[Revolution of Healer/ScribbleHub]Do not forget to check the profile of the original author!https:///c/BlightMansionhttps:///story/361110032-revolution-of-healer

  Now that I have this mental connection with them, perhaps it will be more effective to persuade them in this way.

  I took a deep breath and projected my voice firmly:

  - Listen to me one more time! Your queen has fallen. If you want to avenge her now, go ahead. But know that we will defend ourselves. So... what's it going to be?

  My message was short, to the point and blunt. If you still wanted to fight, you knew we wouldn't back down. But if they chose to leave, I would allow it without resistance. There was no need for more bloodshed.

  I raised my hand in a subtle gesture, silently ordering the orcs to wait. None of them should attack until we had a definitive answer.

  - I'm giving you one st warning. - I continued, keeping my gaze fixed on the creatures in front of me. - If you decide to fight, unfortunately there's nothing I can do - and you'll have to bear the consequences. But as a sign of good faith, I'm giving you the chance to back down now.

  The silence that followed was overwhelming.

  The seconds dragged by and the tension only increased. They didn't attack, they didn't back down, they didn't show any reaction.

  I couldn't let my guard down. Not yet. This could be either a warning for a final attack or a moment of hesitation before they made a decision.

  Then one of them moved.

  - There's only one thing you can do... - murmured one of the ants, breaking the silence.

  I blinked, trying to decipher what it meant.

  - Attention! - another announced, its voice echoing through the swarm. - All hail the new queen!

  ... Wait.

  - What?

  My voice escaped before I could stop it.

  I was expecting something. A surrender, a strategic retreat, perhaps even a suicide attack driven by anger and desperation. But to be decred their queen?

  That had never crossed my mind.

  The creatures began to kneel, bowing in reverence before me.

  My mind was working at full speed. Was this an act of desperation? A stopgap measure until they found another leader? If so, it made sense. In my world, when a colony loses its queen, the workers become disoriented, not knowing what to do.

  Maybe it was the same principle here.

  In any case, the outcome was decided.

  The attack on the orc vilge was officially over.

  But now... what did it mean to be their queen?

  ***

  Even with the confrontation over, there was still something to do. Or rather, we still had to clean up the mess that had been left behind. The damage was considerable, and with some pces having been dismantled, it would be difficult to restore everything to its former state. Let's face it, the pce was never the best, but now it was even worse.

  A few houses remained partially intact, but they would be enough to shelter us for the night. Although the mood was celebratory, it was very te and we all needed some time to recover after such an intense battle.

  I decided to take a final count. We still had all the orcs, luckily with no casualties on our side. In total, we had around 70 orcs left. Now, with the ants, we had 29.

  The ones who had been seriously injured needed help, so I called them to join me, using my powers to heal them quickly. To my surprise, those ants were really impressive opponents. They weren't killed by my blows or webs. Their bodies had considerable resistance, I had to admit.

  All in all, this vilge now had 100 monsters. A modest number, but still enough to allow us to truly call ourselves a vilge.

  Still, I couldn't dwell on that. Even though I wasn't physically or mentally exhausted, my instinct led me to rest for a moment. As few of the houses remained intact, I asked the younger and older people to take shelter in the houses, while those who had accompanied me into battle settled down outside around the fire.

  Surprisingly, the ants had spread out around the vilge, keeping a vigil. I hadn't asked them for anything yet, but some stayed awake during the night, keeping watch over the area. The injured ones took the opportunity to rest, regroup and regain their strength.

  ***

  It was a tumultuous night, but the morning arrived with surprising calm. Serenity, however, was not something I could simply take for granted. Immediate repnning was necessary.

  To my surprise, I was decred queen of the ants. I didn't know if this was due to the defeat of their queen or the fact that I had inherited her skills, but something told me that leadership and command were not necessarily attributes that accompanied a simple skill.

  Still, that mental connection wasn't something to be dismissed. It worked almost like [Telepathic Communication] between ants. Few of them had the ability to speak, with the exception of the queen. Perhaps, because she was a higher css, she had such an ability, but I also couldn't help but consider the idea that this bond might make me able to communicate with them more effectively, however strange it might be.

  Taking advantage of this, I gathered up the ants again and healed them. Even though they had no visible wounds, I did this as a precaution. It was habitual for me - in my old world, I often repeated certain actions just to reassure myself mentally. It gave me a sense of control, even when it wasn't really necessary.

  I knew that, without my interference, the ants would probably recover on their own. The term “thick-skinned” wouldn't be used for nothing around here, and their bodies showed impressive resilience. Nevertheless, for my own peace of mind, I made a point of taking action.

  With that, I headed towards the orcs. Even if they had stayed further back in the battle, the stress of rejoining the fight so suddenly could not be overcome in a single night's rest. I used my powers again to relieve their exhaustion. Everyone seemed impressed, although it was no big deal. Just enough for us to be able to move on without further problems.

  After that, I asked all the orcs to gather, but I also asked the ants to join us. Although they were still my enemies, something had changed. The fact that I was here with them had perhaps increased the confidence of the orcs, who were now more pacified. However, my generosity could have been repaid more effectively if it hadn't been for the destruction of the houses. They were willing to take care of me, to thank me back, but their leader was visibly upset, as if he knew that what he wanted to say wouldn't be enough to ease the tension. I could have said something to calm him down, but it wouldn't have made any difference, so I left him restless.

  Vaku