A Beekeeper in a Magical World

"Hua Mi, you're back at an odd time," I thought to myself as a sudden "creak" echoed from the corner.

Moments later, a faint light illuminated the room.

A wooden figure emerged from the study's corner, holding a lantern and shuffling towards me with a series of mechanical movements.

Standing before me, the wooden figure stiffly bowed and emitted a monotonous mechanical voice from its inscribed head, "Welcome back. I'm sorry, the master is resting and unable to greet you personally. We have prepared food and a room for you. If you'd like to dine first, press the magic circle emitting blue light on my left arm. If you'd prefer to rest immediately, press the magic circle emitting red light on my right arm."

Thoughtful, indeed. Despite Alyss's slight arrogance, her hospitality was impeccable. I passed on the food; I had brought plenty from Brass City, fully stocked for the occasion.

Hua Mi pressed the magic circle on the wooden figure's right arm.

Upon receiving the command, the wooden figure turned and, lantern in hand, led the way to the reserved guest room.

After a short walk down the second-floor corridor and a turn, they halted at a door. "I will remain here. If you require anything, feel free to find me. Good night."

Opening the door for Hua Mi, the wooden figure left, leaving the lantern behind. Hua Mi glanced inside the room.

The guest room was elegantly simple, the bed neatly made, invitingly soft and clean.

Hua Mi had trust in Alyss's home security measures. Sleeping here felt as safe as it did back on Earth. Placing the lantern on the table, Hua Mi fetched their notes, scanning them habitually and reviewing their gains from the trip before the tiredness set in, leading them to rest.

"Good night," Hua Mi bid the little white creature on the blanket, extinguishing the lantern before slipping into sleep.

The night passed without incident.

The following morning, Hua Mi was roused by the wooden figure knocking, announcing breakfast. The sky was just beginning to brighten outside.

Under the wooden figure's attentive service, Hua Mi freshened up briefly and then joined Alyss downstairs for breakfast. They conversed about matters in Brass City.

Hua Mi's stay had extended far beyond the expected one-day trip, almost three days, mostly waiting for the amplifier's completion.

After breakfast, Hua Mi bid their farewells and departed without further disturbance.

Returning to the Bee Whisperer's hut, Hua Mi arrived early. First, they checked the greenhouse, greeted by energetic humming tunes.

As usual, the pseudo-flower spirits were up early, singing and beginning their morning chores. Spotting the beekeeper's return, they paused their tasks to welcome him.

However, the little white flower spirit still seemed unaccustomed to their enthusiasm, preemptively hiding within the black robe.

"You've known them for so long, and yet she's still so shy."

"She seems even cuter now, hehe."

Hua Mi mused to themselves, 'Shy my foot, they're just too overbearing.' And as for finding her adorable now, wait until she transforms into her fiery deity form; then, it'll be her finding them 'adorable.'

It might be time to remind them to tone it down, not to upset her like they did in the past.

"Here are the Brass City photos you wanted." Hua Mi retrieved an item from their ring space. They had taken a handheld camera on their trip to Brass City, fulfilling the pseudo-flower spirits' request for photos and videos, satisfying their curiosity.

At Hua Mi's words, the seven spirits diverted their attention immediately from the little white creature and rushed eagerly to the screen.

"So, it really is a city made of brass!"

"What unique architecture!"

"Hey, why does this picture move?"

"Obviously, it's using a development solution."

"This clearly isn't a photo, it's a video, definitely using a Memory Stone."

"When can we leave the Black Forest and see the outside world?"

"Don't dwell on it; unless you want to perish outside."

"What does Fire Nanny eat?"

"Probably metal?"

"They probably don't need to eat, right?"

...

Meanwhile, Hua Mi took the chance to inspect the growth of flowers in the four plots and checked the beehives, ensuring everything was in order. However, they made an adjustment, transferring one bloodsucking bee each from the other three plots to the Thunderflower plot.

Now, the Thunderflower plot had a total of five bloodsucking bee colonies. The goal was to produce as much Blood Cyan Crystal as possible, preparing for the bee amplification.

Through these experiments, it became clear that the byproducts produced during honey-making were not solely dependent on the bee species but also on the flowers they collected nectar from. In other plots, the bloodsucking bees wouldn't produce Blood Cyan Crystal.

After the inspection, returning to find them still excitedly discussing the photos, Hua Mi felt a sense of nostalgia for the world beyond this forest. The spirits, despite their lengthy lives, were confined to this realm, unable to leave. They might have heard tales of the outside world but could never witness it firsthand, confined to their imaginations.

A somewhat pitiful fate.

After tending to the greenhouse, Hua Mi returned to the small wooden house. They added several locks to the doors and windows—not just to protect against possible threats but also for general security. Conveniently, a silver folding knife could unlock all these locks, reducing the need to carry multiple keys.

They briefly returned to Earth, bringing some supplies back before arranging the honey on the shelves and commencing the new day by opening the windows.

...

To welcome their return, the seven spirits planned a "sumptuous" feast.

"During this season, can you find food outside?" Hua Mi knew the pseudo-flower spirits usually gathered local forest ingredients and magically processed them for their feasts, their discernment abilities unquestionable. However, during this Ice Age, finding fresh ingredients outside would be challenging.

"Don't worry."

"For such cases..."

"We're always prepared!"

"Look—" The seven spirits gathered around their treehouse, collectively casting a small spell on a tree hollow. A heap of food tumbled out, covering the ground in a shining magical glow.

They routinely collected nuts, fruits, and mushrooms, magically storing them for such occasions, perfectly resolving the scarcity of ingredients during the Ice Age and Chaos Period.

"Impressive..." Hua Mi was stunned by their food reserves. Even squirrels would be ashamed of this stockpile.

The seven spirits each showcased their talents, meticulously preparing for the feast. They had high standards for the event, from the venue to the ingredients, ensuring everything was immaculate.

By evening, they declared the feast ready and invited Hua Mi and the little white creature to attend. They had arranged a space within the greenhouse, adorned with vines, leaves, and fresh flowers—a spring-like ambiance upon entering.

Exquisite dishes were laid out on the table. While the taste was yet to be determined, their artistic presentation made Hua Mi hesitate to indulge.

Amidst the spirits' expectant gazes, Hua Mi earnestly tasted the first dish, which was so scant that they ended up finishing the entire plate in one bite.

"How does it taste?"

"Mmm..."

Hua Mi rubbed their mouth regretfully. "Couldn't taste it, got stuck in my teeth."

...

A simple dinner seemed unusually lively amidst the spirits' song and dance. That night, Hua Mi spent their first proper night in the small wooden house.

Their increased self-defense capabilities boosted their sense of security. Moreover, with the little white creature sleeping on their stomach, who was not only alert but also possessed some fighting prowess in her fiery deity form, Hua Mi slept soundly.

It felt even more reassuring than sleeping on Earth.

"Am I already an inhabitant of another world?" Hua Mi chuckled self-deprecatingly, rising to freshen up and eat breakfast.

Post-breakfast, they embarked on their usual 'training' routine in the greenhouse. They noticed one of the seven spirits missing today—the blue one.

Red, orange, yellow, green, purple...

The blue one was absent.

They usually stuck together, rarely separating.

"Where's Little Blue?"

"She's not feeling well, resting."

Not feeling well? Hua Mi hadn't anticipated pseudo-flower spirits falling ill.

Approaching their treehouse, they found Little Blue curled up inside, appearing somewhat droopy. There was a subtle dullness to her usual vibrant color.

Without disturbing her slumber, Hua Mi whispered, "Have you experienced this before? Do you all get sick?"