Chapter 397 Days of Research ③
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Under the guidance of my alchemy mentor, Pigole Kogima¹, I spent my days immersed in the study of monster materials sent from the Ferguson Kingdom² to the west. Unfortunately, I hadn’t yet achieved results that justified the sheer amount of grunt work involved, but as a magic circuit technician³, the work was rewarding in its own way.
Actually, to be honest, it was way more fun than any of my other chores. I’d been saddled with all sorts of responsibilities lately, so this was a welcome reminder that I was, at my core, an engineer.
One afternoon, while I was scouting for materials in the Research Lab No. 2 warehouse, a particular specimen caught my eye. I picked it up to get a better look.
”What do we have here…?” I muttered.
It looked like a perfectly ordinary insect-type monster. Or rather, a massive bee. It had a stout, fuzzy body-the kind of build that reminded me of a carpenter bee back on Earth. When you think of bee monsters, the hyper-aggressive “Killer Bee” is usually the first thing that comes to mind, but this little guy was much smaller.
That said, “small” was relative. It was still roughly the size of a clenched fist. Between its shape and its fuzz, it was basically a baseball with wings. The thought of this thing buzzing toward me was honestly pretty gross. What really interested me, though, was that the bee had been captured along with its entire nest.
The frozen hive was about the size of a subcompact car. For a second, I thought it was huge, but considering the size of a single worker bee, the nest was actually on the small side.
”So that’s where it went. Hm? Oh, that’s a Fairy Bee⁴,” a voice said.
The speaker was, of course, the old man, Master Pigole. It was apparently three o’clock snack time; he had a mug in one hand and was munching on some unrecognizable, grayish pastry with the other.
It was probably a treat made from some monster material. Master was the type of researcher who insisted on personally verifying the flavor profiles of his subjects. He’d likely come to recruit me as a second test subject under the guise of an “invitation.”
”A Fairy Bee? I’ve never heard of them. Are they a common species, Master?” I asked.
”Umu. They rarely settle near human civilization,” Pigole replied. “Legend says that in ancient times, people saw them zipping through the trees and mistook them for actual fairies.”
”I see. So that’s where the name comes from.”
”Exactly. They aren’t much of a threat as long as you don’t go near the nest. Between that and the fact that they hide in the deepest parts of the woods, you never see extermination requests for them. These ones were likely just in the way during a monster sweep of the deep forest, so the knights cleared them out as a byproduct.”
That felt… incredibly pitiful. They were just living their lives quietly in the woods, only to have their entire home eradicated because they were “in the way.” Even for a monster, I felt a twinge of sympathy. I reached out and gently stroked the baseball-sized body.
”Careful now,” Pigole said. “A single prick from that one’s stinger packs enough neurotoxin to drop a Giant Bear stone-cold.”
”Wait-! Why didn’t you lead with that?!” I shouted, jumping back. “I thought you said they weren’t a threat!”
”I said as long as you don’t go near the nest. This is a creature from the deep forest, boy. Use your head. Of course it has a way to defend itself.”
I hate it when he drops bombshells like that after the fact. It was common sense, really, so I suppose I was the idiot for being so careless. Shaking, I gingerly placed the Fairy Bee back on its shelf.
I might have healing magic, but if it didn’t kick in before my heart stops, I was a dead man. I needed to be more careful. As I moved away, Master started making a sour face while examining the habitat placard on the shelf.
”Something wrong?” I asked.
”No… it’s just, I noticed this during the cataloging, but these are supposed to live in Monica’s Forest⁵,” Pigole said.
”Huh. So they were driven out of their original territory?”
”Most likely.”
The placard was marked with “Kazu Forest,” which is a bit north of Monica’s. It looked like these little guys were caught up in the Stampede⁶ too, forced to migrate. For a monster this small, that journey must have been hell. It just goes to show how uninhabitable Monica’s Forest has become.
”So, does this thing have any other special traits?” I asked.
”Hmm? Not many I’ve heard of. You can harvest honey from them, but it’s rarely worth the risk. Maybe a high-rank adventurer who happens across a nest might try their luck if they’re absolutely dying for a sugar fix, but…”
”I see…”
As we talked, Master handed me one of those grayish pastries. I figured that was my cue to eat. It looked like some gray substance that had been kneaded and toasted. Since Master was eating it, I assumed it wasn’t lethal. I kept my eyes on the frozen nest and took a bite.
”Gah-so bitter?! What the hell is this?!” I gagged.
”Kukuku. That’s finely ground Armored Lizard shell, kneaded with flour and eggs. It’s a luxury item, prized as a restorative for health and vitality, you know?”
Dammit, I let my guard down! It was too late to spit it out, so I forced myself to chew and swallow while my mouth filled with an acrid, earthy bitterness. Well, if it was good for my health, I couldn’t really complain, but surely there was a better way to prepare lizard.
My eyes drifted back to the Fairy Bee nest. Right now, I was in the exact position Master described: I’d just found a nest, and I was absolutely dying for a sugar fix to kill this bitter aftertaste. I shoved the lizard cracker back at Master, drew my knife, and started butchering the hive.
”Kukuku, perfect timing. Dismantling a Fairy Bee nest isn’t too hard. It’s tougher than a normal hive, but if you drive the knife in like a wedge along the grain, you can split it right down the middle,” Pigole advised.
”…Thanks for the tip,” I grumbled.
He was getting on my nerves, but I followed the advice. Much like a normal beehive, it looked like it was built by layering materials over time. There were horizontal ridges running across it; I jammed the knife right into the center of the mass.
The defensive stat on this thing was low enough for me to pierce. Probably can’t use this for armor then, I thought as I worked the blade around the circumference until I reached a good spot to pry it open.
With a loud snap, the Fairy Bee nest split in two. Inside, I found the expected casualties-pitiful worker bees and larvae frozen mid-life. And then, I saw it.
”I’ve never seen frozen honey before,” I said.
”Hmph, really? Honey doesn’t freeze easily, and it stays clear even in the cold, so it’s great for long-term storage,” Pigole remarked.
Master beat me to the punch. He scooped up a glob of the honey-which was now as thick as chilled starch syrup-and popped it in his mouth. It looked like even he couldn’t stand the bitterness of his “vitality” cookies.
Following his lead, I made sure to avoid the frozen stingers and scooped up a bit with my finger. I took a lick. Yeah, it was sweet. Just like normal honey.
The bitterness on my tongue vanished instantly.
”This is great. It’s a pain to collect, sure, but with this much yield, I’m surprised people don’t hunt them more often…” I started to say.
”Umu… th-that’th becauth…” Master stuttered.
”Master? What’th the matth-wait, it’th hot?! It’th thpicy?!” I yelled.
”Kukuku… ath you can thee… thith honey maketh the tongue go numb… and then the thpithineth hitth you…”
That absolute bastard! He knew I was going to lick it and he kept his mouth shut on purpose! I gathered the gist: the honey numbs your tongue before a wave of heat attacks.
If I could refine this, it might make one hell of an aphrodisiac… The thought flashed through my mind, but before I could process it, the spice became unbearable. Master and I both scrambled, frantically using magic to conjure water as fast as we could.
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Summary:
The protagonist and Master Pigole continue their research on materials from the Ferguson Kingdom. They encounter a Fairy Bee nest that has migrated due to the Stampede. After a prank involving bitter lizard crackers and numbingly spicy honey, the protagonist contemplates the honey’s potential as an aphrodisiac.
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Trivia:
- The Fairy Bee’s stinger can paralyze a Giant Bear instantly.
- The honey is a natural antifreeze and stays clear when chilled.
- The migration of the bees confirms that Monica’s Forest is currently uninhabitable.
- The ‘pastry’ eaten was made of Armored Lizard shells for health purposes
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Character Insight:
The protagonist shows a sentimental side for the displaced monsters, but his internal engineer/opportunist quickly takes over when he realizes the honey’s potential industrial/s*xual utility.
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Behind the Scenes:
The author uses the physical sensation of ‘numbness and spice’ to set up future crafting of adult items, a staple of the series’ progression.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Kogima – Kento’s alchemy master. A middle-aged man who is a henpecked husband to his wife, Josephine.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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