Volume 13 Chapter 5 The Ant’s Kingdom Part II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Alphonse rushed over, his face looking all nervous as he tried to advise me on my actions.
He was the Grand Marshal of Strategy for the Margrave South District army, carrying a heavy responsibility, but he originally came from an information background, so sensing the nuances of battle wasn’t really his strong suit.
If I showed fear against that enemy commander who charged in like that, it could spread to the soldiers, making them flee, and the enemy would gain the upper hand, turning the tide of battle.
In combat, the troops were keenly watching the Officers and Generals, and if they saw any fear or anxiety on our faces, it would definitely get transmitted to them.
That’s why I had learned through my long life on the battlefield to never show fear or doubt, always keeping my expression full of confidence.
However, my lord was even more aware of this than I was. During the Gertroud campaign and the Ghost Clan rebellion, he had the composure to flirt with his concubine even in the thick of battle, clearly demonstrating the vast difference in our caliber.
…Sir Kent is amazing… he was so relaxed even during that large-scale battle… I need to push myself harder…
”No problems. More importantly, Alphonse, what’s the status of the battle?”
”We’ve already taken down about 5 hundred of the enemy. We’ve completed the encirclement, and it’s becoming impossible for them to escape. Also, the death of the Guard Ant Man has spread panic among them, and we’re not seeing any organized counterattack.”
Alphonse quickly organized the current situation and filled me in.
”What about the damage?”
”Five dead, 20 seriously injured, and around a hundred with minor injuries. As expected, the monsters deep in the Southern Region are strong… we can’t claim a complete victory without losses.”
Alphonse looked like he just drank something bitter as he reported the casualties.
I, too, was shocked with the number of dead piling up and the strength of the enemy monsters.
Sir Kent is going to be heartbroken over the dead…
Since Sir Kent absolutely hates losses from human deaths, getting this report will undoubtedly shock him, and with the damage we’ve taken, it was clear we were nearing our limit on continuing to fight those ant men in open field.
”Let’s wipe out the enemy group with full force, then regroup with Lady Charlotte and barricade ourselves in the fortress.”
After finishing the clean-up of the remaining enemies, Charlotte, who was leading the vanguard, joined us.
”Lord Kondrad… I’m late. I was chasing some Ant Men who broke away from the enemy group. Just after I took them down, a swarm of at least 5 thousand Ant Men came up from behind. I had to delay my actions while escaping, but the enemy showed no signs of backing down and kept attacking.”
Charlotte rushed over on horseback, her whole body drenched in blood like she just stepped out of a horror show, and she smelled strangely alluring.
”Five thousand… Are we dreaming? We can’t engage 5 thousand Ant Men in open battle… We should retreat to the fortress built by Lord Garvey and fend them off from there.”
”I think Sir Kondrad is right. Those Ant Men are pretty strong… If we force a battle in the field, we could face massive casualties.”
Charlotte had also fought the Ant Men and seemed to understand their strength firsthand, showing a serious expression that suggested we should avoid a battle in the open.
”Then let’s quickly gather the drops and head back to the fortress. The walls are almost halfway built, and it seems like the gate is up now.”
I was looking at the walls that were almost finished at the top.
”Got it. Let’s start collecting right away and make our way to the fortress.”
Charlotte agreed with me and immediately began gathering the drops from the defeated enemies. Once done, she quickly started the march back to the fortress.
* * *
※Garvey’s Perspective
Just as the third layer was about to be finished, Ane’s cavalry, Charlotte’s vanguard, and Kondrad’s troops all returned at once from the base.
”Lord Kondrad, what happened to the enemy?”
”It seems the ones at the base were a vanguard. Lady Charlotte has spotted a group of about 5 thousand that appears to be the main force. This area seems to be their habitat, and they have been breeding with monsters as their food.”
Kondrad told them why there weren’t many monsters on the Felward Town.
Ant-men are monsters. They eat anything. They even eat other monsters to make more of themselves. Hunters say a queen ant split off and came here. Now they’re making a huge nest.
”This is bad… I thought there weren’t many monsters for the Southern Region… They were all food for the Ant-men…”
”And it looks like a new queen ant was born. I saw baby ants with the small group I followed. They picked this place to breed and grow their power. We have to kill them all, or they’ll get to Godard.”
”Baby ants!? Lady Charlotte, is that true!?”
Akves looked surprised when he heard Charlotte’s report.
”Yes. There were slave Ant-men, the female ones that protect them. There were also some monsters they were using. I killed the baby ants, so I know it’s true. They sprayed slime on me, and it was annoying…”
Charlotte showed her red armor to Akves.
Then, Akves looked serious and warned Kondrad.
”Lord Kondrad!! Give the order to get ready for battle! The slime Lady Charlotte got will bring the Ant-men here!”
”Huh!? This slime calls the Ant-men?”
Charlotte looked surprised at the slime on her armor and clothes.
Everyone was looking at Charlotte. Then, a Soldier on the castle gate shouted.
”The enemy attacks!! A group of enemies, probably Ant-men, is coming! There’s a big one that looks like a queen ant in the group!!”
The Soldiers in the castle got noisy when they heard the lookout Soldier’s shout.
”Don’t be afraid. The walls are already almost finished, 8-tenths done. If they can’t get close, victory is ours for sure. Everyone, get into combat positions. Everyone, grab your bows and guns and get on the walls!”
When Kondrad’s instructions flew out, the gathered commanders took their bows and rushed to the walls.
I ran with my own troops to supervise the last bits of the wall construction.
~New monster~
Monster name: Bownman Antman
Hunt Rank: E (one rank up in groups)
Type: Insect
Features: A monster birthed by the Queen Ant.
Armed with a bow.
Strong in ranged attacks, but weakens as soon as you get close.
Has a special skin that halves magic damage and doubles physical damage.
Hits don’t take long to defeat it when you’re up close.
Monster name: Magic Soldier Antman
Hunt Rank: B (one rank up in groups)
Type: Insect
Features: A bug-man monster created over time by the Queen Ant.
Its skin nullifies magic attacks but doubles physical attacks.
Very strong against magic, but dies quick with close hits.
Usually, Magic Soldier Antmen are under the command of Soldier Antmen or Elite Antmen, coming out alone is rare.
Monster name: Soldier Antman
Hunt Rank: S
Type: Insect
Features: This name is used when a group moves, led by the Queen Ant, including Elite Antmen, Archer Antmen, Magician Antmen, Cavalry Antmen, and Soldier Antmen.
Often seen during nest splitting.
These Soldier Antmen are very aggressive and will attack anything that moves.
Monster name: Baby Ant
Hunt Rank: E (S if captured)
Type: Insect
What it is: A baby Queen Ant.
Also known as [Princess Ant Baby], this creature is classified as an S-rank dangerous monster.
The reason for this classification dates back to an incident where, just before a Queen Ant split off to form a new nest, an adventurer stole one of these larvae from near her hive and ran into a nearby town. In response, a furious swarm of ants noticed the theft and annihilated the entire town.
Captured Queen Ant larvae are highly valuable due to their effectiveness as high-level magical catalysts, often traded at exorbitant prices.
While the larva’s only means of attack is a [Special Liquid Spray], which even beginners can deal with, being hit by this spray is extremely dangerous.
This is because the liquid contains pheromones that signal danger to other ants. Once sprayed, the scent alerts thousands of enraged ants—including elite royal guards—to launch a full-scale assault.
Monster name: Slave Antman.
Hunt Rank: A.
Type: Insect.
What it is: It’s a type of Rider Antman.
It’s rare, but this Antman is a girl.
Most Antmen are boys. If they catch a girl monster or human, they lay eggs.
The girl becomes a slave and obeys them. The Slave Antman uses slaves to feed the Queen Ant.
They take care of her. That’s why they have dozens of Rider Antmen guarding them. If you find one, the nest is about to split.
The monsters, plants, and people that are slaves are A-rank. (Their group goes up a rank.) They fight until they die.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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