Ch.45Chapter 45

Wendigo ran through the forest with Skadi on his shoulder. Of course, Wendigo was adjusting his speed for Skadi’s sake, but…

‘F-fast, way too fast!’

No matter how much he tried to control it, since he had never experienced his speed from a human perspective, it was inevitably quite rapid.

Skadi grabbed Wendigo’s horns for fear of falling off. Normally, she would have considered such an action rude and disapproved of it herself.

Wendigo sensed Skadi’s condition from the unfamiliar sensation on his horns.

‘I didn’t know my horns had sensation… What an interesting way to discover it.’

Feeling her tension, Wendigo gradually reduced his speed. Only then could Skadi relax and take in the scenery around her.

The trees were draped in mist that sparkled in the moonlight like silk, and the leaves covered in evening dew shone brilliantly as if stars had descended from the sky.

‘How beautiful…’

Skadi gazed with astonished eyes at the dreamlike forest. All those beautiful sights passed by like streaks of light.

Enchanted by those streaks of light, Skadi set aside the worries she had been carrying and burst into bright laughter.

Wendigo, being considerate of her, ran not on the most optimal path to the mansion but on the most scenic one.

Perhaps because of that?

“Lord Wendigo. Look at the moon reflected in that valley! My mother used to say that night valleys bewitch women, and I think she might have been right!”

“My goodness, white trees… I wonder if they’re like that because they’re frozen?”

Skadi’s chatter, which hadn’t been heard recently, suddenly poured out, drumming against Wendigo’s ears.

Wendigo silently nodded and guided her. Her reactions were certainly enjoyable to witness, but…

“That white tree we just saw had quite strong mystical properties… Should we collect it on our way back?”

“No. Leave it be unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

“What a waste…”

Whether it was her innate nature as a Summoner or an occupational habit was hard to tell.

Skadi had processed the beauty they’d passed by relating it to summoning magic. Wendigo was honestly a bit disappointed.

‘Why can’t she just enjoy the view…’

Even to Wendigo, who had no particular hobby of appreciating things, these were sights worthy of admiration, yet her conclusion was ‘I wonder if I could use that for summoning?’

Still, he could tell that Skadi was thoroughly enjoying what he was showing her, so Wendigo shook off his disappointment.

After all, if she was happy, then the purpose of this walk was being fulfilled.

By the time Skadi was asking whether they should build a cabin in the valley with the moon they had seen earlier, Wendigo decided it was time to head toward the mansion.

The mansion in the forest.

It was a space filled with memories shared only by Wendigo and Skadi.

There hadn’t been any remarkable events or discoveries there, but perhaps because of that, it was likely the place where Skadi felt most comfortable and happy.

‘She should be able to relieve her mental fatigue there. And if I can ease her anxiety, she’ll find peace of mind…’

“Lord Wendigo…”

“Hmm?”

Wendigo snapped back to attention when Skadi called him with a slightly trembling voice. She covered her mouth and pointed ahead with quivering fingers.

Wendigo looked forward and… froze in place.

There stood the mansion. But it wasn’t the mansion Wendigo remembered…

A beautiful flower garden was brightly embracing the mansion.

* * *

The day when he first discovered the mansion with Skadi.

Wendigo had thought the mansion built in the forest was beautiful enough.

The subtle fragrance of wood and the mansion with its shadows cast by sunlight had a power to make one’s heart feel warm, as if it were painted in a picture.

‘Back then, I thought no mansion could be more beautiful than that… I was wrong.’

Wendigo stared blankly at the scene unfolding before him.

Flowers of various colors bloomed beautifully, sparkling in the moonlight like stars in the night sky, while fireflies flew around like a galaxy gliding through the air.

The mansion shone beautifully alone in the darkness-filled night.

Wendigo entered with Skadi. In the front yard of the mansion, which they entered carefully to avoid damaging even a single petal, stood the cross he had erected.

When Wendigo gently set Skadi down, she carefully approached the cross.

The cross was entwined with white roses. Skadi caressed the roses blooming on the cross with a wistful look.

“I wish Mother could have seen this sight…”

“It’s beautiful. I never imagined flowers would bloom so vibrantly even though the weather is still cold.”

Wendigo was honestly bewildered. While he had wanted her to regain her composure by seeing something nice, he hadn’t expected to witness something this magnificent.

‘Should I be happy about this… or perplexed…’

Wendigo approached Skadi’s side. Skadi looked up at Wendigo and smiled.

“Perhaps… your mystical power has influenced nature, Lord Wendigo. The mystical energy you used when burying that unknown Summoner might have seeped into the ground, creating this scenery…”

“A pleasant coincidence, then.”

Wendigo and Skadi sat beside the grave and admired the flower garden. For this moment at least, Skadi cast aside her status, worries, and anxieties, focusing entirely on the beauty before her.

Wendigo inhaled her scent.

A clear, refreshing fragrance.

He recognized it as the scent of pure tranquility.

Perhaps now would be the time to help her unburden her worries?

“…Skadi. You seem to have been troubled lately.”

Skadi’s eyes widened in surprise at Wendigo’s first words, but soon realizing she couldn’t hide anything from him, she gave a bitter smile.

“You caught me. Of course I couldn’t hide anything from you, Lord Wendigo…”

“No. To be honest, I didn’t know either. Had Issac not told me, I might have remained unaware.”

Perhaps it was because of the unexpected name? Skadi’s eyes trembled.

She lowered her head in apology and fidgeted with her wrist.

“I feel sorry for him. Trying to fill my inadequacies by overworking others. As a Summoner serving Lord Wendigo, I shouldn’t…”

“Skadi.”

Flinch.

At Wendigo’s call, Skadi turned her head toward him. As his hand slowly approached, Skadi tightly shut her eyes.

Was he going to scold her?

… Of course not.

Wendigo had no intention of making someone who was already struggling feel worse.

Wendigo carefully stroked Skadi’s head.

He had stroked her head before, but this time Skadi felt something different.

‘It’s warm…’

She had always thought his touch was cold due to the chill that emanated from Wendigo’s body… but today, his touch felt warm to Skadi.

As a warm breeze blew through Skadi’s heart, Wendigo spoke calmly.

“You always refer to yourself as the Summoner who serves Wendigo. Why is that?”

“That’s because! I serve Lord Wendigo, so…”

“If that’s all, then it’s fine, but if there’s another reason, I’d prefer you didn’t.”

Skadi closed her mouth as her hidden fear was exposed. When tears welled up in her eyes, Wendigo wiped them away with his nail.

“I’m sorry. But I had something I wanted to tell you, so it couldn’t be helped.”

“What… did you want to say?”

Skadi looked at Wendigo with a worried face. However, the words that came out of Wendigo’s mouth were something Skadi had never expected.

“Skadi. If you’re worried that I might leave your side, let me promise you this. If you wish it, I will never accept another Summoner.”

“…What?!”

Skadi’s eyes flashed with shock that far surpassed the worry and anxiety that had been weighing on her mind until just now.

But Wendigo simply smiled as he stroked her head. Skadi hastily shook her head.

“No! You will continue to rule over vast lands in the future, Lord Wendigo, so such a thing…!”

“I don’t mind. After all, I’m not with you because you’re a Summoner. Skadi, do you remember the day we first met?”

Skadi nodded. How could she not remember?

That moment which was her salvation and gave her a reason to live from then on.

“At first, I helped you thinking I was just saving a pitiful woman. As a bonus, I thought it would be fortunate if you could teach me something, as ignorant as I was.”

“At that time, Lord Wendigo, you…”

“I was foolish. I didn’t know the world, nor did I know what kind of being I was. No, to be precise, even now I don’t know what kind of being I am.”

Skadi rambled on with excuses saying that wasn’t the case, but Wendigo skillfully let it go in one ear and out the other.

That wasn’t what was important.

“Back then… if you had wanted to, you could have deceived me. If done well, there would have been countless ways to use my power to rule over this land.”

“Such, such a disrespectful act is impossible. More than anything… I don’t want to do such things.”

Skadi answered firmly. Wendigo was very pleased with that answer.

“Yes. I chose to be with you because I liked that aspect of you.”

After all, Wendigo chose to be with her after seeing and judging her character.

Her talent was certainly sufficient to exploit a foolish Djin she had met by chance.

Given the years of torment she had endured, it wouldn’t have been strange if she had cursed the world and committed evil acts.

Yet Skadi did not.

“There may certainly be Summoners more capable than you, and Summoners wiser than you. But they are not the Summoners I want to be with. The Summoner I want by my side is you, Skadi.”

With those final words, Wendigo gently withdrew his hand. Skadi stared up at him blankly.

… A single tear silently rolled down from her eyes.

Wendigo gathered mystical energy in his hand.

The moonlight in the sky, flower petals, pure coldness, and the freshness of plants.

Wendigo crafted all of these into a ring. He had considered making a necklace, but…

‘Since she already has an ice necklace, a ring would be better.’

Wendigo held out the ring to Skadi. The ring sparkled with a brilliant light, as if the beauty of the flowers had seeped into it.

“Consider this my oath and token. I swear to always keep you by my side as long as you don’t discard this ring and maintain your upright heart.”

Skadi looked at the ring once, then at Wendigo. The anxiety that had been eating at her heart was gone, but accepting this ring seemed too shameful…

Thump.

“Ah!”

Skadi lurched forward as if pushed and grabbed Wendigo’s hand. She turned around with a surprised expression.

There was nothing behind her. Skadi looked at the white rose blooming on the cross.

Was it a coincidence? Or something else?

The leaves of the white rose swayed in the breeze. Skadi stared at the rose for a moment before turning back.

She held the ring and blurted out the answer she had been holding back.

“I… I also swear to serve Lord Wendigo for life.”

In the end, she burst into tears.

* * *

“…and that’s what happened!!!”

“Lady Skadi. You’ve told this story more than 10 times already… No, never mind. I’m glad things worked out well for you.”

“This is all thanks to you, Issac.”

It had been several days since Wendigo and Skadi formed their lifetime contract(?).

Today, too, Issac felt like his ears were bleeding from listening to Skadi’s praise-filled stories about Wendigo.

It wasn’t easy to hear the same rather long story 10 times without a single word changed.

‘…Still, I’ve benefited from it too.’

Thanks to Skadi’s anxiety being washed away, the overworking of Issac naturally disappeared. She even provided him with nutritious food and rest out of apology.

Moreover, Skadi shared knowledge and experiences with Issac in a comfortable atmosphere, respecting his years of experience.

Issac couldn’t help but be thrilled every time he learned summoning from Skadi, not just because of the improved treatment.

Her level was so high that all the summoning Issac had learned superficially until now was nothing but trash in comparison…

“Issac. Are you listening?”

“Oh my, of course. It’s still a beautiful… ring.”

“Isn’t it! I smile every time I look at it. Hehe.”

Issac, who had been reviewing the summoning techniques he had learned, came to his senses at Skadi’s question. Today too, she was showing off her ring.

Skadi caressed the ring on the ring finger of her left hand. Issac broke into a cold sweat every time he saw that ring…

‘The ring finger, according to imperial tradition, means marriage…’

Issac quickly shook his head to dispel the outrageous imagination. He himself was the one who had taught her about imperial traditions.

After all, Wendigo was a Djin and Skadi was human.

To an ordinary Summoner(?), Wendigo’s words were absolutely not something embarrassing like a love confession. It absolutely couldn’t be.

Surely Skadi, being from the North, had ignored imperial traditions and put the ring on whichever finger was comfortable for her!

“Hehehe…”

“……”

Issac took out berries good for mental stability from his pocket and swallowed three.

As his wildly shaking mind cleared, Issac inwardly resolved.

‘I must never think about that ring again.’

If one stared into the abyss and suffered damage, it was one’s own fault. Why would anyone stare at a peaceful abyss and make a fuss?

When faced with a problem one cannot handle, one should know how to appropriately avert one’s gaze…

“Oh right! Lord Wendigo has decided to reward you as a token of gratitude.”

When Skadi delivered the news in a clear voice, Issac froze as if under a petrification spell.

He hurriedly checked how many berries were left in his pocket. Roughly five…

“Lady Skadi. I’m sorry, but could I have about 10 more of those berries good for mental health?”

“If that’s what Issac wants, even 100 would be possible!”

Issac barely swallowed the words asking for 100 that were about to burst out.