"Look, look! The professionals really are something else! They've only fought one battle, and they've already figured out most of what the swarm was trying to accomplish with this probing attack."
Aboard the armed airship traveling from Transia to Fort Courage, Murphy read the message sent over by Master Qin and said to Triss, who was resting with her eyes closed in his arms:
"I was wondering whether I should find some way to give my little players a hint. Turns out, as they've honed themselves through one trial after another, they've gained not only strength and courage but a remarkable boost in intelligence, too.
"They've gone from ordinary players to elite soldiers. With insight and execution like that, my players would be outstanding even in their own world.
"Goodness, Transia's practically become a 'military academy' for foreigners. I hear Qin's already assigned staff officer numbers into the five hundreds. He really knows how to wring every last drop out of a sheep once he's caught one."
"Yeah, yeah. They've improved so much that you come up with new ways to praise them every day,"
Triss said with a pout:
"You've never praised me like that."
"My goodness, you're jealous of the players, too?"
Murphy lowered his head helplessly and gave his beloved Triss the passionate kiss she liked best. At last, he managed to satisfy his jealous duchess.
Then she brought up business.
"The players have indeed figured out the swarm's strategic objective, but discovering it is one thing; being able to fight it is another. I have no doubt about their combat strength. Hives Two and Three will be swept away without a trace.
"But the other hives on the outskirts are a huge problem.
"Especially now that we know the bugs can rapidly specialize based on their