A Beekeeper in a Magical World - Chapter 144: Rewards and Return

All eyes shifted between the king and the guild president.

“Do you have anything to say?” The king raised his hand, several guards stepping forward at his command.

The president fell silent, placing his wine glass calmly on the nearby table. “Everything I’ve done was for humanity. I’m willing to cooperate with the investigation.”

The crowd murmured.

—

Princess Karen observed the scene in the hall, utterly perplexed. It took her a while to close her mouth. The thought of that annoying person soon being dethroned brought genuine joy from within.

Turning to share her joy with her companions, she found a hooded man beside her.

Meeting his gaze, she hesitated before realizing, “Oh, it’s you…”

—

“The Whisperer…”

Inside the lounge, Karen struggled with the word, “Why do you always choose such strange names? They’re so cumbersome!”

Before Hua Mi could respond, she continued, “But I do love the honey you make. A talented alchemist like you shouldn’t stay in obscurity. I’ve requested my father to appoint you as the court alchemist. It’s the highest honor. Also, you’ll have your own alchemy workshop in Modu.”

Of course, he couldn’t agree. His roots were in the Black Forest. Only his small cabin allowed him to return to Earth.

Grateful for her kindness, he politely declined, stating his current desire to delve quietly into new fields.

Karen glanced at Alyss beside her. “You’ve called it right. Well, if you don’t want to stay in Modu, that’s fine. But it doesn’t hurt to accept this title; many desire it.”

Saying this, she tossed a golden medal toward him.

Hua Mi caught it. The intricately designed medal bore a structure resembling a balance, the symbol of an alchemist.

“Another title…”

In society, this title was far more useful than “Guardian of Brass City.”

“Hope you’ll continue to excel. This princess looks forward to more varieties of your honey. As for the workshop… it’s yours whenever you wish to use it.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Unexpectedly, this princess appeared seemingly carefree but displayed a mature and composed demeanor, neither frivolous nor domineering.

Taking advantage of this, Hua Mi made a request.

“What request do you have?” Karen asked cheerfully.

“There’s a stargazer named David Clark. During an evaluation in the Black Forest, he accidentally turned into a vampire spawn but still retains human rationality…”

Hua Mi briefly explained the situation.

As expected, Clark, now a spawn, struggled to reintegrate into the Adventurer’s Guild and had been hiding in the sewers.

When the siblings Tianlei and Tianming found Clark and Carter, one crippled and the other seeming like a wandering soul, it was quite a pitiful sight.

“What? So, it’s a request for someone else,” Karen, feigning disinterest, promised nonetheless, “I’ll inform my father about this. If it’s confirmed that he retains his humanity, it won’t be an issue.”

—

Over the next period, the bard Jimmy, the centaur Manit, the mage Carter, and the spawn Clark all became witnesses in the Abyssal Research Association’s investigation.

It was a significant matter, not something that could be quickly concluded.

They were bound to this for a while.

Though the investigation results were pending, rumors spread everywhere.

The Association sought to study curses for Abyssal power, with suspicion falling on its leadership being influenced by the Abyss… speculations abounded.

Before the official authorities took over the Association, a portion of its members—mostly Abyss scholars—had fled, whereabouts unknown.

Warrants were issued across nations to trace these defectors.

Overnight, the Association became synonymous with evil.

“How unpredictable.”

Hua Mi set aside the newspaper, sighing.

He and Alyss had been staying at the Duke’s residence these days.

Their prolonged stay was to cooperate with the investigation. While they weren’t as deeply involved as others, it was required to remain for some time.

However, Hua Mi and Susie had a minor disagreement.

Technically, it wasn’t a dispute but rather a slight difference in opinion.

He had visited Susie’s garden, praising her cultivation techniques, which would have made her the Flower Queen in the old days of Hualing Town.

She even cultivated flower spirits.

Susie was pleased with his praise, thinking she had finally met a kindred spirit.

However, as they conversed, their ideological differences surfaced.

In essence, Hua Mi pursued rare and exotic flowers while Susie sought to enhance the beauty of common flowers.

All the flowers she cultivated were the most ordinary types in the market.

The only magical flower she had managed was the Windchime Flower she had previously gifted.

“Multiplying rare and unique species in quantity is true skill.”

“Cultivating extraordinary beauty from common flowers is equally rewarding. I can create flower spirits from common flowers; that’s the best proof.”

It was indeed incredibly challenging to produce flower spirits from ordinary flowers lacking unique magical elements. Though these flower spirits wouldn’t possess extraordinary abilities like Little White, it showcased her high level of cultivation.

So, Hua Mi couldn’t help feeling regretful. If she attempted to cultivate rare flowers, she would achieve higher accomplishments.

However, considering her status as an aristocratic lady, it was improbable for her to scour the world for rare flowers, which significantly differed from the adventurous theme.

Nevertheless, given her wealth, she could hire people to gather them. The key lay in whether she wanted to do so.

Oh well.

Everyone had their aspirations, and trying to force a change in someone’s beliefs was futile.

Hua Mi ceased arguing with her.

Surprisingly, she frequently sought debates, seemingly determined to prove herself despite her gentle appearance.

—

During these leisurely days, Hua Mi managed several trivial matters.

Firstly, he sold all the monster materials obtained in the Misty Mountains and bought the space ring he had previously eyed.

He still had over a hundred gold coins.

Adventuring was indeed a lucrative profession, explaining its attraction to many.

Following Hua Mi’s suggestion, the Tianlei siblings formally adopted the life of task-taking, gradually integrating into the adventurer’s circle.

As for Clark, he had returned to the Adventurer’s Guild, albeit not in Modu.

The Guild, perhaps harboring some resentment, didn’t reinstate him to his former position but dispatched him to oversee their affairs in Blackstone Town. Once the investigation concerning the association concluded, he could assume his role.

Clark had no objections. This was already a good outcome for him.

Through his connections, Hua Mi registered the death of the female apprentice in the gray robe, instructing the Guild to inform Zerelika whenever possible.

Moreover, he handed over the coins and the notebook that belonged to the apprentice to the Guild, intending for them to be given to Zerelika.

These items rightfully belonged to her. Particularly the notebook, which, aside from various spell insights, contained some of the apprentice’s daily moments, essentially a half-diary.

Both ethically and morally, they should be returned to the deceased’s family.

That day, Hua Mi sat in the resting area of the Adventurer’s Guild’s East District office, silently observing the Guild staff conversing with Zerelika. Eventually, he invited her into an office to complete the formalities.

Zerelika had previously inquired with the Guild but hadn’t received answers.

After some time, Zerelika emerged from the office, red-eyed, holding a small pouch of coins and a worn-out notebook. She approached Hua Mi in the rest area.

“Laila… she’s gone. I asked the guilds everywhere so many times but got no answers. They said there was missing data before, and it was recently re-evaluated, revealing this.”

“Will you keep adventuring?” Hua Mi inquired.

Zerelika shook her head. “I came out to seek an answer, and now that I have it—though not what I expected—I think… this reckless journey should end. My adventure ends here.”

Hua Mi stayed silent, respecting her choice.

After a moment, she squeezed out a smile. “Anyway, it was nice meeting you. If you ever have time, come visit in Sulca. Goodbye, adventurer.”

She got up to leave but stopped abruptly. “Oh, since I’ve decided to stop adventuring, take this. It might help you.”

A piece of… cloth?

And it was badly torn, resembling a rag.

Initially surprised, Hua Mi thought, Do people from Sulca always give such peculiar gifts?

But on instinct, he channeled his spirit energy towards it and immediately sensed its uniqueness.

It emitted an extraordinary magical aura.

“I found this in an adventure site by accident. There was a manual that called it ‘Alimondobo.’ But that’s a mouthful, so I named it ‘Magic Conceal Cloth,'” Zerelika explained. “This thing has unique properties. If you cover an item entirely with this cloth, say ‘Alimondobo’ three times, then remove the cloth, you’ll find the item beneath has changed, replaced by another item of similar value.”

“For instance, cover a bottle of water, and it might switch out for food. Cover a magical item, and it’ll swap for one of equal quality. Each swap seems random, even if it’s the same item,” she continued.

“The only consistent thing is that the items before and after the swap are usually of similar value, or at least not too far off.”

Hua Mi listened intently, finding it quite miraculous.

An equal exchange… It sounds a bit like alchemy.

If it can swap anything… I wonder what honey could swap for?

Or maybe bees…

Could it generate new bee species?

Following this train of thought, covering different flower types might produce entirely new ones.

According to her, anything this cloth entirely covers could be swapped.

Hua Mi’s mind wandered.

“However, it has a limited number of uses. Every time you swap, the cloth becomes more worn out. Once it develops holes and can’t cover things anymore, it becomes useless,” Zerelika added with embarrassment. “When I got it, I tested it multiple times, got a pile of rubbish, and by the time I noticed it wearing out, it was too late…”

“…”

Though sounding a bit foolish, it was perfectly human.

Hua Mi accepted the cloth, finding it worth the request.

He gifted her the Essence Blossom Honey and the Mirage Wing Bee Honey, explaining their effects.

Impressed, Zerelika thanked him and accepted the two bottles, bidding farewell.

…

Hua Mi postponed experimenting with the Magic Conceal Cloth; it could wait until he returned home. It seemed too extraordinary.

An inexplicable swapping mechanism? It seemed more complicated than it appeared.

He asked Zerelika, who mentioned finding it at an average two-star adventure site while fishing, discovering it in a fish’s stomach.

Such unbelievable luck…

Both anglers and adventurers would envy her fortune.

Hua Mi considered encouraging her to continue adventuring; her luck was like that of a protagonist. But she seemed to have lost the drive to explore further.

Probably, she’d be devoid of such encounters from now on.

…

After two more days in Modu, Hua Mi and Alyss had completed their tasks and were no longer needed for the investigation. They prepared to return to the Black Forest.

They came alone but returned with a deer.

This journey had been quite fruitful; just this mount alone made him happy for a long while.

Passing through the portal, they arrived in the familiar Black Forest.

A vast expanse of white, snow-covered land greeted them, with the chilling air hitting them.

The Ice Age was probably ending soon.

It was already late in the period.

In a month or two in Earth time, the harsh Ice Age would come to an end, transitioning into an even more perilous Chaotic Period.

After bidding farewell to Alyss, Hua Mi rode his new companion, Stag Fly, towards the cabin.

Stag Fly seemed to adapt well to the environment and wasn’t bothered by the cold. Initially, it struggled a bit on the snowy ground, but after a while, it moved effortlessly.

They dashed all the way to the cabin.

Little White was outside, immediately welcoming them.

Seeing this deer-shaped mount, Little White was taken aback.

Hua Mi introduced Stag Fly, acquired from the Misty Mountains.

“Maybe I should build a separate shelter for Stag Fly,” he pondered. While temporarily housed in the greenhouse, it wasn’t a long-term solution.

Though the greenhouse was spacious, filled with flowers, a few stomps from Stag Fly would spell disaster.

Perhaps a shelter was a better idea.

Having Master Alyss build such a simple structure seemed like overkill…

Maybe he could do it himself. Can’t trouble others for everything.

Hua Mi first introduced Stag Fly to the seven spirits in the greenhouse, unsure if it understood. Though it seemed intelligent, being a Druid’s creation, its intelligence probably wasn’t higher than a Treant’s. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be affected by the Soul Bell.

But its temperament was more docile than a Treant’s.

After a tour around the flower field, everything seemed normal.

During his absence, the Windchime Flower seeds had grown enough. It was time to expand the greenhouse and start planting.

There were also the Abyssal Tree seeds.

Although planting a few trees would be enough for honey collection, he handed the seeds to the spirits to propagate more for future needs.

Despite the early hour, Hua Mi decided to put off work here for now.

He planned to return to Earth first, checking messages to avoid missing anything.

Deciding not to leave Stag Fly in the greenhouse, expecting conflicts, he took it out and left it in the cabin temporarily.

Then, he traversed back to Earth.

He checked his phone first.

Fortunately, there were several messages, but nothing urgent.

After responding to them, he opened his computer, logging into the online store’s backend.

As expected, the comments demanding new stock were increasing.

Having fans wait so long made him feel guilty.

After considering, he typed out a notice:

“[Taking various factors into account, the shop will temporarily close. However, to meet your expectations, I’ve set up a new purchasing method. If you’re interested in buying honey, join the ‘Micro-chat Circle’ and search for ‘Bee Speaker Cottage’ or enter code ‘XXXXX’. Inside, you’ll find honey descriptions, prices, and stock updates. I’ll also update new honey types there. Feel free to place your orders! You can chat, discuss beekeeping, and honey-making topics in the circle. Share your needs

or opinions there.]”

Yes.

This was the project he had been preparing for during this time.

Transitioning into micro-commerce felt easier to manage products and after-sales service compared to e-commerce. He could also be closer to fans’ demands and sell various magical honey types according to their needs.

After posting, Hua Mi didn’t immediately log out but waited for a while, refreshing the comments.

In less than ten minutes, there were several customer comments under the notice.

Seems like many people were eagerly waiting for his return.

It touched him.

“The first sentence scared me! I thought you were abandoning us forever. Glad you’re back. Already joined the circle!”

“Who’s this fast? Did you guys buy houses on the platform? I joined the circle immediately, but there are already ten members in it?”

“Boss, back from the alien planet with restocked goods?”

“Finally, you’re back! Glad I didn’t give up!”

“Fanclub assemble!”

“Let’s see what treasures of honey you have this time, hehe.”