Cute Bug Overlord Joins the Chat Group!

The instinct to develop the swarm took priority over everything else.

But—

Alina had given him food.

In the mind of a tiny child whose worldview had yet to take shape, someone who gave him food was a friend of the Swarm Overlord—meaning, a friend of the swarm.

Friends couldn't simply be thrown into the Hatchery.

"Wait, what was this Oripathy you mentioned?"

Kiana Kaslana had noticed a term that didn't sound good at all.

"Oripathy... is caused by being infected with Originium."

Talulah knew the white-haired girl was from another world, so it was only natural that she didn't know about Oripathy, a disease unique to this world.

"Miss Kiana, it's better not to look into that."

Alina shook her head slightly.

Fortunately, her little wooden cabin wasn't in the village, and she rarely interacted with the villagers, so it was fine to discuss Oripathy here for a moment.

If other Ursus people heard it—

Rejection and reporting them would be inevitable.

"Kiana, Alina is right."

Talulah stopped the white-haired girl, who still wanted to dig deeper.

This was a disease unique to Terra. If someone from another world caught Oripathy—

It would be her responsibility.

That other world might have a way to cure Oripathy, but the dragon girl hadn't seen that world with her own eyes yet.

So she decided that Kiana should first stay away from Active Originium that might cause infection.

"Fine."

The white-haired girl's curiosity had already been piqued.

She decided to ask Skadi later.

Although Skadi always looked cold and detached, she was a good sister who had saved the Zerg with her!

And she'd never gotten handsy with the Zerg!

She was completely different from that woman called Raiden Mei, or the woman named Bronya from before!

As for ordinary hugs...

Kiana Kaslana could reluctantly accept those.

After all, the Zerg was so adorable, wasn't he?

"Let's go inside first, Alina."

Talulah felt the temperature outside and decided they should discuss what came next indoors.

Besides—

Why weren't Grandpa and Grandma back yet?

The dragon girl thought.

At this time of day, the Ursus farming couple who had taken her in should have returned already.

"Talulah! Talulah!"

At that moment, an anxious shout came from the distance.

"The patrol officers are here!"

An elderly man with a face full of wrinkles came running over, panting heavily.

Not long after, an elderly woman came running over as well.

"..."

Talulah couldn't stop her hand from tightening around the doorknob.

She took a deep breath before she crushed the fragile handle outright.

The Infected Patrol officers had come.

Those greedy vultures had come.

"Grandpa, Grandma, come inside first."

The dragon girl said so.

"Talulah, who are they?"

Only then did the two elderly people notice the extra people in the house.

"...They're friends from my past, Grandpa, Grandma."

Talulah answered.

"So they're Talulah's friends. I'm sorry, but I'm just an ordinary Ursus farmer. I don't have anything to entertain you with."

The old man looked apologetic.

"It's alright! Your hot tea is already wonderful hospitality!"

Kiana Kaslana smiled.

She wasn't some young lady who knew nothing of the hardships of the world.

Her wandering journey from Siberia had put her through untold suffering.

Now, having a little house to stay in, a small stove for warmth, and steaming hot tea—

It was paradise compared to living with her stinking old dad back then.

"Ah, we're still being poor hosts!"

The farmer shook his head.

The girl answering him was undoubtedly from a noble family too.

Just like Talulah.

It wasn't just her approachable manner, but also her appearance.

That fair skin clearly wasn't something a person who labored regularly would have.

"Come in first, Grandpa, Grandma. We can talk after those patrol officers leave."

Talulah narrowed her eyes slightly.

It seemed like it hadn't even been a week since those greedy vultures had last come.

And now they were here again?

How many villagers would be squeezed dry this time?

How much winter food would be taken away?

"Haa..."

Suppressing the anger in her heart, Talulah knew this wasn't the best time to act.

"What are patrol officers?"

The tiny Swarm Overlord asked.

"They're bad people. Zerg, don't mind them."

Alina sighed.

"There is such an adorable child here too."

The old woman noticed Zerg's presence.

"I'm sorry, but Grandma doesn't have anything tasty to offer you."

A hint of regret appeared on her face.

"Alina already gave Zerg tasty things!"

Not only hot tea, but also the Originium on her body.

Zerg replied.

"So Alina has already entertained you."

Grandma sighed in relief.

Alina was a child people could rest easy about.

Compared to Talulah, her personality was gentler.

They returned to the warm little cabin.

At that moment, the cramped room held a full seven people and felt extremely crowded.

Skadi leaned against the wall instead of sitting down.

After all, she wasn't some delicate creature.

The strength of an Abyssal Hunter needed no explanation.

"Grandpa, those patrol officers came to our village again?"

Talulah frowned.

"Yes, and I don't know why."

The old man looked deeply worried.

"But this time, it probably won't involve us. Our village... has no Infected."

For some reason, his words paused.

"...Yes, there are no Infected."

The dragon girl's gaze flickered.

The fact that she and Alina were Infected had always been kept secret.

Grandpa and Grandma knew, but the two elderly people would never tell anyone.

So this time, those greedy people had probably only come to ransack the village a second time.

"Those people really do sound like bad guys!"

Kiana Kaslana was indignant.

Just looking at the worry on the old man's face, even she could tell.

"How about we beat them up so they won't dare come back?"

She proposed.

For a shield of the people who stood for justice, this was how bad people should be dealt with.

"...Miss Kiana, we can't do that," Alina said with a sigh. "Their station is around the village. If we do that, they'll definitely send more people, and then even more villagers will suffer."

"So we just do nothing?"

Kiana Kaslana gritted her teeth.

"Zerg can eat them all!"

There was no need to hesitate when it came to bad people.

Zerg's eyes lit up.

"Cough, cough, cough! Zerg, you can't do that."

The white-haired girl immediately choked.

She hurriedly said.

Letting Zerg eat people... would be like opening Pandora's box.