I Became a Wendigo in a Fantasy World

43 – Episode 43

“… But I can’t give up my arm.”

After much deliberation, Isaac resolved to teach his knowledge to the young sorceress before him.

Surely they wouldn’t actually have to pull out an arm or a leg?

“I don’t know if I have any magic at my level that I can teach this person, but I will do my best.”

“Don’t burden yourself too much. Are you expecting forgotten ancient magic from yourself?”

Wendigo quickly caught the hidden meaning in Isaac’s words and advised him. It wasn’t easy to teach something from a position of being outmatched in skill.

However, Wendygo believed that there was something she could learn from Scadi. It seemed that Scadi was just too… young.

Scadi didn’t belittle Isaac’s skills because she was young. After all, Wendygo, who was benefiting greatly from her in the realm of sorcery, wouldn’t do such a thing.

However, time was something that could never be ignored.

‘… Except for the peculiar cases like boars, geese, and onetons. Those creatures are born as spirits, so time wouldn’t have a big influence on them.’

Apart from those unique cases, generally, the elderly were wiser than the young. It wasn’t just empty talk that as you age, you come to understand the nature of the world and gain a broader perspective.

It was because the elderly had tasted the dirty and sordid things that the young would have to experience in the future.

Most of the elderly had grown by using those experiences as fertilizer, not garbage.

Isaac wasn’t a sorcerer who had aged that much, but it was an undeniable fact that he was older than Scadi.

‘It would be better if I could teach Scadi truly helpful sorcery, but at least by sharing stories, the experiences that I’ve had as a sorcerer will naturally come out.’

Why was Wendygo so determined to uncover something from Isaac?

This was a kind of consideration from Wendygo. Of course, it wasn’t consideration for Isaac, whom she was seeing for the first time, but consideration for Scadi.

At least the Scadi that Wendygo knew was a young sorcerer who came under Wendygo’s wing after leaving her mother as soon as she became an adult.

Naturally, she must have had her own regrets, living each day busily without the opportunity to experience anything.

‘Even if it’s just like this, it will be helpful to expose her to various experiences.’

Wendygo was proud of herself for making a decent choice.

“Go and teach her the sorcery you know well. If possible… it would be good to also share information and experiences that can be obtained outside the forest.”

“!”

As Wendygo gestured as if telling him to go, Isaac caught onto her intention.

After all, such stories were not the main point at the front, but rather came later.

‘I wonder if the stories about sorcery were just a prelude!’

Isaac, having understood Wendy’s intentions, sighed and wiped his chest. It seemed that teaching magic to Scadi was too much of a joke.

He had thought that boasting in front of an ogre was an experience he had more of than a young magician like Scadi.

After Scadi greeted and stepped back, Isaac quickly got up and followed her.

Wendy watched their interaction and felt proud.

“I hope Scadi appreciates my consideration.”

* * *

Isaac, who had a conversation with Wendy for the first time in his life, couldn’t help but notice the nuance, which Scadi couldn’t miss.

Scadi brought Isaac to her cabin to treat him, inwardly sighing.

“There’s no need for you to take care of me like this…”

Wendy’s judgment wasn’t strange or eccentric. Who would think that a newly adult woman would have more experience?

However, just like Wendy wasn’t an ordinary spirit, Scadi was also far from being an ordinary magician.

Scadi checked Isaac’s hands and muscles and frowned.

“It seems like he avoids tough work… and his muscles are lacking. Is he neglecting training as a magician?”

What Wendy didn’t consider was that Scadi didn’t become a magician by luck, but rather followed her mother to become one.

As a magician, Scadi had overwhelmingly deep and rich experiences compared to Isaac.

Scadi’s mother, who foresaw that her daughter’s future would be difficult, raised her to become a skilled magician.

While other girls played with friends, Scadi touched herbs and learned her mother’s magic.

While other girls learned sewing and embroidery at home, Scadi followed her mother and made efforts to become familiar with sickles and axes.

If only she had a body with muscles naturally, she would have learned how to handle swords and spears from her mother…

“Even with a strong body, this person neglects training like this!”

The shaman’s conduct, in the eyes of Skadi, seemed utterly pathetic. Skadi grabbed the bandages that had been tied in curiosity(?).

“Hmm!?”

“The treatment is finished with this.”

Skadi’s voice was infinitely colder than when dealing with Wendy.

As Skadi naturally didn’t display such behavior usually, the workers assisting her murmured.

“Did that gentleman commit some rudeness towards Lady Skadi?”

“Ah… Lady Skadi easily gets angry over such things? It would be more convincing if someone offended the spirits, right?”

“Then, wouldn’t he have come out dead?”

Listening to the workers’ gossip, Isaac felt a chill down his spine.

‘I must absolutely avoid speaking ill of the spirits…’

As there was no better way to befriend a shaman than talking behind the spirits, Isaac felt stuck when that avenue was blocked.

For a shaman who wanted to contract with a spirit, offending the spirit’s insight was a good way to get close, and for a contracted shaman, insulting the spirit’s personality could lead to a good relationship…

Surely, this method wouldn’t fail.

“Everyone, there’s something I need to discuss with this person alone, so would you mind leaving?”

“Are you sure? Even if he is a fellow shaman, being alone with an outsider…”

“What if this man does something terrible!”

The workers stared at Isaac as if looking at a famished stray. Isaac was on the verge of losing his mind.

‘What the hell are these crazy people saying?’

Isaac barely restrained the curses that were about to burst out.

When there is a normal woman alone with a man, it is natural to be worried. Who would feel at ease when there is an outsider wandering into the house and only a woman and a man are present?

However, if that woman is a sorceress and even contracted with a spirit, the story changes. At that level, you should actually think the opposite.

“It’s more normal to be worried about becoming a sacrifice for her sorcery!”

Isaac, who was suppressed with a single gesture without a chance to try anything, felt a burning rage beyond his sense of injustice.

But the workers did not back down. If Wendy was the most revered and grateful existence to the forest people, Skadi was the most loved and appreciated existence.

Her beautiful appearance was not just appearance (of course, the merfolk did not understand), but her kindness and compassionate nature naturally made heads bow and hearts warm.

To have such an existence as a wanderer, and not just any wanderer, but a wandering sorceress, together with a woman!

“They say that wandering sorcerers enchant women with their sorcery.”

“If she does anything suspicious, I’ll split her head open.”

When Isaac and the workers glared at each other, Skadi sighed and stood in front of the workers, blocking their way.

“I appreciate your concern, but Wendygo has personally confirmed this man, so there’s no need to worry too much.”

“Hmm. If the spirit said so…”

“If he was a strange scoundrel, his head would have been chopped off long ago.”

“?”

When the workers exchanged words and understood each other, Isaac was puzzled. In his eyes, the spirit was kinder and more forgiving than the sorceress…

Why are these guys muttering cruel words that the spirit would have chopped off their heads?

“…It’s the first time in my life that a spirit seems nicer than a human.”

With a fleeting glance, Isaac sighed inwardly at the sight of the workers leaving the cabin.

Skadi and Isaac, who became alone, sat facing each other in their chairs. Isaac felt like the temperature in the cabin had dropped just now.

In the midst of a suffocating silence, Isaac was the first to speak up.

“I’m sure the Shaman must have noticed, but as for Wendygo-nim…”

“Wendygo… nim?”

Hm.

Isaac gasped and closed his mouth. The air around him turned cold as Skadi uttered a word.

Frost formed on the table around her palm, and a chill swept through. Isaac desperately tried to recall what mistake he had made, but…

“W-Wait a minute!?”

“How dare you casually utter Wendygo-nim’s name…”

But before he could say anything, sharp roots shot up from the ground, piercing his jaw. Isaac shut his mouth as the wriggling ends of the roots loomed.

Skadi glared at Isaac with lifeless eyes. As Isaac locked eyes with her dark red irises, he felt a scent of blood in the air.

Isaac realized why Skadi was angry, recalling her statement.

And he panicked.

“Is she really getting this worked up over me just calling a name?!”

Unbeknownst to Isaac, there was an unspoken rule among the forest folk.

That was, one must not speak Wendygo’s name.

Initially, it was due to a proverb that warned against casually calling upon a spirit’s name. But as time went on, the meaning changed…

At some point, Wendygo’s name became a privilege reserved only for those closest to her.

The problem was that among the two closest to her, Geron never called Wendygo’s name casually.

It was an act of consideration for Skadi, who had been with them from the beginning… and Skadi considered it a source of pride.

To be the only Shaman who could call Wendygo’s name.

But today, a wanderer who had just met Wendygo dared to utter her name!

“… Unforgivable, but considering you’re an outsider, I’ll let it slide just this once. Be grateful for being Wendygo’s guest.”

After a considerable silence, Scadi regained her composure. Unpleasant and repulsive, but the fact that he was Wendygo’s guest remained unchanged for now.

At the end of her gesture, as roots returned to the ground, Isaac finally expelled the breath he had been holding.

Scadi, with a cold gaze, looked down at Isaac and spoke unilaterally.

“Let me continue the story you were trying to tell. Wendygo knows well that you’re not at the level to teach me magic.”

“Yes… Yes! That’s right!”

Isaac quickly answered, driving his head into the ground. He was afraid that Scadi might capriciously change her mind.

As Isaac answered, Scadi nodded her head and continued speaking.

“Think that you need to tell me everything. Magic, knowledge, experience… don’t leave anything out.”

“Of course! How dare I withhold anything in front of your grace!”

If she asked, Isaac was prepared to honestly reveal who his first mentor was, even his most humiliating memories.

As long as he didn’t speak, maybe he wouldn’t be killed.

Scadi, who pierced through the trembling Isaac with a gaze, sighed deeply.

“Hmm. Thanks to someone like you, Wendygo’s consideration has been wasted…”

“I apologize!”

“If you’re sorry, be prepared to squeeze out everything in your head. Wendygo is not someone who assigns tasks without rewards, so don’t worry about compensation.”

Isaac nodded frantically. The word ‘compensation’ didn’t even register in his ears.

He just wanted to escape from the mad sorceress in front of him.