Sometime earlier, north of Druhwood.

The guardsman, Bodou, began to side-eye the carriage near him. Several seconds went by in collective silence before he decided on his course of action with a surrendering shrug. It was a quick and rather obvious choice on his part apparently.

“...Tch. Take it. We didn’t get paid enough to deal with this whole tedious situation. We originally only signed up as safeguards to begin with.”

“Bodou, you can’t be serious?!”

A shout of disagreement came from behind him from his companion.

“I don’t like to admit it, but that old man is right, Febir. And if they’re after that thing with this much aggression, I can only make an educated guess as to the why. Those Giants get relentless with fury when you toy with their religious belongings after all.”

“Aye, and that guess of yours is exactly the case, new-blood. Now, we don’t have any more time to waste, so move aside. Our quarrel isn’t with you two to begin with—it's with your employer."

Bodou nodded as he moved his arm over the chest and shoulder of his accompanying guardsman, pulling him to the sidelines. The carriage was now left with no other person but the noble merchant, Wesil Nelpard, inside.

Grandfather gestured with a slight nod of his own toward his comrades as they responded in kind and surrounded the cart. He didn’t hesitate to begin making noise, banging his fist against the side of the carriage. I felt a bit awkward about the situation as I watched from a distance.

Why does it feel like we’re a group of bandits robbing a passing merchant all of a sudden?! Grandpa, you seem way too familiar with all of this!!

“Lord Wesil! We’d like to have a proper discussion with you—so come out!”

“...”

Not a single peep escaped the interior of the carriage, to the point where I immediately began wondering whether he was still inside or not. That is, until the door swung open shortly after. Wesil Nelpard slowly exited the carriage with his eyes closed as his face made slight and frequent twitches. Evidently, he was trying to keep a straight and dignified expression. And as he descended onto the final step of the carriage, he suddenly jerked forward—falling onto the ground face first.

Oh. He tripped.

“GUH!! Pthu! Pthu! Y-y-you...insolent countrymen!! Have you no control over yourselves?! Attacking someone important like myself amid my compliance, I’ll have you—!?”

Grandfather suddenly crouched down to Wesil’s level—who was still on the ground—and the merchant immediately shut his mouth in fright. An implied form of eye contact came from grandfather, one that told the merchant that he wasn’t here to play along with him or his shifty antics any further.

“Lord Wesil, I’ll only ask these questions once, so please refrain from being ambiguous, unresponsive, or even attempt denying any and all accountability. Now, did you order these two Adventurers to steal the Higrant tribe’s [Totem of Sanctity]? And if you did, why?”

“...Y-yes, I did... It was to be used as a gift for the soon-to-be head of the Caelios family—Carac Caelios. He is a proud and eccentric collector of relics and religious artifacts after all...”

“Thus, you did all of this in order to further the bond and trust between the Nelpard family and the future head of the Caelios, is that it?”

“...Y-yes, it’s exactly as you say... You see, the Nelpard—GUH!!”

As grandfather’s fist suddenly met Wesil’s jaw, the merchant was seemingly knocked out cold after that single hit. And without missing a beat, grandfather voiced his anger for everyone to hear.

“It’s written under Crethian law to not tussle with Giants nor their totems, you damned fool! You risked inciting their wrath toward the settlements near their territory, for what, the sake of giving it as a gift to some pampered nitwit in the capital?! The audacity of you nobles still continues to disgust me! New-bloods, over here. I need to leave a message with you two for when this damned idiot wakes up. The rest of you lot, start getting this carriage fixed and ready to head back to Druhwood!”

“Aye!”

The two guardsmen began talking with grandfather while the carriage was getting fixed now. I stood there, still by our stead, thinking about what I could do during this moment as I looked toward Cruubi in the palm of my hands.

“We retrieved the totem finally, but... Albel is still fighting that thing, isn’t he...?”

“Chirp!”

I knew it wouldn’t respond in a way I could understand even if I asked, but it was worth the try anyways. I could now only wish there was some way to confirm that Albel was still okay.

He’s probably watching every second pass by, hoping that we’re on our way already... If only we could at least tell him that the totem is here! Cruubi possibly could, but—

“I doubt he’d be able to use that skill from before in the middle of a fight, right...?”

“Chirp?”

Cruubi’s head tilted to my question as I then began to sort through my bag of trinkets. Grabbing at a purple-colored quartz bracelet, one that held half of a marked amethyst gemstone, I only had one choice left.

“...I have to hurry and head back to inform him myself, don’t I?”

“Chirp!!”

“Mhm! I knew you’d agree, so let’s go together. Grandpa!”

I was firm in my decision as I yelled over to my grandfather—explaining to him my reasoning in the process. He didn’t have to give it much thought as I obtained his seal of approval with ease.

“Aye, it would be good to let that lad know we’re on our way back. Just be careful when you enter that battlefield, youngin’.”

“I will! Let’s go, Cruubi.”

“Chirp! Chirp!”

Creating distance between myself and the others, I found a concealed area to initiate my usual preparations and chant.

"Once luminous, then roosted, thus from your slumber to your dawn. May the echoed light be now guided to where it truly belongs: [Descry Aura] …There it is! Now! Unique SKILL: [Spatial Rift: Connecting Path]!"

We then entered the portal and continued our way to Albel’s location.

❖

Southwest of Druhwood.

The distance between Eru and I was shortened as I waited for her in silence. Her focus was entirely on me, that is, just up until the point she casually walked by the sunken Kortbos. In noticing him, she immediately froze in place. She then stumbled backward as she attempted to process the situation at hand with a rather loud squeal of puzzlement escaping her throat.

“Eeeeek! Huh...?! What is...that...exactly?!”

“Ah, well, that’s an expected reaction. That’s the current Chieftain of the Higrant tribe—Kortbos. Actually, I should probably get you out of there, shouldn’t I? Sorry, it slipped my mind during our conversation from earlier.”

“I would... Appreciate that... Human...”

“It just spoke...?!”

I didn’t feel anything equivalent to a threatening aura from him anymore, so I assumed everything between us had already been cleared away. But as I tried to stand, my body still felt quite ready to collapse with just the gentle push of a stray gust of wind. Eru seemingly noticed this as she immediately rushed over to me, grabbing my arm and resting it over her own shoulder.

“You look...pretty beaten up, Albel... Are you really okay?”

“I’ve been better, ahaha... It’s nothing a dip in the Mirth Oak Inn’s hot spring won’t fix, probably.”

“...Eh? I highly doubt that our hot spring is that magical.”

She helped me over to Kortbos and I began the process of modifying the frozen ground in order to help him out of there. And upon his freedom, he checked over himself and took a sit across from us. I gestured to Eru that we should do the same as she then assisted me down.

“Human... I wanted to ask you... A question...”

“Hm? Sure, I’ll answer it if I can.”

“I only remember... Bits and pieces... From earlier... And from that... I remember swinging my wars arm—my hammer... Down on you... How are you... Still alive...?”

I wasn’t expecting him to ask about that at all. Yet, before I could even answer his question, Eru’s voice flooded my left ear drum in a sudden uproar.

“Still alive...? Hold on! Albel, did you almost—?!”

“Calm down a bit, Eru. It definitely was a close one earlier though, Kortbos. What you saw there was just a bit of magic that allowed for me to deceive you a little.”

“An illusion... Was it...?”

Delving into thought, his focus seemed elsewhere.

“Ah, something along those lines. Thanks to that and combined with Divination—and then some—I was able to survive. If that hadn’t worked, then yes, I might have possibly died there.”

I couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle in relief, knowing I could only do so in thanks to luck being on my side. Eru didn’t seem to share in that sentiment.

“Albel! I don’t think that’s something you should be laughing about!”

A slight scowl stretched over her face as she wasn’t too amused by the way I was handling my almost near-death experience. Amid calming her down, Kortbos broke from his thought and finally spoke up once more.

“I am surprised... For a human... You are quite strong... That strength reminds me... Of a human I once met... Long ago... They also... Wielded magic... As their war arms...”

“Hm, is that so?”

I wonder if he’s possibly referring to one of those Effigies summoned way before this generation. Marna did say that the current state of magic—and its users—are of a lower level in this world after all.

From there, we began discussing and reflecting a bit more on our fight prior—not at my desire—but at Kortbos’. That conversation then died down after some time due to Eru overreacting to every little detail.

I had also asked him about his own “Hero” classification, to which he simply stated he earned it from defending his tribe against some sort of mighty red bird. One that they couldn’t defeat entirely and resulted in having their previous Chieftain being killed before it retreated. It left me baffled at the idea that a hoard of Giants had trouble with a single bird.

A raid boss that roams the skies in this world, maybe? I don’t remember anything of that nature living near the mountains. The last thing I’d want is for some random endgame-tier boss attacking me while traveling though... Ah, I can already feel the shivers!

Our conversations finally concluded as Torrel and his group had finally arrived with a carriage in tow. I introduced Kortbos to the group, yet they remained rather defensive at the sight of him. Thankfully, Torrel was quick to put them in line the moment he saw Eru and I with our guards down around the Giant. They then directed Kortbos to the carriage, to which he immediately inspected the contents—confirming that it was indeed the Higrant’s [Totem of Sanctity]. In a sudden deep bow, Torrel then apologized profusely to Kortbos.

“Chieftain Kortbos, I am the Chief of Druhwood, Torrel. I sincerely regret allowing such a thing to happen, and I promise you, I will do everything in my power to make sure it never happens again.”

“That it won’t... I hope... But I shall remember... That promise... Human Chief...”

With his war hammer now strapped to his back, he took a hold of both wooden rods that protruded from the front of the carriage. He finally began making his way back toward his territory, but not before stopping and looking back toward me. Springing another unexpected question.

“Human... I never got... Your name...?”

“My name is Albel...”

“Albel... I shall remember... That name...”

No, no, no. Don’t worry too much about remembering it—or me. If anything, I’d prefer that you forget everything that happened here in general! Be at peace in your own territory, big guy.

Giants were a prideful race, one fond of challenges after all. All I could see walking toward its territory now was an oversized Vaalyun that I wanted nothing more to do with. And as he disappeared beyond the outskirts of the Enheim Forest, someone began ruffling my hair from above where I sat.

“Hahaha! I can’t believe you actually went and did it, lad! You really are far stronger than what that scrawny appearance of yours lets on! I guess you can’t really judge a mage just by his robes, eh? Ahaha!”

“O-okay, I get it, but...can you stop with the head thing already...?!”

“Hahaha! Now, let’s all head back to Druhwood! We’re drinking tonight, you lot! On the house!”

“Aye, Chief!”

Torrel’s hand separated from my head as he laughed heartily while making his way back toward the group he arrived with. I sighed in exhaustion as I positioned myself to get up. And as I did, Eru came over to me, smiling whilst Cruubi sat on her head.

“Need help again?”

“...I’d appreciate that. Would you mind taking me to that stave over there before we head back to Druhwood?”

“That one? Oh, I didn’t even notice it over there this whole time... Mhm, sure.”

As we made our way toward my still grounded and at a slant [Abysmal End], I could suddenly feel as if something were peering into the back of my head. Immediately shifting my gaze in its direction on instinct, my eyes were now focusing on the shallow area of the Enheim Forest. In a split second before it disappeared, I was locked onto something. A creature with a vine-like body, adorned with dark purple or even black-colored flowers—eyes gleaming like pearls under a spotlight. An apparent resident of the forest.

Was that...a spriggan? No, it’s a bit similar, but something feels weird about it...

“Is something wrong, Albel...?”

“...No, it’s nothing. Just my imagination, or maybe my exhaustion getting to me is all. Now, let’s hurry on back. It’s hot spring time!”

“If you have that much energy, can’t you walk on our own then?!”

“No, no, no. I can barely even stand. If anything, I’d appreciate it even more if you could give me a piggyback ride or something. Now that I think about it; you’re the granddaughter to the Chief of a woodworking town, right? There must be some muscle hidden in those arms of yours, no?”

“...Huh...?”

“Eruuuu—?!”

In a costly display of one's humor missing, my arm went from resting on her shoulder to meeting the air and ground—in that order. Eru then began walking at a pace beyond what I currently could. Far in front of me, all the while, ignoring my shouts of excuse.

“Wait... Eru...?! It was just a joke...! Eru! Ah.”

Using my quarterstaff as a cane with both hands, a hunched over and aching back, and jelly-like knees—I was forced to walk back to Druhwood by myself—all alone.