The Great Hammer Regiment, Elbaf's legendary team of craftsmen, had been missing for centuries.
Even the Grand Elder of Elbaf, Mountain Beard Jarul, who at 407 was the oldest publicly known living Giant in the world, knew only a few rumors from stories he had heard as a child.
So when that name came from the mouth of Sephiroth, an outsider, the Giants were all startled.
Hajrudin raised his head in a daze, Brogy's mouth fell open, and Dorry's beard twitched slightly.
"Huh!? Wait... ahem-how did you learn that name?"
Loki could not help speaking up. His usual Demon Pill tone slipped out, but he immediately corrected himself halfway through and added a respectful address.
Alongside his respect for Sephiroth, he felt a strange awkwardness.
His respect came not only from the shock this Great Angel had delivered to his soul at their first meeting, but also from the changes Sephiroth had brought to Elbaf in recent years.
The awkwardness came from Loki's own experiences, which had made it difficult for him to fully trust anyone again.
"...Indeed, Great Sage, how did you learn of them? And what do you mean by saying you know their location?"
Jarul outwardly pretended that age had slowed his reactions, but inwardly he began grumbling. I should never have let Hajrudin take part.
He was not excluding Hajrudin because he was a prince born outside marriage. Rather, this concerned the Great Hammer Regiment. If the news was true, it would be an extraordinary incident for Elbaf.
If the other elders learned that Hajrudin had been involved, it might well be bad for the boy.
"The Great Hammer Regiment? Aren't they... just a story?"
Hajrudin's voice held a trace of uncertainty.
Given the Giants' lifespans, events from seven or eight centuries ago were hardly likely