Chapter 75

Fortunately, Gulmag didn’t die an unnatural death.

Of course, his muscles were torn and bones were broken here and there, but as expected of a monster known for its toughness, Gulmag endured…

“Cough!”

… or not.

Even an ogre couldn’t withstand the pain of blood gushing and bones piercing internal organs.

With the tension released, Gulmag’s eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the ground.

“I’ll treat him right away!”

As Skadi screamed and ran towards Gulmag, Wendigo couldn’t raise his head out of guilt.

When Oneton used it, he thought it just made one bigger and stronger, but he didn’t know it would also stimulate instincts and fighting spirit.

Wendigo cursed at the innocent Oneton in his mind.

‘With such a bad personality, I didn’t even notice.’

Of course, it wasn’t Oneton’s fault.

What fool in the world would fight while revealing all their abilities?

But the dead don’t speak.

Wendigo calmed himself by cursing Oneton for a while. He approached Skadi, who was busily tending to the wounds.

Skadi calmly treated Gulmag even in a situation where it wouldn’t be strange to panic.

She fed him potions to restore his airway and lungs, removed things hindering treatment from between broken bones…

After extracting the cold that had seeped into his body and stitching with a needle, Gulmag’s rough breathing gradually became more comfortable.

“Shaman, thank you. Apologize for rudeness earlier. I, repay debt…”

“Be quiet, treatment’s not over yet.”

Skadi used roots to cover Gulmag’s mouth by flicking her ringed finger.

Gulmag quietly closed his mouth. How could he move his mouth carelessly when his life depended on her fingertips?

A little later, Skadi wiped away her sweat and stood up.

“Phew, I think the treatment went well.”

“I thought we fought quite roughly, but that’s a relief.”

Wendigo marveled at Gulmag’s strong vitality. Honestly, he thought it wouldn’t be strange if Gulmag had died.

Skadi tapped her pocket with a bitter expression.

“I used some pretty rare medicines. I didn’t expect to use them on Gulmag-ssi instead of the villagers…”

“Ahem.”

Wendigo and Gulmag coughed at the same time.

Honestly, they had nothing to say. Even they didn’t know that a fight they thought was just a good experience would lead to a life-or-death struggle.

Gulmag, uncharacteristically avoiding eye contact for his size, grabbed his club.

After a very brief hesitation, Gulmag squeezed his eyes shut and held out the club to Skadi.

“Shaman, apologize for rudeness. This, give as price for forgiveness.”

“Uh…”

Skadi blinked, looking at the club, Gulmag, and Wendigo in turn. Honestly, it was too burdensome a price to accept readily.

Instantly understanding the “What should I do?” in Skadi’s eyes, Wendigo nodded.

“Indeed, Gulmag’s club would be inconvenient for Skadi to use.”

“Th-that’s true, but it seems too much. Besides… that’s Gulmag-ssi’s treasured weapon, isn’t it?”

Skadi wasn’t a warrior, but growing up under a mother who was practically one, she had quite a good eye for weapons.

The club was clearly a weapon made for Gulmag. The brute strength, weight, even the shape, everything.

Taking such an item from a warrior was too cruel.

“I knew Skadi would say that. What I just said was half a joke.”

“Half?”

Then doesn’t that mean half was serious?

Before Skadi’s eyes could fill with shock, Wendigo approached Gulmag and suggested:

“Gulmag. It seems Skadi doesn’t want to take something you cherish. How about granting something Skadi wants instead?”

“Hmm… Shaman, unusual like Wendigo. But correct. My thinking was short.”

After all, compensation should be giving what the other party wants.

As Gulmag readily(?) put away his club, Skadi sighed.

“Shaman, say what you want. I, grant as much as possible.”

“Umm…”

Faced with Gulmag’s clear eyes, determined to repay, Skadi couldn’t refuse.

It wouldn’t be polite not to accept when the other party was being sincere.

The problem was that nothing suitable came to mind…

‘I can’t ask for tendons or hide either.’

To be honest, Skadi had already taken compensation for the treatment.

She had scraped together ogre bone fragments, blood, and even torn hide.

… They would have just become fertilizer if thrown away anyway!

While the conscientious trader Skadi was struggling, forest people appeared on the hill where the fierce battle had taken place.

They had hurriedly armed themselves and come when world-shaking sounds echoed from the hill.

The village chief, armed with a bronze shield and spear, was startled to see the fallen Gulmag and ran over.

“Oh my, there seems to be a misunderstanding. Everyone calm down and return…”

“Spirit-nim! Please quell your anger!”

“?”

Wendigo was dumbfounded when the village chief who ran over suddenly knelt and begged for forgiveness.

‘Could they have been thinking of starting a rebellion, trusting Gulmag?’

There was no other way to interpret appearing with armed warriors and begging for forgiveness.

When Wendigo stared intently at him, Gulmag was also startled and waved his hands.

“I, lived honorably! That’s what spirits do!”

Gulmag realized his mistake only after speaking. Come to think of it, wasn’t the being before him also a spirit?

But to say such a thing right in front of him, this was no different from provoking Wendigo’s anger.

“Hmm, indeed such acts are what spirits do. I’m sorry for doubting you.”

However, Wendigo readily agreed with Gulmag’s assertion. He couldn’t sense any lies from him.

“It’s… okay?”

Of course, to Gulmag who didn’t know this fact, Wendigo just seemed strange.

The village chief, realizing that Gulmag had been misunderstood because of him, hurriedly opened his mouth.

“Gulmag has helped our village a lot! He’s absolutely not a bad ogre, so please be merciful!”

Wendigo instantly understood what misunderstanding the village chief had made.

Seeing the battered Gulmag, he must have mistakenly thought Wendigo was trying to kill him.

Wendigo swallowed a bit of resentment and was about to explain the proper circumstances to them.

… If only the warriors who followed hadn’t also knelt and pleaded for Gulmag’s life.

“Please! Spare Gulmag!”

“Please bestow the mercy you’ve shown us on him too!”

“……”

It was certainly admirable to risk one’s life to repay kindness, but…

He couldn’t help feeling resentment welling up deep inside.

---

Although Wendigo felt a bit wronged, thanks to this, Skadi was able to decide on a request for Gulmag.

“Gulmag. Would you help the forest people while you stay in the forest?”

“Good. I was planning to stay long anyway.”

Gulmag readily accepted Skadi’s request. Honestly, it wasn’t a bad proposal for him either.

The more he got along with people while staying in the forest, the more comfortable it would be for him too.

Wendigo, who had been quietly listening, noticed something strange.

“By the way, Gulmag. Why did you come to this forest? Is this your homeland?”

“Here, not my homeland. Here, good for resting, so came.”

An ogre’s stamina is incomparably superior to humans, but not enough to wander around for a lifetime.

Even skilled warriors make mistakes when tired.

Gulmag had come to the forest to rest to avoid such mistakes.

“This forest, no spirits and no shamans. So comfortable because no one attacked.”

“Indeed, a land with nothing…”

As Wendigo was about to nod, images of the boar spirit, Gikas, and Oneton flashed through his mind.

Come to think of it, the forest wasn’t particularly quiet. Rather, incidents happened surprisingly often…

“…I can’t say that. Many things have happened recently.”

“Is that so? Want to hear story.”

Wendigo didn’t refuse. There wouldn’t be much problem in telling the story.

After informing the village chief that the problem was resolved, Wendigo told Gulmag about the events that had occurred.

Naturally, Gulmag couldn’t help but be surprised. It was so different from the forest he knew.

“Unfortunately, it seems the forest you knew disappeared long ago.”

“Disappointing. It was a quiet resting place… But still better than other places.”

“Huh… Really?”

Skadi looked at Gulmag with disbelieving eyes and objected.

It had barely been a few years, yet there had already been four major incidents…

Gulmag could understand Skadi’s feelings, but he didn’t retract his words.

“World is mess. More crazy ones than before.”

When Gulmag was still young, there weren’t many spirits, let alone shamans.

Shamans could only be seen in big villages, and you had to be really unlucky to meet a spirit, but from about ten years ago, their numbers started to increase.

“Thanks to that, got club. But attacks also increased.”

“Ah, was that club made by a shaman? Good skill.”

Indeed, Gulmag was a good partner for deals.

With his strong power, there were many things to ask of him, and above all, he was more rational than most people.

However, Gulmag shook his head.

Unfortunately, shamans were… more irrational than expected in many cases.

“Most shamans, attack before dialogue.”

To ordinary people, ogres were no different from disasters to be avoided if possible, but to shamans or monster hunters, they were mouth-watering prey.

If they succeeded in capturing one, every part that could be harvested was so precious it was worth its weight in gold.

Moreover, a talking ogre? It wouldn’t be strange for a shaman to go crazy trying to capture one.

Gulmag showed his club and continued speaking.

“Club, thing shaman who attacked me was carrying. At first, wasn’t treasure. Just strange stone fragment.”

The stone fragment, which initially had no power, gradually began to emit a strange energy as time passed.

Then one day, while organizing unnecessary odds and ends, the stone fragment cut his palm.

The stone fragment, having tasted Gulmag’s blood, grew in size and became a club fitting his build.

“But you might not have known because you couldn’t sense mystery?”

“No. Asked when met kind shaman. Said just garbage.”

Wendigo discerned that Gulmag was telling the truth.

If so, it really had no power at first…

“Skadi, are there such cases?”

“As far as I know, once the power of shamanism leaves an object, it can’t be restored unless new shamanism is applied… There’s only one possibility.”

Skadi answered with a sour expression.

“It’s when an artifact loses power due to requiring enormous mystery. When the required mystery is more than it can absorb from the surroundings.”

“A shaman who made such an amazing item wouldn’t have been unaware of that.”

“Exactly.”

It was a club that couldn’t be shattered even when the ice sword was swung with full force.

A shaman who made such an amazing item wouldn’t have made such a naive mistake.

When even Skadi couldn’t provide a suitable answer, Wendigo stopped pondering.

“Well, if fate brings it, we might learn the reason someday.”

“I’ll look for any similar cases when we get back.”

“Good attitude. No need to worry about impossible things. Only hinders what can be done.”

Still, sharing such a story itself could be considered a kind of goodwill.

Wendigo expressed his gratitude to Gulmag.

“Thank you for telling us this precious story. Next time we meet, I’ll treat you to delicious food.”

“Huh? I, plan to follow Wendigo.”

“?”

Wendigo was puzzled. He hadn’t particularly planned to take Gulmag along.

‘… It wouldn’t be bad to have him along.’

Still, he decided to hear the reason.

“Is there a reason?”

“I, have more than one reason for traveling. I, looking for mate.”

“… And that’s the reason for following me?”

Gulmag nodded, and Wendigo was bewildered by the logic that didn’t connect at all.

What on earth did finding a wife have to do with following him?

Seeing Wendigo not understanding, Gulmag smiled and recited his thoughts.

“I, strange ogre. Intelligence, similar to humans. Because of that, ordinary ogre, can’t take as mate.”

“Certainly that’s true.”

“So searched around. World wide, many strange things. Female ogre, not strange if same thing happen to her.”

Towards Wendigo who still didn’t understand, Gulmag pointed with his finger.

“Wendigo, hearing story, strange things happen often. Staying close, increases chance of finding mate.”

“……”

Wendigo was about to get angry but held back. Honestly, he couldn’t refute.

He turned away from Gulmag and grumbled.

“I don’t mind you following. But don’t expect strange things to happen. It’s not that frequent for me either.”

---

A few days later, upon arriving at the temple, Geron hurriedly ran over and whispered in Wendigo’s ear.

“Spirit-nim. Sira-ssi has subdued a strange man and brought him…”

“The gods have returned! They, they told me their names! The grace of the gods will once again descend upon this world!”

“……”

Gulmag looked at Wendigo with admiration.

Wendigo silently lowered his head and let out a deep sigh.