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  The pce wasn't as far as I expected.

  Of course, the method I used to get here wasn't exactly conventional.

  I was using one of them as a mount.

  Anthalia carried me with ease, her sturdy body supporting my weight effortlessly. In her original form, she was almost my size, maybe a little bigger. With evolution, most ants ended up assuming a bipedal posture, retaining the characteristic traits of their species. However, when they returned to quadruped form, their locomotion became much more efficient.

  I must admit, it's an incredibly useful ability. The possibilities are interesting, especially when it comes to mobility.

  Compared to the ants of my old world, the difference was absurd. There, an ordinary ant would take all day to cross from my living room to the apartment door. Here, it was the complete opposite. They moved with impressive speed, and perhaps, due to evolution, their strength had also increased considerably.

  The journey that would normally take an hour was done in a mere twenty minutes.

  The pce where the supposed intruder was spotted was beyond the outskirts of the vilge. It was a desote, hostile-looking region. The ground was marked by footprints and irregur furrows, indicating that some creature had recently passed through.

  Bear? Boar? Some other rge animal?

  The forest was abundant with wildlife. Perhaps it would be wise to send patrols to monitor this area. It would be dangerous if the younger members of the vilge wandered around here with no idea of what they might find.

  - Are we there yet? - I asked.

  - Yes. We'll be there in a few steps, mistress. Are you sure you want to go yourself? - Anthalia replied, her tone as respectful as ever.

  Another formal adjective... perhaps it's become a habit never to call me by my name. I decided to ignore it, at least for now.

  - We can't hide forever. If we assume that everyone is an enemy or a potential threat, we're just antisocial.

  I knew I was questioning the primitive instinct of the monsters I now called allies. Interaction between species could be chaotic, as it had been a few days ago. But this pattern needed to change. I had already managed to unite the ants and the orcs. Who knows what else I could achieve?

  As I reflected, we finally arrived.

  The dense vegetation made the environment custrophobic. The smell of the damp earth was strong, mixed with something more... ferrous.

  Blood.

  There was a long trail of turned earth, as if something had been dragged or a fight had taken pce. Small spshes of blood stained the ground.

  Whoever got into trouble here got the worst of it.

  I got off Anthalia's back and took a closer look around. Besides her, two other ants were nearby, including the patrolwoman who had reported the intruder.

  - You can leave, but keep an eye out,” I ordered.

  They obeyed without question. I could handle this on my own.

  I lowered my body and moved through the trees, keeping my breathing under control. It wasn't long before I spotted him.

  Standing back, half-hidden behind a fallen log, he seemed to be trying to avoid being noticed.

  - So you're our intruder?

  The figure moved slightly, adjusting his posture. His voice sounded hoarse, but den with a certain sarcasm.

  - Well, excuse me. I didn't know this part of the forest already had an owner.

  I crossed my arms, keeping a neutral tone.

  - It may sound strange, but yes. Don't worry, I'm not a threat... unless you are.

  He let out a short, almost dismissive ugh.

  - Heh, honestly, being seen as a threat would be a compliment for someone like me.

  I continued to approach, my steps firm but cautious. Who's to say he's not carrying a concealed weapon?

  Now, with a clearer view, I could confirm it.

  It was definitely a dwarf.

  His red hair was short but voluminous, as was his thick beard. Despite his rexed posture, there was something in his eyes that indicated he had been through a lot.

  The question now was simple.

  What was he doing here?

  From what I could tell, he was wearing clothes characteristic of this world, simple but functional. Perhaps I was misjudging his species, but from the deep tone of his voice, he was an adult.

  - What are you doing around here? - I asked, keeping my posture alert.

  He let out a tired sigh before answering:

  - Nothing much, I'm just a humble wanderer. But things haven't been so favorable for me, as you can see.

  His tone was nonchant, but his appearance said otherwise. There was a visible wound on his stomach, not deep enough to be fatal, but still worrying. My gaze fell on the dried blood on his clothes. The amount was rge, enough to kill someone if it was all his.

  - Don't worry, it's not just my blood... I mean, not all of it.

  The vague expnation made me raise an eyebrow. His gaze, however, remained firm, with no sign of a lie.

  If it was something more serious, he would have fainted by now, but even if he was acting normally, an untreated wound could end up becoming a bigger problem.

  - One of his ant friends helped me solve this inconvenience. A little more and I would have taken the worst of it.

  My gaze fell on his short bde - a sword, to be precise. In addition to it, he carried a water canteen strapped to his belt and a few auxiliary pockets, but apart from that, he didn't seem to have much on him. A traveler or a warrior with no possessions? Hard to say.

  If he was a real threat, he would have done something by now. But in this state... visibly exhausted and wounded, I doubted he could even raise his sword against us.

  - Anthalia.

  - Yes!

  - Tell the other ants to regroup. We'll follow your idea and patrol a wider area.

  - As you wish.

  As she walked away to give her orders, I noticed how the presence of the ants seemed to bother him. His shoulders were stiff and he kept a wary look on his face, as if he expected one of them to attack him at any moment. Dismissing them for the time being would be a good choice.

  - I didn't think I'd see any chimera ants around here... especially one with a name.

  - They're... a special case. But you can rest assured. They wouldn't harm you, unless it was a threat.

  He let out a short, almost relieved ugh.

  - At times like this, I'm grateful to be a peaceful dwarf.

  Now that he mentioned it... On closer inspection, his tanned skin, stocky build and short beard did indeed match the characteristics of a dwarf. But something else caught my eye: a huge scar ran across his eye.

  His right leg was also shaking slightly.

  Vaku