Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: The Insect Queen
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[Chapter 58 - The Bead]
Only footsteps echoed through the silent corridor.
Perhaps every bug magic beast inside had swarmed them, as nothing blocked the group's slow advance.
Arsen led the way, following the line that was starting to fade.
One turn to the right, straight ahead, then left again.
The farther they went, the stronger the revolting stench from the bugs' excrement grew.
Now the floor, as well as the walls on both sides, were covered in sticky mucus.
As they trudged along with squelching sounds, one soldier let out a stifled scream.
“What is it?”
“C-Captain... here, this.”
Where the soldier pointed was a half-digested arm lying there.
Its skin peeled away by digestive fluids, exposing pink flesh, it had five fingers and flat nails—unmistakably human.
“Now I know where those diggers from above went.”
Rino muttered in a hollow tone.
Treating humans like crumbs spilled while eating, whatever lay ahead seemed unlikely to be human.
Leaving the arm behind and walking a bit further, a tightly shut door appeared before them.
A door made of metal mingled with flesh.
“A door.”
“Shall we open it?”
Bazkal, having learned from earlier, didn't rush up to open it this time.
Though it might just be that he didn't want to touch the door of unknown flesh.
“Mind doing it, Elli? Hit it with a big one.”
“Yeah.”
Eloise stepped forward on Jin and cast one of her specialties: an explosion spell.
The spell best at destroying inanimate objects.
Moments later, a roar accompanied the door shattering into pieces, smoke rising to obscure their vision.
“Wind!”
At Maroon's shout, wind began blowing from somewhere, sweeping away the smoke.
Looking at the mages, all had their left arms extended, bracelets wrapped around them.
Thanks to their magic helmets, Arsen recognized the bracelets as artifacts.
‘Those must be the artifacts that summon wind. Everyone having the same ones means they're common?’
“Wow, one shot. Impressive as expected. Even among us, mages on your level are rare...”
When Eloise didn't respond, Maroon laughed awkwardly, but no one paid it any mind.
Everyone's gazes were fixed beyond the broken door.
Beyond it lay thick darkness, but Arsen and the knights could peer through.
One mage sent a magical light forward to illuminate the interior.
■■■■■■■■■■----!
As if struck by the light, a horrific roar erupted from within.
The shrill high pitch pierced their ears, causing some soldiers to drop their weapons and clutch their ears.
But having seen what was inside, Arsen understood the true nature of the roar.
It wasn't a display of strength or rage at prey.
It was merely the wail of a terrified dog facing a predator.
“Don't be scared. Follow me.”
With those words, Arsen led the way into the door first.
The first thing visible inside was an enormous belly.
So massive it seemed unable to even roll its body, proving it unfit for combat.
Countless legs floated uselessly above the ground, unable to touch it due to the belly.
Finally, the upper body and head looked like mere accessories atop the torso, they were so small.
Arsen doubted such a tiny head could produce that massive roar.
“What the hell... is this?”
“Who knows, queen ant?”
Corpses of various dead things littered the room.
Not just humans but furry animals too, suggesting this 'queen' had her children—other bug magic beasts—hunt prey from outside.
And among those corpses lay hundreds of eggs, sized from a human head to a torso.
Imagining what was inside was all too easy.
This underground ruin was likely their base, slowly building power.
Had Arsen's army not come, Narvik might have faced catastrophe soon.
If ten or a hundred times the bugs they'd fought swarmed, even all Narvik's knights together couldn't win.
‘Annoying that it benefited those guys, but...’
Still, it saved the lives of innocent people in Narvik day by day, so he decided it was a good deed.
Without limits on dominance, it could threaten all humanity, so it had to die anyway.
Kkiiiii-
One nearby egg burst with a pop, a small bug magic beast rising with a slimy body.
It looked identical to one of those that ambushed them earlier.
Clearly, all the bugs that attacked were born and raised here.
The newborns were connected to the mother by translucent threads, suggesting she could control her own offspring.
“What... do we do?”
“What do you mean?”
Arsen crushed a small crawling bug without hesitation.
After a crunching sound, the bug's cries stopped.
“Burst them all.”
The soldiers cheered, venting pent-up rage as they smashed the surrounding eggs.
Having nearly died, their stress was immense; they meticulously crushed even the innards, faces showing destructive pleasure.
The mages unleashed spells too, clearly harboring their own frustrations.
At this barbarity, the queen screeched again to stop the wicked humans.
Naturally, Arsen had no reason to allow it.
As he approached on Jin, the queen spat thick green liquid from her mouth.
“Oh.”
With no duty to take it, Arsen raised his left-hand shield to block the venom.
Pre-activated with a heating spell, the venom hissed and evaporated into smoke upon contact.
Worried about inhaling poison, Arsen held his breath briefly and swung the shield to fan away the smoke.
Then, the queen slowly leaned forward, prompting Arsen to step back warily.
Kkiiiii...
Surprisingly, realizing her attack failed, the queen adopted a begging posture.
Tilting her heavy body to lie down and bowing her head—it could only mean submission.
Unusual for magic beasts, typically low-intelligence and hyper-aggressive.
Bazkal beside him spoke in disbelief.
“Hah, is this thing begging for its life?”
“Probably.”
“Ridiculous. Does it think we'll really let it live?”
Unlike Bazkal's incredulity, Arsen pondered. Could he use it if spared? A bug magic beast army...
Tempted briefly, he shook it off.
Didn't those with such vain ambitions always trip over their own feet?
He felt instinctive revulsion at taming magic beasts, and above all, this 'queen' was too intelligent.
Leaving it alive would breed future trouble.
“As if.”
Without showing his deliberation, Arsen swung his longsword at the queen's neck.
■■■■■----!
Unlike her sluggish movements before, the queen dodged with unbelievable agility, roaring.
Her vitality matched her size; blue blood fountained from her neck, yet she showed no sign of dying.
‘Meant to sever the neck in one blow.’
The sensation of bone resisting lingered in his hand, leaving Arsen somewhat frustrated as he shook his sword.
Now the queen thrashed, shaking the ground.
Then Eloise spoke up.
“Want me to hit it with magic? I could take it down in one focused shot.”
“No, we'll handle it knight-style. Something might drop from something this size...”
Some large magic beasts dropped mana cores—spheres of condensed mana.
Used as Jin hearts, they were precious; in Belluan, their number equaled Jins.
Without one, no Jin could be completed, no matter the other parts.
Eloise's magic wasn't precise enough for destruction; damaging the core would be trouble.
“Bazkal, slice the legs and outer body slowly. Maroon Knight too. No magic.”
“Got it, bro!”
“Yes, Arsen Knight!”
The three knights combined strength to carve the queen from the outside in.
She wailed desperately, spraying venom amid fountaining blood, but Arsen's waiting heated shield near her head neutralized it.
Attempts to crush them by rolling failed; too slow for knights.
Mounted Arsen and Maroon on Jin, and Bazkal on his giant tiger, were far too nimble.
“Feels good!”
“Here this time, you bastard!”
Surprisingly in sync, Bazkal and Maroon bantered while dismembering her.
Arsen barely needed to intervene, save blocking venom.
Grooo...
Finally, after over two-thirds was carved away, the queen collapsed.
All three knights were drenched in her blue blood.
Arsen and Maroon's metal plate armor just changed color, but Bazkal's beast-leather and carapace armor was a gruesome sight.
“Damn, what smell... This blood won't rinse out!”
“I'll get you one when new armor comes.”
“Please do, bro!”
At Bazkal's deep bow, Arsen chuckled unwittingly.
Briefly, then he approached the head to finish it.
Her four eyes, half-lifeless, rolled desperately, seeking escape.
“Farewell.”
The earlier surprise dodge failed easily now; Arsen hooked his shield to Jin and gripped his sword two-handed.
Raised high, the downward strike loaded with strength, weight, and mana cleanly severed the neck bone.
More blood fountained from the stump.
“We won!”
“Congratulations on the victory!”
Rino echoed Bazkal's shout loudly.
Glancing around, the soldiers had smashed all the eggs.
“Good work, Rino.”
“No big deal! Just eggs.”
Encouraging Rino briefly, Arsen saw the mana enveloping the queen dissipate.
Between torso and belly, a brightly glowing sphere appeared.
Slicing it open revealed the mana core.
“Ooh, is that the mana core?”
“Yeah.”
* * *
Surfacing, the sun was gone; the green moon lit the world.
They camped beside a building with intact walls.
Naturally, Arsen's soldiers and Starry Rim's mages split across the campfire, but the mood was far milder than before.
Bonded from the day's underground battle.
Arsen pulled the bead from his bosom, holding it to the firelight.
Black fading to bright purple waves—clearly unnatural.
[What'll you use it for?]
To Eloise walking beside him, Arsen replied flatly.
[We'll see. Maybe make a new Jin...]
He trailed off, eyeing Bazkal opposite.
Bazkal whistled happily, petting his giant tiger mount.
[...Gotta think, but he seems satisfied with his mount.]
[Or I could try crafting a new artifact with it.]
[Later. No rush now.]
Arsen closed his eyes, pressing his eyelids.
Fatigue from repeated battles crashed in.
As coolness soothed them, he rose and approached Maroon resting nearby.
“Maroon Knight, got a moment?”
“Huh? Of course! What's up?”
“Need to talk to your elder about loot from the ruins and future plans. Thought you'd join.”
“Oh, about that...”
Maroon looked unexpectedly reluctant.
Like a kid hearing he must visit a scary grandpa in the countryside.
“Loot distribution and plans ahead.”
“We could just...”
“Do you have authority to decide and take responsibility?”
He swallowed the 'probably not.'
Surely even he understood that much.
Maroon groaned, tapping his head, then nodded.
“Understood...”