Looking out at the town of Ford’s Rest, probably named after a ford in the brook that flowed by the town, Tim wondered what a human city would look like.

This settlement was quite different than Ariedel, the elven city. Although wood had been used extensively as a construction material, it didn’t include living trees, or really much green, or several layers of urban design. Of course, it was also a lot smaller. Actually, it looked a lot like Forest’s Haunt, although the town was bigger than that village. It had twice or maybe three times the inhabitants, as best he could guess, although there might be less than that now, with some people having left because of the civil war. Or maybe joined their local noble’s army and gotten killed. Some of the empty houses were now used to house prisoners, an irony he suspected no one would find funny.

They had already been here long enough for him to get a sense of the place and life within it. Not that the townspeople liked talking to him, or any of the other drones, from what he’d heard. They’d stare whenever he got close to them, if they didn’t hurry to put some distance between them. Tim tried not to let it bother him, reminding himself that the villagers of Forest’s Haunt had acted a lot like that at first, too, before they got to know the Hive better.

Still, it was a real town, and it had things the village didn’t. Probably better planning, more paved streets, a broader economy and some more specialized shops. Tim found the alchemy shop particularly interesting. Apparently, their human allies from Marquis Lyns and his cohort had a few alchemists along, as well. They’d taken the opportunity to stock up on reagents and potions, and whatever else they did, here. Unfortunately, all the other shops seemed pretty much the same as he would have expected without the System or magic. And for that matter, he was still unsure how much alchemists actually just used chemistry. Tim had taken a look at all of the stores’ goods, but he didn’t find anything particularly interesting.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t just goof off all the time. For some reason, he’d fallen into the role of leader for the Hive drones who’d come along. That meant he had a lot to do, coordinating them and especially looking after the Swarm Drones. They didn’t have many Winged Drones left. Regina had recalled most of them and not sent any back except for messengers, who they’d returned, anyway, but they did still have a sizable group of War Drones and a few Production Drones.

Keeping them fed was a particular challenge. Right now, Tim was inspecting the makeshift fields they’d thrown together. A few wooden scaffolds had plants climbing against them, mostly ones the locals wouldn’t be able to eat. Zac, like most of the other Harvesters, had unlocked a Skill that sped up plant growth, and was using it on cooldown. The Production Drones were also being worked as much as they could handle. After all, Tim didn’t want to infringe on the townspeople’s fields and cultivated land. “It would be easier if we knew how much longer we’re going to stay here,” he muttered.

Janis, who was walking beside him, laughed. “Maybe if you ask the others very nicely, they could hurry it up,” she suggested with a small smirk.

Tim rolled his eyes. He’d grown to like the girl, even if he sometimes still wasn’t sure what to make of her. He did find her attitude towards the human commanders a bit hard to understand, though. There were probably nuances he was missing. For example, he was pretty sure she disliked John Cern, but it might not be for the same reasons that Tia did.

They turned to make their way back into the town. Tim ran his hand along the leaves of some kind of climbing plant, then plucked one of them off the stem and ate it as a snack. Janis gave him a look, but didn’t comment. She would’ve had a point, though, it was a bit bitter. Not that Tim minded, really. He was happy to get a bit of variety. The stuff the Production Drones made as food might be nutritious, but it was a little bland.

Tim paused, closed his eyes for a moment and focused on the Winged Drone sitting on a nearby house. It took him a second, but then he connected to its mind well enough to see through its eyes. He made the drone turn its head, looking at the town, and more importantly, looking for specific people. Then he opened his eyes again. “It looks like they’re meeting at Cern’s house again.”

“Yes,” Janis said, a faint frown on her face. “I think there’s been some news.”

Tim nodded, and in unspoken agreement, they set off for the place. He tried to cast out his mind to check on the position of other drones while he walked. This seemed to have gotten easier, ever since the psychic link had changed a few days ago. He’d already suspected what had happened, although getting Regina’s explanation that it was due to her getting a new Ability for hitting level 35 was nice. He still hadn’t managed to reach anyone back in their village, of course, and he suspected he wouldn’t have even if they were in Regina’s range, which the town obviously wasn’t.

They met Tia just outside the place. She and Janis exchanged a nod, while Tim made sure to stay out of her range if she tried a more physical greeting. Tia gave him a half-irritated, half-amused look, to which he replied with a small smile.

The building John Cern and a few other leaders of the human force had chosen had a nice backyard, located between it and the neighboring house and almost entirely enclosed. Since that house also didn’t have any windows in the back, it was private enough, and probably not as cramped as trying to fit lots of people into a room in the townhouse.

Tim still found it a little rude to commandeer the house of what he had learned was some kind of mayor for the town, but the man had apparently been paid and said he was fine with it, so he let it go. And to be fair to Cern, he probably needed a reasonably big headquarters. Tim himself was perfectly happy with the smaller house they’d taken farther from the town’s center, where he slept in the bigger room with the other sapient drones while Janis got a small bedroom for herself. The blankets and pillows they’d acquired were the best part, anyway.

When they arrived, the others were already engaged in a heated debate, although they stopped as soon as the drones entered. Tim counted John Cern and a few of his followers, but also Kiara, Richard and a few of her other knights. Kiara didn’t look happy. He found it surprisingly difficult to read Cern’s mood.

“Not the kind of news we were hoping for, I take it?” Tim asked mildly as he joined them.

Now Cern did show a bit of irritation, if Tim read the slight curling of his lips right. But it was fleeting, he clearly had more important things on his mind.

“Not ones we were quite expecting, at least, Sir Tim,” he replied with a polite nod.

I’m never going to be used to being called that, he thought. But it was what the humans apparently agreed to call him. Tim glanced at the paper he was now noticing, lying on a small table. It looked about as crisp as it got. “I assume they came from Marquis Lyns? What is this about?”

“Father has indeed sent us news, updates on the current state of the war, and new orders,” Kiara answered.

She looked at John Cern, who nodded and picked up the explanation. “We are to depart this town, leaving only an appropriate garrison behind, and move on the other settlements, claiming them for our cause. Once we sweep the west, we will move on to claim the entirety of the Relains March. With the marquis fled and his fighting force decimated, it should be a feasible task.” He smiled. “Although we would welcome reinforcements from the Hive, of course.”

Tim frowned. He glanced from Kiara Lyns, who still looked at least mildly concerned, to the others. Janis had tensed up slightly, almost expectantly. “I don’t think so,” he said, trying to sound firm, but not rude. “We are here to secure our own safety and territory. I wish you luck in your conquest, but fighting in your civil war was never part of the agreement.”

John Cern didn’t look pleased to hear it, but he nodded. Then he looked at Kiara again, frowning slightly, before he continued. “Lord Lyns has also given me gracious approval to fly my flag in the towns in this area that we conquer. Once this conflict is over, I have his assurance that I will be made marquis of this domain.”

Tim blinked, then realized something. “The towns of this area? Including this one?”

Cern nodded. “Yes, indeed. This is also part of my demesne, or my domain to be.”

Tim just stared at him for a second. Then he glanced at the fellow Hive members with him. They had all tensed up, and he saw the warriors surreptitiously readying themselves, even knowing they couldn’t win an actual fight. “Does the marquis realize,” he said evenly, “that we have a claim to this territory as well? That the Hive has expressed an interest in it?”

Now Cern looked a bit awkward. “I assure you, we have communicated such to him,” Kiara spoke up. She bowed her head. “I apologize for any … miscommunication. But I am sure we can sort this out.”

Tim stared at her, then back at the Cernlian lord. He realized they would not simply back down from what they’d just outlined. He just didn’t know what their deal was.

They are allies of convenience, he remembered his Queen telling him, just before they departed to the south. Never forget that their aims and actions might not line up with ours, ultimately.

Janis bumped him softly, and he felt her mind trying to reach out to connect to him. He quickly opened his mind to hers. Do you know what this is about? he asked her. Why would Lyns make such a move?

I’m pretty sure it’s internal politics of some sort, Janis responded quickly. She seemed to be thinking hard, but he could feel a bit of bubbling annoyance. He’s probably reached a deal with some other nobles. There’s all sorts of things to consider about the kingdom and the crown, I suppose. She seemed to sense his confusion and started explaining, Marquis Lyns has a claim to the throne, he’s the current king’s cousin. I imagine he’s preparing to take the throne himself. This might be a way of paying off Cern, so to speak.

Why does he need to pay him off? Tim replied. I asked around, and I learned Cern doesn’t seem to hold any territory worth speaking about. He’s not even an earl or anything, is he?

It’s his family, Janis explained, still sounding a bit annoyed. This kingdom is fairly old - several centuries, actually. That means there have been some changes. For a time, the kings barely had any real power, it was all wielded by their chief judge. Called ‘governor’, because he actually governed. She paused. I don’t know all the details. To be honest, I barely remember what I heard, I was rather young at the time.

That’s fine, Tim reassured her. So, his ancestors were the real power behind the throne for a time?

Exactly. They were even instrumental in founding the kingdom, but they had a religious role - which they must have later lost or dropped, I don’t really remember - so they weren’t supposed to hold an actual throne, I suppose. Anyway, they were deposed about a century or so ago, and the king actually took control. But apparently, there’s some old agreement. I don’t know the details, but it’s something Lady Kiara mentioned. It must have been from a long time ago. If the royal line died out, apparently the Cerns were supposed to do something about it. Select a new one or get the crown themselves or something, I don’t know.

Tim sent her a feeling of reassurance mentally. That was a lot of ‘I don’t know’s. Still, at least now he knew the basics. Human politics weren’t his forte, but he understood enough to realize she was right, and this was definitely some kind of internal power structure issue, with the marquis trying to secure his position.

Tim took a deep breath and returned his attention to the people in front of him. He could tell they were uncomfortable, maybe almost anxious, since he must have just been standing there silently for a bit.

“I see,” he finally said, his tone cold. “I will, of course, inform my Hive Queen of these developments. But I would like to formally protest your leader’s conduct. This is not the sort of thing one decides unilaterally, without consulting their allies.”

“I realize you are upset,” Kiara spoke up. “You want this territory, or part of it, correct?” She glanced at the gathered people. “I understand, you have certainly worked for it. But I would like to note that these … human-inhabited Cernlian villages are only on the south side of the territory spanning the border of the Great Forest. I suggest a compromise. We could have you claim all of the land north of the first villages and their fields and immediate surroundings. It is uninhabited, but I do not think that will be much of a problem for your Hive.”

Tim stared at her for a second. Then he forced his tense shoulders to relax slightly and gave a short nod of acknowledgment. “Your suggestion sounds reasonable, Lady Kiara. I will, of course, convey it to my Queen, as well.”

Janis shifted slightly beside him. He realized her situation had just gotten more complicated. Just one more reason to hope that this would work out without any lasting adverse effects.

“Splendid.” Kiara smiled with what might have been a bit of relief.

“It is a reasonable compromise,” Cern said, but he didn’t look entirely pleased about it.