Chapter 50: Chapter 50
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 50
The shamans faced Wendigo, boasting his enormous size.
They calmed their trembling hearts and checked Wendigo with their spirit vision. Having been with Wendigo until just now, they couldn’t believe the being before their eyes.
Surely it was a body filled with mystery, but could that have been a doppelganger!
‘This is insane…’
The shamans trembled at the mystery that was incomparable to what they had just encountered.
Various mysteries that couldn’t be defined as a single attribute were harmonizing.
‘How can a spirit alone contain such diverse mysteries!’
‘This might not be the end… This, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.’
The shamans knelt without giving Wendigo a chance to say anything. A powerful temptation that shamans simply couldn’t resist was controlling their bodies.
The temptation that every shaman would have – that they could ascend to a higher realm with the mystery bestowed by the spirit before them!
Wendigo looked at the shamans, who were trembling with their heads bowed, with a bewildered expression. They knelt down right away without him saying anything.
Wendigo slightly turned his head to look at Geron. Geron, seemingly uncomfortable with Wendigo’s gaze, offered advice.
“You should say something. Judging by their attitude, they seem like they’ll sincerely pledge loyalty to you.”
‘I need to have something to say to say it…’
As Geron turned his head as if it wasn’t his business, Wendigo sighed.
The shamans who were bowing their heads flinched at the sound. It was natural since they didn’t know why Wendigo had let out such a deep sigh.
‘Are we not to your liking?’
‘Is it because too few passed?’
While the shamans worried without knowing the reason, Wendigo had no particular intention of harming them. If he had such thoughts from the start, he would have slaughtered them all in the cave.
Wendigo looked at the shamans for a moment and then opened his mouth.
“Shamans, raise your heads and introduce yourselves. The order… let’s go from the left.”
“Yes! I am Osa, a shaman from the Knorr tribe. I use tattoos to…”
Starting with the female shaman, the shamans began their best self-introductions to appeal their usefulness.
Wendigo listened to their stories silently. The shamans couldn’t help but feel tense after a long time at this weighty appearance.
With no response or reaction, they couldn’t tell what Wendigo was thinking while listening to their introductions…
‘Hmm… Even after listening, I don’t know what use they have.’
Wendigo had no particular thoughts. To him, the shamans’ shamanism was still a very difficult and hard-to-understand realm.
Wendigo absentmindedly let their stories flow by and focused his mind on Skadi’s ice necklace.
[ Skadi, listen carefully to what they’re saying. I’m thinking of entrusting their management to you from now on. ]
[ Yes. I’ll grasp everything they can do without missing anything. ]
Skadi nodded with a slight smile, invisible to the shamans.
The reason why Wendigo was trying to recruit these shamans he didn’t care about at all, going through such trouble.
It was for a rather trivial reason…
‘As my domain has expanded, Skadi has been working hard. If I give these fellows appropriate compensation and assign them work, Skadi will have some free time.’
Except for the fact that they were outsiders, the shamans were talents that could substitute for Skadi.
‘As they say, it’s not good to overwork people.’
While Skadi was an excellent shaman who could research shamanism while doing her duties, would she dislike having more free time?
That couldn’t be. Even if it were a mere beast, no being dislikes having free time.
“So if the spirit allows, we can make a fair and satisfactory deal…”
“I’ve heard you well. I’ll make a deal… though it’s hard to call it a contract, with all of you.”
“!”
The shamans looked at Wendigo with surprised expressions. They thought he was an extraordinary spirit, but to think he would consider contracting with five shamans at once?
At Wendigo’s gesture, Geron bowed his head and brought the pre-prepared contracts.
As Geron handed out the contracts one by one, the shamans politely received them and slowly began to read.
“The contractor will follow the orders of the spirit and Miss Skadi for the specified period… Not providing or planning anything?”
“Don’t harm unless forest people attack first? Such conditions?”
“Don’t spread rumors about what you’ve seen and gained in the forest. You can disclose in life-threatening situations, but only answer what the other party demands…?”
As the shamans read the contracts, their faces grew more and more puzzled. It was very different from the contracts they usually made with spirits.
Spirits usually didn’t share big contracts with shamans. In most cases, they demanded offerings or rituals.
Most of the time, they requested something shamanic that spirits couldn’t do, but there were no cases with such strange contents…
As the shamans were bewildered, Wendigo leaned forward and glared at them.
“What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of harming the forest people?”
“N-No! Why would we do such a thing!”
The shamans hastily answered and focused on the contracts again.
After reading the contracts for a while, the shamans realized what kind of contract this was. It was a kind of employment contract.
“Um, what does it mean here that rest is guaranteed?”
“Don’t you need time for personal research?”
“That’s true, but…”
As Wendigo answered as if asking about something obvious, the shamans were at a loss for words.
What kind of work was he planning to assign to offer such a contract?
The shamans weren’t brave enough to ask Wendigo directly. They slightly turned their heads to look at Skadi.
Skadi sought permission from Wendigo with her eyes, and when Wendigo nodded, she opened her mouth.
“It’s nothing particularly grand. Going around the forest to check if there’s anything strange, picking herbs when forest people suffer from diseases…”
“You… You’re contracting for such things?”
“Wendigo-nim sincerely cares for people.”
As Skadi answered as if it were obvious, the shamans were disgusted.
A spirit that cares for people. What an awkward sentence this was!
… The problem was that, judging just by the contract, Wendigo really did care for humans.
As the shamans whispered among themselves, suffering from cognitive dissonance, Wendigo grumbled as if frustrated.
“I’m dealing with you without any lies or tricks, yet you keep doubting me.”
“We-We’re sorry. It’s just our first time with such a contract.”
“Then let’s talk about the rest. First, we should discuss compensation… Considering what brought you to this forest, I’ll provide compensation at least at the level of the ice crystal Isaac took.”
“Really!?”
At Wendigo’s shocking statement, the shamans shouted, forgetting their dignity. Wendigo calmly nodded.
After all, he could make items at the level of ice crystals anytime.
Wendigo was about to talk about rest time next, but…
“If that’s true, we’ll contract right away!”
“Should we write it in blood?”
“……”
As the shamans asked with resolute expressions while taking out daggers, Wendigo was dumbfounded.
The fact that they readily accepted after hearing about the compensation made him feel like he was making a fraudulent contract with naive people.
Moreover, what were they doing trying to draw blood with daggers?
Wendigo grimaced and calmed them down.
“What blood writing? Don’t handle your bodies carelessly. Geron, give them something to write with.”
At Wendigo’s instruction, Geron also grimaced and headed outside. Meanwhile, the shamans were whispering among themselves…
“To offer such good compensation with a contract like this.”
“He might really be a spirit that cares for people.”
To think that among many reasons, he would receive such an evaluation because the compensation was good.
Wendigo inwardly sighed in deflation.
After the shamans signed the contract (of course, not with blood) and followed Skadi, Wendigo grumbled while chewing on fruits that had been brought as snacks.
“I thought based on Skadi, but as you said, Geron, the shamans from outside are stranger than I thought.”
“Umm… I hate to say this, but the contract you proposed wasn’t normal either.”
“Huh? Was there any unfair content in my contract?”
“……”
Geron stared intently at Wendigo. Was he really asking because he didn’t know?
As Wendigo remained silent, Geron opened his mouth.
“It’s strange because there’s no unfair content.”
“Oh my… Geron, have you become intoxicated with power while working by my side? Contracts should be fair.”
“Ugh. I’m living better than before, but if I’m intoxicated with power, I can guarantee that the power holders outside the forest must be in love with power.”
Geron seemed quite wronged as he chewed on an herb given by Skadi while grumbling.
There were many power holders in the world, but few who didn’t try to exploit others from a perfect superior position.
It was an era where laws and morals were not important values but tools used for governance.
In such an era, how many people would consider such things when making contracts?
All contracts in this era were made with those things in mind.
“Honestly, it would have been fine to add to the contract that they must teach Skadi-nim all the shamanism they know.”
“That seems too much of your personal desire… Don’t be like that. Skadi will figure out the shamanism they possess on her own.”
“But considering they might leave, wouldn’t it be beneficial for the forest to gain something? I think it’s too wasteful to miss this opportunity.”
“How could it be wasteful? It’s all a contract to make those shamans my people.”
“Pardon?”
Geron was surprised by the story he hadn’t heard before. He had anticipated using the shamans, but he didn’t know there was a plan to take them in.
“What I realized while filtering out the shamans is that there are few good ones among them.”
“Isn’t that obvious? It’s not strange for those who handle power that people both admire and fear.”
“Yes. So how good would it be to have those good ones work under me? Moreover, I have in my hands what they’re drooling over.”
When gaining people, you shouldn’t just sway their hearts.
Only with appropriate compensation and treatment fitting their abilities can you fully gain that person.
Geron, having realized Wendigo’s intention, finally felt at ease. He had been worried that Wendigo might have suffered a loss due to being too kind(?).
“To think that was your intention in offering such a merciful contract. I worried for nothing.”
“I’m not particularly merciful. I’m just acting sensibly.”
“… Sometimes I wonder where Wendigo-nim’s common sense comes from. By the way… I’m reminded of those who received your mercy.”
“I’ll guess who. The shamans driven out of the forest?”
Geron nodded. While they weren’t afraid of them, they couldn’t deny that they were as irritating as a rotten tooth.
It was clear that it would be quite troublesome if shamans deliberately committed evil acts.
Wendigo agreed with Geron’s thoughts. That’s why he had already started taking measures.
“Don’t worry. I’ve already selected some to make examples of through the forest’s eyes.”
“When you say examples…?”
“You’re asking the obvious.”
Wendigo burst into laughter and gripped his throne.
“Shouldn’t we kill them and turn them into fertilizer for the forest? I’m a pacifist, but I don’t forgive enemies.”
‘They certainly won’t die a pretty death.’
Geron shook his head as he faced Wendigo’s murderous gaze.
While it was unclear how many shamans would become examples, Geron was certain they would be disgustingly unlucky fellows.
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