Chapter 124

As Angrd jumped up in surprise, Dario retreated in alarm. If she were to charge at him, it was obvious he would be pulverized without even being able to resist once.

Standing next to Wendigo, Dario warily eyed Angrd and unconsciously turned his head…

“Uh… Your Majesty? It seems Master Gulmag is glaring at me like a mortal enemy. Is it my imagination?”

As Gulmag glared at him with a hideously distorted face, Dario swallowed dryly and asked Wendigo.

Wendigo pretended not to know and said to Dario:

“It must be your imagination. Isn’t it because of your instinctive fear of ogres?”

“If I had such a thing, I would have prostrated myself before Your Majesty and begged for my life long ago. He’s clearly glaring at me!”

People who are quick-witted tend to notice and suffer from things that others might overlook.

Clicking his tongue, Wendigo distanced himself from the group with Dario and pointed at Angrd, who was chattering with Jermy:

“Angrd is the giant Gulmag was chasing.”

“Then isn’t that a good thing? Master Gulmag has met his partner, and we can return to the warm palace and carry out our damn duties.”

“Yes. It was going well, but thanks to you appearing and drawing attention, Gulmag missed his chance to confess.”

“……”

At Wendigo’s blunt words, Dario blinked his eyes and mouth, looking back and forth between Angrd and Gulmag.

In fact, Dario wasn’t greatly at fault. If they had been called from the beginning, Gulmag could have confessed without this mishap.

However, isn’t it characteristic of love-related matters that such rational aspects don’t apply?

Realizing he had interfered with the love of an ogre famous for his ferocity and acknowledged as strong even by Wendigo, Dario cried out:

“I really didn’t know it was such a situation!”

“Try persuading him well as usual.”

“Damn it, I don’t know about other issues, but interfering in love matters is something even family would get stabbed for!”

It was a world where one would be cheered on for swinging a knife when their love was interfered with.

Moreover, if the other party was Gulmag, it was clear his head would be smashed by a club rather than stabbed.

Of course, Gulmag wasn’t such an irrational person, or rather, ogre.

“Wendigo! Gulmag has agreed to visit the tribe with me!”

Somehow the conversation had flowed, and Angrd waved her hand with Jermy and Anna perched on her shoulders.

It was a good thing for Gulmag, but Wendigo was a bit puzzled.

He had thought they were a closed-off race since he hadn’t encountered them before, so he didn’t expect them to invite someone they just met today to their tribe.

“Won’t the other tribe members dislike it?”

“For the Hrimthurs, there’s no better connection than hunting an armored spider together. And the others will be happy to meet the little ones too.”

Angrd smiled and shrugged her shoulders. Anna only let out a weak sound with a messed-up face, while Jermy smiled brightly as if in agreement.

Unlike Anna, who was burdened by the very fact of going to a place with giants, Jermy liked the Hrimthurs who seemed to recognize his master’s true worth(?).

Now if only Wendigo and Dario would say they’d come along too…

“Ahem. Your Majesty, isn’t Master Gulmag your friend privately and a guardian who protects the peace of the forest publicly? I think this much is fine for such a person’s marriage.”

“Didn’t you say before that a king’s duty is to sit on the throne and squeeze his subjects?”

“I said coordinate, not squeeze! No, that’s not the point…”

How could one misinterpret his loyal advice as telling the king to exploit his subjects?

However, that wasn’t important right now. Dario groaned and glanced at Gulmag.

Though his gaze was kinder than before, he was still glaring with a sullen expression, which was terribly fierce. Dario panicked and whispered to Wendigo:

“If we return like this, I might be killed by Master Gulmag! Surely you don’t want such a capable subject as myself to die?”

“It’s a bit much to call yourself capable with your own mouth.”

“Damn it, in a situation where I might be chopped to pieces at any moment, is there anything I can’t say?”

No matter how he thought about it, Gulmag didn’t seem like such a petty person, but…

Originally, they had set out on this journey intending to help Gulmag, so there was no reason to return.

Wendigo nodded, looking at Angrd.

“I’d welcome it if you’re inviting me. Dario says he’ll gladly accept the invitation too!”

“That’s great. Then let’s prepare to leave soon!”

Satisfied that everyone could come along, Angrd tightly bound the armored spider with chains to prepare for departure.

She pulled on the chains binding the armored spider, gauging its weight.

“Ugh. It’s a bit heavy, but it should be fine.”

“Angrd, I’ll pull it.”

“Oh, really? Then I’d be grateful!”

At Gulmag’s offer, Angrd thanked him and handed over the chains. Gulmag pulled the chains with one hand as if to show off his strength.

When Gulmag pulled the heavy armored spider with one hand, Angrd marveled.

Gulmag cleared his throat and acted as if it were nothing special. Wendigo chuckled at Gulmag’s uncharacteristic behavior.

It was an uncharacteristically foolish appearance, but isn’t that what love is all about?

Love always tends to make people foolish.

---

Angrd’s race, the Hrimthurs, weren’t living disconnected from the world due to their closed-off nature.

Surprisingly, they were so open that they always insisted on receiving seeds from outsiders to continue their lineage.

They welcomed external encounters to the extent of holding festivals when meeting other Hrimthur tribes.

The reason such exchange-loving Hrimthurs were unknown to the world was because their race was weak to heat.

The warmth of spring days that people prefer feels like a scorching desert to the Hrimthurs.

“My goodness… I want to take off even the leather clothes I’m wearing now, but you say this weather is cold?”

Angrd was greatly surprised as she listened to Jermy’s stories about the south.

She was quite modest(?) for a Hrimthur woman; usually, most only covered important parts with minimal leather.

Angrd pointed at Wendigo and Gulmag, asking as if she couldn’t believe it:

“Those two don’t seem very cold?”

“Well… they’re special people. First of all, Master is an ogre…”

As they could communicate, she seemed to have forgotten he was an ogre, but Angrd nodded, recalling that Gulmag was an ogre.

Jermy then pointed to Wendigo, but finding it difficult to explain, he scratched his head in trouble.

He couldn’t call him a spirit because the elves were certain he wasn’t one.

But there was no easier expression than ‘spirit’ to describe him otherwise…

Wendigo opened his mouth in place of the troubled Jermy:

“It would be good if you think of me as something similar to a spirit.”

“Ugh… Don’t tell me you were a spirit?”

“Do spirits cause problems here too?”

At Wendigo’s question, Angrd recoiled and nodded while gradually distancing herself.

“Sometimes, they say they’re noble beings born from ice or something… as if anyone isn’t a being born from ice.”

Wherever free mystery flows, there’s always at least a small possibility for spirits to be born.

Especially places concentrated with a single attribute, like snowy fields, are good environments for spirits to be born…

However, an environment good for spirits to be born cannot be guaranteed to be good for survival.

The Hrimthurs weren’t a race meek enough to be threatened by mere newborn spirits.

Then why does Angrd dislike spirits?

“They’re the worst because there’s nothing left after catching them. Things like mammoths or saber-toothed tigers are worth fighting because there’s something left after hunting. But we can’t ignore them either because they’re dangerous to children despite that.”

“Useless fight, no use in living.”

“That’s what I’m saying!”

When Gulmag agreed, Angrd snapped her fingers and pointed at him as if their minds were in sync. As he said, what use is there in fighting something that leaves nothing behind?

Hunting saber-toothed tigers or mammoths yields plenty of trophies, but hunting spirits doesn’t even produce a piece of meat.

A bug-like existence that harms children but leaves nothing when caught – that was the value of spirits in the Hrimthurs’ minds.

“……”

Of course, Wendigo, who had suddenly become comparable to a spirit, was at a loss for words.

Seeing Wendigo’s lack of response, Angrd seemed sorry and apologized with an awkward expression, scratching her cheek:

“Uh… I don’t mean you’re like that, I reacted too sensitively because of past events. I’ll apologize, so will you accept it?”

“It’s fine. Honestly, there aren’t many spirits I’d want to be friendly with either.”

Wendigo wasn’t lacking in understanding enough to be hurt by such a minor misunderstanding.

Unless one had never been harmed, it was natural to unconsciously feel aversion towards similar beings after being harmed by spirits.

They walked for a little over an hour, chatting like this.

“Ah, there it is! That’s where our tribe is staying!”

Angrd shouted with shining eyes as the tribe finally came into view.

There was no separate palisade, but it was easy to recognize that the Hrimthur tribe was there.

The sound of massive mammoths tearing down trees to fill their stomachs and their thunderous footsteps could be heard.

Angrd grabbed Gulmag’s hand and shouted cheerfully:

“Let’s go! Everyone will be glad to see us!”

“Ahem!”

Gulmag, seemingly embarrassed, cleared his throat loudly and ran after Angrd.

The thunderous sound as if heaven and earth were being overturned was clearly their pounding hearts…

“I really hope those fellows never come to Manheim. Just a few jumps with those legs would destroy the roads we’ve just paved.”

“… When you date Elhemina later, don’t say such gloomy things.”

As Dario recoiled while looking at the footprints left by the retreating pair, Wendigo sighed and advised.

---

In fact, Gulmag and Wendigo had one worry even as they were heading to the Hrimthur tribe.

Angrd had said the Hrimthurs liked ogres, but they thought she might have lied to avoid hurting Gulmag’s feelings.

Honestly speaking, in the world they had experienced, ogres weren’t a popular appearance.

However…

“Angrd! Where on earth did you bring such a handsome ogre from!”

“You young thing, getting so cheeky…”

“No! I met him by chance while hunting an armored spider!”

Their worries were unfounded. The Hrimthurs showed great favor towards Gulmag, who met their ideal ogre image(?).

If he were just a handsome ogre, it wouldn’t have been to this extent. But Gulmag wasn’t an ordinary ogre, was he?

“My name, Gulmag. Angrd, invited me—”

“Wait wait wait! Did he just speak?!”

“A-Angrd! Can I stay with him just for today?! I’ll make him—”

“You crazy bitch!!!”

As Gulmag began his self-introduction, the Hrimthurs, or more precisely, the women, were greatly surprised and couldn’t hide their excitement.

Angrd struck the head of her friend who made an inappropriate comment and pulled Gulmag’s hand, pushing away the women.

“All of you get lost! When guests arrive, it’s customary to introduce them to Dad, I mean, the chief first!”

“Is custom important right now? You’re being petty, trying to keep the good thing to yourself!”

“Aaargh!!! Do you think I’m a love-starved woman like you?! Want to get hit with chains?!”

“… It’s a mess.”

Wendigo muttered, watching Gulmag follow Angrd through the wall of giants.

Who could have imagined he would be this popular, even if they had suspected it?

“Well… I didn’t imagine it would be to this extent either. But at this rate, won’t Master Gulmag be able to marry easily?”

Dario was equally dumbfounded, but he exhaled in relief and grinned.

At least judging by that reaction, it seemed unlikely that Gulmag would be rejected when proposing.

Naturally, if the marriage succeeded, there would be no chance of him coming to smash his head in resentment.

“Well then, shall we go inside too?”

“We should… Huh?”

A fiercely-looking Hrimthur warrior blocked Wendigo’s path as he was about to enter. He looked Wendigo up and down with a suspicious expression and asked:

“Are you perhaps a spirit?”

“This person is not a spirit. Moreover, if he were a spirit, Miss Angrd wouldn’t have invited us, would she?”

“You never know. It’s possible she made a mistake because of the ogre that just passed by.”

It was an ogre that would draw admiration even from men, so it was possible Angrd hadn’t paid attention to this side because her attention was drawn to him.

The warrior pointed at Wendigo’s head and requested:

“It may be rude, but would you remove that skull to confirm your race? As a warrior protecting the tribe, I need to check.”

“……”

While it’s right to respect someone diligently performing their duty…

At words that were no different from asking him to tear off his head, Wendigo was at a loss for words out of bewilderment.