Ch.84Chapter 84

Robert’s subordinates felt like they were flying high after enjoying a quality meal for the first time in a long while.

Any uneasiness about becoming a Witch’s followers had long been crushed under the weight of their full stomachs.

What did it matter whose resources they were consuming as long as they could fill their bellies?

Robert was equally satisfied. After living as the Witch’s lover, his palate had become refined, and he found the watery porridge and hard bread that vagrants ate utterly revolting.

And with full stomachs often comes arrogance.

One of Robert’s subordinates looked toward the village and approached him.

“Boss. By the way these village folks handed over food, they must be properly terrified of you, eh?”

“Hehehe. It’s all thanks to my eloquence. How could these country bumpkins possibly match my negotiation skills honed in the imperial cities?”

Though it was blatant flattery, Robert was greatly pleased and began praising himself.

In reality, all he had done was threaten inexperienced merchants by flaunting the Witch’s influence, yet he spoke as if he were a master orator.

Naturally, his subordinates didn’t believe Robert’s bluster. Apart from his handsome face and masculine voice, Robert had little to recommend him.

However, it was an undeniable fact that Robert was currently the center of their group.

The subordinate who had been fawning like a sycophant rubbed his palms together and cast a lewd glance at Robert as he dangled the bait.

“Now that we’ve filled our stomachs, shouldn’t we relieve ourselves in other ways too?”

“That… sounds quite reasonable.”

Robert immediately understood what the man wanted through his lecherous gaze.

As it happened, Robert himself hadn’t been able to enjoy such pleasures since becoming a fugitive…

‘It might be fun to threaten any villager who comes by.’

Robert and his subordinates’ thoughts were truly simple.

They mistakenly believed that if merely identifying themselves as followers was enough to make these cowards provide food, then with proper intimidation, they could extort women as well.

Robert pretended to consider it briefly before speaking to the sycophant.

“Hmm, but as the leader, it seems beneath me to suggest such things.”

“Oh my! Of course! I’ll make sure to handle everything without causing you any trouble, boss!”

When the sycophant beat his small chest and promised, Robert nodded.

Shortly after, someone appeared from the village alongside the warrior they had seen earlier…

“Is, is that a wolf? It’s too big for a wolf.”

“Hmph. What’s so impressive about a wolf? You can take one down with just a club.”

“Shit. Is the wolf what matters? It’s the one riding it that’s important.”

Robert’s subordinates muttered among themselves as they stared at the wolf rider who had appeared with the warrior.

The wolf growled at them, bothered by their terrible stench.

“Grrrr.”

“Easy now, calm down. We don’t know yet if they’re worth killing.”

Robert trembled as he looked at the wolf rider.

The rider stroked the wolf’s neck to calm it, but his eyes showed no such restraint.

Those eyes, reeking of bloodlust, looked ready to sever Robert’s neck at any moment.

‘Shit. What are these horse-breeding bastards doing here?’

Why would these beastkin, who raised horses in the eastern plains that were less popular than the north, be here?

With tanned leather armor, two swords at his waist, a bow, and a spear slung over his shoulder.

And looking down from atop that massive wolf made him all the more terrifying.

Robert felt his previously heated body grow cold.

His instincts warned that he shouldn’t get on the wrong side of the person before him.

… But not everyone was so perceptive.

“Y-you bastards… Don’t you know who we are! We follow the Witch of the Forest-“

‘This idiot!’

Perhaps driven by lust, the sycophant who had been stirring Robert’s lecherous thoughts pointed at the warriors, spittle flying.

The warrior belonging to the village looked at the sycophant as if he were pathetic.

He might have been clueless enough to happily accept their food, but to be this oblivious…

When the warriors didn’t move, astonished by his audacity, the sycophant seemed to think he had gained the upper hand and shouted confidently.

“If you understand, get that damn dog out of here now!”

“I was watching to see how far he’d go, but I never imagined he’d go all the way.”

“What?”

The wolf rider, impressed by the other’s lack of awareness, adjusted his grip on his spear and thrust it into the man’s chest.

With one clean strike, the sycophant collapsed with his heart pierced, unable to even react.

Robert watched without making a sound.

How could he protest, let alone fight back, when that spear might target his neck next?

The wolf rider retrieved his spear and looked around.

Despite a comrade’s death, not one person showed anger or tried to attack.

‘These are the kind of people making the Djin suffer.’

As killing intent filled the rider’s eyes, the self-proclaimed followers stared intently at the ground.

If they made eye contact, they might be the next to be skewered by the spear.

The wolf rider patted the wolf’s neck. It was a signal that it was okay to eat the corpse.

While the wolf tore into the body, the rider warned Robert.

“You lot haven’t been officially recognized by the Dj—I mean, the Witch of the Forest yet. How dare you cause trouble using her name?”

“… My subordinate was too excited after having a plentiful meal for the first time in a while.”

Robert shifted the blame to the dead sycophant while trying to calm his pounding heart.

He felt no loyalty to someone who had acted out of his own greed.

After glaring at Robert for a long while, the wolf rider snorted and backed away as the wolf finished devouring the corpse.

“Anyway, don’t even think about causing trouble while following my guidance. If I sense anything suspicious, I’ll turn you into wolf food immediately.”

When the wolf glared at him, drooling blood-tinged saliva, Robert unconsciously stepped back.

The rider mocked his reaction and turned away. Robert trembled with shame, clenching his fists.

Until recently, these people wouldn’t even raise their heads to him, and now they dare!

‘Just wait. Once I secure my place beside the Witch, I’ll skin you alive.’

Even to the end, did he never think of taking revenge with his own strength?

Robert followed the rider toward the forest, dreaming of a future that would never exist.

* * *

Robert’s resolve weakened the deeper they went into the forest.

He realized there were quite a few others besides themselves who had come after hearing rumors of the Witch.

Riders began joining one by one, along with the followers who accompanied them.

At first, the followers seemed merely numerous, but now they numbered well over a hundred.

“Brother, isn’t this bigger than we thought?”

“Forget about being a lover or whatever—we’d need to at least get close to the Witch for that to be possible.”

His subordinates’ doubts were quite accurate.

As the group grew larger, there would naturally be little opportunity for the riffraff who had drifted in.

If the Witch had any sense, wouldn’t she give positions to the capable rather than the incompetent?

Inevitably, his subordinates began to question whether Robert had such capabilities…

“……”

Of course, Robert had no such confidence.

After all, he had become the Witch’s lover not because of his abilities but thanks to his glib tongue and good looks. Beyond that, Robert was nothing more than a thief who had killed a few people.

Robert hurried his steps to avoid his subordinates’ piercing gazes. The one consolation was that they were nearing their destination.

“We’ve arrived. Wait below the cliff.”

“!”

Robert couldn’t help but be shocked at the number of followers gathered below the cliff.

He had thought the group that came with him was large enough, but he had no idea there would be so many others with the same idea.

‘The Witch, where is the Witch?’

Robert frantically searched for the woman who would be his lifeline. To curry favor with the Witch, he first needed to establish a connection.

Though there were quite a few women among the followers, the Witch was naturally not among them.

Robert’s eyes naturally turned toward the top of the cliff.

“Ha, traveling with a Djin… it was true?”

Could a beast in human form look like this?

A giant with a massive frame, sharp claws, and wearing a deer skull was looking down at them from the cliff.

Robert’s eyes gradually moved to the woman sitting on the giant’s shoulder, and he couldn’t help but gasp.

Her snow-white skin and hair naturally aroused a desire to defile them.

Her empty gaze, like one looking down on lesser beings, combined with her red eyes, stimulated a desire to conquer.

Even if it wasn’t Robert, the followers there instinctively recognized her identity.

That she was the Witch of the Forest they had been seeking.

* * *

While the followers were glimpsing the qualities of a ruler in the Witch of the Forest’s beautiful appearance and lofty gaze…

“… Can’t we just go down?”

Skadi asked the Wendigo while maintaining her cold expression.

The Wendigo looked at her quizzically and said:

“Why? I think your acting is quite good.”

To the Wendigo’s eyes, Skadi’s performance was perfect.

The murmuring from below the cliff—excluding the lewd comments—was all about Skadi’s cold attributes, her prickliness, warmth toward her man…

‘These bastards were afraid of a witch just a moment ago, and now this?’

… Anyway, apart from appearance-related comments, they perceived Skadi as a mysterious heroine.

But Skadi seemed to disagree, sighing deeply.

“I’m worried people might spread rumors that I control or subjugated you, Wendigo.”

Though she was certainly more comfortable with the Wendigo than before, Skadi’s loyalty hadn’t dimmed.

Rather, thanks to the time spent together, her feelings toward the Wendigo grew stronger each day.

Because of this, Skadi truly wanted to avoid becoming the source of rumors that might defame the Wendigo.

After all, what was happening now was, in a way, her fault!

“Haha, and yet you once feigned illness just to spend more time together…”

“AAACK!!! Y-you promised to forget about that!”

When the Wendigo playfully teased her, Skadi shouted, forgetting she was in the middle of a performance.

Apparently, giving in to a moment of desire and pretending to be sick was quite embarrassing for a grown woman.

Skadi tried to make excuses, but…

“Shh, they might get suspicious below. You need to focus on your acting.”

“… That’s mean.”

When the Wendigo pointed to the cliff below, Skadi pouted and refocused on her performance.

“Djin! Lady Skadi! It seems all of them have gathered!”

The last rider to arrive climbed the cliff to report the situation.

The Wendigo nodded. The area below the cliff was already packed with people.

Some were even hidden by trees—surely these couldn’t be all of them?

‘… If not, Skadi will just have to act a bit longer.’

Pushing aside a thought that would have made Skadi scream if she’d heard it, the Wendigo gently shook his shoulder to signal Skadi.

Receiving the signal, Skadi looked down the cliff, turning her head broadly.

People trembled with fear under her cold gaze, like one looking down on worthless creatures.

She frowned as if disappointed and whispered to the Wendigo.

“I think that’s enough?”

“Then we can begin.”

The Wendigo stood at the edge of the cliff, raised his hand, and moved the mystical energy. With a massive tremor, the forest trees began to move.

“W-what! What’s happening!”

“The forest is moving!”

The followers, terrified by this unprecedented phenomenon, headed toward the cliff.

Those who were slow, those who fell after being pushed by others or the tremors, or those who just stood dazed.

Such people were swept away by the trees and became a part of the forest as nothing more than a splash of blood.

The followers stared blankly at the wall of trees that had trapped them.

“W-what is that?”

“The Witch of the Forest is disappointed in your incompetence.”

“!”

The followers looked up at the cliff, startled by the Wendigo’s voice that struck their ears like thunder.

The Wendigo looked down at them and mocked:

“The Witch of the Forest has already completely dominated this forest. Even the tribes at the northern edge have bowed their heads and sworn loyalty. Why would she need trash like you?”

The followers trembled with anger, but none dared speak. Even a fool would know that one wrong word here meant death.

The pressure of their lives hanging in the balance weighed down their heads.

“At least you know your place, since none of you are objecting. I’d like nothing more than to turn you all into forest fertilizer, but…”

The Wendigo turned his head to look at Skadi, then glared back at the followers.

“The Witch of the Forest has decided to accept those among you who are useful.”

“D-does that mean… GACK!?”

“?”

The Wendigo was startled when the questioner died with a sword in his back before he could even answer.

He had planned to tell them to ‘kill each other’ next, but…

“You idiot. Can’t you read the atmosphere? He’s saying only those who survive the fight will be taken!”

“Damn it, everyone gather! The Knife Wind Brotherhood will be chosen by the Witch!”

“Uh… yes, fight and kill each other.”

The Wendigo was dumbfounded as people began fighting before he could finish speaking.

He had intended to identify particularly strong or suspicious individuals to check if they had backing, but they were fighting on their own.

‘I’m not sure if their situational judgment is good or bad.’

“Witch of the Forest!!!”

“Huh?”

Just as he was about to examine the fighters closely to identify suspicious ones, a red-haired man desperately called out to Skadi.

Judging by his voice alone, he sounded like a former lover searching for his beloved.

Even Skadi, who had shown little interest in the followers, couldn’t resist her curiosity and looked down the cliff, where Robert, the leader of the Red Wood Brotherhood, was looking up.

“He’s quite handsome. Though he stinks terribly.”

“Is he? I don’t think…”

At the mention of handsomeness, Skadi tilted her head.

His frame seemed decent, but he had no muscle in his limbs, and there was no sense of weight to him, which didn’t appeal to her at all.

“He’s probably just begging for his life…”

“I fell in love with you the moment I first saw you! Though my abilities are lacking and I’m not strong, please watch over me. And if I die, remember that there was a man who loved you…”

Robert used the same approach that had won him the Witch’s love before.

An overt confession of love combined with a desperate willingness to sacrifice his life, plus the cheesy lines women supposedly adore…

With his face and melodious voice, surely he would catch the Witch’s eye!

“That crazy bastard!”

Robert’s greasy love confession succeeded in catching Skadi’s attention.

However, it wasn’t the curious and loving gaze Robert had hoped for… but one gleaming with shame and murderous intent.

Unable to contain her anger, Skadi manipulated the mystical energy to create an ice spear.

She hurled the spear like lightning.

The fierce projectile, difficult even for a seasoned warrior to dodge, pierced Robert’s mouth. It was an anticlimactic end for a thief infamous as the Witch’s lover.

Even after killing Robert, Skadi’s anger hadn’t subsided, and she glared at the corpse, grinding her teeth.

“@#$@^%#^#$%!!!”

‘Hmm, so Skadi knows such curses too.’

The Wendigo could understand her anger.

How humiliating must it be to have such a worthless person confess to her in front of dozens of people?

‘Why must I face such humiliation in front of Wendigo!’

The reality was slightly different, but still.

Nevertheless, Robert’s death was a significant stimulus for the followers.

The fear that they might die at the hands of the Witch of the Forest if they didn’t show their worth.

As that fear seeped in, even the cautious followers began actively participating in the battle.

… Of course, this wasn’t what Skadi had wanted.