Though puzzled, Lee Han agreed for the moment.

After all, the insane duplicate surely knew more about giants than he did.

Lee Han’s knowledge of giants came only from the ones he had met after entering Einroguard, while the insane duplicate must have encountered countless giants throughout its lifetime.

“Let us depart, Lee Han of House Wardanaz.”

Intarendals, the ancestor of House Dalcard and a noble from the old Three Kingdoms period, emerged from the workshop after completing the preparations.

Behind Intarendals waited several carts that moved on their own. They appeared to be loaded with compensation meant for negotiations with the giants.

Jowrin wants to go too!

“Descendant of noble blood. Giants are rough and fierce beings.”

Then why is Lee Han going?

“...If he is my disciple, he should be able to handle at least this much.”

It was a rare sight indeed: the insane duplicate, who could maintain an arrogant attitude without so much as flinching even before the Skull Principal, was actually struggling.

Lee Han had been about to follow Intarendals outside, but he stopped to watch.

When would he ever get to see something like this again?

“What are you doing?”

“I was inspecting the contents of the carts.”

Lee Han quickly made an excuse.

At that answer, Intarendals looked at him with satisfaction.

As expected of a mage chosen as Lord Gonadaltes’s disciple. His attention to detail was extraordinary.

Jowrin wants to go too! Jowrin wants to go too! Jowrin wants to go too!

“Depart.”

The moment Jowrin began preparing to roll left and right on the floor, the insane duplicate hurriedly ordered its disciple away.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Eandurde quietly asked, “May I come too...?”

“What nonsense is that? No. It’s dangerous.”

“...”

Eandurde was baffled.

Then why was Lee Han going so obediently?

***

“Are giants really that dangerous?”

“Ah, giants... I suppose you could say that, Lee Han of House Wardanaz.”

Intarendals sighed, as though old memories had risen to the surface.

During the Three Kingdoms period, giants were a race of mercenaries who appeared wherever destruction and plunder were needed.

Giants who had smashed castle walls for the attacking side one day would smash siege weapons for the defending side the next.

For gold, giants carried out any request faithfully. At times, it almost seemed as though they hoped the war would last forever.

“...The mountain giants don’t seem quite like that, though...?”

Lee Han was flustered by the giants’ past, which was far more brutal than he had expected.

Of course, those giants would be the ancestors of the ancestors of the ancestors of the current mountain giants.

Even so, it was still shocking.

“Of course. Kingdoms decline with time, and heroes grow old. Everything changes. It would not be strange if the giants’ anger had been somewhat tamed as well. But never forget this, Lee Han of House Wardanaz. The embers still sleep in the hearts of giants. The moment those embers blaze up, giants will—”

—Did you come looking for us?

“!”

A massive head suddenly popped out from behind the peak.

It was the giants.

Intarendals coughed once and gestured.

The cloths covering the carts behind them flew away, revealing the dazzling gold meant for the giants.

Lee Han stared at the glittering light as though mesmerized.

No, seriously. How much inheritance has House Dalcard lost?

The insane duplicate couldn’t have earned wealth in the meantime, so this had to be gold Intarendals had brought with him.

From House Dalcard’s perspective, it was outrageously unfair.

Their ancestor had returned only to invest the family inheritance ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) in a strange ancient Archmage instead of passing it down to his descendants.

—What is this?

“?!”

However, the giants were completely indifferent.

One of them took a bite of cheese made from mountain-range-destroying sheep milk and said,

—Mages like shiny gold. We’re not that stupid.

“No...!”

Intarendals was shaken by the giants’ reaction, which was nothing like what he remembered from ancient times.

Giants indifferent to gold?

It was as unrealistic as demons becoming servants after being deceived by humans instead of deceiving humans themselves.

—Wardanaz!

The giants, who had been gruffly trying to drive away the strangers, widened their eyes when they spotted Lee Han.

—Why haven’t you come for so long?

—We missed you! We thought those mage bastards had locked you up!

Every giant present smiled and welcomed Lee Han.

—We heard Wardanaz got kidnapped. Mages are pathetic.

—We are strong. We don’t even let our sheep get kidnapped.

“You were kidnapped?”

Intarendals spoke to Lee Han in disbelief.

Lee Han stared back at him, equally incredulous.

Who else would have kidnapped him, if not the master Intarendals served?

“...More importantly, I came because I need to ask a favor.”

—Follow us! We’ll guide you.

—It’s mealtime anyway.

“I already ate. I’m full.”

Lee Han, who knew exactly what giant food was like, answered immediately.

The giants were delighted.

—As expected of Wardanaz. So polite!

—Most annoying mages come here asking for food! Follow us!

As the giants stomped ahead, Intarendals finally recovered from his shock and spoke again.

“The giants truly have changed a great deal... I knew time changed all things, but I never expected it to be to this extent.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

As Lee Han listened, a sudden curiosity came to him.

“Were demons more evil in the old days too?”

“More evil?”

“Well... most of the demons I know were tricked by contracts and now work as slaves in territories. But when I read history books, they seemed much more evil...”

“Ah. I understand what you mean. I was also greatly surprised when I visited Einroguard.”

Intarendals nodded.

Kingdoms and giants were not the only things that had changed with time.

Demons had changed considerably as well.

During the Three Kingdoms period, demons were true symbols of terror and calamity.

When a demon appeared, subjugating it was never the end. There would be demon worshippers deceived by it, and minions gathered by those worshippers.

It was no exaggeration to say that entire regions could be corrupted.

But now, the mages of the continent—including those of Einroguard—turned the tables on demons with relative ease and made them work instead.

If the victims who had suffered under demons in the Three Kingdoms period could see this, they would weep tears of emotion.

“Time may cause kingdoms to decline and heroes to age, but it also seems to accumulate wisdom. Seeing demons handled in such a way proves that much.”

“Could the Principal have spread the methods?”

Lee Han cautiously offered the hypothesis.

It was only speculation, but it was fairly convincing.

Few beings had lived since ancient times like the Skull Principal, and among them, even fewer would have acted so actively.

And he’s also the one benefiting the most from using demons.

Considering that he now commanded dozens—perhaps hundreds—of demon slaves when he had not done so before, the Skull Principal seemed suspicious no matter how one looked at it.

Of course, Intarendals served the insane duplicate as master and denied the legitimacy of the Skull Principal himself, so this was a delicate topic.

It could sound like praise.

“Hmm... I cannot completely deny that. Of course, the current lord of Einroguard presumptuously claims to be master, but he is still master’s duplicate. In that sense, it could indeed be called a truly great achievement...”

“What? Commanding hundreds of demons?”

“No, Lee Han of House Wardanaz. I am not speaking of that. I mean spreading the secret methods for dealing with demons across the continent.”

“Ah.”

Lee Han felt a little embarrassed.

Well... I suppose that is an achievement.

Just like developing and distributing a cure for an incurable disease, systematically organizing and spreading methods to deceive demons could also be considered a remarkable accomplishment.

Even if the person in question happened to command hundreds of demons in the process!

Both giants and demons have changed so much. Well, I guess that’s only natural.

Lee Han was struck anew by the gap between the ancient world described by people like the Skull Principal and the present.

And the Skull Principal’s persistence in remaining consistently spiteful despite having lived for so long was impressive in its own way.

“Oh, Lord Intarendals. May I ask one more thing?”

“Ask anything.”

“Is Guest Star Arna truly such a dangerous star?”

In general, magical contracts began with easily accessible spirits and, at most, extended to demons or other extradimensional races. They rarely reached as far as stars.

Even the divination magic school handled such matters only in limited ways because of their difficulty and danger. There was little reason to force a contract with a star.

As a result, there were relatively few books on celestial magic, and Lee Han had never had the chance to study it beforehand.

That made it hard to understand why everyone reacted so strongly just from hearing Arna’s name.

“Arna! It has been a long time since I heard that name. But why do you ask?”

Apparently, Intarendals had not heard the earlier conversation between Lee Han and the insane duplicate.

“...I happened to hear the name somewhere.”

Lee Han deflected, worried that saying he had formed a contract might provoke the same reaction as before.

“Hmm. It is not a name one hears by chance... But in any case, Guest Star Arna is not a dangerous star. Rather, it is a star of glory.”

“Ah. Is that so?”

Lee Han brightened.

Ever since the contract, he had received nothing but negative reactions. The insane duplicate’s positive response did not count, because that reaction had been terrifying in a different way.

This was the first truly reassuring thing he had heard.

“Yes. It is the star of reformers, the star that destroys kingdoms and melts crowns.”

“...”

Lee Han’s expression stiffened.

For one brief moment, he could clearly imagine the headlines splashed across the Imperial Newspaper.

...Heir of House Wardanaz Faces Shocking Charges of Treason Against the Empire...

...Secret Dream of a New Dynasty Revealed...

...Ambitious Schemer Who Deceived the Imperial Family Finally Shows His True Colors!...

“How is that not a dangerous star?!”

“Hm? My master also formed a contract with that star. It is not a dangerous star, but a star of glory.”

Intarendals sounded genuinely surprised.

From the perspective of ancient astrology and celestial magic, Guest Star Arna was a star that appeared for heroes when the continent was plunged into chaos and sorrow.

A star whose fiercely burning light aided the hero’s path.

The hero chosen by that star would burn just as brightly, dedicating an entire life to the continent.

They would not betray the star’s choice.

“...”

Lee Han’s face hardened past what should have been physically possible.

Even petrification magic probably couldn’t have made it this rigid.

“...If that sort of star appears and contracts with someone when the continent is stable and peaceful, what does that make that person?”

“Hmm. That is a difficult hypothetical. But...”

Intarendals did his best to think it over, searching through his memories.

Contracts with stars could be interpreted in many different ways, and many truths only became clear after the results had manifested. It was a difficult question for Intarendals, who was not an expert.

Still, the master’s disciple had asked.

He had to squeeze out whatever little wisdom he possessed.

“Two possibilities come to mind at present.”

“Please. I would like to hear your wise opinion.”

“First, a great crisis may soon befall the continent, and that person will sacrifice themselves to prevent it.”

“...And the other?”

“The continent may only appear stable and peaceful, while in truth it is rotting from within. In that case, the person may be a usurper seeking to become emperor.”

“...”

Lee Han suddenly ran to the edge of the road and began shouting down into the deep valley below.

The giants, who had gathered and were waiting for him, were startled and came rushing out.

Then they pointed accusingly at Intarendals.

—What did you say to Wardanaz?! That good-natured Wardanaz is cursing like that!

—But who is the Yachaowang?