Chapter 103

People always have their own plans.

Especially when they’re about to engage in a debate, most prepare for questions or attacks the other party might make.

If the opponent launches personal attacks, they’d bring up the opponent’s parents.

If hidden tricks in long and complex words are discovered, they’d cover it up with new tricks.

Naturally, the visitors who gathered to meet Wendigo came prepared with such strategies, but…

When they first faced Wendigo, they felt their minds become completely blank.

Even those who had experience meeting spirits or hunting magical beasts weren’t much different.

The huge monster, no, the Forest King before their eyes was more terrifying than any being they had encountered so far.

If he had aimed for their necks instead of sitting on the throne, wouldn’t their heads have flown off without even noticing his approach?

‘Damn, who would have known such grotesque rumors were true.’

‘Negotiation? No, this isn’t negotiation, we should be grateful for mercy. He could take everything by force and we couldn’t even squeak.’

Extreme fear sometimes brings not panic but calmness. And as calmness arrived, some even felt grateful.

The thought of such a being invading their land naturally broke their will and fear rang alarm bells.

As the visitors gathered their wits in their own ways, Wendigo tilted his head and relaxed his tension.

“I’m sorry if I seemed to threaten you after inviting guests. How is it, are you feeling a bit better now?”

“It was overflowing with majesty just now, and now it’s clear and pleasant to hear.”

The answer came not from the vassals, Skadi, or even Geron, but from among the visitors.

A woman hiding her body with a robe and her face with a plain mask walked towards Wendigo.

As the woman removed her mask and lowered her hood, her hidden beauty was revealed.

“Syr, you should have told me if you arrived earlier.”

“Distinguishing between public and private matters is my iron rule. I’m not your vassal yet, but a trader, so I couldn’t be with them.”

As Syr revealed herself, the chilly atmosphere of the audience hall instantly turned bright.

The men gaped with slack expressions and followed her with their eyes, while the women gazed at her with envious looks.

Wendigo was bewildered but also relieved.

‘I was worried about how to lighten the mood, but it resolved easier than expected.’

He hadn’t expected the people who were frozen just moments ago to relax their tension, distracted by a woman’s beauty.

… Come to think of it, it was strange. If encountering a beautiful woman was helpful, wouldn’t Skadi have been enough?

Wendigo wondered as he gestured for Syr to come closer, and she walked confidently with a smile as bright as the sun.

“Aah…”

“Shouldn’t we stop her?”

The visitors sighed as the beauty headed towards the spirit, not a beast.

Spirits must like beautiful things too, so if the Forest King turned ferocious to possess the woman, she would be dragged away without resistance…

“Syr, I thought it strange that there was no news from you recently, but you’ve become a witch.”

“Unfortunately, only a half-witch. Well… it’s the price for harboring both spirit and mystery simultaneously.”

Wendigo noticed that the mystery felt from her was her own and congratulated her on that fact.

At first glance, her ability to captivate people’s attention seemed similar to Ellen’s power, but its essence was quite different.

While Ellen’s power contained a decadent aura and forcibly subdued others, Syr’s power shone like the sun in the sky and had the power to draw out people’s goodwill.

“It’s still a bit hard to control, but I’m quite satisf… Ah, really.”

“?”

Syr, who was about to boast of her greatness, frowned and sighed. She plucked out a strand of her hair and burned it.

A golden flame blossomed, and the flame soon took on a human shape.

“Darling~ So if you have an intimate time with me, I can help you control your power anytime… Kyaah!”

“Stop whining in my head and shut up!”

Freyja, who revealed herself, whined while hugging Syr from behind but got punched in the stomach.

Syr skillfully pulled Freyja in front of her.

She slapped Freyja’s back with an expression full of annoyance.

It seemed quite forceful as Freyja let out a cry…

“Hmmm…”

“Ah, damn it. Freyja!”

As she let out a strange moan, Wendigo grimaced and shouted loudly.

Though they had gotten quite close, he didn’t want to know Freyja’s secret preferences.

It seemed she used to have a mischievous hobby of teasing Syr in the past…

‘I don’t know what change of heart occurred when Syr became a witch, but something feels unpleasant.’

Syr looked at Freyja with a cold expression and pushed her forward. Freyja pouted her lips as if disappointed and complained to Wendigo.

“Eung, Syr was excited after a long time, but I couldn’t enjoy it properly because of you.”

“That’s not excitement, it’s anger. And is that appropriate for the current situation? The atmosphere now…?”

“Ahem!”

“Cough!”

Those watching Syr and Freyja’s quarrel regained their composure as Wendigo’s gaze turned towards them.

Of course, since both Syr and Freyja were beings dealing with the mystery of beauty, it was inevitable that gazes would be drawn to them, but…

Observing(?) this even in the coldly settled air of the audience hall was no ordinary feat.

Freyja giggled and seductively stroked her arm.

“Don’t be too disappointed~ When will humans see such a good spectacle again?”

“Sigh…”

Thwack!

Wendigo reached out and flicked Freyja’s forehead.

Freyja didn’t expect the vicious attack from her colleague(?) and allowed the attack, and a clear striking sound along with Freyja’s scream echoed through the audience hall.

Freyja felt like her head was ringing and glared at Wendigo with tears in her eyes.

“Tch… Isn’t that too much just for a little joke?”

“What’s too much is your attitude, light as a feather.”

The visitors barely stopped themselves from nodding unconsciously.

As Syr comfor… no, grabbed the back of Freyja’s neck as she grumbled, she clicked her tongue with a blank expression.

Watching this scene, the visitors realized one fact as they recollected what they had witnessed.

“That… From what I see, that woman seems to be the famous shaman of the Freyr tribe.”

“That’s right. I didn’t expect the Forest King to have subjugated even a tribe as renowned as the Freyr tribe.”

“Isn’t that judgment too extreme? That woman just said she made a deal with the king…”

“Then how do you explain the forehead flick just now?”

The visitors from the south had no way to figure out the relationship between Syr, Freyja, and Wendigo.

Asking directly was one method, but who would take responsibility if they asked and got on the bad side of the two spirits?

Above all, the sight of Wendigo flicking Freyja’s forehead and Freyja grumbling made it seem like Wendigo was superior between the two.

‘What forehead flick, it was powerful enough to make a human’s head explode.’

‘It’s clear that the Forest King’s hidden strength is higher than expected.’

Though the atmosphere of fainting at any moment disappeared, the visitors’ nervousness reached its peak.

An extraordinary and special leader, subordinates with excellent loyalty and ability, a fertile land promised abundance.

All of this was a sight commonly seen in stories of ancient heroes.

One word flashed through their minds.

Nation-building (建國)

As they recalled this word, their eyes began to burn hotly with ecstasy and shock, passion and determination.

‘First scared, then enchanted by women… now burning with hot emotions.’

Of course, this was something Wendigo, who thought even the university was a big deal, hadn’t considered at all.

Wendigo looked puzzled at the visitors whose emotions changed rapidly in an instant.

It was awkward to say this, but… northerners seemed a bit strange.

---

As Freyja calmed down and the visitors waited for his words with a neat attitude, Wendigo roughly grasped the situation.

Though he couldn’t understand the exact reason, he realized that the visitors were lowering themselves and watching his mood.

Surely they weren’t scared because he imbued mystery at the beginning…

‘Still, there’s no disagreement that this is a good situation for me.’

Naturally, one should be grateful if those who need to be persuaded bow their heads on their own.

Wendigo brought up the prepared story for the visitors.

He rattled off how the university’s establishment began with what ideology, what he expected from them, and how the university would be operated in the future.

“As you’ll hear the details in the future, let’s move on. Any questions?”

At Wendigo’s question, people shook their heads.

It was a story already heard from merchants and mercenaries and discussed with close aides, and even warriors or shamans who had to judge alone had already finished their judgment.

As their gazes turned towards him, Wendigo threw out the topic they would be most curious about.

“Then I’ll quickly move on to the next. You are indeed selected personnel, but we can’t accept everyone. The university is likely to be associated with many vested interests, and it’s an issue related to the future of the north.”

Wendigo paused briefly and gestured to Skadi and Geron.

The two stepped forward according to the agreed gesture, and Wendigo continued speaking.

“Those who wish to invest in the university establishment will talk with Geron.”

The merchants, chieftains, or ambitious individuals who came to put their spoons in the university establishment nodded as if they had expected this.

They looked at Geron with complex gazes.

They could tell that Geron was a favored minister of Wendigo, but…

Based on the information they had gathered, they couldn’t perfectly gauge how much authority Geron held.

To build in the forest and its vicinity, Geron and Wendigo’s permission was needed, and most administration went through Geron’s final review before being delivered to Wendigo.

Up to here could be considered the duties of an ordinary administrator, but… Geron didn’t stop there.

Merchants had to go to Geron to get permits issued to trade with forest people, and most taxes were confirmed by Geron and reported to Wendigo.

Considering just this much, Geron’s title could be said to be administrator and treasurer.

But… Geron’s work didn’t end there.

When envoys came, Geron received them, servants organized messages and reported to Geron, and even palace management was Geron’s responsibility…

‘It’s impossible to know how much he can handle with personal discretion!’

‘How is he alive without collapsing? Is he actually a monster created by the spirit’s wicked magic?’

At least there were no rumors of the king punishing him, so it was certain he was performing his assigned duties properly, but…

It would be normal to collapse from overwork, so how on earth…?

The investors sensed that Geron was absolutely not an easy opponent and became very tense.

Naturally, the investors’ attitudes became polite, and Wendigo watched this sight with satisfaction.

“Those who came for investment, follow Geron. Geron, I’m counting on you.”

“Yes. Don’t worry.”

Geron bowed his head and led them out of the audience hall first.

Wendigo was about to introduce Skadi next, but…

“Syr, if it’s alright, could you handle the shamans or witches together with Skadi?”

“Of course. The Spirit Lord has always repaid favors with rewards.”

Since Syr was also there, Wendigo had Syr and Skadi interview the witches and shamans together.

Those except the shamans and witches looked at them with envious gazes.

It wasn’t common to converse with beauties with different charms.

However, those who became the protagonists of this luck(?) looked at the two nervously while sweating.

‘This is why laymen are…!’

‘Is, is she really a witch like me?’

Shamans basically possessed spirit vision, and witches could sense mystery through their own outstanding senses.

They trembled at the mystery felt from the two who were both shamans and witches.

They were literally feeling the difference in class.

So they couldn’t help but feel annoyed at those sending envious gazes.

“Follow us.”

“Yes, yes!”

They followed Skadi and Syr out of the audience hall, being polite as if disciples facing their masters.

Naturally, only those who remained to impart some teachings were left in the audience hall…

They blinked their eyes and looked around to find out who would be dealing with them.

Just as the visitors’ gazes were turning towards the chieftains.

“Uh, uhhh?”

Wendigo, who had been sitting, stood up from the throne and approached them.

Wendigo spoke as he approached them.

“Gauging your levels requires calling in various merchants, mercenaries, and technicians, so it will take some time. So…”

“… Gulp.”

They looked up at Wendigo with trembling eyes.

As Wendigo stretched his hand towards the ground, an ice sword revealed itself in response to his call.

Cold energy swept over their bodies, and Wendigo spoke while planting the ice sword on the floor.

“First, I should hear the stories of you who have decided to be in charge of education at the university.”

But why while drawing a sword…?

It was a question everyone present wanted to ask, but their mouths wouldn’t open.

As if the blade of the ice sword was pointed at their necks, cold energy settled heavily on their throats.