A Beekeeper in a Magical World

Compared to when Hua Mi first arrived, the temperature had dropped by about two or three degrees. The rainy weather was gradually subsiding. Sunlight streamed through the window, spilling onto the wooden table below. Hua Mi spread a piece of drawing paper on the table, with drawing tools such as a ruler, pencil, and eraser placed beside it. He was working on a rough plan for a bee farm.

His preliminary idea was to build a greenhouse to the left rear of the wooden house, where the terrain was relatively flat, and the trees were relatively sparse, making it easier to clear. Some beekeepers in Huayu Town had even spent a lot of money building artificial ponds to cultivate aquatic flowers. Many beekeepers used abandoned paddy fields to cultivate aquatic nectar plants.

"If we want to build an artificial pond, this place might be suitable. We can utilize this low-lying terrain," Hua Mi murmured to himself. Of course, this was just a preliminary plan, setting a goal for himself. It was hard to say how he would proceed in the future. Based on experience, plans often didn't match reality.

"So, once the greenhouse is built, we can collect nectar at any time and brew different flavors of honey?" The speaker was the little purple-haired glutton, who was currently sitting on the edge of the table, dipping a stick into honey and swaying her little feet.

Today, she had come to report that the tree spirit had not left yet and had taken the opportunity to slack off. While her other six sisters searched for new nectar sources in the forest, she was leisurely enjoying honey. Quite clever, she was.

Hua Mi didn't mind. The results of the hybrid mutation had not yet been revealed, and he had little to do besides reading and planning. It was easy to get bored, so having a little flower spirit to chat with was quite nice.

"Yeah, and we can also cultivate some nectar-bearing flowers from outside the Black Forest," Hua Mi replied.

The little purple-haired glutton's eyes sparkled. She had never tried honey from beyond the Black Forest before. She couldn't wait.

Hua Mi couldn't help but smile at her eager expression. Whether it could be realized or not, at least he could offer her a big promise.

"The only problem is that due to the terrain constraints, the greenhouse area may not be very large, which could affect honey production. Of course, we can build multiple greenhouses, but that would increase the cost significantly," Hua Mi said as he looked at the rough sketch on paper.

The little purple-haired glutton, munching on honey, suggested nonchalantly, "You could try space expansion magic. That way, you wouldn't need a large area to create a much larger internal space."

Hua Mi was intrigued by her idea. "Tell me more."

"I'm not sure about the details, but it seems to require some special materials, as well as setting up a magic array and preparing a ritual on the foundation. You can consult some knowledgeable wizards," she explained.

Indeed, this kind of magic was unlikely to be simple. Besides the cumbersome ritual, it probably required a significant amount of magical power. Nevertheless, Hua Mi was starting to have a different opinion of this little girl.

"You seem to know quite a lot," he remarked.

The little purple-haired glutton, with a honey-coated stick, looked deep in thought. "Living for a long time allows you to learn many things."

Hua Mi restrained his curiosity from asking how long she had lived. She looked like a child on the outside, as delicate as a figurine. If he found out she was a thousand-year-old fairy, it would be quite disconcerting.

"Space expansion magic..." Hua Mi wrote down those words on his paper. While it seemed difficult to implement at the moment, it opened up new possibilities for his plans. If he could apply this magic to the bee farm, he wouldn't have to worry about land constraints. In a world of magic, he could dare to dream big.

"By the way, the Magic Box!" Normally, it was just a small cube, handheld with one hand, but when unfolded, it could hold a hundred beehives. Wasn't this a form of space expansion magic?

This connection excited Hua Mi. It felt like this magic was no longer so distant.

However, the interior of the Magic Box was clearly not suitable for crop cultivation. Hua Mi imagined a magic greenhouse that looked like a small house from the outside but opened into a vast fertile land inside.

With the knowledge of "space expansion magic," Hua Mi's plans had room for improvement. This was the importance of updating one's knowledge. Hua Mi continued to jot down ideas and designs on paper.

The little purple-haired glutton continued to enjoy her honey.

The sunlight warmed the room, creating a peaceful atmosphere. As the Water-Still Moon approached, the sounds of birds and insects in the forest seemed to have diminished. During this period, what impressed Hua Mi the most was a birdcall similar to a flute, with a melodious and spiritual sound.

If this bird were on Earth, it would undoubtedly be considered a symbol of good luck by some people. Unfortunately, he had not had the time to find the source of this delightful sound, and he still didn't know what kind of creature produced it.

Now, he couldn't hear it anymore, and perhaps he would have to wait until next year to hear it again. Some birds, once missed, were gone forever. The faint insect chirping outside suddenly halted, catching Hua Mi's attention.

He looked out the window and raised an eyebrow. He saw a figure approaching.

When the newcomer emerged from the shadow of the forest and walked fully into view, Hua Mi could clearly see her appearance. She had a slim figure and wore a tight-fitting dark green outfit. She carried an elegant bow, a curved dagger at her waist, and had long silver hair flowing down her shoulders, like a cascade of stars. She also had pointed ears.

Though she had a human-like appearance, some features indicated that she was not a pure human.

At least, not a pure human.

She walked up to the window, her skin as pale as if she had not seen the sun for years. Her features were so exquisite that they seemed almost unreal. Her light green eyes glanced at Hua Mi for a moment before focusing on the little purple-haired glutton on the side.

Sensing her gaze, the little purple-haired glutton quickly ducked under the table, but her head remained visible as she watched from her hiding spot. Hua Mi thought she wasn't shy, just mischievous.

"Would you like to buy some honey? Sweet and delicious, it replenishes your energy and helps with sleep disorders. Our new store is offering an 80% discount," Hua Mi spoke, taking a jar of honey.

She gave him a strange look, seeming puzzled by the concept of selling honey here. She then ignored his sales pitch and showed him a wanted poster, her voice cold, "Have you seen this person?"

The portrait was lifelike, depicting the wanted criminal with pointed ears, but their skin was fiery red, their face adorned with asymmetric dark patterns, and their eyes had a dark ring around them, resembling heavy eyeliner. They had sharp fangs, giving them a fierce appearance. Besides their face, the portrait also depicted the upper body, which was muscular and covered in prominent stripes.

Hua Mi shook his head.

She turned to the little purple-haired glutton, who also shook her head.

Then she took back the poster and said, "He fled into the Black Forest. He's a dangerous individual. Be cautious if you encounter him."

"He?" The pronoun used in the common language of the people in this world had different pronunciations for males and females. Did that mean the wanted criminal was a male? No, it couldn't be. Although the criminal appeared strong, their chest couldn't possibly be that well-developed. Hua Mi was not so clueless.

Furthermore, the criminal's facial features, while wild, clearly leaned towards femininity.

"Is that lady you just met not a human?" Hua Mi asked.

"She's an elf," the little purple-haired spirit replied matter-of-factly, "but not necessarily a lady."

Hua Mi was taken aback. Did the other world also have such customs? Having a female biological gender but identifying as male? The little purple-haired spirit continued, "Because elves only have one gender, their language doesn't differentiate between 'she' and 'he.'"

Hua Mi was silent for a moment. How strange, having a female biological gender but no gender-specific pronouns in their language?

The unexpected encounter with the elf woman had left Hua Mi with many questions and a sense of curiosity. He watched her leave, disappearing into the forest.