Kingdom Building: Civilization Starts with Divinity-Chapter 119: Hard Earned Victory!

As the small army arrived at the heart of their land, the place immediately lit up. All of the Verminae were chatting through the Pseudo-Hive Mind and dancing about.

Alchemy held her head as a pounding pain went through it. She had no idea if it was because of the noise or all that happened up to this point, and honestly, she didn’t care.

The pain meant she was alive... They were alive.

Clenching her fist while deep in thought, Alchemy made an impulsive decision.

"Oi, Brats." She called out to her children as she stepped onto the round table.

She went silent as the whole colony, her heroes included, turned their attention to her.

"We survived another day, haven’t we?" She said, not as a question but as a matter of fact.

None of the Verminae knew what she was getting at, not even Nera. The Pseudo-Hivemind didn’t update immediately if one wasn’t directly using it. Something akin to a computer downloading information.

She rummaged her hand through her hair, grooming her messy, bloodstained hair, even if only a little.

"79. Seventy-nine," She emphasized twice. "That’s how many of your Brothers and Sisters we lost. How many I lost this night."

She paused.

"And yet through it we lived!" She raised her voice, giving Nera and Sapphire a glance.

"I knew that one day, a battle would occur that would make us suffer losses. I wasn’t so naive that I thought I could save everyone... And yet, never... From the moment that I was brought to this world to now, did I think such a tragedy would occur so soon."

Alchemy’s eyes had a sharpness to them. No Anger, no sorrow, a clear and concise vision. It didn’t seem like she was looking at her subjects, her children...

She was looking toward the future.

"I won’t tell you to forget. Hell, I don’t think you can. Even if their bodies were lost in this battle. Even if they suffered to ensure that YOU got to see another day, their memory will reside in the hivemind. In a way, you could say that they’re still with us!"

Collectively, everyone began to look around. They began to cheer, but Alchemy continued speaking before it could grow past a whisper.

"But I don’t like that! Here with us, still or not, I don’t care! I, as the Seraphim Verminae, had a job to protect you. Them! But I failed. I know that you all have been willing to give your lives for me from the first day, and I much the same."

"If It meant guaranteeing your safety, I’d feed myself to the flames in an instant... Although I believe that I did the best I could, that does not change what happened. And it certainly won’t change the fact that, in the future, more of US will fall so that WE can see another day."

Alchemy took a deep breath. She could see a bunch of different expressions in the crowd.

Some were ready to burst back into cheer, others were still a little confused at what she was getting at. To this day, she was still amazed by what the Verminae were.

They were all linked through her, yet they were clearly individuals.

"So hear me, my children—descendants of the Ancient of Gluttony and Hunger, Gula."

"To mourn the fallen, we who are never sated will grieve in the only way we know how. BY FEASTING! TODAY WE FEAST! And tomorrow, we prepare."

As she stepped off the table, her gusto and energy vanished.

"Because this foreign world that we find ourselves in isn’t theirs. It’s ours. And we’ll make damn sure they never forget that."

As the way opened up for her, Alchemy grabbed out the largest pieces of meat they had and tossed it to the sky.

Nera was the first to clap, and then Sapphire began stomping her hooves on the ground. After that, it quickly cascaded to the Verminae, hitting their legs and mandibles together to mimic clapping.

The Victory Celebration only just started.

|<An excellent Speech.>|

Alchemy leaned against a tree. She watched as Nera and Sapphire approached through the translucent black system notification.

"Oh, shut it. I still have some words for you later... But that can wait. No reason to sour the mood." She chuckled, taking a look at her people’s happiness.

|<Happiness: 65%>|

It wasn’t much, but it was on the rise.

For once, the system didn’t seem to annoy her at all. She didn’t really understand it herself. She had every right to be furious with the system, and she was earlier, but that rage has mellowed out significantly.

Now wasn’t the time to worry about such things, however.

"Mother Goddess! What a beautiful speech! I’m moved to tears!" Nera cheered in an over-dramatic fashion.

"You’re amazing, Master Alchemy. Did you come up with all that on the spot?"

"What, do you think I was waiting for my kids to die for that one?" Alchemy answered sarcastically.

A complicated expression crossed Sapphire’s face, causing Alchemy to chuckle.

"I’m joking. Truth be told... I’m not sure what came over me. I don’t think I’ve given a speech since the seventh grade. And that was in front of a class of a few dozen, not over 100." She shivered at the thought.

She gave the speech, but it didn’t seem real.

"What about you? You suddenly gave an order to the Verminae at the end there. You’re finally starting to seem like a true Hero."

"T-that... I... It was just in the moment, and I just saw a chance that I needed to take it, anditjustcameout!"

Sapphire began to talk too fast, and her words started to jumble.

"Well, maybe it should come out more. It’s a little embarrassing that you saw an opportunity and took it before I could." Nera commented.

Sapphire managed to read the battlefield faster than Nera with both the hivemind and her Analytic stat behind her. Even if it was just a one-time thing, Nera couldn’t help but give the young deer praise.

In response, she began to blush. Nera had always been nice to Sapphire, but receiving a genuine compliment from her was still a bit much.

"Woah... How can I see your blush through all that fur?!" Nera questioned.

And immediately ruining the mood...

Alchemy couldn’t help but burst into complete laughter.

"Haah... Revel in the victory while you can. Once the rewards are calculated, we’re going to have to collect all the corpses and loot."