Chapter 60

The one responsible for raining arrows on Todel’s forces was, of course, Wendigo.

Although Gelmir had suspected Todel’s group, he wasn’t foolish enough to turn the entire army into enemies.

While the alliance couldn’t see an inch in front of them due to the thick fog, to Wendigo’s eyes, the fog might as well not have existed.

This was only natural. How could fog imbued with his mystery affect him?

The doppelgangers hidden in the forest mechanically nocked arrows to their bowstrings.

“It’s a bit uncomfortable since I’ve never shot a bow before. I should have practiced.”

“… In my opinion, it’s not a matter of your shooting posture, but rather because of your large size.”

Geron, standing beside Wendigo, corrected his misunderstanding with a stoic expression.

It would be strange for doppelgangers, who were one or two heads taller than average men, to comfortably use human bows, even if they were doppelgangers.

However, to Wendigo, who was twice the size of the doppelgangers, there didn’t seem to be much difference. He burst into laughter, thinking Geron was joking.

“Geron. I’m surprised you’re making jokes on the battlefield.”

“It’s not a joke, I’m serious… No, let’s just say it was a joke.”

“Don’t go around making jokes with frivolous people. It’s easy to be misunderstood.”

The sound of grinding teeth and crumbling pills was heard from somewhere, but Wendigo paid no attention. He had to prepare to shoot arrows instead of worrying about such things.

The arrows shot by the doppelgangers poured down on the forest like heavy rain, and the arrows enchanted by Skadi pierced through the enemies with a loud noise.

Wendigo confirmed this sight through the eyes of the ravens.

“This is absolutely not a mistake! They have betrayed us!!!”

“Calm down, calm down and assess the situation… Aagh!”

“What nonsense about calming down. Can you still say that after looking around?”

The authority of chieftains and shamans was certainly impressive, but to warriors covered in blood and under one-sided attack, such things didn’t matter.

The chieftains’ subordinates who were moving among the warriors, trying somehow to calm them down, were beaten to the ground by the enraged warriors.

Usually, they would strut around as lackeys of the powerful, but now they couldn’t raise their voices.

The eyes of the warriors, filled with anger and hatred, were glittering with terrible killing intent.

“Let’s kill them! Let’s repay our comrades’ deaths with their blood!!!”

“We’ll chew their gall bladders and carve out their hearts!!!”

“Al-Alright! I understand, so stop hitting me! I’ll go back to the chieftain and convey your intentions!”

The most important skill for a lackey was the ability to read the atmosphere.

Sensing that they might have swords thrust into their hearts if they didn’t immediately bring back permission to advance, the lackeys tucked their tails and begged the warriors for their lives.

Just as the chieftains’ subordinates, released by the warriors, were about to find their masters.

Peeeeeeeng!!!

“Arrows! Arrows are being shot from our side too!!!”

“Damn. Come to think of it, we have bows too. Everyone, prepare your bows!”

Along with an ear-piercing noise, a few arrows flew towards the rear. The warriors cheered and responded by taking out their bows.

Whoever it was, to think of returning fire to the enemy in this situation. What a remarkably calm warrior!

---

The owner of the arrows was not an experienced warrior with both calmness and bravery, but just Wendigo.

Wendigo was dumbfounded when the warriors responded to him by shooting arrows while he was using his doppelgangers to fire arrows.

“I knew it would be quite effective, but… it’s even more effective than I thought? How on earth did they sow discord to make them so full of venom?”

“They were rotten to the core from the beginning, so they must have caused trouble. Like cutting off supplies… if they did such things, they would have been grinding their blades wanting to kill each other.”

“Even if they’re from different factions, if they did such things, shouldn’t their heads have flown off normally?”

Wendigo, who had only heard reports that Todel was properly causing trouble, looked at Geron and the shamans with a disbelieving gaze.

Geron avoided his gaze, while the shamans looked at each other and bickered. Skadi… was looking at them with the same gaze as Wendigo.

How on earth could they commit such crazy acts and still keep their heads attached?

“Geron probably doesn’t know much about outside the forest…”

“Of course. How would I know the common sense of the outside world?”

When Geron nodded with a thick-skinned attitude, Wendigo’s gaze naturally turned to the fresh-faced shamans (average age in their 30s) who had recently become members of the forest.

The shamans who met Wendigo’s sinister eyes trembled like newborn lambs.

“You must know well. As shamans, you must have had such experiences at least once, right?”

“Well, about that…”

The shamans couldn’t easily answer and stared at each other.

If they told the truth, Wendigo might be extremely disappointed and shout, “This is why outsiders can’t be trusted!” and freeze them, but…

Even shamans had to be careful with the patron who provided them with mystery.

Of course, no one wanted to take on this awkward and embarrassing role. They started whispering to each other to choose a scapegoat.

“Osa. You step forward. Wouldn’t the spirit listen more gently to a pretty woman like you than to old men like us?”

“Why me again! I stepped up last time too!”

“You’re close to Skadi-nim, and you have experience, even if it’s just once. I’ll share materials needed for shamanism with you next time, so please.”

Usually, in accordance with long-standing tradition, such tasks fell to the younger person.

Osa, chosen as the scapegoat(?), stepped forward with a tearful expression. She carefully bowed and murmured.

“It seems… such acts are common among chieftains and shamans? They even kidnap passing chieftains’ relatives for not paying passage fees.”

You might think it doesn’t make sense to cause conflict with others for such reasons, but unfortunately, the powerful of this era didn’t consider others to that extent.

How could there be such consideration and respect from chieftains who seized power by trampling on others and holding knives to their fathers’ throats?

As a result, messing with others’ supplies or giving wrong information about camp locations was close to common quarreling.

At least they didn’t come directly to spit and say, “I’ll cut off your head and throw it to the ravens.”

… Of course, to Wendigo’s ears, both sounded like equally crazy people.

“What kind of… No. I suppose that’s possible. Such people would be causing this mess by dragging an army here.”

Wendigo unknowingly started to criticize but canceled his words. Come to think of it, those who brought armies for shamanism weren’t normal either.

Above all, the situation wasn’t bad. From Wendigo’s perspective, who wanted them to fight bloodily, it wasn’t inconvenient at all for the warriors to be so enthusiastic.

Wendigo decided there was no need to pay further attention to Todel’s group and decided to focus on Gelmir’s forces.

“The traitors should be enough as they are… Gelmir’s forces might be a bit different.”

“Yes. Although Gelmir is quite old, his skills are famous among shamans. He tattooed a giant’s mystery on himself, enduring the pain of carving his own flesh without a practitioner…”

“You seem to know quite a lot about Gelmir. Osa, explain more about him.”

Flinch.

Osa, who had been answering without realizing it, stumbled as she realized what she had done.

Not only had she failed to keep quiet, but she had attracted Wendigo’s attention by running her mouth…

Osa threw a pleading look at the shamans. It would be most effective to ask Skadi, but she was likely to know little about Gelmir as well.

The shamans understood what she meant just from Osa’s eyes. They looked at each other and answered with hand gestures.

‘Good luck.’

‘Damn dirty and petty old men!’

Although she thought they had become close while working together, Osa gritted her teeth as she realized the truth that life is always solitary.

“What’s wrong? If that’s all you know, we can move on.”

“N-No! I was just organizing my thoughts before speaking to you, spirit-nim.”

‘It doesn’t seem like it.’

Osa was startled and made excuses, but she couldn’t fool Wendigo’s eyes. Her gaze was mixed with irritation and resentment.

… Above all, he had heard Osa and the shamans whispering. No matter how quietly they spoke, they couldn’t deceive Wendigo’s ears.

“Discussing information about the enemy is quite burdensome. So even if the information is wrong, I won’t blame you, and I’ll reward you regardless of its value, so speak.”

“!”

At Wendigo’s command, not only Osa but also the shamans were surprised. It was completely different from the powerful figures they knew.

Most would rage that they’d cut off heads if even one thing was wrong, and in severe cases, they would make a fuss trying not to give rewards by disparaging the value of the information…

‘Truly a benevolent spirit… no, a benevolent being.’

‘Could he be a different being, not really a spirit?’

Without realizing it, Wendigo had drawn out the shamans’ loyalty. Osa cleared away the sour expression she had been wearing until now, and with shining eyes, respectfully reported:

“Gelmir is ugly in character but a born hero in talent. They say he was born with the qualities of a warrior, a shaman, and even a ruler.”

Although his reputation has diminished now that he’s old, Gelmir was a hero who caused a stir in the north in his youth.

It was natural that even excellent shamans couldn’t discuss martial arts with warriors who had lived their entire lives amidst swords and spears. From the beginning, the innate qualities needed for shamans and warriors were completely different.

However, Gelmir was a strong figure who surpassed such common sense. His innate physique and battle sense also led him on the path of a warrior.

Thanks to this, Gelmir made a name for himself with two reputations: shaman and warrior. It’s still talked about how he slaughtered his older and younger brothers with an axe and usurped the position of chieftain.

“Moreover, after he aged, he became so cold that it’s hard to believe he was violent in his youth, so people call him the old bear.”

“I see he’s quite an impressive shaman… This might mean the discord-sowing failed. Thank you for telling me. Later, tell me what you want, and I’ll grant it.”

Pleased that she had been helpful, Osa smiled and retreated. Skadi watched this with a fond smile.

It seemed her own past self overlapped with the scene.

‘I also had such times…’

While Skadi smiled a motherly smile that didn’t suit her age, Wendigo prepared for possession with a bit of tension.

He had expected an incompetent figure because traitors were overflowing, but hearing this, the word ‘hero’ didn’t seem insufficient.

With such a person, he might notice the discord-sowing and respond, right?

‘This might become troublesome.’

Wendigo shook off idle thoughts and focused on the possession. He possessed a raven located in Gelmir’s camp…

“Advance the army immediately!!! They have betrayed us. How dare they betray us!!!”

“Ge-Gelmir. Calm down! We don’t know yet who shot the arrows…”

“Shut up! They, they shot arrows at me! I shouldn’t have trusted those who side with traitors from the beginning. I’ll split their backs and tear out their bones!!!”

“???”

What Wendigo, possessing the raven, saw was Gelmir swinging an axe and roaring at his alliance comrades.

There wasn’t even a fragment of calmness in his appearance. Moreover, he didn’t hesitate to hurl abuse and fists at those trying to calm him down, looking every bit like a ruffian.

They had said he gained calmness as he aged… but to him, he didn’t look like an old bear, more like an enraged bear.

Wendigo briefly released the possession and looked at Osa with cold eyes.

“Osa. You did well. Wendigo-nim likes people who work hard without hiding anything. If you act without fear of mistakes like this in the future, you’ll be able to please him.”

“Skadi-nim’s words were right! Honestly, I was worried, but I’m just ashamed that I hesitated to speak out of fear of making mistakes.”

“……”

Wendigo couldn’t bring himself to throw cold water on the warm atmosphere. Above all, he had said he wouldn’t mind even if the information was wrong, so it was hard to say anything…

Wendigo turned away from Osa and focused on possession again.

What on earth had happened to make him so angry to the tips of his hair???