The following morning, we continued our journey toward the Kingdom of the Giants. The enormous mountains we had seen on the horizon the previous day now dominated nearly the entire landscape ahead of us. The closer we got, the more impressive they seemed.
Even though I had visited that kingdom before, I still felt a certain sense of awe whenever I looked at those gigantic formations.
We had breakfast during a short stop and soon resumed our journey.
Liriel's assistant seemed more curious than ever.
She observed everything around her without missing a single detail.
"Now I understand why you all talked so much about this place."
"We're not even there yet."
Scarlett replied.
"When you see the giants up close, you'll understand even better."
"I'm starting to believe that."
Rai'kanna smiled.
"Just wait until you see the size of the walls."
The road continued climbing gradually.
At some points, we passed through enormous canyons.
At others, through regions surrounded by towering rock walls.
The horses advanced without difficulty.
The weather remained pleasant.
Shortly before noon, we finally caught sight of one of the Kingdom of the Giants' frontier outposts.
It was impossible to mistake it.
The buildings were enormous.
Even the watchtowers looked like small fortresses.
As we approached, several giant guards spotted us.
One of them immediately widened his eyes.
Even from a distance, I could tell he recognized me.
He said something to the other guards.
A few seconds later, they were all looking in our direction.
When we finally reached the main gate of the outpost, the giant in charge of the guard approached us.
Then, to Liriel's assistant's surprise, the enormous warrior gave a respectful bow.
"Hero Takumi."
I smiled.
"It's been a while."
"It is an honor to welcome you again."
The other guards did the same.
Liriel's assistant watched the scene curiously.
When we resumed our journey, she commented,
"They really respect you."
"He helped save the kingdom."
Liriel answered before I could speak.
"Not just this kingdom."
Vespera added.
I felt a little embarrassed.
I still wasn't completely used to that kind of recognition.
As we continued onward, the traffic increased.
We began encountering giant merchants.
Enormous wagons.
Farmers transporting goods.
Military patrols.
The region seemed quite lively.
Along the way, many people greeted us.
Some waved.
Others simply watched.
But almost all of them seemed to recognize who I was.
My reputation had truly grown far more than I had imagined.
Early in the afternoon, we finally caught sight of the capital of the Kingdom of the Giants.
Even though I was prepared for it, I was still impressed.
The walls were colossal.
Far larger than any human city walls I had ever seen.
The towers reached unbelievable heights.
The main gates looked as though they had been built to allow colossal monsters to pass through.
Liriel's assistant fell completely silent for a few seconds.
Then she spoke.
"Now I understand."
Scarlett laughed.
"I told you."
As we approached, the activity near the gates increased.
Giant guards were carrying out inspections.
Merchants constantly entered and left.
The place radiated prosperity.
When our carriage finally approached the main entrance, something caught my attention.
There was a group waiting.
They didn't look like ordinary guards.
They were soldiers of the royal guard.
I recognized several of them immediately.
As soon as we stopped, one of the giants stepped forward.
Then he broke into a wide smile.
"Takumi!"
I recognized him.
He was one of the captains of the royal guard.
We stepped down from the carriage.
He greeted me enthusiastically.
"It's been a long time."
"It really has."
"Your fame keeps growing."
"I hear that quite often."
The giant laughed loudly.
"Because it's true."
While we talked, I noticed that many people were watching the scene.
News of our arrival seemed to be spreading quickly.
A little later, another group emerged from inside the city.
This time, I didn't have to make any effort to recognize them.
The King of the Giants was coming in person.
Walking beside him was his daughter.
The princess.
Liriel's assistant widened her eyes.
"They came to welcome you personally?"
"I wasn't expecting that either."
I replied.
The king looked exactly as I remembered him.
Imposing.
Charismatic.
Full of energy.
As for the princess, she seemed even happier than the last time we had met.
When they got closer, both the king and the princess used size reduction magic.
Their bodies quickly shrank until they reached proportions similar to those of humans.
Then the king opened his arms.
"Takumi!"
Before I could respond, I was caught in a crushing hug.
"Are you doing well?"
"I am."
"Excellent!"
He gave me several pats on the back.
"I heard about your victories."
"Some of them."
"Some?"
The king burst into laughter.
"The whole world is talking about you."
I was already beginning to suspect that.
After finally freeing myself from the hug, I greeted the princess.
She smiled.
A sincere smile.
"I'm happy to see you again."
"I'm happy to see you too."
"It's been quite a while."
"Longer than I would have liked."
For some reason, her smile grew even wider.
Behind me, I heard Scarlett trying to hold back a laugh.
I decided to ignore it.
The princess then greeted the other girls.
She already knew nearly all of them.
The introductions were brief.
When it was Liriel's assistant's turn, the princess looked slightly surprised.
"So you're the goddess's assistant."
The young woman nodded.
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
A little later, the king drew our attention again.
"Enough talking out here."
He pointed toward the city.
"You are our guests."
"Thank you."
"Let's head to the castle."
We began walking through the city.
Liriel's assistant looked fascinated.
And honestly, it was easy to understand why.
The gigantic buildings dominated the landscape.
The streets were wide.
The plazas were enormous.
Even the marketplaces seemed to have been built for an entirely different race.
Many giants used magic to shrink themselves while carrying out ordinary tasks.
Others remained in their original forms.
It was an interesting mix.
Along the way, countless people greeted us.
Some bowed to the king.
Others greeted the princess.
And many recognized me as well.
It still felt strange to me.
But I had already learned how to deal with it.
The walk lasted for some time.
Then we finally arrived at the castle.
Even after several visits, that structure remained impressive.
It was enormous.
Elegant.
And it conveyed the sense of authority one would expect from the royal family of the giants.
The gates were opened immediately.
We entered.
Servants and soldiers were already waiting for our arrival.
After passing through several corridors, we reached the grand audience hall.
The king took his seat upon the throne.
The princess remained beside him.
We took our places before them.
For a few moments, the atmosphere became more formal.
The king then smiled.
"Before anything else, I want to say once again that it is a joy to welcome you."
"It's good to be back as well."
He nodded.
"This kingdom owes you an enormous debt."
"You don't need to exaggerate."
"I'm not exaggerating."
His tone became more serious.
"You helped protect our people."
For a few seconds, no one spoke.
Then the king smiled again.
"Which means it's now our turn to fulfill our promises."
I already knew what he was talking about.
The lands.
That was exactly why I had come.
The king rested his arms on the throne.
"As promised, the lands that once belonged to the former northern region will now officially be transferred to you."
I nodded.
That had been part of the agreement we made before.
Those lands were already under my administration.
And now everything would be made official.
The princess watched the conversation attentively.
Then the king added,
"And of course, I still intend to keep my other promise."
I already knew which one he meant.
Before I could answer, I heard Liriel's assistant quietly comment,
"There's another promise?"
Scarlett immediately replied,
"There is."
The princess blushed.
I closed my eyes for a second.
The king began laughing.
The situation became slightly chaotic for a few moments.
Fortunately, the topic didn't go much further.
After everyone regained their composure, the king returned to the main subject.
"I've already arranged everything."
He looked toward one of the officers present.
"The Royal General will accompany you tomorrow."
The giant stepped forward.
I recognized him immediately.
He was one of the kingdom's most respected generals.
He gave a respectful bow.
"It will be an honor to guide you."
I nodded.
"Thank you."
The king continued,
"He will show you all the estates, villages, resources, and territories under your administration."
That was exactly what I needed.
I wanted to fully understand the situation before making any plans.
The conversation continued for some time.
We talked about the kingdom's current condition.
Its recovery after the war.
Trade.
Agriculture.
Fortunately, the news was positive.
The situation seemed much better than it had been months earlier.
When the meeting finally ended, we were escorted to the guest quarters prepared for our stay.
As I walked through the castle's corridors, I realized that a new chapter of this peaceful period was beginning.
The following day, I would finally see the lands that would officially come under my administration.