Chapter Index

    Chapter 79

    Chapter 79

    “Haha, that’s too much. I may look shabby now, but I’m still a god. Why don’t you listen to my story a bit?”

    When Wendigo showed strong aversion, Allfather chuckled and tried to persuade him.

    He intended to persuade Wendigo by telling anecdotes from the mythical age…

    “I’d like to decline. What credibility does a story told by the person himself have, rather than a third party?”

    “Aren’t you curious? I have stories of a man who received the gift of knowledge from me and became a sage, and of a little boy who became king with my advice.”

    Allfather tried to stimulate Wendigo’s curiosity.

    There were many ways to create gaps in one’s mind, but few methods were as easy and simple as curiosity.

    Especially in a world where the names and records of gods had been ‘banished’ from the middle realm.

    Even the remaining records were passed down only through oral traditions from ancestors, so anyone would be curious about stories from the mythical age.

    … At least, if it wasn’t Wendigo. He had no interest at all in the mythical age.

    Wendigo replied indifferently with his arms crossed:

    “I’m not particularly curious. In the end, heroes always meet tragic ends, don’t they?”

    “Ahem! That’s not always the case…”

    Wendigo’s pointed remark strongly struck Allfather’s unguarded moment.

    The ends of heroes tend to be as eventful as their tumultuous lives.

    Especially heroes of the North often walked blood-stained paths like founding countries or succeeding thrones, so cases of peaceful ends could be counted on one hand.

    Particularly in cases related to gods, the ends were generally terrible…

    Freya recalled the endings of the stories Allfather had used as examples and opened her mouth with a smirk.

    “Ah, you mean the stories of Kvas and Gerald? Indeed, they were both amazing. Kvas became a sage respected by people with the wisdom you gave him, and Gerald became a king.”

    “Yes. They both grew up to be great heroes. Isn’t it all thanks to me becoming their helper?”

    “And as soon as you withdrew your wisdom and advice, they fell into ruin.”

    “Cough!!!”

    “……”

    Wendigo was dumbfounded.

    Could he really have thought to persuade him with such stories?

    ‘There’s no one trustworthy in this world. It would be a big problem if all the gods of the North were like this.’

    As a faint contempt entered Wendigo’s eyes, Allfather hurriedly made excuses.

    “I was foolish back then. I thought it would be fine to take back what I had given since I had given them enough time.”

    “No… In the end, it sounds like you took back what you had given.”

    “That wasn’t a deal with them. Naturally, I lent my power without compensation, so isn’t it fine to take it back as I please?”

    His argument was that since it wasn’t a deal, he was free to give and take back the power.

    Of course, Wendigo didn’t accept this argument. It was obvious that Allfather must have benefited from giving that power.

    “They would have revered your name and told people to have faith, right?”

    “Haha, isn’t that natural when they enjoyed wealth and glory thanks to me?”

    “Then in the end, they were played in your hands. You said you didn’t make a deal, but you ended up benefiting.”

    At Wendigo’s point, Allfather inwardly clicked his tongue.

    There were quite a few spirits whose judgment was clouded by arrogance, but unfortunately, the spirit before him was not like that at all.

    Allfather gave up on making Wendigo his subordinate.

    Allfather leaned back in his chair and let out a deep sigh.

    “Sigh. To think I, who even deceived Freya, couldn’t manipulate a single spirit. I’ve grown old too.”

    “What do you mean a god is getting old. And I wasn’t deceived, you know? You just used a petty trick.”

    “Freya, that’s usually called being deceived. You, were deceived.”

    “Hey! Whose side are you on!”

    Gulmag’s clean summary pricked Freya’s pride.

    As Freya fumed and ranted at Gulmag, Wendigo stopped the farce and asked Allfather:

    “If you’re thinking of luring me with nonsense, go back. If not, propose a more normal deal.”

    “It’s regrettable, but it can’t be helped.”

    Allfather didn’t show any reaction to Wendigo’s pointed words.

    Wendigo admired his thick skin.

    Indeed, one must be this shameless to be called a god!

    “If you swear loyalty to me and unify the North into a thousand-year empire…”

    “Get out.”

    “Have you really only stayed in the forest? This is etiquette and tradition. Such flowery rhetoric is used as a sign of respect for the other party.”

    “That’s right. Wendigo, you’re too bland.”

    Although Freya usually liked anything that troubled Allfather, this time she agreed with Allfather’s opinion.

    While it might not be the entire North, tribes located in the far north bowed their heads and offered tributes, but Wendigo didn’t know how to enjoy that power and gold.

    Build the temple bigger! Wear ornaments made of gold, jewels, and animal horns! While at it, bring in beautiful women as attendants(?)!

    “Why make something that will be destroyed in one fight anyway?”

    “Wendigo’s words are right. Ornaments, useless for warrior.”

    “Urgh… Hey! It’s strange that you move for every incident in the first place!”

    Freya shouted, pointing at Wendigo, feeling a non-existent blood pressure.

    As for spirits!

    “Let’s hear about the philosophy of spirits later. Allfather, what is it you want to say?”

    “I have no intention of being hostile to you. So how about forming a cooperative relationship with me?”

    At the word cooperation, Wendigo pondered.

    Indeed, what good would there be for him in forming a cooperative relationship?

    “What does that mean specifically?”

    “It means I won’t do anything that would harm you. I won’t impose harsh trials to temper warriors, nor will I bestow blessings on talented individuals to take them away.”

    “And?”

    “If you wish, I’ll allow you to seek advice from the gods. Advice that is truly advice, without any coercion.”

    It wasn’t an exceptionally great proposal, but it wasn’t a bad one either.

    If Allfather’s words were true, it was a natural progression that new gods would start influencing the middle realm in the future.

    Naturally, if they were destined to live with gods in the future, there was no need to live at odds with such dangerous elements.

    Especially if Allfather, the focal point of the Northern gods, approached amicably?

    “At least my people won’t suffer at the hands of gods. And the advice… is quite good.”

    “It’s not just quite good. There were many more advanced technologies than now, not only in the era when the word ’empire’ was first used, but also in the era of the Ten Kingdoms.”

    Freya recalled the old empires and kingdoms and spoke to Wendigo.

    It was an undeniable fact that while gods caused many problems in the world, they also bestowed many graces.

    Right away, in the era when there existed real ’empires’ that couldn’t be compared to the ragged empire in the south that called itself an empire, even farmers didn’t worry about hunger.

    Waterways were open everywhere, and roads extended from the capital throughout the empire’s territory…

    “Indeed, the technology of the current era is disappointingly lacking. While shamanism has become sparse as the gods were isolated and mystery became scarce… the rest is truly disappointing.”

    “Then can we also receive advice on technology?”

    “It’s not impossible. Of course, it would require sufficient compensation or earnest prayer, or failing that, outstanding talent.”

    Naturally, such things come with a price.

    Wendigo looked at Allfather suspiciously.

    “Why are you proposing such good conditions?”

    “Let me ask you honestly. How long do you think it will take for us to regain our power?”

    “Well, 100 years?”

    When Wendigo casually threw out the words, Allfather burst into laughter. The time Wendigo mentioned felt too short.

    “Hahaha! That’s too much of a joke. Do you know how long we’ve been banished from the middle realm?”

    “I don’t know. I wasn’t even born that long ago in the first place.”

    “It’s been at least 4000 years.”

    They had lived in decline for 4000 years since their most glorious era.

    It wasn’t for nothing that the gods had been trying to return to the middle realm.

    The fear that they might lose their power and disappear at this rate made them desperate.

    “While receiving the harshest punishment from the Creator, we resolved. That we needed to be a little gentler towards mortals.”

    “……”

    Allfather spoke to Wendigo with a gentle face like an enlightened prophet.

    Naturally, Wendigo was dumbfounded.

    To learn only ‘a little’ through an unimaginable period of 4000 years…

    ‘The Creator was too kind.’

    This is why children’s education needs to be a bit stricter.

    If He had taken away their powers instead of just confining them, they would have begged for forgiveness in tears.

    ‘Still, there’s no reason to refuse.’

    A ‘good’ deal where you receive more than you give.

    Of course, he didn’t have the foolish thought of trusting Allfather. Anyone who wasn’t an idiot could predict by now.

    That everyone except his own people was a con artist aiming for his back.

    Allfather smiled and blinked his single eye, extending his hand to Wendigo.

    “What do you think? A cooperative, or friendly relationship with gods who have decided to approach mortals gently?”

    “It’s quite annoying that you ask while knowing I’ll accept.”

    Wendigo extended his claw to Allfather to shake hands.

    Allfather drew runes in the air to create a contract.

    Watching this, Wendigo slightly regretted having Skadi wait outside.

    It would have been a good opportunity if she, rather than himself who had no talent in shamanism, had seen it.

    Allfather floated the completed contract in the air.

    The contract, emitting colorful light, could be felt to be extraordinary from its appearance alone.

    “Now then, let’s swear. It’s an oath to the Creator, so even gods can’t escape its absoluteness… What are you doing?”

    Allfather, who was preparing to swear with a solemn face, was puzzled when Wendigo approached the contract.

    Wendigo spoke to Allfather in a transparent voice.

    “Shouldn’t I read the contract before swearing? It’s only natural since I didn’t write it. But… how do I read this?”

    While Allfather was taken aback, Wendigo approached the contract and reached out his hand.

    Runes of unknown appearance, slightly different from the characters used by shamans.

    Of course, Wendigo couldn’t read them, but it wasn’t a big problem. When his claw tapped the contract, the contents of the contract flooded into his mind like a wave.

    Allfather scolded Wendigo with an awkward expression.

    “Ha, haha. Now that you’ve checked the contents, you’ll see I haven’t cheated. It’s an honestly written contract.”

    ‘It seems like you were about to, but canceled just in case.’

    Wendigo glared at Allfather with a disapproving look.

    Still, it was true that the content of the contract was honest.

    Wendigo and Allfather swore to the Creator while thinking to themselves.

    ‘I absolutely must not play tricks with contracts with this spirit.’

    ‘I absolutely must not deal directly with this guy.’

    It was truly a relationship of (?) trust in each other.


    Although they made an oath, no angel of the Creator appeared to notarize, nor did a brilliant light shine down on their heads.

    This world was already made by the immeasurable power of the Creator.

    Those under the Creator’s power could receive divine punishment at any time.

    “Cough. Still, it’s fortunate that the conversation ended at an appropriate timing. This fellow’s body is reaching its limit.”

    “It’s a body that would have died if you hadn’t forcibly kept it alive in the first place. That’s why you shouldn’t have gotten lost in old stories…”

    Allfather’s body, having accomplished its purpose, rapidly deteriorated.

    The blood in his eyes began to pour out again, and pus flowed from torn wounds.

    The price for defying the laws of nature and postponing death began to rush in.

    “Try living with the same face you see every day for 4000 years. You’d want to do something out of joy just seeing a new face.”

    “Still, it was quite an informative conversation. I hope it will be like this next time we meet too.”

    Although anxiety arose that complex and bizarre things might happen in abundance in the future, it wasn’t a bad encounter.

    At least he got to know in advance that such things might happen.

    “Yes. I’m glad it was a good meeting. Let’s wrap up the conversation before I leave. Let’s see… I’ll send a raven when I want to contact you.”

    “What about when I want to contact you first?”

    “Tell the raven you want to see me. Then I’ll come find you. Oh, and…”

    ‘He’s more talkative than I expected.’

    Allfather babbled on, shaking his dangling head. He didn’t know when he would have another chance for such a conversation once the connection was cut.

    Build a temple by demolishing the monastery. A ruler should show dignity rather than modesty for peace around.

    What makes warriors strong is not carrots but whips. Carrots should be given occasionally for loyalty…

    ‘I wish he’d shut off quickly.’

    “Oh, and about the shamans…”

    “?”

    Wendigo, who had been listening to Allfather’s story indifferently, became interested when the talk turned to Skadi and Sira.

    “They’re both quite talented. Especially the white-haired girl, she would have been chosen as a high priestess in the old days.”

    “Hmm. You have quite a good eye.”

    Wendigo nodded and responded positively to the praise of Skadi.

    Indeed, as expected of someone called a god, he had a good eye for…

    “She’ll make a good witch.”

    Crack.

    When Allfather smiled and spat out a curse, Wendigo summoned an ice sword from the air.

    Allfather continued to babble on, not knowing why Wendigo had drawn his ice sword.

    “She might not be able to embrace mystery now, but probably soon…”

    Slash!

    Wendigo’s ice sword beheaded Allfather, who was no different from a corpse.

    He couldn’t tolerate the insult(?) to Skadi.

    Freya looked at the flying head with an expression of complete satisfaction.

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