Major Zed is a loyal soldier of a fallen order. He serves no master other than the memory of discipline, nor any ideal beyond structure itself. In his mind, honor is not something to be redefined – it is inherited, absorbed, and upheld. That’s why, when Anne enters his domain expecting recognition, she finds only suspicion.

For Zed, the fall of Antazonia is not liberation. It is a collapse into chaos. The officer remembers the old days well – the uniforms, the schedules, the orders that had meaning. Now around him there is only ambiguity, compromise, and moral uncertainty. And gray is not a color he understands.

He arrests Anne not out of cruelty, but conviction. The conviction that heroes are dangerous, that stories are weapons, and that the “new truth” is just another lie in a different uniform. His worldview is absolute – and in a way, sincere. And that’s what makes him dangerous.

For Major Zed there is no path to redemption, no crisis of conscience. He is more symbol than man – the ossified soul that cannot adapt to freedom and therefore sees it as a threat. His presence is a reminder that revolutions can change systems, but not always the people shaped by them.

In a world of change, Major Zed does not move. And that, in itself, is already a tragedy.

– Medals = loyalty to a past that no longer exists

– Barracks = the safety of structure, even when it’s a prison

– Handcuffs = justice as punishment, not restoration

– Polished boots = surface order hiding internal decay

– Flag = obedience to an idea, not to outcome

To the brig! Straight to the brig! First she’ll learn how to speak to her superiors – then we’ll see.

I’m old enough to know what I’m doing, Ben. And your special committee doesn’t scare me in the least. It’s full of ants from that pathetic new breed anyway – civilian democrats who can’t even hand down a proper sentence. In my time, we solved these problems differently.

You’ve filled young minds with nonsense – no one cares about homeland or tradition anymore. All they do is watch foreign programs on TV and dream of leaving their country. In my time, young people believed in ideals, words like duty and honor still meant something. Ever since we started living in this “democracy,” all of that went to hell.

These new leaders just look for the fastest way to get rich before they lose power. And it’s all your fault, Ben – airheads like you and that redheaded menace who’s confused everyone with talk about going abroad, about some sweet life beyond the anthill. You should all be thrown in prison for life! There’s no greater crime than yours!

Ever since the ants started making decisions for themselves, everything’s gone upside down. No left, no right, no right or wrong! Everyone follows their own rules, no one respects order and law. At this rate, we’ll end up in total chaos and ruin!

📘 Book I

– Does not appear

📗 Book II

– Introduced as the commandant of a secret underground ant base

– Holds only one prisoner: General Antolini

– Arrests Anne, despite her former heroic role

– Portrayed as a relic of the old regime – strict, law-abiding, unyielding

– Releases Anne only thanks to the intervention of Engineer Ben

📙 Book III

– Does not appear

– Is Fido still a child inside – or just a memory of one?

– Could his aggression be a form of self-punishment?

– Was it the Forest that twisted him – or his own guilt?

– If he ever forgives himself, will he vanish… or finally come to life?