I Became the Dark Knight in the Game

Chapter 33: The Chase (3)

Giants.

These beings which were similar in appearance to humans were nearly twice as large.

They possessed not only immense strength but also considerable intelligence so they were difficult to deal with.

However, strength and intelligence werent the most terrifying aspects of giants.

In this world, there are plenty of intelligent and strong monsters.

The real headache with giants lay elsewhere.

They never forget a grudge.

Even if one somehow managed to hunt a giant, its kin, its family, would remember the resentment for generations and they would never forget it until they had successfully exacted their revenge.

The story of a reckless prince who offended a giant, leading to his kingdoms downfall generations later, is all too famous in this world.

Therefore, its always best to steer clear of giant territories.

Encountering and fighting them is troublesome, and killing them invites even greater problems.

Mazel whose face was already cold had his eyes grow even colder.

You should have mentioned the presence of a giant there earlier.

Tha-that, haha. Ah. I have nothing to say.

Harkin was unable to make an excuse and just rolled his eyes in worry. He was concerned that Dale might now change his decision.

Dale was deep in thought.

A family of giants in the southern mountains near the city. Yes, Ive encountered them a few times in the game.

He remembered it as a region where one could be brutally killed if they stumbled in unawares.

However, the giants were not as brutal as the rumors suggested.

There is a way to safely pass through the giants territory.

Wh-what is it?

Harkins face lit up with hope as he asked.

Mazel was also quite curious and he turned his gaze towards them.

Dale explained.

The first method is to pay a toll.

A toll, you say? Like with money?

No. For the giants, you must offer livestock, like cows or sheep, whole.

Giants have a hearty appetite and love meat.

They do raise their livestock, but meat is always in short supply.

Harkin nodded his head.

Cows or sheep It might be costly, but I can pay whatever is needed!

How do you plan to acquire these animals now?

Harkin scratched his head at Mazels point.

Well, from a nearby village

Then that will delay us further, wont it? Wouldnt that stray from your goal of overtaking the mage?

Mazels words were true.

How long it would take to acquire livestock for the toll? Moreover, it was a task to move with the animals.

Harkin turned his head back to Dale.

Is there no other way?

There is. Bet with the giant.

A bet, you say?

If you win the bet against the giant, you can pass safely.

A bet

After pondering the bet for a moment, Harkin cautiously asked.

What happens if we lose the bet?

Dale replied immediately.

You die. Either get eaten right away or become a slave and then get eaten.

Eeek.

Harkins face turned pale.

No matter how much he thought, it seemed realistically challenging to win a bet against the giants.

However, Dale was confident about defeating the giant.

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Dont worry. Ive won bets against giants several times before.

Is that really true?

Yes.

Only then did Harkin sigh in relief. Meanwhile, Mazel, while not showing it, was internally impressed.

Impressive. I hardly know anything about giants myself.

His specialty was tracking, but he was also a veteran mercenary in the industry.

The fact that Dale knew information even he was unaware of was astonishing.

An excited Harkin said,

Then its decided. Lets outrun the mage through the giants territory.

Ill continue the pursuit as it is. The mage might change her route midway.

Will you be alright on your own?

When Dale asked, Mazel smiled with only one corner of his mouth. It was an awkward smile as if he was smiling for the first time in his life.

I usually work alone. If it werent for Kadals or Garlands persuasion, I would have worked alone this time too.

You seem confident in a fight. Battling a mage wont be easy.

Im not confident in fighting. But this isnt a fight, its a hunt, isnt it?

That was a great deal of confidence.

But this hunter must have skills that matched his confidence.

Mazel continued,

Also, I will report everything to Garland.

Understood. If you hunt the mage on your own, we will give you our share of the fee as well.

I wont decline.

There was definitely a problem with Harkin and Dales actions at the moment.

They ignored the wishes of their teammate Mazel and took a risk that could lead to the failure of their mission.

However, Mazel quietly fulfilled his role regardless of what the others were doing.

Even while observing Harkins incessant complaining, he always made rational decisions and spoke without hesitation, declaring what was right and wrong.

Mazel didnt mind if others might dislike him for how direct he was.

But Dale highly appreciated this quality in him.

I wouldnt mind working together with him in the future.

Once the plan was set, silence fell over the group again.

Harkin closed his eyes to conserve a bit of energy, while Mazel and Dale tended to their weapons.

No one spoke but the silence was not as suffocating as before.

***

After a brief rest, Harkin and Mazel quickly got up.

Harkin was still looking a bit tired and he gazed out of the window.

Its pouring down relentlessly

The rainy season was still in full swing outside.

The dark sky was relentlessly showered with raindrops.

Dale asked Mazel,

Hasnt the trail been washed away?

Its faint, but still there. We can follow it.

The three of them resumed their pursuit.

As they moved, Mazel repeatedly paused to check the tracks of their prey before proceeding.

Harkin vigilantly guarded Mazel with his shield whenever he was examining the tracks to ensure that Mazel could concentrate on his task.

After half a days journey, they reached a densely wooded mountain.

It originally had a different name but was now called the Giants Mountain.

At the mountains base, Mazel remarked,

The creature lingered here for a while. It must have considered crossing the mountain.

But eventually gave up because of the giants, right?

Exactly. This shows it still has its wits about it. Any sane human would avoid passing through the territory of giants.

This was also a veiled jab at Dale and Harkin for not being sane.

Mazel asked them again,

Wouldnt you consider changing your minds even now? The giants are too dangerous.

Harkin shook his head,

No, its okay. We have a safe way to get through, right, Sir Dale?

Yes.

Mazel sighed softly and said,

If you dont return in time, Ill report to the guild that youre dead. We cant send a search party and risk more lives.

Thats fine.

Actually, Mazel, youd better hurry. Otherwise, we two might just kill the mage ourselves.

Harkins half-jok didnt elicit a laugh from Mazel. Instead he muttered to Dale,

Yes, that might happen. Well, I should get going.

Mazel gathered his belongings and disappeared, following the trail of the mage. People would typically feel afraid when moving alone in such a place.

But there was no sign of it in Mazels demeanor.

He seemed almost relieved like a traveler who had just shed a heavy burden.

Dale said after watching him for a moment.

Lets go too.

Yes.

The two began their ascent up the mountain.

The ground and leaves were so wet with moisture that it was easy to fall if you took the wrong step.

Harkin who almost tumbled down was about to curse but instead forced himself to speak positively.

This damned weather isnt all bad, I guess.

What do you mean?

Well, just because were going through the territory of giants doesnt mean well actually run into one, right?

He wasnt wrong. The giants mountain was vast, and with some luck, they might not encounter any giants.

In this weather, even giants would probably stay in their caves. I mean, who likes getting soaked in the rain?

That makes sense.

It was nothing more than his wishful thinking, but it was still a hope grounded in reason.

After that, the two remained silent. It was well-known that giants had keen hearing, so making noise would serve no purpose here.

As they climbed halfway up the mountain, the vegetation became sparse.

In its place appeared an area composed of ochre rocks and soil. Harkin pointed south and whispered.

Across that canyon and down, then a bit further, and we wont be far from the village. Lets go straight there.

Alright.

Harkin moved with a face full of tension.

With no foliage to conceal them, he feared being spotted by a giant.

But as they walked on, no giant appeared. With each step he took, Harkins trembling subsided and his confidence returned.

He was convinced that his prediction was correct.

Yeah, who would come out in such weather?

It was the best possible outcome.

To cross the mountain without encountering a giant.

Indeed, fortune favors the brave!

Harkin turned the corner with a smile. Now, he just had to cross the canyon by following the path around the corner.

He unwittingly quickened his pace and Dale grabbed him by the nape of the neck.

Sir Dale?

Dale dragged Harkin back to gain distance around the corner. This revealed a bit of the path leading to the canyon.

And also that something massive was blocking it.

A family of hideous-looking giants, each well over three meters tall, sat huddled together with mouths wide open toward the sky.

Raindrops were being sucked into their large mouths.

Ah

Rain feels good. No need to bathe if it rains. No smell.

There they were, those simpletons who enjoyed the rain.

Harkin covered his mouth with his hand.

Dales warning to be careful with his words echoed in his mind.

As Harkin stood frozen, one of the giants wrinkled its nose and then turned its head towards them.

The giant spoke with a surprised expression.

Humans? Its humans!

Humans taste good!

The giant family rose at the same time. They were clearly excited by the rare treat.

That one, the one with lots of flesh.

The dark one on the right is wrapped in a shell.

Just chew with the shell.

It seemed the dark one referred to Dale, and shell meant his armor.

Dale stepped forward before the giant familys imagination ran wilder.

We didnt come here to be eaten by you. We just want to pass through this way.

The father giant furrowed his brow. He spoke in a clumsy manner.

Here, our territory. To pass through our territory, you must pay a toll. But theres no toll for you. So, you must be eaten by us.

Quite logical for a giant, isnt he?

Dale took another step forward and proposed.

I suggest a bet with you. If we win the bet, let us go freely.

The giants exchanged glances with each other and they seemed reluctant to engage in a wager.

It was a strange situation in Dales eyes.

In my experience, giants are usually ecstatic about bets.

The giant family murmured among themselves.

I dont want to bet. I dont want to lose again. I want to eat meat.

But that human. He isnt that scary one.

Just ignore him. And eat them up.

Hmm.

The atmosphere had taken a strange turn for some reason. Harkin spoke with a perplexed expression.

S-Sir Dale, somethings strange, isnt it? Werent they fond of bets?

After scratching his helmet, Dale grabbed Harkins shoulder. There was one tactic they could use in such a situation.

Provoke them.

What? Oh

Harkin immediately understood and shouted loudly at the giants.

Are you cowards scared?! You big oafs are frightened by us, mere humans. What a bunch of cowards! Such a waste of size!

The pride of the father giant was wounded, and he roared back immediately.

Whos a coward! We are not cowards! Call me a coward again, and Ill rip your mouth!

Right. Youre not cowards. So, youll accept the bet?

Of course!

Father giant pounded his chest and stepped forward. Though he felt as if he had been tricked, it didnt matter.

The rest of his family was already riled up by being called cowards.

By now, Dales plan seemed to have been a success.

Harkin wiped off the sweat that piled up on his forehead and said.

Phew, phew. Thats settled then. Surely the giants favorite bet is

Riddles.

Perfect. We wont lose to those dim-witted giants in a riddle contest.

In reality, giants were masters of riddles.

It was practically all they did besides eating, so they were bound to be good at it.

However, Dale had already encountered most of the riddles the giants posed and knew all the answers.

In other words, the contest was virtually over before it had even begun.

The father giant exclaimed,

The type of bet. I decide. Thats the rule!

Alright.

The bet will be slap-slap!

Harkin burst into laughter.

Hahaha! Are the giants so dumb they dont even know how to say the word riddle?

No. They know words like that. Theyre smarter than you think.

Harkin scratched his head for a moment because he couldnt understand Dales words.

What? Then what is this slap-slap thing?

Dale looked down at Harkin and said,

I have no idea.

I really have no idea.