Chapter 105
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: The Gigadeus Horde
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It was a situation similar to before, but different.
The Gigants they had encountered previously had merely crossed paths briefly.
They hadn't approached with this group as their target.
"Move quickly!"
Jackal immediately ordered his subordinates to activate the Gigants.
The chances of something unfortunate happening weren't high, but standing around defenseless would still be foolish.
There was no such thing as absolute certainty in this world.
Thanks to Abel's early warning about the approaching Gigants, everyone managed to complete activation without delay.
Thud, thud-!
Before long, the unidentified Gigants came to a halt nearby, and one of them stepped forward as representative to greet them.
-Greetings. I am Revan de Valheim of the Valheim Knight Order.
Revan de Valheim.
Upon hearing the name, Abel quickly racked his brain.
First off, there was no regular Imperial Knight Order by that name. Nor was it among the commonly regarded three great noble houses.
But the answer came soon enough.
'Northern frontier knight order.'
It wasn't a single house, but multiple families operating under the banner of a knight order.
Something that would have been unthinkable in the old days.
But with Gigants rising to prominence, the landscape had changed.
Few houses without substantial backing could claim to possess a Gigant force worthy of calling themselves a knight order.
As a result, several families had banded together to form 'Gigant' knight orders.
Abel made his judgment in an instant, then rose from his seat and offered a polite bow.
-Greetings. I am Abel, a cadet of Del Modor Academy.
-Ah, a cadet from the prestigious Del Modor Academy.
The other responded immediately in a bright voice.
He hadn't revealed his family name, so he likely knew Abel was a commoner, but the status of a Del Modor Academy cadet carried significant weight.
A smooth graduation virtually guaranteed becoming a Gigant Rider and joining one of the Empire's elite knight orders.
Of course, some looked down on commoners regardless, but the warm response suggested that wasn't the case here.
Emboldened, Abel pressed further.
-Yes. Might I ask what brings you here?
-We came to see if you might need any assistance. But it seems our concern was unfounded.
-Assistance?
Abel asked in a puzzled tone.
Nothing about the man's words felt like sarcasm.
Revan answered forthrightly.
-Yes. Especially after what happened just yesterday.
Abel, having no idea what that referred to, started to ask, but Revan spoke a beat faster.
-Ah, if you're returning from deep inside, you might not have heard.
-That's right.
-Just yesterday, one Gigant from the Earth Knight Order was completely destroyed, and the other two returned heavily damaged.
-Is that true?
It was astonishing news.
Who were the Earth Knight Order?
Even if not guarding a key sector, they were official Gigant Riders responsible for their assigned area.
From the brief glimpse earlier, they hadn't seemed like pushovers.
-Did a Gigadeus appear?
-Yes. Three of them, no less.
-Three...
That was more than enough to rout the Earth Knight Order.
Three Gigadeus were no joke.
No, the fact that three Gigadeus had appeared simultaneously in Red Hole was unprecedented in itself.
'Doesn't seem related to the Gigadeus remains we disturbed, timing-wise.'
It was utterly baffling.
Revan spoke calmly, as if wrapping up the conversation.
-In any case, please take care. We're shortening our schedule and heading back immediately.
-Understood. Thank you for the valuable information.
With that, Revan and the other Gigants slowly withdrew.
Abel waited until they were completely gone before laying his Gigant down again and stepping out.
There was no need to continue conversing at high volume through the Gigants.
"We should take the shortest route back."
Jackal nodded immediately at Abel's words.
"Yes. The risks are too high."
In most situations, they might push through, but three Gigadeus were beyond reckless.
With their current forces, they couldn't even handle three upper-grade Gigadeus Fragments, let alone full Gigadeus.
Especially considering Gigadeus power varied wildly by individual.
"Then we'll prepare to withdraw immediately."
"Yes. Please do."
Their judgments aligned, so no lengthy discussion was needed.
The mercenaries dismounted their Gigants, packed up swiftly, and some stood watch around the perimeter.
It was a shame to waste the untouched soup, but no helping it.
Abel remounted his Gigant while shoving some dried fruit into his mouth.
-We're moving out. Scout formation.
-Yes!
Given the circumstances, they adopted a formation prioritizing reconnaissance.
The plan was to avoid combat as much as possible and retreat to safe territory at top speed.
Thud, thud, thud-!
As the Gigants began running, the ground trembled heavily.
Running in the middle of the pack, Abel did some mental calculations.
'The earnings from this trip...'
It was lamentable to be tallying profits even now, but unavoidable.
Hiring a Gigant-equipped mercenary band didn't come cheap.
'Not a loss, at least.'
Without precise figures, he estimated they had at least broken even.
They had taken down three mid-grade Gigadeus Fragments, after all.
Low-grades paid something, but mid-grades shifted the numbers to another level.
So, a modest profit beyond costs.
Less than hoped, but what could be done.
'SUCCESSFULLY absorbing the essence alone makes it worthwhile.'
Money could be earned again.
The main reason for venturing this far was growth, after all.
By that measure, the expedition had been a resounding success.
Assuming they escaped unscathed.
-Turn left here.
After heading somewhat south, Abel veered slightly west.
Deliberately skirting areas dense with Gigadeus Fragments.
It meant a detour, but far better than fighting.
Despite those efforts, about two hours in, they made contact.
-Bandits ahead!
Not actual wild dogs.
Gigadeus Fragments commonly called Black Wolves—bottom-tier even among low-grades.
The problem was their numbers.
-Over forty of them!
Forty.
Even weaklings became a threat in that quantity.
-Prepare for combat!
Everyone raised weapons tensely, awaiting approach.
Then, the unexpected happened.
-Th-they're fleeing!
The pack simply bypassed Abel and the group.
Jackal spoke to Abel the instant he saw it.
-We need to change course immediately.
-Right. Head straight east!
Abel accepted Jackal's advice and issued the order.
No way a pack of forty would flee from a handful of Gigants.
Black Wolves were notoriously aggressive.
Something else had spooked them.
Ruuuumble-!
Moments after turning east, a massive roar echoed.
Turning his head, Abel identified the source immediately.
Far off.
A colossal giant strode forward.
Pale mist enshrouded it, spreading in real time.
'Is that mist jamming sensors?'
If so, it explained missing it until this close.
To avoid drawing attention, Abel signaled with an arm wave.
Running noise was unavoidable.
Ruuuuumble! Ruuuuumble-!
Fortunately, the Gigadeus ignored them, plodding in one direction.
Even after it vanished from sight, they ran silently for nearly thirty minutes before halting.
-Huff, huff. This is the limit.
-We should rest soon.
Jackal and the vice-captain spoke in eerie unison.
Abel, breathing raggedly, replied.
-Huff, yeah. A bit risky, but rotate rests. Stay inside your Gigants.
-Yes.
They had predetermined rotation shifts for such scenarios.
Abel secured his Gigant firmly and powered down.
"Huff, huuuu...."
His heart felt ready to burst.
Gigant piloting consumed stamina even without running on foot.
-The Gigadeus we passed earlier had an extraordinary aura.
Then Lupus spoke up.
He wasn't one for idle talk. Aside from when called or needed, he rarely initiated.
His increased chatter meant things worth discussing.
"That bad?"
-Yeah. Not even comparable to the ones we've faced.
Abel pondered, then nodded.
"Even from afar, it didn't look ordinary."
-Exactly. If we'd had to fight, I'd have told you to run.
"I wouldn't tangle with a monster like that either. Problem is, that's just one of them."
Reports indicated three Gigadeus.
If that was one, two remained.
They weren't out of danger yet.
"Huuu."
Abel exhaled deeply and stretched.
Every time things seemed to go smoothly, some setback arose. But oh well.
No point lamenting.
'We're not the only ones in Red Hole anyway.'
Steeling himself, Abel rested another five minutes.
As always, break time flew by.
Wwhiiiiiir-!
Restarting his Gigant, Abel moved out with the mercenaries.
Formation unchanged, but speed reduced.
To conserve stamina in case of another encounter.
And so they pressed on.
Running and running.
Pausing briefly for rest when metallic fatigue hit, then running again.
Stamina steadily drained—rests barely qualifying as such—but no one fell behind.
Their efforts paid off.
By minimizing breaks, they reached the destination far ahead of schedule.
But upon arrival, they faced yet another unforeseen sight.
-Move the wounded to the rear! Get them back!
-Aaaagh!
Shouts. Screams. Roars and explosions.
Ominous sounds battered their ears via Gigant comms. Cresting the hill revealed utter pandemonium.
Endless hordes of Gigadeus Fragments swarming.
Gigadeus towering amid them. And packs of Gigants holding the line.
-My god.
Jackal's mutter voiced everyone's shock.