After hours of traveling through the mountainous roads of the Kingdom of the Giants, we finally began climbing the paths that led to the main castle. The carriage moved slowly along the stone road as I observed everything around us through the window.
The closer we got, the more I understood why this kingdom had remained so isolated.
The mountains were enormous.
The walls built between them looked like part of nature itself.
Everything about this place conveyed a sense of raw strength.
Scarlet sat beside me, watching the scenery outside as well.
"This place is strange."
"They look like natural fortresses."
I commented as I looked at the massive rock formations surrounding the castle in the distance.
Liriel kept her eyes fixed on the surroundings.
"The mana here is very different."
"Heavier."
Lyannis nodded.
"It's a more physically pure form of mana."
"Elves and humans rely heavily on refined magic... the giants seem to use mana in a much more instinctive way."
Rai'kanna crossed her arms.
"That makes sense."
"Dragons also rely much more on natural strength than refined magic."
Elara watched the giant guards walking along the walls.
"Even so... they seem worried."
And she was right.
Even from a distance, it was possible to notice constant military activity.
Guards carrying enormous axes.
Giants pushing wagons filled with weapons.
Sentinels watching the skies at all times.
The war had clearly already reached this kingdom.
After a few more minutes, the carriage finally stopped in front of the castle's enormous gates.
When I stepped out, I had to slowly raise my head to take in the entire structure.
The castle was colossal.
Far larger than any structure I had ever seen.
The main doors alone were large enough for a small human building to pass through.
The walls were thick and built from an extremely durable dark stone.
Massive banners fluttered atop the walls.
Vespera silently observed everything.
"This looks more like a war fortress than a castle."
"Because it probably is."
I replied.
A moment later, heavy footsteps echoed near the entrance.
Then he appeared.
An extremely tall giant emerged through the gates accompanied by several soldiers.
He had a long, thick beard.
His arms were enormous.
His entire body looked as though it had been carved from stone.
Even standing still, he radiated overwhelming pressure.
He wore heavy armor made of dark metal and carried a massive axe strapped across his back.
The giant stopped in front of us and carefully observed us.
"So, you're the adventurers sent by the guild."
His voice was deep.
Very deep.
I stepped forward.
"I'm Takumi."
"These are my companions."
"We've come to answer the Kingdom of the Giants' request."
The giant remained silent for a few seconds before slowly nodding.
"I am Durgan."
"General of the Army of the Kingdom of the Giants."
Scarlet discreetly looked at me.
"He's huge..."
I almost laughed.
Compared to the other giants we had seen at the kingdom's entrance, Durgan seemed even larger.
The ground itself seemed to tremble slightly whenever he walked.
But something had continued bothering me ever since we arrived.
If the giants were this physically powerful... how were they struggling against the demons?
They were enormous.
Strong.
Resilient.
Even without advanced magic, this race clearly possessed incredible military strength.
So why were they hiring human adventurers?
It didn't make sense.
As we walked behind Durgan, I began observing the giant soldiers around us.
All of them carried heavy weapons.
Axes.
Hammers.
Massive spears.
But I hardly saw any magical artifacts.
No enchanted armor.
No runes.
No magical crystals.
That only reinforced my suspicions.
They relied almost entirely on physical strength.
Lyannis quietly moved closer to me as we walked.
"Are you thinking the same thing I am?"
"That they seem far too strong to be losing?"
She nodded discreetly.
"Yes."
"I'm trying to understand it too."
We climbed several gigantic staircases until we reached an enormous metal platform.
At its center was something resembling an elevator.
But on a giant scale.
Massive chains were attached to the structure.
Heavy mechanisms slowly rotated.
Durgan noticed us staring.
"The castle is very large."
"The elevator will take you to the main hall."
We stepped onto the platform.
As soon as the mechanisms started moving, I felt the entire structure slowly rise.
The sound of the chains echoed through the stone walls as the elevator climbed higher and higher.
Scarlet looked around in amazement.
"This is unbelievable..."
Elara studied the mechanisms.
"Even without much magic, this is incredibly well built."
Rai'kanna smiled faintly.
"They're brutal... but efficient."
As we ascended, I was able to get a better view of the castle's interior.
Enormous halls.
Gigantic internal bridges.
Colossal pillars supporting absurdly high structures.
Everything there seemed built to last for centuries.
Perhaps millennia.
After several minutes, the elevator finally began slowing down.
The platform stopped in front of a gigantic corridor illuminated by massive torches.
Durgan resumed walking.
"His Majesty is waiting."
We followed the general through the corridors.
The sound of our footsteps practically disappeared beside the heavy footsteps of the giants.
As we walked, I noticed several soldiers watching us.
Some looked suspicious.
Others looked curious.
It probably wasn't common for humans to enter that castle.
Especially during wartime.
Liriel quietly observed the surroundings.
"They look exhausted."
And they truly did.
Even the guards radiated tension.
Concern.
As if everyone was waiting for something terrible to happen at any moment.
After passing through another enormous corridor, we finally arrived before two gigantic metal doors.
Durgan slowly pushed them open.
The throne room appeared before us.
For a few seconds, even I was impressed.
The hall was gigantic.
Much larger than any I had ever seen.
The pillars resembled ancient trees supporting the ceiling.
Massive banners covered the walls.
At the far end of the hall, above several steps, stood a colossal throne carved from dark stone.
And seated upon it was the King of the Giants.
As soon as we entered, the man slowly opened his eyes.
He was even larger than Durgan.
His gray hair flowed over his shoulders.
His long beard reached part of his chest.
Even while seated, he radiated tremendous pressure.
His eyes were heavy.
Experienced.
He was clearly someone accustomed to leading wars.
Durgan immediately knelt.
"Your Majesty."
"The adventurers have arrived."
The king kept his gaze fixed on us for several seconds before finally speaking.
"So... you are the hero Takumi."
His voice echoed throughout the entire hall.
I stepped forward.
"Yes."
"It is an honor to meet you."
The king slowly nodded.
"I am Gromkar."
"King of the Giants."
Standing beside the throne was another giant.
Unlike Durgan, he was older and carried a massive hammer strapped to his back.
His beard was braided with small pieces of metal.
His arms were covered in old burn scars.
He looked more like a blacksmith than a warrior.
Gromkar gestured toward him.
"This is Tholgrim."
"Master Weaponsmith of the Kingdom."
Tholgrim crossed his arms as he examined us.
"So these are the humans who defeated dragons and demonic commanders..."
Scarlet smiled faintly.
"It seems our reputation has spread far."
Tholgrim let out a deep laugh.
"It has spread very far."
The king then fell silent for several seconds.
The atmosphere in the hall changed immediately.
His expression became more serious.
Much more serious.
Then he finally spoke.
"We summoned you here because our kingdom is facing a threat we cannot fight alone."
His eyes grew heavy.
"The demons have found a way to weaken giants."
At that moment, I immediately felt that this explained everything.
Silence filled the hall.
And for the first time since we had arrived in this kingdom... I began to understand the true scale of the problem.