I was Reincarnated as an Ant! Vol.2

Chapter 4.1: Nih's Tale

The afternoon arrived swiftly, and managing my family, teammates, and the nobility was part of the usual routine. However, Aed, the red ant, remained the unpredictable element. Despite being a prodigy with exceptional skill progression talent, I felt overshadowed by the enigmatic nature of that red ant. Aed was anything but normal, and my intuition hinted that there might be more to it – perhaps a human trapped in a magical beast's form. My paranoia whispered that the sealed deity above sought Aed, indicating it wasn't a creature divinely touched but one beyond the universe's comprehension.

Jan, passionate and believing in fate, saw something extraordinary in Aed. I couldn't dismiss the possibility, but Aed concealed its true origins from us. I felt compelled to keep a vigilant eye on it, my skills amplifying the uncertainty surrounding Aed. There was a sense that something was amiss, not trivial enough to be disregarded.

Aed existed as an anomaly, defying the norms of our world. My two allies, the tamed fable serpents of pure light and darkness, hinted that Aed was deliberately suppressing its abilities, resembling a divine beast yet not entirely. The complexity of understanding Aed grew with each cryptic interaction. It seemed aware of my hidden personal quest to unveil its true nature, I'd find that it was neither leaning towards good nor evil but rather exhibiting a desired selfish nature. Jan's natural naivety played a part in enabling Aed's mysterious existence.

Returning from the market, I had acquired several slaves, only to liberate them and revel in the chaos of their discovery that the world they returned to was worse than the one they left behind. Entering my father's mansion, the guards showed no hesitation in allowing my entry. It was clear they suspected no lack of service to me, given my father's esteemed position as a great wizard and my own status as a potential Hero with the hero egg skill.

Despite my skills and the promise of becoming a Hero, I couldn't shake the frustration of Jan unlocking its potential in mere moments using Aed's power. While jealousy brewed within me, it was also satisfying to witness this seemingly insignificant person entering the true world of Demonlords. Jan had much to learn, and apparently, Aed tasked him with reuniting our original team of adventurers. What I initially considered a mere gig for fun now hinted at a deeper layer of fate, echoing Jan's perspective on Hero qualities.

The most intriguing aspect was Jan's ease in convincing Dyaldic to return. I harbored a strong dislike for Dyaldic, unable to express it. Despite my hopes that Dyaldic would become a hero, the universe favored Jan, most other adversaries considered him an 'absorber of danger' or tanker of combat. Dyaldic, anchored in good morals, had even left his family to fulfill this destined role. The imperfections of the universe were stark, preferring Jan over me, or him, a bitter reality to accept.
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Jan remained an enigma, a facilitator of righteousness capable of pulling a man away from his family into the adventurous life once more. Although he had improved significantly, he was nowhere near my level, unlike me who was holding a single ultimate skill. The secret of my father's possession of four ultimate skills was known only to my me, and my missing mother added an air of mystery. My family history was riddled with gaps, and while I was curious, it was advised against me delving into those details for fear of crippling me in dangerous revelations.

Aed became my focus, providing me knowledge discipline and a personal distraction from my personal issues. Without Aed, I might have considered removing my father in search of the truth. Instead, Aed fueled my scared curiosity to uncover hidden secrets of the world, including my father. He'd brought us together slowly enough that we boned over Aed, the annoying anomaly it was.

Three worlds beyond ours held life, yet deities showed little interest in them, favoring Efia, our world. The reasons remained unclear, but I harbored aspirations to ascend and oversee those worlds as a [minor God] or [true God]. Teleporting to Aed's playground, where Aed was restricted to the mansion's forest until the team reunited, I pondered the intriguing dynamics. Dyaldic's absence for the afternoon, he'd grown exhausted to entertaining Aed, he left bewildered apparently, I walked to a male ant who occasionally confused me as female, in his own playground domain.

Planning to inquire about Aed's sexual orientation, I found him in an egg of evolution. Panic gripped me as thoughts raced – 'Shit, Jan's going to kill me! Wait, why did I think that? Jan isn't someone I should suspect as a threat; I'm smarter and stronger. Even with Aed, I can handle Jan.'

Realizing Aed wouldn't wake up for a year or possibly four to six years due to his unique skills, I teleported the egg inside the mansion's storage shed to ensure its protection. Magical creatures attacked during this state, those unfortunate circumstances made those evolving creatures to face instant death or instantly evolved into incompetent beings with disabilities. Even my serpents, hungry as they were, refrained from attempting harm, understanding the unpredictability of Aed, who might choose to explode in a nuke-like fashion. Scary as unpleasant to think that, yet while unpredictable.

Anticipating Jan's arrival in a few weeks, I predicted he'd be worried sick. Knowing Aed, he likely orchestrated this state intentionally, adding to the complexity and annoyance of the situation.

A ghostly visage of Aed appeared outside the egg, resembling him but not quite. I questioned, "Who are you?"

"I'm Aed's artificial intelligence, Aed but not exactly. I'm scared, please don't kill me," it responded. A realization struck – Aed possessed a skill that manifested an artificial intelligence to protect itself, or perhaps to imitate the original. This version appeared more timid.

Laughing, I inquired, "Can you soul connect to Jan?"

It nodded, explaining, "Yes, but not exactly. I can communicate with the master's master, but I'm not an exact replica. I'm better, I think the master knows that. I am to assist Aed until I'm no longer needed by his evolving will's ascendancy and keep Jan safe. That's my responsibility of existence." The intricacies of Aed's skills added another layer of complexity to the situation.

"Do you know Aed's past?" I questioned, hoping for insights.

"Master has that information to himself only. Master fears you. Master loves the idea of this family of four. Master has no idea what I know nor will I," it responded, revealing the limitations of its knowledge.

"Am I not a master?" I asked, attempting to bypass this hierarchy.

"No, you're Master's master's advisor. You're third in principle of priorities," it clarified, climbing the egg to rest. Curiosity drove me to ask about the echelon if Jan were dead.

"Yeshia, Nih, and then Dyaldic. If Master's master ceased to exist," it explained. I felt a surge of anger being rated second to Yeshia. The prospect of her return limiting my influence frustrated me.