Ch.170Chapter 170

Just as Wendigo could sense the presence of mice and connect with them mentally, beasts blessed with his mystical powers could sense his presence.

Thanks to this, Quick and his companions were spared the trouble of searching for Wendigo. The location wasn’t very far either.

After leaving the food storage, Quick and his companions headed toward the kitchen.

It was another battlefield where burly women sweated profusely as they baked bread in front of enormous ovens and stirred ladles longer than themselves in massive cauldrons filled with onions, garlic, and cabbage.

“I’ve been informed that His Majesty enjoyed southern cuisine while possessing others. So don’t think of it as preparing special food, but rather allowing him to enjoy the flavors he’s accustomed to!”

“Yes!”

And commanding this battlefield was not the Summoner of Gluttony… but Osa, who had become the head chef.

Though her fair complexion remained unchanged, her well-defined muscles and expression brimming with pride showed how firmly she had established herself as a chef.

Quick and his companions paid their respects to their hardworking friends before climbing onto a nearby table and squeaking at Osa.

“Squeak! Squeak squeak squeak!”

“Hmm?”

Hearing a sound that shouldn’t be in the kitchen, Osa grabbed a nearby knife and turned toward the source. However, Osa’s blade was never directed at Quick.

Upon confirming that Quick and his companions were the source of the sound, Osa met Quick’s gaze with a welcoming expression.

“Quick! You’re always working hard exterminating the palace pests.”

“Squeak squeak!”

“So modest. But why have you come to see me? I doubt you’ve run out of food.”

As Osa wondered, Quick explained enthusiastically through gestures and squeaks.

To an outsider, it might have looked like mice performing tricks, but Osa, being both a Summoner and chef, understood the meaning through the mystical nature of their sounds.

Quick finished his explanation by looking down at his kneeling companions with a proud posture.

“So you’re going to see His Majesty. I was just preparing snacks for him… Hey you!”

“Yes!”

Though no name was mentioned, in the kitchen, “hey you” was essentially the name of the lowest-ranking person.

A woman put down what she was doing, ran over, and stood at attention before Osa like a disciplined soldier.

Osa pointed to Quick’s group and ordered:

“When you deliver the snacks for His Majesty, take these ones with you.”

“Pardon?”

Thwack!

When the woman looked confused at being told to take the mice, Osa kicked her in the shin.

Osa grabbed the woman’s shoulders with a stern expression and said:

“Didn’t I tell you not to be absentminded in the kitchen? Don’t forget that the kitchen is a place where carelessness can lead to serious injury.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Osa didn’t want to be harsh with people, but in the kitchen—especially one preparing food for the Wendigo—even a moment’s carelessness could lead to great danger.

Sharp knives were the least of their worries.

How could cooking be easy when working near cauldrons large enough to boil five or six people and ovens that emitted intense heat every day?

On days when they prepared fried foods, the chef in charge had to maintain both physical and mental purity in this place.

The woman knew this fact, so she didn’t resent Osa’s strict attitude.

Seeing her resilience, Osa patted her shoulder with a faint smile.

“I understand it’s confusing, but refrain from disrespectful behavior. They’ve served under His Majesty longer than you have.”

“Squeak squeak squeak!”

When Osa praised them, Quick and his companions stood on their hind legs and beat their chests.

The woman, Emily, nodded and clapped softly. Though she didn’t fully understand, she could tell these were remarkable mice.

“Quick, follow Emily and she’ll take you to His Majesty. Don’t touch His Majesty’s snacks just because you’re hungry.”

“Squeak!”

After saluting Osa, Quick and his companions ran to Emily and climbed onto her body.

Emily crossed the kitchen with the mice on her shoulders. She tensed whenever she felt the gaze of other chefs upon her.

It would be understandable if knives came flying, seeing not only mice in the sacred kitchen but a newcomer carrying them on her shoulders.

However, the chefs didn’t launch any attacks. Most of them simply smiled at Quick and waved.

Emily looked at Quick with wonder and murmured:

“You guys really are something special.”

“Squeak squeak!”

Quick nodded with a face full of pride.

* * *

Wendigo had assumed Quick would appear on his own. He hadn’t specified a time because he considered that Quick might have his own circumstances.

Therefore, he couldn’t help but be surprised when a woman who introduced herself as a new chef arrived with food and Quick in tow.

How many chefs in the world would walk around with mice?

However, Wendigo wasn’t one to lose his composure over such a matter. He savored the apple pie and oak-barrel tea served as snacks while conversing with Quick.

“Squeak squeak.”

“There’s no need to be so modest. The mystical powers I gave you were like an advance payment for your help. By the way, are you really okay with this? If you’re busy, you could ask other mice.”

“Squeeeak! Squeak squeak squeak!”

Quick, who was enjoying bread spread with fruit and peanut butter with Wendigo’s permission, shook his head vigorously in gratitude for Wendigo’s consideration.

This wasn’t just any task but one requested by his master, so wasn’t it right that he should handle it himself, even if it meant postponing everything else?

Quick pointed to himself, squeaking as if to say “leave it to me.”

Wendigo rinsed his mouth with oak-barrel tea and nodded.

“Well, I’m truly grateful that proven experts like you are helping me. If there’s anything you want, tell me. I’ll grant it if it’s within my power.”

Once again, Quick shook his head. He hadn’t stepped forward expecting compensation but had acted according to principle, so he had no intention of receiving a reward.

Having anticipated this, Wendigo mentally organized the situation while thinking of a separate reward to give Quick.

Seeing how readily Quick and his companions accepted the request, it was clear they truly had the capacity to help.

‘Geron would… forgive me since this isn’t something strange but activity for Manheimr’s benefit.’

If Geron had heard this, he would have cursed with cold eyes, but even he couldn’t deny it.

After all, the reason Geron came to serve Wendigo sincerely was because he was impressed by Wendigo’s initiative in solving problems.

Of course, even Geron hadn’t expected that Wendigo would maintain this mindset even after becoming king.

The last remaining issue was Skadi. With loyalty rivaling Geron’s, wouldn’t she want to follow even if her body was tired?

‘I’d like her to rest a bit, she’s been through a lot.’

If his retainers had heard this thought, they would have looked at him incredulously. Wendigo contemplated how to persuade Skadi while devouring his snacks.

His mind was complicated, but the apple pie was sweet and delicious.

At some point, Wendigo became lost in savoring the snacks. Osa’s cooking, which had now surpassed Skadi’s, had reached the realm of sorcery.

In the end, Wendigo was only able to leave his seat after eating dinner and finally dessert.

* * *

Wendigo tried to keep his outing a secret as much as possible. After all, a king frequently leaving his throne wasn’t likely to be well-received.

But a secret without enforced silence is no secret at all. How could information not leak when there was nothing to stop loose tongues?

News of Wendigo’s outing spread from family to friends, from friends to neighbors.

Finally, when people began discussing the outing as bar talk, Wendigo’s departure became a topic of conversation among people as if it had been officially announced.

Some, heavily intoxicated, expressed concern while burning with patriotism.

“No matter what, he’s the king, but he wanders around too much. What if he suddenly leaves for good?”

“How many people could actually challenge the king? But you never know what might happen.”

Most drunken talk is meaningless nonsense, but even nonsense can contain some truth.

Isn’t there a saying that when the tiger is away, the fox plays king?

It was only natural that some might harbor thoughts while watching the empty throne in the absence of its owner.

However…

“With the kingdom’s two pillars pledging absolute loyalty to His Majesty, what’s there to worry about? People say such nonsense when drunk.”

“I apologize. This friend has been able to act as a father in his old age thanks to His Majesty’s grace, so he’s overly concerned.”

“This grace didn’t come from nowhere. We need to support His Majesty—”

“Father’s at it again! I’m sorry. My father gets emotional when drunk.”

“Hey, son, I’m not drunk yet…”

Most people didn’t care much about Wendigo’s wandering.

He wasn’t causing problems elsewhere; rather, he was trying to solve them—a virtuous king among virtuous kings. What was there to criticize?

The people of the capital thought about Wendigo’s outing like this:

‘Ah, His Majesty’s wanderlust has struck again!’

Thus, most people didn’t pay much attention to Wendigo’s departure… but there was one problem.

Skadi, who was busy with her daily duties, received this news later than others.

“Shouldn’t you have at least told me before leaving?”

As a result, Skadi visited the palace and confronted Wendigo with a sulky expression.

Wendigo, who had been thinking of excuses, immediately abandoned all pretenses upon seeing her expression and unconsciously knelt.

“I’m sorry.”

He didn’t make excuses about wanting to let her rest or forgetting to tell her.

Nothing fuels an angry person’s rage more than claiming it’s not your fault.

This was especially true when the anger stemmed from emotional reasons.

When Wendigo knelt and apologized, Skadi, who hadn’t expected this much, gradually lost the dissatisfaction on her face.

She could easily guess why Wendigo hadn’t told her.

“I understand what you’re worried about. It’s just uncomfortable that you don’t rest while being concerned about others.”

“But I was moving in a possessed body, so my actual body… Ah, no. I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

Wendigo, who had reflexively tried to make an excuse, quickly apologized when he saw Skadi’s eyes tremble.

Just as Wendigo worried about Skadi, she worried about him, and there was no worse response than “I’m fine.”

However, Skadi couldn’t win against Wendigo.

Pouting with one cheek puffed out, Skadi fiddled with Wendigo’s horns and murmured:

“Even if I wanted to follow you, I have too much work to do. I need to organize the spells Dencan left behind, and there’s backlogged work related to the university’s operation and witch affairs.”

She was half talking to herself. She desperately wanted to go with him.

However, Skadi knew well that handling the pending work here was the better choice for Wendigo than following him.

Unlike the past Skadi who was blindly in love, the current Skadi pursued a devoted love.

… Yet she couldn’t easily shake off the regret of not being able to follow him.

After nagging for quite some time, Skadi leaned against Wendigo’s face and whispered:

“… If you come back injured, I’ll cry, so please be careful.”

Wendigo quietly nodded. He didn’t even think of the foolish response of asking when he had ever returned injured.

He knew all too well what emotion was contained in the sweet scent emanating from her.