After hours crossing the mountainous roads of the Giant Kingdom, we finally began ascending the paths leading to the main castle. The carriage moved slowly along the stone road while I observed everything around through the window.
The closer we got, the more I understood the reason that kingdom was so isolated.
The mountains were enormous.
The walls built between them seemed like part of nature itself.
Everything in that place conveyed a sense of brute strength.
Scarlet was sitting next to me, also observing the outside.
"This place is strange."
"They look like natural fortresses."
I commented as I saw the huge rocky formations surrounding the distant castle.
Liriel kept her eyes focused on the environment.
"The mana here is very different."
"Heavier."
Lyannis agreed.
"It's a more physically pure mana."
"Elves and humans use a lot of magical refinement… giants seem to use mana in a more instinctive way."
Rai'kanna crossed her arms.
"That makes sense."
"Dragons also use much more natural strength than refined magic."
Elara was watching the giant guards walking along the walls.
"Still… they seem worried."
And she was right.
Even from a distance it was possible to notice constant military movement.
Guards carrying enormous axes.
Giants pushing carts full of weapons.
Sentinels constantly watching the skies.
War had clearly already reached that kingdom.
After a few more minutes, the carriage finally stopped in front of the massive castle gates.
When I got out, I had to slowly raise my head to take in the entire structure.
The castle was colossal.
Much larger than anything I had ever seen.
The main doors alone would easily be large enough for a small human building to pass through.
The walls were thick and made of an extremely durable dark stone.
Giant banners fluttered at the top of the walls.
Vespera watched everything in silence.
"This looks more like a war fortress than a castle."
"Because it probably is."
I replied.
Shortly after, heavy footsteps began echoing near the entrance.
Then he appeared.
An extremely tall giant came out through the gates accompanied by several soldiers.
He had a long, thick beard.
His arms were enormous.
His entire body looked carved from stone.
Even standing still, he exuded pressure.
He wore heavy armor made of dark metal and carried a massive axe strapped to his back.
The giant stopped in front of us and observed us carefully.
"So you are the adventurers sent by the guild."
His voice was deep.
Very deep.
I stepped forward.
"I am Takumi."
"These are my companions."
"We came to accept the request of the Giant Kingdom."
The giant remained silent for a few seconds before slowly nodding.
"I am Durgan."
"General of the Giant Kingdom's army."
Scarlet glanced discreetly at me.
"He's huge…"
I almost laughed.
Compared to the other giants we had already seen at the kingdom's entrance, Durgan seemed even larger.
The ground itself seemed to tremble slightly when he walked.
But something was still bothering my mind since we arrived there.
If giants were so physically strong… how were they struggling against demons?
They were enormous.
Strong.
Resilient.
Even without advanced magic, that race clearly possessed absurd military power.
So why did they need to hire human adventurers?
That didn't make sense.
While we walked behind Durgan, I began analyzing the giant soldiers around us.
They all carried heavy weapons.
Axes.
Hammers.
Huge spears.
But I didn't really see any magical artifacts.
No enchanted armor.
No runes.
No magical crystals.
That confirmed my suspicion even more.
They relied almost exclusively on physical strength.
Lyannis approached me slightly as we walked.
"Are you thinking the same thing as me?"
"That they seem too strong to be losing?"
She nodded subtly.
"Yes."
"I'm trying to understand too."
We climbed several gigantic steps until we reached a massive metal platform.
In the center was something like an elevator.
But on a giant scale.
Huge chains were connected to the structure.
Heavy mechanisms rotated slowly.
Durgan noticed our looks.
"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 working, I felt the entire structure slowly rise.
The sound of chains echoed through the stone walls as the elevator climbed higher and higher.
Scarlet looked around impressed.
"This is insane…"
Elara observed the mechanisms.
"Even without much magic, this is extremely well built."
Rai'kanna gave a small smile.
"They are brutal… but efficient."
While we ascended, I could better observe the interior of the castle.
Enormous halls.
Gigantic internal bridges.
Colossal pillars supporting absurdly tall structures.
Everything there seemed built to last centuries.
Maybe millennia.
After a few minutes, the elevator finally began to slow down.
The platform stopped in front of a gigantic corridor illuminated by massive torches.
Durgan began walking again.
"Her Majesty is waiting."
We followed the general through the corridors.
The sound of our footsteps almost disappeared compared to the heavy steps of the giants.
As we walked, I noticed several soldiers watching us.
Some looked suspicious.
Others curious.
It was probably not common for humans to enter that castle.
Especially during times of war.
Liriel observed the surroundings discreetly.
"They look tired."
And they truly did.
Even the guards carried tension.
Concern.
As if everyone was waiting for something bad to happen at any moment.
After crossing another enormous corridor, we finally reached two gigantic metal doors.
Durgan slowly pushed them open.
The throne hall 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 looked like ancient trees supporting the ceiling.
Huge banners covered the walls.
At the back of the hall, above several steps, was a colossal throne made of dark stone.
And sitting on it was the king of the giants.
As soon as we entered, he slowly opened his eyes.
He was even larger than Durgan.
Gray hair fell over his shoulders.
A long beard reached part of his chest.
Even seated, he exuded immense pressure.
His eyes were heavy.
Experienced.
Clearly someone used to leading wars.
Durgan immediately knelt.
"Your Majesty."
"The adventurers have arrived."
The king kept his gaze on us for a few seconds before finally speaking.
"So you are the hero Takumi."
His voice echoed through 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."
Beside the throne stood another giant.
Unlike Durgan, he was older and carried a massive hammer on his back.
His beard was braided with small pieces of metal.
His arms were covered in old burn marks.
He looked more like a blacksmith than a warrior.
Gromkar pointed at him.
"This is Tholgrim."
"Master of Arms of the kingdom."
Tholgrim crossed his arms while analyzing us.
"So these are the humans who defeated dragons and demon commanders…"
Scarlet gave a small smile.
"It seems our fame reached far."
Tholgrim let out a heavy laugh.
"Very far."
The king then remained silent for a few seconds.
The atmosphere in the hall immediately changed.
His expression became more serious.
Much more serious.
Then he finally spoke:
"We called you here because our kingdom is facing a threat we cannot deal with alone."
His eyes grew heavier.
"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 arriving in that kingdom… I began to understand the real scale of the problem.