As soon as we entered the mansion that had been built for us, I immediately felt how different it was compared to the rest of the Kingdom of the Giants. The exterior still carried part of their rustic architecture, but the interior had clearly been adapted with humans and other smaller races in mind.
The floor was made of finely crafted dark wood.
The walls featured simple polished stone details.
The furniture was large by normal human standards, but still perfectly usable.
A huge chandelier illuminated the main hall, and a fireplace already burning kept the room warm.
Scarlet slowly walked through the hall, looking around.
"This turned out much better than I expected."
Elara ran her fingers across a nearby table.
"The wood is excellent quality."
"They really prepared this quickly."
Lyannis examined the small magical inscriptions near the fireplace.
"There are basic magical reinforcements here."
"Not many... but they're well made."
Rai'kanna smiled faintly as she looked around.
"The half-dragons probably helped with this."
Liriel walked over to one of the enormous windows in the room.
Outside, part of the giant castle's garden was visible.
Even during the night, giant torches illuminated the stone pathways.
Everything in that kingdom seemed far too large.
Even the silence felt bigger.
As we looked around the mansion, footsteps echoed from the side hallway.
A few moments later, three servants appeared.
And they truly were half-dragons.
The moment I saw their clothing, I immediately recognized the symbol of the Kingdom of Drakarion embroidered on their sleeves.
Rai'kanna noticed it at the same moment.
"You came from my father's castle?"
One of the servants bowed slightly.
"Yes, Princess Rai'kanna."
"We received direct orders from King Drakarion to assist you during your stay."
She sighed softly, almost as if she had expected it.
"My father really loves interfering in everything."
The servant smiled discreetly.
"He is simply concerned for Your Highness."
Scarlet let out a small laugh.
"That definitely sounds like something a father would do."
The servant then walked over to Rai'kanna, holding a small envelope.
"We were also asked to deliver this."
She took the letter.
As soon as she saw the royal seal of the half-dragons, she slowly shook her head.
"He actually sent a letter..."
Elara stepped closer curiously.
"Are you going to read it?"
Rai'kanna opened the envelope as we walked toward the sofas in the main hall.
She began reading aloud.
"To my beloved daughter Rai'kanna..."
"I hope you are doing well."
"When I learned that you would be traveling to the Kingdom of the Giants, I thought it appropriate to send a few servants to assist you."
"Consider this nothing more than a small gesture."
Scarlet whispered quietly,
"A small gesture..."
Rai'kanna continued.
"Takumi..."
"I hope you continue taking good care of my daughter and the group."
"I have heard many good things about your recent accomplishments."
"I am pleased to know that you continue to grow stronger."
Lyannis crossed her arms with a faint smile.
"He really likes you."
"I noticed."
I replied.
Rai'kanna continued reading.
"I also hope that the Kingdom of the Giants finally understands the importance of alliances."
"The times are changing."
"The demons are no longer a distant threat."
Her expression became slightly more serious.
"Be careful."
"Especially you, Takumi."
"Something is different about the demons' movements."
"Signed: King Drakarion."
The hall fell silent for several seconds.
Even from far away, the King of the Half-Dragons had already realized the same thing we had.
The demons were changing.
And far too quickly.
Liriel was the first to break the silence.
"Your father seems genuinely worried."
Rai'kanna slowly folded the letter.
"He rarely shows concern like this."
"Then the situation is probably worse than we imagined."
Vespera silently watched the flames in the fireplace.
"The demons are beginning to attack the more isolated races."
"First dragons."
"Now giants."
"They want to weaken the strongest kingdoms before something even bigger happens."
Elara nodded.
"And from what we've seen so far... they're preparing well."
I tried not to think too much about it at that moment.
We still had a mission to complete.
And we needed to rest before we began.
One of the servants approached again.
"Dinner is ready."
Scarlet immediately stood up.
"Finally."
"I'm starving."
We headed to the dining room shortly afterward.
The table was long and filled with a variety of dishes.
Although the food had been prepared for humans, there was still a clear influence from giant cuisine.
Larger cuts of meat.
Stronger seasonings.
Enormous loaves of bread.
Liriel looked at one of the dishes.
"This looks like it was made for someone three times my size."
Scarlet was already helping herself.
"Even better."
I couldn't help but laugh quietly.
After so many recent conflicts, that peaceful moment almost felt strange.
During dinner, we talked about the kingdom.
About the walls.
About the giant soldiers.
About their lack of advanced magic.
Lyannis seemed especially interested in that.
"It's fascinating."
"Even without great magical mastery, they've built incredibly durable structures."
Elara nodded.
"They evolved differently."
"While other kingdoms invested in magic... they invested in strength and engineering."
Rai'kanna rested her chin on her hand.
"Dragons also have great respect for giants."
"They're one of the few races capable of physically fighting dragons."
Scarlet raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Even without magic, an experienced giant warrior can battle enormous creatures."
That made sense.
The more I learned about that kingdom, the more I understood why the demons had created something specifically against them.
Fighting giants head-on would probably result in enormous losses.
So they had created a weapon to weaken them before the battle even began.
It was intelligent.
Far too dangerous.
After dinner, some of the servants began preparing the bedrooms.
The mansion had several hallways and spacious rooms.
It was much more comfortable than I had expected.
I stepped out onto the main veranda for a few minutes while the girls continued talking inside the mansion.
The night was cold.
The mountains surrounding the castle looked even larger beneath the moonlight.
Far below, the giant kingdom remained active despite the late hour.
Torches illuminated the enormous streets.
Guards still patrolled the walls.
It was a kingdom under constant alert.
I heard footsteps behind me.
Scarlet leaned against the veranda beside me.
"Thinking too much again?"
"Maybe."
She looked toward the horizon.
"Worried about the mission?"
"Not exactly."
I slowly crossed my arms.
"I'm more worried about what comes afterward."
Scarlet remained silent.
She understood exactly what I meant.
The demons were evolving quickly.
Every new conflict seemed to reveal something worse.
First, stronger commanders.
Then magical research.
Now weapons designed specifically against certain races.
The war was changing.
And it was probably only the beginning.
Scarlet then looked at me from the corner of her eye.
"But we'll win."
I looked at her.
The confidence in her eyes was unwavering.
Direct.
I couldn't help smiling.
"You say that with a lot of confidence."
"Because I believe it."
"And because you always find a way."
Before I could answer, we heard Elara's voice coming from inside the mansion.
"Are you two going to stay out there all night?"
Scarlet rolled her eyes.
"We're coming."
We went back inside shortly afterward.
The girls were still talking near the fireplace.
Liriel looked tired from the journey.
Vespera maintained her usual silence while studying a map of the kingdom that had been left on the table.
Lyannis was examining several magical notes about the demonic stones.
Rai'kanna still held her father's letter.
For a few moments, I simply watched all of them.
After so many battles...
After so many wars...
We were still together.
And perhaps that was exactly what kept all of us moving forward.
I sat down near the fireplace as the flames slowly illuminated the hall.
"What are we going to do tomorrow?"
Elara asked.
I looked at the map spread across the table.
The areas marked by the giants covered an enormous region of the kingdom.
Several villages.
Destroyed fields.
Attacked trade routes.
I let out a slow sigh.
"Tomorrow we begin the hunt."
Silence filled the room for a few seconds.
Everyone understood immediately.
The real mission was about to begin.
And those five days probably wouldn't be as peaceful as they seemed.