Ch.71Chapter 71

The Wendigo continued to pluck its fur, trying to recreate threads of cold.

However, it wasn’t an easy task.

Cold was fundamentally a power with the concept of freezing things.

But to turn fur into threads of cold, the cold had to imbue the fur with power without affecting the fur itself…

‘I still struggle with delicate work.’

Such precise tasks didn’t suit the Wendigo’s disposition.

After more than ten attempts where the fur couldn’t withstand the power and turned into ice fragments, the Wendigo sighed and gave up.

At this rate, baldness would arrive before achieving the goal.

‘I’d better call Skadi. And… I should call Shir too.’

While it was good to persevere until figuring things out on one’s own, there was no need when expert advice was available.

Above all, continuously plucking fur wasn’t particularly pleasant.

… No matter how much of a monster it had become, baldness was absolutely unacceptable.

* * *

Summoned by the Wendigo, Skadi and Shir rushed over to meet him.

While Skadi would always happily come running at the Wendigo’s call, Shir’s reason was somewhat different.

She was curious about the Wendigo’s question itself.

“So, extracting cold into threads was an ability you didn’t know you had, Djin?”

“Yes. Threads aren’t exactly something that goes well with cold to begin with.”

When Shir asked with gleaming eyes, the Wendigo answered calmly.

Comparing Shir’s gaze with Skadi’s, he thought to himself that they were quite similar.

Is being obsessed with summoning magic a basic trait of all exceptional Summoners?

Shir tapped her lips with interest and questioned the Wendigo.

“Usually, Djin use their powers instinctively… When you awakened this new power, didn’t anything come to mind?”

“I’ve never experienced that. I’ve never been certain I could do something until I actually tried it.”

Though this contradicted common knowledge, Shir wasn’t particularly surprised.

Having a rational conversation with a Djin was rare to begin with.

Even the Djin she was symbiotic with would irritate her whenever it got bored.

Having noticed from the beginning that the Wendigo was no ordinary Djin, Shir carefully began to question the peculiarities.

“Freya called you a mutant. That means you have an origin that transcends the typical symbolic meanings we can imagine.”

“It’s true that you’re quite different from what we know about Djin, Wendigo.”

Not obsessed with mystery, not taking pleasure in arrogantly deceiving people…

Above all, his appearance was unlike anything ever described.

A giant, yes, but a giant with a deer skull for a head.

[I certainly haven’t seen anything like him in all my life. Even mutants usually look somewhat similar to each other.]

“It seems even Freya has never seen anything like you.”

[Oh my. No need for formalities~ I’m generous to pretty ones. Just call me Freya! Or you can even call me ‘darling’!]

Crack.

When Freya habitually acted up, Shir frowned and slapped Freya’s back with her palm.

A fairy’s body, made with minimal mystery, was vulnerable to pain. Freya squealed and whined at Shir.

[Eek! Darling, jealousy is bad! I’m just acting in a way that suits my existence!]

“Try to learn from him! He speaks properly and treats people kindly!”

“Um… Shir? Even though Freya is a Djin, treating her like that…”

When Shir growled and scolded Freya, Skadi stopped her with a worried expression.

Though every word from Freya was infuriating, she was still a Djin after all.

Moreover, since they were connected by bloodline, it would be better to get along if possible…

[Skadi darling. You’re worried about me! Well, I can’t help it. Since it’s come to this, why don’t you make a contract with me…]

“Shir, on second thought, you can hit her harder. We don’t always need to bow our heads to Djin.”

When the target of nonsense shifted from Shir to herself, Skadi frowned and defended Shir.

To try such tricks in front of Wendigo!

As Skadi also glared at Freya, the Wendigo sighed and stopped them both.

“Everyone, calm down. It’s not like Djin haven’t been acting this way forever.”

Shir took a deep breath and released Freya. As the Wendigo said, Freya’s behavior never changed.

The Wendigo approached Freya, who was grumbling while rubbing her back, and asked:

“Freya. Don’t you know anything? From what I hear, you seem to have lived for an immeasurable time.”

[Of course! I’ve seen kingdoms established by gods and witnessed the rise and fall of empires and kingdoms. At least in terms of years, no Djin can match me!]

‘Hmm, claiming one’s own experience is impressive is rather distasteful.’

The Wendigo looked at Freya with a slightly disgusted gaze.

Her behavior was far from trustworthy, and when the word “experience” came out, his trust diminished even further.

Noticing the Wendigo’s gaze, Freya glared back at him.

[Hey, don’t tell me you don’t believe me?]

“Wendigo, though Freya acts like this, she’s not lying. She’s a Djin who has existed since before the word ‘North’ was coined for this continent.”

Freya, born from beauty, had a history that predated the legends of the Freyr tribe.

Even before the Freyr tribe existed, there were legends about fairies bestowing beauty.

And the protagonist of those legends was always a beautiful woman… who always became intoxicated with her own beauty and met a miserable end.

[Hmph, you should be grateful. Since you’ve taken my side for once, I’ll share some wisdom with you.]

“Thank you for persuading Freya, Shir.”

[Hey! Thank me too!]

When Freya shouted and glared fiercely, the Wendigo waved his hand and expressed sincere gratitude.

“Ah, thank you.”

[Eek! You’re annoying!]

As Freya got irritated, Shir looked at the Wendigo with admiring eyes.

For the slick Freya to show genuine anger like that—it was a skill she wanted to learn if possible.

After fuming for quite some time, Freya was about to sit on Skadi’s leg…

Slap!

“No matter how much of a Djin you are, I have no intention of offering my body so casually.”

[Hmph.]

Freya, who was trying to take advantage of Skadi even in this situation, sat on Shir’s shoulder with disappointment and began to speak.

[First, let me ask one thing. How long have you been alive?]

“Hmm… about 1-2 years, I think.”

“You’re joking, right?”

Shir was dumbfounded by the Wendigo’s answer. Considering the Wendigo’s behavior, he should have been a Djin who had lived for at least a thousand years.

No, even a thousand-year-old Djin wouldn’t do such inefficient things.

Why would one pour out hard-earned mystery onto the ground? Just going south would bring countless people begging to serve.

The Wendigo nodded when Skadi looked at him.

Skadi carefully spoke.

“Well, it’s been about 1 year, 7 months, and 4 days since Wendigo revealed himself.”

“…Let’s skip that terrifyingly precise date. More importantly, what are you dreaming of in the forest that makes you accept such losses?”

“Wendigo cannot leave the forest. Recently, we confirmed that his avatar can go out, but before that… it was impossible.”

[Hmm… I think I understand now?]

“Is that true?”

The Wendigo looked at Freya with surprised eyes. He hadn’t expected Freya to actually accomplish something.

Noticing this, Freya pouted and grumbled.

[Hmph. How do you think I’ve survived for so long? I’m a more remarkable Djin than you think.]

“If I ask why such a remarkable Djin acts like a horny old woman, would you get angry?”

[Hey!!!]

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was just so dumbfounded that I meant to only think it but…”

When Freya seemed genuinely upset, the Wendigo sincerely apologized and manipulated mystery.

The mystery condensed in the Wendigo’s hand created a beautiful pure white ice rose.

The Wendigo offered this magnificent rose, containing intense cold, to Freya as an apology gift.

However, Freya was a Djin who had lived for ages.

Naturally, her pride was unmatched by anyone…

[…Oh my.]

‘This actually works.’

…But sometimes, being able to set aside pride is what experience is about.

Freya fell in love with the beautiful white rose once, and then again with the mystery contained within it.

Freya flew up like a butterfly and snatched the rose like a bee. She even kissed the rose with delight.

[You’re more reasonable than I thought!]

“……”

Shir looked at Freya in disbelief.

Who would have thought she’d forgive so easily?

And a Djin full of pride at that!

Shir shook her head and looked at Skadi. Skadi also seemed dumbfounded as she stared at Freya with sharp eyes…

“A rose I’ve never received…”

“???”

* * *

After a brief commotion.

Freya brought something like a switch from somewhere and warned with a shrug.

[Now, I’ll explain what kind of being you are! I’ll only say this once, so you need to focus, okay?]

“I’m ready, please speak.”

Skadi took out the notebook she always carried and gazed intensely at Freya.

The Wendigo slightly moved his head to check the notebook. It contained various concerns and research findings about summoning…

‘What’s written there? About Wendigo…’

[Wendigo! Focus!]

“Sorry.”

At Freya’s scolding, the Wendigo shook off his distractions and focused on her.

With a satisfied expression, Freya began drawing in the air.

A statue-like woman and man, a nine-headed dragon, a living rock…

[In the old days, gods walked the earth and beasts comparable to Djin were everywhere. In those times, mystery surged like waves everywhere.]

Current living beings always think their time is the most painful and difficult, but Freya believed humans shouldn’t say that.

In the past, humans were truly the weakest and most suffering race among mortals.

Gods enjoyed being worshipped by humans and bestowed blessings, but they enjoyed inflicting punishment and torment even more.

Djin and beasts caused havoc with mystery incomparable to the present.

Even superhumans born with mystery among humans imitated what they saw and did the same to their own kind…

“Freya. Let’s skip such boring old stories. I want to hear the main point.”

[Tsk, this is why young ones… You should respect history! Especially living history like me!]

Freya cut down the nine-headed dragon she had drawn in the air with her switch, and its heads fell into a river.

The dragon’s head flowed along the river and…

“A snake?”

[Yes. In some ways it’s a degraded form, but still the king of snakes. I think its name was… the Snake that Swallows Rivers?]

The dragon’s head created a body from the river and committed evil deeds.

It caused floods, poisoned wells, and raised large alligators in swamps and jungles…

[So? Does this remind you of someone? Someone with seemingly unrelated powers in one body, with an animal’s head… or rather, a skull for a head.]