Ch.54Chapter 54

When Osa closed her mouth in embarrassment, Wendigo looked at the other Summoners.

The Summoners blushed and bowed their heads deeply. As fellow Summoners, they couldn’t help but feel ashamed.

No matter how dedicated they were to their craft, to think they would consider taking a corpse that was placed there as a warning!

‘Damn fools. They should have properly requested a trade instead of taking the human-faced tree and burying treasures.’

‘I knew they were terrible people, but I never imagined to this extent.’

As they couldn’t raise their heads from shame, Wendigo looked at Skadi with one last hope.

But Skadi seemed to share their opinion as she sighed deeply and nodded.

Wendigo let out an exclamation of amazement.

He knew Summoners were strange people, but they truly exceeded his imagination!

“So… you’re saying they took the human-faced tree to use it for summoning purposes?”

“Yes…”

Osa answered in a voice as quiet as an ant crawling.

Setting aside the eerie nature and the minor(?) issue of it being a human corpse, the human-faced tree was quite a tempting material for Summoners.

“Impressive. If it can be used for summoning, I suppose they’d even dig up graves.”

Flinch.

The Summoners flinched when Wendigo muttered in astonishment. Wendigo could tell what they were thinking without asking.

‘I guess grave robbing is a common practice for them.’

Wendigo was truly grateful that he had hired Summoners based on their character rather than just their skills.

If he had only considered ability, such inconsiderate people would have been roaming his land.

Thinking about it that way, he found the Summoners before him endearing. To maintain human decency among such madmen.

“All of you, raise your heads. You have no reason to be ashamed of what those people did.”

“We have no words to offer.”

“Why would you need to apologize for something you didn’t do? Skadi, stay. The rest of you may leave.”

The Summoners bowed respectfully and withdrew, and Geron entered.

Geron looked curiously at the flushed Summoners as they left and asked Wendigo:

“Did you perhaps scold the Summoners?”

“No, it’s because of the human-faced tree.”

Wendigo explained the Summoners’ theory to Geron. As the story went on, Geron’s face became a mess of shock.

Who could have imagined that someone would take a human-faced tree, with its vivid sense of despair and pain, for summoning purposes?

“They’re truly insane.”

“I think so too. Anyway, now that we roughly know why they took the human-faced tree, let’s move on to the next issue.”

“Is there another problem besides this?”

Geron tried to recall if he had forgotten to report something, but nothing came to mind. The forest had never been as quiet as it had been recently.

Wendigo clicked his tongue and said to Geron:

“They left payment, didn’t they? We should check if the value is appropriate.”

“Aren’t you angry? After all, you set it up as a warning…”

Geron said, watching Wendigo’s reaction. No matter how much compensation was offered, taking something without the owner’s permission would anger even the most benevolent being.

Dismissing Geron’s concern, Wendigo spoke indifferently:

“What’s done is done. Besides… it wasn’t the corpse of one of my people.”

Wendigo wasn’t soft enough to get angry on behalf of someone he didn’t know, especially an enemy.

While the taking of the human-faced tree was surprising, the warning had been effectively delivered, so minor issues could be overlooked.

Sensing Wendigo’s sincerity, Geron recalled the treasures the warriors had brought.

“There was quite a lot of silver coins, ornaments, and items related to summoning.”

“Skadi will be responsible for checking the summoning-related items with the Summoners. If there’s nothing unusual, they can discuss and divide them.”

“I don’t think there’s anything extraordinary, but… if there’s something useful, I’ll let you know.”

“Good… but are silver coins and ornaments of any use?”

Wendigo couldn’t remember seeing the forest people buying or selling things with silver coins. Most transactions were done through barter.

Geron smiled at Wendigo’s question.

“Don’t worry. In the past, we couldn’t trade with the outside because we lacked strength, but now it’s certainly possible.”

“That’s good. Then have the village chiefs survey what items they need and select people to go on a trading expedition.”

“Is there nothing you want, Spirit? After all, these are things you obtained.”

Wendigo shook his head at Geron’s question. Sure, he had worked hard to get them, but what could he possibly need that silver coins could buy?

Clothes? Weapons? Or perhaps art?

‘There wouldn’t be clothes for a giant, and I don’t particularly need weapons. I wasn’t interested in art even when I was human.’

Wendigo truly didn’t need anything, so he declined Geron’s suggestion, but Geron felt a renewed sense of reverence for Wendigo.

What an ascetic figure!

‘He may lack majesty in everyday life, but when he shows this side, I can’t help but feel reverence…’

“Ah. How about purchasing food ingredients that can’t be found in the forest?”

“Oh, that’s a good idea. Please arrange that.”

“……”

As Wendigo licked his lips at the mention of new food, the reverence rising in Geron’s heart faltered.

…Still, there was no better person to serve as his lord.

* * *

The city of Gefen, home of the Freyr tribe.

Not all Summoners who visited Gefen were overflowing with talent. In fact, most Summoners compromised with reality after hitting the wall of their abilities…

The Summoners who had traded(?) with Wendigo for the human-faced tree were also such Summoners who had compromised with reality.

Trung and Skalf, wandering Summoners and merchants, were the protagonists.

The two were whispering as they displayed the human-faced tree in Shir’s hut.

“Are you sure this is okay? The spirit won’t forgive us just because we offered payment…”

“Come now. I asked my friend Issac, and he said the forest spirit is reasonable and friendly to humans. If we pay a good price, it should be fine.”

“Ah… a spirit being reasonable and friendly to humans? That’s hard to believe.”

“Then you can back out.”

“Hey, I was just expressing concern. We’ve already paid the price together, so I can’t do that.”

Trung and Skalf had been interested in the forest since they first heard the news. It wasn’t a Summoner’s curiosity but a merchant’s instinct that signaled them.

The instinct that they could increase their wealth with this opportunity!

Naturally, Trung and Skalf had headed to the forest outskirts with other Summoners. And when they saw the human-faced tree, they were shocked.

People infamous among Summoners had been turned into trees—how could they not be surprised?

Most Summoners trembled at the spirit’s cruel treatment and turned back, but the two calmed their startled hearts and calculated.

Deducting points for it being a corpse… deducting more for it being recognizable faces…

Apart from that, the human-faced tree was an item that could be sold at a high price.

Even to their weak spiritual sight, the human-faced tree clearly showed mystical properties, and the symbolism of humans turning into trees was quite significant.

A merchant must sell even their underwear if it can be sold.

So they took it. They paid a large price, but they were confident they could sell it for more.

And their prediction was exactly right.

“What are you two whispering about! Sell these trees to me!”

“I’ll pile up silver coins equal to their weight! Sell me these trees!”

“Ahem. If it’s alright, would you sell me even just one arm? I recently acquired a rare ingredient…”

The fact that they had been living humans wasn’t much of an issue. Among Summoners, there were quite a few human dregs who didn’t care about such things.

As the auction heated up to the point where fights broke out among the Summoners, Trung and Skalf trembled with ecstasy as if money was raining down from heaven.

They had made the right decision to visit the forest!

…Shir, the owner of the hut and a Summoner of the Freyr tribe, was watching this scene with interest.

She was lost in thought as she stroked her hair.

‘I expected something big was happening in the forest when I heard Issac’s story, but… this is beyond what I imagined.’

Shir opened her spiritual sight and observed the human-faced tree. While modest compared to the mystery contained in the ice crystal, it definitely contained significant mystical properties.

‘Is it really a spirit overflowing with mystical power?’

Even so, to waste precious mystical power just to leave a warning… it was incomprehensible with her knowledge.

As she frowned her fair forehead, a butterfly flew from somewhere and landed on her shoulder.

[ Oh my. What worries is making our pretty darling frown? ]

“Freya. I told you not to call me darling, it gives me the creeps.”

[ Creeps? I’m a butterfly that praises beauty! You should be honored to be called darling by a beautiful spirit like me. ]

As Freya, the butterfly that praised beauty, grumbled, Shir pressed her throbbing head with her fingers.

If other Summoners saw Shir speaking harshly to a spirit, they would be shocked, but there was a reason she could do this.

Freya was a spirit bound to the bloodline of Fraya, her ancestor.

‘Why did my ancestor have to make a contract with such a being!’

While Freya was indeed a powerful spirit that had lived for ages, Shir didn’t particularly like her.

[ You need to cherish me more. You could act like your mother or grandmother, and I’d be satisfied~ ]

“Shut up. I have no intention of fawning over you like my mother or grandmother did.”

Shir spoke venomously as Freya chattered. Contrary to Freya’s wishes, Shir was no fool.

Her grandmother and mother had lived indulging in Freya’s power, flattering her.

With Freya’s mystical power, they could bring anyone to bed and indulge in pleasure, obtain whatever they wanted, and even enchant other spirits.

But Shir wasn’t fooled.

‘They were all fools. A spirit wouldn’t give such power without a price.’

Her grandmother and mother had short lives. Both were discarded like worn-out shoes by Freya when they aged, after running wild with power beyond their means.

Shir had no intention of ending up like that.

[ You’re such a boring woman. Well… fine. Time is on my side anyway. Let me know whenever you change your mind~ ]

Having failed to shake her resolve once again, Freya lost interest and left.

Shir sighed and took out a piece of parchment from her bosom.

“Expedition to the forest…”

The parchment listed the tribes and Summoners participating in the expedition, with a request for her to join at the end.

After much deliberation, she tore the parchment in half.

‘The ice crystal, turning humans into trees… this is definitely not an ordinary spirit.’

She looked at Trung and Skalf. The two were dancing with joy after selling the human-faced tree at a good price…

Beyond them, she could see Summoners with eyes clouded by greed.

‘There’s no need to act based solely on the possibility that the spirit might like pretty women.’

The greedy Summoners would find out about the spirit on their own anyway.

She was convinced that now was the time to wait.