Ch.102Chapter 102

Those who received the Wendigo’s invitation embarked on a journey toward the forest located at the northern edge, each carrying their own purpose in their hearts.

Those who were relatively close to the forest could arrive within a week, but most could not.

Investors were delayed as they packed abundant gifts to impress the forest king.

Warriors were delayed as they searched for worthy prey to demonstrate their skills to the forest king.

Intellectuals were delayed as they gathered books and works related to their fields of expertise…

“Find out everything you can about the Djin!”

“Grab anyone coming from the north and interrogate them! I’ll reward silver—no, gold coins to anyone who brings back even one piece of good information!”

“Does the Djin like to eat? What is this…”

Dario had received an invitation as an intellectual, but although he hadn’t prepared much, his steps were unbearably heavy.

First, he needed to understand his counterpart to some extent in order to tell them what they wanted to hear and show them what they wanted to see.

Dario drove his subordinates hard to collect information. However, the more he continued collecting, the more his expression twisted into a grim scowl.

This creature… can it even be called a Djin?

“He’s not obsessed with treasure, he rules fairly and receives praise, and he doesn’t periodically consume rituals or sacrifices?”

“Yes. Based on the information we’ve collected so far, um… he’s clean.”

Dario’s subordinates expressed their reluctance. Whether human, Djin, or even a god, those with flaws always had vulnerabilities.

For those who loved treasure, one could offer ways to fleece people.

For tyrants who ruled lands as they pleased, one could tell them everything they did was right and block their eyes and ears.

For those distracted by women or men or whatever their lower body craved, one simply had to cater to their tastes.

The problem was that the more information they collected about this Djin called the forest king, the more impeccably honest he seemed.

Unable to contain his anger, Dario kicked his subordinate in the shin. The subordinate barely suppressed his scream, clamping his mouth shut.

With Dario’s temperament, screaming would only invite an even louder scream.

“You idiots! Do you think I hired you to hear this kind of report? Find out what he likes!”

“B-but according to the rumors and merchant testimonies we’ve collected…”

The subordinate who stepped forward to calm Dario was slapped and fell over.

Dario didn’t stop there, swinging his sheathed sword from his waist to beat the subordinate.

In the face of such a violent display, the other subordinates didn’t dare raise their eyes as they watched their colleague being beaten to a pulp.

After turning the innocent subordinate into a half-cripple, Dario swept back his sweat-soaked hair and exhaled roughly.

In truth, he knew the subordinate was not at fault. It was his job to meet with chieftains and merchants whom his subordinates couldn’t access.

Naturally, information from such figures was somewhat more reliable, and they too had provided information not much different from what his subordinates had investigated.

Yet he had beaten his subordinate simply because he needed someone to vent his frustration on in this exasperating situation.

‘Rumors can’t be trusted, but rumors this consistent are never created by coincidence.’

Dario acknowledged that the Wendigo was the most unique being he had ever encountered.

He had thought it strange when he heard that the Djin had made the land fertile by wasting his precious mystery, but it was clearly a crazier Djin than he had imagined.

“…Go get a mirror. And if you spot any procession heading toward the forest, inform me.”

Though curious about this sudden instruction, the subordinates nodded without asking questions.

They had no desire to end up like their colleague writhing on the floor.

* * *

In this era, who among travelers didn’t harbor ambition? But at least among those who came from near the forest, there were none with excessive greed.

Just yesterday, neighboring tribal chiefs had been replaced and respected and feared shamans had been beheaded—who would have the guts for such ambition?

Most chose to accept the Wendigo’s order and enjoy the prosperity he shared…

“Southern villagers might say something strange and cause the king to withdraw his grace.”

“Since when did they care about this land? We must stop their misconduct!”

To these people, guests from the south were as irritating as thorns in their eyes.

Having tasted prosperity, they did not welcome potential troublemakers who might provoke the Wendigo.

However, they couldn’t interfere with those responding to the king’s invitation without cause.

Instead, they would meet travelers and warn them under any pretext.

Fortunately, those invited by the Wendigo were rarely complete fools.

At first, they might think they were being intimidated by rivals, but when every northern chief they met issued the same warning, even the dullest would take notice.

However…

“Hmph, I can’t give up this great opportunity just because of that.”

“If a man is born without great dreams, he might as well be dead!”

Those who sought merely good positions or slightly more profit than others easily gave up, but those with genuine ambition found it difficult.

Not because they were stupid, but because ambitious people tended to be adventurous by nature.

After all, how could one succeed by living like everyone else?

Despite the chiefs’ warnings, their ambition remained unbent. This didn’t change much even after reaching the forest palace.

Guided by wolf riders, the forest palace was located deep in the sparsely populated forest, exuding a dreamlike atmosphere.

“To think there really is a palace in this deep forest…”

“How did they build such a palace in the forest? Moving materials must have been incredibly difficult.”

“Didn’t you see those house-sized oxen in the villages we passed? With such oxen, moving materials would have been quick.”

Building structures in difficult terrain was no easy task.

Especially building a massive palace in the middle of an almost uninhabited forest was an absurd feat that not even tribal chiefs or imperial nobles could easily attempt.

They had thought only elves living in the western great forest might be capable of such an outrageous feat…

As the palace doors opened, they entered with great tension.

Inside the palace, servants in neat attire were busy working.

Though it was against etiquette to be so busy when guests arrived, no one dared complain.

More than such trivial matters, their attention was captured by the warriors wearing bone helmets who stood like statues throughout the palace.

One warrior who had been waiting for visitors approached them. He had been instructed to guide the visitors.

“I will guide you to the audience hall. Please follow me.”

When the large bone-helmeted warrior spoke, the visitors quietly followed while observing the warriors.

Those skilled in shamanism were surprised that the bone helmets were enchanted artifacts.

Warriors respected them, noting their extremely trained bodies and the scars that indicated their level of skill.

Those with power imagined these warriors attacking their territories and blanched.

Of course, the chiefs who already knew of their existence weren’t particularly surprised. Noticing their calm demeanor, one chief approached them and asked.

“Do you know who these men are?”

“How could we not? They’re as infamous as the wolf riders.”

The forest king’s direct vassals strictly managed the routes to the forest, but they couldn’t control everyone.

Those who committed crimes to avoid paying tolls or thieves who sneaked in to target livestock raised by forest people typically met one of two fates.

The first was to be caught by patrolling wolf riders and become wolf food, and the second was to be slaughtered by bone-helmeted warriors selected from each village.

“No. Why are they bare-chested? From what I’ve heard, they could easily obtain armor if they wanted.”

One man expressed his doubt. Others seemed to share his curiosity, nodding in agreement.

The one explaining about the bone-helmeted warriors burst into laughter, and those who knew the truth also chuckled.

These southern bumpkins!

“That’s a kind of tradition that displays their pride. Those who wear bone helmets have the confidence to slaughter enemies even with bare bodies.”

Indeed, the bone-helmeted warriors had proven this pride was no bluff by slaughtering criminals who sneaked into the forest with their bare hands.

For a very brief moment, greed flickered in the eyes of those listening.

If the story was true, the bone helmets they wore were clearly powerful artifacts.

If so, couldn’t they also gain tremendous power by wearing such helmets? Or perhaps recruit these warriors…

“Out of concern, let me advise you not to try anything foolish. More than a few have died with their heads exploded for such thoughts.”

“Ahem, I had no such thoughts.”

When some of the warriors glared fiercely at the visitors, they hastily averted their gaze and abandoned their vain thoughts.

Shortly after, they arrived at the audience hall. As the massive doors opened, they faced those who had arrived earlier and were waiting.

The direct vassals who were the first to bow to the forest king, led by chieftains Miloshi and Anton, were watching them from near the throne.

The visitors realized they were the king’s inner circle.

After all, it was always the job of the inner circle to guard the ruler’s position.

Dario looked at them with eyes tainted by jealousy.

‘The Djin cleaned up the mess their fathers made, what’s so great about them?’

In Dario’s eyes, they were just lucky bastards.

His own father had challenged without knowing his place, been humiliated, and lost his position as chief, while these people had been granted their positions by the Djin and were living comfortably.

He felt his lips trembling with envy and blood vessels popping in his eyes.

Miloshi gestured toward them with a friendly smile.

“It’s good to see familiar faces! Why don’t you come over here to meet the king?”

“Hahaha! It would be an honor for us to see the forest king up close.”

Having fulfilled their duty to fellow northerners by warning them how dangerous the forest king was, the chiefs who had accepted the Wendigo’s order smiled and approached when Miloshi greeted them warmly.

The naturally divided two groups began a battle of wills, glaring at each other.

The faint-hearted swallowed dry saliva and trembled with anxiety in the murderous atmosphere. In this tension that felt eternal, a loud-voiced servant shouted.

“The forest king is entering! Everyone show proper respect!!!”

“!”

The visitors tensed as they waited for the forest king to enter.

Their hearts pounded with excitement at finally meeting the being they had only heard about in rumors.

‘Pull yourself together. This is no time to be dazed.’

Dario hurriedly changed his expression and corrected his posture.

He put on the manly face he had practiced daily in the mirror and straightened his posture like a well-forged sword.

Dario’s originally vile impression disappeared, replaced by that of a solid young man.

This was the human image that the Djin supposedly preferred, based on all the information he had gathered.

Whoosh!

“W-what’s happening!?”

“Does it feel… colder in here?”

The braziers warming the audience hall flickered in a cold wind, and an inexplicable chill settled in the hall.

The visitors murmured at this strange phenomenon, but the chiefs at the front remained calm.

After experiencing such things several times, one could only become accustomed to it.

The visitors watched the front with great tension. Someone slowly began to reveal themselves.

A white-haired beauty with a fair complexion and exotic charm entered, along with a stern-faced middle-aged man.

“Is that woman the rumored Witch of the Forest?”

“I heard she was a great summoner… but isn’t she too young?”

“If the woman is the Witch of the Forest, then the man beside her must be Geron. Merchants said once you get on that man’s bad side, you can’t do anything in the forest…”

“You can feel his experience just from his face. He’s clearly not someone to be taken lightly.”

The two who immediately captured the visitors’ attention moved to either side of the throne. And the moment they took their positions, some visitors screamed in surprise.

“Aaaaargh!?”

“Huk?!”

“?”

Startled by the unseemly screams, the other visitors glared at those responsible.

What rudeness at such an important moment!

But seeing their pale faces and outstretched fingers pointing forward, they reflexively followed the direction.

There was the throne, and a massive black figure…?

“Huh?”

The visitors felt their blood run cold.

The throne, which had been empty just moments ago, now held a massive being covered in pitch-black, ominous hide, glaring at them.

When the deer skull that felt devoid of life opened its mouth, people bit their lips to suppress their screams.

“I express my gratitude to visitors who have come from afar. Welcome to my palace.”

A voice filled with immense power thundered in the visitors’ ears. They found a clue to the monster’s identity in that voice.

My palace.

Having realized the monster’s identity, the visitors quickly abandoned any thoughts of persuading it for greater profit.

And those like Dario who had been burning with twisted ambition all had the same thought:

‘We’re doomed.’

Their burning ambitions were extinguished.

Some forced a smile with a mess of an expression.

Had they really boasted they could persuade such a monster?

If they could turn back time, they would gladly give up an arm to return.

* * *

Seeing the visitors looking at him with expressions that suggested they might stop breathing at any moment, the Wendigo thought:

‘I let too much power into my voice from nervousness.’

As the atmosphere instantly turned cold, the Wendigo blamed himself for his mistake.

He thought it wasn’t polite to speak with mystery to people he had invited.

While not entirely wrong…

There was one fact that the Wendigo, who hadn’t met anyone who feared him in recent times, had forgotten:

He had forgotten that his very existence was frightening, regardless of his voice.

If he truly didn’t want the visitors to be scared, he should have brought a massive cloth to cover himself.