The Eccentric Entomologist is Now a Queen's Consort

Mikhailis watched through his glasses, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. The interrogation had begun. Rodion, taking the lead, used the chimera ants to create an unsettling environment, one that played on the men's fears and disoriented them.

The ants carved threatening messages into the stone walls—short, ominous phrases like "You cannot escape" and "Your secrets belong to us." The scratching of the ants' mandibles echoed through the room, the sound enough to make the captured men shiver.

Time to get these guys talking.

<Initiating interrogation sequence now, Your Highness. Subject One has been selected.>

Rodion's voice was calm, calculated, with a hint of something almost amused.

Mikhailis leaned back, folding his arms as he watched the first syndicate member—a wiry man with a scar across his cheek—being dragged forward by two of the chimera ants. The man's eyes darted around, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps.

Let's see how tough he really is, Mikhailis thought, a grin forming on his lips.

The ants positioned the man in the center of the chamber, their mandibles clicking ominously as they held him in place. Rodion's voice echoed through the chamber, projected through a hidden speaker embedded within the tunnel walls.

<Tell us about the distribution network. Who are your contacts?>Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The man swallowed hard, his eyes wide as he looked around the room, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. He shook his head, his voice trembling.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about... I swear, I don't know anything."

Mikhailis rolled his eyes, leaning closer to the holographic display.

Classic response. Let's make this a little more interesting.

The chimera ants moved closer, their mandibles clicking louder as they carved a new message into the wall in front of the man. The message read: "We know who you are. We know your family." The man stared at the message, his eyes widening further, his face paling.

"No, no, please! Leave my family out of this!" His voice cracked, his body trembling.

Bingo, Mikhailis thought, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

Now we're getting somewhere.

Rodion's voice remained cold, almost indifferent, though there was a hint of curiosity.

<Who are the key figures behind the syndicate's operations? Names, locations—everything you know.>

Of course, he's uttering the command that is going to be written by the ants to ask the man.

The man hesitated, his eyes darting between the chimera ants and the message on the wall. Mikhailis could see the fear in his eyes, the way his body shook as he tried to come up with a response. Finally, the man broke, his voice barely a whisper.

"Okay... okay, I'll talk. Just... just don't hurt my family. Please."

He began to speak, his words tumbling out in a frantic rush. He revealed the names of several key figures in the syndicate—men who operated in the shadows, controlling different aspects of the criminal network. He spoke of distribution routes, secret warehouses where contraband was stored, and even mentioned a few safe houses scattered throughout the capital.

Mikhailis listened closely, nodding to himself. This was good—really good. The information could prove invaluable, not just for dismantling the syndicate but for taking control of it from the inside.

Rodion's voice was as steady as ever, though Mikhailis could sense a slight shift—a hint of intrigue, perhaps?

<Your input on human behavioral analysis has been beneficial, Your Highness.>

I know. I am pretty good at reading people, Mikhailis thought with a grin.

The next subject was dragged forward—a burly man with tattoos covering his arms. He struggled against the vines that held him, his face twisted in anger. Mikhailis watched as Rodion began the questioning, using the same method—threatening messages, eerie silence, and the ever-present clicking of the chimera ants.

The burly man was more resistant than the first, refusing to answer at first. He cursed, spat, and even tried to break free of his restraints. But the chimera ants were relentless, their mandibles clicking closer and closer to his face, the cold words etched into the walls serving as a constant reminder of his situation.

Eventually, the man broke as well. He spoke of the syndicate's resource locations—hidden stashes of magical items, weapons, and even rare creatures that were trafficked through the black market. He gave up the names of a few of the syndicate's key suppliers—people who operated in the gray areas of society, willing to do business with anyone who could pay.

Mikhailis nodded, satisfied. This is all coming together nicely.

<Subject Two's information has been logged. Proceeding to Subject Three.>

The process continued, each syndicate member being questioned in turn. Some were more willing to talk than others, but in the end, they all gave up something. Rodion was methodical, using the information from each interrogation to inform the next, piecing together a detailed picture of the syndicate's operations.

Mikhailis watched, occasionally offering input—a suggestion here, a comment there—helping Rodion understand the subtleties of human behavior, the way fear could be used to manipulate, to extract information.

Rodion was learning, adapting. The AI's questions became more precise, more targeted, as if it was starting to understand the human psyche on a deeper level. Mikhailis couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.

I'm teaching an AI how to read people. Who would've thought?

Rodion's voice had a slight edge to it—almost as if it were pleased with the outcome.

Mikhailis leaned back, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Alright, Rodion. Let's move on to the next phase. We've got what we need."

<Understood, Your Highness. Beginning subject classification for further use.>

The nine syndicate members were separated into different groups. Five of them—those who had been the most resistant, the least cooperative—were taken to a separate chamber. The chimera ants moved with purpose, their mandibles clicking softly as they led the men away.

Time to put them to good use, Mikhailis thought, his expression darkening slightly.

The syndicate members would serve as food for the Queen Chimera Ant and the growing colony. It was a harsh fate, but Mikhailis had no room for mercy in his plans.

The remaining four syndicate members were handled differently. Two of them were set aside for experimentation—a suggestion that Rodion had made, though even the AI wasn't entirely sure what form those experiments would take.

Mikhailis raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"You still don't know what kind of experiments you want to do with them?"

<Negative, Your Highness. Further data collection and analysis are required. Potential uses include behavioral conditioning, physical enhancement, or integration with colony processes. Additional input from Your Highness may be beneficial.>

Mikhailis shrugged, a smirk playing at his lips.

"Guess we'll figure it out as we go. Just make sure it's something useful."

<Understood. Subjects Eight and Nine will be kept for intelligence monitoring and potential leverage.>

Rodion's voice was calm, calculated, as if it had everything under control.

Mikhailis nodded, satisfied. The syndicate members had served their purpose, and now they would continue to be of use in different ways—whether as food, experiments, or tools for leverage. Everything was falling into place.

He was about to turn his attention to something else when Rodion's voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts, a note of urgency in the AI's usually calm tone.

<Alert. The egg injected with the serpent's essence has hatched.>

Mikhailis's eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat.

"Wait, what? It's already hatched?"

<Affirmative. The egg has successfully hatched, and the resulting chimera variant has been identified as possessing hypnotic abilities, similar to those of the serpent.>

There was a hint of excitement in Rodion's voice—an excitement that Mikhailis could relate to.

Mikhailis jumped to his feet, his eyes shining with anticipation.

This is it. This is what I've been waiting for. He could barely contain his excitement as he glanced at the holographic display, his mind racing with possibilities.

"Show me. Now."

The display shifted, showing the newly hatched chimera variant. The creature was small, its body covered in faintly glistening scales that shimmered in the dim light. Its eyes glowed with an unnatural light, the same hypnotic energy that the serpent had possessed. It moved with a fluid grace, its gaze locking onto the chimera ants around it, as if testing its newfound abilities.

Mikhailis couldn't help but grin, his excitement palpable.

This is perfect.

A creature with hypnotic abilities, one that could potentially influence others—the possibilities were endless.

Mikhailis nodded, his mind already working through the implications.

"This is exactly what we needed. A game-changer."

He watched as the chimera variant moved, its eyes glowing with power. The syndicate, the Technomancers, the corruption within the capital—all of it could be influenced, controlled, if he played his cards right. This was just the beginning.

Mikhailis clenched his fists, his eyes glinting with determination.

"Rodion, prepare the variant for training. We've got a lot of work to do."

<Understood, Your Highness. Beginning preparations now.>

There was a sense of purpose in Rodion's voice, a sense that the AI understood just how important this moment was.

Mikhailis grinned, his excitement bubbling over. This was it—the next step in his plan. With the power of the chimera ants and the hypnotic variant at his disposal, he was ready to take things to the next level.

This world won't know what hit it.