69novels Page 420
Page 420
"Facts will prove you right, Dark Lord. Because of your careful actions, you successfully completed the task Voldemort assigned you to recruit the giants back. However, because he wanted to attack Hagrid, his Death Eaters not only suffered heavy casualties but also failed to complete the recruitment mission. Dark Lord naturally knows who to trust."
A glint of surprise flashed in Lucius's eyes: "You mean, you'll help me secretly?"
“That’s right,” Levin replied confidently. “I will not only ensure your safety during the mission, but I will also find a way to help you gain merit in front of Voldemort. This way, you can regain his trust, enter the inner circle of the Death Eaters, and obtain more intelligence for us. However, all of this will require your close cooperation.”
“Please give your orders, Lord Levin,” Lucius said earnestly. “I will follow your instructions.”
“Lucius, listen carefully,” Levin immediately ordered. “Next, I want you to warn McNeil again to be careful. And you must make sure that everyone hears your warning—make them all witnesses to your admonition. After that, you’d better take the giant back first. I’ll handle McNeil and his gang.”
Levin paused at this point, seemingly deep in thought.
After a moment, he continued, “You should know that it’s not just the Dark Lord and Dumbledore who want to subdue the giants; these giants are equally important to me. I originally intended to control them as well, but since you have provided this information, proving your value as an undercover agent, I am willing to make some concessions. I will allow you to successfully recruit some giants to help you complete the task assigned by Voldemort. This is the price I am willing to pay, and I hope you will cherish this opportunity.”
Lucius felt a warm feeling well up inside him as he listened to Levin's words.
When he betrayed Voldemort and sent the message to Jaina, he was filled with trepidation and unease, fearing that she would abandon him after using him and start taking action against the giants without regard for his life or death.
But now it seems that both Jaina and Levin are reliable people to pledge allegiance to.
Lucius replied firmly, "Please rest assured! I will seize this opportunity and do my utmost to complete the mission!"
After receiving Lucius's affirmative reply, Levin nodded in satisfaction and then turned back to Orianna's side.
Through the surveillance of the scout robot sent by Orianna, Levin saw Hagrid and Mrs. Maxim under the tree.
Mrs. Maxim's demeanor was not diminished in the slightest by the harsh conditions; she lay lightly on Hagrid's slightly worn fur coat as if she were lying on the softest down bed.
Her head rested on Hagrid's firm thighs, and she closed her eyes trustingly, drifting into a sweet dream.
Hagrid gazed at her with an almost indulgent look, his large hand gently rising and softly stroking her hair with endless tenderness and care.
Damn it, I never thought I'd get to eat Hagrid's dog food one day.
Levin did not want to disturb this rare moment of tranquility. He moved like a shadow among the trees and finally landed gently on the top of a majestic Siberian spruce.
Most Siberian spruce trees grow to a maximum height of 30 to 35 meters, but this one is over 40 meters tall, making it almost the tallest tree in this forest. It was a vantage point that Levin had finally managed to find.
From here, you can see the entire landscape below the ridge.
His gaze passed over the treetops and landed far below the ridge at the chaotic giant camp.
Countless enormous figures lay sprawled on the ground in various haphazard poses.
Their sleeping positions are incredibly varied: some stretch out their limbs in a starfish shape; some curl up in a ball as if seeking a sense of security; and others snuggle together, sharing warmth...
The level of civilization these giants possessed could be glimpsed even from their sleeping postures.
Those older giants, whose skin was marked by the passage of time, clearly paid more attention to the quality of life than the strong and robust young giants.
They did not lie directly on the ground, but instead laid out thick layers of thatch and animal hides as mats;
Their clothing was also closer to that of civilized human society, rather than like other uncivilized young giants who merely covered their private parts with simple cloth and then exposed themselves naked to the cold wind.
The giants' snoring was terrifying, echoing through the valley like thunder.
Just before sunrise, the "thunder" even triggered a small avalanche.
The snowflakes, shaken off the mountain, cascaded down like a silver waterfall, creating white splashes around the giants, but this did not seem to disturb their sweet dreams.
Chapter 466 Giant Banquet
As dawn broke, the morning light, like fine sand, sprinkled down, bathing the entire forest in a soft golden hue.
In the soft light, Mrs. Maxim carefully adjusted her clothes.
She tilted her head, not looking at Hagrid beside her, and two blushes unconsciously appeared on her face, creating a strange contrast with her huge figure—it was really not suitable for her height to show such an expression, but Hagrid liked it very much.
After tidying up, Mrs. Maxim regained her usual elegance and composure.
She took out a stick of ancient flame from her delicate little bag and handed it to Hagrid.
Hagrid blinked, took the celestial fire, and held it high. Then, the two walked down the mountain side by side.
Levin observed everything quietly from his vantage point, his gaze piercing through the gaps in the leaves to pinpoint their target—the giant's Gugo.
"Gug" is a word from the language of giants, meaning leader.
He lay in a depression surrounded by four high mountains, near a tranquil alpine lake.
This Gugo was the largest of all the giants, standing a full twenty-two or twenty-three feet tall and weighing as much as two male elephants. His skin was as rough as rhinoceros leather, and he was also the most irritable and lazy.
At that moment, Kakus was sitting on the ground, roaring loudly, ordering the other giants to prepare food for him and his wife, such as dead sheep.
His voice echoed through the valley like thunder, sending chills down one's spine.
Hagrid and Mrs. Maxim walked down the hillside, Hagrid holding the gift high, his eyes fixed on Cacus, ignoring everyone else.
The other giants, who had been somewhat agitated by Kakus's roar, all quieted down and watched them walk past when they saw Hagrid and Lady Maxim approach the leader and present him with a gift.
Hagrid and Mrs. Maxim walked to Cacus's feet. They bowed deeply.
Hagrid carefully placed the ancient flame on the snow at Kakus's feet.
He cleared his throat and said in a loud voice, "This is a gift from Albus Dumbledore to the giant Googh, as a token of our deepest respect."
Kakus looked at the small flame with a puzzled expression, then summoned two older giants.
These two giants once lived in human society and could understand English fluently.
They translated Hagrid's words for Kakus and explained in detail the wonder of the ancient celestial fire—its ability to burn continuously and never go out.
When the two giants relayed the news to the other giants present, the camp immediately erupted in excitement.
The giants cheered and rushed forward to see this amazing gift.
This is the tragedy of the giants: they are so powerful, yet so foolish that they can't even start a fire properly, which is why they value the ancient flame so much.
At this moment, Hagrid seized the opportunity to say, "Albus Dumbledore asked me to tell you that the messenger will come to visit again tomorrow with gifts. Please have Gugo speak with us then."
Hagrid and Mrs. Maxime did not want to avoid speaking with Googler that day, but Dumbledore had advised them to proceed gradually.
They wanted to show these giants their sincerity and credibility—if they really did come again tomorrow with gifts, it would undoubtedly leave the giants with the impression that they were trustworthy.
Moreover, this also gives the giants enough time to examine the value and significance of the gift, thereby stimulating their desire for more gifts.
Hagrid knew that giants like Gugo were simple, straightforward, and easily angered. If he said too much at once, it would only provoke their resentment and could even lead to his death.
Hagrid and Mrs. Maxim bowed to Gugo again, then slowly retreated to their camp.
They found a suitable small cave nearby as a temporary shelter and prepared to spend the night there.
Night falls and the stars are shining.
Just as Hagrid and Mrs. Maxim were preparing dinner, a giant who was in charge of translation suddenly arrived, bringing them unexpected news:
Gugo decided to hold a grand welcome banquet for them to express his respect and friendship.
As night fell, bonfires blazed in the giants' camp, their light illuminating the faces of each giant and adding to the festive atmosphere of their feast.
Above the bonfires, the giants set up enormous grills and pots, preparing to cook their dinner.
A banquet was supposed to be held, but most of the giants were lying lazily on the ground, not moving at all.
Only the male giants who appeared relatively short were busy preparing the ingredients.
They skillfully chopped the wild onions, crushed the wild garlic, peeled the chestnuts, and cut the wild boar meat into small cubes.
These tasks seemed so easy to them, yet the other giants looked at them with disdain.
Because of their low status in the tribe, they could only take on these menial tasks.
“When these ingredients start to steam, we put in deer dung, then pour in horse urine…” an elderly giant in charge of translation said with sadness in his eyes.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Maxim felt a wave of nausea.
She forcefully suppressed the urge to vomit and turned her head away.
Hagrid didn't offer those insincere flattering words; he simply scratched the back of his head with his large hand, looking somewhat embarrassed.
Seeing their reaction, the old giant sighed: "Please forgive us for making you uncomfortable with our way of life. We giants, due to material scarcity, can only obtain what we call 'spices' from these things. It may be hard for you to accept, but for us, it is an essential part of life."
He paused, then continued, "Later you can just eat the roasted meat, which is only sprinkled with salt. Remember to be a little rough while you eat, because the giants won't be careful enough to observe your preferences while you're eating."
The elderly giant seemed to be trying his best to help them integrate into this unfamiliar environment.
Finally, he introduced himself: "Please forgive me for not having spoken with you for so long, which has made me forget your manners. My name is Moholt."
“Thank you, Moholt.” Hagrid patted his arm gratefully.
While eating his barbecue, Hagrid's eyes darted among the giants, trying to find something.
"What are you looking for?" Moholt's voice interrupted Hagrid's thoughts.
The elderly giant was also observing them, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Hagrid looked up at Moholt, his voice trembling slightly: "Fridwafa, I'm looking for her, she's my mother. Moholt, do you know where she is?"
Upon hearing this, Moholt lowered his head, as if recalling something. Hagrid couldn't see his expression, only hearing him slowly say, "Let me think... Ah, I remember now, Friedwafa, that poor woman. But..."
He paused, seemingly reluctant to say it, "She has been gone for many years."
Mrs. Maxim's heart tightened upon hearing the news.
She looked at Hagrid and saw a hint of sadness flash across his face.
She gently patted Hagrid on the shoulder, conveying comfort and encouragement with her eyes.
Hagrid took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.
“I’m alright, Olim,” he said, his eyes glistening with tears as he looked at Mrs. Maxim. “Actually… I don’t remember her very well… she wasn’t a good mother.”
Moholt looked at the scene before him and couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
He bowed slightly and said, "I'm sorry to hear this news. Please allow me to leave for a moment."
After saying that, he turned and left.
However, at that moment, Levin keenly sensed something unusual in Moholt's words through his psychic abilities.
He frowned, looked at Orianna beside him, and whispered a few instructions.
Orianna nodded and silently dispatched a clockwork scout to quietly follow Moholt, disappearing into the valley with the old giant's figure.
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Update [4/3], Bonus Chapter [93/108]
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