Chapter 73

The village chief turned pale and anxiously watched Wendigo’s reaction.

He never dreamed that Gulmag would insult Wendigo right to his face.

“I-I’m sorry. I should have informed him about the spirit-nim’s existence beforehand!”

“It’s not an easy task when the other party isn’t even human, but an ogre. I understand everything, so calm down.”

Even telling people “The one who rules us is a spirit” would likely get you treated as a madman, let alone an ogre.

The village chief swallowed a sigh of relief at the generous forgiveness.

Gulmag looked at this scene with curious eyes.

He had seen monsters and beasts obey spirits before, but never a spirit taking care of his subordinates, so it was natural.

Could it be that the old human wasn’t lying?

“Spirit, really human leader?”

“That’s what I said. Quickly show some manners!”

“No. Apparently it’s okay to discuss manners with an ogre.”

Gulmag knelt on one knee and bowed his head, showing respect to Wendigo.

Wendigo and Skadi watched this scene with surprised eyes.

The rare sight of an ogre showing manners and bowing his head.

“Me, Gulmag. Greet human leader. Forgive rudeness.”

“Huh. You’re better than most people. As you’ve heard, my name is Wendigo. This is Skadi, a capable shaman who helps me.”

“Shaman!”

Gulmag, who hadn’t given Skadi a glance until now, changed his attitude when he learned she was a shaman.

From indifference to extreme caution.

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

When Wendigo asked puzzled, Gulmag, who had taken a stance ready to flee at any moment, pointed at Skadi and pleaded:

“Human leader.”

“Just call me Wendigo.”

“Wendigo, order to step back. Shaman, creepy.”

At Gulmag’s request, Wendigo checked Skadi. He wondered if she might have brought some dangerous artifact without his knowledge.

However, Wendigo couldn’t see anything special. Just the ring and sword he had given her as usual…

“Skadi hasn’t brought anything particularly dangerous though?”

“Spirit, don’t pretend not to know!”

Gulmag shouted with a serious expression.

Due to his unusual sincerity, Wendigo looked at Skadi, but she shook her head in confusion.

If she had brought an artifact that even an ogre would be wary of, she would have told Wendigo first.

Could it be that Gulmag was just a coward?

“There really aren’t any dangerous items.”

“Shaman brought most dangerous thing! Tongue! Tongue is most dangerous!”

“……”

Wendigo couldn’t refute Gulmag’s short and powerful assertion. Indeed, few caused trouble with their mouths like shamans.

… Unfortunately, he didn’t know that the karma accumulated by others would burst on Skadi!

---

Sensing that the conversation would be quite long, Wendigo sent the village chief away and persuaded Gulmag.

Fortunately, Gulmag was a reasonable person, no, ogre.

When Skadi swore she would absolutely not threaten, deceive, or propose any deals, he allowed her to approach.

Skadi, who had lived honestly all her life, looked at Gulmag with a pouty gaze.

“I don’t do such things, even if other shamans might.”

“Me, don’t trust shamans. Shamans, help spirits do bad things.”

“Gulmag. Have you perhaps met shamans before?”

Gulmag’s cautious attitude was certainly not natural.

While it’s surprising for an ogre to attempt rational conversation, that couldn’t be the reason for Gulmag’s wariness towards spirits and shamans.

Common sense only applies to those who have learned it among people.

Gulmag looked at Wendigo.

Although he was still bothered by the fact that he was a spirit, the spirit before him was different from the spirits he had seen.

Spirits usually mixed arrogance and contempt in their words and actions, but Wendigo showed no such signs.

“Gulmag. If it was a rude question, I apologize. Especially if it made you recall uncomfortable memories…”

“No. Wendigo, strange for not being spirit-like. That’s why I looked.”

A shaman following such a spirit should be trustworthy.

Gulmag lowered his guard out of respect for Wendigo.

“Met shaman before. When still cub, shaman came to my mother.”

Gulmag sat down heavily and slowly began his story.

In Gulmag’s childhood, he didn’t think as much as he does now.

Like other ogres, he perceived the world clearly and vividly, always living without regret for any choice…

“Being cub was good. Kill enemies, protect family. Good to eat a lot… Such comfortable life.”

“It seems you’re not pleased with becoming smarter.”

Gulmag nodded. Unless he had been born smart from the beginning, wisdom was close to a curse for Gulmag, who had lived simply.

A world that was always filled with more happiness than discomfort suddenly became full of discomfort.

“I grew up under mother. No father. Father died fighting big lizard.”

“Ogres are said to have strong family bonds. It’s difficult to find mates due to the small population, and cubs are often attacked by predators trying to eliminate threats.”

Ogres were monsters with very strong family bonds despite their violent nature.

Their affection was so strong that ogres who had become independent from their parents would track their parents’ scent to greet them annually…

“True. Ogres protect family. Mother died protecting me from shaman.”

Ogres were certainly objects of fear, but humans could overcome fear with greed.

The shaman who came to Gulmag’s mother was a particularly dangerous type.

A shaman strong enough to refer to ogres as mere ogres.

Such a shaman came and even threatened his mother using Gulmag as a hostage.

His mother, who had lost her husband, couldn’t lose her child too…

“Shaman, cowardly used me as bait to take mother’s heart. I couldn’t contain anger but… was knocked out by spirit protecting shaman.”

“Oh my…”

Skadi sent a sympathetic gaze to Gulmag.

Losing a mother is never an easy thing. Moreover, unlike her, Gulmag’s mother was killed by someone else.

Skadi wiped her tears with a handkerchief and asked Gulmag:

“How did you survive? Such an evil shaman would have had no reason to spare you.”

“Shaman not alone. Spirit also there. Shaman, fought spirit as soon as got heart. Escaped in that gap.”

“……”

Wendigo could understand Gulmag’s pathological caution.

It would be strange not to have prejudices when those who killed his mother in childhood fought over his mother’s heart.

“I feel ashamed even though it wasn’t my doing.”

“It’s okay. Wendigo not like spirit.”

“Thank you. But hearing your story, it seems your intelligence isn’t related to the shaman?”

“Correct. One day, instinct led me to lake. There found delicious-looking apple.”

“Oh, do you remember where that apple grew?”

Wendigo asked Gulmag, just in case.

An apple that makes you smarter when eaten might be useful later, right?

“Don’t remember. And tree died as soon as picked apple. Only ashes if search.”

Wendigo swallowed his disappointment and continued listening to Gulmag’s story.

After devouring the apple, Gulmag suffered terrible pain. Pain as if his body was being torn apart tormented him for days…

After escaping the pain, Gulmag began to see, hear, and feel the world differently.

He realized the usefulness of tools, discovered the comfort clothes provide, and the savory taste of roasted meat…

“Hm? But you were tearing into raw deer meat when we first saw you.”

“That was preparation. Preparation for meeting human leader.”

“Preparation?”

Gulmag returned with a primitive club made by carving rock from inside, and armor made of bones and tree bark.

Gulmag looked at Wendigo with burning fighting spirit.

“Me, have request for human leader. Leader won’t listen unless demanded with strength. So ate deer. Sharpened instincts.”

“Hmm…”

Wendigo looked at Gulmag with a bitter gaze. He didn’t think he would lose in a fight, but he didn’t particularly want to fight.

Hearing the circumstances, it didn’t seem bad to help…

“I’ve heard your story well. But do we really have to fight?”

“Wendigo, good spirit. But want to fight. Revenge, must be strong to do. Fighting, honest way to become strong.”

Just because one becomes smarter doesn’t mean their nature that loves fighting disappears.

Wendigo quickly gave up, realizing that Gulmag had no intention of backing down.

By now, Wendigo had come to understand warriors quite well.

That warriors who have set their minds never back down.

“Gulmag. I’ve heard your story well. Since you came for a just reason, I’ll grant your request. I’ll ask my people to look into that shaman.”

“Wendigo, thank for granting request. This favor, will definitely repay.”

“I’m glad you say so. Shall we fight right now?”

Gulmag nodded and prepared to fight.

He donned his primitive armor, grasped his rock club, and held up a shield made by sewing several layers of bear hide.

Gulmag’s armed appearance was incredibly threatening.

Skadi muttered in shock:

“My goodness, an armed ogre…”

“Me, ready. Wendigo, not prepare?”

Wendigo silently drew his ice sword. To face an ogre, the ice sword increased its size and sharpened its blade.

Wendigo pointed at Gulmag with his ice sword and said:

“I won’t use armor or a shield.”

“Wendigo, looked strong from first sight. Strong one’s stubbornness, must respect.”

It wouldn’t have been strange to feel it as provocation, but Gulmag rather respected Wendigo’s will.

A strong one like Wendigo must surely have his reasons.

Skadi naturally took on the role of referee between the two.

She raised a tree branch high in the sky and asked the two:

“Are you both ready?”

Wendigo and Gulmag silently nodded. Skadi swallowed dry saliva at their incredibly fierce stances.

Wendigo held his sword high while extending his empty hand forward, ready to grab the opponent’s neck at any moment.

Gulmag crouched like a huge rock, raising his shield and preparing to swing his club in any direction.

Skadi took a deep breath and composed herself.

This was not a duel started by foolish greed like those she had experienced so far.

A sacred duel to compete with pure fighting spirit.

Skadi humbly threw the tree branch high into the sky and…

Thud!

< ■■■! >

With a short roar, Wendigo charged at Gulmag like an enraged wolf.

There wasn’t even time to blink. Wendigo, who had suddenly reached right in front of Gulmag, grabbed the shield and swung his ice sword towards Gulmag’s neck.

The fiercely swung ice sword’s momentum seemed like it would tear Gulmag’s neck in one go, but…

Bang!

“!”

Gulmag swung his club and deflected the ice sword.

Wendigo realized for the first time that he had been overpowered.

“□□□□□□!!!”

But there was no time to respond to that. Gulmag glared at Wendigo with bloodshot eyes and charged.

Gulmag’s club and the ice sword collided in mid-air and…

Crack!

The mystery forming the ice sword was shattered by Gulmag’s monstrous strength.

Wendigo looked at the fragments scattering in the air and thought.

Perhaps, this might turn into quite a long fight.