The Last Monarch : Unlimited Regeneration
Chapter 41: Ignored Consideration

Chapter 41 - Ignored Consideration

"What do you mean?" Raiga asked, frowning.

Tamae's eyes confused him. His younger sister looked restless, almost terrified, as if something far beyond their current situation was haunting her. It was rare for Tamae to look like that. Raiga felt she was overreacting if this was just about Ant Bees.

"I know the Prince of Ant Bee is strong, but we outnumber them. We've got twelve hundred royal soldiers, plus two reserve generals taking the field. That should be enough to defeat them," he said, leaning back against the large wooden chair behind him. "Honestly, I think it's more than enough. It should be over quickly."

Tamae slowly shook her head. "That's not the problem. You didn't see it with your own eyes... If you had, you wouldn't be saying that."

Raiga narrowed his eyes. "Then explain it to me."

Tamae took a deep breath before starting to explain everything—about the Ant Bee nest that was more than just a typical monster colony. She spoke of the existence of the Princess of Ant Bee, the allegiance of ape-type demi-humans, and the massive, diverse number of Ant Bees. Then she mentioned one figure that made her hair stand on end—a demon woman whose power couldn't be measured by normal standards.

Tamae looked Raiga in the eyes. "There are at least three individuals whose strength cannot be underestimated. One of them... might even be on par with me."

Raiga went quiet. His brow furrowed, though he remained composed.

"How many of them are there?" he asked.

Tamae glanced toward Brukk, who had been standing near the door in silence the entire time. Brukk was Raiga's subordinate, and while close to Tamae, he knew his place—especially before the eldest son of Chillg's ruling noble family.

Brukk hesitated, but after meeting Tamae's gaze, he answered. "Roughly... around four hundred Ant Bees. Maybe slightly less. But they're not just ordinary troops. They've evolved."

Raiga didn't pay too much attention to Brukk's words. He already knew Ant Bees could evolve—basically level up from palm-sized Level One Ant Bees to giant, more powerful ones. That was normal in his eyes.

He nodded slowly. "That's not a small number," he muttered, stroking his chin. After thinking for a while, he said, "I'll add another five hundred soldiers. That makes it a total of seventeen hundred. With that numerical advantage and the right battle formations, we can win."

Tamae frowned. She had hoped Raiga would understand the severity of the situation. But as always, her brother believed in military strategy and numbers. She bit her lip and spoke in a low but firm voice.

"You don't understand what we're truly facing... and that's what makes you insane."

Tamae turned and walked quickly toward the door. Before exiting, she looked at her brother one more time.

"I know you'll still go through with the attack. But consider what I've said. If you insist on this... don't involve me," she said coldly.

Then the door slammed shut behind her—like a small explosion in the suddenly silent war room.

Raiga remained seated, saying nothing. But for the first time, doubt showed on his face. It was extremely rare for Tamae to act this way. She was usually stubborn and selfish, yes—but never hard on her own brother.

Raiga turned toward Brukk, who was still awkwardly standing in the room. "What's really going on?" he asked.

"Just like Miss Tamae said. I have nothing to add and..." he hesitated, afraid Raiga might take offense. "I agree with her. We should not get involved."

Raiga became even more confused and surprised. Two people saying the same thing. It was giving him a headache. He scratched his head while leaning deeper into his chair, trying to digest what Tamae had said, but no matter how much he thought...

He still believed defeating the Ant Bee colony wouldn't be that difficult. "Don't we have the advantage in numbers? At most, the Ant Bees are Level Five, and their leader is the Prince of Ant Bee. Other than that, there's nothing to worry about."

Brukk shook his head. "It's not what you think, my lord." He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "The Ant Bees... they can even use teleportation magic."

"Teleportation?" Raiga suddenly became interested. "Explain it to me!"

***

Inside the Ant Bee colony's nest, Alvaric's condition remained the same. He was still unconscious, and his entire body had turned green. After investigation, it was discovered that the Ant Bees had boiled poisonous needles from the forest. They didn't realize the poison came from a toxic mushroom—when they tested it on themselves, nothing had happened.

Niva clenched her fists. Her sharp gaze turned to three Ant Bees who were bowing deeply, guilt all over their faces. "Do you know what punishment you deserve?" she asked.

The three Ant Bees wanted to nod. They were ready to be executed. They knew it was their mistake, and there was no defense to be made.

Niva raised her hand, ready to kill the three Ant Bees before her. As she swung it down, someone suddenly grabbed her wrist. She turned to the right—and saw Lyrith standing there, clearly unhappy with what she was about to do.

"Let go! They deserve to be punished," she said firmly.

"But if they die, will Alvaric recover?" Lyrith asked.

"But..." Niva felt her chest tighten. She pulled back her hand and turned away. "You... don't understand. Alvaric is very precious to me."

"He's not only precious to you, but also to all the other Ant Bees. You mustn't be selfish," Lyrith said firmly.

Niva turned, tears falling from her eyes. She looked at the other Ant Bees. They were all bowing—not crying, but none of them wanted to lose Alvaric. They loved him just as much as Niva did.

"And if Alvaric finds out you killed three members of his family... will he be proud of you?" Lyrith added. He stepped closer to the grieving Niva. "Instead of lashing out at them, it's better if we search for an antidote."

Niva looked hesitant and confused, but she nodded. "All right."

She ordered the Ant Bees to return to the forest and search for any kind of medicinal plant they could find. Niva wasn't a potion expert, but she would do her best. She would do anything to heal Alvaric.

She gently stroked Alvaric's head—it was burning hot, as if his entire body was being roasted alive. The stone beneath him was even releasing smoke due to the heat from his body.

Niva gave a small, awkward smile. "Forgive me," she whispered to Alvaric.

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