Couple days pass before Amy and Josh have a chance to ask Prof. Rio in class about what happen with the Fire Ant empire at the peak of their power. “Did they really almost destroy the world by expand and consume everything too fast?" 

Prof. Rio was caught by surprise but ensure the student that he know exactly what happen that day. “However, this story is not mine to tell" so he claims “you should ask Prof. Tonia. She would suit to tell this story better than I do." Rio then process to teach as if nothing happens. 

Eirian can't help but smile at how Prof. Rio toss a hot controversial topic to another teacher, ignoring Josh and Amy confusing face. 'This story would indeed be better hear from the Ant themselves. I guess we'll have to wait for Prof. Tonia to give us her version of what happen.' 

Prof. Tonia is our teacher in Earth magic and International Law. She also responsible for managing the construction of the undercity where she and most ant in this city live. 

After a few more day of Amy trying not to get into argument with Josh we're finally going to visit the undercity of Ant with Prof. Tonia as a guide. 

Eirian come down to visit the undercity before but he didn't dare go further into the depth since there are four split tunnel the moment you step down and each tunnel seem to split again many times to different direction. The stair is as far as he ventures last time but now with Prof. Tonia they plan to descend as far as level three. 

“Everyone please sticks together with your group and follow me. If you are lost ask any Ant to point you to Wemba" Prof. Tonia then call Marco out to help hold the green lamp, seeing him being quite tall and white he will be easy to spot for other student should they lost sight of their group in tunnel. 

The lamp is fill with some kind of glowing bug that emit green light while the tunnel is light with a yellow bulb but only in few numbers and mostly install only around junction, stair or hole which connected different level. Most long straight tunnel has little to no light at all. 

“So small, I feel as if wall is closing in on me" Josh said as he bends his head down and only look at the green light ahead, the tunnel is tall enough even for Marco. 

“Bird are not used to underground huh" said Amy “You should try look around more we already pass some big room where they keep food supplies" 

“Too dark" Josh said as he holds his wing with Biscuit hoof who also scare of the dark. Both are shaking. 

“Here" Eirian cast a ball of light to illuminate the tunnel but not too bright that it would out shine the green glow in front where everyone needs to follow. 

“Thank you" 

They walk a few stairs down pass by many ants who travel in a row before they reach an open area underground. 

 “By the eternal" Eirian says as he looks at a vast open space with a small fort of 20 meter in the middle almost touch the ceiling. 

The fort doesn't even have a stair since ant can climb on almost any surface but to an intruder they will have a hard time get pass this point while being swarm from every other tunnel on different elevation. 

“Alright, Is everyone here? Good" Prof. Tonia look to check the number before continue “This place is call Wemba, it one of the hubs inside a hive to serve as a checkpoint and defensive position to defend an intruder. This place is not a colony since there is no queen living here but we built this underground city to keep supplies and house some ant who prefer to live underground." 

“As you may noticed most of the ant here is smaller than your classmate. This is because they are worker ant and your classmate is likely to be Ante, a royal. A royal is stronger, smarter and can use magic which lower rank ant can't. For this colony I am one of the Ante here, an architect who run this lower city. For today class I just want to give you guy a chance to tour an ant colony since outside this city some of you will properly never got a chance to step into an underground colony again." 

“Telus" Prof. Tonia stomp her leg and a section on the fort sink under, leaving a door for them to move past the fort. They are now free to enter any tunnel they choose. 

“I'm giving you guy a few more of this green lamp." some ant worker come and give student a lamp “You are free to travel into any tunnel you please but please try not to venture down lower floor. If you are lost just ask for a way back to Wemba, I already tell all worker here so they'll know which Wemba to send you." 

Each teams start to walk around in Wemba first to see the fort they built under the earth. On the wall some ant can be seen climbing from wall to wall and don't even touch ground level before enter other tunnel 10 meter above. 

“They are quite a climber aren't they" Eirian said. 

“Our leg has claw to help with the grip alongside a sticky pad on our foot. It weird to see a stair inside a hive but I guess they make them so other races can walk around too" Amy explained “Usually we just dig a big hole connect upper and lower level. A stair takes too much space and hard to walk when a slope will do just fine." 

“If you don't make stair I fear some of us may slip on the first floor and tumbling down like a boulder into a pit. The angle on some of the tunnel I saw on our way here might as well be a cliff." said Eirian. 

“It's not that bad." Claimed the ant “Come I show you guy around—I already survey this place a little" 

“I think Josh and I will stay here" Biscuit console Josh who is now shrink into a puffy black ball. 

“Lady Estellia please guide us through the wind for we are your children and let your light..." Josh pray as some of his feather start falling off. 

“Are you ok Josh?" Eirian asked. 

“The sky...there is no star. If I die here, Death will not be able to find me and I'll be lost in darkness." Josh stare at the abyss above. 

“You better stay with him then Biscuit" said Eirian with worries. 

'He must be claustrophobic. It would be better for him to stays in big open space rather than small tunnel.' 

“I'll also stay here with Josh and Biscuit, seeing all this massive army of ant make my skin crawl for some reason" Bill rubs his shoulder. 

Calamity, Eirian and Amy look at each other before hand the lamp to Calamity and let Amy lead the way. 

Behind them Bill and Biscuit is patting Josh and tell him to close his eyes. “Don't worry Josh. We'll be here with you." 

After they left Wemba Amy take them into one of the tunnels and they walk pass many junctions but Amy keeps walking with confident. 

“Where are you taking us?" Eirian asked. 

“It's a surprise" 

“Are you sure we not lost?" 

“Our eyes and ear may not be that good even after awaken but with a pheromone I always know which way to go and what is happening in the colony." 

Eirian wants to doubt her but there is no reason for Amy to cause then any harm so the three of them keep following her until Calamity say he smell something weird. 

“We have arrived" Amy takes left turn into one of the rooms and inside is a large room fill with a white fungus. Each room nearby is fill with different color of yellow, blue and green fungus plus mushroom. Worker station in every room taking care of the fungus and cut any spore they don't want  

“Wait is that a MAM?" said Amy before turn to one of the ant who managing worker and tap her antenna with his. 

“Welcome to our humble farm my lady, how may I serve you?" 

“Why is there a MAM in here?" 

“To manage temperature and humidity of course" a male ant replied. 

“Oh, I see. I didn't think we could use MAM like this too" 

“Your colony don't use MAM like this?" Calamity asked. 

“No, we do it the old fashion way where we let ant who walk out in the sun to come down and cool down inside the colony. Keep temperature just right for our people and larva." 

“That seem like a difficult task" 

“Well, we can't light a fire in here after all. Anything we need a worker must carry from outside and farming need a very specific environment. To think other colony would use a method like this." 

“Yes, lady Tonia introduce this MAM to us after talking with Roy. He's kindly made these MAM specifically for us although we still need to pay with our labor when refilling magic core but it's a reasonable trade." 

“Indeed. But I thought this hive is not a real colony since there are no queen so who is your leader who made these decisions?" 

“Most of us were sent from other colony from an agreement with headmaster Osmond where we shall help him built undercity so mostly we follow his order which he will pass down via lady Tonia. Most of us are worker here with very few Ante like you my lady." 

“I see. Do you have any recommend for me and my friend to visit here? This might not be a real Fire ant colony but our hive is still unparalleled in its beauty." 

“We do have an underground pond where we divert a water from the great red river to store here, With the light from glowing mushroom it is quite a sight. The room is..." he then tap his antenna with Amy to show her the way. 

Amy nod and turn to her friend “This way" 

After they left the room Eirian said to Amy “Shouldn't we thank him before we left?" 

“I already did" Amy waves her antenna “we don't really use word; a pheromone is more than enough." 

“I see" Eirian turns to Calamity consider putting his hand up to mimic an antenna movement behind Amy back but put the thought away after seeing Calamity plain face. 

'Ah it too childish anyway'  

Eirian cast a light orb to light the way as three of them walk in silent before coming to a stop at a pit. 

“Well...the fastest path to the pond is down there but I guess you two can't fly." 

Eirian then throws a light orb down into the pit and it reveal many tunnels few meters down along with few ants climbing up and down before the magic fizzle out, they couldn't even see the bottom. 

“They don't even have light bulb here." Eirian bathed in green glow of their only lamp “Perhaps we gone down too deep already—we should head back." 

“Back? We barely see anything yet" 

“I'm sure your pond is very impressive but me and Calamity can't climb down with you" 

“I can try using my claw." Calamity jap his claw into dirt trying to see if he can climb or not. 

“No, too dangerous. I know you are leader today Amy but can I ask you to let us go back?" 

“Fine you two can go back but I'm going to see this pond. Could you go back on your own? The way is left, right, left, up then go into second tunnel from your left then right and up and right then you should be back at wemba." 

Eirian can't tell if she is messing with him or is this really a way to go back “we'll ask other ant for an exit." 

'Do we even go down that many level? I don't remember we went down stair at all.' 

Amy then climbs down into darkness outside of the green glow. Eirian turns to ask Calamity “Perhaps you remember a way back?" 

“If we don't find any ant soon there's a possibility we will starve down here." 

“..." 

Two of them walk for ten minute and found no sign of any ant even though a few walks past by before but now when they needed one all of them vanish. 

“Hello! Can anyone here us?" Eirian shout but no answer come. 

“We follow Amy direction correctly right?" Eirian turns to Calamity after they reach the final step but wemba is still nowhere to be seen. 

“Yes" 

“Can you use your nose to track our old path?" 

“Some ant already covers our sense with pheromone, I can't track anything." Calamity gives a calm answer. 

Another ten-minute pass and Eirian is start to worry more and more. The air seems colder and getting harder to breath, one tunnel path only led to more tunnels that never seem to end. It also didn't help that Calamity seem to be unfaded by their situation. Eirian makes the orb brighter to try calm himself. 

“Great now I know what Josh feel. And we are definitely lost." 

Finally, after other 20 minutes they found a group of 3 small ant worker and Eirian rush to them while holding a light orb “Thank the eternal! You have no idea how we're glad to found you" 

Eirian stops when he noticed the ant lift their leg to try block the light “Sorry" he cancels his magic so only green glow from lamp remain. “I'm sorry for disturb your work but we are lost and would like to ask you to take us back to wemba please." 

The three ants don't respond. They grind their own chompers jaw and try to tap Eirian belly with their antenna. 

“Can you guy speak English? lingua latina? Français? Any language at all?" 

The three remain silent before one of them tap his antenna with other two and gesture Eirian to follow him. 

“You want us to follow? thank you so much" 

Other two ant walk in other direction as this one ant lead Eirian and Calamity for 10 minutes down to lower level. 

'Wait why is it feel like we are going deeper' 

“Are you sure this is the way?" 

The ant didn't answer. 

“What are the odd we're being lure to capture and eat." Eirian whisper to Calamity. 

“Very high but I doubt they can beat me" 

“Great, some comfort" he said but if twenty ant swarm him even Eirian is not sure how long he can fight them off in this dark abyss. 

Holding on to hope Eirian starts to see a green glow ahead and thought he has found another group of student but it was just a small ant reading book alone. 

The ant that guides Eirian walk to tap his antenna with another small ant who is reading before leaving. 

“He-Hello how can I help you m'lord" the ant with the book struggle to speak. From his voice Eirian can tell he is a male. 

Thank the eternal this one speaks “We were with Prof. Tonia class but got loss. Can you help us get back to wemba where she is right now?" 

“lady Onia yes-yes" 

“Tonia" 

“dae wha I said" 

“Oh ok" Eirian looks at the row of 5 book he got and see he is reading about a history of Amiel and the birth of magic. 

“You like to read? I don't see many ants reading at all." 

“Reading is no necessary for our work; many worker can no read bud I do read in my break as much as I can." 

“An inquisitive one isn't you" 

“Equieive? Wha does id mean?" 

“to be curious" 

“wha is curious mean?" 

“To want to learn I guess" 

“I like learning. Learning fun." 

“It sure is." Eirian feels more comfortable “My name is Eirian may I ask your name Mr.?" 

“I don have a name" 

Don't have a name? “How do you guy refer to yourself when talking?" 

“pheromone" 

“Wait then how does your Ante assign you a job if he doesn't remember any of you guy?" 

“We worker can pick a job of our own preference but if de colony have any need everyone can do everyone else job. We follow pheromone and we pass on pheromone as dey come." 

“Ah like a hive mind." 

“I don ged doo dalk with Human a lod. No many down here." 

“Oh no I'm not human. I'm Amiel, gold blond hair and eyes see" Eirian point at his hair. 

“Sorry my eye no good" he speaks in fear of punishment. 

“It alright Don't be afraid. I was wondering if you know a way back to a wemba where Prof. Tonia is?" 

“You wan back wemba. I bring you. Forlow me." 

Eirian and Calamity then follow our ant back the way they come although Eirian feel like they are walking in circle he thinks this ant is trustworthy enough. 

“You doo los quite far. Lady Onia is on level 3 dis is 7." 

“7?" Eirian exclaims and think of Amy “may I ask which floor is the pond at?" 

“6" 

'Maybe I should have jump into that pit with Amy after all' 

“I beg m'lord to not say anyone about my book. No many know but few workers. I don know wha m'lord and lady will dink." 

Do ant workers allowed to read? Do they even have right at all? “Reading a few books wouldn't be a crime for you right? And even if it is you should speak up. Everyone should be free to learn whatever he chooses." 

“No No. Don say anyone please." he turns around to beg Eirian. 

“I will stand up for you. You should know that reading any book is a simple thing that every country allows." 

“No—No our way—no my places. Keep silend or m'lord will grab my book away." the ant bows down at Eirian feet. 

Eirian wants to help him to be able to read without worry ever again but seeing him beg like this Eirian can only agree with him for now. 

“Alright alright I won't say anything. Our lip is seal right Calamity." 

Calamity didn't answer. 

“See his lip is seal already Mr. Ant." 

“hank you m'lords hank you" the ant said. 

Feeling weird just calling him ant Eirian have an idea “What if we want to talk with you again how can we ask others ant about you? Would you like to have a name? How about you name yourself?" 

'Is that ok to said?' Eirian worries if this is not even allowed in their custom. 

“A name" the ant voice lifts up as if he was waiting for someone to give this permission for a long time “Ardhur. A name of characer from book I like." 

Arthur dare looks up at Eirian face for the first time “Do you think id good?" 

“Arthur, that a good name" said Eirian as he turns to Calamity to make him nod. 

“Ardhur. I am Ardhur." 

“Nice to meet you Arthur" Eirian smiles as he watches this little ant light up in joy. Now he knows what happy ant look like. 

Finally, after a long walk Eirian and Calamity is back at the wemba where everyone is waiting for them. The wemba however is different, there is a MAM lamp casting a big orb of light atop of the fort illuminate the whole Wemba. Now he can see every tunnel and the whole fort in all its glory. 

“You guy are finally back" said Amy “Where have you two been?" 

“We were lost but thank to Arthur he guides us back here." 

“Arthur?" Amy looks at little ant behind Eirian and walk up to tap her antenna with him. Compare to Amy size, Arthur looks like a child. 

“Thank you bring my friend back here. Can you speak?" 

“a few m'lady" Arthur dare not look at Amy directly so he face down as he talk. 

“Where did you find them?" 

“Floor 7" 

“7?!" Amy turn to Eirian but he look aways “How do you even? Never mind at least you're back now we were starting to worry if you fall into one of the holes." 

“Thank you...Arthur" Amy study a worker in front of her “How do you come by that name?" 

“Err...lord Eirian name me when he wan know my name. I don have one so he gave me." 

I what? “Right" Eirian quicky find his answer “I name him since it feels weird to just call him Mr. Ant you know." 

“I see. Arthur, like king Arthur, a good name. If you had name yourself other ante could think you have big ambition" Amy amused “You shouldn't introduce yourself with that name too much though since it could bring you trouble but begin the only worker here with name I can already see gossip about you Arthur. I know I will hear of you again." 

Eirian feels like he can see Arthur swallow in fear on the inside. 

“That will be all. You may return to your work." said Amy. 

“Yes m'lady" Arthur looks at Eirian one last time before vanish into the tunnel along with other ants. 

'If I see him again will I able to recognize him?' for outsider all ant looks the same. 

“What with the light" Calamity speaks direct at Amy after Arthur gone. 

“Prof. Tonia light it up for Josh. He started flying in blind and hit the wall but he is better now. Come they were worry about you." 

Looking at the far-right Eirian can't help but feel relief when he sees the face of his teammate. 

“You're back thanks Father Pan. We thought something might happen when Amy cames back alone." Biscuit smile while still stand right next to Josh and Bill to help calm the panic bird. A few lose feather drop on the ground. 

“Can we leave now" Josh speaks with alarmed in his voice, his eye lock at the wall, worry it might close in. 

Eirian turns to Prof. Tonia who along with a small group of ants start to count the number of student and call them to gather “Every student is accounted for we can leave now so please follow Marco's green lamp just like before everyone" 

Just a few days before Eirian was looking forward to explore an ant colony but now he just glad they're finally leaving this place. He won't come back to visit anytime soon. 

When entering tunnel Josh close his eye and let Bill and Biscuit who is holding both of his wing to guide him back upstair “Lady Estellia please protect guide me back home" he said. 

“Don't worry we'll leave the tunnel before you know it." said Bill and Josh thank both of his friend. 

Everyone then enter the tunnel and from the walking pace Josh is not the only one who wish to leave this place as soon as possible. Most wolf and bird seem to dislike this place as well. 

On the way out Eirian start a talk with Amy allude to Arthur “Is it wrong for worker to have a name?" 

“It's not a worker place to have a name Eirian." Amy expresses her displease with Eirian action “We ant have a clear role for everyone. A royal ante to manage the colony and a worker to do the labor. We each born in a body suit for our own task, none of us get to choose, a worker is smaller and weaker than the royal ant. Most can't speak nor read nor use magic. They are to serve the colony as a hand and feet while ante born to be a head to think and guide them." 

“It seems..." 'uncivilized? Barbaric? Stupid?' Eirian tries to find a word that won't insult her people way “... unsophisticated to use a system where you fate is fix the moment you were born. What if some ant workers are good at using head? Or ante that love simple job?" 

“Maybe there are some" a hesitation in her voice “but to appease to every ant wishes is not efficient for the colony to function. Our people survive because we put the need of the hive first not our own, this has always been our people way. I too don't wish to be a diplomat but I can't just run off from my duty so I will do it to my best. If each of our people care only for self-serving themselves then our people would have extinct in the great cleansing long ago. And you would only see us as a tiny bug in a ground, if you would see us at all." 

Eirian understands what Amy is saying but he still feels this is wrong. 

“Then let Arthur keep his role and work, me naming him wouldn't affect the colony is it? Give him some confident and sense of self to serve the hive better." 

“You giving him a name might already make his life harder and call unwanted attention from both his peer and any ante who manage him. If you really concern for him then don't do anything further" 

“So... hypothetically if I want to give a book to worker for them to read as a past time it would be bad?" Eirian smile when Amy looks at him confused. 

“Read? What would any worker have a use for book they can't read? Worker found joy in their work. They're born for it, live and die for it. If you tell me or anyone that there is an ant who read then that ant must be using book as an excuse to not do his work. A worker work day and night Eirian they sleep only a few minutes per episodes around 70-80 times a day. There is no time to read unless they skip work or sleep." 

“Oh, I guess that idea is a no then" Eirian has more question but decide it properly a good idea to stop now or he might get Arthur in problem. 

Calamity watches them from behind but don't say anything. 

Finally, when they reach the exit and Josh can see they sky. He immediately opens his wing and try to fly out into the sun with delight but found his tail has been pull by someone.

“whare aa yuu going" Amy speaks while her mouth is grabbing Josh's tail. 

“Outside" Josh state the obvious and stop flying so Amy let him go. 

“Have you already forgotten about our question for Prof. Tonia?" 

“Right! I completely forgot but can we ask her outside? In the sun?" a crow points his wing at the exit and make plea before the ant. 

Amy rolls her head and walk out with everyone before finally ask a question that she been waiting to know. 

“Lady Tonia, Can we ask a question about our history? did our ancestor really almost destroy the world by expand and consume everything too fast?" she asked Prof. Tonia with Josh and her teammate stand close by to listen. 

“Prof. Rio told me about you two, it always good to have a student who eager to learn even if the lesson is uncomfortable truth." Tonia gently tap Amy head. 

“Then it true? We are evil?" 

“I wouldn't rush to call it evil lady Amy.  Just a new species yet to adapt our behavior to a new found power and consume too much than the world can regrow. I wasn't born yet when our empire reaches the peak of our power but I do remember what our queen told us of what happen. We were very lucky one queen egg survive and princess Alana granted us a land so our people may have a home after most of Fia were already divided between wolf and human. There were a decade where everyone thought we were extinct but our people endure and learn from our mistake." 

Everyone keeps silent but look to Amy reaction. From her shaking it can be assumed this is not general knowledge that most ant knew. But since Eirian still doesn't know Amy too well he can't understand what she is feeling or what could this truly means to her. 

'I don't like how her people treat little ant like Arthur just from his birth status and now I can't even imagine what she must be feeling right now. Still a long way for me to go before I can truly understand other races...but should I try understand a way of life that is clearly wrong?' 

“Do not be ashamed of our past nor hide from its lady Amy. Live and learn, go and befriend our old enemy who once seek to destroy us just as we try to destroy them. It's the least we can do for princess Alana who show us mercy when everyone of her counsel told her to finish our people off." 

Amy seems shook at what she heard but she only nod in silent before leaving to her room. Tonia told her to come back anytime if she has any question or just want to talk. Josh seems to have something to say but choose to let her go without word.