Ch.43Chapter 43

“… But I can’t give up my arm.”

After much deliberation, Isaac decided to share his knowledge with the young Summoner before him.

Surely he wouldn’t actually have to pull out an arm or leg?

“I’m not sure if someone of my level has any summoning techniques worthy of teaching you, but I’ll try my best.”

“Don’t feel too pressured. Do you think I expect some forgotten ancient summoning technique from you?”

Wendigo quickly caught the hidden meaning in Isaac’s words and reassured him. After all, it’s not easy to teach something when you’re outmatched in skill.

However, Wendigo believed Skadi could learn something from Isaac. After all, Skadi was just too… young.

He wasn’t belittling Skadi’s skills because of her youth. That would be impossible for Wendigo, who received tremendous help from her in the realm of summoning.

It’s just that experience is something that simply cannot be ignored.

‘…Except for the Boar Wearing Roots and Sticks, Gicas, and Oneton. They’re Djin by nature, so time wouldn’t have much impact on them.’

Barring such unusual cases, the elderly were generally wiser than the young. It wasn’t nonsense that age brings understanding of the world’s principles and broader vision.

It was because the elderly had already tasted the dirty, sordid experiences that young people had yet to encounter.

Most elderly were those who had used those experiences as fertilizer rather than garbage for their growth.

While Isaac wasn’t that old of a Summoner, it was undeniable that he was older than Skadi.

‘It would be better if he could teach Skadi truly helpful summoning techniques, but at least as they talk, his experiences as a Summoner will naturally come out.’

Why was he so intent on extracting something from Isaac?

This was Wendigo’s form of consideration. Obviously not for Isaac, whom he’d just met, but for Skadi.

At least the Skadi that Wendigo knew was a young Summoner who had lost her mother as soon as she became an adult and came under Wendigo’s wing.

Naturally, she must have had regrets, having lived each day busily without opportunities for various experiences.

‘Even this kind of exposure to diverse experiences should help her.’

Wendigo prided himself on making a reasonably good choice.

“Go and teach her the summoning techniques you know. If possible… I’d appreciate if you could also share information or experiences from outside the forest.”

“!”

When Wendigo gestured for him to leave while speaking, Isaac caught on to Wendigo’s intention.

In such conversations, the real point is usually what comes after, not before.

‘I see, so talk of summoning techniques was just a pretext!’

Having realized Wendigo’s purpose, Isaac felt relieved. He had been quite embarrassed about teaching summoning techniques to Skadi.

He thought it would be like showing off strength in front of an Ogre, but at least in terms of experience, wouldn’t he have more than that young Summoner?

After Skadi paid her respects and withdrew, Isaac quickly got up and followed her.

Wendigo watched them leave with satisfaction.

‘I hope Skadi appreciates my consideration.’

* * *

Skadi couldn’t possibly miss the nuance that Isaac, who had conversed with Wendigo for the first time in his life, had picked up.

As she brought Isaac to her hut to treat him, Skadi inwardly sighed.

‘There’s really no need to arrange this sort of thing for me…’

Wendigo’s judgment wasn’t strange or eccentric. Who would think a woman who had just become an adult would have much experience?

However, just as Wendigo was no ordinary Djin, Skadi was far from an ordinary Summoner.

Skadi examined Isaac’s hands and muscles and frowned.

‘Judging by the lack of calluses on his hands, he seems to avoid hard work… and he has little muscle. Does he neglect physical training as a Summoner?’

What Wendigo failed to consider was that Skadi hadn’t become a Summoner by some stroke of luck, but by following in her mother’s footsteps.

Her experience as a Summoner was overwhelmingly deeper and richer than Isaac’s.

Her mother, foreseeing that her daughter’s future would be arduous, had raised Skadi to be a fully accomplished Summoner.

While others played with friends, Skadi handled herbs and learned her mother’s summoning techniques.

When other girls were learning sewing and weaving at home, Skadi followed her mother around, striving to become proficient with sickles and axes.

If only she hadn’t been born with a body naturally lacking in muscle, she would have learned swords and spears from her mother too…

‘To have such a sturdy body yet neglect training like this!’

To Skadi, for whom being a Summoner was her calling, this was an utterly pathetic state of affairs. In her annoyance(?), she yanked on the bandage she was wrapping.

“Urgh!?”

“That concludes the treatment.”

Skadi’s voice was ice-cold, unlike when she addressed Wendigo.

Since she didn’t usually show this side of herself, the workers who were assisting her began to whisper.

“Did that fellow offend Lady Skadi somehow?”

“Come on… Is Lady Skadi someone who would anger easily over such things? It’s more plausible that he was disrespectful to the Djin.”

“If that were the case, he would have come out dead, wouldn’t he?”

Overhearing the workers’ chatter, Isaac felt a chill run down his spine.

‘I must absolutely never speak ill of the Djin…’

With the best method of befriending a Summoner—badmouthing Djin—off the table, Isaac felt at a loss.

There was nothing better for getting close to a Summoner than insulting Djin. For Summoners seeking contracts, you mock the Djin’s judgment, and for those already contracted, you criticize the Djin’s personality—it worked every time…

Who would have thought there’d be a case where this method wouldn’t work?

“Everyone, I need to speak with this person alone, so would you please leave us?”

“Are you sure that’s alright? Even if he’s a fellow Summoner, to be alone with an outsider…”

“What if that man tries something inappropriate!”

The workers looked at Isaac like hungry wolves. Isaac was beside himself with frustration.

‘What the hell are these crazy people saying?’

Isaac barely managed to hold back the curses that threatened to burst forth.

It was natural to worry when an ordinary woman was alone with a man. What sane person wouldn’t be concerned about an outsider and wanderer being alone with a woman?

But when that woman was a Summoner, and moreover, contracted with a Djin, the situation changed completely. At that level, one should think the opposite.

‘I should be worried about becoming living sacrifice for her summoning!’

Having been subdued with just a gesture before he could try anything, Isaac felt beyond indignant—he was burning with rage.

But the workers wouldn’t back down. To the forest people, if Wendigo was the most revered and appreciated being, then Skadi was the most beloved and thanked.

Her beautiful appearance aside (though the beastfolk couldn’t understand this), her kindness and loving nature naturally made people bow their heads and feel warmth in their hearts.

To leave such a being alone with a wanderer, and a wandering Summoner at that!

‘I’ve heard wandering Summoners bewitch women with their magic.’

‘If he tries anything suspicious, I’ll split his head open.’

As Isaac and the workers glared at each other, Skadi sighed and stepped in front of the workers.

“I appreciate your concern for me, but this man has been personally vetted by Wendigo, so there’s no need to worry too much.”

“Hmm. If the Djin says so…”

“If he were a strange fellow, his head would have been lopped off long ago.”

“?”

As the workers discussed among themselves and seemed convinced, Isaac was perplexed. From his perspective, the Djin seemed kinder and more generous than the Summoner…

Why were these people casually talking about the Djin beheading someone?

‘…This is the first time in my life I’ve seen a Djin appear kinder than humans.’

Isaac inwardly sighed as he watched the workers leave the hut, glancing back suspiciously.

Left alone, Skadi and Isaac sat facing each other. Isaac felt the temperature in the hut had dropped since a moment ago.

Amidst the suffocating silence, it was Isaac who spoke first.

“Um. As you’ve probably noticed, Wendigo-nim…”

“Wendigo… nim?”

Flinch.

Isaac was terrified and shut his mouth. When Skadi uttered that single phrase, the air around them grew cold.

Frost began to form on the table around her palm, and a chill swept through. Isaac frantically tried to recall what mistake he had made, but…

“W-wait!?”

“How dare you casually speak the name of Wendigo-nim…”

Before he could think, sharp roots shot up from the floor, poised to pierce his chin. As the tip of the root writhed, Isaac clamped his mouth shut.

Skadi glared at Isaac with dead eyes. Meeting her murky red irises, Isaac felt as if he could smell blood.

Recalling Skadi’s words, Isaac realized why she was angry.

And he was terrified.

‘She’s acting like this just because I said his name?!’

Isaac didn’t know, but among the forest people, there was an unwritten rule.

It was to never speak Wendigo’s name.

Initially, this was due to the saying that a Djin’s name should not be casually spoken, but over time, the meaning changed…

At some point, speaking Wendigo’s name became a sort of privilege reserved only for his inner circle.

The problem was that of the only two in his inner circle, Geron never casually used Wendigo’s name.

It was out of consideration for Skadi, who had been with him from the beginning… and Skadi gratefully took this as a point of pride.

The pride of being the only Summoner who could call Wendigo by name.

And now this wanderer, who had just met Wendigo today, dared to speak his name!

“…I should not forgive this, but considering you’re an outsider, I’ll let it pass just this once. Be grateful you’re Wendigo-nim’s guest.”

After a rather long silence, Skadi regained her composure. Though unpleasant and detestable, the fact remained that he was Wendigo’s guest.

At her gesture, the roots retreated into the ground, and Isaac finally released the breath he’d been holding.

Skadi looked down at Isaac with a cold gaze and spoke unilaterally.

“Let me continue what you were about to say. Wendigo-nim knows very well that you’re not qualified to teach me summoning techniques.”

“Y-yes! That’s right!”

Isaac quickly bowed his head to the ground as he answered. He was afraid Skadi might change her mind on a whim.

Skadi nodded at Isaac’s response and continued.

“You should consider that you need to tell me everything. Summoning techniques, knowledge, experiences… don’t leave anything out.”

“Of course! Who am I to dare do otherwise!”

Isaac was prepared to honestly tell her everything, from who his first experience was with to his most embarrassing memories, if she asked.

At least if he just talked, he wouldn’t die, right?

Staring intently at the trembling Isaac, Skadi sighed.

“Sigh. To receive Wendigo-nim’s consideration because of someone like you…”

“I’m sorry!”

“If you’re sorry, prepare to wring out everything in your head. Don’t worry about compensation either—Wendigo-nim isn’t the type to make people work without reward.”

Isaac nodded his head frantically. The mention of compensation didn’t even register.

He just wanted to escape from the crazy Summoner before him.