The Goblin’s Bakery Demand

“Though I’d been consistently surprised until now, today felt particularly overwhelming. The sheer volume of sounds exploding in quick succession was enough to make my head spin.”

“I haven’t said anything particularly remarkable, so why is everyone making such a fuss?”

“You’re the biggest problem, Sir Haut, you know?”

Nocturne stretched out both hands, blocking the space between Jack and me. I wasn’t entirely sure why they were all in such a panic. Even Faust joined in, gripping my hand tightly and gazing at me with a desperate expression.

“Sir Haut, perhaps we could, for now, put off the whole ‘city annihilation’ plan? If you were to proceed, you’d instantly become a public enemy, making your demon hunting endeavors rather inconvenient. And then there’s…”

He then stared intently at Bodangbo, who was nestled in my arms, and sighed.

“Bodangbo? He’d also… be troubled by it, you see.”

“Bodangbo, would it bother you if I wiped out humanity?”

At my words, Bodangbo’s eyes darted between Faust and me before he quietly spoke.

“No bakeries. They’re delicious.”

“Hmm… then wiping out everything would be impossible. If I clear out more than half, they won’t do business.”

If the designated population drops below half, cities enter a recovery mode, and shops temporarily cease operations. I hugged Bodangbo close, patting his back as I explained.

“Jot down their names and appearances. I’ll make sure to clear them out later.”

“I can manage that myself. Pata, you’ll be apprehended if you act like that. Even if humans are weak, their armies are formidable.”

“It would be a nuisance, but perhaps I should simply become emperor? Would it be beneficial if I enacted a law, say, ‘attacking you warrants the death penalty’?”

“Then you can’t come to see Bodangbo.”

“On second thought, I still have demons to hunt, which would indeed be problematic. My apologies. I’ll clear them out before I start making peas.”

“Are there still many demons left?”

“Yes. Quite a few major leaders.”

With the respawn mod gone, everything I’d caught before must have revived, right? So, to catch all of them, including the major bosses…

“Roughly 108. No, 106. I’ve caught two already.”

“Were there that many demons, Pata?”

“No, I’d killed them all already, but a problem arose, so I have to kill them again.”

“Do you need me?”

Even though it had been a while since he’d come, an event popped up, asking if he wanted to follow me. While not as much as Bebe, this one was also cute, and I’d cherished him quite a bit, so his favorability must have been maintained. I smiled and shook my head.

“You’re a good companion, but your damage output is too low, so no.”

As a goblin, Bodangbo can only use one-handed weapons like daggers or clubs. He specializes in chaining small attacks, making him unsuitable for boss-level demons that require raw damage. Moreover, he can only cast intermediate magic a few times.

Crucially, I’m currently raising these others, so if the party expands, the experience points we can share will decrease. Even though Bodangbo is max level and doesn’t need experience, fighting alongside him still consumes a share.

“Let’s head out for now. The bakery closes for the evening, doesn’t it? Let’s hurry and get some ice cream.”

As I started to leave, carrying Bodangbo, Faust tightened his grip on my hand. Huh? Was he still holding on? I turned to see him giving me and Bodangbo an odd look, his gaze flickering between us.

“Sir Haut, I—I understand your strength, but if this individual, Bodangbo, were to appear in the city center, it could indeed create issues.”

“What’s really wrong with you all? Do you have to say such things about someone so cute?”

“But, that is…”

“Don’t say another word. I don’t want to hear it. You two, just go to the Holy War right now. You’re being annoying.”

“Sir Haut…!!”

“I truly don’t understand what the problem is with Bodangbo.”

When I spun around, the other three started clinging to me, chattering away, but I didn’t even pretend to listen.

Having ascended from the underground, I couldn’t fathom what all this commotion was about. Bemused, I asked Nocturne, who stood behind me.

“Why are they like that?”

“Are you asking because you genuinely don’t know, or are you pretending not to?”

“Because I don’t know.”

I emerged carrying Bodangbo, and upon seeing me, people shrieked in terror, scattering in every direction. Soon, the street was deserted, leaving just the three of us—Bodangbo, Nocturne, and me—standing alone.

‘Why are they acting like this? I’ve often seen people frown at Bodangbo, but I’ve never seen them react this strongly.’

“A monster has appeared in the heart of the city; who would be sane right now?!”

“But it’s Bodangbo.”

“To everyone else, he’s not! Those people have no idea who this goblin, Bodangbo, is!”

I couldn’t fathom why he was yelling again. Nocturne was practically roaring, even stomping his feet in frustration. Weren’t you a fox-like character when we first met? Had getting closer changed him so much?

“You’re angrier than I thought.”

“This is driving me crazy, seriously! Sir Haut, please try to understand human society a little more!”

“I understand enough. How much more do I need to know?”

Now an NPC is lecturing me about social skills. It’s quite amusing to see the sprout on his head fluttering as he stomps around. I wonder when I’ll level him up enough for that sprout to fall off.

Currently, I was with Nocturne. Jack and Faust kept spouting strange nonsense, so I simply nudged them to return, sending them on their way. For now, I’ll enjoy a date with Bodangbo today. Tomorrow, I’ll seek out the Holy War and procure a map of the demon nests. I’ll also pester Hamman for some revelations, then bring Jack and Faust along.

Nocturne, having exhausted himself with his solitary outburst of frustration, slumped over.

“Alright, fine. It was my mistake to meddle, thinking I could pull off a stunt.”

“Are you tired? I’ll buy you some bread too. The bakery at the crossroads is delicious.”

“Th—!! Sigh. Yes, well. Let’s just eat for now. Things will work out somehow.”

As we walked, it was rather pleasant, with everyone having fled the streets. Still, it was a bit unsettling to see Bodangbo, nestled in my arms, rolling his eyes and acting cautious. Hmm. Why is he behaving like this now?

Upon entering the bakery, the owner gasped in terror, trembling violently while clutching a rolling pin. He tried to speak, but his words were nonsensical, making it impossible to understand. Why was he so terrified?

“That’s strange. Isn’t this Ding Dong Daeng?”

“Y-yes, it is, but—before that, what is that in your arms…!!?”

“Prepare ice cream waffles for me. All the varieties you have. Oh, and two of every bread. I’ll take the bread to go, and eat the waffles here.”

Even the NPC shop owner was acting strangely. I’d placed an order, but why wasn’t there a response? Bodangbo, still in my arms, whispered.

“Order pudding too. I want custard.”

“Ah, while I’m at it, I should buy some jam too. Take it and eat it.”

The shop owner merely stood, trembling, staring at Bodangbo and me. The other humans had already shrieked and fled the premises.

“Why are they like that?”

“I don’t know. They’ve been like that since a certain point. And if we stay, the guards will come.”

“Could it be that you, too, have a bounty on your head without realizing it?”

“No. I only did business. It’s true.”

Right. Bodangbo is highly intelligent; he wouldn’t just attack someone for no reason. The shop owner, trembling, suddenly collapsed onto the floor.

“M-monster…!! P-please, s-save me!”

“What’s wrong? Hurry up and bake the waffles. Aren’t you going to pack the bread?”

“Sor-sorcerer?”

“Who are you calling a sorcerer? Do I look like such a low-tier evil-aligned character? That’s too much.”

I’d been wondering if they truly didn’t recognize me, and it seems they genuinely don’t. I mean, I intentionally avoided reputation grinding, but I’m still a noble who’s received a knight’s title through meritorious deeds. How could they not recognize me?

“Ah, has the payment method changed? Is it upfront payment now?”

How much for all of this? When I pressed for the price, the shop owner burst into tears and replied.

“T-two, two gold…!! Please save me!”

“I told you I won’t kill you. Anyway, it’s that cheap?”

What was happening? Could the market price truly have plummeted this drastically? Shouldn’t it cost at least 2,000 gold? As I rummaged through my inventory, I accidentally fumbled, having too much money, and a 5-gold coin clattered to the floor.

“Hey, if I give you 5 gold, will you deliver?”

“Sir Haut, isn’t that far too much? Even 2 gold is incredibly expensive for bread…”

“You really must have lived in poverty. Saying 2 gold is expensive. Even beggars get at least 1 gold when they receive alms.”

“What kind of beggar in the world gets a whole gold coin?!”

The kid must have been too weak to earn much. Indeed, according to the game’s settings, even a guard’s monthly salary is 5 gold, so how could someone so weak earn any money? Thinking that, I felt a pang of pity.

With Bodangbo still cradled in one arm, I extended 5 gold coins to the shop owner with my other hand and asked.

“Deliver or not? Just tell me quickly.”

The shop owner, his face pale with fright, looked at me, then the gold, before gulping and snatching the coins.

“W-where should I deliver it?”

“The sewers.”

“Huh? Uh… that is…”

The shop owner’s eyes darted around, then he stammered, gauging my reaction.

“The sewers, you see, d-delivery there is quite d-difficult. There are ruffians, and it’s a bit…”

“Hmm, how much extra if I hire a mercenary?”

“It’s also unreasonable to call an expensive mercenary just to deliver bread, you see.”

I couldn’t understand why he was stuttering so much. Was the shop owner’s character setting a stutterer? I took the shop owner’s wrist with one hand and helped him up. He shrieked and jumped at merely having his wrist held.

“Waffles of every kind. Lots of ice cream. I gave you extra money, so there’s no additional charge, right? Pack everything here, all varieties.”

They used to deliver before, but I couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t possible now. Well, considering I was only paying about a thousandth of the usual gold, the in-game market information might have changed.

Sometimes system errors can be a good thing, I suppose?

“Give us drinks too. Coffee for me. Black tea for Bodangbo. Nocturne, what do you want to drink?”

“Can we really afford to be this relaxed?”

“You’re not going to eat? Are you the type who doesn’t eat anything before a meal?”

At my words, Nocturne gazed wistfully at the shop owner, who was sweating profusely, and sighed.

“Coffee for me too. Strong, double shot.”

“You heard him? We’ll be sitting over there. Bring it quickly.”

Inside the bakery, there were three tables for dine-in customers. That hadn’t changed. We took a seat by the window, which offered a good view of the outside. Although, people passing by kept performing strange antics, fleeing whenever our eyes met.