"Are those Frost Giants real?"
After nearly an hour of storytelling, Kay finally paused, ready for a drink to wet his throat. The moment Kay stopped, Morgana, who had been right beside him, quickly handed him a ready glass of wine. But during Kay's brief pause for a sip, Arthur seized the opportunity to ask a question.
"Arthur! Kay has just returned and needs rest. You can't keep badgering him with questions!" Before Kay could even speak, Morgana, clearly annoyed, jumped in. She had finally gotten Kay back, and yet these people were monopolizing him with question after question, leaving her no time with him at all.
While Arthur didn't like being lectured by his older sister, Princess Morgana, she did have a point. This was supposed to be a welcome feast for Kay, and it was terribly rude for all of them to keep grilling him for stories.
Kay, however, didn't seem to mind much. He hadn't seen Arthur and the others in ten years, and he enjoyed talking with them. "It's fine, I'm not tired." He gave Morgana's hand a reassuring pat, signaling that everything was okay.
Morgana blushed slightly at the gesture. Arthur, meanwhile, completely missed Morgana's reaction. All he registered was Kay saying he was fine, which meant he could keep asking questions... The definition of a "straight man," or perhaps just a dense, emotionally clueless guy.
Seeing Arthur's overwhelming thirst for knowledge, Kay skipped the small talk and simply instructed a servant to bring up his things. Kay had brought back quite a lot of gifts this time.
In a short while, a group of servants came in carrying numerous bags and packages, with a few even pushing in small carts.
Seeing the sheer amount of items the servants brought in, the group, who had been taking a break for drinks while Kay rested, was immediately drawn back. Many knew Kay had brought things back, but no one knew exactly what they were. Everyone is curious, and knowing Kay had been traveling the world, they were naturally eager to see what strange and wonderful things he had brought home.
Kay had two servants lift a massive, square package and told Arthur to open it. Arthur impatiently rushed over. Merlin, who was always near Arthur, was naturally close behind.
Before today, Merlin had thought the world of magic was strange enough, and he had been a little proud of his own knowledge. But today, he realized how vast the outside world was. His own knowledge was insignificant.
Now, he was desperately eager to learn more about the world outside. After all, if his destiny held true, he might never be able to leave Camelot.
With Merlin there, Arthur didn't need to struggle with the outer cloth of the package. And Merlin was happy to oblige.
In three swift motions, Merlin unwrapped the package, revealing a square iron chest. The craftsmanship was extremely refined; it was clearly not an ordinary object. Merlin glanced at Arthur, who nodded, so Merlin used force to open the heavy lid of the iron chest.
But as soon as he saw what was inside, poor Merlin gasped and dropped the lid, absolutely terrified.
"Ahhhhh!!!" Merlin's shriek was ear-piercing, an overly powerful soprano that startled everyone else.
Arthur was far more composed. Though he was also pale and took a few steps back, he didn't utter any embarrassing screams.
"What... what is that?" Arthur pointed a trembling finger into the iron chest, his voice shaky.
Everyone else was drawn in by the pair's reaction, especially King Uther, who was a little angry at Arthur's display of cowardice. He had high hopes for Arthur, expecting him to be a better king than himself, but Arthur's performance just now was certainly not stellar—not even adequate.
So, King Uther was the first to stand and walk to the box, intending to see what was inside. When he peered in, he, too, was startled, but he was much stronger than Arthur. At least on the surface, the King managed to keep his composure.
However, his next words still betrayed his true feelings: "What the hell is that thing?"
For once, King Uther had actually cursed.
Kay, seeing their expressions, was amused. After all, he hadn't reacted much better the first time he saw it and had been teased by the burly Asgardian men for a long time because of it.
"That's a Frost Giant," Kay said with a smile, and before anyone could ask, he continued, "Yes, the same Frost Giant I was telling you about. The head inside belongs to Gunnhildr, the previous King of the Frost Giants. Blí, the King of Asgard, and I killed him together." The iron chest held a massive, ferocious-looking head. The skin was grayish-blue, covered in numerous ice spikes, making it look as if the giant skull had grown many horns of ice. White mist of cold air continuously streamed out of the chest, instantly lowering the temperature in the hall.
Speaking of the head's origin, Kay looked nostalgic. The last time he returned to Asgard in the North, Blí wasn't there; it seemed he had gone to another realm. Kay hadn't asked for details, but since Blí didn't return after a few months, Kay hadn't waited any longer.
"That was a truly intense battle. We fought Gunnhildr and his Frost Giant army on the walls of Asgard for ten days and ten nights and finally routed them. Then, Blí and I led a pursuit, and after another ten days and ten nights, we finally caught Gunnhildr in Jötunheimr, the Frost Giant realm. We killed the monster on the ice plains there. In that battle, I was nearly killed. If Blí's son, Borr, hadn't used all his strength to carry Blí and me out of Jötunheimr, we might have both been stuck forever in that world of only ice and snow."
Though Kay didn't describe the battle in great detail, everyone could imagine the ferocity of the conflict.
With Kay's explanation, the others overcame their initial fear. After all, as terrifying as the head was, it was only a dead object. Fear comes from the unknown; knowing its origin naturally reduced the terror significantly.
Only Merlin was different. His fear was more profound. He could feel an extremely strong magical energy radiating from the head, meaning the head's owner must have possessed formidable magical power when alive. It was the first time Merlin had encountered such a powerful magical creature, and yet Kay had killed it... Merlin felt that if his own magical abilities were discovered, he would surely meet an even quicker end.
King Uther let out a huge sigh of relief after hearing the head's origin.
"Well done, Kay. But why would you keep this head?" The Celts are one of the most civilized peoples in the current world; they don't have the custom of keeping enemy heads, which is a barbaric tradition.
Hearing King Uther's question, Kay grinned. "To keep things cool!"