Ch.105Chapter 105

The Wendigo looked at Dario, who was frozen in shock, and thought.

‘The stench isn’t too terrible. Perhaps he’s not one who deserves death.’

The Wendigo didn’t believe his nose had some absurd ability to divide people into good and evil.

More precisely, his nose could detect the karma someone had accumulated in the form of smell.

In that sense, Dario wasn’t beyond redemption.

‘Though that doesn’t mean he doesn’t smell at all.’

“…I apologize. In my joy at meeting the only king of the North, I made a mistake. Please forgive me.”

Dario was bewildered but maintained his smile, bowing deeply to humble himself further.

His attitude was so respectful that even those giving him stern looks softened their stance.

Being called out for smelling bad in front of many people was apparently a shameful thing.

Dario stepped back and carefully observed Wendigo’s reaction.

“Is this sufficient?”

‘Not bad. Observing the surroundings and retreating in the most favorable direction.’

The Wendigo was impressed by Dario’s composure.

It wasn’t easy to be insulted to one’s face and then use that to gain sympathy from others.

Especially since this wasn’t due to a mistake, it wouldn’t have been strange to burst out in anger…

Dario glanced around and approached a middle-aged man with a gentle expression and few calluses on his hands.

Pointing to the scent pouch hanging at the man’s waist, Dario made a request.

“I’m sorry, but could you spare that scent pouch? I’ll compensate you later.”

“Oh… of course. But this fragrance might not suit you…”

The man untied the pouch from his waist and offered it. A subtle musk scent wafted from it.

It certainly wasn’t the sweet fragrance of flowers or fruits that young people preferred, but Dario tied it to his waist and smiled.

“The king would prefer the scent of musk to my smell!”

It was essentially admitting he smelled bad, but people responded favorably to his candid answer.

He definitely had an innate talent for winning people’s goodwill.

With just the keyword “smell,” he had instantly succeeded in creating an image of a polite and witty young man.

“The Kaffustin family, aren’t they the ones who recently went over to the Empire?”

“It’s not a big issue. Their roots are still Northern, like ours.”

“Do you know how much the Empire looks down on us? Still… that fellow seems decent enough.”

Dario maintained a reverent posture while smiling inwardly.

The Wendigo carefully observed Dario’s skill while tapping the armrest of his throne with his fingernails.

‘Whatever else, he has quite a talent for reading the room. The problem is his stench…’

It was rare to find someone like Geron and Skadi who possessed both a good heart and exceptional abilities.

Usually, people had one or the other, and in severe cases, neither.

In that sense, Dario was… salvageable trash, though just barely.

Compared to the complete garbage he’d met before, if they were like milk left out for 50 days, Dario was like milk that had just started to spoil.

‘Let’s examine his abilities a bit more.’

The Wendigo ordered an attendant to read Dario’s letter.

Dario tensed up again, remembering the content of the letter he had written.

The letter, written without understanding Wendigo’s disposition, was honestly… no different from butter slathered with honey.

“To the beloved King of the Forest, I bow in reverence, and am humbled that you would read this lowly one’s letter. First, regarding your achievements…”

“Hmph, did he butter his tongue… no, it would be more accurate to say he wrote his letter with butter.”

“Don’t be too harsh. He’s a young man who made a mistake due to excessive enthusiasm.”

“That doesn’t excuse insulting the noble purpose of the university.”

As Dario’s letter was read aloud, the atmosphere in the room shifted dramatically.

People couldn’t believe that Dario, who had just seemed like a solid young man, was actually someone who engaged in blatant flattery.

Northern customs especially valued honor, and those who wagged their tongues deceitfully were objects of contempt.

The Wendigo grimaced at the letter’s content and stared into Dario’s eyes.

His eyes were steady, but one could almost hear his mind racing.

Shortly after the humiliating recitation of Dario’s praise-filled letter ended…

THUD!

“First, I beg forgiveness for failing to understand the king’s will and disturbing his peace!”

As soon as the reading finished, Dario fell to his knees and confessed his wrongdoing, smashing his head against the ground.

With a dull sound, Dario’s head hit the floor, and when he raised it, his forehead was revealed to be torn.

Blood flowed from the wound, but Dario continued speaking without pause.

“Next, I apologize to those who came here with deep purpose for showing such an ugly display!”

Dario again smashed his head against the ground in apology.

It was closer to self-harm than apology… but to Northerners raised in harsh lands, it was undeniably a sincere method of apology.

The feelings of betrayal and contempt toward Dario gradually began to fade in people’s hearts.

After forcefully hitting his head against the hard floor twice, Dario looked up with a blood-covered face, his eyes flashing.

“However!”

With legs shaking from the impact, Dario struggled to stand.

As he staggered, those watching with complex emotions moved to support him.

“I truly did come to the university with my own purpose. That was no lie. Please hear me out!”

The Wendigo was beyond bewilderment—he was amazed.

Though his words were full of lies, his actions were the most passionate of anyone he’d met so far.

‘If he didn’t have ability, I’d think he was truly harming himself.’

The Wendigo gestured for him to continue.

Dario, certain his opportunity had finally arrived, extracted usable phrases from his letter.

First was “education must be distant from power,” meaning professors should exclude chieftains or firstborns.

Second was “knowledge never grows old, but that doesn’t mean it’s never wrong,” suggesting only verified knowledge should be taught.

Third was…

“That’s enough. I’ve heard your story.”

“I can only thank you for giving this foolish one a chance.”

When the Wendigo raised his hand to stop him, Dario bowed his head without hesitation.

Those listening around them pondered Dario’s arguments and shared opinions.

“Indeed, it would be troublesome if those holding power were involved. Especially chieftains…”

“Would someone holding tribal power willingly set it aside?”

“Who knows? They might temporarily entrust it to a proxy, then devour everything as soon as the university produces its first graduates.”

“That seems like excessive worry…”

Of course, Dario’s hastily constructed arguments had many flaws.

But Dario was quite young… and youth always provided a good excuse for minor mistakes.

Isn’t making mistakes the privilege of youth?

In the North, making mistakes when older meant facing the sword.

‘At least he has talent for winning people over. For education, though… probably not.’

After careful consideration, the Wendigo reached a conclusion.

“I’ve heard Dario of House Kaffustin’s passionate speech. However, I cannot deny that he is too inexperienced to provide instruction.”

Others nodded in agreement with the Wendigo’s opinion. Dario clearly wasn’t qualified to teach others.

Dario hadn’t expected that much anyway.

Above all, he had already made a good impression on prominent Northern figures, so his journey to the edge of the North hadn’t been entirely in vain.

‘This is sufficient gain…’

“However, I judge his passion to be sufficient and believe he may be suitable for other tasks. Therefore, I’m placing him on hold… what do you think?”

“Pardon?”

Dario blinked and questioned the Wendigo.

He couldn’t possibly guess what the Wendigo intended by putting him on hold.

Feeling uneasy, Dario was about to politely decline.

But then…

“Excellent! A young man like you will surely be helpful!”

“As the old saying goes, when old oxen lead the way and young oxen provide the strength, even an old cart can travel a thousand miles!”

“Ah, no. I appreciate the offer, but I…”

Those who had formed a good impression of Dario rejoiced at the Wendigo’s generous offer as if it were their own good fortune, pushing Dario forward.

For Dario, whose original plan had been disrupted, this was maddening.

Of course, making new plans from now on wouldn’t be bad, but…

‘Working with such a dangerous Djin is too risky!’

Having realized the Wendigo was absolutely not an easy opponent, Dario wanted to get as far away from the End of the World as possible.

He constantly felt as if the expressionless deer skull was seeing right through him.

He absolutely should not accept this offer…

“Could it be that the passion you just showed was false? If so, that would be very disappointing…”

When the Wendigo muttered quietly, Dario trembled.

Sometimes being perceptive was a disadvantage. Like now, when he could understand the hidden meaning in words he’d rather not comprehend.

He couldn’t know how the Djin would retaliate if he refused the offer, but…

‘Face retaliation from the Forest King who might become the center of the North? I’d have to give up sleeping soundly from tomorrow night onward.’

Such a life was definitely not an option.

“O-Of course not. How could I refuse when the king has evaluated me so favorably?”

“Hmm, good. Then let’s move on.”

The Wendigo nonchalantly called the next person and continued the interviews.

Naturally, Dario spent the time suffering from a strange anxiety.

After Dario’s appearance, the interviews proceeded with even greater strictness and solemnity.

* * *

After finishing interviews with all applicants, the Wendigo dismissed them and met privately with Dario.

Naturally, Dario felt suffocated being alone with the Wendigo.

Even in a group he had been tense, but alone, the urge to flee kept surfacing at every moment.

As he hung his head in tension, the Wendigo loudly tapped his throne with his fingernails.

Dario looked up at the Wendigo with a start.

“I-I’m sorry. The honor of a private audience with the king is so overwhelming that I…”

“If nothing else, I acknowledge your ability to flatter. Saying such things with a face that looks ready to vomit almost makes me feel sympathy that wasn’t there before.”

When the Wendigo calmly evaluated him, Dario held his tongue.

Just from his tone, he could tell the Wendigo didn’t view him favorably.

Babbling here would only provoke the other party, so Dario decided to maintain silence.

“You must be wondering why you alone are having a private audience with me when you’re not the only one placed on hold.”

“…Yes. My dull mind cannot comprehend why the king is displeased.”

Dario wasn’t the only applicant placed on hold.

The Wendigo had placed those with ability but unsatisfactory character for educators on hold.

He intended to offer them tasks related to establishing the university.

After all, a university doesn’t run on professors alone, even if it is a place for teaching people.

The problem was Dario… he had the worst stench of anyone here.

“Do you know why I said only you smelled?”

“I apologize. With my foolish words, I have disturbed the king’s…”

“I told you to stop the flattery. Or should I pull out your tongue to make you stop?”

At the Wendigo’s question, Dario shut his mouth and shook his head vigorously.

The Wendigo honestly revealed his ability.

“I can smell the karma others have accumulated. Usually, people who have lived doing good deeds emit a pleasant fragrance…”

CRASH!

Hearing only the words “karma” and “smell,” Dario immediately grasped the situation. And he quickly decided how to act.

He frantically ran toward the audience chamber door.

The Djin surely didn’t have good intentions saying such things, so if there was even a slight chance of survival…

“Damn it!”

Before Dario could reach the door, ice hands sprouting from the ground seized him.

Dario reached for the dagger at his waist, but his hands were also bound by the ice.

When the Wendigo pulled his outstretched hand toward himself, the ice hands gripped Dario tightly and moved him toward the Wendigo.

The Wendigo controlled the ice hands to bring Dario face to face with him.

“Judging by how you acted before hearing everything, you’re indeed perceptive. But don’t be too afraid. Honestly, if I wanted to kill you, wouldn’t I have done so after you left?”

Certainly, dying on the road back would be a better death for the Wendigo than being murdered in the palace.

But Dario wasn’t reassured. In different words, it meant the Wendigo could make him die on the road at any time.

“If-if you have any wishes, please tell me. As long as you spare my life, even my father’s neck…”

“It’s absurd that the first honest thing you say here is offering your father’s neck… Try to convince me.”

As the Wendigo spoke with disgust, Dario stared blankly into space for a moment.

Then, looking at the ground and ceiling, Dario asked the Wendigo with a stupid expression.

“Pardon?”