Ch.165165. What Happened in the Hometown (1)

The soldiers of my estate who entered my field of vision were now dressed adequately enough to be called elite troops, even if they might have seemed somewhat ambiguous at first.

In this era, even for soldiers, purchasing equipment with one’s own money is the norm, which is why uniformity in equipment or the existence of standard-issue gear is rare. The few armies with unified armaments are mostly the result of forcing the vast majority to purchase equipment from the same supplier.

However, the army I personally trained is a bit different.

Since we would be together for more than just a day or two, and because the elite nature of my subordinate soldiers perfectly reflects my own prestige, I thoroughly prepared at least their basic equipment, even if secondary armaments were left entirely to their discretion.

They wore armor made of magical beast hide with small plates of “Gold Shadow Wood”—a wood as hard as steel—attached to the upper portion. Over the armor, given the season, they wore winter fur robes, which both created the distinctive atmosphere of elite soldiers and guaranteed a certain level of protection.

The specially designed helmets were structured to ensure minimal protection without hindering sensory perception. The standard-issue magical banana spears, about 150cm in length, were excellent mid-to-close range weapons capable of firing magical beams.

Of course, one might argue that equipment made merely of wood or leather can only be so good compared to metal, but natural materials like these can be enchanted much more easily.

As a result, despite being mass-produced with somewhat reduced performance, their equipment boasted capabilities that would be considered excessive for ordinary soldiers.

With this high-quality, unified armament and the introduction of simple standard procedures, the estate’s soldiers, who now appeared quite elite, had not only increased in number from before but were also divided into two main groups as I could see.

One was a group of about 150 regular infantry who walked on two legs.

The other was a cavalry unit of 100 riders mounted on golem-like constructs in the form of stags.

And leading these 250 soldiers was their captain, Sir Enervel Gatrang, who also served as my proxy in managing the estate. Standing at the very front of his troops, he proudly called out:

“Attention!”

-THUD!!!

“Salute to the Lord!”

[[[HOOAH!!!]]]

‘Ugh, my head…!!’

For a moment, unpleasant memories from my past life surfaced, making me feel uncomfortable. Nevertheless, recognizing that basic courtesy existed, I raised my hand in response while approaching Sir Gatrang, who stood proudly at the front, looking directly at me.

Given that even ordinary soldiers were issued weapons and equipment imbued with magical power, Sir Enervel Gatrang’s gear was, naturally, equipment I had put considerable effort into creating.

The wooden pieces on his breastplate were enchanted to deflect enemy attacks and counter them, while the leather armor binding them together was designed to draw mana from the user to repair damaged sections if the wooden pieces were broken.

The longsword he currently wielded was crafted from the largest fang of a Blood Saurus, whittled down and refined. As a result, it had an abnormally high aura conductivity and was enchanted with magic that enhanced its cutting power, allowing it to slice through even mythril like tofu.

As the crowning touch, his helmet featured elegant deer antler decorations (which could be deactivated during combat), giving him the appearance of a knight from a mystical forest, just as I had intended. He dismounted from his warhorse and knelt before me.

“Lord Enervel, it’s been a while! I never thought I’d be so glad to see your face!”

“The honor is mine, my lord.”

After making this deliberately exaggerated political statement to demonstrate our familiarity to the soldiers, I naturally helped him to his feet, noticing that he had become stiff upon realizing my elevated status, and asked:

“So, has anything happened during my absence?”

Of course, there wasn’t much intent behind this question. I assumed that nothing significant could have occurred in the estate in less than three months, especially since I knew my mother occasionally helped oversee its management.

And indeed, it seemed that not much had changed.

“There have been no major incidents, my lord. However….”

“However? Surely nothing has happened, right?”

“It’s not an incident. It’s just that, Hydra….”

“Hydra?”

When he hesitated despite saying nothing had happened, I pressed him impatiently… and he promptly responded:

“Lady Hydra… has laid eggs.”

“Eggs? What’s the problem with that?”

While I’m not exactly sure about the precise ecology of Earth’s reptiles, according to what I know, Hydras occasionally lay unfertilized eggs, though their cycles are quite long.

Because of this, having previously seen that creature eat its own eggs, I was about to dismiss it as insignificant, but…

“But, hatchlings were born from them.”

“…Huh?”

His subsequent words were enough to surprise even me.

※ ※ ※

In truth, the concept of parthenogenesis (virgin birth) is quite familiar to me.

Parthenogenesis, also called virgin birth, is simply a reproductive method where a female uses only her own genes to produce offspring that are genetically almost identical to herself. Both on Earth and in this world, it occurs in only a few species.

The most representative species exhibiting this phenomenon are invertebrates. Perhaps due to their simpler genetic structure compared to vertebrates, the vast majority of parthenogenesis in this world occurs among invertebrates.

For example, some crustaceans including shrimp, insects represented by giant termites, and even arthropods including scorpions.

Of course, parthenogenesis also occurs in vertebrates, mostly in fish. However, extremely rare cases exist among birds and reptiles where females can reproduce alone, and as I recall, Hydras fall into this category.

Nevertheless, I still had numerous questions.

First, while Hydras are capable of parthenogenesis, in most cases they naturally reproduce through mating between males and females to produce fertilized eggs.

Not only is the energy required for parthenogenesis burdensome for Hydras, but also Hydras as creatures aren’t particularly proactive about reproduction.

While perhaps not as inefficient as the notorious Chompantlus, Hydras also require enormous amounts of food. They need calories not only to sustain their bus-sized bodies but also to fuel abilities like their deadly venom and regenerative powers.

It’s just that they’re exceptionally good at storing energy in their bodies and minimize activity during normal times to reduce energy consumption to the extreme, which is why it doesn’t appear so.

Therefore, knowing that offspring produced through parthenogenesis would eventually become competitors for food, Hydras typically don’t engage in parthenogenesis unless under unusual circumstances…

‘Um… could this be because of me?’

While passing through on my way to meet Hydra directly, I happened to encounter Meary and rode on her, suddenly having that thought.

Come to think of it, from an animal’s perspective, the current Hydra lacks nothing.

A spacious area created exclusively for her and virtually unlimited food supply. Frankly, under these conditions, not reproducing would be disadvantageous from a biological standpoint.

Unless she had high intelligence, but Hydra’s thought process and intelligence don’t even reach human levels.

[…We have arrived, my master.]

And so, after pondering for quite some time, I returned to reality upon hearing Meary’s words.

What appeared before my eyes was a barrier surrounding a large wetland. Passing through the barrier, which was tinted a color very close to a dull green, I was first greeted by scenery reminiscent of southern wetlands and extremely humid air.

Her home, given exclusively to Hydra. After briefly observing the slimy, humid interior landscape, I soon took large strides and entered.

While other life forms existed there, the vast majority were creatures that could live without needing to kill others. After walking for quite some time through this small otherworld where Hydra reigned as master, I was able to meet her.

[[[…?]]]

“It’s been a while, Hydra.”

[[[…? …!!]]]

Hydra seemed not to recognize who I was at first, but soon her expression changed to joy as she recognized my face and showed me the small life forms in her embrace.

[[[Kyuuu…]]]

[[[…zzZzzZZZ.]]]

[[[…Kyup?]]]

Each displaying different behaviors according to their personalities, were small Hydras with three heads each, barely larger than cats—three small, adorable baby Hydras.