Chapter 30

The wendigo moved his body to check the condition of the wooden puppet.

It felt a bit sluggish and weaker, but there was no major issue with movement, and his eyesight was normal as he could see Oneton’s rotting face.

“To appear before me after breaking your promise. You’ve got guts. Let’s hear your excus…”

‘This works.’

Oneton’s words bounced off the wendigo’s ears. It was natural since he had no intention of listening.

He wasn’t ignoring it intentionally, but was too busy admiring his own ability.

‘Who knew imitating that wolf would be helpful.’

The wendigo prided himself on having a quite objective understanding of himself.

If his strengths were his powerful force, a slightly(?) scary face, and boundless mystery like the vast forest…

His weakness was a lack of creativity. Why else would he keep making weapons to fight when he could control cold and plants?

If asked whether it was for the sake of romance, the wendigo would have looked serious. What good is romance in a world where life is in danger?

He simply lacked imagination and used the easiest things to think of.

‘If I’d known I’d end up in a world like this, I might have become a writer.’

It was fortunate that using mystery only required intuition and imagination, otherwise he would have had to seriously survive on strength alone.

In that sense, Oneton was a good learning subject. Unlike the boar or Gikas, hadn’t he shown abilities utilizing mystery?

Truly grateful, you son of a…

“Don’t ignore my words!!!”

-I’m not ignoring. I was listening to everything.

When Oneton shouted, the wendigo denied it with a serious face. He was so confident that even Oneton, who had lived a life of betrayal and deceit, hesitated for a moment.

‘Is it really not true?’

-More importantly, can you show some other abilities? Not this, but really making two bodies or something.

“… I pray that all the curses in the underworld and sky find you!”

Oneton recited a curse with bloodshot eyes at the wendigo’s polite question.

He had hoped, but to say such nonsense!

Oneton felt his insides twisting, but the wendigo had asked quite seriously.

One should learn from even an enemy if there’s something to learn.

Especially from those like Oneton who live long despite having a bad personality and many enemies, there was much to learn.

For such a fellow to live long, he must at least have good abilities.

-Come on, can’t you show me a bit?

“Shut up! I know you’re no ordinary spirit, how dare you try to mock me!”

Although he looked down on him, Oneton acknowledged that the wendigo wasn’t a worthless spirit.

The pure and clear mystery forming his body wasn’t something an incompetent spirit could gather.

He didn’t know why he couldn’t gauge its quantity… but he was sure of one thing.

That this spirit, while not as experienced as himself, was quite seasoned!

“A spirit of your caliber would naturally know one or two shaman techniques that spirits can handle. For such a one to ask to be shown shamanism… how lightly are you taking me!”

……

The wendigo wanted to refute but didn’t open his mouth carelessly.

There was no benefit in clearing up his misunderstanding. He probably wouldn’t believe it anyway.

“More importantly… how dare you break your promise with me and touch my subordinates. Do you really want to go to war with me!”

-… What are you talking about? I moved because you broke your promise.

“… What?”

Oneton reflexively asked back, dumbfounded. Breaking a promise? He hadn’t even prepared to backstab yet?

The wendigo crossed his arms and declared confidently.

-The village you were about to attack swore loyalty to me just an hour ago. I simply stepped up to protect my subordinates.

The wendigo spoke the lie as if it were truth. Of course, the village that was almost attacked did express hope to join after learning the truth, but they were strangers before the attack.

It was an obvious lie, but Oneton was bewildered by a different part.

“… Wait, what did you say? Protect subordinates? Are you serious right now?”

Oneton was dumbfounded. Spirits don’t go deaf, so he couldn’t have misheard what the spirit in front of him said…

‘Why on earth would a spirit protect subordinates!’

In Oneton’s common sense, subordinates weren’t something to protect but tools to be controlled.

If it were just his own thinking, that would be one thing, but at least among the spirits Oneton had met, none went against this common sense.

After all, while Oneton was exceptionally wicked, other spirits were equally evil and arrogant.

“You crazy spirit! Is that what you call an excuse! Where in the world is there a spirit who wastes mystery to protect subordinates!”

“… It’s not for me to say as an enemy, but are you really a spirit?”

-Is there any reason why spirits shouldn’t cherish their subordinates? It’s only natural to take care of those who work hard for me.

Oneton and Lektar looked at the wendigo as if staring at an incomprehensible madman. The wendigo was used to it.

He had received such shocked gazes so many times that he was accustomed to them by now.

Oneton was convinced by the wendigo’s nauseating answer. It was strange from the start that he had settled in such a forest, but now he could be sure.

“So he was a mad spirit… I was foolish to try to make a promise with such a being.”

‘Is that all? That’s not… No. Looking at that beastkin’s eyes, I must look quite mad.’

The wendigo decided that since he already looked mad, he might as well act completely insane.

-Now, tell me. You broke your promise and attacked my subordinates. How are you going to compensate for this?

“Cut the nonsense! How dare you try to scam me and then talk about compensation. Besides, if we’re counting, didn’t you kill my subordinates too!”

Lektar nodded and glared at the wendigo. Just from Secunda’s story, he could imagine how cruelly the wendigo had massacred the warriors.

The wendigo looked at Lektar. Although it was just a wooden puppet connected to his mind, not his real body, Lektar tensed up.

He might use the wooden puppet to cast a spell!

-You’re Lektar, right? Judging by your aura, you seem to hold quite an important position in this village.

“… I’m the chief of the Blue Mane tribe.”

-I see. Are you a warrior?

The tribe’s chief was always a warrior, and of course, he was a warrior with nothing to be ashamed of.

At such an obvious question, Lektar nodded.

“Yes, but?”

-Good. If you’re a warrior, answer my question. Should a truly honorable warrior hesitate to kill enemies?

“A true warrior would not fear cutting down enemies.”

-Then isn’t killing those who attacked my people the natural action of an honorable warrior? Is there any reason I should have spared your subordinates?

“……”

Lektar couldn’t answer the wendigo’s question. He couldn’t think of any suitable reason to refute.

After all, for Lektar, a chief and warrior, it would be dishonorable not to draw weapons when his tribe suffered harm.

Oneton looked at Lektar as if he were pathetic. How could a chief be so lacking in cunning!

“That’s enough of your sophistry. Let me warn you one last time, if you interfere with my business again, I’ll make you regret it!”

-It seems you’re the one regretting, not me. Stop talking nonsense and let’s have a more productive conversation…

“Kraaaah!!!”

Although Oneton had a talent for irritating people, he couldn’t match the wendigo.

How infuriating it must be to be unable to refute such calmly spoken nonsense.

Finally, Oneton couldn’t contain his anger and destroyed the wooden puppet.

He bit off its head and smashed its body, but his anger wouldn’t subside.

“Lektar! Prepare the warriors!”

“Oneton. No matter what, we can’t recklessly send in the warriors. You should know best how difficult it is to face a spirit.”

“I’ll help. Take my beasts with you!”

“Hmm… the beasts, huh.”

Oneton spoke as if doing a favor, but Lektar was skeptical.

The beasts were strong, true, but they’re only useful if they can be controlled.

He was already dissatisfied with attacking… no, kidnapping people for human sacrifice, and it was too much to ask him to humor ill-tempered beasts on top of that.

Oneton alone was enough to set new records of anger daily, he couldn’t make such a bad move.

“Promise one more thing. That you’ll make the beasts obey the warriors’ orders willingly.”

“… Fine. I’ll make my beasts loyal to the warriors at least until that cursed deer-head’s mystery is torn to shreds.”

Oneton swallowed his discontent and swore.

Although he was displeased that the beasts had to be loyal to mere humans, he could accept that much loss to kill the wendigo.

‘I’ll definitely kill you!’

---

“.. The connection is cut. We could have dug out more.”

“To interrupt while you were speaking. He’s a nasty fellow, befitting a spirit.”

Skadi, who was guarding the wendigo, shook her staff disapprovingly and cursed Oneton.

The wendigo nodded in agreement.

Throughout the conversation, his constant anger showed an exceptionally bad temper.

‘Judging by how angry he got without a single curse word, he must have a fiery temper indeed.’

If Skadi knew the truth, she might have exclaimed, “Wendigo-nim might be able to kill someone with words alone!” but unfortunately, Skadi hadn’t seen the wendigo’s behavior.

As they opened the door and went outside, the village representatives were waiting for him with solemn faces.

“Spirit-nim. Should we move right away?”

Geron, fully armed, asked the wendigo. The wendigo nodded.

“Yes. Judging by his personality, he’s likely to attack the forest soon. How long will it take for the messengers to arrive at the villages? It would be easier for you to act if they arrive quickly.”

“They should arrive faster than those fellows at least. Unlike them, we’re familiar with the forest and geography.”

“Besides, it’ll take quite a while for the snow to melt, so it’ll take them a long time to come inside.”

The forest was definitely not an easy place to move through. Warriors who lived in the plains wouldn’t be familiar with the forest, making it even more difficult.

At least in the wendigo’s thinking, there was enough time.

“Skadi. Is what I asked for ready?”

“Yes! It wasn’t such a difficult spell, and the materials were simple, so I made it quickly.”

Skadi brought over an object from the corner and handed it to the wendigo.

It was a kind of totem. The characters she had personally carved were one thing, but the most important part was the head of the totem.

The totem’s head was decorated with a deer skull.

The wendigo breathed mystery into the totem. Then the totem’s eyes glowed blue, and its mouth opened, beginning to exhale mist.

“Good. Use this totem when you encounter the enemies. It will greatly startle them.”

“It seems it will help obscure vision, but… can we stop the enemies with this?”

“Don’t worry. It will surely be effective.”

The wendigo assured them while stroking the totem’s head.

Of course, he didn’t think the enemies would be afraid just because of some mist.

However…

‘If we make them tremble just by looking at the mist, that’s enough.’

If warriors die en masse in the mist, they’ll become afraid whether they want to or not.