The morning arrived earlier than I would have liked. When I opened my eyes, the first rays of sunlight were already streaming through the bedroom window. I remained staring at the ceiling for a few seconds while organizing my thoughts. The journey to the Kingdom of the Giants was finally about to begin.
I got up, changed my clothes, and headed to the dining room. As expected, almost everyone was already awake. Scarlett and Rai'kanna were arguing about something related to a competition that probably existed only in their imaginations. Lyannis was calmly drinking tea while reading a few documents. Elara was talking with Vespera, and Liriel was explaining something to her assistant.
I sat down at the table.
"Good morning."
"Good morning."
The replies came from several directions at the same time.
Breakfast was peaceful. We talked about the journey while the servants finished the final preparations. Since we would be away for some time, several instructions had already been left for the mansion staff. Fortunately, the estate functioned very well even when I wasn't there.
After we finished the meal, we headed to the main entrance.
The carriages were already prepared.
The horses were ready.
The luggage was packed.
Everything seemed to be in order.
I looked at the group.
"Is everyone ready?"
"Yes."
The answer came almost immediately.
We climbed into the carriages, and shortly afterward, the mansion gates were opened.
The journey began.
The streets of Vailor were still relatively quiet at that hour. Some merchants were setting up their stalls. Guards were carrying out their usual patrols. Craftsmen were beginning another day of work.
I looked out the carriage window at the city.
I had experienced so much in that place since arriving in this world.
Victories.
Defeats.
Training.
Battles.
Friendships.
It felt strange to realize how much time had already passed.
Soon afterward, we passed through the city's main gates and continued along the road.
As Vailor disappeared behind us, the scenery began to change.
Green fields stretched across both sides of the road.
Small farms could be seen in the distance.
Several farmers worked peacefully in their fields.
The weather was pleasant.
The clear sky helped make the trip even more enjoyable.
The journey promised to be peaceful.
During the first part of the trip, I took the opportunity to continue reading the ancient mage's book.
I opened a few pages that I hadn't yet studied carefully.
The teachings remained fascinating.
This section discussed magical efficiency.
According to the author, many mages wasted mana without realizing it.
Small mistakes in mana control could drastically increase energy consumption.
It was a simple idea.
But it made perfect sense.
The more I read, the more I understood why that man had been considered one of the greatest mages in history.
Elara looked at the book.
"You really can't go very long without reading that."
I smiled.
"It's hard to stop when the content is this good."
She laughed.
"I'm starting to believe that book really is special."
"More than I expected."
Liriel, who was sitting nearby, also joined the conversation.
"Some of the theories he presents are extremely advanced."
"You think so too?"
"Yes."
She closed her eyes for a moment.
"Even by divine standards, some of his observations are remarkable."
That caught my attention.
If even Liriel praised its contents, then that mage truly had been extraordinary.
I continued reading for a while.
Meanwhile, the road remained peaceful.
At one point, Liriel's assistant approached me.
She looked quite curious.
"May I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"What exactly is the Kingdom of the Giants like?"
I thought for a few seconds.
"Big."
She stared at me.
"That answer doesn't count."
I laughed.
"Alright. The kingdom is very different from human cities. The buildings are enormous. The roads are wide. Almost everything was designed with the giants' size in mind."
"And how are you able to visit the place?"
"The giants possess transformation magic."
Liriel answered before I could speak.
"Most of them can temporarily reduce their size."
The assistant looked surprised.
"Interesting."
Vespera also joined the conversation.
"The most fascinating part is that they do it so naturally."
"As if it were completely ordinary."
I added.
Liriel's assistant continued asking questions throughout most of the morning.
About their customs.
About the royal family.
About the giant knights.
About the princess.
When we reached that topic, several people looked at me.
I already knew exactly why.
"Why are you all looking at me like that?"
Scarlett smiled.
"Nothing."
"Scarlett."
"Absolutely nothing."
Rai'kanna started laughing.
"She's talking about the princess."
"I know."
The assistant tilted her head.
"The princess?"
Vespera answered.
"The giant princess likes Takumi quite a lot."
That was enough to make her even more curious.
"Oh..."
The assistant looked at me.
Then at the others.
Then back at me.
"Now I understand."
I already knew that look.
It was exactly the kind of look that said this conversation wouldn't end anytime soon.
Fortunately, the subject changed before it turned into another round of teasing.
The rest of the morning passed without any major events.
We made a short stop near a stream to let the horses rest.
We took the opportunity to eat something and stretch our legs.
The place was beautiful.
Crystal-clear water.
Tall trees.
Pleasant shade.
For a few minutes, we simply enjoyed the scenery.
While the others talked, I sat beside the stream with the book in my hands.
I opened one of the marked pages.
There was an interesting section about mental visualization.
The author explained that imagination was one of the most important tools a mage could possess.
The more clearly someone could visualize a phenomenon, the more easily they could reproduce it through mana.
That seemed to be directly related to the method of wordless spellcasting.
I still hadn't mastered that technique.
But I intended to keep practicing.
I closed the book after a few minutes.
I still needed more time to fully understand those concepts.
Once our break was over, we resumed our journey.
The afternoon passed slowly.
As the hours went by, the landscape began to change once again.
The plains gave way to higher terrain.
The hills became larger.
Rock formations became more frequent.
That meant we were approaching the regions ruled by the giants.
Liriel's assistant gazed out the window.
She seemed fascinated.
"It really is different."
"We're getting close."
I explained.
"From here on, the changes become even more noticeable."
She nodded.
A short while later, Scarlett pointed ahead.
"Look."
Everyone turned their attention in the same direction.
Even from a distance, it was impossible not to notice.
Massive mountains rose on the horizon.
Enormous.
Majestic.
They seemed to touch the clouds.
I had seen that landscape before.
Yet it was still breathtaking.
The mountains surrounding the Kingdom of the Giants always inspired the same feeling.
They looked like natural walls raised by the gods themselves.
Liriel's assistant stared at them for several long seconds.
"So that's where it is."
"Yes."
I replied.
"The Kingdom of the Giants lies beyond those mountains."
The group's excitement visibly increased.
Even among those who had visited the kingdom before.
There was something special about that place.
Perhaps because of its scale.
Perhaps because of its culture.
Or perhaps because of the giants themselves.
We continued traveling along the road.
The sun slowly began to descend toward the horizon.
The golden light of the afternoon illuminated the distant mountains.
Creating a truly beautiful landscape.
As I looked at it, I felt a strange sensation.
It wasn't worry.
Nor anxiety.
It was simply the feeling of beginning another stage of the journey.
This time not to fight a war.
Nor to defeat an enemy.
But to take on different responsibilities.
Managing lands.
Getting to know an allied kingdom better.
Strengthening our ties.
Perhaps it was exactly the kind of peaceful period we all needed.
I looked at the people traveling with me.
Elara was talking with Lyannis.
Liriel was explaining something to her assistant.
Scarlett and Rai'kanna were still arguing.
Vespera was gazing out the carriage window at the scenery.
For a moment, I felt that those simple days held tremendous value.
Because I knew that peace would not last forever.
The Demon King still existed.
The final battle still lay in the future.
But that future had not yet arrived.
And until it did, I intended to cherish every possible moment.
I continued watching the gigantic mountains in the distance.
With every kilometer we traveled, they seemed larger.
Closer.
More imposing.
And as the sun approached the horizon, I became certain that it would not be long before we finally arrived at the Kingdom of the Giants once again.