Frost Giant on the Loose
Having safely tucked the female students away in the carriage—for protection, or so he claimed—Seong Hyun-jin raced ahead until he faced a sheer cliff.
"It was around here, though...?"
But all he saw was a yawning abyss. Nothing could be there. He couldn't rule out the possibility that the beast had hidden somewhere, but the ground-shaking tremors meant it was something enormous. There simply wasn't space in this area for a monster that big to conceal itself, which made its absence all the more suspicious.
As Seong Hyun-jin tilted his head in puzzlement—
Thud!
The ground rumbled clearly once more. And this time, the sound came from below the cliff.
"...Aha."
Seong Hyun-jin leaned cautiously over the edge. There, at the base of the cliff, he spotted the source of the quaking earth.
The reason the snow rabbits had been out with their young.
"A giant, huh."
A giant—more precisely, a Frost Giant, a monster that appeared only in frigid regions. Known also as a Jiant or Gigant, this beast was so massive that even a casual step sent tremors through the ground. Though it walked upright on two legs and swung weapons with its arms like a human—classifying it as a humanoid monster—its armor-like tough hide and disproportionately long arms set it far apart from humanity. True to its name, its size was staggering; from his vantage high on the steep cliff, it didn't look small at all to Seong Hyun-jin.
He watched the creature lumber off somewhere, pondering his next move. Should he tail it to see where it was headed, or finish it off right here?
In the end, he decided to follow.
'Gotta find out what it's searching for.'
Figuring out its purpose might reveal something interesting. It could just be hunting, or maybe something else. If it was the latter, his curiosity piqued—what could it be?
Seong Hyun-jin's knowledge of Frost Giant habits stemmed from prior encounters with similar mountain giants during his time with Karin. Cheonsan teemed with wildlife, but as a remote and vast peak, it harbored plenty of monsters too. Over twenty years there, he'd faced all sorts, making him something of an expert on beasts.
'Let's tail it quietly...'
Seong Hyun-jin edged along the cliff's rim, keeping the giant in sight. How long he followed, he couldn't say, but eventually, the Frost Giant halted.
"What's that...?"
Ahead of it stood two people who looked like traveling merchants, laden with huge packs. Their faces drained of color at the sudden appearance of the Frost Giant; they were too frozen in terror even to drop their loads and flee.
"Coming to eat people, are we?"
The giant's goal was ordinary hunting after all. The problem was its prey: not beasts or other monsters, but humans. To civilians, a giant was a walking disaster. Unlike snow rabbits, ordinary blades barely scratched it, and a single swipe of its arm or stomp of its foot meant certain death. Escape was futile too—giants weren't agile, but their massive strides made outrunning them impossible for humans.
No wonder the pair was paralyzed.
'They said monster numbers have spiked in the duchy this year. What gave these folks the confidence to wander around?'
Maybe they had no choice. Seong Hyun-jin mulled it over, then shook his head. No point speculating.
"First things first..."
Rescue them and ask. He drew his sword, eyeing the cliff height, the giant's position, and the distance to the pair. His gaze was sharp enough to size up a woman's breasts at a glance. Even from this height, he could gauge the drop precisely.
Tap!
The moment he had the measure, Seong Hyun-jin leaped. Soaring from the cliff, spirit power coiled around his blade.
Second Form
The chaotic energy swirling along the blade morphed into a guillotine-like edge, growing enormous—large enough to sever a giant's neck. Spirit power also wrapped his legs to cushion the landing.
He plummeted straight down, landing precisely atop the giant's neck.
"Gui Strike Kill"
Craaaaaack────────────!!
Infusing the blade with spirit energy and his falling momentum, Seong Hyun-jin cleaved through. No matter how tough the giant's hide, it couldn't protect its neck. One stroke, and the Frost Giant's head tumbled free.
Right before the massive hand could grab them, the two onlookers watched it freeze—then the head crashed down before them with a thud.
"Kyaaah!!?"
"Wh-what...?"
Their eyes widened in shock; eyes nearly popping from their sockets was understandable after the giant's head suddenly dropped. The woman shrieked and toppled backward in fright. Fortunately, the man kept his cool, assessing the situation.
He spotted Seong Hyun-jin landing beside the toppling giant corpse and ventured, "...A new knight from the duchy?"
The corpse's fall kicked up snow everywhere, briefly whipping up a blizzard that hid Seong Hyun-jin's face and clothes—fueling the man's misconception. Decapitating a Frost Giant in one blow was knightly prowess indeed.
But as the snow cleared, revealing Seong Hyun-jin brushing snow from his pants, the man realized his error.
"Do I look like a knight to you?"
Seong Hyun-jin patted his clothes demonstratively. Thicker than his academy uniform for the cold, sure—but no knight's garb.
"Those clothes..."
The man asked, "From Terastial Academy?"
"How'd you guess?"
Seong Hyun-jin shot back, intrigued. The man replied matter-of-factly, "My little sister goes there. I'd know."
"Huh?"
Seong Hyun-jin blinked, wide-eyed, scrutinizing the man's hair and eyes. 'Now that I look...'
They resembled someone familiar.
"...Clarice?"
"Ah, you know my sister."
Offering a gloved hand with a friendly smile, he said, "I'm Kaijid Levatein."
#
The man who introduced himself as Kaijid Levatein smiled warmly, brimming with goodwill toward Seong Hyun-jin.
"Second son of the Levatein ducal family. Clarice Levatein's big brother."
"Ah!"
Seong Hyun-jin finally got why he looked so familiar and shook hands enthusiastically. Family resemblance—Clarice's kin from the Levatein house. Mistaking him for a mere merchant felt embarrassing now, so Seong Hyun-jin introduced himself sheepishly.
"Seong Hyun-jin, first-year Combat Department at Terastial Academy. Your sister invited me here for experiential learning."
"I see. On your way to the castle, then."
"Yeah, in the carriage. But monsters swarmed out of nowhere, so I cleaned them up... and trailed this giant to see where it was headed. Led me here."
"Got it. You saved our lives. I don't know how to thank you enough."
After the friendly exchange with Clarice's brother, Seong Hyun-jin tilted his head.
"But what were you doing out here? Clarice mentioned the monster surge. As her brother, you'd know better than to risk it like this..."
"Did she? No wonder a Frost Giant showed up in these outskirts... I just got back to the territory myself; I didn't know."
"Huh? Where've you been?"
To Seong Hyun-jin's question, Kaijid replied, "Returning from an expedition."
"Expedition?"
Seong Hyun-jin glanced at the woman, who had fallen beside Kaijid and was shakily rising, still rattled.
"With just one maid?"
An expedition with a single squire—and a female one at that? Puzzled, Seong Hyun-jin asked. Kaijid chuckled awkwardly.
"She's not my maid..."
"I'm bound to Kaijid in holy matrimony, Seong Hyun-jin."
"Ah...?"
A woman wed to Kaijid.
"Grace Levatein."
In other words, Kaijid was married, and she was his wife. Marrying into the Levatein family meant she was nobility too. Treating a noble lady like a squire—Seong Hyun-jin apologized at once.
"S-sorry, I had no idea. My bad, that was rude..."
"It's fine. Dressed like this, we don't scream 'noble couple.'"
True enough, their grubby expedition gear didn't scream fresh newlyweds from a prestigious house.
"You said expedition—so you brought your wife along?"
"She loves traveling with me. Told her it's dangerous, but she wouldn't listen."
"Hmm..."
"Ah..."
Now Seong Hyun-jin understood why the pair was wandering in such perilous times.
'They can't make it to the castle alone like this... too risky.'
Since they were Clarice's family, he couldn't leave them. He proposed, "Heading to the castle? We've got a carriage—want to ride with us?"
"That okay?"
"It's the Levatein ducal carriage. No issue if the owners claim it."
Kaijid and Grace bowed lightly in thanks.
"Then we'll gladly join you."
Seong Hyun-jin led them back to the carriage. That meant climbing to the cliff top—a solo climb was easy for him, but not with two others, so they took the long way around through the snow.
As the trio trudged silently, Seong Hyun-jin glanced back at Kaijid and Grace trailing him. He was curious: how did they meet? How did they become this close-knit couple?
It didn't seem like a political marriage. Accompanying her husband on dangerous expeditions screamed genuine affection. No matter how fun, risking your life wasn't something you'd do without love. A mere arranged match wouldn't inspire that.
So, a love marriage. They truly cared for each other...
'How do you get a relationship that solid?'
Seong Hyun-jin wondered. With a new girlfriend like Serena Eldark, Kaijid was practically a romance veteran. Serena liked him now, but hearts changed. To keep it going long-term like this couple—
He spoke up. "Mind if I ask something?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Might be rude..."
"No worries. You saved our lives—you can ask anything."
Reassured, Seong Hyun-jin asked outright, like requesting a recipe. "Got any tips for making a relationship with a girl last?"
Kaijid and Grace exchanged bemused looks at his bold query.