I Am Not Goblin Slayer
Chapter 35: Thorn Cottage

"Burp—"  

Stepping out of the inn after a full meal, Gauss reconfirmed that Sophia wasn't to blame for the previous dishes' awful taste.  

After all, how could anyone make cheap black bread taste good without seasonings or other ingredients?  

You'd probably need magic that enhances food flavor to pull that off.  

But did such magic even exist in this world?  

Though others saw him as a mage apprentice, Gauss was still a magic newbie at heart and had no idea.  

The afternoon streets of the town blew with scorching wind as Gauss hugged the roadside, carefully avoiding cargo-laden horse and mule carts.  

"Widow's Lane... should be around here, right?"  

Despite his predecessor having lived in this town for a year, there were still many places he'd never visited—including Widow's Lane. He only vaguely recalled hearing about its existence.  

After asking directions along the way, he finally found himself before a deep, shadowy alley.  

Stepping over a gurgling clear ditch bordering the road, he set foot on a cobblestone path flanked by rowhouses inhabited by all sorts—artisans, herbalists, small-scale craftsmen, along with basement-level taverns and certain unmentionable establishments.  

Lightly dressed, heavily made-up women stood at doorways, waving pale arms to solicit customers. Gauss stole a few curious glances but averted his eyes when one turned his way, quickening his pace. He had serious business today.  

"Thorn Cottage... Thorn Cottage..."  

"Found it!"  

Near the alley's end, he finally spotted his destination—a small, grayish building mottled with lichen. He'd actually walked past it initially, but something felt off, nagging at him until he backtracked to notice the wooden "Thorn Cottage" sign nailed to the wall.  

"Am I at the right place?"  

Gauss eyed the dusty oak door with its brass bell, doubting whether this decrepit place was still operational.  

After hesitating, he knocked.  

His knuckles produced crisp raps against the wood.  

No response came from within.  

He waited a few seconds before knocking again.  

Still nothing.  

Had they moved away?  

Though Gauss hadn't spent long at Grom's smithy, the blacksmith had barely stepped out during that time. It wouldn't be surprising if his intel was outdated.  

Just as he considered leaving—  

"Creak—"  

The aged door slowly dragged open, its rusted hinges wailing like an injured animal's whimper, accompanied by an ear-grating screech.  

Gauss looked up to see an empty, pitch-black hallway behind the door.  

Who opened it?  

As confusion set in, a crisp female voice came from below him.  

"Who referred you?"  

Looking down, Gauss realized someone had been standing before him the whole time—just too short for him to notice without bending down.  

Despite her height, her face appeared to be that of a twenty-something woman with slightly reddish skin and smooth black straight hair.  

But so tiny! Was she even 80cm tall? Goblins stood taller!  

On the streets, Gauss worried some taller folks might accidentally step over her.  

Halfling? Gnome?  

Probably halfling?  

Gauss mentally reviewed while studying her—he'd seen non-human races before but never this close.  

Both halflings and gnomes were small-statured races, but halflings resembled "miniature humans," proportionally scaled down with greater agility.  

About 90cm tall, weighing 30-35 pounds (14-16kg), with ruddy skin and straight black hair—the description matched the petite lady perfectly.  

"Boy, I feel like you're thinking something rude," she said. "Who are you? Who sent you?"  

Seeming certain strangers wouldn't randomly visit her shop, she repeated her question.  

"Hello, ma'am. I'm Gauss, referred by Grom Bates from Black Anvil Workshop," he added the full name in case she didn't recall.  

"Grom?" The halfling raised an eyebrow. "Come in then."  

She stepped aside—though Gauss felt the gesture hardly mattered given her size.  

Passing through the entryway into the hall, the interior stunned him compared to the drab exterior.  

Dozens of brass chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceiling, while honeycomb-shaped wooden alcoves lined the walls, each displaying an overwhelming variety of items: monster parts, dried herbs, books, statues, unidentified eggs...  

His gaze suddenly locked onto a row of elongated objects neatly hung on display.  

Were those...  

Magic wands!!  

The wands varied in size—the shortest resembled Priest Daphne's forearm-length wand from Night Owl Squad, while the longest appeared nearly 1.8-1.9 meters, doubling as a potential melee weapon.  

The colossal dark-brown staff bore snake-scale-like cracks, with cloth-wrapped grip and an egg-shaped emerald glowing faintly at its widened tip. Gauss estimated it weighed over ten pounds—too heavy for most mages to wield comfortably.  

Too bad they all look unaffordable.  

Both the imposing greatstaff and delicate wands bore gemstones that screamed "expensive" even to his untrained eye. Reluctantly, he looked away.  

The halfling woman had already climbed onto a wicker lounge chair, utterly unconcerned by his presence.  

"I'm Andni, the owner here," she said, lazily rolling onto her side to face Gauss with interest. "What's your relation to Grom?"  

Gauss explained their connection.  

To his surprise, Andni looked astonished.  

"Just a shop assistant? Temporary help at that?"  

"What's wrong?"  

"Nothing. Just never thought that old bastard would change so much. He wasn't exactly the helpful type before," Andni blinked. "In fact, he killed without blinking."  

Gauss paused but offered no comment—Grom had treated him well, and the past was irrelevant.  

Noting Gauss's brief hesitation before calm return, Andni secretly found it boring.  

"Were you close with Shopkeeper Grom?"  

"Used to be. Same adventuring party. Haven't spoken in years though—both in Grayrock Town all this time, yet that heartless man..." She shook her head, her tone wistful but expression flat. "After all these years, you're the first outsider he's ever referred to me."