Ch.80Chapter 80

Meeting Alfodur was certainly not a pleasant experience.

It was troublesome enough that these gods were such troublemakers they had been exiled, but it was clear that if they returned, the world would be thrown into chaos.

However, isn’t life about moving forward even when hardship clearly lies ahead?

Wendigo carried out what he could do immediately.

That was demolishing the temple and building a shrine.

‘Even now, I think it was a terrible waste.’

Wendigo sat on a throne carved from massive marble in his newly built home and palace, inwardly clicking his tongue.

He couldn’t deny that a palace grander than a temple exuded more majesty. After all, the palace, with its increased number of attendants and various decorations, naturally inspired awe.

… But the waste was unavoidable.

To have to empty the treasury to intimidate someone he might not even meet that often!

Unaware of Wendigo’s sullen mood, Geron looked around the audience chamber with a satisfied expression.

The chamber was filled with decorations sent by forest people and tribal chiefs who had received Wendigo’s favor when they heard about the palace construction.

Complete bear and wolf pelts, beautiful tapestries, and carvings made from animal horns and ivory were on display…

‘They are pretty, but…’

Wendigo didn’t particularly care for such luxuries.

These things weren’t edible, and wasn’t their beauty all they had to offer?

“I never imagined I would see such rare treasures in the forest. That tapestry seems to depict the sun in the sky…”

“I’d prefer if they had sent precious food instead.”

“Pardon?”

When Wendigo grumbled, Geron asked in shock.

He couldn’t believe that decorations impressive enough to draw admiration even from someone as ascetic as Geron were being treated as inferior to mere food.

Wendigo read Geron’s feelings but maintained his conviction.

“Food at least becomes bone and flesh, but these decorations only serve to draw momentary inspiration or admiration.”

“… My lord, food doesn’t actually become your bone and flesh.”

Geron looked at Wendigo with narrowed eyes. What an irreverent steward he was.

No matter how terrible his lord’s aesthetic sense might be, shouldn’t such an ascetic response be praised as that of a virtuous ruler?

“Honestly, I think indulging in food is better than falling into luxury.”

“That’s true, but you need to indulge in some luxury, my lord. Besides, you didn’t even pay for these decorations.”

Naturally, none of the decorations had been acquired by Wendigo himself.

He preferred the pleasure of what entered his mouth over displaying and enjoying such things!

Seeing Wendigo’s lukewarm reaction, Geron fingered the silk adorning the audience chamber and explained:

“Look at this silk. Mr. Miloshi brought this precious item from outside the Empire when he heard you were building a shrine. Isn’t it beautiful?”

The silk sent by Miloshi, the leader of the red fox beastkin who valued commerce, was no ordinary item.

The nation people called the Empire was precisely the Holy Empire.

Of course, they weren’t the first empire…

“This vivid purple symbolized nobility even in the Old Empire. Obtaining this silk is impossible without considerable effort and wealth.”

The Constantion Empire, now called the Old Empire after losing its imperial title.

Though said to be on the path of decline now, the purple silk of the Old Empire was recognized even by the notoriously haughty nobles of the Empire.

The vivid purple, requiring skilled artisans and tremendous labor, was something whose value no one could deny.

Wendigo looked at the silk as Geron explained with enthusiasm.

The silk, boasting a vivid purple color, was softly gleaming in the light of the brazier…

‘… Isn’t purple quite common in the world?’

Wendigo could only think of something that would have made the Old Empire’s dye masters forget they were facing a Djin and burst into angry shouts.

Wendigo muttered in a disinterested voice.

“It’s pretty, but… it doesn’t seem very useful.”

“……”

“Ahem.”

When Geron took out berries from his pocket and popped them into his mouth with practiced ease, Wendigo cleared his throat apologetically.

He hadn’t realized this would upset Geron so much.

‘It seems Geron has a better aesthetic sense than I thought.’

Wendigo felt the need to change the subject.

If they continued discussing decorations, it wouldn’t be surprising if Geron collapsed while coughing up blood.

“By the way, things have been quiet lately.”

“… Yes. It’s certainly more peaceful than before. Though minor incidents still occur.”

Contrary to Alfodur’s warning, the forest was quite peaceful.

Poachers targeting the forest people’s livestock and the minions of summoners with impure intentions were still around, but Wendigo and the forest people had grown accustomed to them.

There were too many people in the world willing to risk their lives if it meant making money.

Excluding such minor(?) criminals, the forest was enjoying peace for the first time in a long while.

“Perhaps the person you met wasn’t actually a god.”

Geron offered a cautious speculation about the peace. Contrary to the prophecy made by the supposed god who had visited, the forest was peaceful.

Compared to the times when they were threatened by Djin and beasts, the current era could be called a golden age.

However, Wendigo shook his head.

“I’d like to think so too, but… what I saw with my own eyes was sufficient to call him a god.”

Forcibly keeping alive someone who should be dead was impossible without being a god.

In Wendigo’s opinion, this peace was more like the calm before a storm.

The moment this tranquility broke, the world would fall into an abyss of chaos…

“My lord! Something terrible has happened at Lady Skadi’s hut!!!”

A woman’s desperate scream came from outside the audience chamber. Wendigo inwardly sighed and struck his own head.

Bang!

“M-my lord!?”

“Sorry. I was just angry at myself for having such foolish thoughts.”

Geron was greatly startled, but Wendigo couldn’t forgive himself.

Why had he invited trouble by thinking such unnecessary thoughts?

* * *

“What happened here?”

“Well…”

What awaited Wendigo upon arriving at the hut was a hut transformed into pure white ice and…

“I don’t really know myself…”

Skadi, shrouded in mystical energy, fidgeting with her fingers.

The hut becoming a block of ice wasn’t a major problem. There were various tools and materials inside, but such things could be replenished given time.

The problem was Skadi’s condition.

Her white hair, imbued with mystical energy, fluttered and sparkled like moonlight, and intense cold emanated from her skin.

It was clearly a situation where magical power was at work.

Wendigo asked Skadi with a hint of suspicion.

“Is this a side effect of a magical experiment?”

“N-no, it’s not!”

Skadi shouted in response to Wendigo’s suspicion, feeling betrayed.

While her passion for magic was undeniable, Skadi had always conducted her research with thorough safety considerations.

And now to be suspected by Wendigo, whom she trusted and relied on most…

As Skadi looked at him with teary eyes like a betrayed puppy, Wendigo blurted out an excuse, feeling guilty.

“Ahem, I’m sorry. It’s just that I couldn’t think of any other reason for such a problem.”

“… It’s okay. This is a first for me too.”

Skadi said, catching a leaf blown by the wind.

The leaf froze instantly upon touching her fingertips.

Wendigo checked the mystical energy flowing around to understand this anomaly. Logically, there was only one explanation for such an occurrence.

‘The mystical energy is being drawn into Skadi!’

Wendigo was shocked by the vortex of mystical energy swirling around.

The mystical energy, which should flow irregularly, was being absorbed into her body as if it had always belonged to her.

“Skadi. Do you know that mystical energy is being drawn into your body?”

“Yes. I can feel the mystical energy flowing through my body even now. It’s both pleasing and… troublesome.”

Skadi sighed deeply with a sour expression.

As a summoner, having mystical energy in her body was a joyous thing, but she couldn’t help feeling worried.

Could she control this mystical energy? Why was it surging into her body?

… And what should she do about the cold that was freezing everything around her?

“Is the cold impossible to control?”

“Yes. I’ve tried to control it, but…”

Skadi attempted to manipulate the swirling cold to create an ice flower above her hand.

At first, it seemed to take shape as petals bloomed, but…

Crack!

“As you can see, the mystical energy surges in like this, and I lose control.”

Even this much was only possible because she had adapted somewhat to the mystical energy accumulated in her body over time.

It was no wonder the hut had turned into a block of ice. Uncontrolled mystical energy had instantly frozen everything around.

“So the problem is the influx of mystical energy…”

“Yes. It’s completely beyond my control. The only fortunate thing is that cold merely flows from my body.”

“Cold flowing out…”

Wendigo stroked his chin, deep in thought.

He couldn’t immediately determine why mystical energy was surging into Skadi’s body, but the immediate problem was clear.

Uncontrollable cold was continuously emanating from Skadi’s body.

‘… Perhaps I could control the cold?’

It wasn’t an implausible conjecture. Although Skadi was producing the cold, the cold itself was beyond her control.

Wendigo approached Skadi and reached out his hand.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

“What?”

There was no refusal. Wendigo lifted Skadi up and placed her on his shoulder.

Naturally, Skadi’s cold spread through Wendigo’s shoulder, but it wasn’t a significant problem.

After all, the cold flowing through Wendigo’s body was overwhelmingly stronger than hers.

Satisfied with the expected result, Wendigo nodded.

“That’s a relief. The cold doesn’t seem to affect me much.”

“Oh. Is that… good?”

Skadi responded shyly. She had been on Wendigo’s shoulder before, but the situation was different now.

At that time, she hadn’t paid attention due to the urgency, but thinking about it now, riding on Wendigo’s shoulder seemed quite disrespectful.

Skadi blushed and pleaded with Wendigo.

“Um… Lord Wendigo. Could I get down?”

“But you can’t control the cold, can you?”

“W-well, but still.”

Wendigo carefully placed Skadi on the ground at her request.

Sure enough, the cold flowing from Skadi’s body instantly froze the floor.

Wendigo clicked his tongue and lifted Skadi again, placing her back on his shoulder. This time Skadi resisted, but it was futile.

“Lord Wendigo. No matter what, I think riding on your shoulder damages your dignity.”

“After all you’ve done, and all the people who have benefited from your help, no one would criticize me for lending you my shoulder.”

“But…”

Although Wendigo usually accommodated Skadi’s requests generously, this time it couldn’t be helped.

She couldn’t even move around alone in her current state.

Wendigo firmly told Skadi:

“Stay with me at least until you can control the mystical energy.”

“What do you mean?”

Skadi looked at Wendigo with trembling eyes and asked.

Could he possibly mean what she was thinking…

“Since I can absorb the cold when you’re near me… you should stay on my shoulder normally. For sleeping… you’ll have to stay by my side.”

Was it too harsh for a young woman to spend every moment with Wendigo?

Skadi’s incomprehensible scream quietly echoed through the forest.