Among the Chimera Ants born from this mix of various genes, it was quite rare to see one as timid and cowardly as this.
It was as if a delicate white lotus had grown in a den of dragons and tigers, something almost unrealistic.
"And yet, Lan chose her to deliver this package to us..."
Knov narrowed his eyes slightly, scrutinizing Shidore from head to toe before shaking his head.
"It seems like he just took pity on her for being weak and timid rather than because of any special qualities."
"Just having this kind of personality in an environment like this already makes her stand out."
Morel laughed heartily. "Looks like this little ant must have been a very honest and simple person when she was alive."
"I'm a little curious about what she was like before."
"But I can feel that she is not a bad guy, just like Colt..."
Morel glanced at Colt, who was completely focused on the Queen and paid no attention to their conversation.
"They are both very good people."
"Perhaps, before being eaten by the Chimera Ants, she was a human with a good character like Colt..."
As the atmosphere softened, Morel and the others turned their attention to Shidore and teased her to ease the tension.
And at this time…
"There's something written on the other side of this note."
Gon, who was about to leave first, suddenly noticed the back of the note that had something written on it.
This note, along with the Senzu Bean, had been placed inside the small pouch that Lan had given to Reina.
It was only now that he realized there was another line of text on the back.
To be precise, it was a name.
"Reina."
Gon read the name out loud.
He had never heard of this name before, but since it was left behind by Lan, there had to be some significance to it.
Reina?
Killua and Kite exchanged glances before shaking their heads.
Morel puffed on his cigarette indifferently while Knov lifted his head slightly in thought and glanced at his student, Palm.
Palm, however, still had that lovestruck, timid look on her face as she gazed at him, making him shake his head in disappointment.
The other Chimera Ants looked at each other in confusion while shrugging their shoulders; they had no idea what this name meant.
Surprisingly, Shidore, the little ant, shuddered the moment she heard the name.
Memories surfaced in her mind of those two human men before they left.
She had hidden herself carefully, yet the man in the black trench coat still found her.
He handed her the pouch and instructed her to give it to the humans when they arrived.
At the time, she was so scared she nearly fainted. But the man's words forcibly pulled her back to reality.
"Your name is... Reina, right?"
Hearing that, her trembling stopped for a brief moment.
She suppressed her fear and raised her head, looking at the man with her spiral-shaped eyes.
Since her rebirth as a Chimera Ant, she had almost lost the ability to speak.
But when the man spoke her name, she felt an overwhelming urge to respond.
Reina.
That was the name her mother had given her when she was alive.
She had been just an ordinary farm girl.
One day, she and her older brother had gone out to help their mother by gathering food.
That was when they encountered the terrifying monster, the Chimera Ant.
She and her brother had been paralyzed with fear, shaking, and crying.
Yet, despite facing death, her brother bravely stood in front of her, trying to shield her from the creature.
But it was pointless.
Their small, frail bodies stood no chance.
They were both killed and taken to the Chimera Ant Queen as food.
Shidore, or rather, Reina, did not know what happened to her brother after that.
But she knew that after she was reborn as a Chimera Ant.
The memories of her previous life slowly emerged in her mind, and then she understood her true identity; she was just an ordinary little farm girl.
But now, she was in the nest of various extremely cruel Chimera Ants.
How could a mere farm girl not be utterly terrified?
Thankfully, just when she was completely lost and helpless, uncertain of what to do, that man appeared.
He had spoken her name
He had given her the pouch and had told her what to do.
"As long as you hand over this small pouch, you will be safe."
The man chuckled and said: "Perhaps you might even find out what happened to your brother."
That single sentence had given Shidore the courage to resist her overwhelming fear.
No matter how difficult or dangerous, she had to stay and follow his instructions.
And so, she had waited until the humans arrived.
She then gathered her courage, circling the area…
Until Morel found her and dragged her into the group, where the pouch was finally handed over.
Well, the process didn't go exactly as she had imagined, but in the end, the goal was achieved.
The humans opened the pouch, took out its contents, and successfully rescued the Chimera Ant Queen.
The other Chimera Ants at the scene reach a surrender agreement.
And, the most important thing for her was...
Her name was known by everyone at the scene.
She couldn't help but gather some courage again, raise her little head, and carefully observe the expressions of the people around her.
However, those in the human camp obviously hadn't heard of her name and didn't react much.
So she instinctively turned to look at the Chimera Ants around…