I intend to weaken the two Red Ants tasked with guiding me as much as possible while I check their status . Having inflicted them with poison using [[Poison Fang]], I then have them waste their MP by continuously shooting [[Clay Gun]] towards the wall .

……Alright, that should do it . Like this, I can defeat them with [[Wind Blade]] in a single hit, and since they’re weakened by a status condition, they shouldn’t be able to dodge properly .

“Guaa……”

My partner peeks at my expression from the side . ……Don’t look at me like that . It’s not like I’m doing this because I want to .

“……Kucha”
“……Kucha”

The Red Ants call out to us and begin to walk forward . They’re presumably signaling that we should follow them . Even I can understand that much without having it translated for me .

As we head deeper into the Red Ant nest, I stay alert using [[Presence Sense]] . After walking for a while, [[Presence Sense]] suddenly starts reacting vigorously .

It’s not just one or two, but dozens of targets ahead . It might be a bit troublesome if we’re swarmed . I stop and bark “Guoo” .

“Kuchaa?”

The red ants stop walking and turn back . Ball Rabbit, I’ve got a message for those two . Tell them to bring their Queen to me . Without any escorts .

[……Queen, bring over here . Alone . ]

“Kucha……”

Hearing our demands, the Red Ants cry out worriedly . Seems like this is a tough demand for them to meet . Still, this demand is a must . It’s obvious that I’d be in a bind if I were to plunge into that swarm .

[By self, can’t decide . Queen, we ask . ]

“Guoo”

I let out a small bark to inform of my approval . The two of them intend to go over, but I call for one of them to remain here .

If the other party’s boss does not accept our demands, a large group of Red Ants might possibly come our way . In that case, this one will be valuable experience points before the battle . I can’t have it running away .

One Red Ant heads towards the deeper parts of the pa.s.sage . After waiting for around five minutes, a Red Ant nearly twice the size of a normal one appears from the depths of the pa.s.sage .

Its abdomen in particular is swollen, and it moves while dragging it along . Its movements are slow . Possibly due to its position where mobility is not essential .

There are no escorts . As requested, it seems to have come alone .

“Guja……”

The large Red Ant cries out in a deep voice .

For now, I’ll check its status with [[Status Check]] .

Species: Queen Red Ogre Ant
Status: Normal
Lv : 31/70
HP : 421/421
MP : 9/128
Attack: 198
Defence: 276
Magic: 179
Speed: 97
Rank: B-

Characteristic Skills:
[[Earth Element: Lv–]] [[Sociality: Lv–]] [[Pheromone: Lv–]]
[[Red Sand: Lv–]] [[Auto HP Recovery: Lv5]]

Resistance Skills:
[[Physical Resistance: Lv4]]

Normal Skills:
[[Telepathy: Lv6]] [[Bite: Lv4]] [[Clay: Lv5]]

[[Telepathy: Lv6]] [[Bite: Lv4]] [[Clay: Lv5]]
[[Clay Gun: Lv5]] [[Auto regeneration: Lv6]] [[Sand Breath: Lv4]]
[[Sp.a.w.n Eggs: Lv8]] [[Wide Rest: Lv4]] [[Roll: Lv3]]

t.i.tle SKills:
[[Fully Evolved One: Lv–]] [[Queen Ant: Lv–]]
[[Master of the Nest: Lv–]] [[Many Children: LvMAX]]

I see… There’s no mistake that this is the Queen . If it fought with me with that status, the likelihood of it surviving would be high, but its MP is empty . I guess that’s from constantly restoring the statuses of the Red Soldier Ants that collapsed due to abdominal pain from the poison .

However, it’s convenient that it possesses a high level [[Telepathy]] skill . If that wasn’t the case, negotiations would prove difficult .

The Queen Ant comes to a halt some distance in front of me . Numerous Red Ants can be seen glancing from around the corner of the pa.s.sageway behind the Queen Ant . Maybe they’re to come out if it comes to it……

The Queen Ant turns its head and glares at the scampering Red Ants in the back . The Red Ants quickly pull back and scatter off . Perhaps they were concerned for the Queen and came to check on the situation without permission .

“Kucha……”

The Red Ant I kept as a hostage let out a small cry . It was a cry filled with awareness of its own insignificance .

[First of all, I am thankful for accepting negotiations . We bear grudges towards each other, but let’s restrain ourselves…… Now, with this the introduction is over . ]

The [[Telepathy]] comes from the Queen Ant .

There aren’t really any grudges on our side though . However, if that was a snide remark, I’ll just take it with a grain of salt .

I have certainly not come to chat while standing around . I don’t have that kind of time . Let’s get to the main topic .

[Dragon, what do you wish for? If food, we will give all things in our nest . But could you please pa.s.s up on that?]

It would be fine to accept those conditions, but I am not in need of food .

……I see, then is this retaliation against your previous expulsion? Other things I can offer are this nest… And lastly, I could offer to give you young Red Ants……

The nest, young Red Ants… I don’t really want either .

The nest, young Red Ants… I don’t really want either .

Well, that’s how it is . If possible I’d like them to go along with it, but the Red Ants can’t be expected to easily offer what I want .

What I want is experience points in order to level up . The time limit is by the end of today . If that cannot be arranged, you’ll sadly have to pay with yourself and your subordinates .

[……Oh, experience points . For what cause?]

Experience points, don’t you understand? Well, if they live by fighting off invaders, they’ll of course be aware of it . It was surprising that Adofu knew, but to think the Ants knew as well……

[Today, you said . If you will fight something tomorrow, we can give you our aid . ]

…… I see, that’s the kind of approach you’re taking . In order to subjugate the hero, the ants are a little……

Then how about that? If a swarm of Red Ants enter Haranae, a great panic might occur . It might be possible to rescue Nina and Adofu’s relatives during that time .

However, I fear that I’ll be driven out by that hero . I’ve only ever faced him once, but I’m confident that he’ll do that much, to say the least .

Red Ants are not particularly quick . If I were to escape together with the Red Ants, he’ll surely catch up with us . If the Red Ants and I were to escape separately, they’ll definitely be killed once that hero catches up to them .

And even if the Red Ants and the current me were to clash with the hero, our victory would still be in doubt .

First of all, the hero doesn’t have the size a large centipede does . And yet, he does have stupidly high stats .

At most, only three of us would be able to face him at once . So if three Red Ants were to face him simultaneously, he’d still be able to calmly deal with that . In contrast to his physique, his attack range should be absurdly wide .

As for that hero, there’s no choice but to face him with stats of equal rank . I can’t imagine taking him on with numbers being a good plan . Victory would be more likely if I were to challenge him after levelling up by defeating Red Ants .

[So that won’t work…… Then, I will hand over ten subordinates . Levelling up by killing them is fine . I will have them come before you one by one following the timing you wish for . ]

A realistic proposal has been made . When it is said by a boss in this manner, it carries a fairly heavy meaning .

…… How many are left in the nest?

[……The timing is bad . We do not have a surplus . We have already been considerably reduced in numbers . This is the most we can do . ]

Seems like the numbers will not increase anymore regardless of what I say . There must be more than thirty…… Can this be seen as a shortage of workers?

[……The timing is bad . We do not have a surplus . We have already been considerably reduced in numbers . This is the most we can do . ]

Seems like the numbers will not increase anymore regardless of what I say . There must be more than thirty…… Can this be seen as a shortage of workers?

……This one said this while understanding that I might act violently if things were to go poorly . If that were to happen, they’ll be wiped out .

The minute I agreed to negotiations, I might have been seen as naive . Besides, it’s not the words which are perceived, but the thoughts themselves . There’s also the possibility that my hesitation to wipe out the Red Ants was noticed .

[The reason I have heard your demands, is not only for you to state your requests . ]

Eh…… ?

[It is also in within our ability to foil your plans if you do not accept our demands . Do not forget this . ]

Whwhat…… don’t tell me…… You’re threatening to equalise the losses, enforcing conditions to reduce the casualties on your side!?

[If this condition cannot be met, I will commit suicide . Also, those subordinates who can move will scatter, and they shall kill those who can’t . Either way, if you take any more, we will meet our end . ]

As expected, my weakness was discovered, huh? No, this is a gamble established from their acknowledgement of being lower ranked . Having my weakness found out doesn’t sound right . Wouldn’t it be better to say that I’m being looked up to? The Queen Ant seems to have concluded that I won’t resort to retaliatory behaviour such as driving them to extinction .

I guess the experience points I’ll be able to gain will be practically none if I get angry now and reject the conditions . By training the ball rabbit and utilising the strategy with the centipede dumplings, I found out that the amount of experience earned is most likely linked to how much one contributed in the fight . That is only natural though, it is combat experience after all . If I trample over an enemy who from the outset has no intention to run or fight back, the amount of experience points gained will not be large .

They dare to push the limits of this wager . It’s a negotiation technique rooted in game theory, based on the a.s.sumption of me being rational . Being evaluated as smart by its subordinates was no exaggeration .

Ten Red Ants, huh…… If they were to be safely obtained, they’d surely become convenient experience points . But will that really be enough? The experience points gained will surely also decrease according to the difference in rank .

The Red Ant Queen quietly observes me being troubled . After having seen my reaction, do you intend to change your method of negotiation once more?

If so, it would disadvantageous to openly display my emotions . That being said, I can’t let it show on my face . d.a.m.nit, I seem to be taken advantage of just by thinking about it . I’m envious of my yawning partner next to me who’s just s.p.a.cing out .

……To observe means that there’s still a chance to make good use of the information gathered from doing so . In other words, do you still have something else? Are you holding back?

As the leader of a nest, the other party also has things they can’t concede . However, I too am in dire need of experience points, no matter how few .

Was it perhaps a mistake to initiate negotiations? To have the other side turn the tables on me…… I never imagined them using my objective against me after luring it out of me, and to be imposed on by threatening an impa.s.se .

Without negotiating, the Queen did not have the option to have her followers commit suicide . As a consequence of me being enticed by my opponent to blurt out my objective, the upper limit on the amount of experience points I can gain has been greatly limited .