After the feast in Chillg City, Alvaric, Lyrith, and Marie continued their journey. They would not settle there because Alvaric wanted to return home—to the Ant Bee nest. He longed to meet his children.

Just as they came out of the forest, Alvaric was immediately greeted by hundreds of Ant Bees. And that was only the ones visible.

Not long after, the Ant Bees quickly formed lines. They stretched forward as if queuing. There were four lines right in front of Alvaric.

Marie, who had just seen this for the first time, was puzzled. "What is happening?" she asked.

Alvaric stepped forward and said, "Do you all want me to stand here for days? Can't we return home first?"

Immediately, several Ant Bees swarmed Alvaric. They lifted his body and placed him on the back of one of the large Ant Bees. Then, they carried him away from there toward the nest.

Marie and Lyrith were left behind. There were no Ant Bees blocking them; all of them had followed the one carrying Alvaric. Marie scratched her head.

"What is this supposed to mean?" she muttered.

Lyrith gave no reply. She simply walked behind the Ant Bees at a relaxed pace, the distance between them slowly growing, yet it did not bother her since she was in no hurry to return.

Not receiving an answer, Marie scratched her head again. Then she followed Lyrith from behind, heading toward the Ant Bee nest, where her companions were waiting.

She found it hard to understand why Alvaric was so admired. Lyrith had explained a little about his bond with the Ant Bees, yet still, the closeness between a human and monsters seemed unbelievable.

No matter how much Marie thought about it, she could not find the most logical reason for all of this.

In the end, she simply shrugged her shoulders and dismissed the thought. Whatever the reason, it was not that important, because ultimately, Alvaric and the Ant Bees shared a very good relationship.

That was good news. Something that should be appreciated.

**

Not long after, they finally arrived at the Ant Bee nest. They entered the main chamber where Alvaric lived. There was his stone bed. Of course, upon arriving there, he had to fulfill what he had promised earlier.

He sat on the stone that served as his bed. The Ant Bees lined up, waiting for him to pat their heads.

Marie and the others only watched, bewildered by the scene. Alvaric himself was surprised to see so many humans inside the Ant Bee nest.

"How did you all end up here?" asked Alvaric.

Dion began to explain what had happened. About what Marie had done to return to this world after she was forced back to Earth previously. Dion also told him how Marie had seen Alvaric briefly when the portal to Earth opened.

After long research, Marie finally succeeded in what she had been striving for. When the portal opened, they had appeared directly inside the Ant Bee nest. They were nearly attacked and killed, but fortunately, Lyrith held the Ant Bees back.

"… Since then, we stayed here, waiting for your return. Luckily, you are safe," Dion explained.

Alvaric nodded in understanding. He now knew the whole story. He turned his gaze toward Marie, impressed that she could achieve such a thing. He was certain that what she had done was extremely difficult. If it had been him, he was sure he would have failed.

"You're amazing. As expected, my childhood friend is truly remarkable," praised Alvaric.

Marie's cheeks reddened; she looked proud. "Of course I am a genius. I'm not like you, who has no brain."

Alvaric laughed at that. "You're still the same as before. That sharp tongue of yours." He closed his eyes, recalling their childhood days. "Yet I know how much you actually care about me."

Marie shook her head violently. "NO! This isn't what you think. I just—"

"I know! You did this because we are childhood friends. We share a similar fate, except I am the more foolish and untalented version. I've always been jealous of you," Alvaric said in a lowered tone.

Marie waved her hands frantically. "No, it's not like that. I only—"

"There's no need to explain," Alvaric cut her off. "You don't need to say it. We're just childhood friends, nothing more than that, right? I've always known. I'm also aware that you and I are different. It's impossible for us to be more than friends."

Marie fell silent. She wanted to say something, yet no words came out. Everything seemed stuck in her throat.

Alvaric stood up. He patted the heads of two Ant Bees at once. Then he walked toward the Queen Ant Bees resting nearby. He stroked their heads as well, even hugging them gently.

"I know you only see me as a friend, but to me, you are like these Ant Bees," added Alvaric.

"Like monsters?" Lyrith interjected.

Alvaric glanced at her. He wanted to say something but held his words back. Instead, he continued.

"I see you as family." Alvaric turned around, facing Marie. "All these Ant Bees are precious to me. They are my family. I will protect them, just as I will do my best to protect you."

Marie remained quiet. She only listened. Dion and Lisse also listened to Alvaric's words. They could feel his sincerity.

Unable to hold back his curiosity, Dion asked, "What exactly is your relationship with these monsters? What did they do for you to consider them family? There must be something extraordinary they have done."

"They are my flesh and blood," Alvaric replied briefly.

Marie, Dion, Lisse, and the other Hollow Fang members frowned. They even pulled their heads back in shock at such strange words. His statement sounded too suspicious.

"Flesh and blood? You mean they are your children?" Dion asked again.

"Yes, all of them are—"

Suddenly, Alvaric realized his mistake. He immediately shook his head repeatedly while waving his hands frantically.

"You mean, you and… did that…?" Dion stammered.

His face twisted in disgust. Not only him, but Marie and Lisse also looked at Alvaric with the same expression. Alvaric opened his mouth, wanting to explain everything, but suddenly something happened.

BOOM!

An explosion erupted from outside. Everyone immediately turned their heads toward the source of the blast. Alvaric reacted at once. He snapped his fingers.

"We're coming too!" Dion insisted.

Alvaric nodded. Several Ant Bee Mages leaped onto their shoulders. With a single snap of Alvaric's fingers, they were instantly transported outside the nest, standing above it.

And once outside, they suddenly saw something enormous in front of them. So massive that they had to crane their necks upward just to see its head.

Alvaric swallowed hard. "Why has he awakened again?"

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