The journey to the Kingdom of Giants was longer than I had imagined.
We spent practically an entire day crossing roads, mountains, and increasingly colder regions. As we advanced northward, the climate changed slowly. The wind grew stronger, the vegetation became drier, and the mountains rose higher.
For most of the journey, the girls talked among themselves while I watched the scenery through the carriage window.
Scarlet seemed excited.
"So the giants have really lived isolated like this for centuries?"
Lyannis nodded slightly.
"According to the ancient books I've read, yes."
Elara crossed her legs.
"They possess a lot of territory."
"But very few political relations."
Lyannis added.
Rai'kanna looked out the opposite window of the carriage.
"That sounds a lot like dragons."
"Your people don't like alliances very much either."
Scarlet commented.
Rai'kanna shrugged.
"Dragons prefer solving their own problems."
"Until demons start showing up."
Vespera said calmly.
The atmosphere became a little quieter after that.
The demon attacks were increasing.
It was no longer something isolated.
The kingdoms were beginning to come under direct pressure.
Liriel rested her hands on her lap while watching the road.
"Have you noticed?"
I looked at her.
"What?"
"The amount of mana in the environment has changed."
Lyannis immediately seemed interested.
"You felt it too?"
Liriel nodded.
"The mana here is heavier."
I closed my eyes for a few seconds, trying to sense it better.
She was right.
The magical flow in this region was different.
Denser.
Rougher.
Almost wild.
Lyannis began thinking out loud.
"Perhaps it's the natural influence of the mountains."
"Or of the giant race itself."
Elara commented.
Rai'kanna looked out the window again.
"Or both."
The journey continued for several more hours.
We only stopped once to rest the horses and eat something quickly.
When the sun began to sink below the horizon, we finally spotted something different among the mountains.
First came the walls.
Enormous.
Far larger than any walls I had ever seen before.
Even from a distance, it was possible to perceive the absurd size of the construction.
Scarlet widened her eyes slightly.
"That's a wall?"
"It looks more like a mountain."
Elara replied.
As we approached, I began noticing even more impressive details.
The gates were gigantic.
Massive towers surrounded the main entrance.
Heavy banners swayed in the cold mountain wind.
And then I finally saw the Kingdom of Giants.
Even while sitting inside the carriage, I remained silent for a few seconds.
Everything in that place was colossal.
The houses looked like fortresses.
The streets were wide enough for several carriages to travel side by side.
The buildings had a rustic style, but at the same time they were incredibly solid.
Stone.
Heavy wood.
Raw iron.
It was a kingdom completely different from anything I had seen before.
Scarlet leaned closer to the window.
"Now I understand why they needed specific houses for humans."
"A normal human would look like a child here."
Liriel commented.
Giants walked through the streets carrying enormous barrels, crates, and tools as if they weighed absolutely nothing.
Some carried gigantic axes on their backs.
Others wielded absurdly large hammers.
I observed their weapons carefully.
They were all extremely simple.
Axes.
Hammers.
Enormous spears.
Nothing seemed to possess complex magical enchantments.
I frowned slightly.
"Did you notice?"
Lyannis looked at me.
"The weapons."
She observed through the window for a few seconds before replying.
"I noticed too."
Elara crossed her arms.
"They don't seem to use many magical artifacts."
"Or advanced magic."
I added.
Rai'kanna became thoughtful.
"Maybe they rely solely on physical strength."
"That would explain a lot."
Vespera observed the giant guards stationed on the walls.
"Their army looks powerful."
"Physically."
I commented.
"But perhaps they don't have enough magical resources to fight demons."
Liriel nodded slightly.
"Especially if the demons are using advanced magic."
The carriage continued moving through the main streets while several giants looked curiously in our direction.
It was probably uncommon for humans to appear there.
Especially a group like ours.
Some giant children pointed at the carriage while talking among themselves.
Scarlet laughed softly.
"Now we know how Rai'kanna feels among humans."
"Very funny."
The carriage began climbing slowly along a stone road that led to the mountains above the main city.
And then I saw the castle.
Or rather... the gigantic fortress built atop the mountain.
Even from a distance, it was enormous.
It looked practically like an entire city built upon stone.
Huge towers surrounded the entire structure.
Stone bridges connected different sections of the fortress.
The flag of the Kingdom of Giants waved at the highest point.
Lyannis observed everything carefully.
"Their architecture is impressive."
"Brutal."
Scarlet commented.
"But beautiful."
I added.
She looked at me, surprised.
"You like this place?"
"More than I expected."
And it was true.
The Kingdom of Giants possessed a different kind of beauty.
It wasn't elegant like the elven kingdom.
Nor sophisticated like some human cities.
It was something heavier.
Simpler.
Older.
The carriage finally passed through the enormous gates of the main fortress.
Giant guards watched our arrival while holding huge spears.
Some wore armor made of thick plates of raw metal.
When we stepped out of the carriage, I immediately felt the absurd difference in scale of that place.
Even a simple giant staircase seemed enormous to us.
Scarlet looked around.
"I really feel small here."
"Because you are."
Rai'kanna replied calmly.
Before Scarlet could respond, heavy footsteps echoed through the area.
I looked ahead.
A massive giant was slowly approaching.
He was much larger than the two giants we had seen at the guild.
He possessed a thick, long beard, dark hair tied back, and absurdly large muscles.
A huge axe rested on his back.
When he stopped before us, I had to tilt my head upward slightly to meet his gaze.
"So you're the adventurers."
His voice was deep and heavy.
"I'm Takumi."
The giant observed us carefully for a few seconds.
"I am Durgan. General of the Kingdom of Giants."
Scarlet crossed her arms.
"You giants really are huge."
Durgan let out a short laugh.
"And you humans really are small."
Rai'kanna stepped forward.
"Not everyone here is human."
Durgan looked at her.
His eyes seemed to change slightly.
"A demi-dragon."
Rai'kanna nodded.
"And you know dragons."
"Few giants forget the presence of that race."
I noticed something strange in his tone.
Respect.
Perhaps even caution.
Durgan looked back at me.
"The king is waiting."
We began following the general through the enormous structures of the fortress.
As we walked, I continued observing everything around me.
Despite its impressive size, I noticed something else.
The kingdom seemed... too simple.
Extremely powerful physically.
But underdeveloped in other aspects.
I saw no mages.
No complex magical devices.
No enchanted armor.
It slowly started making sense in my mind.
Perhaps the giants were incredibly strong.
But the demons probably compensated by using magic, curses, and artifacts.
Scarlet noticed my silence.
"What are you thinking about?"
"The giants."
"What about them?"
"They seem far more magically behind than other nations."
Lyannis immediately agreed.
"I noticed that too."
Elara became thoughtful.
"That could be a serious problem in a war against demons."
"And maybe that's exactly why they asked for help."
I concluded.
We continued walking until we arrived before an enormous structure made of iron and thick chains.
I frowned slightly.
"What is this?"
Durgan answered casually.
"An elevator."
Scarlet widened her eyes.
"An elevator?"
The general nodded.
"The king's hall is far above here."
I looked upward.
It really was.
Far above.
We stepped onto the enormous metal platform while giants began turning gigantic mechanisms beside it.
A few seconds later, the platform started rising slowly.
The cold mountain wind struck my face as I watched the giant kingdom growing smaller and smaller beneath us.
Even after everything I had experienced so far, that place still managed to impress me.
And deep down, I felt that this was only the beginning of what we would find in that kingdom.