Everything for the Princess
Everything for the princess. Having completely seized one of the major strongpoints, victory came without much difficulty. The security forces at the head of the column raised their large shields to form a solid wall and advanced inch by inch. Their physical abilities alone wouldn't have been enough to push back the swarming ants, but the North had fought monsters for a thousand years while defending humanity's territory. The impact magic embedded in the shields drove the ants back, while energy bolt spells fired from the spears of the security forces in the rear lines.
Huh? Why is there suddenly sci-fi in a medieval fantasy? Highly advanced magic is indistinguishable from science. In some ways it's even more developed than the science of my previous life, which is why magic in this world can never be underestimated. Humanity has always accelerated its technology through war, and the North has been locked in constant conflict for a full millennium.
Thanks to their efforts, the barrage of area-of-effect magic raining down from the hill, and the overwhelmingly effective living bait, the subjugation force achieved the impressive feat of exterminating thousands of War Ants. They didn't let victory go to their heads and immediately began reorganizing. If a queen was present on the other side, the numbers of disposable troops would swell again in no time. Besides, not a single high-ranking specimen had appeared in the previous battle. The War Ant colony had lost thousands of soldiers, but their real combat strength remained untouched. On top of that, our side was exhausted from fighting until just moments ago. Attacking the nest now would mean going in at a disadvantage, so the subjugation force chose to rest and wait for reinforcements. Several days had passed since the official force was assembled, so support units who had heard the news should be arriving soon.
As expected, less than thirty minutes after we began resting, an army appeared along the road.
"Oh. Here they come."
"Look at those numbers. Easily over a thousand."
"Looks like adventurers from other cities joined in too?"
Dozens of knights approached at the front, accompanied by standard-bearers proudly holding the flags of their respective houses. Their appearances perfectly matched the knightly orders they belonged to. Upon seeing the mountain of corpses piled across the plain, they wore expressions of pure disgust. Or more accurately, they looked utterly fed up.
"This damn emergency summons keeps happening just when you start to forget about it."
"Can't be helped. If you hate it that much, go exterminate every last monster."
"But they keep pouring out no matter how many we kill. What are we supposed to do?"
"Then you go out every single time the summons is issued."
In the North, it was fairly common for multiple noble families to ally and form subjugation forces. The mandatory participation criteria for emergency summons usually applied to houses bordering the affected region. Even though it only required covering nearby territories, summons came three or four times a year. In the worst areas, they fell as often as seven times in a single month. No wonder the sight of thousands of ant corpses barely moved them. Veteran knights had witnessed scenes like this well over a hundred times.
The knight serving as temporary commander of the reinforcements stood before Rohan and gave a crisp salute, thumping his chest with a gauntleted fist.
"One thousand men from the seventeen families near the Edenberg Countship. We have answered the summons in accordance with the Northern Pact."
"The Northern Church Union has also arrived with two hundred and fifty brothers after receiving the support request."
"The Adventurers Guild has brought three hundred warriors as well."
"I thank you all for your support. With such reliable warriors joining us, conquering the nest should no longer be difficult."
A total of one thousand five hundred and fifty warriors. The fact that every single one of them possessed strength at the mana user level or higher was frankly terrifying, but in the North this was simply everyday reality. No one batted an eye. Instead, the attention of the existing subjugation force wasn't on the thousand-plus reinforcements, but on one particular individual.
"Wow~ Having this many heated gazes focused on me is burdensome even for someone like me."
A man with black hair and distinctive narrow eyes. He appeared endlessly carefree at first glance, yet an inexplicable sense of danger hung around him. He had a way of making people instinctively certain that bothering him carelessly would end badly. The man surveyed the battlefield with light steps.
Rohan and Clorin watched him with folded arms.
"That man is Owen, the Gold-class adventurer who represents Edenberg."
"This is my first time seeing him in person."
Clorin's eyes sparkled with interest at Rohan's explanation. She had heard he operated out of Edenberg, but opportunities to actually meet were rare. Knights spent most of their time on the front lines, while adventurers traveled across the North for quests. The relatively less experienced Clorin fixed her gaze on the Gold-class adventurer she had only encountered a handful of times in her life.
"So he's the Gold-class adventurer known as the North's military might."
Iron-class adventurers were still immature fighters. Though talented, they couldn't manifest aura and their role wasn't much different from the security forces. Bronze-class adventurers were officially recognized warriors. They could manifest aura or possessed equivalent power, subjugating monsters alone or in parties to maintain the North's security. Silver-class adventurers were veterans and elites. At that level, single-handedly slaughtering dozens of monsters was easy. Records showed they could withstand anti-monster ballistae and even flatten small hills.
And then there were the long-awaited Gold-class adventurers. Excluding the seven living legends known as Master-class adventurers and high nobles of Count rank or above, few beings in the North could defeat one. Each was a powerhouse capable of facing an army alone, a hero who could capture a fortress single-handedly. Even the fiercely competitive people of the North couldn't help but feel admiration at the appearance of such a figure.
The hero in question, however, was mingling among the adventurers and cracking jokes in a manner completely at odds with his reputation.
"I heard what happened. You put on quite the show."
"It was nothing special. I simply made full use of the abilities I possess."
"Knowing your own limits is extremely important. Surprisingly, many people fail to understand that."
I smiled awkwardly at Owen's smiling compliment. It was true I had achieved a decent military exploit, but hearing praise from a Gold-class adventurer felt strangely surreal. Thanks to securing the hill, we could pour area-of-effect magic and wipe out sixty percent of the ants from our side. But if Owen had taken the field, he would have casually cleaned them up alone, magic or not.
Owen, reading my expression, smiled softly.
"You can be confident. The performance you showed, Mr. Argo, was the absolute best possible at that level."
"Thank you for the kind words."
As expected, he possessed a wonderful character that didn't match his scheming appearance. His gentle tone made me unconsciously relax and regain my confidence.
Owen, watching me with satisfaction, glanced around and twitched his nose.
"By the way, I've been wondering since I arrived here."
He seemed to be sniffing for something. When he found it, an enigmatic smile spread across his face. Just as I possessed animal affinity in addition to my mysteries, Owen had a unique talent related to scent.
"It seems it wasn't my imagination after all."
"What do you mean?"
"There's a familiar smell. The kind you only encounter on the front lines."
The front lines. Even during my guild employee days, it was a place surrounded by countless rumors. The adventurers' expressions turned odd at Owen's words. He had frequently traveled to the front lines to provide support on the guild's behalf.
"If it's the front lines..."
"Are you saying there's a monster from the front lines here?"
"It appears one has drifted down from that direction."
The front lines weren't some impenetrable Great Wall; they simply blocked key points through which monsters could descend from the north. It wasn't unusual for the occasional monster to slip through. Since Edenberg was geographically close to the front lines, it was even less surprising.
Owen smiled as he gazed toward the War Ant colony.
"I heard a War Ant colony on the front lines was recently destroyed by monsters. This situation just became far more interesting than I expected."
I looked in the same direction. Just as he said, this affair seemed likely to unfold in a much more interesting way than anticipated.
In the heart of a dense forest stood a massive mountain. Countless War Ants poured from the holes piercing its slopes. Just the ones visible on the surface numbered in the thousands. Inside the mountain existed an ant nest transformed into another dimension. Powerful monsters could dominate and command nature. The War Ant colony had created this otherworldly space through the influence of a single ant's dominance over the nest.
This ant nest could maintain its form even through earthquakes or magical collapse of the surrounding earth. It possessed various other effects as well, but because the nest had been hastily constructed, it hadn't fully dominated the area. Only the form stabilization function was active.
"Not enough."
The ant who had created the other dimension watched the busy workers with black eyes.
"Not enough. Insufficient. Still. Preparations. Are lacking."
Though he spoke haltingly, the words from the ant's mouth were precise continental common tongue. The insectoid, whose form was close to that of the higher insect people, scattered pheromones to urge the ants onward, clearly displeased by something. The ants influenced by his pheromones moved even faster. A few collapsed from exhaustion, unable to endure the harsh labor, but the insectoid paid them no mind. They would disappear along with the nest today anyway.
A slender finger slipped between the arms of the cold-hearted insectoid. The warm body temperature radiating from the small hand caused the insectoid's intense demeanor to melt away like snow.
"Zeno. What are you doing here?"
"Preparing. A plan. For the princess."
"A plan? What kind of plan?"
"Naturally. It is a plan. For the princess's. Survival."
Zeno, whose entire body was covered in wounds, looked at the princess beside him. Her appearance was so human-like it was hard to believe she was an ant. She had the form of a beautiful girl whose looks stirred an overwhelming protective instinct the longer one gazed upon her. After extensive research, she had been born in the ideal form that humans would adore. She was the previous queen's masterpiece and a great being who would ensure the colony prospered for eternity.
Zeno quietly shuddered at the potential that allowed her, who was merely a princess, to give birth to tens of thousands of War Ants. He knelt.
"The princess. Must blend into. Human. Society. From now on."
"Why?"
"Because. They are. Stronger. Than us."
If you cannot avoid them, join them. It was the method the previous queen had devised after thousands of years of fierce territorial warfare. Although the nest had been destroyed before proper preparations could be completed, things were proceeding surprisingly smoothly considering they had descended in haste to carry out the plan. At this point, it was essentially finished.
"The queen. Would have been. Delighted. If she could see this."
Recalling the previous queen who had been closer to an anomaly than any other, Zeno acknowledged one thing she had said.
"Human. Society. Is very. Fragile."
"Fragile? In what way?"
"They. Treasure. Their young. And. Raise them. With great care."
To Zeno the ant, it was an incomprehensible fragility. Yet humans were powerful enough to afford such weakness. He didn't understand why they diligently raised young that were little more than consumables, but their habits could certainly be exploited. From their perspective, it was advantageous.
"From now on. The princess. Is a. Human. Child."
"A human child?"
"Your name. Is Adela. It means. Noble. And elegant."
Compared to the dangerous wilds, the human domain was practically paradise. There, they could buy time for their princess to grow into a queen. Furthermore, if the queen's plan succeeded, they would instead be able to make use of the humans' power. Zeno's body trembled as he recalled the human group settled at the northern edge. Their strength was so overwhelming that merely imagining it filled him with fear.
"Kiiik!"
Just then, news arrived from the ants sent to the front lines that a human force was approaching. Zeno gently stroked Adela's head.
"Grow strong. Prosper. Gather genes. And reinforce the colony."
Everything for the princess. And for the survival of their species. For that purpose, he could discard thousands of his kin with a smile. Even if he himself was among those sacrificed.