Chapter 80

The meeting with Allfather was definitely not a pleasant experience.

It was already troublesome that these so-called gods were such troublemakers that they were banished, but it was clear that when they returned, the world would be in chaos.

However, isn’t life about moving forward even if you can see hardships ahead?

Wendigo carried out what he could do right away.

That was demolishing the monastery and building a temple.

‘Even thinking about it now, it’s such a waste.’

Wendigo inwardly clicked his tongue as he sat on a throne made of carved giant marble in his newly built house and palace.

He couldn’t deny that the enormous palace was more majestic than the monastery. The palace, adorned with various decorations and increased attendants, naturally inspired awe.

… But he couldn’t help feeling it was a waste.

To have to empty the treasury to intimidate opponents he might not even meet in the future!

Unaware of Wendigo’s sour mood, Geron looked around the audience hall with a satisfied expression.

The hall was filled with decorations sent by the forest people and tribal chiefs who had received Wendigo’s grace when they heard about the palace construction.

Intact bear and wolf skins, beautiful tapestries, and carvings made from animal horns or ivory were on display…

‘It’s pretty, but…’

Wendigo didn’t particularly like such luxury.

These things weren’t edible, and wasn’t being pretty all they had?

“I never imagined I’d see such rare treasures in the forest. That tapestry seems to depict the sun in the sky…”

“I’d rather they sent precious food.”

“Pardon?”

When Wendigo grumbled, Geron asked in shock.

Even Geron, who was close to an ascetic, couldn’t believe that decorations that naturally inspired admiration were treated as inferior to mere food.

Wendigo read Geron’s emotions but maintained his conviction:

“Food becomes bones and flesh, but these decorations only draw out momentary inspiration or admiration.”

“… Spirit-nim, you don’t actually gain bones and flesh from eating food though.”

Geron looked at Wendigo with a cold gaze. He was truly an irreverent steward.

No matter how terrible his lord’s aesthetic sense might be, shouldn’t such an ascetic reaction be praised as that of a sage ruler?

“Honestly, I think indulging in food is better than falling into luxury.”

“That’s true, but you need to indulge in some luxury, Spirit-nim. Moreover, you didn’t even pay for these decorations.”

Of course, none of the decorations were directly procured by Wendigo.

He preferred the pleasure that came through the mouth rather than displaying and enjoying such things!

Seeing Wendigo’s lukewarm reaction, Geron touched the silk decorating the audience hall and explained to Wendigo:

“Look at this silk. It’s a precious item Milosi-ssi procured from outside the empire when he heard the news that you were building a temple. Isn’t it beautiful?”

The silk sent by Milosi, the leader of the red fox beastkin who emphasized commerce, was no ordinary item.

The country people called an empire was precisely the Holy Empire.

Of course, they weren’t the first empire…

“This vivid purple symbolized nobility even in the old empire. Obtaining this silk is impossible with ordinary effort and wealth.”

The Constantion Empire, now called the old empire after losing its title of empire.

Although it’s said to be on the path of decline now, even the nobles of the empire, known for their high pride, couldn’t deny the purple silk of the old empire.

The vivid purple, requiring skilled artisans and tremendous labor, was undeniable in its value.

Wendigo looked at the silk in response to Geron’s passionate explanation.

The silk, boasting a vivid purple color, was shimmering softly in the firelight…

‘… Isn’t purple everywhere in the world?’

Wendigo could only think of a rude thought that would have made the old empire’s dye masters forget he was a spirit and burst into anger if they had heard it.

Wendigo muttered in an indifferent voice:

“It’s pretty… but it doesn’t seem very useful.”

“……”

“Ahem.”

When Geron took out a fruit from his pocket and popped it into his mouth as if familiar with it, Wendigo cleared his throat apologetically.

He hadn’t expected Geron to be so upset over just this.

‘It seems Geron had a better aesthetic sense than I thought.’

Wendigo felt the need to change the subject.

If he continued explaining about the decorations, it wouldn’t be strange if Geron collapsed while coughing up blood.

“By the way, there haven’t been any recent disturbances.”

“… Yes. It’s certainly more peaceful than before. Although there are still minor incidents.”

Unlike Allfather’s warning, the forest was quite peaceful.

There were still poachers targeting the forest people’s livestock and minions of shamans infiltrating with impure intentions, but Wendigo and the forest people were now accustomed to it.

There were too many in the world willing to risk their lives lightly if they could make money.

Except for such minor(?) criminals, the forest was enjoying peace for the first time in a long while.

“Perhaps the person you met, Spirit-nim, might not have been a god.”

Geron made a cautious guess about the peace. Unlike the prophecy made by the so-called god who visited, the forest was peaceful.

Rather, compared to the times when they were threatened by spirits and magical beasts, now could be called a golden age.

However, Wendigo shook his head.

“I’d like to think so too, but… what I saw directly was enough to call him a god.”

Forcibly keeping alive someone who should be dead is impossible without being a god.

In Wendigo’s opinion, this peace was close to the calm before the storm.

The moment this tranquility breaks, the world would fall into an abyss of chaos…

“Spirit! A big problem has occurred at Skadi-nim’s hut!!!”

A woman’s desperate scream was heard from outside the audience hall door. Wendigo inwardly sighed and hit his own head.

Bang!

“Sp-Spirit-nim!?”

“I’m sorry. It seems I got angry at myself for having stupid thoughts.”

Although Geron was greatly surprised, Wendigo couldn’t forgive himself.

Why on earth did he have unnecessary thoughts and create an excuse for problems to occur?

---

“What’s going on here?”

“Well…”

What awaited Wendigo when he arrived at the hut was a hut transformed into pure white ice and…

“I’m not sure either…”

Skadi, wrapped in mystery, fidgeting with her fingers.

The hut turning into a block of ice wasn’t a big problem. There were various tools and materials inside, but such things could be replenished given time.

The problem was Skadi’s condition.

Her white hair, imbued with mystery, fluttered and sparkled like moonlight, and intense cold was flowing from her skin.

It was clearly a situation where shamanic power had taken effect, as anyone could see.

Wendigo asked Skadi with a bit of suspicion:

“Is this a side effect of a shamanic experiment?”

“N-No, it’s not like that!”

At Wendigo’s suspicion, Skadi screamed in a sense of betrayal.

While her passion for shamanism was undeniable, Skadi had thoroughly considered safety while researching shamanism.

And to be suspected by Wendigo, whom she trusted and relied on most…

When Skadi looked at him with teary eyes like a puppy betrayed by its owner, Wendigo made excuses out of guilt:

“Ahem, I’m sorry. It’s just that such a problem seemed to have no other reason.”

“… It’s okay. This is certainly a first for me too.”

Skadi spoke while catching a leaf blown by the wind.

The leaf froze instantly upon touching her fingertip.

Wendigo checked the mystery flowing around at this anomaly. Logically, there was no other reason for this to happen.

‘Mystery is being sucked into Skadi!’

Wendigo was surprised by the vortex of mystery swirling around.

The mystery that should flow irregularly was seeping into her body as if it had been Skadi’s from the beginning.

“Skadi. Do you know that mystery is being sucked into your body?”

“Yes. I can feel the mystery flowing in my body even now. It’s joyful but… troublesome.”

Skadi let out a deep sigh with a sour expression.

As a shaman, it was joyful to embrace mystery in her body, but honestly, it was unavoidable to be worried.

Can she control this mystery? Why did the mystery rush into her body?

… And what should be done about the cold that’s freezing the surroundings?

“Is the cold impossible to control?”

“Yes. I’ve tried to control it, but…”

Skadi tried to bloom an ice flower on her hand by manipulating the swirling cold.

At first, it seemed to take shape as petals bloomed, but…

Crack!

“As you can see, the mystery rushes in like this and I lose control.”

Soon after, as the cold burst out, the ice flower instantly became a savage spike ball.

Even this was possible thanks to adapting to the accumulated mystery in her body over time.

It wasn’t for nothing that the hut had turned into a block of ice. Uncontrolled mystery had instantly frozen the surroundings.

“Then the problem is the rushing mystery…”

“Yes. It’s completely impossible to control with my power. The only fortunate thing is that cold flowing from my body is the extent of it.”

“Cold flowing out…”

Wendigo stroked his chin and fell into thought.

He couldn’t immediately understand why mystery was rushing into Skadi’s body, but the immediate problem before his eyes was one:

Cold that Skadi couldn’t control was continuously flowing from her body.

‘… If it’s cold, couldn’t I control it?’

It wasn’t an impossible guess. Although Skadi was producing the cold, the cold itself was beyond Skadi’s control.

Wendigo approached Skadi and reached out his hand.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

“Huh?”

There was no refusal. Wendigo lifted Skadi up and placed her on his shoulder.

Of course, Skadi’s cold spread through Wendigo’s shoulder, but it wasn’t a big problem.

From the beginning, the cold flowing in Wendigo’s body was overwhelmingly stronger than hers.

Satisfied with the result as expected, Wendigo nodded.

“That’s fortunate. It seems the cold doesn’t have much effect on me.”

“Oh. Is that… fortunate?”

Skadi answered shyly. She had been on Wendigo’s shoulder before, but the situation now was different.

At the time, she hadn’t paid attention because she was frantic, but thinking about it now, riding on Wendigo’s shoulder felt quite rude.

Skadi blushed and pleaded with Wendigo:

“Um.. Wendigo-nim. Can’t I get down?”

“But you won’t be able to control the cold, right?”

“Y-Yes, but…”

At Skadi’s request, Wendigo carefully put her down on the ground.

As expected, the cold flowing from Skadi’s body instantly froze the ground.

Wendigo clicked his tongue and lifted Skadi up again, placing her on his shoulder. Of course, this time Skadi resisted, but it was useless.

“Wendigo-nim. No matter what, I think riding on your shoulder undermines your dignity.”

“With all you’ve done for us, and the countless people who have benefited from it, no one would criticize me for lending you my shoulder.”

“But…”

Although Wendigo usually generously accepted Skadi’s requests, this time it couldn’t be helped.

She couldn’t even walk around alone in this situation.

Wendigo spoke firmly to Skadi:

“Stay with me at least until you can control the mystery.”

“You mean…?”

Skadi looked at Wendigo with trembling eyes and asked.

Surely he didn’t mean what she was thinking…

“If you’re by my side, I can absorb the cold… So usually, stay on my shoulder. For sleeping… we’ll have to be next to each other, I suppose.”

Was it too harsh for a woman in her prime to do everything together with Wendigo?

Skadi’s incomprehensible scream quietly echoed through the forest.