Apparently, the reason the Giants of the Northern Dungeon are so hairy is an evolutionary adaptation to protect themselves from Bloody Vipers.
Even if they are swallowed whole, their hair shields their bodies from stomach acid, allowing them to survive by thrashing around inside the creature's belly. The Bloody Vipers seem to understand this, so they generally don't mess with the Giants. Even if they do attack, they reportedly avoid swallowing them whole.
However, that only applies to the adults.
Bloody Vipers specifically target the children, who have less hair. While the Giants are no match for an adult Bloody Viper, they can usually manage against the younger ones. That is the nature of the relationship between the Giant Race and the Bloody Vipers.
By the way, the Giant children are made to wear full-body suits that look like giant wigs, crafted from hair collected from the adults. It makes sense, in a way.
I tried to apologize to the Giants, thinking that the cave-in caused by Hakuren and Rusty was what drew the Earth Rats to their home, but they refused to accept my apology.
"They did emerge from the site of the collapse, but we do not believe that was the sole cause," they explained.
It is rare for Earth Rats to appear in this area at all, and they didn't believe the cave-in was the primary lure. They told me it was just a coincidence and that I shouldn't worry about it.
The Giants are truly good people.
And so, we held a banquet.
The location was the Village of the Great Tree. At first, I considered holding it at the entrance of the dungeon, but Ann was the only one capable of handling the cooking perfectly. Ria, Progenitor-san, and I could manage well enough, but the others were only at a "helper" level. I thought about calling for more help from the village, but since Donovan and the others who couldn't cook looked so lonely at the prospect of being left out, we decided to just move the whole party to the village.
The one who had it the hardest was likely Progenitor-san, who had to handle the teleportation magic. He was quite exhausted, but he certainly didn't let that stop him from enjoying the food and sake.
The banquet was a massive success. The Giants delighted in the village's food and drink, and they were genuinely thrilled by the entertainment. In particular, the presentation of the Mountain Elves' new invention drew thunderous cheers.
It was a contraption where, if you loaded in wheat, it would automatically grind it into flour. They performed the demonstration accompanied by music from the Elves and the Civil Official Girls. To be honest, looking at it calmly, it wasn't actually that incredible, but the music made it feel like a grand spectacle. The power of music is a wondrous thing.
The device was powered by steam. Some of the Mountain Elves had wondered if the steam produced during the sake distillation process could be used for something, so I had shared what I knew about steam power with them. To think they had already completed a prototype.
They’re quite impressive.
The only problems were that the heat from the steam transferred to the flour, scorching it, and the fact that it took ages to set up. Honestly, it would be faster to just grind the wheat by hand with a millstone. Still, I’m sure they’ll improve it soon.
I watched the contraption, which was currently engulfed in flames, and felt confident in their progress.
Wait... it's burning?
"Please, do not worry," one of them said. "We have prepared a large amount of water so we can extinguish it immediately."
No, that's not really the issue... Well, the audience is cheering, so I suppose it’s fine.
They are cheering for the invention, right? Not the fire?
The banquet continued late into the night, with the Giants fitting right in.
The next morning.
I woke up, went out to the site, came back immediately to wash up, and then found myself back at the banquet. I had to take a moment to reflect on what exactly I was doing with my life.
The Hot Spring Investigation Team is setting out again!
I asked Progenitor-san to transport us and the Giants back to the dungeon entrance. We checked the site of yesterday's battle, and Lu and Tia used their magic to scan for any Earth Rats. Since none were within detection range, I felt a bit more at ease.
At this point, I decided to split the team into two groups. One would be the Hot Spring Investigation Group, and the other would be a group to investigate the holes connected to the collapsed section of the dungeon. If there are Earth Rats capable of digging tunnels, there's no point in just filling the ones we find. We need to find out why they appeared here and, if possible, eliminate the source so the Giants can live in peace.
The Giants insisted the collapse wasn't the cause, but I wouldn't be satisfied leaving it alone, so I volunteered our help. Hakuren and Rusty were particularly motivated. I suspect they feel responsible for the cave-in. I hope they do their best.
I intended to join the hole investigation group, but I was unanimously rejected. They insisted that I lead the Hot Spring Investigation Group instead. I tried to argue, but they had a very practical reason.
"It is pitch black inside the dungeon and those tunnels, you see..."
Night vision, huh? Damn it.
Apparently, using torches is a bad idea for various reasons. So, out of necessity, I remained with the Hot Spring Investigation Group. My team consisted of the Angels Tia and Granmaria, the Lizardman Daga, the Angel Kierbit, and the Beastman Galf. Kuro and the other Inferno Wolves can apparently see in the dark, but they all stayed with me as well.
The hole investigation group was led by Hakuren, with Rusty as the sub-leader. The team included the Devils Bulga and Stifano, the Vampires Lu and Flora, the High Elf Ria, and the High Ogre Ann. Progenitor-san joined them as well. Finally, all of Zabuton's children, including Makura, headed into the tunnels.
"Don't push yourselves too hard," I said, seeing Hakuren and the others off as they headed into the dungeon.
Well, with Progenitor-san there, they can always retreat if something goes wrong. Lu and Flora are there too, and they have healing magic. I don't think they're in much danger, but they seemed unusually fired up. I hope they'll be okay.
There's no point in worrying, though. I've entrusted the task to them, so I have to trust them. That’s what it means to be a leader. Besides, I have my own job to do.
"I have confirmed the location of the heat source we found previously," Granmaria said. "It is this way."
Following her guidance, we headed north.
It had been a while since I'd walked through the forest like this. It was fairly exhausting. Eventually, I started using the Universal Farming Tool to clear a path as we went. Since I don't get tired while using the tool, it was incredibly convenient. Unlike the proper roads I'd built between the villages, I just cleared a path wide enough for one person to walk through.
Along the way, a small Bloody Viper and a massive Grappler Bear appeared, but I dispatched them both with a single swing of my hoe. We continued our advance.
Galf and Daga
"Daga-san," Galf whispered. "Isn't the Village Head... incredibly strong?"
"Did you think he was weak?" Daga asked.
"I thought he was just an ordinary human."
"Could an ordinary human build a village in the middle of the Forest of Death?"
"No, I guess not. I mean, I knew that, but... I just figured he was on good terms with Kuro-san and Zabuton-san. Though, now that I think about it, there's no way an ordinary human could just 'get along' with them. And he talks to the Demon King like it’s nothing... I see. He has the strength to back up his position as Village Head."
"Umu. He is the leader we take pride in. Be sure you are never disrespectful."
"Hahaha. It might be too late for that, but... I'll be careful."
Kierbit and Granmaria
"I knew it already, but... the Village Head really is something else," Kierbit remarked.
"Yes," Granmaria agreed. "I find myself thinking the same thing quite often."
"If only he weren't Tia's husband..."
"If he weren't?"
"I would have proposed to him on the spot."
"Why not just propose anyway?"
"Monogamy is the law for the Angel Race. Since I'm the daughter of the Chief, I can't be the one to break it."
"That is a pity for you."
Kierbit squinted at her. "...You're awfully composed. Don't tell me you..."
"He dotes on me quite a bit. Is something the matter?"
"Doesn't Tia say anything?"
"She actually encourages it."
"That Tia?"
"Yes. The laws of our race are important, but because of them, no new children have been born in a long time. I believe Lady Tia is worried about our future."
"Muu..."
"If you're interested, I could mediate for you," Granmaria offered.
"That's a tempting offer... but let me think about it. There are a lot of factors to consider."
"Fufu. I understand. Being the daughter of the Chief must be difficult."
"There's that, but personally, I've also been wondering if it might be better to just wait for the Village Head's sons to grow up..."
Granmaria’s expression went cold. "If you try anything strange with Lord Alfred, I will kill you."
"Whoa! Th-That’s real! That's actual bloodlust! It was a joke! Just a joke! Besides, there are others, right? Like Lilius or Rigul."
"To think of making an infant you've held into your future husband... just how starved are you?"
"Surely dreaming about the future is allowed!"
Kuro's Offspring
"As expected of the Boss."
"Yeah. He’s definitely the only one worthy of leading Lord Kuro and Lady Yuki."
"Still, normally we should have sensed that bear and taken it down before it got near him."
"True, but it's hard to sense things when they hide in the earth."
"Even if we did, could we actually handle a Grappler Bear that size?"
"Hrmm. If we attacked in a frenzy without caring about casualties, we could probably kill it..."
"But Lord Kuro strictly forbade us from taking any casualties."
"In any case, we need to focus more on scouting ahead. Someone go get permission from Lord Kuro."
"Roger. Wait—the Village Head just sent another Grappler Bear flying."
"In one hit... again."
"Isn't it actually safest just to stay right behind the Boss?"
"Maybe, but if we do that, what's the point of us being here as guards?"
"...We have to work harder. No, we just have to do our best!"
"Right!"