- Magistrate Corelius -

Terrible.

Terrible.

Simply terrible!

How could it come to this?

I thought I did a satisfying job as the magistrate of this most pleasant place in all of the world.

Not even the exotic southern colonies can reach the appeal of the jewel that is Caradis.

Comfort is still beyond all measure.

So I strived tirelessly to make this a place everyone would be envious of being a part of.

So why?

Just why?

Just why did I receive one day this dispatch that told me that Caradis would be relinquished to the swarm?!

I would've had to be blind and deaf had I not heard of the emergence of those creatures.

How they suddenly sprouted everywhere from the very earth, becoming the most hotly discussed matter since... well, basically ever.

Seriously, I couldn't even imagine an event that would even begin to compare to something of this magnitude.

Simply the prospect that insect-like creatures such as these could come to roam my wonderful paradise put me on edge, but to think His Majesty would even allow them to simply take over.

Such a thing is utterly beyond me.

My beautiful Caradis.

I tried to appeal to the king, but for some reason didn't receive any response to my requests to do something about this madness.

The same goes for the various contacts among the nobility I addressed.

It seems like they just cut off.

Just today came a single reply.

Not even signed by the king himself, but a mere document stamped by the administration office.

It reads: "Do you truly believe an inferior side can dictate the terms of a treaty?"

This told me all I had to know.

Caradis is nothing but the sacrificial lamb those in power slaughtered to appease the insect monsters.

They can't win, so instead, they curry favor with them.

If it's like this, we might've rather submitted to Koreso instead.

I'm sure even the Koresoans would have come around to appreciate the beauty of my safe haven of respite.

Therefore, there would've been no reason to displace me if I had catered to the demands of their officers.

As things present itself now, I was simply left alone with handling this all.

There came no further instructions, no orders, not even the slightest hint from Valera about how things would proceed when the time comes.

What puts me off even more is that nothing came from our supposed occupiers either.

They simply never showed up.

It's a state of limbo, where I just don't know what awaits me.

Could it even be that they'll never come?

Maybe this was merely a formal submission without any actual consequences?

I mean, what would insects even do with a port?

Or the beach, or our magnificent architecture?

It would just be wasted on them, wouldn't it?

If that were truly the case, I wish I knew so earlier, before I made the news about our grim future public.

Oh, the chaos ensuing in the first few days.

We lost a third of our merchants, craftsmen, and artisans.

Everyone who could afford to do so packed their stuff and left town.

One of the strongest remaining groups left would be the sailors and fishermen, who basically live on their boats and can just sail away if they find the waters getting too hot here.

To think that all that might've just been a false alarm.

I'll still have to figure out how to manage this town, now that Tarsona basically relinquished their ties to us, which would make us an independent city, but this could just as well prove to be a chance.

Yes, maybe I can figure something out.

Suddenly, a guardsman bursts into my office.

"Ma-Magistrate! There, there are..." (guardsman)

His halberd awkwardly gets in the way of his ensuing wild gesturing, profound streams of sweat emerge from below his glistening chest plate, creating darkening circles on the red and blue uniform.

It must be a lack of training, as I certainly didn't spare on the quality of their equipment.

"What is it? I'm busy." (Corelius)

"They're here!" (guardsman)

"Who? Who is here?" (C)

"The, the insects. Masses of them! Right in front of the town!" (guardsman)

What!?

Why wasn't I informed?

For months, there was nothing coming from this direction and suddenly they're just here?!

"Are you sure? There's no doubt about it?" (C)

"Magistrate, you might see them from your window." (guardsman)

The window?

The town hall lies in the center of the town.

Slightly elevated, but it isn't exactly close to the town's borders.

Nonetheless, I can at least look a bit beyond the wall from here, so I'll humor him, to check if I might catch sight of one or two of them staggering around.

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Which is when I gain sight of a writhing black mass on the road.

I rub my eyes, to check if something is wrong with them, but this only confirms my fears.

This spreading sheet of black that lies over the land are all living creatures…

"What are we supposed to do, Sir?" (guard)

I need a moment to gather myself.

Everything I worked for is crumbling in just this single moment.

How can this be true?!

The town won't survive this, I'm sure about it.

From the window, I can even hear the first panicked screams of people who, just as I did, discovered how screwed we are.

There's no hope.

What am I supposed to do?

What are my men supposed to do?

We can't hope to defeat an army like this.

Our country won't even send aid.

This is truly and utterly hopeless.

"Open the gates!" (C)

"Magistrate?" (guardsman)

"You heard me. There's no way we'll fight this. Allow everyone who wishes to go to pass. I won't hold it against anyone who wishes to flee from this nightmare. If those things came to conquer the town, pissing them off won't do us any good." (C)

Maybe they'll show mercy if I comply.

Or if not, the ensuing slaughter should cover my retreat.

I already long ago prepared myself a boat I could board if things went downhill here.

I only have to sneak out to my hidden port, while those things take their time walking in through the front door.

"Ackhh!" (guardsman)

What is this guy making such a high-pitched sound there?

I move to the door and once again find myself unable to react to what I'm seeing.

In front of the guard stands a giant.

A giant with three arms, one of its two on the right side holding a huge, black lance.

The wings on its back explain how it made it here so fast.

The threat it poses by itself is only emphasized by the many of its kind hovering around it.

"Unit! What... is your... intent?" (Miru)

The creature stares right into the soul of the man in front of it, its words comings slowly, accentuated, but clear.

"I, I, I..." (guardsman)

"Speak!" (M)

"I was about to bring orders to the gate to open the gates for you!" (guardsman)

"That won't... be necessary. The gate... is already controlled. Stay at attendance!" (M)

Relieved by apparently being left off the hook, the man barely keeps himself on his legs, when suddenly the creature snaps back at him.

"Where is... the local leading unit?" (M)

Not surprisingly, he points right at my direction.

I almost get a heart attack when the gaze of that thing snaps now towards me and it approaches.

"You are... the leading unit?" (M)

God help me!

This piercing glare is freezing the blood in my veins.

"Y-yes?" (C)

"Make preparations! Mother is... coming." (M)

Its mother?

What kind of creature can this be if its offspring are already so terrific?

"W-what kind of preparations?" (C)

"To receive her. She is coming... and she will... be welcomed!" (M)

So they want that I have her welcomed in all honors?

How do they imagine this?

That I roll out the good carpet, guide her personally into the town hall, and gather all the townspeople so they may applaud her?!

Yet when I look at the creature in front of me, I get the feeling it means exactly this.

"E-e-ehm, Jelfrey, roll out the carpet!" (C)

I hope my personal servant is still close enough to hear.

If I were him, I'd have already long left the town.

After this, I try to assign everyone I can find, and who is willing to listen in this situation, to gather the townspeople.

The "mother" of this thing is apparently going for a big entrance.

The population took, due to recent events, quite the blow.

I mean, who would want to live in an insect town?

Certainly not the nobles who have their summer estates here.

Nonetheless, we are still talking about approximately ten-thousand people.

I doubt we can gather all, or if they're even willing to come.

Yet in some way this serves, as I couldn't deal with a mass panic right now.

Though then I realize with growing horror that I probably don't need to worry as much about public order, as I find almost every single roof along the main street to be occupied by flying insects, which settle down and stare at everything on the streets below.

Before long, the first citizens gather, all of them looking uncomfortable or at least slightly distressed.

There's this impervious tension in the air.

Then it begins.

The low, rhythmic tremble of thousands of legs stirring the ground permeates the silence, growing closer and louder in intensity until it can't be denied anymore.

In the distance, I find a convoy, whose end I cannot see, pass through the gate and begin to snake itself further in.

In the front row, massive creatures of horror I wouldn't even dream to encounter in my wildest nightmares.

Those are surrounded by more flying creatures, circling the center like birds seeking for prey.

Finally, the center consists of a bulk of smaller, four-legged creatures that form an almost solid structure.

On top of said structure I find more of these giants that intimidated me so much earlier, along with numerous smaller ones that don't look as much a threat.

And there, in their midst... a girl?

A young woman, sitting among those creatures.

The only expression of discomfort being her shifting position on her seat, otherwise looking undisturbed.

People gasp.

Barely anyone dares to even move a muscle.

This display of power quietens any possible opposition.

Those who leave in fear aren't prevented from doing so, but I notice the gaze of the girl following them.

The procession makes its way through the people, continuing on and on until they stop right in front of me.

Instead of just getting down, the creatures form something akin to a stairway with their body, which the girl takes to climb down.

Just now I notice the wings on her back, and her dark eyes when they focus on me.

With surprisingly elegant steps, she descends, always secured by gentle arms all around her.

Once her feet touch the ground, she crosses the distance towards me and starts speaking with an off-putting young and innocent voice.

"Good day, Sir. You are the magistrate of Caradis, is that right?" (E)

The silence stretches uncomfortably long, until a shift in her gaze reminds me to answer.

"Y-yes. I am." (C)

"Good. I want you to assemble all the people of power, as well as all the higher ranking officials who are willing to work with me. Whoever isn't may be informed that they are hereby relieved of their duties. My units will continue securing the inner city, to make sure that things remain peaceful. There's a lot to do. Nonetheless, let's figure out together how to best make this work." (E)

Who is this girl?

Why is she talking like this?

How come that all the insect monsters around, all generally larger than her, pay her respect?

She looks so small and insignificant, but these creatures seem to even revere her person, forming the very ground she's walking on.

Why is she carrying such confidence as if she owns everything here?

Could it be that whoever is in charge of these creatures appointed this, this hybrid as the governor of Caradis?

A face that won’t disturb the populace too much?

I need to confirm this.

"I-I'm sorry. Forgive my insolence, as I wasn't informed about this, but who are you?" (C)

She blinks at me, staring long and intently.

Then she speaks.

"My name is Erys! I'm a princess of the swarm!" (E)