Volume 6 Chapter 79 The World Of Giants
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It shocked me—Stealth Skill doesn’t work on giants.
My way of fighting depends on staying unseen. That basic idea just got crushed.
I thought maybe I was in a different world again. Maybe skills here don’t work the same way, or maybe the laws of existence had changed.
But when I used Astronomy Skill, I could see the satellite I know. Saria and Io are still orbiting like normal.
Maybe this is a parallel world. Alternate worlds exist, so one more wouldn’t be strange.
Or maybe I got teleported to a different time—either far in the past or far in the future. That feels more likely.
The time difference between here and Earth shouldn’t have been that big.
No. Astronomy Skill doesn’t mess up. It doesn’t miss even the smallest star movements.
The way the stars move looks the same, but in truth, it’s slowly changing. That means this is definitely the present.
So maybe this is caused by a special racial ability. Races don’t change easily. Even a broken cheat-like ability wouldn’t destroy balance.
I was completely helpless and ended up being carried to a giant woman’s home.
The scene must have looked so weak, the other giants didn’t even care.
Is that the calm confidence of the strong? Or maybe just arrogance from being so big?
I have no weapons. Maybe I let my guard down?
But what if I was a magician?
It’s not the same as offensive magic, but Brother Jirou had all kinds of dangerous things.
If it turns into a fight, I won’t hold back.
Well, this is clearly kidnapping… but they’re not hostile.
That’s actually the scariest part.
It’s like when a kid finds a small animal—no bad intention, but no idea how dangerous their actions are.
Like my little sister once did.
Back then, she found a stray, said it looked sad, and brought it home to be friends.
This time is different from the last summoning. My memories of Earth are sharp and vivid.
If this keeps up, I’ll feel homesick sooner or later.
The place she took me was a village hidden in a forest of huge trees.
It looked just like the elf villages you see in stories.
Their houses were made of animal hides, shaped like massive tents.
They looked like those nomad homes—gels, or pao.
So, giants don’t settle in one place?
Her tent—no, calling it a circus tent might be too much—but it was still big and colorful.
A real festival-style tent.
I don’t know what animal the leather came from, but it looked like hundreds of hides were used.
In this world, leather’s expensive.
It’d be way cheaper to build a normal house.
”Wait, I’ll feed you something now,” she said as she started preparing.
I was lying on a fur mat when she lit a fire in the stove.
I got nervous—can you use fire inside a tent?
But I saw that a chimney ran up through the center.
Looks like the airflow was planned well.
If this is a traditional giant house, maybe safety is part of the design?
The firewood she used was decent.
Now that I think about it, I didn’t see any of that wild barley that grows everywhere.
Could it be weak to heat?
Even cheat plants have weaknesses. That’s actually good for keeping forests safe.
I wasn’t tied up or locked in—I could escape now if I wanted.
But she even started cooking. If I tried to run, she might feel sad.
And making a peaceful giant mad by mistake sounds terrifying.
Maybe I could talk to her and explain?
That’d be best. But communication’s tough.
I thought offering something in return would make things easy, but after seeing this tent, I realized—our cultures are too different.
And if what she said is true, that a slave’s stuff belongs to the owner, then there’s no room to negotiate.
I want to get to the royal capital as soon as possible.
But rushing could cause failure.
For now, I’ll watch and wait.
Even if I’m unsure, I have to make it work.
”Look, little bird, when the fire’s out, I’ll catch a bear tomorrow,” she said with a smile.
Something bigger than any bird I know—a black, burnt crow-looking thing—was pressed to my face.
”Hot! That hurts!” I shouted, pulling away.
”Sorry,” she said calmly. “Do the Two-Eyed People not know fire?”
”Two-Eyed People?” I repeated, frowning.
My mind communication skill is still unreliable.
I should keep asking questions until we understand each other.
That’s how babies learn too—it’s not a bad method.
”Humans,” she said while pointing to her own eyepatch.
Then she pointed at my face again.
”Two-Eyed People.”
If the gesture means “pointing,” then…
”Are you saying I’m one of the Two-Eyed People, and you’re human?”
”I’m a human girl,” she said, then tilted her head. “And who are you among the Two-Eyed People?”
Ah. So, from a giant’s view, they are the humans.
They probably haven’t seen other races.
To them, “human” might just mean a type of Two-Eyed Person.
But then… why the focus on the eyes?
Maybe it has something to do with everyone wearing eyepatches.
”I’m Saburou,” I told her plainly. “The third son.”
She nodded. “I remember. Having many brothers is good.”
She’s not wrong.
Is this because of the mind communication skill?
Maybe giants place great value on sibling bonds?
I didn’t have the guts to eat the mystery bird.
El bit into it happily, crunching through bones like snacks.
It was black on the outside, raw on the inside, and had no salt at all.
Can that even be called cooking?
Is she just bad at it? Or is this normal giant food?
Ah… maybe I messed up.
Should I have forced myself to eat it?
Sharing a meal is a sign of friendship.
Refusing is like slapping away someone’s handshake.
”Sorry,” I said, choosing my words. “I’ve never seen that bird before. I couldn’t think of it as food.”
That part’s true—I really haven’t seen a bird like that.
And it didn’t look safe to eat.
I thought of lying, saying I felt sick or had no appetite.
But they seem sharp, so it’s safer to be honest.
”El knows,” she nodded. “The second tribe eats bread. I’ll make some tomorrow.”
”Thanks,” I replied, relieved.
Bread—even burnt—is easier to eat than burnt bird.
She doesn’t seem like a bad person.
Maybe she’s just lonely, living alone in this huge tent.
But I have no plans to keep her like a pet.
”El, do you live alone here?” I asked, glancing at the oversized tent.
”My mother,” El said softly, holding out a necklace made of polished stones—jade, onyx, garnet, ruby.
Hard to tell how she made holes in them.
But ancient people did it too. With time and effort, it’s possible.
”My father,” she said next, showing a bronze hand axe.
It looked well-used, old but solid.
It was a cast mold—handle and blade formed as one.
The balance was surprisingly good.
The handle had writing—indic script.
”Dedicated to my daughter, Constance Gruel…”
Could that be El’s true name?
Long names like that are common in some cultures.
Is it a posthumous name?
No, probably not.
”The third son can read!” she said with a small laugh. “Just like Dad. Dad was a blacksmith.”
Even in the royal capital, literacy was rare.
Almost no one can read indic script.
So her dad was an educated blacksmith.
From the tools he left, I can tell the level of his craft.
Simple, but skilled.
It was made to be used.
Someday it’ll break, but maybe that’s what he wanted—tools should be used, not stored.
”Are there any tools left from his work?” I asked.
”El doesn’t have them,” she said. “Emel took them as an apprentice, but he’s not really an apprentice now.”
I couldn’t make sense of that.
”Is Emel a blacksmith?” I asked carefully.
”No. He stopped,” she said. “So there are no blacksmiths now.”
From what I gather, Emel was a student but quit.
Makes sense.
”So the village lost its blacksmith. That’s too bad,” I said, lowering my eyes.
I can’t let anyone know I can forge things.
”Does Emel do trade now?” I asked.
Maybe he became a traveling merchant after giving up smithing.
Being a blacksmith is hard. You need real love for it.
If you can pick your job freely, few people will stick with it.
In a small village, one blacksmith could monopolize all work.
But if they trade with outsiders, maybe that doesn’t work here.
In medieval tech levels, metalwork is tied directly to military power.
So forging should be done inside the group.
But I wonder how giants govern themselves.
Even one village is hard to manage.
The leader needs strength, wisdom, and charisma.
To rule a whole country, strength alone isn’t enough.
You need organization—a proper system.
Maybe they started with tribes, then one strong leader united them.
Over time, it became a nation.
Then maybe an empire followed.
But I’ve never heard of a giant empire.
Their strength may be high, but that might make ruling harder.
Many powerful nations fall from inside.
* * *
El said the tools were taken, but inside the tent, traces still remain.
There’s a stove, broken pots, a bellow hole, even bits of old casting sand.
Most countries treat these things like military secrets.
Giants are way too unguarded.
Don’t laugh at primitive tech.
Even low-tech stuff has value.
I started checking things out just to satisfy my curiosity—but I found a lot.
Her father left notes everywhere.
Most are just numbers, but their positions mean something.
If you know the process, it’s clear—he left a message.
Maybe hidden treasure?
I found something close, but… I’ll ignore it for now. No time.
”The third son is talking with his father who could read,” El said softly.
”Yeah,” I nodded. “Though it’s one-sided.”
She spoke slowly and clearly.
Maybe it’s her nature?
Her voice had a deep, calm tone—like a fortune-teller.
”El has decided to become the wife of the third son,” she said without warning.
What!?
A proposal!?
This isn’t something to say lightly.
I need to handle this carefully.
”I appreciate it,” I said with a forced smile, “but I already have a wife.”
”A strong man with many wives,” she said proudly. “Third son is strong.”
…True. Polygamy isn’t rare here.
”But still… we’re different races,” I said carefully.
”Grandpa’s grandpa loved someone from the second tribe,” she said with a shrug.
So she has human blood?
Or maybe dragon blood?
Dragons can make children with anyone.
If El has that too… then it’s not a problem.
So in the end, it’s just about feelings.
If she asked me to hold her—I probably could.
Aside from the size, she’s quite beautiful.
I don’t feel disgusted… actually, it might feel like a reward.
”I have a place I need to return to,” I said.
”Even if you’re the third son?” she asked. “Then El will go with you.”
Would humans accept a giant?
Rin and Oka blended in, but they weren’t clearly goblins or ogres.
Oka is tall, but she’s still human-sized.
El… is way too big.
Unless she wears armor to hide her size?
That might work—make herself look like a scary warrior.
Wait. Am I… planning to bring her along?
If she becomes an ally, we won’t have to run from giants.
I feel a bit bad using her, but…
Still, suddenly making her my wife?
I don’t even know her that well yet.
I feel like the hurdle to get married in this other world is way too low.
Whether I get married or not, I must repay the kindness given to me. It’s a debt from just one night’s meal.
Still, it would be wasteful to use up that father’s keepsake axe. I will give him a replacement axe as a gift.
I pretend to sleep while using EditorSkill to design more and more. Making the axe handle as one piece is a problem because metal gets tired and breaks. Usually, an axe has a wooden handle that fits into a thick blade. It’s best to replace the handle before the wood breaks. That is logical. Wood is not rare here either.
But this time, I want to make it as close as possible to the keepsake axe. Sometimes, things matter more than logic.
Okay, I will put steel in the core. Steel does not get metal fatigue under some stress. That is why springs in freight cars use steel.
Cutting a steel plate and pouring molten bronze around the edges should be easy. I worry about how well the bronze and steel will stick. Also, what happens when the steel heats up? I think it will be fine.
I feel excited because I don’t know exactly how it will turn out. Metals can be melted and reused even if I fail.
At first, I copied the shape data from El’s axe and changed it, but making it from scratch was faster in the end.
For the grip, simple is best. Wrapping leather for comfort makes sense.
It does not need to be better than dad’s axe. It is just a tool; as long as it is easy to use, that is enough.
I check that El is breathing steadily, then start making the axe.
Cutting the steel sheet is quick. I just select the area and move it. I had just enough mana to summon Pii-Pii without calling him.
I still have bronze left from before, so no need to call Salamander.
I wonder what enchantment to add. It is not needed, but I might as well.
Ah, maybe a category restriction? I can raise or lower power for certain races. The Dragon Slayer is famous for this. The stricter the rule, the stronger the power.
I will lower my own strength. I don’t want to be killed by a weapon I made.
I imagine the axe shape by floating cut-out steel sheets in the air and sketching the outline. Then I pour melted bronze in.
A glowing red axe appears instantly. Hot metal shines bright in dark places. If El wakes now, she will see it. Maybe it does not matter if she does.
Cooling the axe is important. Heat treatment changes hardness and brittleness.
Using dwarf secrets and what I learned in Japan, I want the axe to last long. I put durability first.
When it is cool enough to touch, I wrap leather tape around the handle. It is a temporary grip just for looks. If it feels bad, El can rewrap it herself.
Swords go in wooden boxes to look nice, but this is an axe. Maybe I should tie a ribbon? No, that is a different culture. Better not.
Happy with the result, I store the axe in my magic bag. Now, should I really sleep until morning?
I feel proud. I always do right after finishing something. I start to think I might be a genius, full of power. But after a while, regret comes because I know I made something bad.
Still, I can’t stop wanting to make better things. It is an endless cycle.
Before dawn, El woke and started moving around. Most villagers here wake early. They sleep as soon as it gets dark, so they must wake early.
Going to bed early and waking early is not bad. Good sleep is very healthy. Lights that keep humans awake at night are a sinful invention.
I go outside with El. She holds a big bear fur folded up. It is clearly bigger than a Hibe Bear. Maybe a monster bear. If sold in the capital, it would be worth about ten common gold coins because it is rare.
We enter a very large tent that looks like a shop. Many goods are lined up. A small man, small for a giant, sits behind the counter.
”Sell me bread with this,” El says, placing the fur on the counter.
Hey, how much bread do you want to buy? the man asks, rummaging in a leather bag and pulling out a moldy piece of bread.
”If this plain fur isn’t enough, I’ll give that axe too,” El points to the axe slung at her waist, a keepsake.
Wait! That’s a rip-off, I say, trying to stop her quickly.
The bread is basically trash and not worth it.
”The third son, who is hungry and suffers, eats only bread.”
Is it for me?
”I’d be happy if you like it, but if I eat this moldy bread, I might die,” I warn.
”Is this bread poisoned? Then I don’t want it,” El says, relieved as she reaches for her axe on the counter.
Maybe it really was important.
”This is mine now,” the man says quickly, hiding the axe behind his back.
”No, you shouldn’t. That axe is an important keepsake,” she say, feeling urgent.
The god of commerce, God Kintal, watches everything. The shopkeeper’s eyes never left us.
The man points to a statue of God Kintal behind him. El looks resigned and says, “I’m stupid, so I lost my father’s thing again.”
Well, even if she’s stupid, it is clearly the merchant’s fault. Why does she just accept it and cry? Is he a god?
There are many gods of commerce. The statue of God Kintal looks like the Egyptian god Anubis, so I remember it well.
Anubis has a dog’s head, but Kintal’s head is said to be a fox’s. They look very similar, though.
God Kintal is worshiped among border town merchants. Compared to the contract god Sir Hortus, he is more lenient and has a capricious personality. This looseness makes him popular in rural areas.
What happened was an opening to trick El. Or rather, many openings.
This merchant looks sly and was probably conning innocent El. This is normal here. If you don’t know prices, if you can’t calculate, naive people get ripped off hard.
For bad merchants, deceiving others is just a game.
God Kintal is worshiped by frontier peddlers. Compared to Sir Hortus, he is a loose god, quite capricious. That looseness is liked in the provinces.
Now El also had a chance to be taken advantage of. There were many gaps.
This merchant looks cunning. He must have said many things to innocent El. This is common here. If you don’t know market price, the ignorant get ripped off badly.
Would you accept this? Can you leave a crying girl alone?
El thought about me and gave up her precious heirloom axe. Maybe she’s a bit off, but she is a good girl.
”I can’t eat this bread, but I will keep it as a memento,” I says, carefully putting the hard bread in a leather bag.
The merchant waves us off, telling us to leave when he’s done.
”Now then, merchant, let’s talk again. May God Kintal watch over us,” I say, starting over. I must get the heirloom axe back.
”Do the second tribe of the little ones dare to demand payment?” the man asks, acting badly. It is not like a proper merchant. Sure, traveling merchants from remote areas act like this, but still.
When it is a seller’s market, they act like that.
”Let’s trade El’s heirloom axe — her father’s — for my fine axe,” I say.
I planned to give it to El as a present, but I can make another anytime. Once I make it, it is easy. If I remake it, I will improve it more.
The new bronze axe shines with a red color, like a new ten-yen coin. The surface is smooth like a mirror, reflecting faces perfectly.
For this merchant, it is worth much more than El’s worn axe.
”Is this okay? It’s third son’s treasure,” El says, worried. Does he not see I pulled out a big axe from nowhere?
The merchant’s eyes shine greedily as he stares at the shining axe.
”Show it to me,” he demands.
He looks at the axe for a while, then exhales in satisfaction.
”This is mine.”
”Deal. I’ll take back El’s axe,” I say.
”This one is mine too. Two axes for bread,” the merchant says.
His greed is ridiculous. Where did the bear fur go?
”Lord Kintal watches,” I say.
”Hah, just a stupid puppet trick for fools,” the merchant laughs, dragging down a statue from the altar and throwing it on junk. He sneers proudly, not caring about gods.
I shiver. This guy is dangerous.
’Fool, may you face divine judgment,’ I say with a strong spiritual force bursting from my mouth. It feels stronger than I thought possible. It is not my words — it is divine words. They hold power beyond trickery. I feel something stir — an instinct telling me to be careful. I hold the axe tightly and look around nervously.
”I will kill the weak second tribe members,” the merchant suddenly yells.
I was caught off guard and could not react fast.
I was careless. I still have much to learn. Uno and Mr. Escalion would be angry if they saw this.
Thankfully, I wasn’t killed thanks to a whim-enchanted axe protecting me. Almost no damage. Putting the enchantment on myself worked very well.
”The third son is strong. Very strong,” El says, strangely impressed. She reacts like a kid watching her first tokusatsu show.
”That axe is weak. Very weak,” the merchant says, tapping his arm lightly. Then his arm is cleanly cut in half.
Wait, that is strange. I did not make the axe that sharp.
Because black mist comes out of his arm instead of blood, it must be divine punishment.
Watching other gods’ punishments, I feel this is still lenient. Gods can be very different.
”Apologize to the gods!” El says desperately, warning the man who used her as a target. She is a good girl.
The merchant puts the statue back on the altar and prays hard. But black mist keeps coming out.
When he sees prayer does not help, he gives the two axes and bear fur back to El. I also give back the moldy bread to the merchant.
Has the mist lessened? Maybe.
Maybe I have to return everything I took from others? I don’t really understand.
With my treasured axe safe, I return to El’s tent. We are back where we started. Only lost time and still hungry.
”What should I do with the third son’s bread? Are you hungry?” I ask.
Since there are many misunderstandings, I decide to cook.
I take the crow-like bird El caught and grill it over the fire. I found a jar of salt and season only with salt.
From when I start grilling, El drools watching. Alright, this cooking method works.
I wonder if El is just bad at cooking. Not all giants eat charcoal, after all.
”Not yet. Let the meat rest so juice spreads,” I say.
”Yummy, yummy!” El says.
Ignoring her, I start nibbling. The bird tastes good. It’s like grilled sparrows from Fushimi Inari. Salt is good, but maybe sauce would be better.
The bird looks like a crow but has white stripes. Its beak is small and thin, different from carrion crows.
Many of these birds fly near the tent village.
The giants throw stones to knock them down. Even with an eye patch, they are very accurate.
They are not bad at seeing. It is a tradition — wearing eye patches as a custom. It is like pretending to seal a cursed special eye.
El wears her eye patch on the right eye, opposite to everyone else. She seems teased. It is a bit silly, but it is their culture, so I respect it.
El has no ties to the village because her parents are gone. She says she will follow me. If she is bullied, maybe running away is okay.
Rin and Oka were accepted by everyone, so El should be fine too.
If so, it all depends on my ability. El already acts like my wife… Ah, and Ms. Nina might get mad for another reason.
Maybe I am even more hopeless than my uncle.
Notes:
• Saria – Sar-Sar. A young girl from a noble family, the Toyata Viscount house. She is the daughter of Lady Laara and is destined to bear the fate of her clan.
• Io – Mysterious beauty. Asked the protagonist to bury corpses in the Village of the Dead or the Old Toyata Village.
• Jirou – Male. Saburou’s other older brother. He is a shady businessman with a villainous look. He is more understanding of Saburou’s experiences in another world due to his exposure to light novels and anime. He is also tight-lipped, which makes him a good confidant for Saburou’s secrets.
• El – She is a giant woman, appeared as Saburou’s captor, living alone in a large tent, skilled in hunting and cooking, proposes marriage to Saburou.
• Escalion – Male. An old swordsman who claims to be the ‘true Hero.’ He is Mia’s lover and appears to be a human from the same world. Despite his shabby appearance, he is incredibly strong and has a frightening presence. He dislikes humans and has a complicated history with them, including an experiment involving a fox.
• Ms. Nina – Doll Princess (Auroora 217), renamed by the protagonist. Beautiful blonde, ~168 cm, slim waist. Wears adventurer attire. Made from artificial parts and wooden limbs, resembling a princess. Knowledgeable, can read, write, and use basic healing magic. Reliable partner, often saves the protagonist with her skills.
• Nina – Doll Princess (Auroora 217), renamed by the protagonist. Beautiful blonde, ~168 cm, slim waist. Wears adventurer attire. Made from artificial parts and wooden limbs, resembling a princess. Knowledgeable, can read, write, and use basic healing magic. Reliable partner, often saves the protagonist with her skills.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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