Ch.90Chapter 90

Though I couldn’t tell exactly what trick had been played, the Wendigo noticed that the Red Rose Dawn Society was preparing something.

…And for some unknown reason, the perpetrator had coughed up blood and collapsed.

The Wendigo quietly turned his head to survey the Red Rose Dawn Society.

When the members of the Red Rose Dawn Society met that eerily unmatched gaze, they unconsciously stepped back.

It might seem pathetic, but it wasn’t a strange reaction.

A giant with a beast’s skull was frightening enough, but the creature before them was a Djin.

While the followers were tense in this volatile situation…

‘Is killing them all immediately the right move?’

The Wendigo was organizing his thoughts more moderately than expected.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t angry at their schemes.

Had there ever been a good ending for those who had antagonized him until now?

The Wendigo remained still purely because he wasn’t certain what kind of deity Isabel served.

‘The flame Demian showed was quite intense.’

The black flame that had surprised the Wendigo for a moment.

Attacking blindly against a deity powerful enough to grant such flames would be foolish.

‘A believer naturally reveals their faith through conversation. Once I understand what kind of god they worship, I can decide whether to kill them or not.’

Having reached a conclusion, the Wendigo pushed mystical energy into the ground, causing it to rumble loudly and create a small earthquake.

Isabel frowned and glared at the Wendigo. Such an earthquake couldn’t possibly be coincidental.

“Lady Isabel. You should step back.”

“The Djin is clearly preparing some strange magic.”

Dylan and Cole might be womanizers, but they weren’t incompetent knights.

They calmly drew their weapons and watched the Wendigo warily. Even during the earthquake, their sword tips remained remarkably steady.

But the Wendigo wasn’t one to be intimidated by such things.

He let out a scornful laugh and warned Isabel.

“Put away your weapons right now or I’ll kill you all. If that’s not what you want, calm your subordinates.”

“…Step back and calm the soldiers. If you dare draw weapons without my order, I’ll have your heads.”

At Isabel’s command, the twin knights glared at the Wendigo with faces full of discontent.

What about this Djin made her give such an order?

“Has your brain melted from Ellen’s enchantment? Do as ordered immediately.”

“…Understood.”

As the twin knights left to calm the followers, the Wendigo continued what he had intended to do.

Solid roots emerged through the cracks created by the earthquake.

These roots twisted and bent together to form a shape—a large, rough throne.

When the Wendigo sat on the throne, Isabel’s eyelids trembled, and she shouted at her followers.

“Bring my throne! Now!”

The followers, fearing her wrath, hurriedly retrieved the throne from Isabel’s carriage.

Isabel’s throne was gilded with gold and excessively adorned with jewels and decorations…

‘Not beautiful at all.’

Having received harsh(?) training from Skadi, the Wendigo could immediately tell how full of vanity the throne was.

Despite its abundant gold and jewels, the throne lacked any sense of restraint or balance.

But unlike the Wendigo’s aesthetic sense, Isabel was quite satisfied with her throne.

She sat on it with an arrogant posture and glared at the Wendigo.

“I never imagined the Witch of the Forest would send only you as an envoy. Doesn’t she understand the importance of an embassy’s dignity?”

“…You don’t still think I’m her servant, do you? I thought that was just nonsense you threw out to provoke me.”

The Wendigo laughed at Isabel’s reaction, still seeing him as subordinate to Skadi.

If one is determined to find the truth behind rumors, it’s certainly possible.

Especially with witches who can enchant people, verifying rumors should have been easy…

“Well. Perhaps you haven’t submitted to the Witch of the Forest.”

“If I had to define it, I’d say we have a relationship of mutual trust and reliance.”

Isabel smirked and sneered at the Wendigo’s soft expression.

A relationship of mutual trust and reliance? What an incredibly weak attitude!

“You fool. Did that woman actually tell you such things? If so, congratulations. Had we not appeared to awaken your vigilance, you would have soon become a slave.”

“Skadi isn’t trash like you people… Anyway, judging by your reaction, you didn’t think I was her subordinate.”

“Is that so important? What matters is that if word spreads that a Djin submitted to a witch, the witches’ status rises. And when witches’ status rises, their power solidifies.”

The Wendigo couldn’t hide his astonishment at her brazen attitude. He wondered if these were lies meant to deceive him, but her words were too sincere.

By this point, the Wendigo questioned the deity who had chosen Isabel.

What possibility did they see in this woman to choose her?

‘Is it some god of power or vanity?’

Alfodur briefly came to mind, but the Wendigo shook his head.

Though Alfodur might enjoy struggle and power games, he didn’t seem like a deity who would favor fools.

What could he possibly want from Isabel?

“I really don’t understand. Picking a fight with me for such reasons…”

“Djin, I’m not foolish enough to fear your reputation. How much truth is there in those stories?”

Releasing the earth’s energy by killing a demon lurking in the forest.

Beheading a thousand-year-old wolf spirit and devouring its heart.

Single-handedly annihilating famous northern tribes.

The more rumors Isabel collected, the more convinced she became that they were all exaggerations.

Logically, if all these events had occurred within a few years, he would have had to expend mystical energy without time to recover…

“Djin, only ignorant commoners believe such foolish rumors.”

When Isabel stated her conclusion with a confident expression, the Wendigo looked at her with a sour gaze.

‘…The exaggerations were indeed a bit much.’

The lurking demon was actually a centuries-old parasitic beast, and Oneton was merely a 200-300 year old spirit, yet somehow the rumors had grown so wild.

While the Wendigo marveled at people’s talent for inflating rumors among themselves, Isabel conveyed her demands to him.

“Djin. What I want isn’t anything extraordinary. Just provide sufficient supplies and soldiers, and I’ll leave immediately.”

“I see now you’re not a witch but a bandit. Do you actually think the forest people will be loyal to you?”

“Why would I seek their loyalty? Don’t you see those puppets over there?”

Isabel pointed to the puppets waiting for Ellen’s orders.

The Wendigo briefly looked at the puppets, then tapped the throne with his nail as he summarized her demands.

“So… you want to replenish supplies as much as you want, rest, and even take my people away.”

“Yes. These are things that will regenerate over time for you anyway, right? Or do you not have the authority to make such decisions?”

Isabel provoked the Wendigo with a confident expression.

The Wendigo stared at Isabel for a moment. Initially, he thought talking with her might reveal fragments of her deity…

But he felt no faith whatsoever from Isabel.

Moreover, her operating principles were surprisingly simple and foolish.

No matter how many madmen exist in the world, who would provoke a natural disaster for the sake of power?

‘I was a fool to try conversing with someone so incomprehensible.’

The Wendigo asked one final question.

“Before concluding our negotiation, I’m curious about one thing. What’s your relationship with Demian?”

“He was contemptible but quite useful. Well… I don’t know why the god who spoke to me was interested in him.”

Isabel grimaced with disgust as she grumbled about Demian.

The Wendigo briefly felt sorry for Demian, but his thoughts quickly changed.

For someone who enjoyed pain, Isabel’s contempt might have been a form of pleasure.

Thinking about it that way, perhaps no woman was better suited for Demian than Isabel.

With his final curiosity resolved, the Wendigo rose from his seat without hesitation.

“Didn’t you say we were concluding the negotiation?”

“Why waste words? If you had any sense, you’d know how incredibly stupid your demands are.”

The Wendigo mocked and reproached Isabel.

Did she really think he would accept such an absurd proposal?

Insulted, Isabel reflexively opened her mouth, but the Wendigo acted first.

As he extended his hand toward the ground, dozens of ice fragments erupted from the earth, forming the shape of a sword.

Gripping the ice sword, the Wendigo delivered his final judgment to Isabel.

“Actually, realizing that you’re all worthless trash makes me feel better.”

“It’s a shame our negotiation ends this way.”

“I don’t consider myself particularly smart… but I’m certain people would call that nonsense, not negotiation.”

Isabel, as if she had expected this, maintained her composure and pulled out a lantern from her bosom.

Peculiarly, the lantern contained charcoal with a faint flame burning inside.

Revealing her power, Isabel shouted toward the lantern.

“I command the burning tree giant. Appear and fight for your master!”

Whoosh!!!

The flames that burst from the lantern flew toward the tree she had burned. The flames burrowed into the crevices of the burned tree, and soon after, the tree began to writhe and scream.

The Wendigo recognized the nature of the flame through the mystical energy gathering around the tree.

“Kieeeeeeek!!!”

“Its condition is strange… but it’s a spirit.”

The mystical energy emanating from the burning tree giant was similar to that of a spirit, but there was also an unsettling impurity.

Isabel smiled sinisterly as she mocked the Wendigo.

“Now you understand why I dismissed spirits? You’ll soon end up like that too.”

“Should I applaud? Shut up and use every trick you have. If this is all, you’re all going to die.”

“Your bluster is useless. Did you think we wouldn’t know you came alone?”

Isabel recalled the witch who had coughed blood and judged the Wendigo’s attitude as mere bluster.

She was certain he had recklessly come alone, realized he couldn’t handle it, and was now looking for a chance to escape.

“When did I say I came alone?”

“Pretending won’t help. Regardless of my subordinate’s incompetence, his clairvoyance is quite use—”

“Lady Isabel! Duck!”

Just as Isabel was about to speak confidently, a massive stone club came flying from the forest, crushing trees in its path.