Ch.23Chapter 23

“… Do I really have to bury it in the ground?”

Wendigo asked glumly, swallowing his disappointment. It was quite shocking to hear that the item he had worked so hard to obtain needed to be buried.

Skadi placed her hand on her chest and answered confidently.

“Yes! In my opinion, burying it is definitely the right answer!”

“I see. So it was just trash after all…”

“Eh? Lord Wendigo?”

When Wendigo muttered bitterly, unable to overcome his gloom, Skadi was taken aback.

She didn’t understand why Wendigo’s mood had soured.

Geron, reading the situation, carefully approached Skadi and whispered.

“Why don’t you explain why it needs to be buried? I think he believes you’re saying it’s useless and should be thrown away.”

“Ah… AHHH!?”

Skadi pondered Geron’s words for a moment before realizing her mistake.

She had assumed others would understand a summoner’s knowledge.

Having recognized her error, Skadi fidgeted anxiously as she looked up at Wendigo’s face.

Though his expression was unreadable, Skadi thought his skull looked particularly sad today.

Wendigo asked her weakly.

“Where is Gicas’s heart now?”

“In my workshop… Lord Wendigo?”

When Skadi answered reflexively, Wendigo trudged toward her workshop.

Disappointment was disappointment, but if it was trash that needed to be buried, it should be disposed of properly.

“I guess I’ll freeze it and bury it myself. That way, the useless mystical energy in the heart won’t cause problems.”

“N-no, that’s not it, Lord Wendigo!”

Sometimes being diligent could be troublesome. Wendigo left to dispose of the heart before Skadi could stop him.

“Wait, wait please! Lord Wendigo, please listen to my explanation!?”

Skadi chased after the retreating Wendigo, desperately calling out to him.

* * *

Fortunately, Wendigo didn’t end up freezing Gicas’s heart and burying it deep underground.

When the heart was about half-frozen, Skadi, who had been running frantically, arrived and apologized with a deep bow.

“I’m so sorry! I haven’t been asked such questions recently, so I unconsciously omitted my explanation!”

“No, there’s no need to go that far.”

“Yes, there is! How could a summoner serving Lord Wendigo handle matters without proper explanation! That’s unacceptable!”

How many people could scold someone who was self-reproaching with tears in their eyes?

Moreover, Skadi was the woman who had helped Wendigo adapt to this world.

Though her behavior could be burdensome at times, it ultimately came from good intentions.

Wendigo carefully helped Skadi to her feet.

“Come on, stand up. I’m worried others might see.”

“B-but…”

“Now, now. You’re not refusing my request, are you?”

At the word “request,” Skadi wiped away her tears and stood up. The word was too welcome for her to remain prostrate like a mourning stone.

Wendigo carefully brushed the dirt off Skadi’s clothes with his claws. Skadi blushed with embarrassment.

‘L-Lord Wendigo is touching my clothes…’

‘She’s definitely a grown woman who feels embarrassed about crying.’

Thinking thoughts that would have disappointed Skadi had she known them, Wendigo finished cleaning off the dirt. He briefly considered wiping her tears too, but…

‘I might scratch her face with my claws.’

It wouldn’t be easy with Wendigo’s large hands.

When Wendigo’s hand moved away, Skadi felt a twinge of disappointment. But perhaps thanks to her confused feelings settling down…

Skadi cleared her throat and pointed to Gicas’s heart.

“Ahem! When I said burying the heart in the ground was best, I meant it as a magical treatment, not because it was useless!”

“I see. I apologize. I misunderstood due to my lack of knowledge.”

Skadi shook her head vigorously, refusing Wendigo’s apology. Her eyes sparkled as she explained her thoughts.

“Not at all. As a summoner serving Lord Wendigo, I should naturally read your mind and respond accordingly…”

‘That’s a bit much.’

Wendigo thought Skadi’s loyalty was excessive. Even so, how could anyone read another’s mind?

To prevent Skadi’s loyalty from self-combusting, Wendigo decided to change the subject.

“So, why did you say this heart should be buried?”

“Yes. When you entrusted this heart to me, you mentioned its owner was a beast that lived for three hundred years, right?”

Wendigo nodded. Skadi carefully took Gicas’s heart.

As Skadi chanted a spell, the cold dissipated and the half-frozen heart returned to its original state.

The heart still emitted a foul odor. Not the natural smell of a heart, but remnants of Gicas’s mystical energy.

“Unlike Djin, beasts are living creatures that contain mystical energy. Because of that—or thanks to that—a beast’s byproducts are greatly influenced by its mystical energy.”

Suppose a wolf containing lightning died.

Its teeth, claws, and bones could be used to create treasures imbued with lightning power.

Its hide could make a cloak that repels lightning.

And its heart, depending on how it’s used, could recreate the beast’s power.

However… there were ambiguous cases like this one.

Killing the beast was fine, but its mystical energy was useless.

“Honestly… Lord Wendigo, your mystical energy and this beast’s don’t have good compatibility.”

“That’s right.”

A curse-like mystical energy that devoured nature’s mystical energy.

Whether bright or dark, Gicas’s mystical energy was completely unsuitable for Wendigo, who belonged to the natural realm. Consuming it would surely cause indigestion.

So what should be done in such cases?

“That’s why it needs to be buried. Just as no filth can permanently pollute a river, we let nature’s embrace cleanse away that mystical energy.”

“That’s quite a plausible explanation.”

Even in modern times, there was talk of nature’s recovery power. No matter how many pollutants, they would be cleansed by nature’s self-purification over time…

‘It’s similar to… industrial waste.’

They were identical in being dirty, dangerous, and useless. At least this one was a naturally(?) generated pollutant?

“But if nature cleanses the mystical energy, won’t the heart become useless?”

“A beast’s heart is like a vessel, so it’s fine. Of course, its power will diminish when it contains nature’s mystical energy instead of the beast’s.”

Wendigo felt satisfied with Skadi’s explanation. Though he didn’t know how it would be used, at least it was something useful.

So I didn’t waste my efforts after all!

“Where should we bury it? Will there be problems like soil contamination if we bury it in the village?”

“There shouldn’t be any such problems.”

“Then we should bury it right away.”

Wendigo and Skadi left the workshop to search for a suitable location. They couldn’t bury such an item just anywhere.

Though Skadi said burying it wouldn’t cause problems, things don’t always go as planned.

Wendigo carefully considered the requirements.

‘Where is secluded, easy to manage if problems arise, and can prevent potential theft?’

One might think the rest could be managed, but who would dig up the ground to steal a heart?

However, Wendigo considered it quite possible.

‘In a world where summoners run amok, willing to destroy entire villages for power, wouldn’t someone steal a heart if they could gain mystical energy?’

In Wendigo’s opinion, people involved with mystical energy were fundamentally crazy. One couldn’t be too careful when preparing for such madmen.

I absolutely won’t let someone else benefit from the reward I worked hard to get!

Wendigo walked around the village with burning enthusiasm. People bowed respectfully whenever he and Skadi passed by.

Wendigo acknowledged their greetings with slight nods before quickly moving on. He had no time to pay attention to people’s greetings.

People looked at Wendigo and Skadi with puzzled expressions and whispered among themselves.

“He seems busier than usual, doesn’t he?”

“Is something important happening?”

“He must be working on solving some difficult problem beyond our understanding.”

It was fortunate that people didn’t realize they were actually looking for a suitable place to bury a heart (fresh one).

Had they known, they would have lost sleep from fear.

* * *

“The village has grown larger, so it took quite a while.”

“Really? I thought it was a pleasant time!”

Skadi responded cheerfully to Wendigo’s complaint. While Wendigo had been preoccupied with thoughts of burying the heart, Skadi had a different perspective.

She had offered advice when asked about the ground, but hadn’t particularly involved herself in selecting the location.

An excellent summoner was no different from an excellent advisor, and a good advisor never forced choices.

Like a fine advisor, Skadi offered appropriate suggestions while absolutely, absolutely not intentionally enjoying the leisure.

She was savoring the pleasure of taking a walk with the one she served!

Of course, that pleasure came to an end when Wendigo finally decided on a location. Skadi stroked her staff with regret.

‘It felt like taking a stroll with Lord Wendigo… a bit disappointing that it’s over.’

“I should have decided on this place from the beginning.”

“Indeed… this might be the best location.”

Skadi nodded. The final destination was certainly suitable for Wendigo’s requirements.

The land Wendigo chose was… his own shrine.

If one could overlook the idea of burying a heart in one’s home, it was quite a reasonable location.

If it wouldn’t cause problems for the village, no one would come looking, it was suitable for addressing any issues that might arise, and no one who valued their life would sneak into a spirit’s dwelling.

Wendigo tore up the floor of a suitable room in the shrine and dug into the ground with an ice shovel.

‘Who knew the shoveling I learned in the military would come in handy like this.’

After digging, Wendigo carefully placed the heart in the hole.

“Should I just cover it like this? Is there anything else I need to do?”

“No. If Lord Wendigo’s mystical energy gets involved, it might actually interfere with the flow of nature’s mystical energy, so it’s best to just bury it as is.”

Wendigo clicked his tongue, having considered making an ice box to prevent theft.

‘What if a mole spirit digs through the ground… No, that’s excessive worry.’

If such a spirit tried anything, he would notice beforehand.

Wendigo carefully covered the heart with soil to avoid damaging it.

After neatly reassembling the floor he had torn up, no one would think a heart was buried…

“It feels like disposing of a corpse.”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing. You’ve worked hard, so you can go now.”

When Skadi tilted her head in confusion, Wendigo hastily changed the subject. His behavior seemed even more suspicious, but Skadi deliberately suppressed her curiosity, bowed politely, and returned to her workshop.

Left alone in the shrine, Wendigo tapped the floor where the heart was buried, feeling satisfied.

‘I hope it becomes useful soon.’

* * *

The next day.

Wendigo tore up the floor to check on the heart. Though only a day had passed and major changes were unlikely, he still hoped…

“Hmm?”

Wendigo was considerably surprised. The soil where the heart was buried had… turned black.

Faced with this unexpected situation, Wendigo sent someone to call for Skadi.

Upon hearing the news, Skadi rushed over and, with an impressively perfect bow, begged for forgiveness.

Feeling a strange déjà vu, Wendigo consoled her.