I Opened an Inn Next to a Dragon’s Lair - Chapter 167
Only Noblemtl
Episode 167
Carnius looked at the table in front of him. There was a bottle. A small, thin glass bottle.
The bottle was filled with something dark gray. At first glance, it looked like muddy water. However, the texture was ambiguous. Was it a liquid or a gas?
“So, are you saying that this is a trace of a monster?”
“huh.”
“Hmm. A monster. The monsters I know don’t feel like this.”
Karnius immediately picked up the bottle and shook it. The contents of the bottle sloshed around. He immediately put his hand on the bottle cap. Just as he was about to open it.
“If you open that, it will run away.”
“I see. Then that won’t work.”
At Eugene’s words, Carnius clicked his tongue slightly and put down the bottle. There was a slight regret in his eyes.
But even without opening the bottle, I could feel the ominous atmosphere inside.
It feels like Magi. No, it’s almost the same. If I hadn’t known, I would have thought it was Magi. But Eugene said that this wasn’t the Magi he knew.
“So, are you saying that this is a trace left by a monster from another world?”
“huh.”
“A monster from another world… … .”
What I heard from Eugene earlier was quite shocking.
It is said that a monster from another world has invaded the continent of Karnis. The traces contained in this bottle are the traces left by that monster.
To be honest, it was a ridiculous statement, but since it was Eugene who said it, I couldn’t just ignore it. After all, wasn’t Eugene a human who had been to another world?
Besides, the other world was a topic of active research even in dragon society.
First of all, it is certain that the other world exists. This is a fact discovered through research.
Then the next question naturally follows. What kind of place is the other world?
For that, the dragons wanted to open a dimensional gate.
Opening a dimensional gate to another world. To achieve this, countless dragons are still working day and night on their research.
Carnius was not unaware of such facts, so he did not doubt Eugene’s words.
“According to what the elders of the clan say, there are hundreds of other worlds. Perhaps the monster from the other world came from one of those hundreds.”
“I don’t know about that. If your dragon said so, then so be it.”
“You couldn’t even reveal such things on Earth, where you said you’d been?”
“Yeah. I was in a hurry to stop it.”
“I see.”
Carnius had heard many stories about Earth from Eugene over the years.
The story of how the Earth was invaded by a horde of hideous monsters and almost destroyed, but eventually they joined forces to defeat the monsters.
A world where science and technology have developed. Now, a new technology called magic engineering has been grafted onto it, and it is an unknown world that is still developing at a dazzling pace.
Did those monsters that were said to have devoured that world really invade the continent of Karnis?
Neither Eugene nor Carnius can be certain of that. What is certain, however, is that it should not be passed over rashly.
Carnius raised himself. He soon ascended into the sky and appeared in his true form.
[I’m going to go see my mother. I can’t not tell her about this important matter.]
“Okay. Please.”
Soon Carnius disappeared like the wind.
* * *
A bottle containing traces of a monster. This bottle, called a ‘trace tracker’ on Earth, is an artifact that, as its name suggests, tracks the traces of a monster.
If you put traces of a monster in this bottle, you can track its location, but the problem is that you can’t track it if it doesn’t move. And the trace tracker Eugene has right now isn’t showing any response.
That means there’s nothing we can do.
‘You little monster, are you sleeping?’
I thought that might be the case. Even monsters are living beings. They eat, poop, and sleep.
Perhaps, seeing as the city was in chaos, they had preyed on humans, and the ones that were full might have run away somewhere and are now sleeping peacefully.
Eugene put the bottle in his pocket. He mixed water into the coffee and stirred it with a mixed coffee bag. Mixed coffee tastes best when stirred with a coffee bag.
“Good morning, sir.”
“Yes. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. Haha. Thanks.”
As he walked around the vacant lot, guests approached him, pretending to know him. Eugene greeted them warmly.
But the customers’ expressions looked a bit serious. They were whispering and talking about something. Did something happen?
“The atmosphere is a bit uneasy. Did something happen last night?”
“Oh, that’s right. A monster appeared, you know? At our destination. So I was having a bit of a discussion. Should I go or not?”
“monster?”
“Yes. They say it’s a monster summoned by an evil warlock. The lord there gathered soldiers to try to stop it, but it wasn’t enough or something. That’s why it’s chaos. People are evacuating, so it’s not an ordinary chaos.”
Then the merchant sighed deeply, tossing his head roughly.
“Ugh. I don’t understand why the world is in such chaos. It wasn’t long ago that we had a war with the multi-race alliance, and now there are monsters causing trouble. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes.”
The merchant sighed deeply. His face was filled with worry and concern.
“So what are you going to do? Are you going to continue on your way up? Or are you going to turn back?”
“We have to keep going. What can small businessmen like us do? The hostages are there.”
The merchant stretched out his finger. At the tip of his finger was their cart.
Two large carts. And a horse. That was all they had.
“If we turn back from here, the loss will be enormous. We may even go bankrupt beyond the deficit.”
“I see. I hope you complete your journey safely.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
The merchant bowed his head and joined the group. After checking out, they were preparing to leave. Eugene stared at them with a complicated feeling.
A city where monsters have appeared. A city in chaos due to refugees leaving. What are their feelings as they head towards a dangerous place where they might end up dead?
‘I hope you are safe.’
Eugene silently wished them well for the future. He hoped they would be safe and meet again as guests.
* * *
A few more days passed, but the tracker still had no response, meaning the guy wasn’t moving.
Eugene was able to be confident, since it wasn’t normal for there to be no response for several days like this.
‘It’s entered the incubation period.’
A monster that has eaten its fill to the brim and is completely satisfied will become noticeably less aggressive. When it reaches this state, it will hide in a dark, shaded place where no one comes and sleep for at least a month. On Earth, this is called the incubation period.
‘That’s fortunate.’
Eugene fiddled with the dark gray bottle. Entering the incubation period means that it becomes stronger. As it digests the nutrients it has eaten, its body becomes stronger and its claws and jaws become sharper. If it is lucky, it may evolve into a higher-level entity.
That was obviously bad news, but Eugene thought of it as good news.
‘If we time the monster’s appearance right, we might be able to eliminate it.’
Eugene put the bottle back in.
As soon as he appears, I will go find him and destroy him.
Suddenly the sky darkened. Eugene looked up at the sky. Something was blocking the sky. It was the golden dragon, Carnius.
As the light rose, the guy’s body shrank and transformed into a humanoid form.
“This body has returned.”
“Did you tell your clan?”
“Of course. My mother told me to tell you thank you.”
“Huh? Thanks?”
“Yes. Thanks to that, I was able to prepare in advance.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Eugene grinned. It was really lucky to have dragons as allies. The strongest creatures. How sturdy. There was nothing to fear when they were with me.
‘You shouldn’t get hurt twice.’
The Earth was dangerous, but this world doesn’t even want to allow danger. The neighbors in the forest, this inn, the staff, and even the guests. I don’t want to disturb this peace.
That’s why Eugene will actively block it.
“Eugene, don’t worry too much. Our dragons have always protected the peace of the continent. The humans of the continent don’t know that. They just call us tyrants. However, we never fail in our duty.”
Carnius’ eyes lit up. The guy was quite serious. Eugene was impressed by how cool he looked.
Oh, this kid is quite the poser. If he could seduce someone like that, they could easily fall for him… … .
Gulp!
There was a loud noise. It was coming from Carnius’ ship. The guy cleared his throat.
“Ahem. I’m a little hungry. Bring me some food.”
“Okay. What do you want to eat?”
“Hmm. I want to eat green onion pancake. Green onion pancake!”
Carnius smacked his lips. Eugene shook his head.
It’s pajeon. There’s nothing I can’t make. But I keep looking for it even when I have time.
‘Doesn’t this guy like pajeon too much?’
I like it so much that I’m obsessed with it. I’m almost a fan of pajeon.
* * *
Eugene’s inn always operates normally, whether monsters, beasts, or whatever appear.
Since spring, Eugene’s Inn has been a famous spot in Delphi Forest, so it’s always crowded with guests, and today was no exception.
No matter how noisy the outside is, this place, filled with only hustle and bustle, unintentionally becomes a meeting place for merchants and mercenaries.
It is not at all unreasonable to hear lines like, “Hey, aren’t you so-and-so’s older brother? Hey! I see you all here! Nice to meet you! Hahaha!” every day.
That’s usually something you hear from guests, but today it was Eugene.
“Customer. You’ve really changed beyond recognition. Are you the same shabby person you were before?”
“Rather, what I want to say is, hey, why has this inn changed so much? I almost didn’t recognize you if I did something wrong.”
A welcome guest has arrived after a long time. It is the goblin merchant, Jodi. A goblin merchant who fled due to the war between the multi-race alliance and humans.
When I came back after a long time, he had changed beyond recognition.
Appearance? No, the way you dress.
She had a jeweled necklace around her neck and an expensive ring on her hand. And why were her clothes so dazzling?
It was a sight that showed everyone that he was rich, so it was really amazing.
Eugene shook hands with Jody. He couldn’t help but feel happy, perhaps because she was a guest who had been visiting the inn since its early days.
“You’ve become rich in no time. How did you make so much money?”
“Well, I guess I was lucky. It was almost like the world helped me out.”
Eugene suddenly felt eyes on him. Looking around, he saw that all the merchants were looking in his direction.
‘Huh? Why are you doing that?’
Are you surprised that they’re goblins? No, you’ve seen them so many times that you should be familiar with them.
While I was wondering, I heard their whispering voices.
-Hey, hey. Look at that. Isn’t that Jodi?
-What? Jodi? Who is that?
-Don’t you know the guy called Merchant, Jody? You know, that goblin giant?
-Ah! I know!
‘Huh? The target, Jodi?’
And the goblin colossus?
Is this goblin that famous?
Eugene looked at Jody with a puzzled look. Jody just scratched the back of her head, feeling embarrassed.