Six other bugs sprang out of the thicket and began tearing the slavers to pieces. The men didn’t even have the chance to scream. Their throats were slashed open within seconds, and as a froth of saliva and blood bubbled up from their mouths, the insects continued to ravage their bodies. In the chaos, a few drops of blood splattered onto Linnet’s face.
“Help...” One of them barely managed to raise his voice before his head was cleaved in two by an insectile scythe, leaving him only capable of convulsions.
“This can’t be real! I’ve never heard of monsters like this!” the slavers’ leader screamed. “It’s impossible! What are these things?!”
He turned to run, but another insect stood in his way. The monster rhythmically clicked its fangs, as though contemplating whether to rip the man to shreds or eat him alive. There was no trace of emotion in its multitude of hollow eyes.
“Eek! God, help me!” the man screamed, falling to his knees.
In response, the insect before him slowly raised a bloodstained scythe. The moment it swung down, the leader of the slavers would be met with death. He cowered on the ground like a death row inmate awaiting execution, and in this moment, the insect before him gave the striking impression of the grim reaper.
Then, in one swift stroke, he was knocked unconscious.
“Enough.” A girl’s sonorous voice filled the air.
“Are you sure, Your Majesty?”
“Yes. I’ll be needing him later for a little experiment.”
With that, the girl stepped out of the thicket and revealed herself.
“She’s so pretty...”
The girl was beautiful and clad in a dress worthy of royalty. She stood dignified despite the gore-spattered spectacle before her, soiled as it was with the blood and viscera of the slavers. Enchanted, Lysa forgot all about her terror and stared at the newcomer with awe.
“I have something to ask you,” the girl said. “Are you from the nearby village?”
“You know about the... Who are you?!”
Linnet hastily nocked an arrow, and the insects promptly poised themselves to attack. Their scythes at the ready, they gnashed their fangs as their stingers, dripping with lethal venom, vibrated expectantly. If Linnet were to make one wrong move, he would join the corpses of the slavers.
“You don’t need to be so cautious. I just saved your lives.”
“Are they...?”
“Yes, they’re my servants.”
Linnet looked up at the girl with unbelieving eyes. “Are you a witch?”
“No. I am...” The girl tossed her black hair before continuing, flanked by her army of blood-soaked insects.
“The Queen of the Arachnea.” She smiled as though she had told some joke only she understood. “Now then, it’s the first time in hours I’ve spoken to other people... Well, erm, someone who’s like another human being. I’ll ask again: are you from the nearby village? Or do you have nothing to do with it?”
“That’s right. We’re from Baumfetter,” Lysa said.
“Lysa!”
“Linnet, she just saved us. We should invite her to the village to thank her.” Ignoring Linnet’s shocked expression, Lysa continued, “We’ll show you the way to the village. Do your... bug friends have to come too?”
“The poor things get worried if I’m too far away, so I’ll have to take at least one of them along,” the queen replied.
“Then come with me, Your Majesty. It’s over that way.”
“Thank you.”
Lysa then set off to escort the queen to their village, with Linnet hurrying after them. But neither of the elves noticed the other insects dragging the body of the unconscious slaver into the trees... or the mysterious smile on the Arachnea queen’s lips.
♱
“Linnet! Lysa!”
“Where were you? We were worried about you two!”
I looked on as Linnet and Lysa entered the village the Ripper Swarm had found—Baumfetter Village—and were quickly surrounded by villagers.
“We went to the mountain to pick herbs. Oksana’s cold has been getting worse, right?”
“Children shouldn’t worry about things like that! Though I do appreciate the gesture.”
Linnet and Lysa had gone out to pick medicinal herbs that would help a sick villager. They were found by the slavers, who had been lying in wait for prey, and were chased all the way back to the forest. The villagers had noticed they were late coming home and panicked upon discovering that they were missing. It seemed they had just been discussing whether they should organize a search party to find them.
“Did anything happen to you two out there?”
“Well, we kind of ran into slave traders...”
“Slave traders?!” The villagers’ eyes widened. “And what happened?! You got away?!”
“Yeah, someone saved us. So, erm, we’d like to introduce her.” Linnet and Lysa exchanged glances.
“Yeah. She saved us. She says she’s the Queen of the Arachnea.”
On cue, I stepped out of the shadows.
“What... What is that monster?!”
“A monster?!”
The villagers’ gazes were not fixed on me, but rather on the Ripper Swarm behind me. It stood silently, but its grotesque appearance was likely a bit too... stimulating to those who weren’t used to it.
“Don’t worry, it won’t attack,” I said, trying to soothe the villagers. “He’s my faithful servant.”
“You can control this... this monster?” An old elf stepped forward from the crowd of the villagers. “Are you some manner of witch?”
“I’m not a witch, but the Arachnea’s queen. Have you ever heard of the Arachnea?”
“Arachnea? Is that the name of a kingdom? Where is it? I’ve lived a long time, but I’m afraid I’ve never heard of such a place.”
Just as I thought. The villagers don’t know about the Arachnea. If this was the game world, there’d be no way they hadn’t heard of the infamous, dreadful Arachnea. No matter how remotely you lived, or what faction you belonged to, or whether you were human or not. Everyone would know the name of the insect-like tidal wave that washed over nations and cities alike.
Not knowing of the Arachnea spelled death in the game world. That meant this world wasn’t the same as the game.
I’m sure of it now.
“Well then, Arachnea queen, we thank you for saving our children.”
“Don’t mention it. I just did what I wanted.”
The old elf lowered his head in gratitude, and the other villagers followed his example, but I waved it away. I saved those elves intentionally to curry favor with the villagers, after all, so their deep appreciation made me feel a bit guilty. I stepped into their fight for entirely selfish purposes; I hadn’t saved those kids out of the kindness of my heart.
I knew full well just how vile I really was.
“Actually, I wanted to strike a deal with your village,” I said, switching to the main topic. “Could you hear me out?”
“Don’t tell me you’re another slaver?”
“No, I’m not. I don’t need slaves. But what I do need is food.”
And just as I said it, my stomach raised its voice in grumpy complaint.
“Erm, I’d appreciate if you could spare me something to eat for now,” I told them, a blush creeping onto my cheeks.
♱
“Thank you, that was delicious.”
I placed my spoon on the table, concluding my meal. Baumfetter’s cuisine consisted mostly of mushrooms, vegetables, and beans. The flavor of the vegetables had soaked well into the soup, resulting in a very tasty dish. My being hungry may have added to it, though.
However, this presented a real problem.
“Don’t you eat meat?”
None of the dishes they’d served me had any meat in them. They were all vegetarian dishes, with soybeans as the source of protein. I don’t know anything about elven nutrition, but can soybeans really stand in for meat as a protein source? No, elven nutrition isn’t important right now. The problem runs a bit deeper than that.
“We can’t hunt during this season,” the elderly elf said apologetically. “We do have some dried meat, but...”
No meat, then.
I could produce Worker Swarms using mushrooms and greens, but I needed meat to generate any other kind of Swarm. I’d have to obtain meat if I wanted to increase my forces. No matter who I was going to war against, I would have to build up our numbers in order to grant the Swarm what they desired.
The collective consciousness informed me that the Swarm sought victory, even if the conditions I had to meet for that victory were completely and utterly unknown to me.
“I see. Plan B it is.”
I figured this might be the case once I’d discovered this was an elven village, so I had a backup plan in mind.
“Do those slavers always hang out around these parts?”
“Yes, they’re a serious problem for us,” answered the old elf. “They also work as poachers and constantly disturb the land around here.”
“Right. So it’s all right if I kill them, then?”
My question was a casual one, so as to not startle the village elder.
“Kill them?” His eyes widened.
“Yes. They’re causing trouble for your village, aren’t they?” I said. “I’d be more than happy to clear them out for you.”
“I see... So that’s the bargain you wish to strike with us.”
“That’s right. I’m glad you catch on quick.”
Essentially, I wanted to strike a deal with them where they would pay us for securing the area. If the area wasn’t safe, that would be convenient for us. I had made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. It was better for them to place themselves under our protection than to live in fear of their children being snatched away by slavers... that is, so long as they could accept the Swarms’ grotesque appearances.