Chapter 26

Geron and Skadi had finished preparing the feast and were waiting for the wendigo.

Warm fur clothes, stew filled with meat and vegetables, alcohol, various breads, and dried fruits were already prepared, but…

Why isn’t he coming??

“Skadi-nim. Spirit-nim is later than expected, should we send some warriors?”

Geron expressed his concern to Skadi.

It wasn’t that he thought the wendigo would face trouble somewhere.

Rather, he was worried that he might be struggling with some problem they didn’t know about.

At Geron’s statement overflowing with loyalty, Skadi smiled and shook her head.

“Geron-ssi’s thought isn’t wrong, but even if warriors enter the forest, it would be difficult to find Wendigo-nim. Ordinary senses can’t feel Wendigo-nim’s presence.”

“Ah… My thinking was shallow.”

Finding the wendigo in the forest, whose presence could only be noticed when seen, wasn’t an easy task.

Obviously, if warriors went to look for the wendigo, they would struggle. Bluntly put, even if he passed right by, they wouldn’t know if they couldn’t see him.

Skadi reassured Geron in a calm voice.

“Don’t worry too much. If you’re really concerned, why don’t you inspect the village? Sometimes, moving around can ease worries.”

Geron admired her attitude that showed such firm belief.

Was it this kind of faith that allowed her to contract with Spirit-nim?

‘If even Skadi-nim isn’t worried, I was being fussy. Yes, let’s prepare more thoroughly so as not to be a burden.’

Geron nodded with respect and went inside.

Once Geron was far enough away, Skadi grasped the ice necklace, the symbol of her and the wendigo’s romantic(?) encounter.

‘If something had happened, he would have contacted me, so it must be fine.’

Skadi smiled as she caressed the ice necklace.

Unlike Geron, the reason Skadi wasn’t worried was because of the ice necklace.

She had faith that if the wendigo encountered any problems, he would contact her first.

With this ice necklace, the wendigo’s message would surely be conveyed to her anytime!

However, he hadn’t used it since escaping her homeland…

‘I guess there was no particular reason to use it.’

Skadi brushed that part off as insignificant. After all, for the wendigo, most problems probably wouldn’t be hardships.

How long had she been waiting, stroking the ice necklace?

“!”

Skadi’s eyes flashed as she felt a familiar mystery.

Soon after, the wendigo emerged from the forest, carrying a cocoon made of roots.

“Wendigo-nim!”

“Why are you waiting outside? It’s cold, wouldn’t it be more comfortable to wait inside?”

Skadi hurriedly ran to the wendigo’s side.

Although she was a bit concerned about the presence felt from inside the cocoon… she decided to ignore it.

Wendigo-nim must have a reason!

‘Is she not bothered by the cocoon? No, maybe Skadi trusts me and overlooked it.’

Unaware of Skadi’s fanatical thoughts, the wendigo just found her admirable.

As the wendigo arrived at the front, Ivan’s group began to appear one by one.

People exclaimed in admiration at the village that was larger than expected, the sturdy-looking palisade, and the strange warmth permeating the village.

“It wasn’t like this when we came before?”

“The snow here isn’t frozen. They’ve already cleared all the snow?”

“It feels a bit warm too.”

While most people were talking about the village, some skilled in farming showed interest as they touched the soil.

Moist, deep black soil. This is… black soil, isn’t it?

“There’s black soil in this forest? No, how has such land not been discovered?”

“I learned from my father that this rich soil could only be found in warm places where the Empire bastards live…”

As the village’s appearance was better than imagined, the anxiety flowing among the people began to fade.

The wendigo realized this was the timing to capture people’s hearts, and so did Geron.

Geron, who appeared from somewhere, shouted loudly.

“Now! Everyone follow me! Spirit-nim has prepared clothes and food for you all!”

“Spirit-nim did?”

“Uh… is it okay for us to receive such things?”

As people who found it strange for a spirit to do anything for them, they were confused by Geron’s words.

Above all…

“He, he won’t cut our heads off later for being disrespectful, right?”

“What heads, we’d be lucky if we don’t freeze to death.”

Recalling the fierce aura shown in the forest, worries naturally arose.

Although they knew he was a good person despite his appearance, they couldn’t help but be afraid.

Seeing them being cautious, the wendigo felt a bit regretful.

I should have fought more gently!

‘It’s not like I enjoy fighting like that…’

The wendigo wasn’t a pervert who enjoyed pulling out others’ internal organs or hearts.

He just gave in to his instincts once a fight started…

What could he do when he came to his senses to find his body dismembering enemies?

While grumbling inwardly, the wendigo worked his mouth diligently.

“How could I not praise those who have endured the harsh winter? I’m only sorry that mere clothes and food are all I can give.”

“N-No! We doubted without knowing Spirit-nim’s warm heart!”

“Let’s all go in! How can we doubt when Spirit-nim personally defeated wolves for us!”

Just as one who has eaten meat eats well, moving people’s hearts was the same.

As the wendigo reassured them in a benevolent voice, people felt both moved and ashamed.

To doubt someone who cares so much for humans just because he killed some wolves!

“Living in the forest, one might kill some wolves.”

“Uh, but he also kills peopㅡ mmph!?”

“Come on, let’s go in! Spirit-nim must have things to do, how can we bother him!”

As one tactless warrior was about to open his mouth, Ivan hurriedly covered it.

People looked at Ivan strangely before nodding.

Indeed, Ivan’s words were right.

Wouldn’t it be shameful to cause trouble when he’s taking care of them to this extent!

People began to move, following Geron.

‘Geron will handle the rest well… I should do my work.’

“Skadi. I have something to do, so make sure no one approaches my dwelling.”

“… Yes. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure absolutely no one approaches.”

Skadi looked at the cocoon the wendigo was carrying for a moment before answering heavily.

She didn’t know what he was planning to do with the person he brought, but it was clearly something he didn’t want to show.

And in her opinion as a shaman, most things a spirit would be reluctant to show humans were…

‘Get a hold of yourself! There’s no way Wendigo-nim would do such things!’

‘Skadi is always full of passion.’

As her eyes burned fiercely, the wendigo inwardly admired.

The wendigo understood Skadi’s self-flagellation, testing her own faith, as her burning passion.

It was a groundless misunderstanding.

---

As soon as the wendigo arrived at his dwelling, he manipulated the head part of the cocoon.

The man who had fainted seemed to have regained consciousness, glaring at the wendigo while baring his teeth.

“Mmph! Mmmmph!”

“You’re full of energy.”

The wendigo removed the roots covering the man’s mouth. Having captured him alive, he intended to hear what he had to say.

As soon as the roots were removed, the man shouted fiercely.

“Damn evil spirit! I’m not afraid of death, so kill me quickly!”

“I’m not interested in your life. Rather, I’m more curious about your backers.”

“… I have no such thing!”

“Ah, I see. So you attacked people together with wolves without any backing. Perhaps you’re not human, but raised among wolves? If that’s the case, it’s possible you have no backers.”

Unable to contain his indignation, the man spewed curses like a madman. Apparently, his parents weren’t wolves.

The wendigo ignored the curses and pondered.

‘Judging by the mystery flowing through his body… he’s clearly received help from a shaman or spirit, but.’

The mystery wrapped around him like a protective barrier definitely wasn’t the man’s own.

The man didn’t exude the aura characteristic of a shaman.

Then, there was a need to find out his backer…

‘Should I torture him?’

The wendigo felt troubled. How could he have experienced torture in his life?

Still, something did come to mind. After all, modern knowledge provided quite a few methods.

Waterboarding, pulling out fingernails or toenails, electric clamps on the ears…

‘Come to think of it, there aren’t that many methods I can do here. Fingernails or toenails would be hard to pull out. Cutting them might be possible.’

While thinking of dozens of methods, the wendigo came up with a pretty good idea.

How about using the methods of that boar and parasite?

‘This might work quite well.’

The wendigo decided to set the mood first. Most things start with drawing the outline, after all.

“Hehehehe…”

“W-What is it!”

As the wendigo suddenly laughed sinisterly, the man trembled.

The laughter was just the beginning. In an instant, the temperature in the room dropped, and a wind from somewhere extinguished the torch.

As darkness fell in the room, the man felt cold sweat running down.

“How foolish. I don’t know whose help you received, but this is my domain.”

The wendigo’s voice echoed in the darkness.

The man moved his eyes around, trying to find the wendigo’s figure and…

Whirrrr!

“Ugh, uwaaaaah!!! What, what is this!”

With a chilling sound, something wriggled in front of the man’s eyes. The man widened his eyes seeing the wendigo beyond it.

The wendigo was staring at him with eyes glowing like sulfurous fire.

As the mouth of the lifeless skull opened wide, the man felt his breath stop.

A gloomy voice flowed from the wendigo’s mouth along with intense cold, tormenting the man’s ears.

“If you won’t open your mouth until the end, I have no choice. I’ll have to make your soul and body mine.”

“P-Pardon?”

The man asked back, not realizing his own speech had become polite. Of course, the wendigo didn’t answer the man’s question.

As the wendigo’s head disappeared into the darkness again, the man focused on the wriggling thing in front of him, terrified.

As his eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, the man realized what it was…

“S-Seeds?”

They were seeds.

The problem was that they were seeds with ominously moving roots. The seeds wriggled as if about to take root in the man’s face at any moment.

The man was terrified. He was so shocked that he couldn’t even scream.

‘Th-This is supposed to be a seed?’

This horrible thing, unbelievable as part of this world, was aiming for him and moving its roots.

The man’s face turned pale at its disgustingly vivid appearance.

‘What is this crazy evil spirit trying to do to me?!’

‘I hope this works.’

The true identity of the seeds wasn’t some terrible creation of an evil spirit or a product of cursed shamanism… they were just seeds.

Unfortunately, the wendigo didn’t have the ability to control living beings with seeds like the boar did.

Although he had taken its source, he couldn’t take its knowledge or wisdom.

However… wasn’t the wendigo already a veteran(?) who had experienced tentacles twice?

The wendigo remembered exactly the horrible tentacle movements of those creatures and applied this to move the seeds.

‘Fear is sometimes stronger than pain.’

Every time the roots touched the man’s nose and eyes, he let out a shrill scream.

Seeing the quite good response, the wendigo decided to try some intimidation, no, persuasion.

“S-Stop!!!”

“If these seeds burrow into your lowly body, your soul and flesh will be mine forever. So choose. Will you accept my mercy and willingly reveal the truth, or will the seeds…”

“I’ll talk! I’ll talk, so please have mercy!!!”

“… Huh?”

As the roots were about to enter his nose, the man wet himself and begged.

The wendigo was honestly dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected the man to give up so easily.

He thought the man had resolved to die since he spat curses even after seeing his face, but it turns out he was less than…

“Uhuhuhu! O evil spirit, please grant me a merciful death! Please, at least spare my soul!”

“… Alright, stop crying.”

The wendigo swallowed his disappointment and withdrew the tentacle seeds.

It was clearly this man who had attacked the people… but he felt like he had become the bad guy.