One day, she awoke from her sleep, a strange feeling in her gut telling her that something different will happen. Something she knew would have probably happened sooner or later, but she hoped that it won't be as terrible as what she thought it can become.
The familiar buzzing of her servants didn't catch her attention, as it was the same as always. They had nothing new to state beyond how some of the weaker Worker Bees had died in an unexpected fight against a Blaze Bear, and despite her annoyance, she didn't react in any way more than her gigantic wings buzzing a bit louder as she flew around, her bodyguards following her.
Silver-ranked, Level 3, as they are, her Protector Bees didn't admittedly have a lot to do, since they were mostly her bodyguards, and their job simply required that they can protect her and report on what the newborn Worker Bees were doing from time to time. And as tragic the death of some of the newer bees she had gave birth to, it was simply the way of life, and while even a single death wasn't preferred, she knew that sometimes things are fated to be.
The Queen Bee, absolutely gigantic in size compared to any bee, easily reaching two meters in size, moved as she marched through her colony. Her home.
Her head was as big as a human's, antenna twitching every few seconds as she caught the sound of buzzing of her loyal minions working. Her thorax was as nearly twice as long, colored golden, and an abdomen so large it composed more than half her body, ending with one mean stinger that could kill weaker beasts and those human-like beings with just one hit, and poison if they were lucky enough to survive.
And above her head, a golden halo glowed brightly, making it visible to the world just what she was; a King Beast. A Gold-ranked Level 6 Queen Bee, one that even Rankers reaching Level 6 [Elder] and Level 7 [Overlord] would drool and would love to pay anything including giving their newborn daughters to nobodies, all to make the queen of bees their beast if only for bragging rights.
Even so, despite her power in this middle of nowhere place of this fragile forest, the queen of bees had not really wanted to stay in this place where prey were so extremely weak and untasty, and lack the unique nourishment she would have preferred, if not for these monsters. These disgusting, vile beings that wanted to force her to make a contract with her.
Humans, they apparently were called as a race. People that nearly reached her in height, and demanded nothing but complete obedience from her; two monsterously powerful humans leading them, with books that seemed magically capable of summoning, and beasts that were too varied and powerful for her and her army of bees numbering thousands to defeat.
Not being overrun by the sheer numbers of her kingdom as hundreds of her Normal and Bronze-ranked soldiers died, not caring about the stings of even her Silver-ranked Protector Bees, and not dying from her poison, as the humans slashed and punched at her and her kingdom, ripping away the cores and stingers from the corpses of her fallen army right in front of her.
The enemy took heavy losses, as dozens of their beasts were killed without mercy, nearly ten of the humans dead, leaving barely four, with two of them barely surviving while the other two were slowed down so severely with the poison and their injuries that she could actually escape from these monsters that destroyed everything she knew and nearly crippled her body, their desire to contract her being the only thing that allowed her to survive with very severe, yet non-crippling injuries.
To think that she had to trick one of these weaker human beings to make contract with her to survive, to be able to heal before ditching that fool when he was by sheer luck exploring the forest she was currently in due to a quest he was tasked to make, and finishing the fool when he summoned her to kill some weak bear, before deciding to restart her kingdom.
Scars weren't thing she expected to get, but here she was, her abdomen, along the yellow and black stripes, showing a prominent scar that kept going until it nearly reached her thorax.
It was a fine price for survival, in her opinion. Her kingdom was not a fine price though. Not by a long shot.
But that was in the past, or at least that's what she was trying to tell herself.
As she flew, her colony hadn't even moved from what they were doing, knowing full well that as long as their queen did not ask for them to stop working, then they would continue doing so until their reserves were too low, where others would take their places while the tired ones recuperate.
It was a shame that her current resources were too little for her to rebuild her kingdom to what it once was, otherwise this hive would have had a dozen or so of Silver-ranked Protector Bees instead of merely five, and she would have had nearly triple that for Bronze-ranked Level 2 Drone Bees, and hundreds of Worker Bees instead of merely sixty or so.
Lamenting her situation in her heart, she continued her flight as she inspected the members as they followed their orders without hesitance, only buzzing to ask when help is needed, or the rare moment she moved to personally speak to them.
Honestly, the day felt rather normal, really, and she didn't see how it would cause any changes in her routine.
Until a bunch of Worker Bees returned.
She didn't expect something truly powerful, nor something unique. Just maybe some honey from the weaker (and mindless) bee colonies or maybe some weak prey or plants to help her produce more soldiers and inhabitants.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Then she smelled what the group had. The sweet scent practically flowing in the air and she could feel that her minions, hard working and dutiful, were doing their best not to leave their work to glimpse at the heaven-made golden nectar she saw her obedient Worker Bees holding.
Even she herself couldn't resist the curiosity in her mind and how her taste buds wanted to see how delicious these nectars are.
Despite her inability to actually speak, she was able to order the Worker Bees to bring the nectars into her domain, without any need to even use the mental link that she has with all her bee subordinates and children.
'Bring that to my domain and tell me where you got it.' Only her buzzing was heard, and they obeyed.
And then she got to hear the most bizarre story in her opinion.
A Thorny Alraune? The Queen Bee almost titled her head from confusion.
What kind of beast is that? She didn't really see one with the same descriptions at all! And not only that, but apparently her upper half was looking "human" while the lower one looked like a giant monster plant?
The "human" part made her worried. What if that monster was actually a human disguising itself as a beast to harm her? Ruin her hive, her home, once more? That wasn't something she'd want to happen.
But the Worker Bees made it clear that the Alraune was only a beast, a Normal-ranked Level 1 at that.
That was a slightly relaxing news, as it meant that this beast wasn't one that could harm her... yet.
Still, even she understood how the Alraune's nectar would be highly helpful. With just consuming a mere small cup's worth by human standards, she felt that she can make twice the amount of honey she usually can on a daily basis! And it even restores some stamina!
True, the amount restored is rather insignificant to her, but to her servants? The weaker ones would be filled with enough energy to fly for ten times longer than they did before!
Even if this was just the Thorny Alraune being terrified of her life and making only a bargain, that would be fine to have a constant supply of this material, and if the Queen Bee refined and processed it carefully, she could even use it to reproduce more Bronze and Silver-ranked soldiers more often.
Yes, this Alraune might be a good subordinate, if she was willing, or a partner if that was more preferred if she could give this treasure constantly.
But, even so, the Queen Bee didn't want to trust blindly as that is the biggest of follies. Instead, she decided to see if this Thorny Alraune was truly honest as she sent the same Worker Bees to test this new variable.
A simple mission: as the next day begins, her bees will capture a bunch of weak beasts to give to the Alraune, but not to deliver it right away, and instead bother the Alraune in the morning by waking her up.
If she lashed right away and killed the Worker Bees, then it wasn't a good choice to hope for an equal cooperation, and the Alraune would either be ignored or killed since the beast was too stupid to think or plan ahead.
If she killed the bees after noticing the prepared 'offering', then she is capable of thinking, but is blatantly traitorous and must either be killed or kept on a very short leash if the Queen Bee decided to work with her.
The Queen Bee didn't expect the bees to return not only unharmed, but also given nectars as the previous day. If anything, the nectars were even more potent with strong healing proprieties! This would be great for emergiencies!
"Thanks for the meal!" the Alraune apparently told them, and with a smile on her face! Maybe this one is smarter than the queen of bees gave credit for.
Maybe she should try contacting this Thorny Alraune?
And so, a few days passed.
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The evolution of the Thorny Alraune wasn't something she had expected.
Certainly, it wasn't a big concern, but it still worried the Queen Bee.
While she was a Gold-ranked beast, and a Golden King one at that, it concerned her how easily the Alraune had evolved.
A bigger concern is that the Thorny Alraune can cultivate. A trait the queen of bees knew to be a skill that only humans and their likes can manage, yet this Normal-ranked, now Bronze-ranked beast can do it.
It was something beyond absurd! Even the queen of bees herself couldn't cultivate (admittedly due to not knowing how), so seeing that weak plant-type beast being able to cultivate, something that apparently only Holy Beasts and higher beasts can do, was honestly rather jealousy-inducing.
If she was able to cultivate, or knew how, she might have not lost her previous kingdom! Alas, it seems that luck is such a fickle thing, and the Queen Bee decided to keep observing.
Surprisingly, the Alraune, despite having enough power to easily kill her Bronze-ranked Level 5 Fighter Bees, still treated the Worker Bees with casual friendliness and kept giving the nectars, some filled with potent healing prowess, and no disrespect except for what is apparently an act of teasing.
The Alraune, changing her locations ringed alarm bells in the Queen Bee's head, but it seemed like the Alraune didn't actually plan to harm her at all. Even after evolving into a Silver-ranked Large Rainblossom Alraune, she still acted nicely to the Worker Bees, giving them double the treats of nectars at times.
The Queen Bee was impressed. Very much so, and she genuinely pondered if making an alliance at the very least would be the better option. Just a week after she found about the Alraune and she had gained so many benefits! Maybe she would have to see her face-to-face!
But, would that be good? That was the only thing worrying about it. What if her trust was misplaced? Would it be fine to rush and choose rapidly?
Then again, time waits for no one, as one day, a Worker Bee returned rather panicked.
Humans. Humans appeared and killed some of her minions that were accompanying the Alraune.
The Alraune defeated them singe-handedly, and in fact, they were so easily defeated, from the Worker Bee's viewpoint that it felt like she was hearing a legend.
If even she, the Queen Bee had to retreat against the human enemies, yet the Alraune won on her own, then that meant that either the humans and their beasts were so weak they would probably lose against her Silver-ranked Protector Bees, or that the Alraune was much stronger than even her to be able to defeat humans so easily, with only a few injuries.
And once again, while picking the first choice would be more convenient, she preferred to think of the worst first, thus she raised her impression of the Alraune, now apparently calling herself Kasumi Ai, to be magnitudes stronger, just in case.
Hours later, another one of her low-ranked minions came, and telling her that Kasumi Ai will come both to give her a gift in the form of a human she captured, and to also see the queen for the first time.
Had she not been as dignified and composed as she is, she would have sweated like a human at these news.
A being that seemed to ignore the natural order was now planning to visit her, and rather urgently at that.
This could be either a blessing, or a curse, but if there's one thing she knows, it's that at times you can only go with the flow and see where that leads, even if she didn't like that advice herself.
But, no chance better than the present to see if this Kasumi Ai would be a great boon, or a calamity she would have to eliminate...