A Beekeeper in a Magical World

"Why do you want to die?"

"Because I have committed grave sins."

Hua Mi observed the bear-man whose voice grew increasingly somber, his rough palm pressed against his forehead, reminiscent of some painful memory.

She chose not to pry into his heartache.

"Why not do it yourself?" Xiao Huang interjected suddenly. "Because you can't bring yourself to do it?"

"..."

Impressive, it had to be her.

Hitting the nail on the head.

The bear-man fell silent for a moment. "I don't want to fall into the Nine Hells."

Suicide leads to the Nine Hells? This was a first for Hua Mi, silently registering this new information in her mind.

"Though I don't know what you've been through, I suggest looking forward, not dwelling in the past," she offered, drawing from her habitual online browsing of uplifting quotes.

But the bear-man remained silent, rejecting her words of wisdom.

"There are still many beautiful things in this world. Look at these adorable pseudo-flower spirits. Once dead, you won't see them again," Hua Mi said, gesturing toward the seven little beings.

The pseudo-flower spirits cooperated by displaying various cute movements.

"The more beautiful things, the more they remind me of the sins I've committed in the past."

"..."

Oh well. This guy is completely closed off.

"Perhaps you can try this," Hua Mi suggested, retrieving a bottle of Thousand Illusions Flower Honey from her magic box.

The first rays of morning sunlight bathed the earth. The sunlight illuminated the honey, making it glisten.

"Specially made honey for bee whisperers. Take a sip; it'll alleviate your worries."

"I don't need a magic potion; I need liberation. You know, after the effects wear off, things will only get worse," he replied.

"It's not a magic potion; it's food. Have you heard of food therapy?" Hua Mi opened the bottle and handed him a spoon.

"Thank you for your suggestion, but I don't believe any food can heal my inner turmoil right now."

Despite his reluctance, the bear conceded and took the bottle of honey and spoon.

The honey bottle looked like an oversized oral medicine in his large palm. Hua Mi believed he could gulp down the entire bottle in seconds.

He scooped some honey with the spoon and tasted it. "You can have more."

The effectiveness of honey varied based on body weight. Hua Mi, feeling the effects after a spoonful, estimated his weight to be more than three times hers; the dosage would surely have different effects.

He followed her advice and took several spoonfuls in succession. As he swallowed the last spoonful, he froze.

His pupils contracted.

After a moment.

"Phew," he let out a heavy breath. When he lifted his head again, the dullness in his eyes had transformed.

"I do feel much better... but why?" he inquired.

"I told you, there are still beautiful things in this world worth cherishing."

The bear-man shook his head, sensing her jest, and looked down at the honey in his hand. "Alchemy potion... no, after drinking it without any discomfort, how did you manage that?"

"If you insist on calling it a potion, you're not entirely wrong. However, my potions are unique; they come with no side effects, including the most common, toxin accumulation."

"A potion without side effects..."

The bear-man mused.

Alchemy potions typically brought effects along with side effects, almost common knowledge in this world. However, not being well-versed in alchemy, he found it strange but not enough to shake his beliefs fundamentally.

"Aren't you giving up on dying?" Xiao Huang leaned in. As pseudo-flower spirits, they were carefree enough, so the honey didn't have any notably discernible effects on them after consumption.

For them, the differences before and after the bear's intake of honey were hard to comprehend.

"Well, maybe for me, living on to atone is the right choice."

As he spoke, black fur sprouted on his body.

Then, he stood up, appearing still weak but with a newfound glint in his eyes.

"Thank you... What should I call you?"

"You can call me Bee Whisperer."

"Thank you, Bee Whisperer. I am Levistus Deligobano."

"..."

Just call you Big Bear, Hua Mi thought.

"No need to thank me; as long as you've found your way. Consider the honey a gift, but if you want more after using it up, there'll be a charge."

"Well, I may not have money, but rest assured, I won't take it for free."

The bear bowed deeply. "If there's anything I can help with, I'm at your service. These little ones know where to find me."

Hua Mi nodded, watching the imposing figure of the bear vanish into the depths of the forest.

"Though not many residents in the Black Forest, they are all talented individuals," she sighed. It was already dawn, and she had no plans to sleep. She swallowed a Thunder Lily Honey Pill, recharging herself instantly, feeling utterly revitalized.

The Thousand Illusions Flower Honey yield this time wasn't substantial, just over 500 bottles.

It'd likely sell out in seconds online, so she decided to hold off, amass more, and reduce her workload.

Moreover, magical honey didn't seem secure for online platforms.

She'd been considering starting a small business lately, utilizing Earth's efficient communication technology, creating her circle.

This would bring her closer to fans, facilitating better product control and targeted sales based on user demand.

Maybe even offer some more peculiar magical honey to fans, provided her secret remained safe.

During this off-time, she planned to prepare.

As for offline, she wouldn't turn away customers if they showed up. After all, she was a resident of Huayu Town on Earth.

No need for deliberate advertising or operations offline.

Whoever was lucky enough to buy magical honey would be a matter of fate.

Regarding the pricing in the other world for Thousand Illusions Flower Honey, she decided to set it at 8 gold coins.

...

Taking a moment from her busy schedule, Hua Mi approached Alyss and briefed her on the centaur portal.

Alyss found it intriguing and volunteered to take a look without prompting.

The two arrived at the stone door.

Alyss stood at a distance for observation, then approached and placed her hand on one of the stones, closing her eyes, seemingly perceiving something.

After a while, she opened her eyes, shaking her head. "I don't understand the centaur language, so I can't respond to the whispers for now."

"Whispers?" Hua Mi withdrew her hand from the stone, looking at Alyss strangely. What whispers? Besides the wind, she hadn't heard anything.

"If your intelligence is enough, upon contact with the door, you can hear the centaur whispers, respond to them, and open the portal... You didn't hear?" Alyss inquired.

"Oh, now that you mention it, I did hear some murmurs, but I thought it was just the wind. I couldn't understand anything," Hua Mi coughed, changing the subject. "By the way, should we learn the centaur language? It would be convenient for long-distance travels using this portal."

With portals scattered around, having a vast map, traveling would be a breeze.

In the future, she could rely on Alyss to guide her wherever she wanted to collect flower seeds.

Alyss agreed, "You make a good point."