Chapter 156: Who Will Bee Chosen?

Chapter 156: Who Will Bee Chosen?

The next day, the bees told Belissar the First of the Fifth had reports to make during his morning briefing, so he moved over to her Bee Apartment first. He smiled as he saw the queen waiting for him at the entrance, along with one of her daughters and a worker.

“Hi there, First of the Fifth. I heard you wanted to show me something?”

She danced happily and then brushed antennae with her daughter. The smaller queen stepped forward carefully.

“H-Hello, King. Am First of the Fifth’s Third Daughter.”

Belissar gave her a nod and a smile.

“Hello, nice to meet you.”

Her dance picked up speed and she nearly tripped.

“N-Nice to meet! Have new bee!”

The worker with them flew forward. At first, Belissar though she looked like another medicinal worker...but on closer inspection, her color was a bit greener than normal. Belissar checked what the Tower had to say.

Antidote Monster Bee Worker

Vitality: Minimal

Strength: Minimal

Speed: Average

Magic: Minimal+

Defense: Minimal

Resistance: Minimal

Special: Minor

Notable Skills: Antidote Shot, Poison Sting, Brood Offspring, Brood Tender

Description: A monster bee worker raised on the nectar of healing herbs and the pollen of snakebane. It produces healing compounds specialized in neutralizing toxins and its stinger is optimized to deploy them. These changes make it poor, though not entirely incapable, at combat, though its venom is more potent than the base medicinal bee worker's.

Belissar’s smile grew.

“Excellent work, new bees are going to help out a lot.”

The Third Daughter and her worker broke out into a happy dance. The First of the Fifth then slowly stepped forward.

“King...have request.”

Belissar nodded.

“Sure, what is it?”

The First of the Fifth paused for a moment before beginning her next dance.

“Want...to give honey to karnuq, the dangerous one. Dangerous one helped figure out way to raise new bees, want to help in return.”

Belissar tilted his head. A dangerous karnuq...who helped figure out how to raise new bees? That had something to do with honey, he thought, so he figured there was only one karnuq who fit.

The two hunters both held her gaze and spoke in turn.

“I am.”

“I am.”

Chief Rohsuak nodded. She then pointed to the third tray of fire honey.

“The third tray shall be for the collective use of the clan. Juosiutik will take a quarter section of it to assess and determine its uses. Further allocations shall be decided by Leijaliuk.”

The honey herbalist and the quartermaster both nodded their heads, Juosiutik trying and failing not to look too excited. To be honest, Chief Rohsuak should have been the one with authority over the rest of the fire honey...but she did not trust herself. This was the delicious, delectable, and powerful mana honey, only now attributed with the same flames that stirred within her. It was only the need to raise new champions that kept her from sampling some as it was.

And then, finally, the last two. The Tower Keeper had offered them three more trays of honey for the sake of raising champions, hoping that it would encourage some of the karnuq to accept blessings from the God of Bees. A fair concern, since if Metsaitti passed the coming trial then both the chief and the lead hunter of the clan would be blessed by the God of Fire.

“The Tower Keeper would offer these to those who are willing to devote themselves fully to his patron, the God of Bees. The patron of our home, the one we shall rely upon most going forward. Who among you is willing to commit to her now?”

“I am.”

Chief Rohsuak made a slight smile as Noigakkuq stepped forward. Well, the girl was already committed to the God of Bees with a unique blessing no less, so she expected this much. Chief Rohsuak nodded and motioned to one of the trays, one full of purple honey.

“Be warned, this one is toxic. We have learned that at least one of the invaders survived a full day drenched in it, so most likely not lethal, but you will be ingesting it directly. Do not attempt to do so without informing us.”

“I will too.”

Chief Rohsuak turned to the next speaker and made a smile. Tyhgak had stepped forward.

“Are you certain? You are still young and have many options open? To commit now will mean to decline all other paths, including that of Fire.”

Tyhgak nodded, his gaze not wavering.

“I want to follow our Sacred...um, Tower Keeper?”

Chief Rohsuak nodded and pointed to the unattributed mana honeycomb.

“So be it. Tyhgak, you shall take this tray.”

After two trays had been claimed, a bunch of the karnuq all volunteered at once for the remaining one. Chief Rohsuak chuckled as she watched Juosiutik jump, the girl realizing she had missed her chance poring over the fire tray. But well, the Chief had other plans for this last tray.

“Laaniasiu, step forward.”

All eyes shifted to the karnuq man, the clan's doctor.

“This is medicinal mana honey, with healing properties. If you accept this, I want you to use it on yourself and not on your craft.”

Laaniasiu nodded.

“I will, Chief.”

Chief Rohsuak nodded and then turned to the rest of the clan, milling about and looking down at their feet.

“Don’t worry if you were not chosen today. This is our home now, we are here to stay. If you missed your chance today, then renew your efforts and seek your opportunity tomorrow. The Tower Keeper and his bees continue to grow and continue to make more and more honey. Let us grow with them.”

And so, five karnuq received full trays of mana-packed honey. Chief Rohsuak couldn’t wait to see what would result...