Chapter 89: That time when the queen came to rely on me + the heroes

TL: kizen

PR: Filip/Gecko

I decided to visit the honey bees today.

Caam-dono

Dono?

We request of you to make us a new hive degozaru. Due to the birth of a new queen, the old queen has to move out degozaru1

Degozaru!?

You, are you different from the last one I met?

Thats correct degozaru. That previous individual had already reached the end of their lifespan. Thats the reason why I came degozaru2

I?3

Well, never mind. Anyway, do you mind if its just a simple hive?

Okey degozaru

The way its mixed up is making my head hurt.

Got it. Ill make arrangements as soon as possible.

We would be eternally grateful

After that, I immediately went to the carpenter Goburg-sans place. I drew a simple plan on the ground which he then used to make a hive using scraps of wood.

Youre really good at this, arent you

Having said that, he just built something that carpenters should be able to finish easily.

After that, I went to the hive behind my house. I opened up the hive then took out the frame with the old queen on it along with one that was full of honey and another with eggs and larvae then moved it to a new hive a couple of kilometers away according to Degozarus instructions.

They would be closed off there and left alone for a couple of days. It seems they have to do this because of their homing instinct.

Is this good?

It is fine degozaru. It would be better if there was a nearby watering hole and an area with plenty of flowers degozaru. We would like you to keep that in mind degozaru

Yeah yeah, I got it. Ill try looking for a place like that

We would like to request for one more thing degozaru

What is it?

Now that she has been born, the new queen requests to leave the island degozaru

Haa? This islands no good?

Since Caam-dono is able to move around the place with his magic, the new queen wanted to extend her influence to your hometown. We wont make it if we try to cross the sea by ourselves after all degozaru

How did your ancestors get to this island then?

On driftwood degozaru. I heard that it was a very perilous journey degozaru

Ah Well, when should we do that?

It should be after my compatriots get used to the new hive degozaru. That reminds me, we would also like to bring this box with us degozaru

How about we leave in three days?

That would be great degozaru. I shall inform the princess degozaru

Oh, they call both queens princess? What a confusing bunch.

During the next few days, while the bees were still getting used to their place, I showed the women how to extract the oil from the cacao mass. I also started teaching them how to make chocolate.

While we were busy with that, we saw something black hovering above the forest and was heading in our direction.

Woah, whats that? Looks unsettling

Kyaa. Gross

As a few humans started making a fuss, a lone figure who was flying ahead of the rest of the cluster approached me. It was a honey bee.

Caam-dono. the princess wishes to give her greetings degozaru

O-oh. Understood

I told the others to continue what they were doing as I left for the beach to reach the transfer magic circle.

Are you the one they call Caam?

A pretty huge honey bee who I assumed was the queen spoke to me.

Yes

I think you have already heard about the situation from my subordinate. Hence, I request that you take us to your hometown using that magic of yours that allows you to travel all over the island

I did hear about it. Do you mind waiting here while I go and get your hive?

Alright

After saying that, I picked up the hive that I left in a cool area then went back to the beach.

Well then, its time to depart. Please make sure that you dont go beyond where both my hands reach. Its the same for above me

As I said that, the queen positioned herself on my chest. I felt something kinda soft but I didnt have the time to enjoy it because my hand and feet as well as my face were swarmed by the rest of the bees making my entire body tingle.

I definitely would have been traumatized if this happened when I was younger. Never mind that though. Its hot. I can now understand how a hornet feels when its killed by bees.

I activated the magic and we appeared in front of my house. The moment the scenery changed, the honey bees that were all around me immediately separated.

Ugh, that gave me the creeps!

So this is Caams hometown

It snows during winter here. Are you guys going to be alright?

From the remaining memories I inherited, we have experienced winters long before we arrived on the island. Therefore, we should be alright. However, we are weak with heat hence why it would be a great help if you would offer us a cool place

Got it. I already have a place in mind so Ill take you there. Its in that forest

I pointed at the forest where I frequently entered as a child.

Very well. I shall go on ahead and wait by the entrance. Please release my subjects in that new hive then show me around

Alright

The queen flew away after saying that.

There was nobody home so I just entered my house, took a paper, then wrote Bees nest! Dont touch! on it. I attached that note to the hive then left it in a shaded place nearby.

Oi Caam. What was that black thing flying in the air earlier?

It was a swarm of honey bees. I dont really get what its about but they came to me for help so I just did what they asked

Ohh. That means theres now a source of honey in the village. Much appreciated Caam

We can even do this thing called apiculture where you keep bees then sell their honey to town you know?

Now I can freely put honey on my toast without having to go to town

This old man seems to have a sweet tooth. Does he cover everything with honey since hes a bear-type demonkin? Im also curious if its true that bears right paws are really tasty. I think itll have the same effect if you pour honey over the bear meat before cooking it but I shouldnt say that out loud. 4

You can put honey on sweets too you know?

For me, I prefer using it that way. Anyway, beastman types were fine with chocolate and coffee but I wonder if its also fine to give demonkin infants honey? Im too scared to try it though.

Well then, I should go to the forest.

Alright. Theres this cave a short walk from the entrance of the forest that I found when I was a child. I will be taking you there. Its cool during the summer and the entrance closes up during the winter so I think youll do fine there

That is greatly appreciated

After walking for a while, we arrived at the place. What I didnt expect though was to meet the children there.

Ah, father!

Oh hey. Its Lily-chans dad

Hello

Papa!

Im sorry. The place seems to be occupied

It happens all the time, childrens energy sometimes goes far beyond what adults can imagine

This place is no good then

While I was talking with the queen bee, Lily came over and said.

Father. Who is that bee?

Shes called Queen Bee, the queen of the honey bees. And there are her subordinates

Greetings

Cute~

Are they? Their eyes look like honeycomb scope filters you know? They protect from glare but it blurs the image so its not my cup of tea.

Are you looking for Queen Bee-sans home?

The one who asked that was Specks daughter Reika.

Thats right. They cant use this place since its your base so Ill have to look for another one

How about they live inside a big tree? We saw one with a hole in it you know

I glanced at the queen bee and she gave me a tiny nod.

Im impressed that you guys know of such a place. Queen Bee-san and the rest want to check if they can use that as their house so could you show us the way?

Yes!

They gave me a cheerful reply and then they all ran. Kids should definitely be lively like this.

After a fifteen-minute light jog inside the forest, we arrived at a place with a large tree.

Isnt this pretty much the center of the forest? I was afraid of the wildlife when I was little so I didnt make it this far you know? It must be safe thanks to Speck and Arc-san as well as the other workers in the charcoal factory.

Its this tree~

Iya, its pretty huge, isnt it? I dont feel like going up there since uncle is afraid of heights

Im fine with it~

Haha. Its good if youre that lively

Although it would be best for this girl to act a bit more lady-like, I cant really say anything since I have Lily who always keeps on asking me for training.

I would have been able to tell her off if Lily and Miels personalities were reversed. Well, whatever. They both have their mothers blood in them after all.

How is it?

My subordinates have informed me that there is enough space in that large tree for us to reside in. It should be adequate. We can easily come and go with the entrance located in a high place, were protected from the rain and wind, and the leaves and branches provide us with shade. We might even be safe during winter with this. You have my thanks. If anything happens, I will be sending my men to the hive they vacated earlier

You say that but Im almost always at the island you know?

Cant we just contact you via Fleur-san? I was able to spot her potted plant earlier

So she saw it, huh? Compound eyes are kinda scary.

Then Ill let my family know so that they wont be surprised. Well, two of them are here though

I presented my children to her.

I understand. it would be proper for us to give an introduction

As she said that, one honey bee approached my kids and gave its greeting.

We do not have a name nor an individual conscience. Therefore, you may call all of us Honey Bee. We are grateful to your father for all the assistance we have received degozaru. Its a pleasure to make your acquaintance

Nice to meet youNice to meet you~

This one also has that degozaru syndrome huh?

Will we get to eat honey~?

We have brought the hive that Caam-dono made for us so once we have increased our numbers, we might be able to share some with you

Yaay~

Honest children are the best degozaru

You stole my line degozaru.

So this is Corundum. This is the first time Ive seen the ocean since I came here

Me too. The water is clear and blue so there definitely are no traces of man-made garbage here

This reminds me of the past. When I was a kid, we were so poor that we had to catch small fish and shellfish at the beach to fill our stomachs

Nothing you could do about that Enomoto-san. That was just after the second world war after all5

As for me, my family was just poor. I was born more than a decade after Enomoto-san after all

The economic boom made up for it though

As for me, I only got to experience the economic bubble so Im jealous of you two old men

Lets stop talking about Japan since we cant even go back. Oh? Oi, look at that. It says coffee

What? Is this the shop that the Demon Lord opened? Iwamoto-kun said the Demon Lord let him drink coffee after all

Its been a while so I really want to drink one black

Me too. Its been almost thirty years since I last had one

Enomoto-san, you drink coffee? I was sure you were in the tea group

You idiot. Back in my day, I would take women out to a cafe whether or not they drank the stuff

Youre surprisingly trendy, huh?

I also drank a lot of the stuff before I came here. I dont even remember when I started to drink it

Hmm. I cant resist this smell. Im going in by myself

Im going as well

Me too

With that said, the three of them entered the shop.

Welcome. Go ahead and take one of the vacant seats

Hearing that, the three of them got seated.

I didnt expect it to actually have a coffee shop vibe to it. Their outfits even look similar to baristas. There was a doorbell as well

Its a nice place. Now, theres almost no doubt that this guys Japanese

How nostalgic. This place makes me feel like ladies wearing furisode or hakama would come out

The menu only consists of coffee and the daily set though. Theres also an option to add this Beryl Sake but thats pretty much it

Coffee is good enough for me

Me too

Excuse me. Well have two coffee and one set with the Beryl Sake

Certainly. Coming right up

The barista replied right away after receiving their order.

Look. They dont have a grinder so hes using a stone mill

Coarse ground huh?

I see that they scoop up the powder with a spoon to a container, add water, then heat it

Turkish coffee? Was there a Turkish hero?

Theres no one like that right

Thank you for waiting

A woman wearing the same clothes as the barista served them their coffee.

Ahh, its the long-awaited black coffee

Im excited about this as well. I only drank the instant ones though

Now that I think about it, I dont know how I managed to stand drinking such bitter stuff

Thats true. Still, this liquor It must be really strong if youre going to put it in coffee so this must have come from a distiller

Yeah. Aida, why dont you try it out?

The man called Aida dipped his pinky on the container then put it on his tongue to try the taste.

Its pretty strong. It has the scent of the barrel so it must have been stored without being diluted. Also, since it already has the barrels scent, it was probably aged for at least 1 to 3 years

Its definitely too strong. It could have been prevented if he had a mixologist but he must have produced this with just half-baked knowledge. Hes probably just an amateur when it comes to liquor. Im not saying Im an expert though

Its fine as long as it can get you drunk. Anyway, its starting to get crowded here. Its going to be a pain so lets go

I agree. Lets go look for a merchant ship that we can ask to take us to that island

Im going to keep coming back here until we find one. Oh coffee, my coffee

Youre definitely at the level of a caffeine addict

Hes the same as a guy who just cant stop drinking or smoking. If it werent for coffee, youd be cured, you pathetic bastard

While saying that, the three of them exited the shop.

Idle Talk

Coffee Junky

You see those black-haired men? Those guys are heroes right?

I think so. They look like adventurers but the only one that has anything resembling a weapon is that old guy with gray hair

I wonder if we should let Caam-san know

We should. Lets tell him next time he comes

Opening up shop

A cup of coffee please

10 oclock

A cup of coffee please

Just past noon

A cup of coffee, please. Ill pass on sugar and milk

3 oclock

Give me the same as earlier

Closing time

Ill have the usual. Ill also get a bag of beans to go

That old hero drank a lot today. Was he just scouting the place or did he just like the drink that much? He even drank it without sugar and milk

I think he just loved it

Again after several days during opening time

Ill have the usual

He probably just likes coffee

I agree

Authors (random) note:

If you ask this author what things he cant live without, milk and alcohol would be the answer.

Alcohol to a lesser extent since I just like to indulge in a small amount of it whenever I have some.

Milk, however, is a different story. Even my normally mild-mannered self becomes very very irritable.

The most difficult times were during school trips where they didnt serve any milk. I had to stock up during free time.

I had to get the milk set from a certain burger place and was annoyed when I could get the milk for takeout from the donut shop. Well, I would also just buy milk from a convenience store and drink it on the way home on the bus.