Ch.50Chapter 50

The summoners faced the Wendigo, who boasted an enormous physique.

They calmed their trembling hearts and examined the Wendigo with their spiritual sight. Having just been with the Wendigo moments ago, they couldn’t believe the being before their eyes.

It had clearly been a body filled with mystical energy, but could this be some kind of doppelganger?

‘This is insane…’

The summoners trembled at the mystical energy that was incomparable to what they had just encountered.

Various types of mystical energies that couldn’t be categorized under a single attribute were harmonizing together.

‘How can a single Djin contain such diverse mystical energies!’

‘If this isn’t the end… this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.’

The summoners knelt before the Wendigo could say anything. A powerful temptation that no summoner could resist was controlling their bodies.

The temptation that all summoners have—that the mystical energy bestowed by the Djin before them could elevate them to a higher realm!

The Wendigo looked at the trembling summoners with their heads bowed with a bewildered expression. They hadn’t said anything yet, but these people were already kneeling.

The Wendigo slightly turned to look at Geron. Feeling uncomfortable under the Wendigo’s gaze, Geron offered advice.

“You should say something. Judging by their attitude, they seem willing to serve you sincerely.”

‘I need something to say first…’

As Geron turned away as if it wasn’t his problem, the Wendigo sighed.

The summoners who had their heads bowed flinched at the sound. It was natural since they didn’t know why the Wendigo had sighed deeply.

‘Are we not to your liking?’

‘Is it because too few of us passed?’

The summoners worried without knowing the reason, but the Wendigo had no intention of harming them. If that had been the plan, they would have slaughtered everyone in the cave.

The Wendigo looked at the summoners for a moment and then spoke.

“Summoners, raise your heads and introduce yourselves. Let’s start from… the left.”

“Yes! I am Osa, a summoner from the Knorr tribe. Through my tattoos, I…”

Starting with the female summoner, each summoner began their best self-introduction to appeal their usefulness.

The Wendigo silently listened to their stories. The summoners couldn’t help but feel tense under that weighty presence.

With no response or reaction, they couldn’t tell what the Wendigo was thinking while listening to their introductions…

‘Hmm… I still don’t understand what use they have even after listening.’

The Wendigo wasn’t thinking much. The summoners’ arts were still too difficult and incomprehensible to them.

The Wendigo absentmindedly let their words drift by while focusing on Skadi’s ice necklace.

[Skadi, listen carefully to what they’re saying. I plan to entrust their management to you.]

[Yes. I’ll make sure to understand everything they can do without missing anything.]

Skadi nodded with a slight smile, invisible to the summoners.

The reason why the Wendigo was going through so much trouble to recruit these summoners despite not caring about them at all.

It was for a rather trivial reason…

‘As my domain has expanded, Skadi has been working too hard. If I pay these people a reasonable wage and put them to work, Skadi will have more free time.’

Aside from the fact that they were outsiders, the summoners were potential replacements for Skadi.

‘It’s never good to overwork someone.’

Skadi was an excellent summoner who could research magic while handling her duties, but would she dislike having more free time?

Of course not. No being, even a mere beast, dislikes having free time.

“So if the Djin allows it, we would like to establish a fair and satisfactory deal…”

“I’ve heard enough. I will make a deal with all of you… though it’s difficult to call it a contract.”

“!”

The summoners looked at the Wendigo with shocked expressions. They thought this was an extraordinary Djin, but could they really be planning to contract with five summoners at once?

At the Wendigo’s gesture, Geron bowed his head and brought out the prepared contracts.

As Geron handed out the contracts one by one, the summoners respectfully received them and began reading slowly.

“The contractor shall follow the orders of the Djin and Lady Skadi for the specified period… There’s nothing about providing or planning anything?”

“‘Do not harm the forest people unless they attack first?’ These are the conditions?”

“‘Do not spread rumors about what you’ve seen and obtained in the forest. You may disclose information if your life is in danger, but only answer what is asked…?'”

The summoners’ faces grew increasingly puzzled as they read the contracts. They were vastly different from the contracts they usually made with Djin.

Djin typically didn’t offer major contracts to summoners. In most cases, they demanded offerings or rituals.

Most often, they requested magical services that Djin couldn’t perform themselves, but such strange content as this was unheard of…

Seeing the summoners’ confusion, the Wendigo leaned forward and glared at them.

“What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’re planning to harm the forest people?”

“N-no! Why would we ever do such a thing!”

The summoners hastily replied and returned their focus to the contracts.

After reading for quite some time, the summoners realized what kind of contract this was. It was essentially an employment contract.

“Um, what does it mean here where it says ‘rest is guaranteed’?”

“You’ll need time for your personal research, won’t you?”

“Well, yes, but…”

When the Wendigo answered as if it were obvious, the summoners were speechless.

What kind of work did they have in mind to offer such a contract?

The summoners weren’t bold enough to ask the Wendigo directly. They subtly turned their heads to look at Skadi.

Skadi sought permission from the Wendigo with her eyes, and when the Wendigo nodded, she spoke.

“It’s nothing extraordinary. You’ll patrol the forest to check for anything unusual, help select herbs when forest people suffer from illnesses…”

“You’re… contracting us for such tasks?”

“The Wendigo truly cares for people.”

When Skadi answered as if it were natural, the summoners were horrified.

A Djin that cares for humans? What an awkward and unnatural statement!

… The problem was that, judging by the contract alone, the Wendigo really did seem to care for humans.

As the summoners whispered among themselves, suffering from cognitive dissonance, the Wendigo grumbled impatiently.

“I am dealing with you without any lies or deception, yet you continue to doubt me.”

“We-we’re sorry. This is just our first time with such a contract.”

“Then let’s discuss the rest. First, regarding compensation… Considering what brought you to this forest, I will pay you with items at least equivalent to the ice crystals that Issac took away.”

“Really!?”

The summoners shouted, forgetting their composure at the Wendigo’s shocking statement. The Wendigo calmly nodded.

After all, items of ice crystal quality were something they could create anytime.

The Wendigo was about to discuss rest periods next, but…

“If that’s true, we’ll contract immediately!”

“Should we write it in blood?”

“……”

The Wendigo was dumbfounded as the summoners pulled out daggers with resolute expressions.

The way they readily accepted after hearing about the compensation made the Wendigo feel like they were scamming innocent people.

And what was this about drawing blood with daggers?

The Wendigo grimaced and calmed them down.

“What blood writing? Don’t harm your bodies carelessly. Geron, give them something to write with.”

At the Wendigo’s instruction, Geron also grimaced and headed outside. Meanwhile, the summoners were whispering among themselves…

“To offer such good compensation with this kind of contract.”

“Maybe this really is a Djin that cares for humans.”

To think that among all possible reasons, they would make such an assessment because of good compensation.

The Wendigo inwardly sighed with dejection.

* * *

After the summoners signed the contracts (not with blood, of course) and followed Skadi, the Wendigo munched on berries that had been brought as snacks while grumbling.

“I was thinking of Skadi as the standard, but as you said, Geron, the outside summoners are stranger than I thought.”

“Umm… I hate to say this, but the contract you proposed wasn’t exactly normal either.”

“Oh? Was there something unfair in my contract?”

“……”

Geron stared intently at the Wendigo. Were they really asking because they didn’t know?

When the Wendigo remained silent, Geron spoke.

“It’s strange precisely because there’s nothing unfair in it.”

“My goodness… Geron, have you become intoxicated with power while working by my side? Contracts should be fair.”

“Ugh. I may be living better than before, but if I’m drunk on power, then the powerful outside the forest must be in love with power, I guarantee.”

Geron grumbled, chewing on an herb given by Skadi, seemingly quite offended.

There might be many powerful figures in the world, but few who wouldn’t try to exploit others from a position of absolute advantage.

In this era, laws and morals weren’t important values but tools for governance.

In such times, how many would consider these things when making contracts?

All contracts in this era were made with such considerations in mind.

“Honestly, you could have added to the contract that they must share all their known magic with Lady Skadi, and it wouldn’t have mattered.”

“That seems too self-serving… Besides, Skadi will figure out their magic on her own anyway.”

“But considering they might leave someday, wouldn’t it benefit the forest to gain something from them? I think it’s a waste to miss this opportunity.”

“There’s no waste. This contract is all about making those summoners my people.”

“Pardon?”

Geron was surprised by this information he hadn’t heard before. He had expected the summoners would be used, but not that they would be brought into the fold.

“What I realized while filtering out the summoners is that there are few good ones among them.”

“Isn’t that obvious? There’s nothing strange about those who wield power that people both admire and fear.”

“Yes. So how wonderful would it be if those good ones worked under me? Especially when I have the very things they’re drooling over.”

When acquiring people, it’s not enough to just move their hearts.

Proper compensation and treatment befitting their abilities must accompany it to truly win them over.

Geron, now understanding the Wendigo’s intention, finally felt at ease. He had been worried that the Wendigo might be losing out due to being too kind(?).

“So that was your intention behind offering such a generous contract. I was worried for nothing.”

“I’m not particularly generous. I’m just acting sensibly.”

“…Sometimes I wonder where your sense of normalcy comes from. By the way… I’m reminded of those who received your mercy.”

“Let me guess. The summoners who were expelled from the forest?”

Geron nodded. While they weren’t frightening, they were as irritating as a rotten tooth—that couldn’t be denied.

It would certainly be troublesome if summoners deliberately caused harm.

The Wendigo agreed with Geron’s thoughts. That’s why measures were already being taken.

“Don’t worry. I’ve already selected some examples to make through the eyes of the forest.”

“Examples, you say?”

“You ask the obvious.”

The Wendigo burst into laughter and gripped the throne.

“Shouldn’t we kill them and turn them into forest fertilizer? I’m a pacifist, but I don’t forgive enemies.”

‘They certainly won’t die peacefully.’

Geron shook his head as he faced the Wendigo’s murderous gaze.

While uncertain how many summoners would become examples, Geron was confident they would be the most despicable ones.