Chapter 54: Might Bee Cruel

Miku and Xani flew into the room as the girls were messaging my aching body. Lesson learned, but now I want to see the rest of the place.

This room, my room, I guess, was vast and open, with eight other beds surrounding my massive big one. I guess there was limited space for sleepovers, but there was always lots of room for expansion in the future.

"So, how are things going with pops and Aunty Weasel?" I asked as the girls appeared. "Hey! How did you both get here?"

"I can hide in Xani's shadow, and then when she turns to wind, I go with her to where she makes another shadow. The size of the shadow doesn't matter; I just have to be able to touch it! I can make her shadow pinch her bottom!" Miku said, grinning devilishly at Xani, who put her hands up defensively with a glare.

"I dare you to try! There will be no shadows to catch you this time! Even the floor glows!" Xani warned.

"Girls, enough, let's go take a look above. There is another hole where we came up, I had been distracted by the bed, and then I was injured by it. So, now let's go take a look up top, then we can start figuring out what our next step is," I said to everyone, and they all nodded to me.

The girls had calmed back down, and Xani cupped her hands together, and Miku stuck her hand into it and disappeared. That was a more than helpful trick paired with Xani's Windform.

Xani faded and blew away, and the three of us lifted off the bed and floated over to the next hole in the roof. We found that it was the top-level when we got there, but it was a split between a spaceship and a Laboratory filled with different testing equipment.

Xani and Miku appeared, but Xani was squealing in excitement as she ran around the room, looking at all the new stuff. Most of the things she had more than likely seen before, but I was in the same boat.

"Look at all this… stuff!" That was all Xani could say as she appeared and disappeared to everything in the room.

I was walking up to an oversized chair with an open lower back and other weird shapes. It was in the center of the room and the most prominent chair, so I figured that I would give it a try.

I walked up, turning, then slowly lowering myself into the chair, watching my tail, but it slid in without a problem. I let myself settle in, and wow, it was like it was made just for my body.

[Royal Hive Flying Fortress] Activated!

[Menu Options]

<Summon Map>

<Select flight path>

<Activate Lab>

<Current Hive Tasks>

<Hive Upgrades>

[Total Hex Points] 1

[Total Hive Points] 2

The first thing I did was activate the Lab, and there was a whirl of noises and squeaks from machines and Xani. Something was happening back there, but I was busy with my own fun.

The next thing on the list was the upgrades, so I selected the next option after returning to the menu. Only three selections showed, but it did also say that they were level one choices.

[Hive Nursery] Create a Royal Nursery to birth, raise, and feed Royal Children.

[Hive Speed] Increase the movement speed of Royal Hive Flying Fortress.

[Hive Defense] Increase Defensive Shielding for Royal Hive Flying Fortress.

"Council of Royal Bee Wives assemble!" I called out with joy.

I wasn't about to start picking things without talking to the women first. We would be stronger if we all made choices as a team, but I was really going to be pushing the defensive upgrade.

"You called your highness!" Miasma said with glee as she hopped into my lap, wrapping her arms around me.

"Can you all see the options in front of me?" I asked the other girls that gathered around me, and they nodded. "Good, can any of you make any suggestions? I personally think that Hive Defense is going to be our best choice, but I wanted to hear your opinions on the matter."

"That sounds like the best choice so far; there is no real reason for you to have a nursery yet. I also think that prioritizing defense over speed is a good idea," Messia said, and the twins nodded in agreement.

"Okay, I will do that, but what do you think we should do first? Deal with the skunks? Speaking of that, Xani, do you think there is anything that we can test Miasma's spray with now?" I asked.

"I will have to check, but I am sure there will be something, but I will need to get a sample of it from her," Xani explained.

"Do you need to spray yet? Or how does that work? Bee-fore you had to spray it out after a certain amount of time? I don't think I have really ever asked you about this," I said to Miasma, who was in my arms.

"Yes, I did need to empty my spray gland, but now I don't seem to produce any more than my body can handle," Messia told me, and that made my day.

"So you're telling me that I can turn your village all into subjects, and they will never have to spray again if they don't want to? Do you think your people will want this?" I asked in hopeful excitement, and Miasma got an evil grin on her face.

"Oh, they are going to like it, and if they don't, I am sure that Tag and Sig, along with the girls, will help convince them that they don't want to argue this. This might Bee cruel, but we have already done enough damage, and now it is time to pay the price. Honestly, I don't think that it will be a problem; even my uncle isn't that stupid," Miasma said with a smile, and then she gave me a kiss.