[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-am-not-goblin-slayer":3,"chapter-i-am-not-goblin-slayer-i-am-not-goblin-slayer-chapter-18":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Am Not Goblin Slayer",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1030608,1343,"Chapter 18: Familiar Faces","i-am-not-goblin-slayer-chapter-18",18,"\u003Cp>Exiting the Adventurer's Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gauss turned towards the blacksmith shop located in the same square.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He came here to sell his loot and purchase equipment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wooden spear had been damaged, and during the previous battle, he'd felt the overly long spear became unwieldy when entering his accelerated thinking state. Thus, he intended to select a new weapon at the forge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soot-blackened stone building bore a sign reading \"Black Anvil Workshop.\" Even before approaching, Gauss could feel the temperature rising several degrees in the surrounding air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Situated in a corner of the square, the workshop appeared rather inconspicuous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gauss knew this was Grayrock Town's finest smithy—the other workshops couldn't compare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He'd reached this conclusion during his early days in town when he'd worked here briefly as a temporary laborer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even then, he'd noticed how adventurers who clearly possessed extraordinary capabilities frequented this establishment for their equipment needs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond supplying elite weapons and armor, Black Anvil Workshop also offered mass-produced affordable weapons crafted by apprentices, along with secondhand refurbished arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While inexpensive, these weapons maintained decent quality—more than sufficient for ordinary adventurers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During his initial weapon purchase days ago, Gauss had debated visiting here, but his empty purse had ultimately deterred him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Entering the shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The workshop divided into front and rear sections, its layout unchanged from his working days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The storefront displayed rows of standardized finished products on display racks, while the forging area in the rear courtyard echoed with constant clanging hammer strikes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Browse freely, customer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A male apprentice with unremarkable features and freckled cheeks handled reception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coincidentally, Gauss recognized him—a superficial acquaintance at best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Malin, long time no see.\" Gauss initiated the greeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blacksmith apprentice Malin looked up, scanning Gauss head to toe several times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After initial confusion, those distinctive emerald green eyes triggered sudden recognition, making him exclaim loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh! You're...you're! You're?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recognized Gauss but struggled to recall the name, embarrassment gradually surfacing on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gauss.\" Gauss supplied helpfully. \"And I actually remembered your name, Malin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can't be helped! I greet so many customers daily—forgetting names happens.\" Malin laughed, reaching out to clap Gauss's shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seriously though, what's with this getup? Giving up hunting?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Gauss's current equipment appeared ragged, it clearly didn't resemble a hunter's attire either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, having interacted with various adventurers regularly, Malin could detect that distinctive travel-worn adventurer aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To him, Gauss now embodied the most generic lower-tier adventurer image.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correct.\" Gauss nodded. \"I recently registered as an adventurer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tch...lucky bastard. My folks would never let me become one.\" Malin's face soured immediately upon confirmation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gauss smiled faintly—his memories contained scenes of Malin complaining about parental restrictions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike rootless drifters like himself, Malin was Grayrock Town born and bred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His parents had expended considerable effort securing this Black Anvil Workshop apprenticeship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their hope was that mastering some craftsmanship would make him a proper blacksmith—a lifelong iron rice bowl occupation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To many, being a smith seemed far more respectable than bottom-rung adventurers constantly risking their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But restless youth like Malin couldn't appreciate such parental wisdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, he idealized the sword-and-sorcery adventurer lifestyle—roaming golden wheat fields with companions, slaying monsters for commissions, sampling food and drink across various village taverns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To him, life should resonate with such free-spirited melodies, not waste away before a tiny furnace with hammer and tongs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This outlook wasn't entirely wrong, but its accuracy remained limited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malin's mental image drew from established professional adventurers whose exploits indeed brimmed with color.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what about the overwhelming majority of lower-tier adventurers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Past Gauss wouldn't have known.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But present Gauss, having experienced it firsthand, understood Malin would likely detest true adventurer hardships.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brutal limb-severing combat, wilderness exposure with constant insect bites, perpetual vigilance against threats, and most crucially—the soul-deep isolation within vast untamed lands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even his two-day return journey from Birch Village to Grayrock Town had driven this home painfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Extend that to weeks, months, half-years? That loneliness would intensify unbearably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder adventurers preferred forming parties—few could endure that persistent intangible pressure alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though these thoughts flashed through Gauss's mind rapidly, he resisted lecturing Malin about harsh realities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply offered a meaningful smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Trust me, you wouldn't enjoy the adventurer life.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pfft—look who's talking! If someone like you can manage, of course this genius could!\" Malin retorted stubbornly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Secretly, he'd been saving up for gear to finally register at the guild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unaware of these plans, Gauss redirected to business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Anyway, enough chatter. I came to sell some loot—what's it worth?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dumped a large equipment sack onto the stone table with a thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's see...whoa, quite the haul! But pricing's above my pay grade.\" Malin gaped at the unpacked quantity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though quality seemed mediocre, he hadn't expected Gauss to produce so much gear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where'd you scavenge all this?\" Muttering, Malin hurried to summon the workshop owner from the rear courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Black Anvil Workshop's owner, Garon Bates, stood an imposing 190cm tall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He emerged still gripping a massive forging hammer, wearing a fireproof hardened leather apron that couldn't conceal his Herculean torso despite the wide belt cinching his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Short black hair framed his expressionless face, the left eye covered by a black patch while the remaining right eye bulged like a copper bell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More warrior than blacksmith in appearance—a common town speculation never confirmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, his exceptional metalworking skills had earned adventurers' respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So it's you, Gauss.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Contrary to his rough exterior, Garon Bates proved quite amiable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Gauss first arrived in town seeking temporary work, Garon had taken him in despite lacking any smithing skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Gauss hadn't stayed long, he remained grateful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Long time no see, Master Garon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Malin mentioned loot sales?\" Garon glanced at the table's assortment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He vaguely recalled this diligent youth with decent physique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pity he couldn't afford formal apprenticeship fees—Garon had to treat all employees equally to maintain fairness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correct. Salvaged from goblins.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even you turned adventurer now...\" Garon sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly he too considered adventuring an undesirable profession, having witnessed too many low-tier adventurers becoming wilderness corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Times grow ever harsher...\" He lamented while examining the equipment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worsening conditions bred more adventurers—peaceful eras saw more scholars, artisans, officials, and employees instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered fewer adventurers in his youth, yet now they comprised nearly 30-40% of Grayrock Town's population.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as an important waypoint, this ratio felt excessive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since you're practically a Black Anvil alumnus, I'll add 10% extra.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This cleaver—mediocre material but decent tempering. Worth 25 silver, though poor maintenance docked a few extra coins.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This dagger's too damaged for resale—only scrap metal value now...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Garon rapidly appraised each metal piece.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Total's 36 silver. Acceptable?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After brief consideration, Gauss nodded—knowing secondary weapon prices reasonably well, this seemed fair given the workshop's refurbishing efforts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He'd decided to sell the cleaver too—his average strength made prolonged wielding exhausting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Actually, Master Garon—any idea what this is?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gauss produced the green stone from his pouch.\u003C\u002Fp>",1142,"2026-06-03T09:23:13.161Z","2026-06-03T09:23:16.283Z",1,"novelbin.me","58c4126360f5fdde3f625c0fb3e1c1255068e1d2a3fe2b4a9f33db9d19ddba0d","i-am-not-goblin-slayer-chapter-19","i-am-not-goblin-slayer-chapter-17",414,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-not-goblin-slayer-cover.jpg"]