The journey proceeds without further incidents.

Once we reach the part of the system where we encounter our patrols again, I can truly feel safe, as we're officially within our own controlled territory.

No further armies or giant cave worms out to eat me.

After this point, it is a pure impossibility that anything could sneak past.

So I feel a sense of security that I just now started to truly appreciate.

Thus, it's only a question of time until we arrive at our destination.

Once we draw near, the first thing I notice is how incredibly vast the main tunnel is that leads in there.

Surely around thirty meters in diameter.

The moment we reach the end, I bear witness to a sight that puts me in awe.

What the heck did Honiu do here?

Gone is the base that was supposed to house us while we were attending the negotiations.

In their place, gigantic caverns came into existence, bustling with the traffic of thousands upon thousands of drones rushing from one tunnel to the other.

This princess apparently created a city below the city.

Do I need to worry about the structural integrity of all the buildings above?

At this extent, I'm not sure if the building agent alone will suffice.

After we passed some of these halls, our flesh carriage comes to a stop.

(L)

Makes sense.

There's much to clear up, so for once, my state of rest isn't the top priority.

However, I have no idea where we are supposed to go now.

Coming from the fact that she isn't going anywhere, I assume Liseti doesn't know either.

However, it seems our confusion is about to be cleared up when I spot movement coming our direction.

A moderately large group of drones marches towards us.

Yet then they part and approaching us is... a human girl.

"Oh mye god! Finallye!" (Alea)

Huh?

"Oh, rieght! Ahem!" (A)

(A)

Excuse me!?

I have questions!

Especially, how she came and what she's doing here!

I remember how Honiu, well, basically abducted a bunch of orphans and started mutating them.

In particular, I can recall talking to this specific girl.

Yet I almost didn't recognize her.

Because the mutation shows.

She got a slightly darker complexion that looks a bit like a tan.

When she talked I saw something like a broken line in her mouth where her teeth should've been.

Also, and this might be a difficult-to-ignore topic, she has four tiny wings sprouting from her back that currently barely exceed her shoulders and sides of her torso.

As Liseti doesn't seem to see a need to respond, and I'm too stunned and afraid of messing up to do so, the girl gestures for us to tag along and walks in the other direction.

We naturally follow behind, but soon I can't hold onto myself anymore.

(E)

The issue is, that I have so much on my mind regarding her that I can't focus on a singular point first.

(L)

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(E)

She's right.

I can identify her as one.

The pheromone marks are telling enough.

Not to forget the distinctive expression of Honiu.

She's officially marked as her brood.

A scent seal that will never fade.

(A)

(L)

Liseti doesn't even bother directly speaking to what she sees as a drone.

Since she isn't, at least I should try making amends and, even though belatedly, show better manners.

(E)

(A)

I feel barely hidden disdain for that circumstance.

Should I apologize?

It's not like I did get abducted by choice.

Yet something else gets priority in my mind.

(E)

That Gabe left nonetheless.> (A)

The last part is more of an afterimage of her pheromones.

She can't be all that proficient with them yet.

(E)

Though, I still feel weird when they stare at my wings.> (A)

Seems like commitment.> (E)

The look and pheromones I receive as an answer just scream "Really?!" at me.

(A)

Okay, maybe I might as well need some more training.

(L)

(A)

I'm not sure if this would lead to anything good.

(L)

(A)

(E)

(A)

That's probably the nicest thing anyone ever said about her.

Well, aside from her original brood.

Yet I wouldn't ask them if I want an objective assessment.

(E)

(A)

(E)

(A)

Still doesn't sound very reassuring.

While probably the best I could've hoped for, what happened will likely make it difficult to return relations to how they were before.

(L)

Alea just rolls her eyes over this comment, which is probably for the best, as I can't see much good coming from engaging further.

After some time, there's a change in the halls and tunnels we're passing.

I actually need to recall my time before here to realize what it is and become irritated.

What happened is that, below the Formicean building agent, the base is no longer dirt, but stone.

The very stone of the royal palace.

It seems like Honiu expanded our territory right into it.

However, Alea now comes to a stop in front of a big door in a way that tells me we arrived where we were supposed to.

Yet according to my memory, we can at most be in the cellar of the palace by now, certainly not any of the meeting halls.

Yet then the door opens and I look at a great hall.

A throne hall.

Right when I'm about to start processing what I see, something throws me out of it.

"Eryees! Oh mye god you're baeeck!" (Farrah)

Literally, as she jumps at me and pulls me into a hug.

"H-hi, mum." (E)