If the queen doesn't create royal guards and expand her entrance through the special substance that only she secrets, then she will stagnate without any chance of progress. What use then is safety and a mediocre life? A life that stagnates is no life at all.
She became very angry. Now she is looking forward to seeing him beaten and defeated. What the target said not only angered her, but it also angered number 11 who took off running for blood. She was about to tell the royal guard to stop and remember the plan when the target loped off one limb.
The target had fired two beams from his eyes. It is an unknown and dangerous ability. She realized that she couldn't tell Number 11 to be passive or he would die.
Then another limb went off. Number 11 didn't need her to tell it that he should defend itself. But even that didn't help its fate. She felt a slight ache for the death of a precious subordinate but she couldn't complain. She has already gotten a lot from this endeavor which more than covers the death of a single royal guard.
"This demigod might be stronger than we thought." She shared her fear with her partner in crime.
It is not in the plans for the target to be so strong. Her enhanced royal guards are supposed to be able to handle any demigod. It seems that the target is not all bark and can bite. It is one hell of a bite too.
"Plans rarely go without a hitch. You just need to concentrate more of your royal guards on the effort." The tree father told her.
She nodded silently while calling for more of her royal guards to the ambush site. But she didn't call her strongest royal guard. Number 1 has a very important thing to take care of. She also can't risk him. She can't bear to lose her strongest royal guard right now. Things are certain to change when she finishes digesting the divinity and becomes a demigod. Then she will be able to use her divine power to control the recalcitrant royal demigods.
"What is going on? He isn't entering the entrance. What should we do?" She asked hurriedly.
If the demigod doesn't go through the entrance then he won't encounter the trap. The trap can't be moved because they will have to set up the cloaking barrier. The plant spirit can't set up one right in this situation. The activation of divine power will not escape the detection of the gods under their close scrutiny.
She doesn't know what to do. Thankfully she isn't the one in charge of this heist. So she asked the one calling the shots.
The tree father answered. "Don't panic. Switch the aim of the trap to the strike team. If you succeed in kidnapping them, there's no way the gods won't allow you to exchange them for one demigod in return."
"That's true."
She calmed down. What the tree father said is reasonable. It gave her hope of nabbing that slandering demigod.
"But what do we do about him?" She asked.
"Don't worry. His aim is the aim of this heroic quest. He will come here and then you can get him here. So call more royal guards here to the central room."
Very reasonable plan of action. Instead of spreading her forces at every entrance, she can focus them here on their objective. So she pulled back most of the royal guards, except Number 1 and the others that will trap the demigods.
"Where are you going you rat?" She murmured
The queen's attention was mostly on the target. He took a random entrance and was floundering about in the tunnels. First, he was moving closer to the central room then he stopped progressing.
She giggled and said, "What a fool. He doesn't even know what direction the central room is. He got lost after spouting so much nonsense about stupidity."
The target was still moving, only he has digressed from the direction of the central room. The queen realized that the target is closing on Number 1's position.
Her small limbs on her abdomen scratched the ground in happiness.
She guffawed. "I am so lucky. I might get what I want after all."
She has faith in Number 1. Unlike number 11, number 1 should be able to hold the target down for reinforcements to arrive and gang up on him. Still, she instructed number 1 to try his best and give his all as if to kill the target, but he must prioritize his safety.
"It wouldn't matter if the target is maimed. Everything will be alright as long as he is alive. That's my job." She thought in glee.
She was looking forward to the fight. Number 1 wouldn't be easily killed like number 11. He is much older, wiser, and stronger so the target will be captured. Number 1 informed her when he sighted the target. So she sent some reinforcements. She also kept a lot of royal guards by her side. If the target somehow survives the encounter and escapes Number 1, he will still come to the central room or fail the heroic quest.
Then things went wrong. It went wrong fast and she couldn't do anything to stop it. The target appealed to Number 1 to let him pass but Number 1 was dutiful and obedient. He refused and they fought. The fight didn't go as she thought it would.
"This can't be happening." She cried out in anger.
The result of the fight shocked her. Not only did the target defeat Number 1, but he also freed the royal guards she had reserved.
"Fucking little shit. All that effort in vain." She grumbled and cursed.
The release of the royal guards hurt her deeply. She had spent a lot of resources and effort on them. The weakest one of them is as strong as Number 1. Apart from the resources used to create them, there is the effort required to drag their bodies back to the ant mound from wherever the royal guards were when they froze. Now all of them have gone to waste.