Ch.98Chapter 98

Jermy swung his hammer without a moment to breathe.

It was clear that if his reaction was even slightly delayed, the weapon thrown by the Wendigo would tear his body apart.

‘The flaws are disappearing more and more!’

Jermy gritted his teeth as he shattered an ice dagger aimed at his neck.

Like a drizzle turning into a downpour, the Wendigo’s blades became increasingly heavy and solid, and at some point, Jermy’s footsteps came to a halt.

If he moved even slightly forward, it was obvious that the flying weapons would pierce through him.

“My master never went easy on me either, but you’re being too harsh, Djin!”

Jermy made a pitiful face as he barely caught an ice spear aimed at his chest with a poker and diverted its direction.

In a way, it was only natural.

How many people in the world would risk their lives during a sparring match?

The problem was that Jermy’s master and the Djin before him were both eccentrics who took even sparring quite seriously.

The Wendigo asked Jermy, who was glaring at him.

“I thought you risked your life from the moment you took an Ogre as your master?”

“M-my master isn’t this harsh?!”

Jermy barely dodged an axe flying toward his shoulder and let out a shriek.

The Wendigo looked at Gulmarg with surprised eyes at Jermy’s outcry.

Honestly, he had thought Gulmarg would be training Jermy harshly.

When fighting, Gulmarg had the demeanor of an ascetic silently walking his own path, combined with a ruthless attitude that wouldn’t back down even if a god stood in his way…

The Wendigo spun his mace around and threw it at Jermy.

While Jermy was frantically trying to cut the chain connected to the mace, the Wendigo asked Gulmarg:

“I knew you were kind, but this is unexpected. I thought you would raise him more strictly.”

“… Human, die if raised like Ogre. Disciple, wants training not death.”

Gulmarg replied to the Wendigo with an incredulous expression.

If his disciple had been an Ogre, Gulmarg would have naturally taught him as the Wendigo expected.

Ogres could recover given enough time, even with blades embedded in their bodies and skin torn apart.

But Jermy was human, like it or not, wasn’t he? If Gulmarg had forced his lifelong methods on him, he would surely have died somewhere in the forest before long.

“I, taught him only what he could handle. How to wield blunt weapons, how to destroy, how to train the body.”

“……”

Convinced that he had taught within reasonable limits, Gulmarg stared at the Wendigo with a proud expression.

Skadi, listening nearby, pondered Gulmarg’s teaching methods with a curious expression.

The more she thought about it…

‘… Isn’t that just teaching him like an Ogre anyway?’

Even if it wasn’t teaching him to live like an Ogre, it felt like he was teaching the Ogre way…

The Wendigo’s feelings weren’t much different from Skadi’s.

Wasn’t he basically saying he taught him what an Ogre would do, just without killing him?

‘… So that’s why he keeps fighting without surrendering despite his complaints.’

Jermy, who had cut the chain by now, was crouching low and glaring at the Wendigo.

His fierce gaze, like that of an enraged beast, clearly showed that he was observing what move his opponent was preparing.

A will to never surrender, even in defeat.

“I see why Gulmarg acknowledged him as a disciple. Excellent eyes, a strong body… and a stubbornness that doesn’t give up easily. He’s just like you, Gulmarg.”

“Ahem!”

Gulmarg cleared his throat, seemingly embarrassed. It was a thunderous throat-clearing befitting an Ogre.

The Wendigo smiled slightly and extended his hand toward the ground.

Jermy glared with wide eyes at the ice sword that rose from the ground.

It was a sword close to perfection, literally without a single flaw.

“Gulmarg and I are practically friends. And I should treat a friend’s disciple seriously.”

Jermy felt cold sweat running down his back and his throat going dry.

He realized that the blades that had been threatening his life until now were merely casual actions for the being before him.

If he were an ordinary warrior, he would have fled in despair upon this realization.

However…

“Come.”

“!”

Jermy was no ordinary warrior.

He possessed an indomitable will to rise again as long as he didn’t die…

Creak!

“!?”

Jermy, who was about to respond passionately to the Wendigo’s call, quickly turned around at the strange sound behind him.

It was a naive response.

He had unconsciously concluded that the Wendigo would only make direct attacks.

Bang!

“Kuhak!?”

A root that shot up from the ground struck Jermy’s back hard.

The impact that shook Jermy’s body would have been enough to break ribs and puncture lungs if he were an ordinary human.

Gulmarg watched and shook his head.

“Wendigo, not honorable warrior. Wendigo, more like cunning hunter.”

“Isn’t that because he respects Jermy? Usually he just swings his sword lazily…”

“… I can hear you, so please stop. Besides, doesn’t Jermy need this kind of experience at least once?”

The Wendigo grumbled, stabbing the ground with his ice sword after hearing their whispering.

He didn’t deny that it was an underhanded move. He had acted as if he would engage in a warrior’s duel with swords, then attacked from behind.

But this was truly out of respect for Jermy.

It was a necessary lesson to engrave in his bones: never trust your opponent…

“Being cunning isn’t an insult. It means being smart.”

“But… it’s true that you just kill people with your sword when you’re feeling lazy.”

Though the Wendigo’s sincerity was conveyed, the two didn’t back down.

Just as the Wendigo was sincere, they too revealed their true thoughts without hiding anything.

Of course, this was possible because Skadi and Gulmarg trusted the Wendigo… but feeling hurt was unavoidable.

‘Maybe I should have just beaten him with my sword.’

The Wendigo grumbled inwardly as he checked Jermy’s condition.

Though his body was still trembling, unable to escape the shock, it wasn’t life-threatening.

If it had seemed fatal, Gulmarg would have blasted the root away with his stone club.

‘But… his eyes are still burning.’

Though he had used a somewhat underhanded tactic, his respect for Jermy was genuine.

Even while gasping for breath from the shock, Jermy stared directly at the Wendigo and twitched his hand.

“… I like that you don’t give up until death.”

Boom!!!

With a thunderous noise, a bear made of stone lunged at the Wendigo from Jermy’s palm.

The head of the stone bear had bone spikes embedded in it.

Jermy had planned to recover while the spikes were being shattered, but…

Instead of breaking the spikes, the Wendigo froze the entire stone bear.

Jermy watched as the stone bear instantly became an ice bear and muttered dejectedly:

“Between my master and you, there are too many strong opponents in this world…”

“Isn’t your standard just too skewed? I don’t think many humans use Ogres and Djin as their benchmarks.”

The Wendigo objected to Jermy’s complaint, finding it absurd.

How many people would use monsters as their standard for strength rather than famous knights or warriors?

Just like someone who chose an Ogre as his master, this guy was clearly not normal.

* * *

Jermy fainted as soon as the sparring ended.

It was only natural after facing a storm of blades and taking a direct hit from a massive tree root.

Of course, the Wendigo hadn’t wanted him to die, so he was still alive, but…

“Gyaaak!?”

“What an unusual scream… Sorry. I’ll be quiet.”

Anna, who woke up from the commotion, was horrified to see Jermy in such a terrible state.

She embraced Jermy and glared at the Wendigo, who was about to say it was fine but held his tongue at her fierce demeanor.

Her resentful gaze reminded him of Skadi from the past.

‘Those are eyes that could spell trouble if provoked.’

One of the Wendigo’s strengths was his ability to quickly acknowledge his mistakes.

He promised to arrange treatment with summoners and witches, and asked Skadi to look after the two.

Naturally, only the Wendigo and Gulmarg remained, and…

The Wendigo was enjoying a meal with Gulmarg back at the palace.

“Let’s eat.”

“I ordered mostly meat with you in mind.”

Since ancient times, the best hospitality for meat lovers was to serve meat from land, sea, and sky.

Gulmarg picked up a roasted whole pig and stuffed the head into his mouth.

The Wendigo happily watched as he crunched through the bones.

“This must be how others feel watching me.”

“Crunch… Humans, cook well. I, cannot make such taste.”

“Indeed, it might be impossible with our bodies.”

It was undoubtedly difficult to perform delicate actions with bodies like massive boulders.

The Wendigo and Gulmarg continued their meal while engaging in idle conversation.

Don’t force your disciple to eat meat, or how about going deeper into the forest together instead of staying at the palace to find a mate…

When the atmosphere was sufficiently pleasant, the Wendigo gradually brought up his real purpose.

“Gulmarg, Jermy will certainly become an excellent warrior.”

“Hmm… still lacking.”

Despite his words, Gulmarg’s fierce lips twitched. Even the stoic Gulmarg was pleased by praise for his disciple.

Especially coming from the Wendigo, whom he respected…

Gulmarg drank beer from a giant mug made for the Wendigo and asked:

“Wendigo, know you want something. About my disciple?”

“Yes. I’d like him to retrieve something from outside the forest.”

“Jurtur’s treasure.”

The Wendigo, who had expected Gulmarg to catch on, nodded frankly in acknowledgment.

Gulmarg put down his mug and looked at the Wendigo with a serious expression.

He tapped the table with his thick fingers, pondering, then expressed his negative opinion to the Wendigo.

“God’s treasure, danger more important than location.”

Although it was something a god had lost and was willing to give away as a reward, so perhaps not particularly special.

However, there was no guarantee that something trivial to a god wouldn’t be threatening to humans.

What if it was something like the armor of a berserker that made the wearer fight until death, and the armor had the power to seduce people?

Of course, the Wendigo had no intention of sending his friend’s disciple into such danger without preparation.

“Don’t worry. If it looks dangerous, I’ll be satisfied with just information about the item. And I have an attractive offer for Jermy.”

“Offer?”

“Honestly… after he learns everything from you, it’s obvious he’ll set off on adventures.”

Rushing into danger to repay a witch and prostrating himself before an Ogre to become stronger were not things an ordinary person would do.

Naturally, Jermy, after being taught by Gulmarg, wouldn’t simply return home.

Jermy’s fate was clearly destined to be full of trials.

“My offer to Jermy is a kind of sponsorship. I’ll share knowledge and experience about the world… and provide suitable equipment when he leaves.”

“… Not bad.”

The Wendigo wouldn’t give anything too extraordinary.

Apart from being Gulmarg’s disciple, Jermy was ultimately an outsider who would leave the forest.

However, assuming he was paying an advance for retrieving the treasure, he could at least provide artifacts similar to those given to the forest warriors.

Gulmarg, who pretended not to care too much about his disciple, couldn’t let him miss such a good opportunity.

“Oh, and teach Jermy to be careful around gods. Just looking at him, he has the kind of face gods would like.”

“… Perhaps I should make a contract with you instead.”

Thinking of Alfodur and Jurtur, Gulmarg nodded with a hardened expression.

He couldn’t hand his disciple over to such madmen.

“Then I should start selecting suitable teachers.”

The Wendigo tapped his chin with a satisfied expression, thinking of appropriate talent.

Or rather, he had already decided.

* * *

Geron, who was essentially the Wendigo’s chamberlain and administrator, had quite a refined hobby.

One of his few hobbies was enjoying reading while drinking tea that was good for mental relaxation.

He read most books regardless of their type, and as a result, his knowledge was the most extensive among the forest people…

Knock knock.

“Who is it?”

Geron, who was enjoying reading while drinking mind-soothing tea in the palace library, asked for identification with puzzlement.

The servants, not wanting to disturb his reading, didn’t knock when the light was on in the library.

Therefore, the visitor was likely not a servant.

Geron carefully grabbed the sword placed on his desk.

He pointed the sword toward the door and slowly approached.

If it was an intruder, they would sense something was wrong and make a commotion trying to open the door.

If he noticed such signs, he would thrust with his sword as the door opened…

“Geron, if you’re not busy, I’d like you to come out for a moment.”

“……”

Geron flinched when he heard the Wendigo’s voice from outside the door.

The Wendigo had never personally come to find him while he was resting in the library.

Usually, servants who had received his orders would carefully deliver messages…

Geron put down his sword in dismay and, after a moment’s hesitation, let out a deep sigh.

‘Perhaps an intruder would have been better.’

Unlike an intruder who could simply be killed and that would be the end of it, getting involved with the Wendigo inevitably meant more work.

But knowing this fact didn’t change anything.

Geron gulped down his tea and opened the door to step outside.