“Are you alright?”
Sakti glanced at Kleiman, who was uncharacteristically silent.
The man was clearly not in his usual state. This latest skirmish had resulted in the loss of over a dozen Armed Species—all of them the Tail-Wagger’s direct subordinates. While such losses were negligible compared to the casualties on the Sub-Royal’s side, as their leader, Kleiman was visibly weighed down by heavy thoughts.
Even more mid-tier sacrifices had fallen without so much as a name recorded.
“Did your subordinates have mates or cubs?” the black-scaled Core Species asked.
“I... suppose?”
The answer Sakti received was far too hesitant.
Fine. He should have known better than to expect much from this race’s logic. Most of them didn't even treat males as fellow beings, and they harbored a subtle sense of competition toward the offspring of others. After all, a fellow like Kleiman was the type who would dare to tear apart his own old man; his philosophy was centered on competing for positions—close your eyes and fight.
Unlike the mild-tempered Short-wing Species, who had a habit of collectively caring for the tribe’s larvae, the Grey-wings were a bellicose lot. It was considered a mercy if they didn't outright devour the eggs of potential rivals.
In contrast, Clark was an outlier. The silver-grey female didn't go around providing aid like a charity, but he showed a much higher degree of tolerance for surviving cubs and males. This had resulted in a significantly high ratio of males and cubs on their current home planet.
“Go find out. Ask them one by one. If they have no other kin and are left only with males and cubs who lack care, bring them to Gela,” Sakti sighed, breaking everything down into simple terms for his thick-headed subordinate. “There’s no time for you to sit here brooding over losses. You need to find a way to ensure the families of the fallen can survive. They belong to the Grey-wing tribe now, too.”
“That doesn’t fit our—” The brain-stalled female likely wanted to say something like *‘that doesn’t fit our customs,’* but he swallowed the words halfway through.
How rare.
The Core Species had been fully prepared to snap back at this bachelor’s rebuttal, but in the end, the other man stood up in silence and replied, “Understood.”
“...”
It didn't feel very reassuring.
Sakti had witnessed Kleiman’s talent for offending people—and insects—firsthand. During their first meeting, the man had displayed a textbook-perfect style of looking down his nose at everyone. Sakti seriously doubted whether sending him to offer condolences to the families of the deceased was a wise arrangement.
Furthermore, the final battle with the Sub-Royal was imminent; he didn't have much time for the man to waste. This task needed to be finished within half a day, as he would be leading the team out again tomorrow morning.
Thus, Sakti sent an urgent message to his mate: *Are you free? I need your help with something.*
Soon, the white male and the stony-faced Armed leader stood face to face. The two little cubs, En and Enna, followed behind Gela.
“What does Sa mean by this?”
Kleiman, his expression cold enough to freeze, stared at the combination of two males and one cub whose scales hadn't even fully grown in. He was visibly displeased.
“It might involve arrangements for males and cubs, so I’m coming with you,” Gela said.
Gela used to be scared to death of any adult female other than Sakti. However, after so much time, managing the Great Information Nest meant dealing with all sorts of insects, and his "female-phobia" was mostly cured. Moreover, he had a rough assessment of his own mental strength; he no longer feared speaking to a dark-faced Armed Species.
His mate had warned him that Kleiman’s attitude toward males wasn't great and that he was a difficult fellow to handle, but worth a try.
“I don’t need—”
Before the Armed Species could voice his refusal and before En could hiss at him, Gela pushed a light-screen forward.
“Of your direct subordinates who fell, four had mates, but only two had cubs.”
Work habits had led the male to list all the information neatly and clearly.
“So, we need to visit four nests. In all likelihood, we should be prepared to receive and settle four males and two clutches of larvae.”
Once the white insect asserted himself, Kleiman’s tail began to lash back and forth irritably. Gela held his ground, keeping the light-screen extended.
After a long silence, the Armed leader slowly reached out and took the screen.
“Fine,” he muttered eventually.
*Isn't he amusing?*
The mischievous Core Species poked his mate through the information link, engaging in a private chat with Gela. *On one hand, he’s stony-faced and reluctant, but on the other, he’s forced to do the very thing he doesn’t want to do.*
*He... doesn't quite know how to interact with males,* Gela replied, watching the Armed leader. Kleiman stood before the first nest looking as if his whole body was itching, his tail twitching erratically.
Kleiman’s mind was very straightforward, which made his emotions easy to read. Gela didn't even need to try to sense those roller-coaster-like fluctuations. Yet, the man remained expressionless from start to finish. If he hadn't encountered Gela, whose mental powers were exceptional, he truly might have fooled anyone who didn't know better.
*I think it’s less that he hates males and more that he... has trouble getting along with anyone unless he’s fighting them,* Gela observed. *When we talked about taking in the displaced males and cubs, I could feel that he wasn't as cold or disgusted as he appeared. He was just... impatient, and a bit at a loss.*
*So he’s the Perpetual Bachelor.*
Excellent. Of the former pair of "Lone Kings," Sakti had successfully left the single life, while Clark was being pursued by a Cupid who was desperately firing arrows for fear the silver-grey female wouldn't get hit. Thus, this glorious title now fell solely upon Kleiman.
The Core Species couldn't help but sigh. *That’s exactly why he needs to be there in person. He has to learn through contact—to understand males, to understand cubs, and to see what a complete little family of the Grey-wing tribe looks like. He shouldn't perceive the world through those inherent concepts of abandonment and neglect left to him by the Sub-Royal.*
*The Sub-Royal’s direct lineage was born into high status. His reserve and arrogance meant he never had the chance to expose his deficiencies in certain areas. He needs to step down and feel the ground beneath his feet, bit by bit.*
Their communication channel was encrypted, so Sakti dared to be completely honest with his mate.
*Based on his reaction, I’ll decide to what extent I can utilize him.*
“Teacher.”
The next second, Gela laughed and used a specific human term. “Are we all considered your students?”
During last night’s partial confession, the Core Species had told him half the story. But Gela had his own sense of propriety; he had read many fragments before. Regardless of whether the other man eventually laid all his cards on the table, Gela had enough patience to wait.
However, that didn't stop him from boldly using human language to tease him.
Communication via the mental link didn't require opening one's mouth, but the male’s smiling tone said it all. He certainly wasn't saying anything "proper."
*If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll definitely make you buzz when you get back tonight,* Sakti warned his mate. *If you really want to call me that, you’ll have plenty of chances to hide in the nest and call me ‘Officer.’ I’m quite skilled at handling little insects who commit insubordination. Do you want to try?*
*So you like that kind of title.*
Taking advantage of the fact that the Core Species wasn't currently in front of him, Gela was quite reckless. Sakti couldn't reach through the air to grab him back, after all. Strictly speaking, the male wasn't as quiet or timid as he appeared; on the contrary, he was excessively lively in certain aspects.
He adjusted the information link and then spoke softly, “Officer.”
The next second, the male snapped the connection shut.
Teasing and then fleeing—how thrilling.
Meanwhile, after preparing himself mentally for a long time with a cold face, Kleiman finally raised his hand and pounded loudly on the door of the nest before them.
Gela, who had just finished his private chat: “...”
The man looked like he was there to conduct a scorched-earth raid.
The male inside the nest was scared half to death, timidly poking his head out to take a look. He was immediately blocked by the Armed leader, whose expression was as black as the bottom of a pot. The resident male couldn't retreat and couldn't escape.
The white insect hurried forward to break the deadly atmosphere. His invisible mental filaments subtly soothed the terrified male, and he positioned himself between the resident and Kleiman.
It was a mid-tier male with no wings, a light grey scaled tail, and a fairly complete mimicry, but he was shivering with fear.
“Hello, I am Gela.”
He introduced himself softly and touched tails with the trembling "subject of condolence" before explaining their purpose. Upon learning they weren't there to beat him up, the male finally allowed them into the nest.
However, the Armed Species’ pressure was simply too strong. The stranger male looked like a victim of violence, standing to the side with his tail tucked, not daring to sit down, let alone move a step closer to Kleiman.
Gela could only pull the man over to sit beside him, speaking to him in a very, very soft voice.
Throughout the process, Kleiman remained expressionless, sitting there like a silent statue. But his eyes were darting between Gela and his subordinate’s mate.
In reality, this female was learning.
Gela, sensing the fluctuations, was quite speechless. Kleiman’s "cool" persona was so impenetrable that no one could tell his mind was frantically taking notes, occasionally popping with flashes of confusion.
When Gela mentioned that they could provide work related to information processing, the male seemed startled, unable to believe such a thing could actually happen. He stuttered through several confirmations.
“Is... is it really okay?” he asked repeatedly, looking back and forth between the smiling white insect and the terrifying Armed Species.
“It is.”
This was the first time the charcoal-grey female had spoken since entering the nest. His voice was as cold as his persona. But what he gave was a promise sufficient to save a life.
There was no need to worry about being plundered, nor about losing protection because he had no one to depend on. The male before them hugged Gela and let out a small buzz of joy, his tightly tucked tail wagging slightly.
“Thank you... thank you both,” he said.
“We will also speak with the males from the other nests.”
Most males were smaller and thinner than Gela. Sakti had spared no expense in feeding him, even securing half a room’s worth of honey-dew for his mate. This resulted in the twice-pupated white insect being able to easily embrace his own kind.
“My mate, Sa, was worried you wouldn't be able to sustain yourselves. So, we are visiting every male or cub who has lost their mate or kin. I will contact you later to lead all the males willing to help in learning how to use the Information Nest.”
This male had clearly had a good relationship with his mate, and thus had been mired in complete panic and grief. He neither wanted to be taken away by other violent females nor did he want to face a cruel fate. Fortunately, there was now a third path.
Even as Gela and Kleiman walked out of the nest, the male was still buzzing his thanks in a thin voice.
“Did you learn?” Gela asked the Armed Species beside him out of the blue.
Kleiman: “???”
The female slowly projected three mental question marks.
“If you’ve learned, you will handle the explanation for the next nest,” the white insect said with a smile. He suddenly understood what Sakti meant by "amusing."
“I won’t—”
“Can’t you do it?”
The male gave him an innocent look, effectively choking back the rest of Kleiman’s words.
A cat is a bold creature, and a cat-insect was no different. Not only bold, but mischievous.
A direct descendant of the Sub-Royal couldn't possibly fail. The Armed leader could only swallow his words, maintaining an extremely cold face while forcing himself to be stubborn.
“Fine.”
The female’s "idol baggage" demanded that he be capable. Moreover, admitting a lack of ability in front of his superior’s mate—a male—was no different from losing a deathmatch. If he backed down now, he would lose his dignity as an insect for the rest of his life.
Consequently, they experienced three chaotic nests.
Kleiman’s performance was a disaster. It wasn't that he didn't try, it was just... the results of his efforts always seemed a bit off.
In one nest, a clutch of six little cubs huddled together and wailed at the top of their lungs, accompanied by hissing and buzzing. Their male guardian was so terrified he shielded all the cubs behind him; the room was such a cacophony of ghostly wails and wolf howls that even Gela almost couldn't handle it.
The white male had to intervene and take control of the scene, ending up with several larvae clinging to him as he soothed them. By the time everyone was quiet, he was covered in crawling cubs.
Fortunately, in the end, all the small nests were properly settled.
On the way back, the Armed leader looked exhausted, more tired than if he had cleared three planets in a day.
“I don’t understand,” he said suddenly. “Males are too difficult to comprehend. They are terrified when they see me. Even if I do the same things and say the same words as you, they still tremble.”
“Because you can easily hurt them,” Gela replied softly. “What they fear is not you, but a possibility—an unchangeable future, an injury that, if it doesn't arrive today, will arrive tomorrow.”
“But you aren't afraid of me,” Kleiman’s voice was calm.
“Because I cannot afford to be afraid. I need to manage the Information Nest. I need to ensure Sa doesn't have to worry about me. I need to be able to provide a safe working and living environment for those males who cannot break free from their fear whenever something like this happens.”
The white insect walked quietly side-by-side with him; neither used their wings. “And I know you won't hurt me, so I have no reason to fear you.”
“You’re actually quite impressive.”
After a long silence, the Armed leader finally managed to squeeze out a compliment. It was just that his complimenting skills were abysmal; he managed to turn sincere emotion into something that sounded like awkward sarcasm. Combined with that cold face, he was the definition of unapproachable.
“I’m actually—”
Just as Gela was about to say *‘I’m actually not impressive at all,’* he suddenly saw a black female walking toward them with large strides in the distance.
The Core Species, having finished his meeting with Clark, had come to pick up his mate right at the end of the shift, only to run into the two of them chatting.
Kleiman watched as the male beside him, who had been perfectly composed just a moment ago, suddenly tensed up, the scales on his tail bristling.
Sakti walked up in a few steps, blocking the path with a smile, and looked directly at Gela.
“Do you have anything you want to say to me?”
The male’s clever tongue misfired.
“H-help?” he stammered.
***
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Sacre-D: Reborn as the Swarm's Apex | Chapter 74 | A Lesson in Compassion | Novela.app | Novela.app
