TL/Editor: raei
Status: 5/week mon-fri
Illustrations: none
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"[What in the world...]"
The chief giant who arrived late was horrified seeing the black darkness.
Darker than a midnight cave, blacker than a crow crossing the night sky.
If the chief had known the concept of space, he would've imdiately thought of empty cosmic void.
Light creates color.
But that darkness without even a speck of light was pure blackness itself, terrifyingly empty.
'Sh-should I go in?!'
Probably not.
The chief didn't want to walk into that intensely black space.
An animal instinct maybe?
Every fiber of his being scread that going in would be fucked!
"[H-hey~! Sephius!]"
So the chief shouted from a distance.
He might look like a super-coward, but anyone who directly witnessed that ominous darkness would agree.
"[Are you okay? Answer if you can hear ~!]"
Then a voice ca from the darkness.
"[It's useless.]"
"[...Human?!]"
The one who answered the chief's question wasn't Sephius but the cute black-haired human.
Ian was erging from Sephius's house with children held in both arms.
'He is cute though...'
The chief shook his head.
Sephius was trapped in pitch darkness, yet here he was thinking how cute humans were...!
But it couldn't be helped.
That black-haired human was adorably cute.
And this cute human appeared carrying tiny, young, adorable mini-humans (called children)!
Damn, a cute one carrying cute ones! Isn't that cheating?!
"[This darkness is magical darkness I called through the mystery of darkness.]"
"[Magic...?]"
"[Yes. Darkness that hides even sound.]"
Ian explained while calming the children.
"[I'm a dark wizard who handles the mystery of darkness.]"
"[...I've heard of this. Humans who can communicate with the world in strange languages. Wizards, they're called.]"
Actually, the reason the chief and Ian could converse was thanks to Ian's magic but.
The chief giant wasn't sensitive enough to grasp such minor details.
"[I'll remove the darkness, but could you stop that giant from attacking us?]"
"[Of course. Trust .]"
Ian withdrew the magical darkness.
The chief thought Sephius would imdiately charge at them but...
Waaaaaah-!
"[Sephius?!]"
Sephius was howling like a beast, completely terrified.
The experience of drifting with all senses stripped away in darkness where you couldn't see an inch ahead was truly horrifying.
The chief couldn't easily understand Sephius's reaction.
Well, he hadn't experienced it himself...
Just being in a dark room, yet he's this scared?
'Must not like dark places.'
The chief drew his own conclusions while trying to soothe Sephius.
"[It's okay! You fool. Quick, get yourself together!]"
"[Ch-chief...!]"
Scolding Sephius could wait.
He looked too unwell right now.
"[Human friends. Let's go to my house first.]"
"[Fine.]"
The chief headed to his house, taking the dazed Sephius along.
Ian followed behind with the children.
#
"[Oh my, dear! Heavens!]"
The giant-wife covered her mouth seeing the chief and Ian.
More precisely, she was shocked seeing Ian, the children, and Elia.
Heavens... what were these adorably cute creatures?!
So incredibly cute!
"[These are humans!]"
"[Yes. They're humans.]"
"[Where did you pick them up?!]"
Ian spoke politely:
"[We weren't picked up. We ca to pay respects at the chief's house.]"
"[!]"
When Ian's will was conveyed, the giant wife jumped in surprise.
The cute creature could even speak!
"[Sit down sowhere for now! I'll bring so food!]"
"[Dear. Do you know what humans eat?]"
"[They must at least eat at, right?]"
Soon after, the giant wife set down food.
It was boiled at with a strong sll.
Plus it wasn't seasoned at all, completely bland.
'Boiled at... but what kind?'
Actually, maybe better not to know?
Following the saying ignorance is bliss, Ian chewed the suspicious at.
It just slled a bit but tasted like normal at. Close to pork.
"Pretty normal?"
"Elia eats this stuff too?"
Ian looked at Elia in slight surprise.
Unexpectedly, Elia was wolfing down this rough at that old n would eat with kimchi and makgeolli.
"? It's similar to what we eat at ho?"
'I underestimated dieval people's tastes.'
You'd think an imperial princess wouldn't eat re boiled at but...
This was the Holy Empire.
Princess or not, no rcy.
Actually, they should be grateful not to eat just dried black bread and turnips (Ian had chewed boiled turnips at the dinner table as a child).
This was at, actual at!
The many nobles Ian had t enjoyed super-salty food, and when feeling fancy, sprinkled pepper on top.
"Pepper would make it better. But we can't expect to find pepper in a giant's house, right?"
Elia said while tearing at with her bare hands.
Ian admired her anew.
Sitting on the floor tearing at with bare hands, she really looked dieval.
"If you boil it in aged wine instead of water, finish with pepper and bay leaves..."
Still a princess though - Elia ntioned so fancy recipes.
Ian nodded.
Wine-boiled at might taste good?
"Eat while you can. We might run low on food on the way back."
Ian told the hesitating children.
Of course, he was just trying to scare them.
With supplies from the giant village, they wouldn't starve on the road.
The giants didn't seem likely to let Ian's group go hungry...
But if he didn't say this, the kids looked like they'd just skip the al.
They probably had no appetite after their ordeal.
"Ah... yes..."
The girl suddenly stood and said.
"Thank you for saving us, noble one."
"N-noble one!"
The boy followed suit.
The girl seed older.
Ian smiled wryly.
Calling him noble - Lucy would laugh if she heard.
Elia stroked the girl's hair and said:
"Don't feel too burdened. Isn't it a noble's role to protect peasants like you?"
The children looked moved but.
Ian felt slightly odd.
"Hmm? Why?"
"Nothing. Just that nobles usually call us 'dirty peasants' when cursing us out."
"I-I didn't an it that way!"
"You've heard it lots too, right kids?"
"...The lord sotis says that."
Elia felt wronged.
She really hadn't ant it as an insult!
But 'peasant' was one of nobles' favorite insults.
Nine out of ten commoners were farrs, so 'Hey you peasants!' could beco an insult.
It was mainly used to an dirty and lowly.
Though Elia strongly denied it.
The no-ble princess... might subconsciously view farrs as lowly?
"I'm telling you I didn't! Don't look at like that!"
"Oh my. Sorry. This lowly one must have offended the princess's eyes."
"..."
Seeing Ian tease her so casually, Elia was dumbfounded.
You're too difficult! Ian Eredith Raven!
'They say skilled wizards are weirdos. That's a fact.'
Ian ate with the children naturally.
The children seed to like Ian, a fellow commoner(...), slightly more than Princess Elia.
Feeling sowhat left out, Elia pouted.
"[Sephius. Now tell . Why did you do such a stupid thing.]"
While Ian, Elia, and the children ate.
The chief unleashed his delayed scolding on Sephius.
Though he'd let it slide earlier in shock, from the chief's position this was quite infuriating.
Even with the chief speaking directly, to so blatantly ignore him?
It was so openly disrespectful, it made him curious.
"[Thanks to that human letting you off! You almost caused big trouble!]"
Elia whispered.
"I think the giant just said you let him off. Is that true? Ian?"
"How did you catch that correctly. Honestly, I did consider using lethal magic."
Giants aren't fireproof.
If Ian had summoned a spear of fla with skill magic instead of calling darkness?
Rather than being terrified, Sephius would have suffered horrible burns.
If the burns were in the wrong place, he could have lost his life.
From one perspective, Ian had let him off.
'Since this is a giant village. Better restrain the violence.'
No matter how cute giants found humans, if Ian used violence the mood would get strange.
Think about it. Dogs are cute, but dogs that bite people aren't very cute, right?
"Indeed. You judged wisely."
Elia smiled brightly at Ian.
She'd thought it several tis, but Ian seed better and better the more she saw him.
Because she knew how difficult it was to restrain impulses and judge situations calmly despite having power.
Elia tore at for the children and said:
"It would be nice to have a wizard like you by my side. Don't you think?"
Noble recruitnt offers being routine, Ian answered casually:
"I'll think about it when I have ti. For now my ho is Talian."
"Ah. You serve Countess Talian, right? I envy her."
Ian half-heartedly ate at while eavesdropping on Sephius.
"[I'm sorry... but I really had no choice!]"
"[What do you an no choice?]"
Sephius raised his voice.
It was filled with sincerity.
"[You know too, Chief! My sister...! She's half-ruined now!]"
"[...I feel for Sephina's situation. But that's that, and this is this.]"
"[Chief!]"
The chief shouted back just as loud.
"[Even letting her keep Henry was being very lenient! You raised one human, isn't that enough? You want to raise more?!]"
When both raised their voices together, the building shook.
This was a conversation between giants over 4 ters tall after all.
The children clutched Ian tightly in fear.
'The kids are scared.'
Though Ian who knew Maronius language understood what opinions the giants were exchanging.
From the children's perspective, giants shouting thunderously was naturally frightening.
'Better go stop them.'
For the kids' emotional wellbeing.
Ian stood to diate between the giants.
But just then.
"[Everyone. Stop.]"
"[Sephina?]"
The door burst open and a huge female giant appeared.
Sephius's sister, Sephina.
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