Her Majesty's Swarm

Alteration

“The Kingdom of Maluk has been reduced to ruins,” I declared to the residents of Baumfetter.
Scars from the knights’ attack on their village were still visible everywhere. I was standing in the village’s assembly area, which was near the newly erected graves of the fallen. To supplement my declaration, I presented the nobles I had taken captive.
“Isn’t that Princess Elizabeta?” “Did you really destroy the Kingdom of Maluk?” The elves looked over the prisoners with disbelief. Their skepticism didn’t surprise me; from what I could tell, the Kingdom had been persecuting them for a long time. But with reality thrust before their eyes, the elves were bound to understand that the Kingdom of Maluk had met its doom, and that the Arachnea was terribly powerful.
“I’ll say it again: all that remains of the Kingdom of Maluk is rubble;
there’s no one left to threaten you now. Additionally, the Arachnea is in control of the Kingdom’s former land. But don’t worry, we intend to allow you to freely live in this forest. It will be your own autonomous territory, and you will be free to govern it as you wish. We will have to supervise your diplomacy, though.” “We’re quite grateful, but are you sure this is all right?” asked the village elder.
“Sure, I don’t mind. We’ll have to keep an army stationed here, and we’ll hold absolute jurisdiction over your military. From what I’ve seen, the area around this forest is a crossroads, with the Schtraut Dukedom to the north, the Frantz Popedom to the east, and the Empire of Nyrnal to the south. If anyone tries to take military action against you or the Arachnea, this place will become a battlefield.” “A battlefield?!” Elves were such a complacent race. A good look at the map would have made it clear this area was in the middle of an intersection between the four greatest countries on the continent.
True, there was no highway running through here, and there were no fields either. This world depended on feet and carriages to ferry goods, so maintaining an army’s line of supply would be difficult... but not impossible.
Countless victories against the odds had taught me that any challenge could be overcome with enough motivation.
“Don’t worry about it. You’re under the Arachnea’s protection. We’ll dispose of any country that tries to harm you. Or would you rather be under another country’s protection instead?” “No, not at all! It’s only thanks to you that we’re safe right now... and that the loved ones we lost have been avenged. We’re lucky to be in your care.” Naturally, I thought. As far as I had found, all the most powerful nations on this continent worshipped the God of Light. Uncouth monotheistic zealots,
the lot of them. The elves wanted to practice their own religion in peace, but those countries had tried to force them into abandoning it to instead worship the God of Light.
But now that they were under our protection, they didn’t need to worry about that. If nothing else, I had no intention of infringing on the elves’ beliefs. Gods didn’t exist either way, so they could believe whatever they wanted.
If there were gods out there, they’d have heard Lysa’s prayers and saved Linnet, and they’d have punished me for slaying so many people; I knew this because I had experienced modern faiths back in my own world. But neither of those things had taken place. According to myth and legend, gods loved to force mortals to partake in all sorts of trials. They tested people to see if they could prove themselves to be pure and noble.
In that regard, I was a complete and total failure. I had no way of knowing if there was a god out there, but if there was, I had no doubt he or she hated me. I would no doubt be cast down to hell for my actions, and I would have no choice but to obey. Yes, if God was real, I was destined for the netherworld.
“I hope we continue to be on good terms going forward, then. In fact, I’ve got the contract right here.” I spread out a diplomatic paper detailing our relationship on the table. “This document states that so long as you stay under the Arachnea’s protection, you retain your autonomy in the forest. Could a representative of yours sign it?”
If they signed, the elves would receive our protection, have a right to selfgovernment in the forest, and retain diplomatic relations with us. I didn’t know how to write in this world’s language, so I had Elizabeta write it for me.
I’d have to learn how to read and write at some point, but thankfully the Swarm’s collective consciousness made studying much easier. If one of them learned a bit of grammar, it would transmit to the rest, enabling them to learn it too. When it came to vocabulary, if one individual learned to separate terms into categories like military, cooking, weather, and so on, the others would learn it in no time. I could use Elizabeta and the other captives to learn how to write.
“I will handle it.” As could be expected, the elder nominated himself.
“Then just write your name here, as the representative of Baumfetter.” “Here, yes?” The elder delicately wrote down his name, though I couldn’t read the elven language, either.
Honestly, he could have written “nincompoop” instead, and I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference. Despite that, I chose to trust him. The elves had witnessed the overwhelming power of the Arachnea, and they knew they’d gain little by opposing us. Well, if they didn’t realize it now, we’d just have to drive the point home later on.
“Then I’ll put my name right here...” But just as the words left my lips, a cold shock came over me.
What was my name?
I definitely had a name back when I lived in Japan, but right now, I couldn’t recall it. I was drawing a blank about this key part of my identity.
My name was completely gone from my memory, as though it had never existed.
“Is something the matter?” I, on the other hand, was on the verge of throwing up. Had my consciousness been completely consumed by the Swarm’s, leading me to forget myself? It was certainly possible.
“Your Majesty...?” Sérignan asked worriedly.
Right, Sérignan has a name, and she’s connected to the collective consciousness just like I am... so that’s out.
“Sérignan,” I whispered.
“What is it, Your Majesty?”
“Sérignan... give me a name.” I was clinging to her for support. “Anything will do. I need a name.” “A name?” Sérignan knitted her brow. “How about Grevillea?” “Grevillea? What does it mean?” “It is the name of a plant, also known as the spider flower.” It was the name of a fair flower... and one fitting for the leader of the Swarm.
“All right. Thank you, Sérignan. From today on, my name is Grevillea.
Grevillea, Queen of the Arachnea.” Having gained a name, I felt like I had grown a bit more distant from the collective consciousness. I didn’t know if that was for better or worse, but I was relieved to be able to affirm my individuality. It meant I was still distinct from the nameless Swarms.
“I’ll sign, then.” I wrote my name and title on the document. “With this,
we’ve sealed our agreement. I hope our good relationship extends far into the future.” And so the forest elves officially entered the Arachnea’s protection. Some among them were opposed to the decision, but upon learning that we had defeated the Kingdom of Maluk, and that they were now being threatened by the strongest nations on the continent, they quickly changed their minds.