Kaede led the way into the dimly lit meeting chamber. The rge, circur table in the ter of the room was fnked by various stos. As they settled around the table, the queens took their pear the edge, their t figures still imposing even in this more enclosed space. Solum stood off to the side, while Acer, already fortable, perched herself at the table’s ter, eager for the discussion to begin.

  Kaede took a deep breath, trying to focus her thoughts oter at hand. "Ari mentioned asking you previously for a y of the nd?" she said, her voice calm but firm.

  Aurina nodded. "Indeed she did. We sent various scouts, mapping the area around the three ies. We decided on my y as it had the most resources." She activated a hive link, eg her mind to Kaede's, as she projected the visualised map of the areas.

  Kaede nodded before closing her eyes aending her hand. A blue light shone, leaving a bck box on her palm. She dropped the box oable and a hologram came to life.

  The hologram showed a 3D view of the three ies and the nds between. "I see, the area we have to work with is quite rge but it's also wild and untamed. I like the location you've picked. We'll o clear the nd, are any of you good with building houses?"

  Crimara tilted her head, her antenna twitg as she asked. "Houses?"

  Kaede didn't bother answering, instead projeg the information into their minds.

  This time Hachi was the one who spoke up. "Why would we hose, our tunnels are perfectly fine..."

  "No one is living in any tunnels." Kaede said with a tone so final that Acer actually froze for a moment.

  Crimara tapped the table lightly with her cwed fingers, her crimson eyes narrowing as she sidered Kaede’s decration. "Above ground structures... That’s quite the departure from our nature, Master." she paused, her tone measured, "But..."

  Kaede folded her arms. "That was when you were just an ant. You're an Antari now, you have a name, you're a person now. A member of the family. You will not live in tunnels, aher will your ies, I pn on naming all of them and evolving them to Antari."

  A silence so loud it was deafening engulfed the entire chamber. Then instantly it was broken by Hachi. "Did you say the entire y? That's not... Master I'm against this. I have hundreds of children and that's just me." She raised all four of her arms in a worried gesture.

  Crimara nodded. "Yes master, unlike Hachi and I who are still retively young, Aurina has lived for longer and has thousands of children. Please resider."

  Kaede remained silent, her gaze steady as the queens voiced their s. She leaned forward slightly, resting her forearms oable. The blue light of the hologram illuminated her face, highlighting the calm iy in her eyes.

  "I uand why this might seem daunting," Kaede began, her voice steady yet firm. "But I’m not ging my mind. If there’s ohing I’ve learned in my short time in this world, it’s that strength is everything. I’m here because I was strohan Razen. When the special ant was born and you terrorized multiple cities, the army ants were stronger, but the tables turned, and you were forced into hiding."

  "If we’re doing this, if you’re followihen you won’t be left behind. We’ll build something strether."

  Aurina, who had remained quiet until now, shifted her form. Her golden exoskeleton gleamed faintly in the dim light as she tilted her head, her antewitg subtly. "Master, evolving aire y is not only unpreted but will demand immense resources. Will you even have enough magicules to sustain such a process?"

  Acer perked up at this. (Mother, maybe we could do that again. Dev moo recharge.)

  Kaede shook her head. "It wouldn't be a good idea long term. And besides, my magicule regeion is a lot higher now. It doesn't have to be an ht endeavour, Shifu won't be back for at least five days, probably more with the addition of the normal humans... Yeah it'll probably take ten days. I'll use that time to name all of our citizens."

  Ari who had been silent, finally spoke. "Aurina, Crimara, Hachi, please perform a t of all members of your y. With that we draw up a pn for mother to carry out her pn."

  Hachi gaped. "You 't seriously be saying you are..."

  "Are you disobeying mother?" The room stilled as multiple faint lines of bck misty figures slowly crawled out of the ground, like shadows given from, and a terrifying presehat pletely dwarfed the presence of the three queeed out of Ari.

  Apart from Kaede who raised an eyebrow, everyone in the room froze, with Hachi's breath seizing as one of the shadowy figures was suddenly an inch away from her face, staring directly into her eyes, even as it shifted in and out of reality.

  The oppressive silehat followed Ari's dispy of authority stretched long and heavy, the weight of her unleashed presence sm aahe shadowy forms writhed in pce, faint whispers of what they could bee, a promise of devastation if provoked further.

  "Ari," Kaede said, her voice cutting through the tension like a bde, "that’s enough."

  The misty forms dissolved immediately, sinking bato the ground and leaving only faint impressions in their wake. Ari bowed her head deeply. "My apologies, Mother. I simply couldn’t tolerate such defian your presence."

  Kaede sighed, but her tone softened slightly as she replied. "I appreciate it, but there's no need for theatrics. They’re here to learn, not to be intimidated." She gnced meaningfully at Hachi, who remained frozen, her anterembling. "Hachi?"

  The queen snapped out of her stupor, her greenery-marked arms l cautiously as her breath came in short, uneven bursts. "Y-yes, Master," she managed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I... I’ll ensure my y is ted immediately."

  Crimara and Aurina exged silent gheir own antewitg with u was Aurina who spoke first, her tone measured and ciliatory. "We will ply with your wishes, Master. Our ies will be tallied, and preparations will begin as soon as we return."

  Kaede nodded, satisfied. "Good. The sooner we have a clear picture of the numbers, the better. This process will take time and effort from all of us. If we're going to achieve something unpreted, I need every one of you on board."

  She reached out to the hologram again, shifting its perspective to dispy a smaller area surrounding Aurina’s y. The terrain's jagged cliffs and dense forests were illuminated in faint blue light. "Aurina, I want you to prioritize clearing and fortifying this area. It will serve as the foundation for the first settlement."

  Aurina ined her head, anteilting slightly forward. "It will be done, Master. My workers are skilled at excavation and stru, though their methods have always been... utilitarian. Adjustments to above-ground structures will take some experimentation."

  "That’s expected," Kaede replied. "Don’t worry about making everything perfect right away. Focus on funality. I’ll provide guidance as needed."

  Crimara tapped the table lightly again, her gaze flig to the hologram. "And what of my y? If Aurina’s workers are preoccupied, I redirect mio gather additional resources from the forest. And, there are other predators lurking in the region. I've been itg for some payback."

  Kaede’s lips curled into a faint smile. "I'll allow it. They’ll serve as a good souragicules. Acer, you’ll apany Crimara’s workers and eheir safety."

  Acer grihe gleam in her green eyes promisihusiasm for the task. "

  (Uood, Mother. I’ll make sure nothing disrupts our progress.)

  Hachi, still regaining her posure, spoke hesitantly. "What about my y, Master? We are not as aced to resource colle as Aurina’s or Crimara’s ies. Uhe others I don't lead a y of army ants, but Leafcutters."

  Kaede regarded her thoughtfully for a moment before replying. "Hmmmm, now that I think about it, there was an Antari Ari named Lumea right? I assume she's from your y?"

  Haodded. "Yes master. She is one of my most ret brood."

  Kaede smiled. "Then I think I know where you'll be needed, just gather your people."

  Hachi bowed her head low. "As you and, Master."

  The chamber fell into a more natural silence as the queens processed their tasks. Kaede leaned ba her seat, exhaling slowly.

  The queens exged a brief, silent unication before Aurina spoke again. "While we get the tallies, we’ll begin with clearing the area. Our workers remove obstacles and shape the terrain to match your pns."

  Kaede poi the hologram, her firag a se of the map. "Start here. This pteau near your y has solid ground and a good vantage point over the surrounding area. It’s perfect for the mailement. We’ll build a tral hub there, with eg paths to other key locations."

  Crimara leaned closer, her gaze focused on the hologram. "And the defenses? You mentioned visibility being important, but above-ground structures are more vulnerable to attacks. How do we at for that?"

  Kaede gestured again, adjusting the hologram to show the surrounding mountains and natural barriers. "The terrain works in our favor. The Kyusha Mountains provide a natural shield, and we enhahat as much as we want. Motion sensors, barriers, wards, and automated defenses."

  "Automated defenses?" Crimara's voice carried an undeniable burst of excitement. "What kind of defenses?"

  Kaede grinned, a spark of excitement in her eyes. "You’ll see. I’ve got a few ideas in mind that should impress you."

  Acer beamed. (Mother’s defenses are the best! Nothis past them. Not even a fly!)

  Kaede chuckled softly, her tone pyful. "Let’s not give them too much credit just yet, Acer. But yes, they’ll be more than enough to keep us safe."

  Aurina, ever practical, nodded. "Very well. We’ll begin clearing the nd today. How long until you provide the designs, for the houses?"

  Kaede tilted her head, sidering. "A few hours. I’ll o adjust them based on the resources we have avaible and the specifieeds of the ies. But once I have the framework, stru should move quickly with everyone w together."

  Kaede adjusted the hologram, spinning it slowly as she examihe key points of the pnned settlement. "Alright. If there's nothing else, we ..."

  She paused, her sharp eyes flig over the queens as they began rising from their seats. Aurina, Crimara, and Hachi stretched their t forms, their exoskeletons catg the dim light of the chamber. Ari remaiill, her focus unwavering on Kaede, while Acer twitched excitedly, clearly ready to get started on her assigask.

  Kaede raised a hand abruptly, stopping them mid-motion. Her expression was ral, but her voice carried an uone of and. "Hold on a moment."

  The queens froze, exging curious gnces before turning their attention back to Kaede. Hachi hesitated, her antewitg nervously. "Yes, Master?"

  Kaede leaned ba her chair, crossing her arms as her gaze swept over the group. "There’s one more matter we o address before you leave. None of you are wearing clothes."

  The statement hung in the air like a thundercp. Aurina blinked, her golden anteilting in fusion. Crimara raised a hand to her bare crimson shoulder, her expression caught between surprise and disfort. Even Hachi, ever nervous, looked down at herself, suddenly self-scious.

  "I didn’t think it was an issue," Crimara said, her voice carefully ral. "We’ve never needed clothing before. Our exoskeletons provide all the prote we require."

  "That was when you were still just monsters," Kaede replied, her tone even but unyielding. "And it's not about prote. You're all basically naked. No, you're not allowed to remain naked."

  Aurina frowned slightly, her antennae dipping. "But, Master, we’ve never had such s. Clothing seems... unnecessary for us."

  'Argh! No way, we need clothes. I 't just keep wearing armour all day.' Kaede sighed, leaning forward as she tapped a finger against the table. "It might seem that way to you, but think about it from another perspective. How do you want others to see you? As intelligent beings, capable of building and g? Or as creatures no different from wild monsters?"

  The room fell silent again, the queens exging gnces. Kaede could see the hesitation in their body nguage.

  Ari finally spoke, her tone soft but firm. "Mother is right. The world will eventually know about us. Disregarding practicality, It’s good for our identity."

  Crimara tapped the table again, her cws clig lightly against the stone. "If it’s a matter of identity and representation, I see the logi it. But... where do we even begin? We’ve never made clothing before."

  Kaede allowed a small smile to grace her lips. "Leave that part to me. I make a loom, though as for the threads. How do I make those? Spider webs I guess? Hey Ari are there any weaving spiders nearby?"

  Ari nodded. "Do not fret mother, I know just the pce to find one, I'll tact Pito and ask her to find one on her way back."

  Kaede tilted her head. "Who?"

  Ari paused, before a look of realization dawned on her face. "Ah. Remember I said that I had named seven subordinates, I told you about six of them before we got distracted. Pito is the st of the seven, and she's currently in the dragon's cave."