Her Majesty’s Swarm - Volume 1 - Chapter 5

The Elf Village’s Tragedy 

Six months had passed since we started trading with Baumfetter in exchange for their security. The number of slavers and poachers had diminished considerably. Apparently, they had realized this was a forest of death. But that meant we were gradually losing a source of precious meat. 

Still, my force of Ripper Swarms had grown to numbers that made attacking another country possible. Had this been the game, I would have been ready to rush an enemy base right about now. Except I had no idea who I was supposed to attack in this world. Thousands of Ripper Swarms were an excessive force if all I was up against was groups of poachers. 

Now that things had calmed down, I only had five or six Ripper Swarms patrolling Baumfetter, and that was more than enough to handle any slavers harassing the elves. Deploying a larger number for no reason would simply frighten the denizens of the village, and it ran the risk of my Swarms being spotted by benevolent humans who did their work in the forest. 

“It’s so peaceful.” 

Despite being part of a dangerous, aggressive race like the Arachnea, I enjoyed peace. The stew the people of Baumfetter served me was always tasty, and through selling the Worker Swarms’ dresses, I could obtain meat. That said, the demand for the dresses was gradually decreasing because of the excessive supply. 

“Your Majesty, shouldn’t we go on the offensive?” Sérignan asked me. 

“Who would we attack, though?” I asked back. 

“Hmm. Let us attack the town of Leen. In doing so, we would obtain all that they have. We would do well to work on our research.” 

In the game, research unlocked new units and structures. Research required gold and souls, though different types of research required different amounts and varieties of resources. Developing new units required souls, while new structures required gold. Some factions were exceptions, though; those who used golems needed gold to unlock those units, and ghost-type factions used souls to unlock their structures. 

We had gained quite a healthy stock of souls, which allowed us to unlock newer units, but we hadn’t yet gotten around to unlocking structures. 

“I just don’t like the idea of attacking Leen for no reason. We’re using them for trade, so they’ve been useful to us.” 

We used Leen to cash in the Worker Swarms’ dresses and periodically stock up on meat. I didn’t know where we’d go to trade those things if we razed Leen to the ground. 

“Once we destroy Leen, we can assail the Kingdom of Maluk. That would settle all our problems, for we would obtain meat, souls, and gold.” 

What Sérignan was suggesting might have been ruthless, but it was logical nonetheless. The Arachnea wasn’t a faction that employed trade. It thrived on pillaging, pillaging, and more pillaging until there was nothing left to take. In making the Arachnea dependent on trade, I was using it in a way it was never meant to be used. 

A true Arachnea player was as merciless as possible, unflinchingly wiping out the enemy and using their flesh and souls to further fuel her unholy crusade. 

“You’re right. We should consider a plunder economy.” 

As the Queen of the Arachnea, I had promised to lead them to victory. Hiding in the comfort of our tunnels and hunting stragglers down like we were fairy-tale forest monsters wasn’t becoming of us, and it didn’t bring us any closer to fulfilling our aspirations. 

If we wanted to win, we would have to stain our hands with blood. 

“Your Majesty.” A voice suddenly called for me from the collective consciousness. 

“What is it?” 

“We’ve detected a large force marching toward Baumfetter. They are not poachers or slavers. It’s a well-armed, highly trained force. What should we do?” 

“What...? Do you mean an army?” 

An army indeed, but from where? 

“They carry what appears to be the banner of the Kingdom of Maluk,” the Ripper Swarm scout replied. “They will reach Baumfetter shortly. Your orders, Your Majesty?” 

“Intercept them for as long as you can.” 

“Acknowledged.” 

That Ripper Swarm would likely die. A single Ripper Swarm was no match for an organized army, and even if we hurried, we wouldn’t make it to Baumfetter in time. 

“At least now we have pretense to open hostilities.” 

The Swarm’s spirit is definitely alive within me. 

“Humans! Humans are coming!” 

“They’re knights, not poachers or slavers!” 

Knights were marching into Baumfetter from all directions. Their plate armor and shields deflected the elves’ arrows. 

“Look! The Arachnea queen’s servants are here!” 

Just as the situation in Baumfetter was turning critical, two Ripper Swarms rushed into the fray, engaging the knights in battle. Their scythes penetrated the shields and armor, cutting into the knights’ flesh and spilling their blood. 

“Ooh!” 

However, the knights barely flinched at the Swarms’ attacks. One knight drove his sword into a Ripper Swarm that had crunched down on his arm, causing it to fly off and curl up as it entered its death throes. He then had another knight—an apparent sorcerer—heal his wounds. 

“Damned monsters!” the knight spat before resuming his march. “The rumors were true. There really is a witch here.” 

“Go, go, go! Destroy the heretics’ roost!” 

Cavaliers appeared from the forest, stabbing the elven archers with lances. The infantry also moved forward, standing in a line as they shot a flurry of flaming arrows into the elven village. Screams rose from the settlement as elves fled the buildings and houses that had caught fire. They were non-combatants: women, children, the sick, and the elderly. 

The elves who could fight aimed their arrows at the gaps in the knights’ helmets, but young Linnet wasn’t capable of such a feat. He simply fired arrows at random, just barely keeping the knights’ progress at bay. It wouldn’t have been a surprise if he were suddenly told to run. 

“Linnet!” 

“Lysa?! What are you doing here?!” 

Linnet was fighting desperately to protect the elder’s house when Lysa ran over to him. 

“The fire is everywhere! Linnet, we have to run!” Lysa begged him, struggling to catch her breath. “If we go where the trees are thickest, their horses won’t be able to follow us!” 

“But I have to protect the village!” Linnet violently shook his head. “If we abandon this place, where will we go? Besides, it’s not just these knights in the forest! There are dangerous monsters out there too!” 

“But if we stay here, they’ll kill us!” 

“You might be right, but we have to try!” 

Linnet wanted to protect his village, while Lysa wanted him to be safe. The chances of either of their wishes coming true were decidedly slim. The elves were being completely overwhelmed by the knights. Walls of flame blocked their escape routes, and the infantry were gradually surrounding them. The cavalry were galloping through the village, hungrily seeking new victims. 

“Gah!” 

Another elf fell, tumbling to the ground as one of the soldiers fired an arrow right through him. The enemy’s archers may have been inferior to the elves, but they were skilled enough to hit their targets’ vitals with deadly accuracy. 

“Urgh...” 

“Azlet’s down too! Can you still fight?” 

Only three elves capable of fighting remained, Linnet included. 

“Slaughter the long-eared heretics! Charge!” 

Another group of heavily-armed knights charged them, intending to finish off the few elves that could still fight and then kill the ones hiding in the elder’s house. 

“Dammit all! Is this really the end?!” 

Linnet’s life had been saved once before. He had managed to escape the clutches of slavers. And yet now his hometown was being put to the torch, his friends and loved ones slaughtered before his eyes. Why does such a terrible thing have to happen? Does God really not exist in this world? 

But just as that thought crossed Linnet’s mind... 

“That’s enough.” A woman’s dignified voice echoed throughout the burning village. 

“What the...?” 

“A girl?” 

The soldiers turned around suspiciously, their eyes falling on a single girl clad in a beautiful dress. Her black hair fluttered around her like a dark halo, boldly contrasting with the surging flames behind her. 

“An ally of the elves?” 

“Looks like it. Archers!” 

The knights aimed their arrows at the girl and fired at once. The arrows zoomed through the air, whistling as they cut through the wind on their way toward the girl’s chest... only they never met their mark. 

“You shan’t lay a hand on Her Majesty. On my honor as a knight, I will never allow it.” 

The arrows flying toward the girl—the Arachnea’s queen—were flicked out of the air by Sérignan’s sword. She stepped forward, her Swarm half on full display, and stood before the queen to guard her. 

“Another monster!” 

“Kill them! In the name of the God of Light!” 

The knights turned the tips of their blades away from the elves and in the direction of the Arachnea’s queen. 

“Too naive. You’re pathetic,” the queen said, her lips curling upward in a sneer. “You thought you could beat me with those numbers?” 

She cleared her throat, and declared in a resonant voice: 

“Tear them to bits, my servants.” 

Not a moment later, Ripper Swarms exploded from the trees. But it wasn’t just a handful of them. Tens of thousands of Ripper Swarms spilled out of the forest. The ones who had remained in the tunnels until now. The ones made from feasting on the flesh they bought from Leen, from the poachers’ and slavers’ corpses, from the bodies of the Lisitsa Familia. The never-ending banquet of flesh had compounded their numbers. Clicking their jaws menacingly, they surrounded the knights. 

“Know the strength and terror of the Arachnea,” said the queen. 

And with that as their signal, the Ripper Swarms surged forward. 

“Blast, where did they get these numbers?!” 

“Cavalry! Cover for us!” 

Faced with an army of Ripper Swarms large enough to cover the whole area, the knights were in a state of panic. Surrounded on all sides, they huddled together in a defensive formation in an attempt to push them back. 

For the Ripper Swarms, however, these men were but spoils to be plundered. 

The cavalry that had oppressively circled the village were the first to fall. Each cavalier was engaged by three or four Ripper Swarms that bit into their limbs and dragged them down from the horses. The men’s bodies were stabbed with scythes, their throats penetrated by fangs. Those who died on the spot were fortunate. Those who were unlucky enough to avoid fatal blows were dissected alive by the Swarm. 

“Form a circle! Hurry up!” shouted a man who looked to be the knights’ leader. “The Knights of Saint Augustine will not fall prey to such beasts!” 

“Captain! We must summon the Angel! If we don’t, we’ll be wiped out!” one of the subordinate knights cried ominously. 

“Ngh... I can’t believe we have to summon the Angel for something like this!” The captain clenched his jaw in frustration, but then quickly started chanting, “Servant of the God of Light who resides in the heavens, I beseech you to descend before us, Angel Agaphiel!” 

Once he finished his chant, an angel descended onto the village. She was a majestic girl with white wings and clad in a white fluttering robe—truly worthy of being called an angel. She descended from the heavens and landed lightly on the ground, her eyes closed. Her face bore a cold, mask-like expression. 

“Children of man. Do you seek salvation?” the angel’s voice echoed in the minds of everyone present. 

“We seek salvation. We beg of you, put these vile monsters to death!” the captain exclaimed. 

“Very well. They are without a doubt beings of a malevolent nature. Incarnations of evil that stand in offense of all that is good.” 

With that, the angel lifted one hand, unleashing a blast of blinding light. The Ripper Swarms hit by the blast evaporated without a trace. The remaining Ripper Swarms unflinchingly continued their assault on the circle of knights, but Agaphiel continued to vaporize them. At this rate, they’d be wiped out, no matter how many of them there were. 

The angel Agaphiel. A servant of the God of Light worshipped by these knights, able to manipulate light as a subject of faith. The knights’ guardian angel was exceptionally suited for battle. 

Her appearance made it clear that the holy knights of the Kingdom of Maluk made use of these sorts of units. They protected the Kingdom from invasion by neighboring countries and enabled it to rule over this region in a sort of hegemony. 

No matter how well-armed a country’s soldiers might have been, no matter how great their strongholds, they were all too brittle to withstand an attack from an angel like Agaphiel. In this world, angels were a symbol of power that could not be opposed. 

Until now, that is. 

“Oh, they’ve got an annoying one on their side,” said the Arachnea’s queen. “Sérignan, can you handle her?” 

“Leave it to me, Your Majesty,” Sérignan answered with a smile. 

It was a smile of one confident in her victory. A savage, delighted smile. 

“Come at me, you pitiful flies. I shall carve the weight of your helplessness into your flesh as I cut you down.” 

As Sérignan said that, she was charged by all the knights at once. Sérignan leapt toward Agaphiel, who held up a hand to shoot her down, but twisted her body in midair to avoid the attack. Another blast of light came her way, which Sérignan avoided by firing a string to reel herself back toward a tree, and then kicked against it to continue her assault on Agaphiel. 

And then Agaphiel entered the range of Sérignan’s sword. 

“Haaah!” Sérignan swung her crimson sword, slashing into Agaphiel. But it was no mere laceration. 

She severed Agaphiel’s head completely. 

“Aaagh...” 

The angel did not bleed, but instead burst into particles of light, which soon disappeared. 

“What...?” 

The match was decided in the blink of an eye, leaving the knights aghast. 

A moment. A moment was all it took. 

The angel, their symbol of absolute power, had been cut down and destroyed with a single sweep of the blade. The only forces able to defeat angels were other angels, or an army tens of thousands of times larger than the angel’s. 

But the insectile knight before them had cut the angel down, overwhelming this indomitable icon of strength with mere swordplay. 

They shivered in unison. The angel who once struck terror into the hearts of all who saw her had been taken down with a single blow. 

“The way you cut down the angel was lovely, Sérignan,” the queen said, visibly impressed. 

“My blade is a sacred sword, meant to cut through the holy powers held by corrupt paladins.” Sérignan had a hint of pride in her voice. “If an opponent tries to do Your Majesty harm, be they angel or god, your knight will cut them down.” 

“Let’s mop up the rest of them, then.” The queen turned her gaze to the knights, who shuddered in fright. 

“I can’t believe it... Agaphiel...” 

“We’re done for...” 

The realization had sunk in that they were no longer hunters—they were now prey. 

“Ripper Swarms. Leave no one alive.” 

At the queen’s order, the Ripper Swarms moved in as one, tightening their circle around the knights. Each knight was attacked by anywhere between four to seven Ripper Swarms, leaving them with no hope of survival. 

Heads were lopped off. Hearts were pierced through armor. Limbs were torn from trunks and torsos. One by one, the knights died in gruesome fashion. Rushing at them in waves, the Ripper Swarms tore their enemies apart, leaving only a mountain of corpses in their wake. 

“Good work.” Once it was all over, the Arachnea’s queen bid the Ripper Swarms to carry the corpses off. Naturally, these would go on to become materials for new Swarms. 

“Now, let’s hear what happened. I’m pretty pissed right now, I must say,” the queen huffed as she made her way to the elder’s house. 

“It’s all right now. I’ve wiped out the enemy,” I said, stepping into the elder’s house. 

“Oh... All right,” said one of the few remaining elven warriors. They all seemed bewildered. “That was some incredible power. The Knights of Saint Augustine are some of the finest warriors on the continent, yet you defeated them all.” 

“Someone, please help! Linnet was shot!” 

Not a moment after I had announced my victory, Lysa raised her voice, asking for help. Linnet had been shot by one of those wretched knights’ archers... and through the chest, at that. He was just barely breathing, and bloody froth was erupting from his mouth whenever he sputtered. At this rate, it didn’t seem as though there was any hope of saving him. He was going to die. 

“Lysa, it’s too late,” someone murmured. “There’s no saving him.” 

“No! Why...? Why?!” 

“Ly...sa...” 

“Linnet! Please, hang on!” Lysa begged him even as he gasped for air. 

“Live on... and be happy...” 

“Linnet, Wait! Linnet! Don’t go!” 

There was nothing to be done, and I found it absolutely infuriating. An angel had answered the knights’ call, but no one heeded Lysa’s desperate cries. 

And just like that, Linnet passed on. 

The doll dangling from Linnet’s belt was stained red with blood. As it turned out, the charm had done nothing to save him. 

I was beside myself with anger. How was it that the accursed angel had been permitted to exist, and yet this charm couldn’t save a single child? 

There was no mincing words, here; I was pissed. Angels? Knights? As if. They’re murderers, and no less monstrous than the Arachnea. It’s Linnet who deserved God’s grace here. 

“You were so brave, Linnet,” I whispered to his still form. “I don’t know if we would’ve made it in time if it hadn’t been for you. You were a true warrior, and may you rest in peace.” 

Those were my true feelings, as honest as my fury. I had saved Linnet once, and he’d been kind and friendly to me since. Sure, he’d had his initial doubts and apprehensions about me, and he had tried to put up a tough front. But at his core, he was a kind and gentle boy. A boy whose life had been taken far too soon by a band of thugs masquerading as knights. 

Lysa wept at his side. She had loved Linnet, but that flicker of innocent love had been mercilessly, tragically stomped out. Watching her bury her face into Linnet’s body and cry broke my heart. 

At the same time, my heart harbored a little relief among the waves of sorrow. The grief and anger I was feeling served as proof that my humanity had not yet been completely swallowed up by the Swarm’s collective consciousness. I understood full well that if it had, these precious emotions would be absent and unfelt. 

“I’d like to speak to the elder. Is he still alive?” 

“Yes, he’s fine. He should be further in.” 

The elven soldiers moved to clear a way for Sérignan and me. I walked on with a heavy heart. 

“It’s the Arachnea’s queen!” 

It seemed that many of the elves had taken cover in the elder’s home. Some of them were injured and some were unharmed, but they were all terrified by the attack they had experienced. The children were all nestled tight against their parents. 

“I wiped out the knights outside. It should be safe now,” I said lightly. 

The old elf was baffled. “Truly?! You defeated those knights? Unbelievable...” 

“You can take a look outside if you’re worried. There shouldn’t be anyone left out there.” 

“No, I have no doubt that what you say is true.” He shook his head. “You’ve done much for our village already.” 

“Do you know why they attacked you?” 

“The poachers and slavers likely reported us to the knights, telling them we attack humans. I’m certain it was in retaliation for keeping them out of the forest.” 

Personally, I felt that any death of a poacher or slaver was simply payment for their own mistakes. Yet those miscreants had gone off crying to the knights in order to get revenge on the elves. The sniveling cowards. 

“And the knights believed their report?” 

“Humans have always been suspicious of elves. They spread rumors that we abduct and eat humans, or skin them alive.” 

So that was why the elves refused to set foot in human settlements. If they did, they’d be condemned as barbarians and lynched by the humans living there. I first felt it when I dealt with Leen’s tailor, but the humans of this world truly had harsh prejudice toward the elves. It didn’t seem very civilized to me. Ironically, I felt that the people who regarded elves as suspicious barbarians were the truly barbaric ones. 

“I understand what happened now. It would appear that I’m partially responsible for what happened here today.” I heaved a sigh. 

“It is not your fault. You’ve protected us from the slavers and poachers thus far, and we cannot blame you for that. No one faults the walls when a town is sieged, you know.” 

“I see. That does make me feel a bit better.” 

Deep down, however, I still felt responsible, and my mood was pitch-black. True enough, people didn’t blame a town’s walls when it was attacked; everyone had the right to defend themselves. But that was why I was so bitter about our failure to protect the elves and the scum who had gone and tattled on us. 

Additionally, I wondered if maybe I had been too effective at providing defenses for the elven village. All walls really do is stand tall and block the way. They don’t have the faces of nightmarish horrors, or fangs to bite people to death. 

Was I really a mere wall in this situation? Or was I ruling over the forest like a storybook monster, baiting the knights to come dispose of me and my minions? The guilt bubbled up inside me, but the collective consciousness denied it. 

Was I responsible for this or not? I couldn’t tell. 

“You are not at fault here, Your Majesty,” Sérignan said, likely sensing my frustration and anxiety through the collective. “The responsibility falls solely on the slavers and poachers who attacked this forest and the knights who burned down the village at their behest. You acted merely to defend the elves; there is no room for doubt on that.” 

“Thank you, Sérignan. That really helps.” 

You really are a dependable knight. Right now, your kindness is my saving grace. 

“So what will you do now?” I asked the elder. 

“We can no longer live here in Baumfetter. Once the knights realize their comrades won’t be returning, they will send an even larger force. I believe we will have to flee somewhere else.” 

“I see. Do you have any idea where you might go?” I was worried about them. “Is there any place in this forest where you can live in peace?” 

“Truth be told, I don’t know,” the elf said weakly. “The forest is too vast and dangerous. Wild beasts and monsters prowl the forest depths, and sadly it is those places where the forest is most bountiful.” 

That much was natural, since the forest was an undeveloped region. There was no way of knowing where beasts lived or what parts were habitable without wandering through the woods. It wouldn’t be easy for Baumfetter’s survivors to find a new home. Perhaps their fate was to scatter as refugees... but I wasn’t coldhearted or foolish enough to stand by and let that happen. 

“Then I have just the solution,” I declared. “A plan that will ensure a life free of pursuit and persecution for each and every one of you, permanently. A way to get revenge for the elves who were murdered here today, and for you to remain here so you can rebuild your homes.” 

“Does such a way truly exist?” His deeply wrinkled eyes widened with hope. 

“Yes. It’s simple, really, and I can do it.” My lips curled up in a grin so wide that my teeth were bared. “All I have to do is destroy the Kingdom of Maluk, who sent the knights to attack you. Easy enough to understand, right?” 

The surviving elves could only swallow nervously as they watched me. Their expressions told me that they couldn’t even imagine what was to come. But I had already made my decision. 

I will raze the Kingdom of Maluk to the ground. 

Until nothing but rubble remains. 

“Everyone, listen up.” 

I stood on the stone platform I had found myself on when I first awoke inside the Arachnea’s base. Sérignan was at my side, and the platform was surrounded by all my tens of thousands of Swarms. 

“The time for war has finally come. The name of our enemy is the Kingdom of Maluk. These scoundrels attacked our allies, nearly wiping them all out.” 

My voice was quiet, but filled with intensity. 

“Their butchery took the life of a friend of mine, and plunged my other friend’s heart into despair. These cowards deserve no mercy. No pity. No forgiveness. 

“They will receive no kindness from us. When we face these dogs, we need only three weapons: bloodlust, hatred, and contempt. Our bloodlust will devour them. Our hatred will rend them asunder. Our contempt will secure their fates. You are to consume and destroy the enemy. Kill them all .” 

The Swarm silently listened to my speech. 

“This is a massacre. Every bit of their flesh will become material from which we weave new comrades. The more you kill, the stronger an empire the Arachnea will become. So slaughter, murder, and dispose of them to your hearts’ content, even if they are infants or elders. Just as the enemy has.” 

It was not mass murder; it was extermination. I had decided to wipe the Kingdom of Maluk off the face of this world. Was it because the elves had been attacked? Because of Linnet’s wrongful death? Or was my consciousness finally being absorbed by the Swarm, which had an innate, never-ending hunger for prey? 

My will or the Swarm’s, it didn’t really matter. Either way, I intended to carry it out. 

“In the name of the Arachnea, I will lead you to victory!” I cried, rallying my forces. 

“Glory to the Arachnea! All hail the queen!” 

“Glory to the Arachnea! All hail the queen!” 

The Swarm cheered, celebrating the coming of the war they’d been waiting for. At last, they had the chance to slay, devour, and coat the world in the dark carapace of their race. All other races were the enemy, prey to be gobbled up in their blood-stained jaws. Such were the Arachnea. Such was the Swarm. 

I was about to commit genocide and compound our propogation, all to satisfy my need for retribution. Yes... As the Swarm should. 

“We will obey your orders and attack the Kingdom of Maluk. Under your command, Your Majesty, we will surely succeed. All hail the queen!” Sérignan said, her voice rich with praise. 

“Now then, my minions,” I continued. “It’s time for war. You’ve all waited a long time for this, but now your wish will finally come true. Wield your power as ruthlessly as you like. Let the rumbling of our march strike terror into their hearts. May the sound of your gnashing fangs disturb their slumber. Let your shadows reduce them to a cowering mess.” 

With that, I accepted the Swarms’ gestures of fealty and retired to my room with Sérignan. 

My personal quarters had become a lot more comfortable and hospitable since I first arrived. My bed now had soft covers instead of straw, and I had drawers and shelves for storing my personal effects. It still wasn’t quite a match for my apartment back in the old world, since it lacked a computer and heating system, but hey, it was home in its own way. 

“Sérignan, I’ve already decided on our invasion route. It was the first step in my plan.” 

“Yes, I am aware, Your Majesty. Ever since you came to this land, you’ve been striving for the Arachnea’s victory.” 

Sérignan had already learned everything through the collective consciousness, which made this quick. 

“There are three main roads leading to their capital: a direct path from the town of Leen, a path from the southern farmlands, and a path through the northern mining regions. We’ll split our forces up along those three routes, consolidate them near the capital, and then go in for the kill.” 

My proposed war plan split the Swarm up across three routes. Our primary objective was to destroy the Kingdom’s capital, but that alone wasn’t enough. We were going to decimate everything that made up the Kingdom of Maluk, and eradicate anyone who stood in our path. 

Such was the law of the Swarm. 

The mines, the farmlands, the villages, the towns—we would dye it all red with the blood of their people, leaving the land vacant and deserted. This fight was unlike anything I had experienced in the game, but I still intended to fight according to its rules. 

If I were to carelessly leave behind survivors, the possibility existed that someone might one day rise up against me in revenge. Yes, I would have to be thorough in my conquest. That much was true both in the game world and in this reality. 

“We’ll topple each town with a mix of Ripper and Digger Swarms. This traditional Ripper Swarm rush will clear our way forward. It won’t be easy because they already have dedicated defenses, but the Digger Swarms should be able to take care of that. With their help, we’ll break through whatever defends their walls.” 

For the time being, there was no way of knowing just how much “game time” had passed since the start of the “match,” but Maluk’s towns were surrounded by walls, which were in turn garrisoned by knights and militia. It was safe to assume the enemies’ defenses were sound. 

But my side had a secret weapon that could break through anything they had. And that was none other than yours truly. 

As a player, I had pulled off Ripper Swarm rushes under difficult conditions many times over. 

I’ve done it before, and I can do it now, I thought to myself. 

“Sérignan, you come with me. I’m going to have you fight on the front lines and stock up on experience points. You’re a unit with high growth potential, and I have high hopes for you.” 

“I am grateful for your praise. This Knight Swarm Sérignan will do her best to answer your expectations, Your Majesty.” For a moment, I thought my words would bring her to tears, but then it seemed like she had something to add. “Erm, if I may consult you about something... My body is rather hot, and it feels like something is itching to burst out of my chest. What could this be?” 

“Your body feels hot?” 

Puzzled by her words, I placed a hand on Sérignan’s forehead. She did feel hot, but wasn’t as though Swarms could catch colds. They were a species resistant to disease. 

“Maybe you’re going to evolve soon. You did defeat that angel, so it’s possible that earned you a lot of experience points.” 

“Evolve, Your Majesty?” Sérignan echoed with a vacant expression. 

It was a bit cute. 

“Don’t you know what evolving is? Well, no matter. It feels like something is changing inside you, doesn’t it? The Knight Swarm’s evolved form is called the Bloody Knight Swarm. Imagine yourself clad in red armor; that’ll be your new form.” 

The Bloody Knight Swarm was Sérignan’s next step in her evolution. Her body would change, and she would gain armor as bright and red as freshly shed blood. 

“Red armor... Red armor...” 

Sérignan reflected on my words, gripping her head in a desperate attempt to imagine her evolved form. Actually, scratch what I said earlier—it was really cute. 

“Oh, all right! I think I’ve got it! I can see it!” Sérignan exclaimed after some time. “No, I think I’m seeing the image in your mind through the collective consciousness!” 

Apparently, she could see how I was picturing her transformation. Her human skin and white armor would crumble away like sand, revealing a brand-new exoskeleton that would serve as her armor. This crimson carapace would grow thicker and smoother, and a new pair of insect legs would spring forth from her back. 

“Your Majesty... Is this what I will become?” 

“Right, that’s your evolved form. You will be reborn into the Bloody Knight Swarm Sérignan. I look forward to seeing you perform faster, more audaciously, and with even more heroic flair.” 

When she became the Bloody Knight Swarm Sérignan, she would not only have new coloration and an additional pair of legs, but she’d also receive a huge stat boost. As an intermediate unit, she would defeat most enemies with one blow. 

To begin with, Sérignan was considered a strong hero unit that required slightly less experience points to level up than other hero units, and she had slightly higher stats. This was balanced out by the fact that toward the endgame, she needed more experience points to advance and her stats didn’t increase quite as much. Still, once she reached her final form, she reigned over all as one of the highest-ranked units in the game. 

In fact, Sérignan was one major reason why the Arachnea had so much potential as a faction. Raising Sérignan properly meant eventually getting a unit capable of breaking the game’s balance. 

“You should try to evolve, if you can. Good luck, Sérignan.” 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” 

I was sure Sérignan would be able to change soon enough. But right now, we had to focus on our march on the Kingdom of Maluk. 

Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Maluk... 

“Hmm. So, the Knights of Saint Augustine have been wiped out.” 

King Ivan II, the ruling sovereign of Maluk, absorbed this surprising report. It had been many years since the aging king inherited his throne from his predecessor, and under his reign, the Kingdom had flourished. 

He had made efforts to build infrastructure for the farmlands, which it made it easier for farmers to bring their bountiful harvests to larger cities. He’d built fortresses and strongholds along the southern borders, which had previously been exposed to military threats, ensuring the populace lived in peace. 

His achievements had earned him much praise among the citizens. To top it all off, he lived modestly and without luxury as an ardent believer in the God of Light, exercising humility and frugality per the Church of Holy Light’s teachings. The Kingdom’s subjects supported him all the more for it. 

The king had four children: the first prince and heir apparent to the Kingdom, the second prince who acted as his aide, the first princess who had been married off to a neighboring country, and the second princess, who was still a young child. He saw each and every one of them as his lovely, adorable jewels. 

“Wasn’t the enemy merely a handful of elves?” asked Prime Minister Slava Smirnenski. “I find it hard to believe the Knights of Saint Augustine, our most elite force, would be crushed by tree-hugging apostates.” 

Slava had thus far served Ivan II and the Kingdom with unwavering loyalty. Several of Ivan II’s greatest accomplishments could in fact be attributed to this man’s candid advice. The king had a great deal of trust in his subordinate, who could not be bribed or swayed. 

But it was also Slava who had suggested sending the Knights of Saint Augustine to the forest. He’d received reliable reports that “respectable” citizens of the Kingdom were being attacked by the forest elves, resulting in dozens of casualties, and so he had proposed that the king dispatch his troops to get rid of them. Much to their surprise, the knights had been eradicated instead. 

“And yet they were defeated,” countered Omari Odevski, Minister of Defense. “We must think of a countermeasure immediately. We might have an unforeseen enemy on our hands. Perhaps it’s the Empire of Nyrnal to the south, attempting to invade us and steal our land.” 

The Themel River flowed along the two countries’ borders and served as a natural barrier, and so the Empire of Nyrnal couldn’t advance north and invade Maluk directly. But if they were to go through the elves’ forest, which was in the center of the continent, then the Empire would have a way in. 

Still, there were no paved roads in the forest and no large villages or towns to serve as supply hubs, and on top of that, the forest was home to all sorts of monsters and beasts. After considering these factors, such a roundabout attack seemed unlikely. 

Even moving a small band of soldiers through that forest would require more effort than was probably justified, so marching an army large enough to pose a threat would require an unimaginable amount of labor and resources. 

The trees inhibited the movement of carriages, the animal trails tripped up cavaliers, and the rivers and streams running through it would be a challenge for heavy infantry to pass through. Omari agreed that it was unlikely, but remained cautious, proclaiming that even if the path was difficult, it was not impossible. 

“Emperor Maximillian cannot be trusted. That turncoat promised us peace, then went and attacked our southern regions. I wouldn’t be surprised by anything that bloody country does. Perhaps they even bribed the elves to secure them safe passage through the forest.” 

“Perhaps. The elves cannot be trusted either, after all.” 

There was a great deal of antagonism between humans and demi-humans. The elves feared humans while the dwarves scorned them, and mankind believed both races to be inferior. 

The humans saw the elves as barbarians who lived in the forest only because they couldn’t build cities. They were untrustworthy creatures who shut themselves off from the God of Light in favor of worshipping trees. It was even rumored they offered human sacrifices, gossip which many truly believed. 

Yes, the rumors. 

Elves were barbarians. Elves skinned humans and used their pelts as trophies. Elves ate human babies. Elves kidnapped virgin women and sacrificed them to their forest gods. If the Arachnea’s queen were to hear them, she would surely scoff and laugh derisively at the gossiper. The elves, on the other hand, would be outraged at the sheer cruelty and baselessness of the rumors men took to heart. 

“We may have to wipe out the elves. If we rid the forest of them, the Empire of Nyrnal won’t be able to use them to attack us.” 

“And how many men would we need to do that?” asked the king. 

“Five thousand would be more than enough, I believe,” Omari answered. “The elves are weak. Their arrows cannot penetrate our armor. Five thousand trained soldiers can sweep the eastern forest and free our Kingdom from this menace.” 

“But what of the matter of the Knights of Saint Augustine? Doesn’t it mean the elves have already allied themselves with the Empire? We’d need an even larger force if that were the case.” 

“Right you are, milord. But maintaining a line of supply through the forest would be difficult,” Slava added. “Even if they traded with the elven village, it probably wouldn’t be enough to keep the army moving. From what I hear, there are less than a thousand elves in the forest.” 

Omari sunk into contemplative silence. Procuring one’s supplies nearby was par for the course. After all, there was no powerful means of transportation in this world, nor were there guns, so traveling forces had to either buy food from farming communities or pillage regularly in order to maintain a supply line. It was clear that the meager forest elf population couldn’t sustain an army by any means. 

“Hmm. In that case, it’s not likely there are dozens of troops lying in wait in the elven village. So their force was large enough to defeat the Knights of Saint Augustine, but not enough to launch an invasion?” the king estimated. 

“I believe so,” Omari said, nodding. “However, I still can’t quite piece together how Nyrnal managed to pull this off. They either deployed some kind of powerful weapon manned only by a small number of people, or they showed off their wyverns. Yet we haven’t heard word of any new weaponry, and I find it doubtful they’d use their wyverns there.” 

The Empire of Nyrnal was famous for its wyvern forces. Among the major powers, it was the only one with units capable of soaring through the skies. Many wondered why Nyrnal alone had been given that privilege, but no one knew the answer. 

“So with that in mind, how many men will we need to defeat both the elves and the Empire’s troops?” 

“Between ten and twenty thousand should guarantee our victory. Such numbers will be costly, but we’ll surely be able to beat our enemies into submission.” 

Ten to twenty thousand men... This was but a fraction of the Kingdom’s total military, but it was an expense the king couldn’t ignore. All in preparation for an imperial army that might not even be there. 

“But did the Empire truly dispatch a squadron to the forest?” 

“That’s the only explanation I can come up with,” Omari replied. “Do you really believe the Frantz Popedom or the Schtraut Dukedom would attack us? It’s unthinkable.” 

“Then I suppose we have no choice but to prepare. Gather the army by tomorrow and send them out into the forest. Then you are to do away with our enemies. Leave no one alive.” 

“Also, issue a diplomatic appeal to Nrynal’s ambassador, asking that they withdraw their forces. If he chooses to play dumb, we’ll do as we please with the Empire’s men,” Slava added. 

“So be it, then. I look forward to hearing of our victory.” 

“Yes, milord. We will win at all costs.” 

At that point, none of them were aware that what lurked in the elven forest wasn’t the Empire’s advance party at all. 

A celebratory parade marched through the streets of Maluk’s capital city, Siglia. Soldiers clad in armor stepped to the rhythm of the fife and drum corps. The cavalry, the pride and joy of the army, nobly strode forward as their horses’ hooves clicked against the flagstones. 

A force of 15,000 had been mobilized, but only a fraction of them were on parade. The advance party was already approaching the town of Leen, which was near the elven forest, and these forces were setting out to join them. 

“I can’t see any of the mages.” 

“They’re not used to being part of these kinds of parades.” 

Some among the 15,000 were mages. For both offense and logistics, their presence was invaluable on the battlefield. They rained fireballs down upon the enemy like multiple rocket launchers, and they could heal the wounded as though carrying out divine miracles. Their value was made clear when the Knights of Saint Augustine had been healed by their comrades. Magic took a long time to master, but once it was attained, it became an indispensable resource. 

Mages didn’t like to stand out, however. They stayed out of such gaudy festivities, thinking they would look too shabby in comparison; they also weren’t very social to begin with. 

“Can we win this fight, Father?” asked Elizabeta, the second princess. 

“Of course,” King Ivan II assured her. “These are our country’s proudest, mightiest warriors. The elves and the Empire’s forces stand no chance against them.” 

The twelve-year-old watched the marching soldiers with abundant curiosity. It seemed that her young mind was fascinated by the parade. Her expression was that of a child playing out her own march with toy soldiers. Those innocent blue eyes had been spared of all the filth and foulness of this world. 

“I’ve been told the elves are wicked creatures. They hide in the forest and attack hunters, stripping them of their skin and eating them alive.” 

“That’s right, Elizabeta. They may appear handsome, but they are evil beings whose souls are dyed black by malevolent gods. Had they been born with true, just hearts, they would be worshipping the God of Light.” 

The God of Light was the sole deity worshipped by the Church of Holy Light. This god was revered throughout the continent, and those who paid allegiance to other gods were persecuted as heretics. The elves, for instance, worshipped forest gods, and were therefore detested as outcasts and undesirables. 

“Oh, I do hope they get rid of all the elves. Knowing that something so terrible exists in the world scares me so badly I can hardly sleep at night.” 

“Quite so, dear. Tolerating their presence here was a mistake to begin with. We should have done away with them much sooner. If we had, we wouldn’t have had to shoulder such a large-scale invasion as this one.” 

The people of the Kingdom of Maluk believed that anyone who rejected the God of Light had less intellect and civility than animals. 

“Let us pray to the God of Light so these soldiers may receive His protection. We will ask that suitable retribution falls upon the heretics, and for everlasting peace in our beautiful Kingdom.” 

“Yes, let us pray that the vile elves will be wiped out to the last, and that the Empire of Nyrnal’s hopes of invading us are nipped in the bud.” 

The 15,000 men dispatched from the Kingdom were called the Eastern Garrison. With the prayers of their king and princess to see them off, they set out for the elven forest, not knowing what awaited them there...