Eisen looked at the Irngrad with a concerned expression. If that was how the council worked, then the king of the giants didn't seem like he had the power to sway the others' opinion, though that was somewhat different from what Eisen had heard from the others who he had visited so far. According to them, the King's words still held some immense weight to them. So that could mean just a few things.
One, the Irngrad was severely downplaying the power that he had, or two, that the Irngrad didn't fully understand his own position yet.
The position of King in this country wasn't one that was inherited like in most other kingdoms in this world, rather, it was one that was selected amongst the clan chieftains of the council. Once a certain clan's chieftain ascended to Kinghood, they were practically removed from the clan, so that they could take on a fully netural role.
And then, in their stead, the next giant in line would become the Chieftain of the clan in question. Obviously, since it meant that he was elected amongst all of the Chieftains, it should usually be a great sign that the current Irngrad is someone trusted amongst all of the clans. At least, that's what Eisen instinctually thought. That was his understanding of the system in this country.
However... there was still something off if that was the case here. That would mean that the Irngrad was downplaying his power, but what he said was to the degree of directly lying about his influence in the council, in which case Eisen should be able to tell whether or not it was a lie. But it wasn't, not that Eisen could tell, meaning that the Irngrad genuinely believed this to be the case.
"I'm... a bit confused... Could you tell me, what age are you?" Eisen asked, and the Giant in front of him slowly closed his eyes, "I'm just 90 years old," he replied, "However, I've been ruling since I was... 30."
"30? What is this, you were practically a child, just- how did you even become the chieftain of the Mountain Giants before then?" Eisen let out instinctively. In human terms, 30 should be old enough for someone in his position, however, in the eyes of a giant, 30 years old is practically a pre-teen.
"...There was an attack from a powerful monster in our city back when I was 15. My father and my brothers were killed in the battle to defend us, so I was the only one that could take on the position of chieftain at the time. Now, my uncle has become Chieftain in my stead," the Irngrad explained to Eisen.
On paper, the old man already knew that the Irngrad's uncle was the current Mountain Clan Chieftain, he had learned about it on his trip to this continent. However, Eisen was slightly surprised that it wasn't brought up when Eisen visited the Mountain Clan just a few weeks ago.
Their chieftain was amongst the people that vehemently refused to accept Eisen to be who he claims to be, but nonetheless seemed like a reasonable enough person to talk to. At least, he seemed to have the best for the people of this clan in mind, even if he seemed to be more on the side that supported the war against the central continent.
But even so, the Mountain Clan's chieftain seemed like the kind of person that wouldn't just hide that sort of thing. Being the King's uncle was something notable to bring up, and while the Irngrad was supposed to be a neutral party, family bonds couldn't be underestimated.
"...I see," Eisen sighed, and smiled at the young giant in front of him. His age certainly explained the King's youthful complexion. Eisen smiled, "You should be more confident in yourself. You were voted into this position for a reason, and literally two thirds of your life were spent as a King, and that's only going up.
I don't think any other King in the history of this country can claim to have ever had that sort of experience going for them."
The Irngrad smiled lightly and shook his head, "I appreciate the sentiment, but there's no need for flattery like that," he said, standing up from his throne. He approached Eisen and stretched out his hand, which Eisen quickly shook. With a smile, which was a lot better at hiding his disappointment from earlier, the Irngrad said, "For now, please go rest.
Your journey has been long, so you deserve some sleep. The rest of your people have already been brought to your bedchambers."
"Right, I'll be joining them pretty soon in that case. Ah, before I go, do you have anything you think I should try and see before I leave? Any particular sights, special people? Some performance? It could be anything, really. I don't know when I'll next be back here, so I want to enjoy my time."
The Irngrad thought about it for a moment, "Well, there are usually quite a few street performers in the east of the city. They tend to gather near the 'Giant's Blood Plaza'. It's quite a popular spot, really, and there are a wonderful few pubs or restaurants as well. Some impressive craftsmen too, from what I've been told.
If you're looking for something worthy of your time here, that would be my first stop. Though, I think it might be better to try and be a little more... inconspicuous," the Irngrad explained, and Eisen smiled and nodded. He glanced down at his body for a moment. He definitely couldn't walk around like this, even ignoring the armor that adorned him.
His true demonic form certainly pulled a lot more attention in than Eisen would like on regular days. So for that, he could get by with just his giants' growth ability, "Don't worry, that was the plan. It was a pleasure to meet you. You as well, please rest until the council meeting begins. I think it's going to be quite tiring for everyone involved."
And with that, Eisen left the throne room. He was guided to the place that he would be staying in for the next few days. Even though the inside of this castle was incredibly impressive both artistically and architecturally, Eisen couldn't pay any attention to that. Rather, it didn't even catch his eye. Instead, he was trying to make sense of the situation that the Irngrad found himself in.
He wasn't confident in his ability to lead the council, it seemed. Or rather, he believed that he wasn't supposed to 'lead' the council, but rather 'guide' it without bringing his own thoughts into it whatsoever.
Someone that came to power at such a young age as him would usually be more conceited, but not only did the Irngrad seem rather level-minded, but from what Eisen could tell, he was well-respected amongst his people as well. Eisen sent a few people out into the city to investigate the Irngrad practically the moment they got close to the city.
They went off alone ahead of time and entered the city without anyone's knowledge. Really, that was what they always did. They would reach certain destinations ahead of Eisen, and could then let him know of anything important or dangerous he should pay attention to.
He only sent them off for places that he was unsure of, though, like this city, or when there wasn't already enough information on a specific individual. So, they would get all that information for Eisen.
But everything there was to know about the Irngrad was positive. He seemed humble and kind, and even spent a lot of time amongst his people himself. There seemed to be a particular pub that he frequented, though it has gotten a lot less in the last few years, especially ever since the relations with the central continent have only gotten worse and worse.
And that pub was exactly near that 'Giant's Blood Plaza' that the Irngrad suggested Eisen visit. It was an interesting spot for him anyway, and he had heard about it from some of the people he spoke to throughout his travels in this country so far.
That was the perfect spot to find out a bit more for himself whether or not his deductions were truly the case. Cause if they were, then Eisen had to have another brief conversation with the Mountain Clan Chieftain even before the clan meeting even began.
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