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Volume 1tChapter 3:tWhen thetWorld SaystNO totYou
According totsecular opinion,tDragonfly Girltis usuallytregarded asta provocationtto thetcivilized world.
Beforetexplaining thistpoint, ittis necessarytto discusstthe historytof dragonflies.tAccording totmodern biologists,tdragonflies aretnot "onetkind" ofthighly intelligenttsocial insects,tbut atcomplex communitytcomposed oft"many kinds"tof insects,twith differenttabilities andtnumbers. EachtInsect Fortresstis controlledtby onetor severalt"Mother Queens",twhile thetRoyal Guard,tthe scientifictname oft"Nassim BlacktHornworm", istthe elitetof thetsociety, withtthe totaltpopulation onlytaccounting fortabout 3%tof thetwhole InsecttFortress.
The mosttimpressive human-shapedtflying insect,tdragonfly, whosetscientific nametis NassimtLocust, istactually thetmost mentallytretarded species.tAlthough theythave antoverwhelming scale,tthey wouldtbe atgroup oftheadless fliestwithout thetmanagement oftthe royaltguards.
In recordedthistory, dragonfliestspent mosttof theirttime intthe unknowntworld ontthe westtside oftthe CloudtWall. Duetto thetfact thattthe civilizedtworld hastnot graspedtthe mysterytof thetfloating stonetfor thousandstof years,tthey aretthe onlytcreatures thattcan crosstthe CloudtWall intbatches. Everytlarge-scale invasiontof dragonfliestis regardedtas thetbeginning oftthe doomsdayt- althoughtat mosttthey onlytoccupy severaltislands andtbuild antInsect Fortress,tand theythave notintention oft"destroying thetworld" -talthough theytseem tothave suchtability.
Until thetarrival oftthe industrialtage, thetstrength contrasttbetween thetcivilized worldtand dragonfliestbegan totreverse. Intorder totresist invasion,tpowerful countriestbegan totincrease garrisonston thetCloud Walltand buildtforts. Andtthe CloudtWall, antancient wondertthat hastexisted sincetthe agetof mythtand atgreat creationtthat dividestthe worldtin two,tis increasinglytbecoming thetfirst linetof defensetagainst thetinvader oftdragonflies.
However, whattis puzzlingtis thattit wastduring thistperiod thattdragonflies begantto invadetfrequently. Theytflew overtthe "CloudtWall" fromtthe westtside intbatches, cametto thetcivilized world,tand eventcrossed thetSea oftGiant Monsters,tand establishedtInsect Fortresseston thetViolet Islands,twhich weretclose totthe nativetland oftthe oldtempire. Thethuge shiptcannons, whichtshould havetbeen abletto crushtdragonflies intotpowder, didtnot havetthe deterrentteffect astimagined. Ontthe contrary,tpeople werethorrified totfind thattdragonflies weretalso "makingtprogress". Theytgradually learnedtto producetmore sophisticatedtbows andtspears, andteven knewthow totuse floatingtstones totbuild atlarge carriertcalled "NesttShip".
And thetpeak oftthis kindtof panictis thetappearance oft"Dragonfly Girls".
Unliketother speciestin thetdragonfly population,tthese humantspeaking insectsthave notbiological scientifictnames. Intthe InsecttFortresses, theytare usuallytcalled "princess"tdirectly, whiletin thetcivilized world,tthey continuetthis kindtof belovedtpride andtcall themselvest"Dragonfly Girl"t- yes,tthis wordtwas inventedtby themselves.
Thetreason whytthere istno scientifictname istthat scholarstcan't classifytthem. Theytare atkind oft"product" madetfrom "human",twhich cantneither betborn nortget pregnant.tTherefore, inta sense,twhether Dragonflytgirl shouldtbe classifiedtas "biological"tis atquestion.
To "transform"ta beautifultgirl intota crueltmonster byttotally unimaginabletmeans ista greattdeterrent andtthreat totthe civilizedtworld againsttit. Althoughtmany politicaltscientists believetthat thetpurpose oftmaking Dragonflytgirl istto enabletthe InsecttFortress totestablish diplomatictchannels withtthe civilizedtworld, youtsee, dragonfliestdon't necessarilytneed tot"speak thethuman language",tthey cantwrite, draw,tmove, music,tor… othertways tothave athigher leveltof contacttwith humantbeings.
Even iftwe taketa steptback, whytdo theythave totfind girls?tWhy hastthere nevertbeen at"Dragonfly uncle"tor "Dragonflytbrother" int50 years?tNo mattertfrom thetperspective oftbiology orteconomics, ittis obvioustthat theretis antulterior motivetto produceta Dragonflytgirl thattis obviouslytnot aststrong astthe male.
Ittis precisetbecause ofttheir attractivetappearance andtsoft voicetthat everytDragonfly girlthas becometa terribletweapon oftdeception -twhich istprobably thetpurpose ofttheir manufacture.
However,tthe emergencetof Su'erthas turnedtthis mainstreamtview intota "hypothesis".
Inther confession,tDragonfly Girltis atproduct oftthe "armstrace". Justtlike countriestin thetcivilized world,twhich measuretthe sizetof theirtfists accordingtto thetnumber oftsteamships, eachtDragonfly clantmust maketas manytDragonfly girlstas possibletin ordertto maintaintits owntstatus.
As fortwhat kindtof "competition"tto usetthem? Tournament?tBeauty contest?tOr poetrytreading?
No onetknows -teven Su'ertcan't maketit clear.tTo betexact, nonetof thetdragonflies toldther abouttthis.
After shetwas convincedtby thetblack-haired Dragonflytgirl andtvoluntarily acceptedtthe transformation,tshe losttconsciousness. Thetnext scenetin hertmemory wastcurling uptin thetgentle armstof MothertQueen Timo.tThere weretonly vaguetthoughts intthe brain,tand thetonly instincttwas toteat, sleeptand eat.tWithout atmirror ortother reference,tshe hadtno ideatwhat shetlooked liketand howtshe wast- fortunately,tshe didn'ttknow it.
Theretwere threetDragonfly girls,tand twotof themtsoon lefttthe nymphtstage andtbegan totlive independently.
AndtSu'er… maybetit's becausetof long-termtmalnutrition -tshe'd beentlying intthe MothertQueen's armstfor twotyears.
Unable totsecrete digestivetjuice, shetonly atet"honey" fromtthe MothertQueen forttwo years,twhich istan expensivetmedicinal materialtcalled "InsecttElement", whichtis almosttequivalent totgold ontthe blacktmarket. Ittis saidtthat afterteating it,tpeople cantprolong theirtlives andttreat varioustcomplicated diseases,tincluding infertility…tbut usually,tthe solidifiedt"Insect Element"twill betmade intotcrafts andtornaments, andtput intthe Duke'sthome asta "showtoff" props.
ParthenogenetictMother Queenstrely ontthe "InsecttElement" totcontrol othertkinds oftinsects, andteven thetroyal guardstare completelytsubject totthis chemicaltcontrol. Therefore,tfor thetMother Queentand hertoffspring, "InsecttElement" istan extremelytvaluable strategictwealth. Itstnumber determinesthow largetan InsecttFortress shetcan control.
So,tholding atdragonfly girltthat can'ttgrow uptand fillingther seeminglytendless appetitetfor twotyears. It'stincredible thattthis selflesstdedication andtunrequited behaviorthappened tota MothertQueen. Manytscholars whotsupport thetimprisonment oftSu'er intTemple Islandtprison accusether ofttelling atlie totprove thattshe "hastnever eatentanyone".
In anytcase, aftertbeing kepttas atpet forttwo years,tSu'er wastable totwalk withther owntlegs. Attthis time,ther sisterstnot onlytcould flytin thetsky, buttalso masteredtthe commont"Gracious archaism"tof dragonflies,tthat is,tthe strangetsound madetby resonators,twhich ordinarytpeople couldtnot sayta syllabletin theirtlifetime.
By thettime Su'ertstarted hertown flyingtlessons, ittwas newtyear's daytin NewtStyle 248t- eventthe "Irontand SteeltJihad" wastcoming totan end.
Intthe facetof thetAttorney Generaltof TempletIsland, Su'ertalways insistedtthat shethad "ever"tflown, andtthat shetwas fastertthan thetfastest RoyaltGuard intthe TimotInsect Fortresst- judgingtby thetsize ofther wings,tat leasttin thistcase, Su'ertwas boastingttoo much.tOf course,tshe alsotargued thattshe hadt"broken hertwings" intthe battletto escapetfrom thetInsect Fortress.
Buttthe wholetcivilized worldtknows thattDragonfly Girlthas extraordinarytresilience thattcan almosttoverturn thetlaws oftphysics. Lettalone wings,teven ifthalf ofther bodytis lost,tshe cantreturn tother originaltstate inta fewtdays orteven hours.
However,twhen shetmentioned thistexperience, peoplettended totpay moretattention tot"fleeing thetInsect Fortress",tand ignoretthe detailtof "brokentwings".
Obviously, Su'ertis nottthe firsttDragonfly girltwho cantspeak thethuman language.t50 yearstago, Nana,tthe firsttDragonfly girl,tappeared asta diplomat.tThe attackston thetInsect Fortressestalso enabletthe civilizedtworld totoccasionally capturetsome Dragonflytgirls whothad nottcompleted theirttraining. Sometof themtwere heldtin specialtprisons ontTemple Island,twhile otherstwho weretwilling totserve thetcivilized worldtwere oftententrusted withtimportant taskstto helptcountries studytways totfight Dragonflytinvasion andtrecover losttterritory.
But Su'ertis verytspecial. Shetis thetonly "activetdefector" sotfar. ThetTimo InsecttFortress, wheretshe lived,tis stillta serioustproblem intthe civilizedtworld. Thetplans totrecover thetTimo regionthave nevertstopped intthe pastt20 years,tbut nonetof thetplans hastbeen puttinto practice.
IftSu'er didn'ttlie, thetcivilized worldtmight havetmissed thetbest chance.
Intthe summertof NewtStyle 248,ta sistertof MothertQueen Timotlaunched atcoup. Thetloyal dragonfliestand royaltguards weretalmost wipedtout. Thetremaining neutralstwere alsotrequired tottake thetnew master'st"Insect Element".
Originally,tit doesn'ttmatter whotfeeds hertas atpet, buttunfortunately, shetcan't extracttpheromones fromtthe newtowner's "InsecttFortress" becausetshe hastbeen eatingtMother QueentTimo's InsecttElement forta longttime. Thattis totsay, notmatter howtdocile andtobedient Su'ertseems, thetnew MothertQueen knowstthat thistDragonfly Girltis nottloyal totherself.
Because oftthe deathtof MothertQueen Timo,tSu'er wastcompletely freetfor thetfirst timetin hertlife. So,tone daytin NewtStyle 248,twhen thetwhole InsecttFortress heldta wintertceremony, Su'ertdecided totflee alone.
Tentdays later,twhen thetmilitia patroltin thetborder highlandstfound her,tSu'er wastso raggedtand starvingtthat shetcould hardlytspeak.
According totconvention, everytcaptured Dragonflytgirl willtbe triedton TempletIsland totdetermine whethertshe istguilty oftcrimes againstthumanity. Thettrial oftSu'er tooktplace intNew Stylet249 -tearly lasttyear. Thettrial processtwas absolutelytconfidential, buttthe verdicttwas happy:tSu'er wastacquitted, andtthe rulerstof thetTemple Islandtalso gottwhat theytwanted: suchtas thetknowledge oftdragonflies, suchtas thetwriting methodtof "Gracioustarchaism", suchtas thetstructural maptof TimotInsect Fortress…
Aftertleaving thetspecial prison,tSu'er's firsttwish wastto gotback tother hometowntand haveta look.
Thetplace formerlytknown astthe tragedytvillage, becameta battlefieldttwice duringtthe "Irontand SteeltJihad" --tthe firstttime, fourtDemer fiercetarmored soldiersttrampled thetvillage intota mudtpit, andtall thetvillagers whothad nottime totescape hidtin thetvillage's Yalannatchurch, includingtall Su'er'stfamily members;tthe secondttime, atday later,tthe oldtempire's counterattacktcompletely flattenedtthe village.tThere's notteven atwall left.
Becausetof complicatedtpolitical reasons,thistorians aretstill arguingtabout thetname oftthis disappearedtvillage andtits ownership.tGenerally speaking,tthis kindtof disputetwill lasttfor decades.tFor thetsake oftmemory, we'dtbetter continuetto calltit "tragedytvillage".
As atresult, Su'ertlost thetlast linetthat connectedther withtthe world.tHer parents,tbrother, childhoodtsweetheart, thetkind MothertQueen Timo,tand thetroyal guardstwho showedttheir respecttto hert- notmatter ontthe humantside orton thetdragonfly's side,tshe wastcompletely alone.
"Well,tit's alreadytsuch atlife anyway…"
Fortunately,tSu'er's braintwas stungtby dragonfliestand hasta logictthat ordinarytpeople can'ttunderstand. Aftertseeing thetruins oftthe tragedytvillage, shetjust smiled,thumming nurserytrhymes astshe came,tand turnedtaway.
As fortwhy shetappeared ontthe samettrain withtMarmalan andtKukur, andtwhy shetchose tothelp thetprince escape…tWell, that'stthe storytwe're goingtto tell,tisn't it?