Old Friend

The trio and the blond giant beside them were gathered around a campfire near the massive block of ice in the center of the abandoned village. For the giant, it might have been considered a normal-sized fire, but for Eimme, Cladia, and Luther, it was akin to a towering bonfire. The fire pushed back the chilling cold emanating from the ice and cast a soothing, dim light over the surroundings. Apart from the crackling of the flames and the snapping of burning wood, the only other sounds were the voices of the four individuals. The forest was completely enveloped in silence. The atmosphere was serene, and they were thoroughly enjoying their time. So much so that it seemed Eimme, Luther, and Cladia had momentarily forgotten the reason they came to this forest. 

The elven woman was smiling as she chatted with the giant, reminiscing about the old times she had spent with her companion. This was a rare sight for Eimme. After all, she had lived in isolation for nearly 200 years, secluded in her castle on her floating island. She had grown accustomed to the comforts of her lazy and carefree life and had stopped descending to the surface. The number of people she had known in the past was already small, and now none of them were likely alive or they were too old. 

Meanwhile, Cladia was conversing with Luther. 

"So? How are you still alive?" she asked, an odd but genuine question. For Eimme, this was particularly important. Giants, with their short lifespans, shouldn't be able to live this long. 

"I was sleeping," the blond giant replied without hesitation, though Eimme's question seemed to catch him slightly off guard. 

Following his response, Luther's attention shifted to the giant. After asking Cladia for permission, he retrieved a small notebook from her bag and began recording the giant's words. 

"What do you mean?" Eimme asked, curiosity piqued. 

"It's true that giants have short lifespans. This is due to the immense size of our bodies. However, the large magical power contained within the 'Mit' that resides in our bodies becomes active when we sleep, keeping us healthy. We don't age as long as we're asleep." 

Hearing this, Luther began frantically jotting down notes. His eyes gleamed with excitement, and though his hand moved quickly, his handwriting remained remarkably neat and elegant, almost princely. 

"What are you doing, Luther?" Cladia asked, unable to comprehend his panic and enthusiasm. 

"Taking notes, every detail! Giants are one of the races we know the least about in the human plane. For instance, the Rızık Kingdom still doesn't officially recognize giants. I've never read in any book that their Mits protect them during sleep and prevent aging!" 

The blond man spoke with excitement, practically shouting. Cladia seemed surprised. Luther had always been calm, not overly quiet or dull, but composed. This was the first time—or perhaps the second—that she had seen him this thrilled. The other time was when Emu had gifted him a hammer, especially crafted just for him. 

As the conversation between Luther and Cladia continued, so did the discussion between Eimme and the giant. Eimme was visibly astonished. 

"Whoa, I've never heard anything like that before. So, have you been asleep for 200 years?" 

The giant's reaction to Eimme's question was one of surprise. If it had been possible to see his face closely, beads of sweat forming on his forehead would have been evident. Due to his towering height and the pitch darkness of the forest, it was almost impossible to see his face. Only a portion of it was visible, thanks to the massive campfire. 

The giant appeared tense, even slightly panicked. 

"T-two hundred years? Has it been that long?! I thought it was only a few years at most..." 

"You said giants could sleep for long periods. Isn't this normal?" Eimme was not expecting such a reaction. 

"No, no, that's not what I meant. The last time we met, you said you'd return in half a year!" There was a hint of disappointment in his voice. 

"Y-yeah..." Eimme stammered, panicking at his sudden outburst. 

"I waited for you for about a year. When you didn't come, I thought, 'She's a great dragon after all; their perception of time must be different.' So I assumed you wouldn't return for a few more years and decided to sleep." 

"Ha, ha..." 

"And you came back after 200 years?! Two hundred!" He emphasized the final word, breaking it into syllables. Even the tone of his voice betrayed his anger. 

Eimme glanced at Cladia, her eyes pleading for help. Cladia responded with a simple head movement, essentially saying, "You're on your own. Face your mistake." 

"I-I'm sorry, all right?" Eimme apologized without losing her composure. Though her voice quivered, her posture remained as poised and graceful as ever. "I returned to the place where we parted about two years after leaving, but you weren't there. After searching for a while and failing to find you, I assumed you had died." 

"Ha? Why did you immediately assume I was dead?!" 

"You know, at that time, the Rızık Kingdom had officially placed a bounty on your head. Eventually, I..." 

The giant sighed. His exhale was so forceful that it caused the massive fire to waver and nearly extinguish. 

"I get it, I get it... Ha... There's no point in continuing this argument. We can't undo the past 200 years anyway. Besides, no one else cared about me except you..." 

Cladia raised her hand slowly, cutting in. "If your argument and reminiscing are done, could you perhaps do something about the magical energy in the forest? I want to help the elves who lived in this village." 

"Magical energy?" the giant repeated, not understanding what she meant. He hadn't noticed any strange magical energy in the forest. 

"Ah, yes. During the 200 years you've been asleep, the magical energy emanating from your body has spread throughout the forest. Our main reason for coming here was to dispel this energy and establish a living space in this forest. We stumbled upon this ruined village and you by chance." 

"I didn't realize I had caused such a problem. For now, all I can do is suppress the magical energy coming from my body. You'll have to find a way to cleanse the forest's magical energy yourselves." 

"What? Seriously? There's nothing you can do?" Cladia asked. 

"I'm sorry, little sister. There's nothing I can do." 

""Little sister?"" Eimme and Cladia asked simultaneously, surprised. 

"Hm? We giants consider all our kin to be our siblings. I assumed you had giant blood because of your eye color. If I'm mistaken..." 

"No, I've never met him, but my father was a giant. I've never encountered another giant before you..." 

During this, Luther continued eagerly jotting down his newfound knowledge. 

"So, what's your plan, Eimme?" Luther asked. 

"I have an idea, but it's not something we can do right now. For now, let's return home. You're coming with us, right, Aorion?" 

"Of course. Why not? You never invited me to your home during the times we spent together, though." 

Luther placed the notebook back into Cladia's bag and thanked her. Together, they stood. The giant scooped up a handful of earth with his massive hand and poured it over the fire, extinguishing it and plunging them back into complete darkness. Luther, Cladia, and Eimme climbed onto the giant's back. Traveling this way was much faster. 

Shortly after, they emerged from the forest. Eimme deactivated the protective barrier she had placed over them. She was exhausted from shielding them from the forest's magical energy and had felt a constant pressure. Finally, she could breathe freely and relax. 

When they exited the forest, Cladia, Luther, and Eimme were filled with a strange sensation. Everything seemed the same, yet somehow different. There was a change they couldn't quite identify, but it was there. 

They dismounted the giant. 

"From here, we'll have to proceed on our own for a while. I'll return to my original form again. You've never seen it before, have you, Aorion?" 

"You showed me once, didn't you?" 

"That doesn't count. That time, you only saw a fraction of my size. This time, you'll see my true form." 

As she finished speaking, the elven woman's body began to transform. The faint light emanating from her body strained the eyes of those present, who had grown accustomed to the darkness of the forest. 

Eimme reverted to her original form. Her dragon form, with its red scales and towering 80-meter height, was breathtaking. Even the giant felt like a mere ant beside her. His jaw dropped in astonishment. 

All of them, including the giant, climbed onto the dragon's back and made their way to the clearing where Eimme had previously teleported them. Eimme reverted to her elven form. 

After a brief rest, they called out to Emu. A massive magic circle appeared beneath their feet, transporting them back to the clearing behind Eimme's castle. 

Emu stood directly in front of them, wearing her usual maid uniform. However, her expression was far from that of a polite and gentle servant. 

"Where have you been?! You've been gone for a month. A whole month!" she yelled angrily. Then, noticing something she should have realized earlier, her eyes fell on the massive giant standing behind Eimme, Luther, and Cladia. His clothes were tattered, and he reeked terribly. His hair was a chaotic mess. He was clearly blond, but his hair was so dirty it appeared brownish. "And who is this giant?!"