NOVEL NEXT chapter 26
26 – Episode 26
Geron and Scadi finished preparing for the banquet and waited for Wendigo.
Warm fur clothes, stew filled with meat and vegetables, various bread, and dried fruits were already prepared…
Why isn’t he coming?
“Lord Scadi, Wendigo seems later than expected. Should I send the warriors?”
Geron expressed his concern to Scadi.
Wendigo never crossed his mind to be in trouble.
Rather, he worried that they might unknowingly be involved in some problem and suffering.
Smiling at Geron’s loyal concern, Scadi nodded.
“Geron, your thoughts are not entirely wrong, but it would be difficult for the warriors to find Wendigo even if they enter the forest. You can’t sense Wendigo’s presence with ordinary instincts.”
“Ah… I underestimated it.”
Finding Wendigo in the forest, whose existence could only be perceived through sight, was not an easy task.
If the warriors entered the forest to find Wendigo, they would undoubtedly struggle. Even if they passed right by him, they wouldn’t know if they couldn’t see him.
Scadi reassured Geron in a calm voice.
“Don’t worry too much. If you’re really concerned, how about checking the town? Sometimes, moving around can help alleviate worries.”
Geron couldn’t help but admire Scadi’s steadfast faith.
Was it because of that kind of belief that he was able to make a contract with the spirit?
“Scadi isn’t worried either, and here I was being all anxious. Well, I should prepare more thoroughly to avoid causing any trouble.”
Geron nodded with respect and turned back inside.
Once Geron was far enough away, Scadi grabbed the ice necklace that symbolized their (romantic?) encounter with Wendygo.
“If something happens, you would have contacted her, so it should be fine.”
Scadi smiled while holding the ice necklace affectionately.
Unlike Geron, Scadi wasn’t worried, thanks to the ice necklace.
She had faith that if there were any problems with Wendygo, she would be the first one to be contacted.
With this ice necklace, Wendygo’s message would definitely reach her whenever it was needed!
However, she hadn’t used it since she escaped from her hometown…
“There probably wasn’t a reason to use it anyway.”
Scadi brushed off that thought. Most likely, if it was Wendygo, most problems wouldn’t become too difficult for her.
She caressed the ice necklace, wondering how long she had waited.
“!”
Scadi’s eyes widened as she felt a familiar sense of mystery.
A little while later, Wendygo appeared in the forest, carrying a bundle made of roots.
“Wendygo!”
“Why are you waiting outside? It would be more comfortable to wait inside since it’s cold.”
Skadi quickly rushed over to Wendy.
Although it was a bit unsettling to sense popularity from inside the fix, she decided to just ignore it.
Wendy must have a reason if she’s acting like this!
‘Is Skadi not bothered by the fix? No, if it’s Skadi, she might just overlook it because she trusts me.’
Wendy, unaware of Skadi’s insane thoughts, simply admired Skadi for her excellence.
As Wendy arrived at the forefront, Ivan’s group began to reveal themselves one by one.
People marveled at the unexpectedly spacious village, sturdy-looking buildings, and the strange warmth lingering in the village.
“It wasn’t like this when I came before.”
“Did the snow not freeze here? They’ve already cleared the snow, haven’t they?”
“It feels a bit warmer.”
When most people talked about the village, some who were skilled in farming showed interest, caressing the soil.
Damp and dark black soil. This is… isn’t it black loam?
“There’s black loam in this forest? No, how is this land not known?”
“My father told me it’s rich soil, only found in warm places where imperial folks live…”
The unease among the people about the seemingly better village began to fade as they started to feel the spirit of the land.
Wendy sensed that now was the perfect time to capture the hearts of the people, and Geron felt the same.
Geron, who appeared from somewhere, shouted loudly.
“Alright! Please follow me, everyone! The spirit has prepared clothes and food for all of you!”
“The spirit?”
“Um… Are we allowed to receive something like this?”
Because the idea of the spirits granting something was already strange to them, Geron’s words confused the people.
Above all…
“I hope you won’t behead me later for disrespecting it.”
“What’s with the beheading? As long as we don’t freeze to death, it’s fortunate enough.”
Recalling the fierce demeanor shown in the forest, worries naturally arose.
Despite knowing that he was a good person despite his appearance, it couldn’t be helped that they were afraid.
As the Wendigo noticed their reactions, he regretted it a little.
I should have fought more peacefully!
“It’s not like I fight because I want to fight…”
The Wendigo was not a pervert who enjoyed taking out other people’s organs or hearts.
He just acted on instinct when a fight started…
Before he knew it, he found himself dismembering the enemy’s limbs.
While grumbling inwardly, the Wendigo moved his lips diligently.
“How can we not send our praises to those who have overcome a harsh winter? It’s my regret that I can only give clothes and food.”
“Oh, no! We didn’t know about the warmth in the spirit’s heart, and we doubted!”
“Let’s all go in! The spirit personally fought off the wolves for us, is it reasonable to doubt?”
Just as someone who has tasted meat eats well, the same applied to moving people’s hearts.
As the Wendigo reassured them with a kind voice, the people felt both moved and embarrassed.
To doubt someone who cares so much about humans just because he killed a few wolves!
“If you live in the forest, you might be able to kill a wolf.”
“Oh, but do people kill too..?”
“Well, let’s stop here! The spirit must have something to do, so would it be bothersome to disturb them?”
As a warrior tried to speak up, Ivan hurriedly covered his mouth.
People looked at Ivan strangely, then nodded their heads.
Indeed, Ivan’s words were correct.
It would be shameful to make things difficult when they were taking care of us to this extent!
People followed Geron and moved on.
“The rest will be taken care of by Geron… I have to do my own work.”
“Scadi, I have something to do, so make sure no one comes near my dwelling.”
“… Yes. Don’t worry. I will make sure no one can approach.”
Scadi looked at the heavy burden on her back for a moment and replied heavily.
She didn’t know what he was planning to do with a person, but it was clear that it was something he didn’t want to show.
And as a shaman, she believed that most things the spirits showed to humans were unpleasant…
“Snap out of it! There’s no way Wendigo would do something like that!”
“Scadi always overflows with passion.”
Wendigo inwardly admired as her eyes burned hotly.
She understood Scadi’s self-flagellation as a test of her own belief, fueled by her passionate devotion.
It was an absurd delusion.
* * *
As soon as Wendy arrived at the hideout, she manipulated the head of Gochi.
The man who had passed out suddenly regained consciousness and glared at Wendy, baring his teeth.
“Ugh! Urgh!”
“You seem full of strength.”
Wendy removed the root that was blocking the man’s mouth. Since he had been captured alive, she intended to hear his story.
When the root fell off, the man shouted fiercely.
“You damn spirit! I’m not afraid of death, so hurry up and kill me!”
“I have no interest in your life. I’m more curious about what’s behind you.”
“… I have nothing like that!”
“Oh, I see. Attacking people with wolves without any backing, huh? Were you raised among wolves instead of humans? If that’s the case, it’s possible that you have no backing.”
The man couldn’t bear the insult and cursed like a madman. It seemed that his parents were definitely not wolves.
Wendy listened to the curses and pondered.
“Judging by the mysterious energy flowing through his body… he must have received help from a shaman or a spirit.”
The mysterious energy surrounding him was definitely not his own.
She couldn’t sense the typical momentum of a shaman from the man.
In that case, she needed to find out what was behind him…
“Should I torture him?”
Wendy felt troubled. Had she ever tortured anyone in her life?
But she couldn’t think of anything else. There were quite a few methods available with modern knowledge.
Putting a towel on his face and pouring water, pulling out his fingernails or toenails, using a clamp that carries electricity on his ears…
Thinking about it, there aren’t many ways to do it here. It’s tough to pull out nails or toenails. If it’s cutting, maybe.
Wendigo, pondering dozens of ways, came up with a reasonably good idea.
How about using the methods of the wild boar and the parasite?
“It seems quite decent.”
Wendigo decided to set the mood first. Most things start with drawing the groundwork.
“hehehehe…”
“What, what is it!”
Suddenly, when Wendigo chuckled sinisterly, the man trembled.
Laughter was just the beginning. In an instant, the temperature in the room dropped, and a cold wind somewhere extinguished a torch.
As darkness settled in the room, the man felt cold sweat running.
“Foolish. I don’t know whose help you’ve got, but this is my territory.”
Wendigo’s voice echoed in the darkness.
The man moved his eyes around, trying to find Wendigo’s figure…
Swish!
“Uh, uaaah!!! What, what is this!”
With a chilling sound, something wriggled in front of the man’s eyes. The man widened his eyes after seeing Wendigo beyond it.
Wendigo was looking at him with eyes shining like sulfur flames.
As the lifeless jawbone opened wide, the man seemed to be holding his breath.
From Wendigo’s mouth, along with a profound cold, a sinister voice flowed and tormented the man’s ears.
“If you won’t open your mouth until the end, there’s no choice. I have no other option but to make your soul and body mine.”
“Yes, yes?”
Without realizing that his tone had become polite, the man asked Wendygo again. Naturally, Wendygo did not respond to the man’s question.
As Wendygo’s head disappeared into the darkness once again, the man, trembling with fear, focused on the wriggling thing right in front of him.
Gradually becoming accustomed to the darkness, the man recognized what it was…
“S, seeds?”
It was a seed.
However, the problem was that it was a seed with roots that moved uncomfortably. The seed writhed as if it was about to root itself on the man’s face at any moment.
The man was terrified. He was too shocked to even scream.
“Th-this is a seed?”
He couldn’t believe that such a dreadful thing, something beyond the realm of this world, was targeting him and moving its roots.
His face turned pale at the disgustingly lively sight.
“What kind of madness is this creature planning to do to me?!”
“I hope this works.”
The identity of the seed was not a dreadful creation of an evil spirit or a cursed product of sorcery… It was just a seed.
Unfortunately, Wendygo did not possess the ability to control living beings with seeds like a wild boar.
Although he had stolen the creature’s source, he couldn’t deprive it of knowledge or wisdom.
However… Wasn’t Wendygo already a veteran of tentacle encounters, twice?
Wendygo vividly remembered the terrifying tentacles of those creatures and applied it to the seed to make it move.
“Fear is sometimes stronger than pain.”
Every time the roots touched the man’s nose and eyes, the man let out a fresh scream.
The response to Wendygo’s actions seemed favorable, so Wendygo decided to slowly attempt coercion, no, persuasion.
“Ha, don’t do it!!!”
“When this seed embeds itself in your wretched body, your soul and flesh will forever be mine. So, choose. Whether you accept my mercy and reveal the truth willingly, or face the seed…”
“I’ll talk! I’ll talk, so please have mercy!!!”
“… Hm?”
As the roots tried to enter his nostrils, the man pleaded while urinating.
Wendygo was honestly perplexed. He hadn’t expected the man to give up so easily.
Even after cursing at him upon seeing his face, expecting a preparedness for death and hiding, it turned out to be nothing special…
“Euhehehe! Oh, malevolent spirit, grant me a merciful death! At least release my soul!”
“… Fine, stop crying.”
Wendygo swallowed his uneasiness and held onto the tentacle seed.
Certainly, the one attacking people was this guy, but… it felt like he had become the bad guy.