A Beekeeper in a Magical World

The woman introduced herself as Zelica Tyson, from the Sulka Principality, residing in the Stellia Village within the midstream of the Yatte River.

Her purpose for coming here was also to venture into the Misty Mountain Range.

She claimed to want to earn some money during this open period.

Noticing the book in Huami's hand, she clasped her hands together and eagerly said, "If it's convenient, we can team up!"

"I'll pass," Huami explained that he wasn't here to make money this time; he had a clear goal and would leave the adventure site as soon as he accomplished it.

She seemed set on aimless exploration, and their paths wouldn't align.

"That's a shame... I wish you luck," Zelica asked what he was looking for, offering to keep an eye out while she ventured into the mountains.

Ryan was curious, "Don't you have companions? It's rare to see a girl like you adventuring alone."

Zelica admitted somewhat sheepishly, "Actually, I sneaked out. My family didn't agree with me becoming an adventurer."

Ryan admired, "Courage is commendable. The spirit of adventure is humanity's greatest asset. You'll surely strike it rich. I wish you endless adventures."

However, Zelica's expression turned somewhat desolate, "Actually, I didn't become an adventurer to get rich or have adventures. I came out mainly to find my sister. She's missing."

Ryan was enthusiastic, "What's your sister's name? What does she look like? When did she disappear? Maybe we can provide some clues."

"She's called Leila, and everyone says we look alike, but she has long hair... She followed a mentor for training, used to send regular letters home, but it's been a long time since any news," Zelica explained.

Huami interjected, "Who was Leila's mentor?"

"A mage, I don't know much about him, only that he liked to wear a gray robe."

Sure enough, Zelica's sister, Leila, was the unlucky female apprentice who had been with the gray-robed figure from the past.

Thinking back, the resemblance between the two was indeed striking.

However, despite being the younger sister, Zelica seemed more mature.

"About three years ago, he came to our village. At first, he used magic to help the villagers with some troubles, so he had a good reputation. The village chief allowed him to stay. But he lived in an abandoned tower on the outskirts, shielded with magic, rarely interacting with outsiders, very secretive.

"I don't know how Leila got in touch with that mage, but she became his apprentice, quickly showing magical talent and mastering some basic spells.

"About a year ago, the mage took Leila out for training. Originally, she would regularly write to inform the family about her situation, but it's been nearly half a year since we heard anything, and we don't know if they've encountered any danger..."

Zelica seemed worried, seemingly reluctant to dwell on it further.

Huami, however, knew that her sister Leila was indeed dead.

And it was a fate more tragic than mere death, her soul sacrificed to the Nine Hells.

"It seems that the gray-robed mage spent time in the Sulka Principality... Could he have created the Revenant during that time?" Huami noted this information.

He was somewhat intrigued by this figure in the gray robe.

For instance, a fifth-circle mage, where did he acquire the ritual to create revenants and summon demons?

There might be some hidden secrets behind it.

At the same time, Huami pondered whether to tell Zelica about Leila's death.

If he did, how should he relay this information?

He didn't want to get too involved, better to keep himself out of trouble.

"Maybe through the Adventurer's Guild..." Huami formed a plan.

As an adventurer, Zelica likely interacted most with the Guild. And the Guild had enough authority to deliver such unfortunate news to her.

Of course, he wouldn't just tell anyone from the Guild about this; it would only complicate matters. Directly informing Zelica seemed the better option.

But if he could find the Star-Rated Teacher Clark, things would be much easier. He could discuss it with him, having acquaintances made things smoother—assuming Clark had already resolved his own issues.

Yeah, that guy seemed to have bigger problems of his own.

...

Subsequently, Zelica and Ryan bid farewell and left one after the other.

Before leaving, Ryan suggested he could try his luck at the Guild's mission desk, perhaps someone there knew the location of the Otherworldly Tree.

The place he mentioned as the mission desk was one among the many service windows, where several staff members were responsible for mission registration and settlement.

Huami walked over and observed for a while, finding the process quite complicated, but the rewards were generally high.

This was understandable.

Most people only came here when in dire need or had no other choice, so prices were outrageously high due to demand.

A piece of ordinary information might fetch a high price just because the person requesting it was desperate.

Was this reasonable?

At least in the eyes of adventurers, it was.

If the price was too low, who would bother?

After weighing the options, Huami decided against posting a mission. Involving more people in anything only added complexity and variables.

Besides, after posting a mission, would he have to wait here for someone to show up? He preferred taking action.

He returned to the resting area to continue reading.

Soon, he finished perusing the Misty Mountain Range Adventure Manual, having grasped the gist of its contents.

It was time to head to that three-star adventure site.

As planned earlier, he aimed to acquire the Otherworldly Tree's seed first before considering other matters.

Huami boarded a public adventurer guild airship, quickly arriving at the edge of the adventure site.

Besides Huami, there were seven other adventurers on this journey.

Among them were two teams of three, along with another lone wolf like himself.

Upon seeing Huami land, the lone wolf didn't rush in but instead concentrated on the map in his handbook. After some hesitation, he gathered courage and approached, "Hey, buddy, want to..."

"Team up?" Huami interrupted his invitation.

The other adventurer smiled awkwardly, "Yeah, it's a bit lonely exploring alone."

Huami thought for a moment, considering whether joining forces would benefit him in any way.

If they could complement each other's strengths, that would be ideal.

"Sure, let's team up. I'm Huami," he finally agreed.

"Great! I'm Derek," the adventurer introduced himself. "I specialize in herbalism and alchemy."

Huami nodded, "I mainly focus on exploration and combat. Let's work together."

And so, the two set forth, stepping into the Misty Mountain Range's unknown depths, ready to face the challenges that awaited.