Chapter 121

Gurak first guided Ariel to his cabin.

He needed to find out exactly why Ariel had crossed over to Azgrad through the dimensional gate.

That was Gurak’s duty, and if Ariel had come to Azgrad with ill intentions, Gurak couldn’t just let it slide.

No matter how cute, adorable, and lovable Ariel was, she needed to be properly disciplined.

After all, Gurak was the Dimensional Watcher.

Even though the other giants didn’t call him that, and lately, he had been pondering titles like “Noble Guardian” or “Last Sentinel,” for now, he had to protect Azgrad as the Dimensional Watcher.

“Ahem.”

Gurak cleared his throat and looked at Ariel.

Ariel was currently sitting on Gurak’s bed with Teodoras and Roo by her side.

For a moment, Gurak’s mind became chaotic with thoughts like, “A cute elf is sitting on my bed…” but he quickly pulled himself together.

He could think about that after Ariel left, and maybe even take a sniff if he wanted, but for now, he had to focus on the task at hand.

“Can you tell me why you came to Azgrad…?”

Gurak asked in a soft voice with a slightly higher pitch.

Normally, Gurak’s voice was deep and thick, but strangely, it wasn’t coming out that way now.

“That’s because!”

Roo shouted from Ariel’s shoulder.

Roo explained to Gurak about the cipher she found in Eras’s “History of the Giants,” the records she discovered at the Giant Race Ruins, and how they created the dimensional gate.

Roo seemed very excited, but Gurak was only half-listening, too busy stealing glances at Ariel’s face.

“Hmm, I see. So that’s how you got here. But how did you get past the fence? You shouldn’t have been able to leave unless I opened the gate.”

“That’s because!”

This time, Roo explained how Ariel had managed to get past the fence.

No matter how sturdy the fence was, teleport magic could easily bypass it.

Gurak nodded.

“I see, teleport magic. Well, I’ve heard that elves have a high affinity for mana and are skilled in magic. So, you didn’t come to Azgrad with bad intentions, right?”

“No.”

Roo answered, and Ariel nodded. Beside them, Teodoras just blinked once.

“Then welcome to Azgrad. The records you found at the Giant Race Ruins were probably written by Toruga. He was the last to come to Azgrad. Plus, he liked the original world, and he often made turtle statues. Just like that turtle over there.”

“Ah, so the giant’s name was Toruga.”

Roo glanced at Teodoras.

“Your friend’s name must be Toruga. We’ve already found one trace.”

At Roo’s words, Teodoras smiled faintly and whispered “Toruga” softly.

Roo quickly turned her head back to Gurak.

“Then, Mr. Giant, can we ask you some questions now?”

“Questions? Sure, go ahead. But first, let me get something to drink. My throat feels a bit dry.”

Gurak said that and then stood up, his massive body walking toward the kitchen.

*

What Gurak brought back was juice made from fruits picked from the forest.

“Hmm, I only have big cups…”

Gurak scratched his head with a troubled expression.

All the cups in Gurak’s cabin were sized for giants.

Pouring juice into such a large cup would make it difficult for Ariel, Roo, and Teodoras to drink.

Then Ariel waved her hand in the air.

Instantly, three different types of cups appeared on the table.

A cup sized for Roo, a cup sized for Ariel, and a cup shaped for Teodoras.

“Wow, magic? That’s amazing!”

Gurak’s eyes widened as he examined the cups Ariel had made.

Upon closer inspection, the cups were made of ice.

They seemed very sturdy, unlikely to melt easily, and even had the effect of keeping the juice cool.

“Can you make one for me too…? I’d like to try drinking from a cup like this…”

At Gurak’s words, Ariel waved her hand again.

This time, a giant ice cup suitable for Gurak appeared.

“Wow, that’s really amazing!”

Gurak, with an excited expression, started pouring juice into the ice cup.

Indeed, the ice cup had the effect of keeping the contents cool, making the juice taste fantastic.

“Ah, this is great! I always thought magic was about burning enemies or something terrifying, but it can be used like this too.”

Gurak seemed very pleased with his ice cup.

“It would be perfect for drinking ale… but I can’t keep using it forever, right? The ice will melt eventually…”

Then Ariel flew over using telekinesis and placed her hand on Gurak’s cup.

Whoosh!

In an instant, the ice cup flashed a bright blue.

“Now it’s done.”

Ariel said, looking at Gurak.

“I engraved a magic circle on the bottom, so you can keep using this cup.”

“……!”

Gurak’s eyes widened as he looked at Ariel.

“S-so, I can keep drinking from it and it’ll stay cool?”

“Yep.”

Engraving a magic circle to maintain a spell is a very difficult task, but Ariel had already installed a teleport portal beneath the sanctuary of the cathedral.

For Ariel, it wasn’t particularly hard.

“Th-thank you…”

Gurak looked at Ariel with a touched expression.

He was moved by the cup, but also by Ariel’s beauty up close.

‘How… how can she be so cute…’

Gurak’s heart raced again, and his face turned red.

Then Roo fluttered over.

“Hey, Mr. Giant, can we ask our questions now?”

Gurak nodded.

“Sure, ask away.”

Roo grinned and pulled out a small memo from her pocket.

On the memo was a list of questions she wanted to ask the giants.

“Hmm, first, is it true that the giants came to Azgrad because of the oxygen levels and gravity, as recorded in the ruins?”

“Yes. That’s why we couldn’t live in our original world, and our numbers kept dwindling. Eventually, only about a hundred giants remained. We were on the brink of extinction. But then a god who loved the giants created Azgrad for us.”

“Wow, so Azgrad was a world created by a god. Then did all hundred giants come to Azgrad?”

“Yes.”

Roo nodded, making notes on her memo.

Then she looked at Gurak with shining eyes.

“What was Azgrad like when the giants first arrived? Was everything as big as it is now?”

“It was. It was a world perfectly suited for us. There were lush forests and large lakes, and while there were trees and animals, there were no intelligent species or monsters. No demons either.”

“Wow…”

Listening to this, Ariel couldn’t help but think it sounded similar to Elysion’s Evergreen Forest.

Evergreen also had nature and animals, but no intelligent species or monsters.

“We haven’t explored all of Azgrad yet. It’s too vast, and we’re only just starting to settle in.”

“If you’re only just starting to settle in…”

“It means we haven’t fully established a civilization yet. The number of giants is still less than a hundred and fifty, and there are only two villages.”

When the giants first arrived in Azgrad, there were about a hundred of them, divided into two factions.

Each faction’s leader settled on either side of a massive cliff, forming the Eastern and Western Villages.

At first, the two villages interacted and helped each other, but lately, that rarely happens.

In fact, they’ve grown distant and sometimes even argue.

“It seems like it’ll take more time to fully settle in. But one thing’s for sure: in Azgrad, we giants can live comfortably. Someday, our numbers will grow, and we might even establish a kingdom.”

“……”

As Ariel listened to Gurak, she tilted her head in confusion.

Something felt a bit off.

Ariel asked Gurak,

“How long has it been since you came to Azgrad?”

Gurak gulped down the juice in his ice cup and answered.

“Hmm, maybe about ten years?”

“!!”

At that, Roo’s eyes widened.

“T-ten years?”

“Yes.”

“But that doesn’t make sense. The giants disappeared from the continent in ancient times. It was a very long time ago. At least a thousand years have passed. Now, even the traces are faint…”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Gurak frowned.

“We’ve only been in Azgrad for ten years.”