And as expected, the first group to contact me via the Calling Cards is the Queen herself. She does not really waste time on being indecisive unlike the others who I had given a mean to contact me. It is also due to her being the head of the Hive, or so it seems.
It is not always the Queen who is in power within the Hive Mind, but if she acts her part correctly, she will be the most important – someone that the Hive cannot function without.
And I will use that little fact to my advantage.
"Your highness," I response after bringing up the System Window, and it is a pleasure to see the Queen herself within the window. But then again, there is no need for her to hide her identity from someone like me, and that is a good thing for me. "It is a pleasure to meet you face to face. Perhaps, next time we can do this in person."
The Queen remains stoic, but from the micro expression, she is amused. Likely at the fact that I would dare to meet her in person, as it is quite dangerous to enter the Hive, invited or not. She certainly will never leave the safety of the Hive unless something has spooked her good.
"You are quite interesting, Merchant, unlike the rest of your kind," the Queen compliments. "I assume that this is not the first time you have met my kind. Or how else can you speak our tongue so fluently."
I chuckle. "I would be a terrible Merchant if my business is halted by something as simple as a language barrier, but yes, I have met your kind before. Many times. Made friends with quite a few of them. And I believe I was on a good term with them."
"Was…?" the Queen notices.
"There are things that you should remain ignorance of, Nessa," I slip her former name into there since I already know she is. Or more specifically, read about her on the Internet in the previous timeline, as there are things that does not change regardless of the rewinding of time.
In the last time around, she was killed during a Dungeon Raid, and her body was recycled in the name of Science. Her children too. But she appears in the second wave instead of the first wave. Given that, it means that second wave of Zones is even more difficult.
"You! Who are you!?" Nessa demands.
I chuckle. "I am either a friend or a foe. It depends on you, your highness, but like I have stated before, you would not want me to be your enemy, and I do mean it."
Nessa narrows her eyes. All of her eyes. She has quite a lot of them. She then closes them all and then opens them again, and those eyes appear to be much sharper than before. "I suppose not, as you have means of hiding my own kind from me."
I smile at that since she is referring to the mole (or moles) that she has planned on those women back in the Caravan. Nessa obviously cannot sense or detect those moles while the Caravan is in Fast Travel, and it is the very reason that I was expecting her to contact me. She also knows that they are not dead.
"I thought we had a deal, your highness," I response. "And the only reason that I accept your request is because you have not attempted to go back on your words… yet."
The Queen stares at me. "You merely interested me. And now you intrigue me for I wish to learn how you know the things you know. It is a strange feeling to be left in the dark."