“So, what brings you here all of a sudden?”
After moving a bit away from the tent set up for Kushan, Kim Yuhyun looked at the visitors and spoke. Honestly, he was feeling a bit tired and would have preferred to send them away, but these visitors were the clan lords from the North. Since they were allies, there was no need to cause unnecessary friction.
Of course, the Northern clan lords felt the same way.
“Well… um…”
One man cleared his throat and studied Kim Yuhyun carefully for a moment. Then, with extreme caution, he began to speak.
“Well… I guess… it’s about time you told us, don’t you think?”
“Pardon?”
“Ah, of course, we’ve heard various stories and orders about the giants so far, but… well, how should I put it… we’d just like to understand the purpose a bit more clearly? Haha…”
“…Ah, I see.”
Kim Yuhyun smiled knowingly, as if he understood exactly what was meant. The man who had spoken suddenly shook his head and hands nervously, as if feeling a bit guilty.
“Oh, just to be clear, this isn’t a complaint. It’s not that we don’t trust you. It’s just curiosity—pure curiosity.”
The position of commander of an expeditionary force is somewhat like a national representative’s supervisory role. When successful, they earn respect and praise from all, but when they fail, they face endless suspicion and criticism. Even the once-great Golden Lion was heavily criticized after a single failed expedition.
By that measure, Kim Yuhyun had done quite well so far. Very well, in fact. That was why these clan lords were treading carefully around him. In other words, it was conditional trust. Had the campaign been a string of failures, their attitude would have been the exact opposite.
“Ha ha, I see.”
“If I’ve offended you…”
“Not at all. I was actually thinking it’s about time we had a proper meeting.”
“Really?”
Perhaps encouraged by the positive response, the man’s face brightened noticeably. Kim Yuhyun nodded, still smiling.
“Some might say my demands have been unreasonable, but you all have trusted me and given your full support. I truly appreciate that.”
“Oh, no need to say that. We brought you here precisely because we handed over all authority to you. It’s only natural.”
“I’m grateful to hear that. Anyway, the day of the decisive battle is drawing near. Before that, we need to hold a meeting to finalize everything…”
“…”
Kim Yuhyun let his words trail off, and tension finally crept onto the faces of the visitors. The day of battle was approaching. The meaning was clear.
“Before that—”
At that moment—
“Everyone.”
Suddenly—
“Do you happen to like theater?”
A slightly different smile played on Kim Yuhyun’s lips.
“…Excuse me?”
Taken aback by the unexpected question, the visitors exchanged confused glances.
Kim Yuhyun continued.
“You all know I’ve spent a lot of time with that giant, right?”
“Yes, yes, that’s true.”
“Well, I just heard a very interesting story.”
“…?”
An interesting story? Still clueless, the visitors looked at each other, even more puzzled.
“So, before the meeting, I’d like to ask for your help one more time.”
With that, Kim Yuhyun suddenly stuck out his tongue briefly and moistened his dry lips.
…Looks like brothers share the same quirks, whether older or younger.
Some time passed.
The sunset that had marked the afternoon faded away, replaced by the dim twilight settling over the land. Evening had come.
Plop.
Suddenly, a raindrop fell from the sky. One drop, then another, and soon the droplets began to soak the ground. The rain had started.
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter!
Before long, the mountain range was filled with the sound of raindrops.
“…”
Slowly turning his gaze, Kushan stared at the tent’s entrance.
Apart from the rain, everything was quiet. Puddles formed on the increasingly wet ground, and the air grew chillier against his skin. For a giant, it wasn’t so much cold as refreshingly cool… Yet strangely, Kushan’s heart felt as lonely as the puddles gathering on the earth.
It wasn’t sadness. It was a different kind of feeling.
Loneliness, perhaps.
If it were the old days, Kim Yuhyun would have come in by now. He’d be laughing, saying, “See? Setting up the tent was a good call,” and setting down a pot full of stew. They’d sit facing each other, sharing a meal and chatting quietly about the human world or about Kushan’s father.
But even though evening had long since fallen, there was no sign of Kim Yuhyun—not even a glimpse. No meal either.
Though their bond was recent, Kushan and Kim Yuhyun had grown close. Both were intelligent beings living within societies, after all.
In other words, as a ‘person’—or as a ‘giant’—Kim Yuhyun treated the giants not as mere monsters, but as intelligent, equal individuals.
“Humans, you see…”
Suddenly, Kushan’s mind was flooded with his father’s words.
“They’re strong. Very strong. Individually, they might seem insignificant, but their strength lies in incredible adaptability and endless evolution.”
“Unlike us, whose future was limited as a price of the giant wars, humans are a species that constantly pioneers the future. They’re a species allowed to evolve.”
“I’m not against fighting. But blindly rejecting others and insisting we’re the best is wrong. If we keep this up, the only thing waiting at the end of the road is destruction.”
“Past glories are just that—past. If we stay still, we’ll only fall behind. To survive, and even to regain our former glory, we must change. That’s why we have to go out.”
These were the words of the former Giant King.
He didn’t deny battle, but cautioned against unconditional fighting. To survive, they couldn’t remain complacent—they had to evolve. If they couldn’t solve their problems alone, they had to accept outside help, just like the ancient priestess once did.
That was why the former Kushan Thor had ventured out, and why young Kushan was raised under such a father.
Years had passed since his father left, and humans had begun entering the Steel Mountains on their own.
The humans Kushan encountered matched his father’s description perfectly. Though individually weak, their way of life was distinctly different from the giants’. Kushan had even learned the concept of ‘prisoner’ only after being captured by humans—so it was no surprise.
So, he thought it was possible. Even if not to reach the former glory his father dreamed of, at least the chance to change had come. Yet…
In a single sparring match, everything had crumbled like smoke. The way the humans looked at Kushan afterward was proof that the gap between the two species was insurmountable.
Thud, thud.
Just then—
(Hmm, are you here?)
As Kushan hung his head in gloom, someone suddenly entered the tent. Expecting Kim Yuhyun, Kushan lifted his head sharply, only to feel puzzled by the unfamiliar man.
(It’s food. The rain started suddenly, so the meal’s a bit delayed.)
The man spoke bluntly, setting down a pot in front of Kushan and muttering a short incantation. Moments later, the ropes binding Kushan’s arms slipped away. But Kushan wasn’t focused on the food.
(Can I talk with you?)
(Of course. I’m the one who made this crystal orb around your neck.)
The man tapped the two crystal orbs hanging from his neck and said, “Enough talk, just eat,” before sitting as far away from Kushan as possible, as if to keep watch. Kushan stared blankly at the pot for a moment, then turned his gaze to the man.
(Uh…)
(Yeah?)
Kushan spoke cautiously.
(Is he not coming today?)
(Him? Ah, the commander is very busy.)
(Commander?)
(Just think of him as the highest-ranking human here. And right now, he’s in a very important meeting—in the tent right next door.)
The man pointed toward the tent behind him.
Kushan spoke again.
(Will that meeting take long?)
(Hmm. Probably.)
(Then I’ll wait until it’s over, so maybe…)
(You’re persistent. Whether it’s short or long, just eat already. The meeting’s because of you, after all.)
The man frowned, clearly annoyed by Kushan’s persistence.
“User Yang Gideok! You’re needed outside immediately!”
At that moment, a loud voice called from outside.
“What is it? Something urgent?”
“It’s a summons. You need to come quickly!”
“Damn it. Who’s calling me now?”
“Hurry…!”
Pressed by the urgent voice, Yang Gideok grumbled but got up.
“Hey, you. I’ll be back soon. Eat quietly while I’m gone.”
He set the crystal orb he wore around his neck on the ground and stepped out of the tent immediately.
Some time passed, but the stew in the pot remained steaming hot, barely diminished at all. Though the bindings around Kushan’s upper body had been loosened, he didn’t move a muscle, his gaze fixed outside the entrance just as before. The surroundings were still silent, save for the steady sound of rain pounding the earth.
Then, all at once—
BANG!
(What kind of nonsense is that?!)
Suddenly, a loud crashing noise echoed, accompanied by a powerful, magic-charged shout ringing in Kushan’s ears. Startled, his mind flashed back to the words the man had said earlier.
“And right now, that person is in a very important meeting. Just next door, in the tent.”
“This meeting is because of you…”
Kushan’s eyes immediately darted toward the side of the tent, then fell on the glowing crystal orb the man had left behind. He tilted his head sharply to the side.
(You want to turn back now, after coming this far? What kind of foolishness is that?)
(The assault is almost within reach. Are you serious, Commander-in-Chief?)
Voices buzzed around him, but Kim Yoo-hyun’s voice was still absent.
(Well… as you all saw today…)
Just then, Kim Yoo-hyun’s voice came through.
(I apologize. The giant’s strength exceeded my expectations. I never imagined it would be this powerful.)
(You call that an excuse…! Didn’t you say not long ago that you wanted to talk to the giant? That maybe, just maybe, we could conquer it without fighting?)
(Yes, that’s true. But as you all witnessed today, our greatest human warrior was utterly defeated by the giant. Moreover, the giant claims there are 800 others even stronger than itself… This is entirely my fault.)
(This is frustrating. Why didn’t you say so earlier? What have you been doing all this time? Were you in cahoots with that thing?)
‘Are they telling everything I said…?’
Though he had expected as much, Kushan felt a twinge of betrayal. But it was inevitable—humans were now the ones attempting to conquer this mountain range.
(Everyone, please calm down. Getting angry won’t help the situation.)
(That’s right. It’s not fair to blame only the Commander-in-Chief. None of us expected the giants to be this strong.)
This time, voices defending Kim Yoo-hyun could be heard.
(We’ve already wasted too much time. Instead of arguing and losing more, isn’t it time to make a decision?)
(So, are you saying we should give up the assault here?)
(It can’t be helped. Life comes before conquest. Retreating now is the wisest choice.)
(Don’t be too disappointed, everyone. There’s such a thing as a tactical retreat, right? We haven’t failed; we just need time to regroup.)
‘Tactical retreat? Regroup?’
What did that mean? Kushan instinctively focused his hearing, straining to catch every word.
(That’s exactly right. Yes, the giants are strong, but there are only about 800 of them. We have a clear numerical advantage.)
(It’s more than just an advantage. What’s humanity’s strength? Even though we have only 5,000 now, we can return, gather more troops, and try again. Honestly, if everyone here put in some effort, we could easily muster 50,000, even 100,000.)
(I guarantee it—over 100,000 is possible. Not only that, we’ve already cleared the path, so returning will be easier. We can also develop new magic and tools to fight the giants.)
(Exactly. So if we pull back now, in a few months we’ll definitely win… no, sorry… we’ll definitely annihilate the giants. Ahem.)
Kushan’s heart sank.
At first, he had only been curious, eavesdropping out of interest, but now the conversation was taking a serious turn.
Setting everything else aside, Kushan, who had always dealt with hundreds at most, couldn’t even fathom the number 100,000. Even if he could easily defeat ten enemies, facing a hundred—or hundreds—at once was beyond his confidence. And if they added magic and tools to the mix, there was no denying the humans might be right.
‘W-what should I do?’
(Oh, and let’s take that giant with us, too. It seems quite interested in humans. We’ll coax it gently, then interrogate or dissect it to gain more information on how to fight giants.)
(Of course. That task naturally falls to the Commander-in-Chief.)
At that moment, Kushan felt as if his breath had stopped. He had a strong suspicion about which giant the humans were talking about.
And shortly after—
(I…)
A familiar voice spoke quietly, and Kushan clenched his teeth without realizing it.
(Huugh…)
The voice lingered, fading into a sigh he seemed to have heard before.
Kushan swallowed hard and focused all his senses on listening. No matter how hard he tried not to, memories of recent days spent with Kim Yoo-hyun kept surfacing. What would Kim Yoo-hyun say?
‘He’ll say yes… won’t he?’
After a brief silence—
(Personally… I hope we let that giant go…)
(W-what did you say?)
Kim Yoo-hyun’s voice barely reached Kushan before someone else gasped loudly in shock.
But Kushan heard it clearly. His eyes widened like lanterns in the dark.
(Though it is a giant… Kushan is…)
And then—
THUD!
Suddenly, the ground rumbled loudly somewhere nearby, echoing in Kushan’s ears.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Night Of Battle.
We’re beginning the “Night of Battle” arc. It’s planned for four installments, with the next part wrapping up the third region’s conquest. Compared to the second region’s arc, this one is much shorter. :)
Kim Soo-hyun will appear in the next chapter, but not in a major role. For those hoping for a significant appearance, that’s scheduled for the final, fourth chapter of this arc.
Wishing all readers a peaceful night. (__)