"Your Highness, a delegation of humans claiming to be from the Church of the Ice and Snow Goddess has arrived at the Frost Giant City. They say they've come on the orders of their deity to meet with you."
Muria, who was drinking tea in Feiyeti's Cloud City, was momentarily taken aback by the news.
"What's wrong, Muria?" the female Seraphim, who had grown quite familiar with Muria, asked upon noticing his unusual reaction.
"Just a minor matter I need to handle. My apologies," said Muria with a smile, having received what he had been waiting for. "Let's call it a day, Sister Feiyeti. I need to leave."
"No problem, go ahead."
"I'll be back," Muria said, finishing his tea in one gulp before leaving in a flash of light.
...
"So this is the Synaps mentioned in the divine message."
"But the Goddess never said there would be so many Frost Giants here. If I had known, I wouldn't have come."
"Hmph, it's not like you had a choice."
The human delegation sent by the Ice and Snow Goddess Auril looked around nervously. The middle-aged man leading them managed to keep his composure somewhat, but he still looked uneasy.
Anyone surrounded by a group of giants, each at least ten meters tall and outnumbering them several times over, would feel uneasy, especially when those giants were eyeing them as if they were food.
To the barbaric giants, humans were merely a type of food. However, under Muria's rule, these giants no longer ate intelligent beings like humans, instead subsisting on the meat of herbivorous animals bred in Synaps.
"Why are there so many giants here? This doesn't make any sense," said a beautiful young woman in luxurious attire, approaching the leader of the delegation, Trevor Brumas, with fear evident in her voice.
She sought out Trevor partly because of her own fear, hoping that talking would alleviate her anxiety and provide an outlet for her pent-up emotions.
"It's precisely because it doesn't make sense that we are here," Trevor said, touching the ring on his hand. He knew the contents were enough to destabilize the entire Church of the Ice and Snow Goddess.
Despite the risk of the church falling apart, the Goddess insisted on this mission. Although Trevor had significant objections, he was powerless against the deity's resolve. All his power came from the goddess, leaving him with only two choices: obedience or death.
"Do you know why so many giants have gathered here?" the young woman asked curiously.
"Because a more powerful being has appeared, attracting these Frost Giants," Trevor Brumas whispered. "We are here to meet this being."
"A city this large, with over 200,000 Frost Giants... What kind of being could gather so many giants? How powerful must they be?"
The young woman's face filled with awe as she thought of the adventure novels about knights and dragons she had read.
"We'll see soon enough. Don't be nervous. We're here on the orders of the Goddess; they won't harm us." Trevor, who had no real confidence, tried to reassure the woman next to him. He knew this mission was life or death, as the Goddess had lost an avatar here before.
"Where are we going to meet this powerful being?" The young woman gazed at the cloud islands in the sky with a hint of anticipation and a blush on her face.
"Where you are looking now. We might go up there, so be prepared!" Trevor Brumas sighed as he looked at the sky. He had never seen such a grand spectacle before.
"We're going up there? That's wonderful." The young woman, Rosanna, brightened at the news.
"There's nothing to be excited about. It's terrifying enough down here; who knows what it will be like up there? There might even be dragons."
"There's no way there are red dragons here," Rosanna laughed. "Besides, Lord Trevor said we're not in danger, so what are you afraid of?"
"Where do you get the idea that we're safe?" the deputy envoy asked, pointing to the Frost Giants surrounding them, including a few giant children. Even the smallest was about three meters tall, towering over the humans and seemingly capable of crushing them with a single step.
Of course, that wouldn't happen, but the parents of these young giants certainly had the strength to kill most of the humans. If they angered the surrounding giants, the delegation would be wiped out in moments.
A deep dragon roar echoed from the sky, causing the anxious and fearful humans to look up. Their faces filled with shock as a giant red dragon flew out from one of the cloud islands, followed by three floating warships heading towards them.
"Look, a red dragon!" Its distinctive features and notorious reputation made it instantly recognizable even to those who had never seen one before.
"How is this possible? There shouldn't be red dragons on this subcontinent. The environment isn't suitable for them."
"Nothing is impossible. It's right there."
"Are you the delegation sent by the Winter Goddess?" Crest, the red dragon who had once been a bandit, looked down at the small humans with a desire to crush them with a claw. He was curious to see what would happen if he did.
"Yes, Lord Red Dragon." Trevor quickly responded to Crest's undisguised malice. This place was as dangerous as the Goddess had warned, where they could die at any moment.
"Then hurry up and board the ship. The master of Synaps is waiting for you. Don't waste my time."
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter]