoulder.

“Causing a scene here would put me in a tight spot. My situation, and the person I serve too.”

“…Mmm. I’ll refrain.”

I lifted my hand from his shoulder.

Although the appraisal fees demanded by the goblin were quite steep, it wasn’t like I couldn’t afford it.

Francesca didn’t have to pull any gems out; I could use funds we’d received from the Military Intelligence Agency.

As a diplomat, it would create quite a problem if I got caught here. Returning now might ensure that I don’t get caught, but should blades clashing break out, the Military Police might receive a call from the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the Embassy of Abas.

So, I had to slip away as quietly as possible…

“Hm, who would be suitable? Magician? Or knight? The one in the tracksuit looks good too, but the woman next to him isn’t bad either.”

“Huh? Me?”

Suddenly called upon, Camila pointed at herself in bewilderment. The grinning goblin nodded.

“Given her dress resembles that of a magician, she must be one. So, how about you consider working for our guild…”

GAAAAH!

In an instant, the goblin collapsed into its chair, falling backwards.

The goblin hit the floor, clutching its head while rolling around like an armadillo.

Thwack. Crack.

The goblin, clutching his nose, screamed in pain, the blood trickling onto the marble floor.

“Damn it!”

The sudden scream jerked the goblins surrounding us into action.

Pereyti, observing the commotion unfolding, spoke in a voice filled with annoyance.

“Didn’t I tell you to remain still? How can you throw punches?”

“Ah.”

I rose, surveying the goblins encircling us and glancing at my bloodied fist.

“Shit, this is bad.”

Old habits resurfaced.

—

What unfolded happened within an instant.

The injured goblin sat helplessly, holding its nose and wailing, and as its comrade got attacked, the goblins at work began to surround us.

Looking at the approaching goblin horde, Francesca wore a faint smile.

“Well, we’re in quite the mess. What will you do now, Colonel?”

“Ugh…”

Francesca continued to smile. However, her voice had cooled, her gaze icy. It was a smile that concealed something else.

Pereyti, gripping his sword, clicked his tongue in disappointment.

“What in the world were you thinking to get us into this situation?”

“I didn’t… I just slipped into old habits for a second…”

“You have a habit of striking faces? You must manage that.”

“When I need info, sometimes a little hit is necessary.”

Generally, I don’t go around torturing; yet, if information is crucial or if the situation turns dire, violence may be necessary.

Just like now.

– Swish.

“Hey! Everyone get out!”

“Knives! Knives! Grab your knives!”

“Let’s strip them down!”

“A magician! Watch out!”

Goblin clamored, pulling out knives, axes, and bludgeons from unknown sources. Watching the goblins in their elegant suits gear up was akin to witnessing a low-budget B-grade gangster movie.

They looked ready to tear us apart in an instant, and I turned to stare out the barred window, obscured from seeing the sky, but the winter wind howled bitterly on this late night.

“What a perfect night to die.”

“Quit the nonsense and do something!”

As flames flickered from her hands, Camila shouted. I nodded in response to the thumping at my shins.

I drew my pistol firmly, aiming at the goblins who seemed stocky enough and wielding threatening weapons.

“Who do you think will start first?”

“Just don’t get hurt.”

Gun, sword, axe, clubs, magic.

As all of us glared at each other, ready to end the other’s life,

“What’s going on?”

From the distant direction the goblins had disappeared, a peculiar voice rang out.