A Beekeeper in a Magical World

Chapter 83: Three Customers

The bottling of honey was done. A total of 613 bottles of Thunder Flower Honey had been harvested. This honey was valuable, not just for selling but also for maintaining ample stock for personal use.

The Thunder Flower field couldn't remain idle. Hua Mi planned seamless continuity, intending to clear out the first batch of flower remnants without honey and continue planting the second batch of Thunder Flowers. The seeds were readily available.

Currently in the icy season, though the temperature had dropped further, with proper greenhouse simulation of suitable temperature, humidity, light conditions, and magical catalysts, there shouldn't be any issues.

As a beekeeper from Huayu Town, he was well-versed in controlling flowering periods from his upbringing.

After observing and recording the growth of the first batch of Thunder Flowers, he was confident the second batch would grow as well under controlled conditions, maybe even better.

Speaking of which, Alyss had moved to the Black Forest. This architect had unwavering belief in Feng Shui theories, choosing to keep her house in its original location. Whether it was superstition or not remained uncertain.

As for her reason to come here, she claimed the need for a secluded place to delve into architectural design and spatial magic.

The Black Forest, once a land of adventure, was now merely a two-star area with fewer magical elements due to adventurers hunting and exterminating many magical creatures. It could indeed be called a "remote place."

However, perhaps the lost magical elements of the Black Forest would one day be replenished by him—the Bee Whisperer of the Black Forest and the Swordbearer of Brass City—leading the little bees to restore the forest's former glory.

Furthermore, Hua Mi had some new ideas for the greenhouse, making the nurturing process more convenient and faster. Whether they could be realized remained uncertain since he was a complete novice with only preliminary concepts and no understanding of principles. He might end up asking the wondrous Alyss if she could accomplish it.

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One day, Hua Mi sat by the window, flipping through his notes. As he absentmindedly glanced up, he spotted two figures heading their way.

Setting the notes aside, Hua Mi watched the approaching pair. One was robust, with a full beard and wielding a somewhat worn battle-axe—though not rusty, it had nicks on the blade. The other was slender, with a lean face, carrying a wooden shield and an iron sword.

Their attire wasn't sophisticated—mostly patched cotton robes with added metal plates around the chest, knees, and elbows—looking utterly vulnerable.

"Seems like newcomers from the beginner's village," Hua Mi mused. Labeling them adventurers seemed an overstatement; they were likely commoners trying their luck in the Black Forest.

"Huh, a shop here? Who'd open a store in this kind of place? Must have a screw loose!" the bearded man exclaimed, sounding crude but without apparent insult, probably just plain-speaking, lacking malicious intent.

The slender one speculated, "Maybe they couldn't afford the rent in town, so they set up here."

Pointing at the signboard, the bearded man asked, "What does that say?"

"Something... something... Little Hut. The front characters aren't in human language," the slender one replied, frowning at the wooden sign.

Approaching and noticing the price list on the wall, the bearded man exclaimed again, "Goodness, are you crazy? What in the world could cost 20 gold coins!"

The slender one also gasped, then walked to the window, glanced at the shelves, shook his head, refraining from asking about those pricey magic potions—Thunder Flower Honey for 20 coins or Moon Slumber Honey for 4 coins—clearly beyond their affordability.

"Only three items? Don't you have anything cheaper?" the bearded man asked, unable to hold back.

Hua Mi, donning a hood, hands crossed under his chin, maintaining the mystique of a merchant, directed a group of bees in mid-air to form a message: "Yes, tap water, free."

The two fell into silence. After a moment, the bearded man requested, "A cup of tap water."

Hua Mi controlled the bees to deliver a cup of water to him. The bearded man drank it all in one go, genuinely thirsty.

"Boss, quick question, anything fishy happening in the Black Forest lately?" he inquired.

Hua Mi found the term 'fishy' vague. If it meant poisonous things, the Black Forest was teeming with them.

"There's this girl in our town; after she visited the forest, she changed drastically, acting all strange, holed up in her basement researching alchemy, creating a fuss. Folks say she got bewitched by something dirty in the forest," the bearded man continued.

"Ah, that girl he's talking about, is it Hilia?" Hua Mi thought. She was a rare alchemy prodigy, and he was still waiting to see what she'd create with unicorn horn powder. Yet, in their mouths, she turned into a girl bewitched by 'dirty things.' Ignorant bunch.

"Also, something weirder happened a few days ago. A lad from our town fell ill and 'died,' but during the burial, he suddenly came back to life, scaring everyone around..."

Hua Mi didn't find it strange; the lad might have experienced a false death—his vital signs lowered significantly, resembling a coma, reviving during the funeral. Similar cases were recorded in history, especially in less developed medical conditions.

"But though the lad is alive, seems like his soul hasn't fully returned. He's listless, muttering about coming to the Black Forest. His family locked him up, but he keeps staring towards the forest direction, spooky."

"To me, something's not right in the Black Forest—maybe it's a curse or demons. Blackstone Town is too close, so..." The bearded man was animatedly discussing when a magic carpet descended abruptly.

A man in exquisite attire stepped off, neatly combed black hair, exuding an air of refinement. He swiftly stowed the carpet into a portable spatial device and headed straight for the window.

Though not tall, the man had a commanding presence. The bearded man and his companion instinctively made way for him.

Standing at the window, his piercing azure eyes fixed on Hua Mi, the man queried, "You're the Bee Whisperer of the Black Forest, the alchemist claiming to brew magic potions without side effects or toxin accumulation?"

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