Her Majesty’s Swarm - Volume 4 - Chapter 7

Rebellion’s Hand

Sérignan and I went to the back of the inn once we finished eating, as Ralo’s note had requested.

“Aah, there you are.” Ralo greeted us, the air about him markedly different compared to earlier. “You’re the Arachnea’s queen or one of her lackeys, right?”

“What makes you say that?” I asked, taken aback.

I didn’t know how he knew who I was, but it certainly made me uncomfortable.

“The Arachnea’s queen is about the only one who’d be looking for an antidote to the Witch’s Blow right about now. News about it is already out; a minion of hers was poisoned by the Witch’s Blow. Our intelligence network reaches as far as the Eastern Trade Union.”

Really, now? I guess it was naive of me to think I could keep it under wraps.

“So what are you going to do?” I asked him coolly. “Hand me over to the authorities?”

“As if.” Ralo shook his head. “I want you to help us change this country.”

He wanted my help with that?

“Our current ruler, King Alfonso IV, is completely under Nyrnal’s thumb. He has an embargo set up that blocks off everyone but Nyrnal’s ships. In fact, the only thing he seems to care about is licking Nyrnal’s boots.”

That matches what I’ve heard before.

“The Nyrnal Empire’s merchants use that to their advantage and put ridiculous prices on merchandise from the continent. They’re lookin’ down on us is what they’re doing. But if we can resume trade with the Eastern Trade Union, we can put a stop to that.”

I see. If Nyrnal is their only outlet for trade on the continent, their merchants can basically do whatever they want. This means that the Nabreej archipelago is basically a latent colony of Nyrnal’s.

“If you’re the Arachnea’s queen or her messenger, we want you to lend us your military strength. With your help, we’ll be able to attack the castle and force King Alfonso to abdicate. Then we’ll resume trade with the Eastern Trade Union. If you don’t, we won’t be able to fight, and our country will end up becoming one of Nyrnal’s vassals.”

“I see. So you want to stage a revolution.”

They wanted to depose an incompetent king and stop his harmful policies. Not a bad idea. Plus, cutting off one of Nyrnal’s friendly nations would contribute to our own war effort.

“How can you prove this isn’t a trap?” I asked, staring straight at Ralo.

“I...can’t prove that. But I do want you to believe me. If we can get the king to abdicate, we’ll get you the antidote you need.”

Well, this was quite a pickle. I wasn’t sure if I should get on board with the revolution.

“What about the king’s guards?” I asked.

“There are two companies of soldiers in the castle, and another one set to guard the capital itself. Our country’s army is poor in both size and quality.”

So basically, it was just one battalion’s worth of soldiers. Even if they were heavy infantry, we wouldn’t struggle much.

“Fine.” Heaving a sigh, I agreed to comply. “We’ll have our soldiers ready by tomorrow, and we’ll regroup with you. Where do we meet up?”

“I’m grateful to ya. We can meet up on the fork of the highway leading up to the capital’s west gate. The guard captain watching over that gate is from our rebel faction. He should open the gate for us.”

They even had double agents. This regime was already on its deathbed.

“Are you ready to stage your uprising tomorrow?” I confirmed.

“Yeah, tomorrow is fine.” Ralo nodded. “We’re basically always ready; we just needed more troops.”

Hmm. Still, they hadn’t truly kicked off the rebellion yet, so I wasn’t sure how much I could rely on them.

“I’ll prepare my troops, then. I hope your revolution succeeds.”

“Aye. I’ll pray to the God of Light.”

Well, I won’t.

♱

“The Worker Swarms are finished, I see.”

After leaving Litight, I headed back east to our base, where I’d left the Worker, Genocide, and Toxic Swarms on standby. By now, the Worker Swarms had completed building our power source and Fertilization Furnace.

“Everything is ready for your use, Your Majesty,” the Worker Swarms told me, assuming their obedient pose.

“Thank you. We’ll need to bolster our forces, so let us begin production in haste,” I ordered. “Produce Genocide Swarms.”

Thankfully, our structures functioned on something similar to the game’s mechanics, and we could utilize teleportation magic to move our stock of meatballs over. This saved us the bother of having to gather resources here on the island. This also allowed us to evacuate all the resources we’d gained from destroying Maluk, despite the land being currently occupied by Nyrnal. Convenient.

I started by producing twenty Genocide Swarms. The enemy had one battalion, and some of them were inevitably going to switch sides, so I didn’t think I’d need that many soldiers.

“Produce Toxic Swarms.”

Once I was done with the Genocide Swarms, I produced ten Toxic Swarms. Our current domain offered us a trickle of incoming resources. However, it wasn’t as large as when we destroyed Maluk, so I had to be conservative about how I used our stockpile. Nevertheless, this battle was the first step to saving Lysa, so I couldn’t hold back either.

“Your Majesty, are you sure we should trust them?” Sérignan asked me as I was working.

“We have to. Or do we want to waste time going to the capital and hoping we can find a place that’ll sell us the antidote? I think helping the rebellion is about as aimless as going on that wild goose chase, but if they’re telling the truth, they really will procure us the antidote.”

I didn’t fully trust Ralo. Maybe his rebellion had other objectives in mind. Maybe Alfonso IV was actually a kind king. In any case, none of that mattered to me. My only interest in this country was the antidote that would cure Lysa. Their future was none of my concern. My stance was to let them manage themselves however they liked, so long as they didn’t ruin their own country.

“So that’s your position on the matter,” Sérignan said, sensing my thoughts. “Understood. I will abide by your words, Your Majesty. Order me as you see fit.”

“Yeah. I’ll be counting on you, Sérignan.”

We’d be going into this operation with small numbers, so I’d need Sérignan to carry the fight for us. I wasn’t sure whether thirty Swarms—even if they were upgraded units—would be enough to take down a battalion-sized force. The enemy probably didn’t have many heavy infantrymen, but I had to account for unexpected developments, lest the situation spiral out of control.

Even with all the disadvantages, I had to do it. This revolution had to succeed if we were going to get that antidote.

To make that happen, I focused on making more Swarms. I compared our influx of resources and our reserves to calculate how much I could spare. Once preparations were complete, I slid into bed and went to sleep.

♱

Morning dawned, and I reached our agreed-upon meeting place. I approached it cautiously, staying alert in case it was a trap.

“There you are!”

Thankfully, it wasn’t. There was a group of armed men and women waiting there. Their gear was mismatched, and the only uniform thing about them was the white armbands they wore. They were clearly more of a civil militia than a real army.

“I’m sorry I kept you waiting,” I said. “I’m ready. What about you?”

“Ready whenever you are,” Ralo replied. “But, uh, wow... Some company you’ve got there.”

The revolution army was visibly terrified of my Swarms. I’d brought them along since he had asked me for an army, so I didn’t much appreciate their reaction. They should have been more welcoming.

“So, what’s our plan?” I asked, moving things along.

“We’ll pass through the west gate and storm the castle. Once we take that, the other rebels hiding in the Ritsuka—the capital—will rise up to join us. A simple plan is best, right?”

So long as it’s not simple to a fault, I thought, but I kept it to myself.

“All right. We’ll open the way,” I told them. “Follow us.”

“Roger that. We’re counting on you.”

I wasn’t comfortable letting this militia go up against real soldiers, so I’d decided we would handle this. Mainly, I was hoping they wouldn’t end up stabbing us in the back.

“Sérignan, Genocide Swarms, Toxic Swarms, cut open a path to the castle. Defeat anyone who stands in your way,” I ordered them.

“By your will, Your Majesty!” Sérignan shouted.

Sérignan led the Genocide and Toxic Swarms ahead and crossed the western gate. The guard captain stationed there really was on the revolution army’s side, and he left the gate open for us.

“Wh-What are those?!”

“Monsters!”

The people of Ritsuka saw the Swarms as monsters marching through their streets. Their judgment wasn’t too far off, but they sure were quick to brand anything that wasn’t human a monstrosity.

“Guards! Guards!”

Ritsuka’s citizens called out for the guards, and about 180 guards showed up to stop us. They were cavaliers—a pesky opponent. Their charge could end up slaying the Swarms. But I wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Sérignan, defend.”

“By your will.”

The Genocide Swarms entered a defensive position as well. This maneuver was all we needed to intercept the enemy.

As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about. Just seeing the Swarms struck fear into the hearts of Nabreej’s soldiers. The speed of their charge fell, and most of them stopped before they could clash with their targets.

Sérignan cut down those pitiful soldiers. Their heads went flying, like they’d been waiting for Sérignan’s blade to set them free. Blood gushed from their necks in an almost artistic display.

Then the Genocide Swarms launched a counteroffensive. They charged the cavaliers, slaying horse and rider alike, tearing into them like flurries whipping living flesh into the air.

“Enemy cavaliers suppressed, Your Majesty,” Sérignan reported.

It had taken only a moment. The cavaliers’ terror had cost them their lives, and now they were nothing but piles of flesh. No one could save them. No one could change their fate.

“Good work, Sérignan, Genocide Swarms. Now we invade the castle.”

We began to march on the castle in the heart of Ritsuka, where King Alfonso IV waited. Once we had him, we would gain the antidote that would save Lysa from her agony. We moved in pursuit of that goal.

Ralo and his comrades followed us, horrified by the havoc we left in our wake.

That’s no good. If you’re trying to revolutionize this country, you have to be proud. As proud as I am when I sow chaos and discord in this world.

♱

My Arachnea troops and Ralo’s revolution army stormed the castle.

“Guards! Guards! The enemy’s approaching!”

A trumpet was blown to signal our presence, and soldiers gathered from all over the castle. The whole group was roughly the size of two infantry companies, meaning the information we’d been given was accurate. The problem was that one of them was made up of heavy infantry.

I turned toward my trusty knight. “Can you handle them, Sérignan?”

Sérignan nodded, as confident and unyielding as ever. “It won’t be a problem.”

“Ralo, is everything ready on your end?”

“We’re ready,” Ralo replied. “This is a battle to take back our country. We’ve got everything we need.”

“You won’t take another step, you dogs!” the enemy commander hollered. “Taste the power of our Mystery Furnace!”

With that, he sent a signal to someone behind him. Voices of an eerie chorus singing a holy hymn arose seemingly from nowhere. The space around us began to warp and shift. This was bad. It was the same as when the Frantz Popedom had summoned the Seraph Metatron.

“Sérignan, watch out. Something’s coming,” I warned her.

“I can feel it too, Your Majesty.”

Just as we finished our exchange, the space completely distorted, and a force of angels burst forth—low-ranking units summoned by the Marianne faction! These angels were capable of flight and had high attack power.

Maybe Alfonso IV and his cronies clung to the Popedom and bought technology from them before they turned over to Nyrnal’s side... What a drag.

I began rattling off orders: “Genocide Swarms, enter defensive formation! Toxic Swarms, prepare antiair fire! Sérignan, we’re counting on you! Attack freely!”

“By your will, Your Majesty!”

I watched as the battle unfolded. The angels singled out the Genocide Swarms, who couldn’t hit aerial units, but were picked off by the Toxic Swarms’ stingers. Upon getting hit by the stingers, they shattered into particles of light and disappeared.

Seeing this, the angels instead pivoted to the Toxic Swarms, cutting into them with their longswords. Unfortunately, the Toxic Swarms’ firing rate wasn’t that high. They were cut down one by one as they reloaded their stingers.

Dammit, this is going south.

I hadn’t expected the Toxic Swarms to take so much damage, so I hadn’t produced many of them. If they kept getting taken out like this, it’d be a major blow to our army.

“Everyone, cover for them!”

Ralo and his group moved in to help us. They turned their weapons on the angels, firing their bows and slashing with their swords. Of course, a human militia wouldn’t deal much damage to angels, but even so, Ralo’s group desperately resisted with all their might.

However, that just made things worse—the angels switched targets from us to the militia, who were helpless against them.

They’ll wipe us out at this rate!

But just as I shuddered at that premonition...

“Haaah!”

A black blade cleaved through three angels at once. Sérignan.

Right, she’s still fine!

“Sérignan, cut them down!” I commanded.

“By your will!”

Sérignan was a hero unit, and standard units like these angels wouldn’t beat her. Relying on her felt like I was pummeling my way through this, but given my limited number of units, I had no choice. I had to treat this like a single-player campaign mission this time.

“Take that!” Sérignan sliced through an angel right in front of me.

Her blade sword tore through the angel’s flesh, reducing them to particles of light. As their heads and limbs were cut off, the angels let out howls of agony and died one by one. The tide of the battle was turning in Sérignan’s favor.

“We will cover for Lady Sérignan!”

“All hail the queen!”

The Toxic Swarms bravely fired, covering for her. Their stingers whizzed through the air, slaying the angels attacking Sérignan. It was an impressive display of coordination.

Sérignan launched her attack on the last remaining angels.

“Haaaaah!”

Her unholy sword moved through the air, cutting the last angels in half. The angels plummeted to the ground and exploded into particles of light.

“It can’t be! That’s impossible! How did our angels lose?!”

“What do we do now?! What can we do?!”

The remaining soldiers panicked.

“No need to lose your nerves,” I murmured and ordered the Genocide Swarms to advance. “All you have to do is die.”

The Genocide Swarms charged at the soldiers and started rending them to shreds, as if dead set on taking revenge for the Toxic Swarms that had died helping them. They cut off the soldiers’ heads, tore off their limbs, and pierced through their chests. Before long, the Genocide Swarms stood in a sea of writhing flesh and blood.

“That takes care of the guards,” I said lightly. “All that’s left is to capture the king.”

“R-Right...” Ralo replied, taken aback. “You Arachnea really are astounding...”

Well, that’s us holding back, actually.

Normally, we’d have hundreds upon thousands of Swarms pushing forward. It was almost a shame we had so few troops this time.

“Onward! Down with the oppressor!”

“Death to the oppressor!”

With the guards out of the way, Ralo’s rebel army surged through the castle like a wave, aiming for the king’s residence. At least they were in high spirits...

“Your Majesty, aren’t those creatures similar to the enemy we fought in the Popedom of Frantz?” Sérignan asked.

“Yes, that’s right. These are low-ranking summonable angels from the Marianne faction. I don’t know why they’re here, but I guess we’re not the only ones being influenced by the game.”

We’d seen the Marianne’s hero unit, the Seraph Metatron, and now their summonable units, the angels. In that case, did the Nyrnal Empire’s wyverns mean they had technology from the Gregoria faction? If they did, that was bad; the Gregoria was a faction we’d have trouble against.

Their combat units sacrificed speed for firepower, making it difficult to bring them down with numbers. They had a unit called the lindwyrm, which could be impossible to defeat even when one rushed them with large numbers of Swarms.

It would be especially difficult for us now, since Sérignan was still only halfway through her evolution.

“Be that as it may, we should go watch our allies grasp victory,” I told Sérignan, and we ventured into the king’s residence.

The rebel army had made a beeline for him, not bothering to destroy any of the decorations and fixtures in their way. I would’ve expected them to pillage or something, but they were evidently more orderly than that.

“King Alfonso!” I heard Ralo shout just as we entered a hall. “You’ve become a dog of the Nyrnal Empire and jeopardized the Nabreej archipelago’s independence! Your sins are grave, and they can only be atoned for with death!”

Ralo dragged the king over to a balcony.

“You fools! You just don’t understand!” the king screamed desperately. “You don’t know anything! I’m not obeying Nyrnal blindly! If the Empire doesn’t unify the continent, destruction from the new continent will wash over us! That’s why I’m helping them!”

 Destruction from the new continent? What is he saying?

“So you’re not denying that you did all this to help Nyrnal?!” Ralo roared.

“I did it for all of us!” Alfonso IV howled with tears in his eyes. “If those great armies from the new continent flood in, we’ll all be finished! The continent needs a strong nation to lead it!”

Hmm? What’s going on in the new continent? What is he so afraid of?

Was this why the Nyrnal Empire had adopted a policy of aggressive expansion? I wanted to hear Alfonso IV’s explanation. But before I could say anything...

“You betrayed your own country! Your punishment is death!”

Ralo swung down his longsword, and Alfonso IV’s head rolled.

I wouldn’t be getting any information out of him now.

“Victory is ours! Our country is free!” Ralo shouted, holding the king’s severed head aloft like a barbarian.

The masses gathered before him cheered. “All hail us! All hail the Nabreej archipelago!”

Once it was all over, Ralo approached me and bowed his head. “We’re grateful for your help, Arachnea queen. Thanks to you, we defeated the despot. We found the antidote you needed in the medicine vault. It’s yours.” He handed it over to me. “Truly, thank you. The people of Nabreej owe you a debt of gratitude.”

“I didn’t do that much,” I told him. “But I’ll accept the antidote. Thank you, Ralo.”

Honestly, I’d have liked to question Alfonso IV about the new continent...but it was too late for that. Regardless, we finally had the antidote. With the trade embargo lifted, Gilbert’s ship would be free to pick us up and return us home.

Just wait a little longer, Lysa. We’ll be right there!