The banquet continued for several more hours after the king's announcement. The giants were still celebrating loudly, clinking their enormous mugs together while rustic songs echoed throughout the colossal hall.
Even after everything that had happened, I still couldn't quite believe I had just accepted another marriage.
Scarlet sat beside me with her arms crossed.
"You really have a special talent for this kind of thing."
"I was literally pressured by an entire kingdom."
"Even so."
Elara held back a laugh as she drank.
"At least this time he tried to refuse."
"That's true."
Liriel commented calmly.
Rai'kanna rested her face on one hand.
"That's already progress."
I looked at them.
"You're all having way too much fun with this."
"Because it's funny."
Vespera replied without changing her expression.
Even Lyannis seemed slightly entertained as she watched the situation unfold.
I let out a slow sigh.
After a while, I began to feel the need to leave that noisy hall for a bit. The giants really knew how to celebrate.
I slowly stood up from the table.
"I'm going to get some fresh air."
Scarlet immediately looked at me suspiciously.
"Are you really?"
"Yes."
"They always show up whenever you say that."
I completely ignored the comment.
As I walked across the enormous hall, I noticed several giants still watching me with respect. Some raised their mugs as I passed, while others simply bowed their heads slightly.
It still felt strange to realize how much my position in this world had changed.
When I finally left the main hall, the silence of the corridor felt almost strange after so much noise.
The giant castle was much quieter at night.
The torches attached to the massive pillars partially illuminated the stone corridors as the cold mountain wind drifted through openings in the walls.
I continued walking without thinking much until I reached the outside of the castle.
The Mountain Garden.
The place was located just behind the main fortress, near a vast open area overlooking the horizon.
Even though it was a giant's garden, there were still smaller paths prepared for human visitors.
The trees were enormous.
The flowers too.
Everything in that kingdom seemed to have been built on a completely different scale.
I slowly walked toward the stone ledge overlooking the mountains.
The view was beautiful.
Far more beautiful than I had imagined when I first arrived in this kingdom.
The lights of distant villages shimmered between the mountains beneath a perfectly clear night sky.
I slowly took a deep breath.
For the first time in several days...
Everything was silent.
"So you really came."
I turned around upon hearing the voice.
Freyja was walking calmly through the garden.
This time she was back in her giant form.
Even so, her footsteps were surprisingly light.
She stopped beside me.
"Sorry."
She said calmly.
"I thought you might want to be alone."
"It's alright."
She looked toward the horizon for a few seconds before continuing.
"My father got carried away again today."
I couldn't help letting out a small laugh.
"A little."
Freyja smiled as well.
"The entire kingdom will probably be talking about it for weeks."
"That doesn't really help."
She quietly laughed.
Even though she was a princess, Freyja seemed far more relaxed than I had imagined.
No arrogance.
No pretentiousness.
She simply seemed... sincere.
We stood in silence for a few moments, watching the mountains.
Then she spoke again.
"Did you really destroy the demonic core by yourself?"
"Not by myself."
I replied.
"The whole group helped."
"Even so."
She watched me for a few moments.
"The soldiers said you fought your way through hundreds of demons."
I looked away slightly.
"I've faced worse."
Freyja remained silent for a few seconds.
"That's frightening."
I looked back at her.
"The war?"
She slowly nodded.
"When the demons first invaded our lands..."
Her voice grew quieter.
"…I truly thought everything was over."
The wind gently swept through her brown hair as we looked toward the horizon.
"The giants have always believed we were strong."
She continued.
"But those stones... they completely destroyed our strength."
I immediately remembered the demonic pressure spread throughout the mountains.
The giant soldiers could barely approach the corrupted areas.
"My father would never admit it publicly..."
Freyja looked away.
"…but he was desperate."
That didn't surprise me.
As imposing as Gromkar was, I had sensed his concern when he spoke about the demon army.
"So you decided to ask for help."
She nodded.
"For the first time in centuries."
I looked toward the kingdom once again.
Perhaps that truly showed how much worse the world's situation had become.
Even isolated kingdoms were beginning to seek alliances.
Freyja then slowly raised one of her enormous hands.
"Come."
I frowned slightly.
"What?"
"I want to show you something."
I looked at her hand for a few seconds before carefully climbing aboard.
It still felt strange dealing with the giants' size.
Even so, Freyja held me with extreme care.
She began walking slowly through the garden while I observed the castle from above.
The view from that height was completely different.
"Do you come here often?"
I asked.
"Since I was a child."
She replied calmly.
After a few minutes of walking, Freyja finally stopped near a higher part of the mountain.
The view from there was breathtaking.
The entire horizon stretched before us.
Massive mountains.
Forests.
The lights of villages scattered throughout the region.
And above all...
A completely open, star-filled sky.
Even I had to admit:
"…This is truly beautiful."
Freyja smiled softly.
"It's my favorite place."
She carefully sat down beside the mountain so she wouldn't accidentally drop me.
"When the demons began advancing..."
Her voice became quieter again.
"…I came here every night."
I watched her face for a few seconds.
For the first time since we had met, she truly seemed vulnerable.
"I was afraid."
She admitted.
"Afraid of seeing all of this disappear."
The cold wind slowly swept through the mountains surrounding us.
"The giants are proud."
She continued.
"But we're not always strong enough to protect everything."
I remained silent for a few moments before replying,
"No one can protect everything alone."
She looked at me.
"You can."
I slowly shook my head.
"No."
I thought about everything that had happened up until then.
The wars.
The deaths.
The destroyed cities.
The times I had arrived too late.
"I just keep trying."
Freyja watched me silently.
Then she smiled gently.
"I think that's exactly what makes you strong."
I looked away slightly.
I had never been good at hearing things like that.
Especially when they came from someone sincere.
She continued.
"When I first heard about you... I imagined someone completely different."
"Different how?"
"More arrogant."
I chuckled softly.
"Scarlet would say I'm an idiot, not arrogant."
Freyja quietly laughed.
"She seems to care about you a lot."
"They all do."
"And you care about them too."
I looked up at the sky for a few seconds before answering,
"Yes."
Freyja slowly nodded.
"It's easy to see."
The atmosphere became quiet again.
But this time it wasn't uncomfortable.
It was peaceful.
Then she finally said something that surprised me.
"I really did ask my father."
I looked at her.
"The marriage."
Freyja seemed a little nervous now.
"When I heard you were coming..."
She took a deep breath.
"…I wanted to meet you."
I remained silent.
"And after I saw you fighting..."
She gently clenched her giant fingers.
"…I think I became certain."
"Certain of what?"
She looked directly into my eyes.
"That I wanted to stay by your side."
For several seconds, I couldn't answer.
Because she seemed completely sincere.
No games.
No apparent political motives.
Just sincerity.
Freyja then slowly set me back down on the ground.
Afterward, she picked up the Royal Giant Necklace.
The blue light appeared around her once more.
A few seconds later, Freyja stood before me again in her human-sized form.
She slowly stepped closer.
Very close now.
Her blue eyes fixed on mine.
"Takumi."
Her voice was quiet.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For saving our kingdom."
The wind gently swept through her hair.
Then, before I could say anything...
Freyja gently grabbed my shirt.
And kissed me.
It was brief.
But enough to leave me completely speechless for several seconds.
When she stepped back, her face was slightly red.
"…Sorry."
I blinked slowly, trying to process what had just happened.
"You apologized afterward."
She quietly laughed.
"It was an impulse."
I ran a hand through my hair, still somewhat lost.
"These things happen way too fast to me."
"I can imagine."
Freyja discreetly looked away while smiling.
We spent some more time talking about simple things afterward.
About traveling.
About the other races.
About what life outside the giant mountains was like.
She seemed genuinely curious about the world.
And honestly...
Her company was pleasant.
When the night had grown quite late, we decided to head back.
As soon as I approached the entrance of the mansion where the group was staying, I immediately noticed several familiar presences waiting for me.
Scarlet stood at the front.
Arms crossed.
Elara beside her, clearly trying not to laugh.
Rai'kanna sighing.
Liriel watching calmly.
Vespera leaning against the wall.
And Lyannis reading a book as though nothing unusual was happening.
Scarlet looked directly at me.
"…Well?"
I slowly looked at all of them.
"Well what?"
"What were you two doing all this time?"
Before I could answer, Freyja calmly spoke.
"Just talking."
Scarlet immediately narrowed her eyes.
"Talking."
"Yes."
Freyja replied normally.
Silence lasted for a few seconds.
Then Elara started laughing.
Soon afterward, all the others joined in.
Even Scarlet eventually let out a defeated sigh.
As I watched that scene, I realized something curious.
Despite all the tension of the war...
Despite the growing danger...
At that moment...
For the first time in a very long time...
It felt like peace.