Ch.144Chapter 144

The Wendigo, freed from the forest’s constraints, was about to carry out a bloody purge in the south to settle all his accumulated anger…

“Your Majesty. No matter what, it’s absolutely unacceptable for the king to travel alone. What would the people of the world think of you!”

“Grrrr…”

…he couldn’t carry out the bloody purge.

Unlike in the past, now there were more than just one or two beings riding on his shoulders, so how could he just leave abruptly without maintaining his dignity?

When Geron shouted with a resolute expression, the Wendigo leaned back on his throne and wiggled his fingers.

“When I went to meet Gulmarg last time, you didn’t say much about it, did you?”

“That’s because the north is the land of beasts and monsters, so Your Majesty’s status has no meaning there. If I had known there was a Hrimtur tribe, I would never have let you leave alone.”

“Still, it’s more convenient to move alone. Or maybe just with Skadi—”

“Absolutely NOT. Perhaps in the old days, but now there are dozens of chieftains… no, nobles of Manheimr following Your Majesty, and you must show them your dignity!”

Though Geron usually accommodated the Wendigo’s unreasonable demands, this time he absolutely refused to back down.

Geron knew that it was overwhelmingly more efficient for the Wendigo to move alone, but the world doesn’t always flow efficiently.

If problems could be solved rationally, why would Dencan’s children commit the madness of detaining the king’s servant?

“I too know Your Majesty’s power. If you wish, I believe you could not only slaughter Dencan’s children but also subjugate those loyal to the Empire with power to spare.”

“I have no intention of doing such troublesome things.”

“When have you ever swung your sword first, Your Majesty? Most times, you’ve only done so because others, consumed by their own greed, acted with reckless abandon.”

As Geron said, the Wendigo had rarely created enemies first. Why would he? Creating enemies unnecessarily only led to more troublesome situations.

However, not everyone in the world was as indifferent to honor and conquest as the Wendigo.

Those intoxicated by power often thought it was their right and duty to achieve something with that power.

Dignity was necessary for dealing with such hot-blooded fools.

“Even fools obsessed with playing hero realize the reality when faced with hundreds of warriors. To prevent such disrespectful incidents, please show your dignity this time.”

“Have I ever won against your nagging… Very well.”

As the Wendigo waved his hand with a grumble, Geron felt something rising in his chest. Since when did he start listening to nagging so well to say such things!

But Geron was a veteran among veterans, having spent years as the Wendigo’s servant. He skillfully took out a candy from his pocket.

The candy, made by condensing fruits and herbs with calming effects, was excellent not only for its soothing properties but also for supplying sugar to relieve stress.

Geron popped the candy into his mouth with a stoic expression and chewed it down in one go.

“Eating increasingly stronger ones doesn’t seem like a good idea… How about cutting back a bit?”

“You’re joking, right? If Your Majesty would listen to me a bit better, I wouldn’t need to eat them… If you really want, I’ll do so when I retire.”

Geron answered with a smirk. Though he spoke grumblingly, he wasn’t that dissatisfied.

How could he be discontented serving someone who had given him the opportunity to live such a respectable life when he had only been living to avoid death?

Considering that he was destined to die as a powerless village chief of an ordinary… no, a wretched village, this much hardship was nothing.

“Hmm…”

“Besides, isn’t Lady Skadi waiting? I’ll write letters to send to the nobles, so you should go quickly.”

“Would that be alright? I think it would be better if we at least discussed the content of the letters together.”

“Since when did you care about such things… Aren’t you just reluctant to get dressed up with Lady Skadi?”

Flinch.

When Geron immediately saw through his mind, the Wendigo’s shoulders jerked involuntarily.

Just as Geron strongly opposed the Wendigo traveling alone, Skadi also wanted the Wendigo to appear more dignified.

The problem was that while all the tasks Geron handled didn’t require the Wendigo’s personal involvement, Skadi’s responsibility for the Wendigo’s attire required his presence.

“Your Majesty, Lady Skadi personally went to find elves and brought back a weaver after hearing that silk made from the World Tree’s stem is beautiful and durable, so considering her dedication—”

“Sigh, I understand, that’s enough. I’ll go now, won’t I?”

When Geron spewed out his nagging without even taking a breath, the Wendigo grimaced and stood up.

Though he had been avoiding wearing clothes because it felt awkward, he understood it was necessary.

As the Wendigo rose from his seat, Geron smiled with satisfaction.

“In the letter, I’ll write that Your Majesty, greatly angered by the disturbance in the north, has raised an army to personally punish Dencan’s children.”

In simple terms, it meant that if anyone sided with Dencan’s children, the Wendigo would personally lead an army to punish them.

After all, openly challenging power within Manheimr’s territory naturally branded one as a traitor.

Obviously, those who didn’t want to share the same fate as traitors had no choice but to sever ties or turn their swords around.

The Wendigo nodded with satisfaction at Geron’s judgment, which had accurately grasped his intentions.

“Only you and Skadi ever accurately understand my mind.”

“You flatter me.”

“What flattery… At this rate, I might not be able to let you retire.”

“?!”

The Wendigo uttered the joke, half in earnest, as he opened the door and went outside. Geron stared at the closed door with a bewildered expression.

Clearly, it was the greatest compliment a superior could give…

‘…I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at this.’

Geron fingered the pocket containing his candies and brushed off the Wendigo’s joke.

…It absolutely had to be a joke.

* * *

“Lord Wendigo!”

“Sorry I’m late. I was delayed discussing matters with Geron.”

The Wendigo naturally threw Geron under the bus as he greeted Skadi. Skadi had been conversing with the elves, and her expression was quite bright, suggesting it had been an enjoyable conversation.

The elves tensed up at the appearance of the Djin—no, the king—who was said to have been acknowledged by the World Tree itself. It wasn’t strange for elves to be wary of spirits, especially when that spirit was a king.

The representative of the elves and master of the weaving guild with a 2000-year tradition, Erina, carefully greeted the Wendigo.

“Greetings. I am from the ancient Valorian family of the Republic of Elvenheim, and the Sellarin family—”

‘Elves are such a troublesome race.’

Why on earth did they start their self-introductions with their family name, followed by the names of organizations they belonged to, and even their nicknames?

Though he wanted to cut her off and get to the point, the Wendigo quietly waited for the greeting to end out of consideration for Skadi.

Of course, he didn’t remember most of the content. It was enough to know that her name was Erina and that she was a senior technician from a famous weaving guild in Elvenheim.

“It is an honor not only to meet someone whose majesty has been recognized by the World Tree’s manifestation but also to create clothing for you, which will be recorded in our family history for generations.”

“That’s pleasing. Is that the Valorian family, or the Sellarin family?”

“Of course, I plan to share this honor with both families, but…?”

It was a jab at her long and tedious greeting, but Erina seemed to think the Wendigo’s question stemmed from ignorance about elves, as she blinked and answered seriously.

Inwardly clicking his tongue, the Wendigo turned to Skadi.

“You seemed to be talking with them until just now… Have you already finished discussing the attire?”

“Yes! As befitting a senior technician from an ancient weaving guild, Erina’s aesthetic sense is truly outstanding!”

“Not at all. It is Lady Skadi who possesses exceptional sense. The more we talked, the more I was amazed.”

“No, Erina is really—”

What kind of outfit were they planning to make that could cause such camaraderie between two people who had just met?

The Wendigo watched them for a moment as they praised each other and chattered away, then snapped his fingers. A mystical sound resonated, calming their excitement.

Erina and Skadi, realizing they had been making a spectacle of themselves, blushed and cleared their throats.

“I-I’m sorry. I got excited meeting someone with the same taste after so long.”

“N-no, I should apologize for encouraging it unnecessarily.”

“I’m glad you both seem to have calmed down. So, what design of clothing is it?”

At the Wendigo’s question, Erina gestured to the craftsmen who had accompanied her. It was a signal to bring the drawing they had just created with Skadi.

They brought a fairly large piece of paper and spread it out in front of the Wendigo…

“…Are you saying this is the clothing I’ll be wearing?”

The Wendigo asked Erina and Skadi in a disgruntled voice. The clothing was… stranger than expected.

He could understand wrapping black silk with gold patterns around his waist instead of pants. Given his size, making pants would be difficult.

But why did he need to wear three pairs of golden bracelets on both arms and rings on all his fingers?

Moreover, the image of him standing with silk draped across both shoulders and the back of his neck, with a sword thrust into the ground, was perfect for being mistaken for some malevolent god.

Skadi responded to the Wendigo’s question with a proud expression.

“It’s more of a representation of the attire. We referenced statues of gods worshipped by ancient kingdoms of the Old Empire!”

“Regrettably, we decided to forgo decorating your horns. We had to consider that it might cause Your Majesty discomfort when moving.”

“……”

Could it be that they wanted to make him look not like the king of Manheimr but like an evil god summoned to earth through malevolent magic?

The Wendigo looked at Erina, who was admiring her own aesthetic sense, and seriously considered whether she might be a spy sent by the Republic to tarnish his reputation.

But if that were true, then Skadi would also be a spy collaborating with Erina…

Obviously, that couldn’t be true, so the Wendigo grumbled inwardly.

“I think I’d be less embarrassed going around naked.”

“Pardon? What did you just say?”

“Oh, you must have misheard something because you’re tired. Besides, you’re weavers from the weaving guild. You’ll handle the clothes, but what about making bracelets that fit my size?”

Having failed to hide his true feelings, the Wendigo naturally changed the subject and asked Erina.

It wasn’t an irrelevant question, as making golden bracelets and rings was beyond the expertise of Erina, a weaving technician.

With luck, he might be able to get rid of the cumbersome accessories…

“Don’t worry about that. Anticipating this, I’ve already called in jewelry craftsmen!”

“…How fortunate.”

Faced with Skadi’s thorough preparation, the Wendigo finally gave up and hung his head.

It seemed clear that she was genuinely intent on turning him into an evil god.