"My Lord, that’s a High Level Beast Core." Seeing the object in Count Valentine’s hand, the Clerk immediately came scurrying over to sing his praises.
"Yes. The Spider Queen is dead. Have your men prepare to transport the Giant Spider’s corpse and display it throughout the domain. Once the Queen Bee is killed, we’ll take both bodies to Plantagenet City." Valentine glanced toward the entrance of a nearby tunnel. There was still no definitive news from that front.
"Of course, my Lord. I’ll see to it at once." As promised, the Clerk immediately went to give the soldiers their orders.
’One Beast Core will go to the Third Prince; the other we’ll keep for ourselves.’ Valentine frowned, staring at the crystal in his hand as he replayed the events of the past several days. He had paid a heavy price in men and material for these two Beast Cores. Countless soldiers and Knights had died, and he had even lost his own heir. The mere thought of Philip’s death still filled him with a furious hatred for the Storm Brotherhood and that vile Warlock. He was also consumed by regret. ’Why didn’t I stop Philip from going to the Relic in the first place?’
’Still, I’ve finally established a connection with the Third Prince. If chaos erupts in the Fran Kingdom, I can dispatch troops in the Prince’s name, attack Kaiyude’s territory, and march straight for Torch City. That old bastard... daring to send a letter mocking me. When the time comes, I’ll make the first move and crush him.’
An action like that would not be bound by the laws of the Kingdom’s nobility. Moreover, it held the promise of a promotion to Duke—or perhaps even Elector.
’The price was just too high... but everything has a price.’ Valentine reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. ’This is for the best, though. I’ve solved all the forest’s problems at once. If we go to war next year, the homefront will be secure, at the very least.’
He had always feared that launching a military campaign would stir up trouble in the Nightmare Forest—Magical Beasts attacking his people, goblins causing a nuisance, or even a full-blown monster rampage. That was why he had tolerated the Storm Brotherhood in the first place. But now, he had successfully wiped out those goblins and cleared out these giant monsters. ’This is good. For the next year, there shouldn’t be any major trouble in the forest. I can finally focus on matters within the Kingdom.’
Clutching the Beast Core, Valentine turned and walked out of the stone chamber. The grass outside was lined with the bodies of his soldiers. Most had been killed by the Giant Beasts; a few, by the vile Warlock.
Looking at the bodies covered in white sheets, he felt a momentary pang. The death stipends would be another huge expense. If these men had died conquering Kaiyude’s lands, he could have granted their families plots of land instead of coin. But now, with no spare territory to give, he had no choice but to begrudgingly part with a fortune.
’These sacrifices were all worth it,’ Valentine muttered to himself. In the distance, soldiers were already loading the monster corpses onto carts, preparing to haul them out of the forest. Valentine could picture the stunned faces of his subjects when they saw the massive carcasses. ’The domain will be more peaceful now.’
"My Lord, your orders have been passed down," the Clerk said, bowing obsequiously as he approached the Count.
"After a while, I need you to go to Plantagenet City. Find someone and ask..." Valentine’s gaze was calm as he scanned the bodies on the ground, slowly searching for Philip. "...what ingredients are needed for a Secret Medicine that slows aging. Spend what you must. Have that High Level Beast Core made into medicine and bring it back to me."
The Clerk glanced around before nodding and whispering, "Of course, my Lord. I will ensure it is done."
The Fran Kingdom cracked down on Beast Core smuggling, but the creation of Secret Medicine was a different matter. One policy was to prevent the lower classes from acquiring high-grade materials and growing powerful too quickly; the other existed because the nobles themselves had a demand for it.
"Once this is all over, calculate the total cost of the death stipends and report to me immediately," Valentine said. He lifted a white sheet, confirmed it wasn’t Philip’s face, and let it fall again. ’I suppose it’s time to raise taxes on the merchant guilds.’
"Yes, my Lord." The Clerk bowed.
"Philip..." Valentine lifted another white sheet. Seeing the body beneath it, he clapped a hand over his mouth and began to tremble. The Clerk rushed forward to steady him.
"Quickly, you two, over here!" he hissed. A few soldiers ran over to help hold Valentine up.
"I’ll kill them. I’ll kill them all," Valentine snarled. "Those bastards from the Storm Brotherhood... they even stole my son’s Armor and weapon."
He shot the Clerk a venomous look. "Issue my command. Search the entire domain for any equipment bearing a black lion emblem, or anything else connected to the Count’s Mansion. If you find anything, interrogate the owner immediately."
"Yes, my Lord."
...
"You will be able to live in peace now," Shire said with a smile, stroking the Ant Queen’s antennae.
"Truly, goblin?" The Ant Queen’s voice was laced with disbelief, but more than that, it was faint with weakness.
"The Spider Queen and Queen Bee will be dead within a couple of days. After that, I’ll bring some others back here to clean up any remaining Giant Spiders and Burrow Bees that escaped." Shire pulled a small piece of hardened honey from his pocket and offered it to the Ant Queen.
"No, I no longer have need of that." The Ant Queen refused the sweet. She looked at the goblin before her and pressed her antenna to his forehead. "How did you accomplish this? The price you paid must have been immense."
"Er, it wasn’t so bad," Shire said, scratching his cheek. ’I can’t very well tell her it just took a few Hand Grenade Fruits, some Blazing Fire Glue, and five Stinky Eggs.’
"Thank you for all you have done for the Ant Race. We have fought against them for so long... I have lost count of how many Ant Queens came before me, yet we could never find peace. In fact, the greed of those two races only grew. But now, you have solved our problem." The Ant Queen seemed to smile. "I cannot know what price you paid, but it surely was not small. From this day forward, the Ant Race will forever heed your commands."
"No, I was only fulfilling my promise. Besides, helping you helps me as well," Shire said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
As they spoke, several Worker Ants carried a white, juvenile ant before Shire. The youngling seemed to have been born only recently and was still weak. Its legs scrabbled at the ground, and after a moment of struggle, it flopped back down with a soft THUD. Its large, dark eyes shifted from the Ant Queen to Shire, filled with curiosity.
Shire gazed at the young ant, which glowed faintly like white jade. He found himself utterly captivated.
The Ant Queen watched the goblin stroking the young ant, her own antennae gently caressing the little one. "This is our future, our new Ant Queen. My life is nearing its end. She will take my place as leader of our people."
"You..." Shire looked up at the Ant Queen, shocked by what sounded like her last words.
"I was only able to hold on this long thanks to the honey you brought. It truly restored a great deal of my strength, but all life must eventually come to an end," the Ant Queen said slowly, her voice devoid of sadness. "My body will become nourishment for the Worker Ants and the new Queen. She will grow faster and dedicate her strength to the Ant Race. This is our way. Our destiny."
"Everything for survival," Shire murmured, gazing at the old Ant Queen. Her antennae swayed faintly; it seemed she barely had the strength left to move them at all.
"Thank you, goblin." With a final effort, the Ant Queen reached out her antenna and pressed it against Shire’s forehead. "The Ant Race will never forget your aid."
With that said, the Ant Queen’s antennae drooped, slowly coming to a rest. Her massive, perpetually twitching abdomen grew still.
Shire gazed at the giant, lifeless creature before him and sighed. He placed a hand over his chest and bowed deeply. "My respects to you, a great mother."
As he was bowed, however, he felt something touch the top of his head. Shire looked up. It was the little, jade-white Ant Queen.
"Hero." Shire heard her voice. He smiled, understanding the old Ant Queen’s final wish. ’Is this her way of entrusting her child to me?’
He stroked the little one, wondering when she would be able to start laying eggs. ’At least she’ll be able to grow up in peace,’ he thought.
’The Giant Spiders and Giant Bees have been dealt with, and it’s weakened that old fox Valentine in the process. I should be able to get through the coming winter peacefully.’ Shire gently teased the Little Ant Queen. ’And next year, when Valentine is completely preoccupied with the internal struggles of the Fran Kingdom, it will be the perfect opportunity for the goblin Race to grow.’
"You need to grow up fast. I’m going to need your help," Shire said, taking out the piece of hardened honey and offering it to the Little Ant Queen.
Then, he set down the jade-like young ant and turned to watch the Worker Ants busily surrounding the massive corpse. Limbs as large as small hills were being dismantled in an orderly fashion, carried away piece by piece in the workers’ mandibles to countless tunnels. The entire process was precise and efficient. The Underground Kingdom was a hive of activity, the only sound the soft rustle of thousands of marching ants.
’The continuation of life... so cold, yet so magnificent.’
Just then, his focus shifted, and he noticed a change had appeared on his status panel.
[Tombstone Artifacts: Shire Merlot]
[Race: Goblin (Human)]
[Danger Level: 0.5, Trash]
[Subordinates: 145/159]
[Personality: ???]
[Own State: Advanced Transformation Curse (Negative), Heart of the Brave (Positive, Recovering), Mother Tree’s Blessing (Positive), Blessing of the God of Earth and Life (Positive), Newborn Ant Queen (Positive, Growing)]
[Title: Leader of the Thriving Forest Community]
"Huh?" Shire stared, stunned, at the new status effect that had appeared.
[Newborn Ant Queen: You have witnessed the changing of the guard for an entire race. They regard you as their Hero and benefactor, but their new Clan Leader is still growing. You must wait patiently. On the day the Ant Queen reaches maturity, you will receive her gratitude.]
’It’s not active yet?’ Shire frowned. ’I wonder what effect it will have. Will it be like the Mother Tree’s Blessing and the Heart of the Brave?’
He pulled another piece of hardened honey from his pocket and gave it to the Little Ant Queen.
’Grow up fast.’
...
"Master, please, let me explain," Ghost Scarface pleaded, kneeling on the ground and trembling uncontrollably.
Elma, standing before him, gave a cold sneer and raised her left hand. The mole in the webbing between her thumb and index finger began to glow once more.
"Do you have any idea what the price for this is?"