I Became an Ant Lord, So I Built a Hive Full of Beauties-Chapter 220: Farewell Speech!

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When the final body had been laid to rest, Akayoroi approached the central cairn. She held something cupped in both hands. A drone egg. It was small. Cracked. Its outer membrane dulled to a smoky sheen. But still warm.

"New life from loss," she whispered, placing it atop the cairn. The air didn’t stir. But something shifted.

An echo of power—an unspoken vow—rolled through their spine. The surviving assassin-class ants dropped to one knee. No words. Just bowed heads. Amber tears gathered in their eyes... but none fell on the ground.

Grief had hardened into resolve.

Kai stepped forward at last. His exoskeleton shimmered faintly under the fungal light. Though no one said a word, they felt him closer.

He walked to the center. Raised one hand—not as a king, not as a monarch, not even as a warrior.

Just as someone who is showing respect to the fallen. "I didn’t know your names," he said, voice low but clear. "I didn’t lead you. I didn’t train with you. I didn’t even fight beside you."

His fingers curled into fists. "But you protected a queen. You defended your sisters. You gave your lives for someone you trusted to lead you. You all deserved a better life. I respect you all for your sacrifice and bravery."

A quiet hiss of assent moved through the tunnel like wind through stone cracks.

"I don’t know what kind of Lord I am. Or even what kind I should be. But I swear this—your names will not be erased. Your stories won’t be buried under moss and forgotten. One day if this... your clan rises higher, if your sister becomes something more than survivors... it will be because of your sacrifice."

Then he looked up. "I won’t forget that. You all will be missed." A long silence followed after Kai’s heart bleeding speech.

Then Akayoroi approached him. Not as a survivor, not even as a queen. But as a daughter / sister mourning her kin.

"Thank you, Kai," she said. Her voice was soft enough that only he could hear it. "That was an amazing goodbye. Your words give my sister peace. I hope they are well in the afterlife."

Kai nodded once. Then he added, "Tonight... I wait for your answer."

"I remember," she said.

And then she turned to rejoin the mourners, mandibles drawn tight, fire behind her gaze once more. As she left, the interface ghosted across Kai’s vision:

[Target: Akayoroi.

Impression Points: 50 → 54.

Bond Viability: very high.

Note: prolonged proximity will accelerate Mark synchronization. ]

He frowned. "Fifty-four." It rose on its own—respect grew into something else. Useful, but dangerous if mishandled.

A few moments later...

Azhara hopped from tunnel mouth to ridge, waving. "The queen will talk with her girls. I changed the patches of four survivors. They regained their consciousness.I also sang lullabies until they fell asleep. All good."

Kai nodded. "Rest Now."

After midday the sun bled through moss choked skylights when Akayoroi gathered her assassins. They huddled on polished root benches among broken banners. A honey urn glowed softly to one side.

Her voice was calm, but resolute. "We have three paths:

One: rebuild here—dig new chambers. We will be at risk of getting wiped out.

Two: return west and face the enemy who destroyed our hive. But we aren’t strong enough to do that.

Three: We follow Kai east to his mountain fortress and start anew under his banner."

Vel’s antennae drooped. "This forest is cursed with frog rot. Rebuilding here will end us."

Naaro touched her own bandaged knee. "Heading west is suicide."

Sha looked at the others. "He saved us. He’s strong. The mountain might be hope."

Xxx folded her arms. "Ant pride bends poorly to another’s rule."

Akayoroi nodded. "Which is why this must be unanimous. If even one sister feels chained, our unity fractures."

They spoke for hours: measure of risk, memory of vows, oaths to eggs yet unhatched. When the final afternoon light filtered in, they raised their lower arms in silent votes.

Ten claws up. Zero down. The choice was made.

Dusk painted the sky violet when Akayoroi decided to meet Kai. He was sharpening the wrist blade she had gifted him today; sparks flickered like fireflies.

The funerals became memories. The scent of fresh resin lingered.

The main tunnel dimmed as light from glowroots was covered to preserve solemnity. Only the tunnel’s upper chamber remained alight. There, Kai stood at the edge of his resting chamber cliffside balcony like place, wind tugging at his face and his silver streaked hair.

Behind him, the moss lamp pulsed faintly, its temperature stable, its micro-civilization asleep.

In the distant mind of his, a dream came to life, Luna and Miryam were playing with each other, the little wyrmling chasing shadowy sparks conjured by Luna’s fingertips. Kai smiled briefly. But he couldn’t hold onto that thought.

Then his thoughts drifted to Mia’s voice. To her warnings. To Darius, dying beneath his hands. To Darius’ mother Hoorius command. To the ant Queen’s seclusion. To the general marching eastward with twenty thousand troops.

He exhaled and traced a small glyph onto the railing. A reflex, meaningless, yet oddly comforting. Behind him, footsteps echoed. Akayoroi entered his chamber.

She had changed—no longer wearing her ceremonial robes, but a thinner carapace of combat silk, blades reattached, and her scent calmer. Focused.

She bowed to him. It was not too low, but with regal dignity. "Kai, we have decided. I’m ready to speak," she said.

Kai turned. "Let’s hear it."

Akayoroi looked him in the eye. "I’ve spoken to Naaro, Vel, Sha, Xxx and Xxx And the injured sisters."

She paced once, her hands half folded. "They are broken. But not defeated. They want to join you. Not because of me. Not even for the hive."

She paused. "But because of you. They trust you... and your powers."

Kai’s brows lifted slightly.

"They say your arrival gave them a reason to keep going. That if they serve a handsome man who fell from the sky like fire and fought beside them without knowing their names then maybe, just maybe, they’ll matter again."

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l