Reincarnated To Evolve My Bee Empire

'Of course. This is why we are here,' I assured Farini. 'We won't leave people under our protection to endure on their own. We will teach the Vardish people how wrong they were to attack us instead of humbly asking for our guidance in all things!'

As Farini cheered upon hearing this, I spoke loudly for all the bees within earshot: Agent Whisper, several other Agent Bees, and a few dozen guarding Warriors who watched from the walls and the ceiling of the massive hall.

"My daughters… You heard this yourself—or maybe you didn't. More humans want to take *our* humans, and we won't let them! Instead, we will conquer them all, just like we did with these ones in Naregan Kingdom. They will bow before us in fear and awe!"

"As they should!" Whisper cheered, and I saw smiles on other bee's faces.

They didn't know the prophecies told to me by Oracles. The victory was still unclear, and we were about to take the first blow.

***

I hoped this wouldn't happen, and the threats to the ambassador had their effects.

However, the spying Agents sent to the Eastern Expanse Reach quickly brought news that a Vardish army was already approaching the Naregan Kingdom's borders.

In just five days—faster than the words from the ambassador could reach it!—they attacked. This meant that the Vardish Empire prepared to attack even before they knew whether Farini will or won't accept the ultimatum.

The Vardish army traveled on barges down the river, which let it cross the distance to its target—a small Naregan fortress near the border—in a record time.

Against anyone else, this would've been a well-executed surprise attack. The soldiers arrived quietly and struck in the early morning, probably expecting to catch their enemies with their pants down.

But it was all predicted already! The Vardish commander acted smartly, but he did this so consistently that the Oracles had almost no issue with finding his actions in the web of their timeline-dreams.

As soon as I knew his possible moves from the Oracles working in Hive Supremo and Oracles who kept their positions in the Naregan Kingdom, I issued orders to Farini and Grand Commander Bloodimina.

So when the Vardish army attacked, the fortress was strengthened by soldiers from nearby forts, and everybody was ready to surprise the enemy back!

When the Vardish soldiers got close enough to the walls that escaping would've been difficult without being turned into porcupines by archers, the extra soldiers came out of hiding and attacked, shocking the enemy and dealing heavy damage.

Then the ballistas and archers on the walls turned many Vardish soldiers into porcupines, anyway.

It was a glorious and a definite victory. Vardish people ran away like there were bees in their underpants… Which there weren't—the bee army didn't support this defense.

Sadly, this fortress was a sacrifice.

Although the Vardish army sustained heavy losses, it contained only five thousand light infantrymen, the purpose of which was to do this swift attack.

If they won the rest of the Vardish army, all the dozens of thousands of infantry and cannons would've come to a captured fortress they could use as a base of operations.

Instead, they came to a fortress full of soldiers, ready for a fight.

But it wasn't going to change a thing.

***

'You say that these border defenders will all die, Your Majesty?' Farini asked me. 'All two thousand people?'

We gathered for a martial council in his throne hall: myself, Bloodimina, Agent Whisper, several other bees under Bloodimina's command, Farini and a bunch of ministers, including general Gresch.

Since half the communications were telepathic, and the other half (from humans) went in hushed whispers to not offend sensitive ears of bees, it was a strange gathering. But every minister here was important enough to have a personal Agent sitting on him so she could translate to them and from them.

'Yes. The fortress will fall and the Vardish people will slaughter its defenders,' I replied, transmitting my message to everybody present at once.

'But it will take only two days after the attack you predict for the reinforcements to arrive—and they are already on their way! Surely, even against superior forces, these people will be able to hold off for just two days?'

The reinforcements Farini mentioned were sent out when I first said that the attack on the fortress (the initial one) would happen—two days ago. In four more days, they would have reached the fortress, but…

'Our soldiers won't hold the fortress for long enough. Not against the cannons! Its walls are too thin. They will be demolished within hours, and then any reinforcements that arrive will just be shot at and killed, too.'

Gresch cleared his throat and whispered something. I caught his words in his thoughts.

'Your Majesties, this can only mean that we must find another place for our forces to meet the enemy's army. The soldiers from the fort can retreat to join the main army.'

I shook my head, recalling the detailed and branching prophecies told to me.

'No, this won't work out either. If the fortress is empty, the enemies will march past it. But if the fortress resists, they will fight, then rest for a day… And this day is vital. This army… Our armies can't fight it in any fortress or a castle—the cannons will turn its walls into a trap for our soldiers.'

I flew along the map of the country spread on the table. Elaborate silver and wood miniature soldiers—each the size of a murder hornet—represented positions of various army detachments.

I flew to the one that represented an army of a hundred thousand bees—formerly anti-insect crusaders—moving toward the border from their hive-garrison.

'The enemy knows that it's too strong to be stopped by Naregan soldiers, so they will go straight to this place—to the capital. But what the enemy doesn't know is that they can be stopped by us, soldiers of the gods! Farini, you must slow the Vardish army so it doesn't besiege your city until the divine guardians strike these heathens down. Win the time at any cost!'