A Beekeeper in a Magical World

"Let go of me... I didn't steal your stuff!"

"Who else but you? Stealing and trying to run, luckily I caught you in time!"

"I just accidentally bumped into you and already apologized..."

"Do you think I'll believe your nonsense? Give... it... back... now!"

The commotion echoed from the entrance of the hall.

A brawny bald man clad in leather armor, wielding a hefty broadsword, gripped the wrist of a short-haired woman. She draped herself in a light green cloak, barely reaching the man's chest.

From their conversation, it seemed the man suspected the woman of stealing from him and managed to grab her before she left.

The disparity in their strengths was evident. The woman struggled fiercely, but the man's hand remained steady, as if a hawk had caught a chick, unmoved by her efforts.

Initially, Hua Mi wouldn't have cared for such a spectacle, continuing to bury himself in a book.

However, a thought struck him, prompting a glance.

That woman... seemed familiar somehow?

Like he'd seen her somewhere before.

Yet, he couldn't recall where.

Hua Mi was certain it was their first encounter.

Was it because she resembled someone?

As Hua Mi pondered, a figure obstructed his view.

A slender young man, wearing an anxious expression, stood before him.

"Excuse me, have you seen a Shade Beast? About this size. If you help me find it, there will be a reward."

Hua Mi shook his head.

He knew nothing of a Shade Beast, having been engrossed in his reading without noticing any anomalies.

The young man, wearing a crestfallen expression, moved on to inquire from others nearby.

Meanwhile, there was a new development at the entrance.

The bickering had attracted the guild's security personnel.

An attractive man clad in bright silver light armor, wielding a diamond sword, led two slightly less equipped members behind him.

"Perfect timing, these thieves dare steal on guild grounds, aren't you going to intervene?"

"I'll say it again, I didn't steal from you!"

"Hmph, a Sulka accent. That place is riddled with thieves and bandits!"

"You..."

The two glared at each other, brimming with fury.

"May I ask what you lost?"

"My secretive timepiece! Worth over forty gold coins!"

The head of security calmly suggested, "Madam, to swiftly prove your innocence, do you mind if we conduct a search? Of course, our female staff will handle it. You know, it's the quickest way to clear things up."

Though reluctant, the woman nodded, her face filled with humiliation.

"Can you let go now? I've agreed to the search."

"Hmph."

The brawny man huffed, releasing her wrist but kept a disdainful and wary gaze fixed upon her.

Soon, a uniformed female staff member approached and conducted the search. Afterward, she apologized to the woman and shook her head toward the captain.

Before anything was said, the brawny man shouted, "It's definitely not on her! Either it's hidden somewhere or passed to her accomplice... these filthy Sulka thieves have plenty of tricks!"

"I don't know what bias you hold against Sulka, but that doesn't mean I'm a thief. There's no evidence I stole from you, I'm leaving."

"You can't leave!"

The brawny man grabbed her shoulder. "My timepiece cost over fifty gold coins, you need to compensate for my loss."

"Fifty... you just said over forty gold coins!"

"Heh, you sure know, didn't you profit from it?"

"You... ignorant but self-righteous giant!"

The woman was thoroughly incensed, exchanging verbal jabs. If not within guild premises, they might have resorted to blows.

Most adventurers around were merely spectators.

Hua Mi blinked, a glint of understanding flickering in his eyes.

His vision instantly sharpened.

Everything became incredibly distinct, overshadowing his hearing.

The clamor in the hall dulled, as if muted by a thick barrier, reaching his ears as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

His gaze scanned the crowd, spotting numerous traces of magical residue.

Finally, it rested in a corner.

A shadowy area.

He noticed something squirming within the shadow.

Concentrating, the shadow seemed to come to life, revealing bright eyes curious about the commotion, much like the adventurers observing.

More importantly, Hua Mi observed a glinting silver chain around that shadow.

"Is that the Shade Beast?"

Recalling the man's mention of a "Shade Beast," Hua Mi, though encountering it for the first time, found the name fitting. Presumably, these creatures excelled at lurking within shadows.

The situation at the main entrance escalated.

The two continued quarreling, now heated enough to challenge each other outside.

Hua Mi stood up and walked over.

"The item wasn't stolen by her."

Silence fell—Hua Mi's words immediately captured everyone's attention.

They also drew hostility.

The brawny man scrutinized him and redirected his accusations. "You must be her accomplice! Captain, arrest him! The item must be on him!"

...

This guy didn't seem too bright.

Likely gets stolen from often.

"Do you have any leads?" Facing skeptical security personnel, Hua Mi said, "The thief wasn't human."

His statement startled the non-human entities present.

But instead of pointing fingers at them, Hua Mi went over and tapped the shoulder of the skinny man, still searching for his pet amidst the crowd.

Apparently catching bits of the conversation, the man, taken aback by Hua Mi's gesture, hastily denied, "Not me, I'm human, a hundred percent pureblood!"

"I know. I mean..." Hua Mi pointed to the shadow, "Do you see your pet there?"

Everyone followed his gesture.

The Shade Beast, sensing gazes upon it, sprang up like it had been discovered—darting out of the shadow, resembling a rat, traversing the shade formed by the crowd.

It flickered in and out of view, appearing entirely black, like a large dark mouse.

These adventurers knew how to handle such situations.

Instantly, they dispersed, denying it shadows.

The Shade Beast froze amid the crowd, uncertain.

Its appearance resembled an irregular shadow fragment, with the silver timepiece hanging around its neck.

"Did you see that? I'm not a thief!"

Relieved of the wrongful accusation, the woman gratefully looked at Hua Mi.

The brawny man pocketed the timepiece, glancing at her. "Hard to say. Captain, I suggest you thoroughly investigate this Sulka person; their actions must be suspicious."