Buggfolk, resembling rhinoceros beetles, rescued the three of them as they were in a pinch.
Suddenly, the rhinoceros beetle-like Buggfolk who barged in found themselves surrounded by spiderlings in an instant.
“Gguuh, Hmph!!”
However, they blew away all the spiderlings that were on top of them. The Queen ordered all her children to fight. Even the ones who were dealing with Philiana and the others started gathering in droves.
Challenging such a large swarm alone. I know this person is strong, but there are just too many of them.
“Hahahahaha, you were an eyesore! Coming here to be eaten yourself!”
Beside me, Lauren watched the situation nervously. The spiderlings attacked their prey, or so I thought, but then one of them suddenly fell.
“M-mother, h-help…”
“Wh-what?”
Starting with that, many more began to fall. If you looked closely, they had fatal wounds on their bodies. Even the rhinoceros beetle Buggfolk was surprised by this.
Beyond where the spiderlings had fallen stood Sen no Tsurugi. A tremendous number of corpses lay scattered at their feet. Could they have done this alone?
“Ggyaa!”
A sword was pulled from the back of one of the fallen spiderlings and returned to its master. To think they were this strong. We might have been fighting a monstrous girl.
“Wh-what are you! You’ll pay for this!”
Sen no Tsurugi, expressionless, continued to cut down the attacking spiderlings. The other spiders recoiled. The blood-dripping sword told the tale of how many they had slain.
The Queen, step by step, retreated from the formidable enemy approaching her.
“Hmph, I’ll spare you today!”
With that parting shot, she escaped into the trees. The spiderlings followed after her. She probably judged that she couldn’t fight any longer, having been seriously wounded by Pauline herself.
“H-haaa~, you’re safe.”
Lauren slumped down with a groan. Pauline, who had been standing in front of me, turned around.
“I’m glad you’re all alive.”
Tears welled up and spilled from her large black eyes.
“Thank you, Pauline.”
“P-Pauline-san…, Waaaah~, We’re alive!!”
Pauline, in her small frame, hugged Lauren. That’s right, what about everyone else? Someone grabbed my arm.
“Sharin, are you alright?”
“Ah, thanks to you, I am.”
With Sharin’s help, I managed to get up and could see Philiana and Nina. The other members were behind them.
“Are you guys okay?”
A low voice descended from overhead. It was the rhinoceros beetle Buggfolk.
“Y-yes. Thank you.”
“You seem quite injured. I have a village nearby. Come, I’ll tend to your wounds.”
He lifted me, unable to move. We walked into the dark forest. Could this be the Buggfolk village? Among us, only Pauline was a Buggfolk. Would the villagers welcome us?
After walking for a while, the sunlight gradually began to filter through the trees. I involuntarily raised my hand, and there, many houses made of wood stood in rows. Some were built attached to the trees.
“This is our village. It’s small, but it’s a good place.”
The houses were not made of perfectly cut lumber but were constructed from scavenged branches, leaves, and mud. And the inhabitants, as expected, were Buggfolk like Pauline. Various species, large and small, were living their lives, working and playing.
“Oh, Horn, where were you?”
“Who’s that?”
As soon as the residents saw him, they rushed over. Horn must be this man’s name.
“Hahaha, now now, these are guests. They are injured.”
“Oh no! We need to treat them!”
“This way, hurry, hurry!”
Many Buggfolk resembling Pauline pushed me along. Their colors weren’t yellow, but gray, black, or brown. These must be Worker Ants.
“Ufufu, we are being welcomed.”
“Tsk, stop touching me!”
“Oh my, Veronica-san, being rough is no good.”
Veronica clicked her tongue at the flock of Worker Ants swarming them. Good for you, Pauline, you’ve finally found your kin. But even so, she looked around anxiously.
“Now, let’s treat your wounds here.”
We were led to a building with beds. Buggfolk who noticed the patients rushed over, wondering what to do.
“Oh my, what happened?”
“They were nearly eaten by spiders. They’re in critical condition, so please treat them immediately.”
Various shaped Buggfolk surrounded me. I was laid on a bed, and I could hear the sounds of bustling activity. Gradually, the sounds faded away. My consciousness grew fuzzy. I lost sensation in my body and slowly closed my eyes.
