When I flew back to Fuyu, I found Benladann surprised that there were so many little Ice Giants around… and well, a grumpy Ice Giant grandma…
Actually, did I ever asked her name? I don't think I did… Oops.
"D-Drake?!" she asked, as she saw all the kids waking up from their little leather beds.
"Ah… Well, you fell unconscious yesterday, I beat up the robot and then I found these people, they seem to be the last survivors," I said.
The kids glanced at Benladann with wonder, she was an adult of their race after all, and perhaps it made them think she was their mom or a big sister… She was very pretty too, so everyone's eyes shined brightly as they admired her.
"Mama?" asked one of the boys, with long silvery-white hair and yellow-gold eyes.
"M-Mama?!" asked Benladann in surprise, as she saw the little boy walk towards her and hug her leg.
"Mama?" she asked again.
"N-No… I-I am not your mother…" sighed Benladann, petting the boy.
The boy suddenly began to cry out loud…
"Ah, you must be Benladann. Drake told me about you, I remember you a bit, do you remember me?" asked the grandma.
As Benladann comforted the little boy, she seemed to remember the old ice giant woman's face.
"Ah…! Y-You're one of the elders… did the others…?" asked Benladann.
"T-That's right, I am the one left behind. Those old piles of bones left me behind with all the responsibility… And my back is killing me," sighed the grandma.
According to Benladann, the name of this grandma was Draugann, she was a Rank 2 Magus and an elder of her tribe's town. The grandma seemed to do the awakening ceremony for most of the younglings, and she discovered she had something weird inside of her Mana Core, but Benladann escaped before that…
After a few more explanations, the grandma seemed to want to apologize to Benladann.
"I am sorry for that, Benladann…" she sighed.
"If it wasn't because of me being wary of your strange affinity, you wouldn't have ended leaving the town, right? I shouldn't have told the people to separate your family from the main village… We should have done things with care…" she sighed.
Benladann glanced at the grandma with several emotions bubbling from within her heart.
"Ah… No, please, don't say that… I left because… of my own personal reasons. It was my own fault… And it was also… My own decision… Don't worry, please," said Benladann.
"Is that so…?" asked Draugann.
"Yeah… Right, Drake?" asked Benladann.
"Indeed, she told me why she left… But for now, let's not talk more about this. We have… many other things to assess… Such as these very sorrowful kids…" I sighed.
"Oh, right…!" said Benladann.
Benladann seemed happy that there were survivors, and that I had decided to take them with me. I could have perfectly ignored them but… I knew it wouldn't make her happy. And to be honest, I would also be fucking sad if I were to leave them behind. I would honestly feel terrible about myself, so I had to take them with me.
She even hugged me as she started to cry.
"Thank you, Drake… You're such… a good person… I don't know why I fainted back then… I wish I could have fought at your side… I'm sorry…" she cried.
"Sigh… It's fine. Come on, don't cry. Look at me in the eyes and smile, there is a brighter future ahead, we have to work hard and grasp it with our own effort," I said.
"Your parent's souls are okay, and I've secured their bodies and had sealed them in ice. We will one day find a way to revive them, I promise you… For now, they will slowly grow stronger within your weapons, you have to feed them with your mana too," I said.
"R-Right!" she said, as she remembered that nothing was lost yet… she quickly ran back to her room and brought her Axe and Shield. Hmm, maybe I should upgrade them with new materials too…
The two emanated a phantasmal presence, however, when I checked the souls inside, they seemed to be slumbering… they were already very weakened before, so it is rather expectable for them to rest for the moment.
"I see, let's give them a bit of our mana so they can feel better, souls lack mana cores and cannot have enough mana. With enough mana souls maintain themselves in this world, I believe, if they run out of it, they will disappear and their most innermost of cores would return to… Helheim, I think," I said.
"I-I see… Drake, you've figured so much…" said Benladann.
"Well of course! I am about to become a Dracolich pretty soon- Ah, never mind about that… Anyways, let's begin," I said.
We decided to slowly feed the Axe and Shield with our Mana for some time until I felt like they had their fill and then left them resting for the moment.
"Could I one day use them to fight again?" wondered Benladann.
"I believe you should be able to fight with them, the souls do not take physical damage, and their vessels will also absorb any damage, whenever the weapon breaks are when they will end up without a vessel and escape or disappear… but that's why I will upgrade them tomorrow, or past tomorrow," I said.
"I-I see… Is papa and mama… sleeping?" asked Benladann.
"Yes, I believe so… Let's leave them alone for now," I said.
"Alright… Thank you again, Drake…" said Benladann.
"It's nothing, don't worry about it," I said, petting her head.
After this, the kids were called by Draugann so they could introduce themselves, but most of them didn't want to talk and seemed quite timid.
I noticed that each one had a faint magical essence coming from their chest, their Mana Cores were most likely awakened already, despite some of them being quite young…
"They are very timid and a bit sorrowful as well… It will be hard to cheer them up yet, we can only make things slowly," sighed Draugann.