The laying commenced without greater issues.

It seems Princess Chera keeps at least the traditional numbers of nurses around her place.

I feel that a great deal of the laid eggs should still be assault beetles since the emergency still was present until I got saved by Chera's troops.

Yet since there was at least a sense of safety afterward, some regular units should be mixed in between.

Foremost hunters, I’d guess, as I thought about sniffing around here.

As we all know, the priority of drone production changes according to my intentions.

Unfortunately, this endeavor drained all the remaining energy I had in me.

I was already close to collapsing once I arrived in this hive but deemed getting some nourishment to be more important than breaking down.

After all, sleeping on an empty stomach is the best way to build up long-term exhaustion.

Surprisingly, I encountered so many weird things here that make me want to investigate, but now I think I'll follow through with my initial plan and get some sleep.

They even have an alcove here.

Never thought I would appreciate this as a luxury one day.

All to say, it shouldn't surprise anyone that I took a well-needed rest before going about any of my plans.

Naturally, Kyska is with me when I wake up again and insists on a morning cleaning she gratefully had foregone before for the sake of my rest.

Before she's completely finished, I somewhat surprisingly get again invited by Chera to dine with her.

Conveniently, her place is just around the corner.

So I go there.

Yet not before spending a short moment with my beetles.

When I arrive she seems cheerful, having forgotten about any problematic things yesterday.

(C)

(E)

(C)

Maybe I'm interpreting too much into this, but it feels like she wants to get rid of me.

(E)

(C)

The latter troubles me quite a bit.> (E)

(C)

(E)

(C)

For real?

I didn't think of something like that.

Is it like a conscious instinct?

That's kinda scary to think about.

(E)

(C)

I'm apparently lazy.

No way around admitting this.

(E)

(C)

I still think she's quite nice.

At least for a Formicea princess, she's very understanding.

(E)

(C)

(E)

Tarsona's capital with all our troops should be closer than any Formicean bases if I'm right.

(C)

Well, that kinda answers it.

(E)

(C)

(E)

(C)

Well, I didn't think about it like this or rather didn't want to see it this way.

Yet considering what I know about Honiu, Chera might be right that this was the intention.

Shortly after this, the food is brought.

And... it's the same meat as last time, coming along with a tiny cup of nectar and a really shallow amount of mushrooms.

I know better than to speak about this, yet my mind is made up now.

I finish this kinda odd meat breakfast, that still at least serves to make me full.

And excuse myself from Chera.

As mentioned before, she's understanding of the fact that I need some time for myself after what I went through.

However, my intention for today is something else.

I walk to the central junction in front of the princess' quarters and wait.

It doesn't take too long before I hear the familiar surring of little wings.

My beetles.

(E)

Sadly, they aren't smart enough to communicate aside from the most simple replies, but the pheromones I receive indicate the affirmative.

So I let them lead me to my destination.

(K)

(E)

(K)

(E)

Just to say so, I'm not going to do anything reckless or forbidden here.

I only asked them to search for where the food is gathered and stored and show it to me.

There are certainly no bad intentions involved; although, I am curious about the fact that something appears to be going decisively wrong in this hive.

Chera provides barely any nectar or mushrooms, and I want to know why that is.

I mean, she's part of a giant insect empire but seems to starve herself for whatever reason.

And if I get questioned regarding what I'm doing, I can simply answer that I was interested in the food she offered me.

As there was no prohibiting of my movements, it's not like I'm doing anything forbidden.

Ultimately, Kyska gives in, following quietly behind.

She seems to think that making a fuss would have worse consequences than just going along with it.

I walk for a while behind my little beetles.

As for the passage, it seems like it's leading to the north, opposite from the direction I entered from.

First, it goes a bit uphill, but then the tunnel's direction drops.

Once again, I wonder what kind of concept Princess Chera has for her hive.

The further we go the more frequently I have to ignore the signs of irritation I receive from the passing workers.

Which is fine, as they're rather showing confusion at my presence than any semblance of hostility.

The same goes for the abundance of guardians that seem to be quite favored by Chera.

Speaking of it, hunters I find to be extremely rare in Chera's hive in general.

Though, maybe it's just personal preference.

I could understand her on that.

Finally, we apparently reach the storage area where they gather the flesh.

I exit the tunnel through one of several exits that lead into a greater cave, which ends in a small hole where dozens of guardians linger around.

The ground is slick, and bits and pieces of white flesh and other unrecognizable stuff lie scattered around.

Anyways, I can see how most of the movement concentrates on a shallow entrance.

There's a decent fishy smell all around, yet apparently they consume the meat fresh enough before the stench becomes unbearable.

Which raises the question how they're maintaining a steady supply.

Naturally, I'm directly drawn to the hole on the other side.

Yet before I reach it, there enters a large number of workers.

They're carrying harvested mycelium, but something is wrong.

When I look closer I realize what it is.

Some of them are staggering in their gait, and the reason is that they're injured.

The last of the group enter, all holding the mycelium harvest.

But the last seem to be the worst of this group.

Just what happened in there?

I walk up to one of the workers to ask.

(E)

Abruptly, there's new movement at the hole.

"Shkraaaaaahhhhh"

What the fuck is this!?!