For some reason, Liseti visits right now the training field of my royal guard.

(L)

Did she sense my confusion?

But it makes sense.

Liseti likes her sticks and trains regularly with them.

So naturally, she would be interested in getting her hands, ahem, claws on the real deal.

(L)

Uh, she kinda paid for them, so yes.

"I plan on sending you some directly!" (E)

At least now that I'm aware of my giant slip-up.

I just hope half-truths don't carry over with the pheromones.

"So, did you want anything specific here?" (E)

Apart from securing you some weapons.

(L)

Is this all she wants to tell me?

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

.

.

.

Excuse me...

I've got the feeling that someone just said something completely outrageous.

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

Well, the mere thought of ruling over a place of my own makes me anxious, but if I consider what she just said... It sounds appealing.

(E)

(L)

Like a vassal to a king, or queen in this case.

It's still utterly tempting to gain as much freedom as I wish for.

Not exactly sure what I'd do then, and my body would still be as it is now, but I wouldn't have to fear anymore about being nothing but an egg producer.

I would be something like a ruler.

Huh, I should certainly talk later with my parents about this.

(E)

(L)

"And you're saying they're doing well?" (E)

(L)

"But I gave them my word. I can't back out here. Just a short negotiation and we might have stable relations. This would be a good thing, right?" (E)

(L)

I realize that Formicea are quite the defensive folk.

For them, expansion is less important than securing an area.

The total a princess can produce is what matters, not the fate of a single drone.

"Still, I want to do this. Not only because I miss the things of my old life and am greedy for them, which might be a point, but also because I believe that it would mean progress for both sides. And who knows, one day my family might be able to switch between both worlds without issues. I want to actively work towards this goal." (E)

(L)

It still feels bad that I am completely dependent on someone else's permission on such a matter which is of such importance to me.

(L)

Huh, what is...

Before I can finish that thought, Liseti extends a blade and slashes in my direction.

I see it coming and there's no hint that it's going to slow down.

These weird eyes of mine only show very clearly how screwed I am, without me being able to come up with an appropriate reaction, as stunned as I am at this development.

The only thing I manage to do is draw back, just in time, in a way that I fall on my back, narrowly escaping the strike but also painfully clamping a wing.

Now I'm lying completely defenseless on the ground and know that there's nothing I can do to evade Liseti's next strike, which she's already preparing.

I just don't understand why she's doing this.

This is going too far for training.

She almost got me there and her blades are poisoned.

But now the next strike is coming and...

Never reaches me.

I blink twice.

The first time I'm still at it to realize that I'm fine, and a second time to assess this situation.

And well, a third time because my second eyelids got irritated.

Three black swords from three different drones of my royal guard have blocked the attack directly in front of my head.

The other weapons they left behind to be faster, but point their stakes at Liseti.

Directly around us are a dozen more, fully armed ones, which are ready to strike at Liseti at a moment's notice.

And all around the room, around seventy, point with at least two claws their stakes at Liseti.

The deadly ones.

(L)

Seriously! This was a test?! She clearly went too far.

(E)

(L)

With this, she leaves as if nothing happened at all.

It seems I can't expect more than this from her.

I also look at my royal guard. I never saw them moving this fast.

Well, I still didn't, but I can anticipate the distance in relation to their prior position.

And it was fast.

And terrifically efficient.

They never used those weapons before, but in this one moment, they were all too willing to use them to get rid of Liseti.

And those efficient killing machines are coming from me.

I created them.

This makes me feel some dread but also, at the same time, a weird sense of pride.

Please, don't get me wrong.

I don't mean because they're good killers.

It's just, that they're much more capable than I ever was.

In a certain way... cooler.

But as their creator, I'm partaking in this in some way.

At least those present here would certainly agree.

"Th-thank you for just now. It's good that you all didn't harm Liseti. That would be bad. But I also wanted to say, that I think you all are good at your job. I guess I can feel safe with you lot around." (E)

I politely bow down to them and leave.

Trying to get quickly away from that huge commotion I just caused behind me.