Chapter 174: Chapter 161

 

How can this be?
All that's behind us should be Chera's hive.
There's nothing else!
I don't understand this!
There's nothing else aside from the... passage to the surface!

 

<Who's following us?> (E)

<Strange. The hunter doesn't know. But according to the description, I would say humans. Not like I ever met one.> (C)

 

Humans!?
But who... No.
Gioras!

It must be him!
The troop I let escape must've returned and somehow relayed the position of the passage.
I just didn't think that he would be so bold as to attack the Formicea on their home ground.
That's not just bold, it's reckless!
Stupid even!

 

<How could they get behind us unnoticed?> (E)

<What do you mean? They were noticed just now.> (C)

<You know what I mean! How could they get into this position?! Shouldn't there be near countless guards so close to your hive?> (E)

<You seem to mix this up with the central vicinity of the main hive. We're here in the outer system. I don't have the resources to constantly patrol this area and waste drones in meaningless quarrels. Especially, not when I have to concentrate my efforts in the direction of the Crusteans, from which I know an attack will occur, instead of the opposite direction. The surface tunnel doesn't even cover a wide area, so I only have guards in the direct vicinity of the hive. If an attack from your surface would occur, I would just let them come to me and defend where the tunnel narrows.> (C)

Why does everything always have to go wrong for me in a way?
Has the world somehow decided that I make for a good abduction subject?

Sigh.
This is unfair of me, I know.
If Chera's hive were in any better condition, the passage would certainly be under constant surveillance.
She just couldn't afford it.

But what now?
Am I going to get recaptured?
Along with Chera?
That would be a massive blow to the swarm.
Never mind having to use our broods for others, the retaliation of the swarm might eradicate this whole country from the landscape.

 

<Chera, please tell me that your troops can deal with them.> (E)

<I can't tell. Their total numbers are unknown to me. The hunter only reported a considerable war effort in the tunnel, yet not for how long the formation stretches.> (C)

<But we still need to fight them! I'm not going back! All of those sacrifices could not have been for nothing!> (E)

<This is not the time to make rash moves.> (C)

<So what? You want to negotiate? They came all the way here with the sole purpose of capturing us.> (E)

 

I'm not going to believe that there's any other explanation for this.

 

<This might be. However, their motives are of no importance to me. After all, I don't plan on challenging them directly.> (C)

<What do you mean?> (E)

<Simple. These surface dwellers apparently don't know how tedious a fight in the tunnels can become. Even if they'd outnumber us ten to one, it's meaningless if they can't pass by us. For now, we'll continue, while pulling our escort together. If we encounter a particularly narrow part of the tunnel my drones will defend it. It might take hours to overcome them, and the bodies will start clogging the passage. If they manage to get past it we'll be already far away. Once we reach territory with more allied drones, all danger will be gone. I already sent the hunters ahead to inform them of our coming. When princesses travel all non-essential patrols have to cease for the greater good of ensuring our safety. In the end, the greater circumstances are on our side. We just need to stall.> (C)

 

This might actually work.
It will cost a massive part of our escort, but it's not like this is a place where you can overcome a foe with strategy.
No, what I researched about the hive wars showed me that fights in the underground become extremely savage stationary battles until one side exhausts all their troops and the other would finally dig through the body walls and claim their territory.
It would get especially bad if both sides could replenish their troops at the same speed they're losing them.

So we move further along the tunnels, yet I'm rather sure our general tempo isn't going to shake our pursuers off.
Maybe I worry too much, as our position is quite a bit better than when I was on my own, but the fear of getting caught again throws me into deepest anxiety.

Suddenly, our convoy stops at a narrow partition of the tunnel.

 

<This will suffice. Workers! Start narrowing the width of this opening!> (C)

 

Promptly, every available worker gets to work.
They gather earth from farther away and apply it with applicant to the walls.
Yet it seems odd to me that they don't seem to do so with the intent of building fortifications.
Rather it's just about making the hole smaller.

 

<Chera, shouldn't we also create some cover? The humans will use ranged weapons.> (E)

<Our time is limited and it would decrease our possibilities of improving the stability of the outer walls. We want to make this our stand. If they kill our drones here, the bodies will make for a sufficient barrier.> (C)

 

So she's just intending to sacrifice them?
I don't like this but don't have a say in the matter, as they're her brood, so my orders can't compete with hers.

 

<Shouldn't we get moving?> (E)

<Our workers are currently fully occupied. It would be detrimental to the task if we'd leave with some of them. Also, I want to take a glance at our pursuers.> (C)

 

So she's just curious?
Well, if possible, I'd also like to talk this out.
Maybe they'll realize that they won't be able to break through our defense in time and call this off.
Hopeful wishes, I know, but dreaming should be allowed.

Chera uses the few hunters we have to constantly keep track of the human troop's movements.
This way, we're well aware when they arrive.

At first, I only get a glimpse of some scouts who presumedly report what we're doing.
Then the main force arrives.
A whole convoy, so long that I can't even see where it ends in this tunnel.
Along with the man I hate most in this world.

 

"Princess Erys! You have no idea how delighted I am to meet you again so soon." (G)

 

I need to swallow my anger and instead give Chera a pure pheromone signal.

 

<Let the workers continue. I'll stall them.> (E)

 

Then I swallow the bile in my throat and address this asshole.

 

"I’m afraid I can't say the same. I hoped to never see you again in this lifetime. Why are you here?" (E)

"Why do you think? We couldn't challenge you in your base, but it was clear that you'd eventually have to leave it again." (G)

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"You can't be serious? Are you begging to die? You're challenging us with our whole escort, as well as our whole swarm! This is a death sentence!" (E)

"It was a bit of a gamble, regarding how many troops you would bring with you, but not as much if you consider that we don't have any other choice if I want my people to survive. As of now, I'd say a victory is still within the range of what's possible." (G)

"You have no idea what you're talking about! You stand here against a whole princess escort! Do you have any idea how long it's going to take you to break through here? We're going to be far away before you're even going to be close to making progress!" (E)

"Oh, yes. That might be. If the other half of my soldiers wouldn't be directly behind you!" (G)

 

Wh-what?
How?
Chera grows distressed upon hearing Kyska translate the things he says.
But that simply can't be.
He must be lying.
Even now, there isn't the slightest indication of enemy troops.
I'm sure we can just go that way.

 

"I don't believe you! There's no way!" (E)

"Did you truly think I'd just let you send a message for reinforcements to your forces? That's the basics of war, my dear. Cut off the other party's access to information so you can deal with them accordingly." (G)

 

Could he truly have killed all the messengers we sent?
Chera would surely have used this tunnel and not the oh-so-foreign surface.
But I can't accept this.
I won't!

 

"You're lying! (E)

"Do you truly want to bet on it? This isn't going to be pretty. I'm very aware of this fact. But you can end this now, Erys! No more need for further bloodshed! We both want the same thing, right? That this war ends and we can all go back home!" (G)

 

But then it would be my brood that doesn’t get to come home!
No matter how I feel about them, they do not deserve this fate.
I mustn’t listen to a single thing this man says!
Suddenly, Chera starts speaking to me.

 

<Erys, is it true that this man said there's another troop behind us?> (C)

<Yes. But he could be deliberately relaying false information.> (E)

<Human peculiarities, I see.> (C)

 

At that, she emits a simple signal.

 

<Hunters, did prey pass by here?> (C)

<Yes.>

<Few or many?> (C)

<Many.>

 

Ugh!
The pheromones of hunters only account for very basic responses, but they seem to suffice for conveying what we need to know.
In some way, they're even more complex than other drones, because aside from the answer, they seem to be able to reproduce the scent traces they want to relay.
The traces are also tagged somehow, allowing me to instantly know what the hunters determined they belong to.
In this sense, it seems they're referring with this particular concoction to humans, as they're applying the same to those standing nearby.
Meaning there are more troops further ahead in the tunnel!
We’ve enemies on either side of us!

 

<We’re trapped then! He wasn’t lying!> (E)

<Perhaps. Their numbers may be insufficient to delay us and we can push through. Otherwise, there are several strategies we may utilize. Yet, am I right that his goal is to capture us alive?> (C)

<Yeah. Probably. Do you think we should surrender?> (E)

<Naturally not! Our position is too advantageous! Even if he wins this fight, he'll have to take us alive if he wants to be truly victorious. This means, if we fight or not, our lives won't be at risk. If it's like this, there's absolutely no reason not to give our all to prevent this. What's he gonna do if he wins? Kill us? Doing so would defeat the purpose.> (C)

 

Well, she has a point.
It still bothers me that she's so willing to sacrifice her brood.
But I know the Formicea well enough to be sure that they'd rather fight till death before allowing their princess to surrender herself.
Uh, did Kyska just point with her claw at her throat?
Oh damn, that was another suicide threat.
Seems like there is no choice.

 

"I don't want to bother you, but did you come to a conclusion? Because I don't intend to leave you more time than this to close up the tunnel." (G)

"Then I'll have to disappoint you, but we won't surrender! Throw at us everything you got, but it won't work!" (E)

"I understand. I truly hoped we could solve this peacefully." (G)

 

As if!

 

<Well, it's time for us to take our leave. My gladiators should pose a fine first barrier to repel them. That's their function, after all.> (C)

 

The giant creature moves into the small opening, which is now at a length of four to five meters, so narrow that the gladiator almost clogs it up with its massive size.

 

"Spearmen! Attack! Earth mages! Expand this hole!" (G)

 

He brought mages with him!?
From where?
Tarsona doesn't have a very large mage population.
Not to speak of a foundation for a specialized corps.
Yet despite all of my wishes, it's starting, while we are trying to again board a flesh carriage.
The surrounding dirt begins to shake in weird ways, and I notice unnatural shifts around the entrance.

Unfortunately, Gioras' army does just what I feared and sends a close formation of spearmen.
This way, there's almost no way to avoid the deadly tips.
The gladiator doesn't even flinch when the first spikes his side.
A moment later another.
But now it’s starting to retaliate with all it has.
While the troops can narrowly avoid the close combat weapons, the tails are devastating to them.
However, they massively outnumber our gladiator, and it falls before we're even out of sight.

 

"Hah! Did you truly believe that massive size is all it takes to overwhelm us?" (G)

 

He's right.
Even Chera is impressed at this display of human tenacity and ingenuity that is able to bring down such a foe.
However, I can still see how the body stays in the way, and the half of our escort that remains by Chera's order already starts to take position behind it.
This way, the spearmen have trouble aiming their pointy sticks at those gathering behind the obstacle, while the drones furiously slash at everything that comes close.
Meanwhile, workers gather earth from behind to somehow close or at least narrow down the opening that connects the opposing parties.
On the other side, it seems like the mages try to counter their efforts by moving the earth apparently with their minds.
However, their presence obstructs the soldiers from moving to the frontline.

This might truly take them a while.

 

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