Evolution begins with an ant colony

In the holy church of the royal capital, Knight Captain Utopia enjoyed a peaceful moment, sipping tea in the beautiful garden. Suddenly, a cry shattered the momant.

"Captain, urgent news!" Malax exclaimed, rushing towards the garden. As he reached her, his chest heaved from the run, and he blurted out, "We received a message from the guild; Hanibiki village is under attack by an army of undead."

Startled from her tea, Utopia stood up, her hands resting on the table, her expression reflecting the gravity of the news. "Under attack? Then we must hurry," she said, her voice serious. "Gather all the other holy knights; we leave immediately." With a goal in mind, she strode through the echoing halls of the church, with Malax closely following.

Malax reported, "I've already assembled the other holy knights. We are all set and ready to go. All that remains is to inform the Head Priest of our departure."

Upon hearing Malax mention the Head Priest, Utopia paused in her tracks. She couldn't help but reflect inwardly, her thoughts tinged with frustration. "Because of the encounter we had with that being... and the God of Death, I and the rest of the holy knights never got a chance to search for Sir Quinton." Her gaze remained forward, but her mind drifted into memories of that fateful day.

"Because of the pledge I made to the goddess, I can't lie to the Head Priest. But because of the curse, I couldn't tell him the truth either. I simply told him we had encountered a wild monster, a very, very powerful wild monster. I explained that even with the combined effort of all the holy knights, we weren't able to even scratch the monster, so we had to retreat."

As she continued walking, her fists clenched at her sides. "What I told the Head Priest wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either." Utopia sighed, her burden heavy. "And ever since then, the Head Priest lost faith in the holy knights."

Arriving at the prayer hall, the Head Priest knelt in front of the statue of the goddess that the Holy Church revered. He completed his prayers and rose from his reverent posture, his eyes showing signs of deep devotion.

Suddenly, Utopia and Malax approached the Head Priest. They both knelt as a sign of respect. Utopia began, "I greet you, Head Priest."

The Head Priest acknowledged their presence but remained focused on his prayer, his hand moving slightly backward. He inquired, "What is it?"

Utopia then spoke up with a formal tone, "Head Priest, we've received word that Hanibiki village is under attack by an undead army. I've come to inform you of our departure."

The Head Priest simply responded with a cold distant tone, "Is that so? Just... Do what you have to." His demeanor had become distant, and his disappointment could be sensed form the way he acted. The Holy Knights had been struggling to fulfill their mission regarding Sir Quinton, and it had strained their relationship with the Head Priest.

Utopia, despite feeling the sting of his tone, chose not to show her emotions. She rose from her kneeling position and firmly stated, "We'll be on our way now." She and Malax turned and made their exit from the church, joining the the other Holy Knights, who were readying their horses for their mission.

Mounted on her horse, Utopia raised her sword high, commanding attention from the assembly of Holy Knights. With a serious tone, she said, "Onward, to Hanibiki village!" Her voice echowed through the courtyard as she set her steed into motion, leading the way. The other knights followed suit, charging forward to face the threat to Hanibiki village.

Meanwhile back in the church, the head priest stood in the prayer hall, his gaze fixed upon the statue of the goddess, his arms neatly folded behind his back. He wore an expression of deep thought, his brow furrowing as he spoke softly.
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"Was it my punishment for going against your teachings, dear goddess?" His words were heavy, filled with a sense of remorse.

The head priest then turned his thoughts to a dear friend he had lost. Opening a locket concealed within his robes, he revealed a black and white photograph. In it, he and Quinton, much younger, wore a smile on their faces as they posed for the shot.

He closed the locket with a personal promise in his eyes. "I'll look after what you left behind, I promise. That much, I can do." As he turned to leave the prayer hall, the weight of his responsibilities and past choices hung heavily upon his shoulders.

Meanwhile back at the village, Ken's gaze narrowed with confusion as he observed Mina's unusual behavior. His brow furrowed, and he couldn't help but be suprised by her actions. She was a mage, clearly, but why was she now taking on a swordsman's stance? His curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn't hold back from asking, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Mina's actions, manipulated by John's skill, displayed a different side of her. She replied confidently, "Obviously, I'm taking on a basic sword stance and preparing to attack you."

Ken couldn't help but let out a chuckle, his eariler confusion faded into amusement. He responded with a wry smile, "Okay, stop. You've never practiced using a sword before, so suddenly wielding one in a fight won't do you any good. I know you're desperate, but now you just look like a fool."

A smile crept across John's face, the same as Mina's as her actions followed his thoughts. "Why don't we find out," she said confidently, her eyes gleaming with seriousness and a hint of mischief, ready to take on Ken.

Ken chuckled, a sly grin forming on his face, as he then said, "I'd love to see where this is going, but I can't keep on wasting any time. I have to end this and return quickly, so the Demon King won't think I'm incompetent."