Chapter 118

Haven’t we all heard whispers of the gargantuan killer hornets? Is this what they feel like in person?

Every time they flap their wings, that ominous “Bzzzrrr” sound pierces my ears. If it were up to me, I’d set them ablaze right now, but for King Makai’s sake, I’ll hold back… just a little.

From what I’ve gathered, using these bees seems to be some sort of secret weapon.

If I torch them out of spite right now, wouldn’t that just cause unnecessary trouble for everyone else?

“These creatures are known as Killer Hornets. Their tails carry venomous stingers, and their scythe-like front claws can easily slice through skin.”

Killer Hornets—monsters that live up to their name.

“They’re sensitive to unfamiliar scents, so they’ll become highly defensive if strangers approach. However, if they recognize my scent first, they won’t attack recklessly. Let me go ahead.”

With that, King Makai lowered his body slightly and approached the tent with caution.

Uh… the king himself is handling such dangerous work? Was there really no one else he could delegate this to?

Glancing around, I noticed the guards standing nearby sighing heavily. Hmm… seems like this kind of behavior from the king isn’t exactly rare.

“The king moves with incredible familiarity. Despite the large bees buzzing menacingly nearby, he advances boldly.”

Just as the hero said, King Makai approaches the beehive tent like it’s second nature.

The bees respond by extending their scythe-like front claws and tail stingers, entering full combat readiness.

They seem ready to strike at any moment…

But after King Makai stands near the tent entrance for a while and then turns back, the bees’ aggressive buzzing gradually calms down.

“This is death-defying stuff. Even if you had multiple lives, this would still be risky.”

“Of course! It’s inherently dangerous to rely on monsters like these. Risk is inevitable.”

A regular bee sting might only hurt a bit, but these massive ones? Their claw-like front legs could probably shred muscle apart!

Considering that, King Makai must have several lives to spare given how fearless he is.

“Since I’ve introduced my scent, others should be able to approach without being attacked immediately.”

“Do we really need to see it?”

At this point, I’ve already seen enough to satisfy my curiosity.

“They may look fierce, but once you get to know them, they’re actually quite tame. They even join us in our nomadic lifestyle!”

“Bees living a nomadic life?”

Bees that normally build hives staying put suddenly going nomadic? This doesn’t make sense according to what I know…

Anyway, let’s head over to meet the Killer Queen.

“So the queen of the Killer Hornets is called the Killer Queen?”

For a moment, an image of a pink cat monster who sings beautifully flashed through my mind—but that’s irrelevant.

Cough. Moving on…

“Alright, this way please.”

King Makai stepped forward, gently lifting the tent flap and entering first.

Following him were the hero, and finally, myself. The result?

“Hoooly…”

Inside, a massive wooden box buzzed with activity as countless Killer Hornets flew in and out.

Wait, upon closer inspection, there are wheels attached to the bottom of the box. What is this contraption?

“So it’s not loaded onto carts or anything?”

“How would we load something this big onto a cart? It’s simpler to attach wheels from the start.”

True, very true. Without cranes or heavy machinery, how could anyone possibly lift such a huge container onto a cart? Unless, of course, giants exist—and even then, considering the swarming bees inside, it’d still be tricky.

“As the hive grew larger, we thought long and hard about solutions before deciding to simply add wheels to the structure itself.”

Behold—the world’s first RV!

“Not the time for that.”

Approaching the large wooden box, the king tapped its corner lightly with his finger.

“Are you trying to provoke the bees?”

“Not provoking them, merely calling a friend inside.”

As he spoke, a much larger bee emerged, emitting a soft hum.

Is this the Killer Queen? Hmm… why does she lack wings?

“Doesn’t she have wings?”

“No, her wings are intact. Only this one is like this.”

The king examined the queen closely, noting her antennae twitching as she sniffed the air, before smiling faintly.

“Good, she appears healthy. Alright…”

From a pouch at his waist, the king retrieved something and handed it to the Killer Queen.

“What’s that?”

“A snack made from honey and flour. She absolutely loves it.”

True enough, the Killer Queen devoured the sweet treat with gusto. Ah, the taste of snacks crafted from your own stolen honey! Sweetness galore!

Perhaps this is a mutually beneficial relationship after all.

“But how did you end up forming such a bond with these monsters?”

“Such a bond…”

I heard a brief lament from the hero standing behind me, but I ignored it. What I want to know is the method used to tame these beasts!

“Luck, mostly.”

“Luck?”

I shot King Makai a skeptical glance.

“No matter how skeptical you look, it truly was luck.”

The king now held the Killer Queen gently on his hand.

Hmm. Even though he claims they’re friendly, these are still monsters… Is this really safe?

“It happened years ago. We were moving livestock to new grazing grounds when we encountered her.”

The king’s eyes softened wistfully, reminiscing. Stop it! No flashbacks allowed unless you’re the main character!

“Cut to the chase. Be brief.”

Stories dragging on too long aren’t good. Time to wrap it up.

What exactly are you skipping over?

I tilted my head curiously but ultimately couldn’t figure it out. Hmm… maybe some strange signal from another dimension interfered? Minor details, minor details.

“To summarize… I found a Killer Queen with torn wings, brought her home, confined her, and fed her plenty of white liquid until she became docile. Of course, before she was fully tamed, she was rather feisty and even bit my fingers.”

The king paused to show the scars left on his hands.

Don’t stop mid-sentence—it sounds like cursing! Though here, it lacks the intended meaning.

“Anyway, after helping her build a nest despite her missing wings, I managed to tame her.”

Eh… seriously tamed a monster? How? Aren’t most monsters corrupted by dark influences?

Was I wrong, or is this an exceptional case?

“This might be an exception, but interestingly, her offspring inherited similar traits.”

“Her offspring?”

“Yes. Believe it or not, this queen has sent many daughter queens off to start their own colonies.”

The king grinned proudly as if he personally accomplished all of this.

“Apparently, the newly born Killer Queens resemble her greatly—they don’t attack unless provoked first.”

Isn’t that successful breeding? Less aggressive bee-shaped monsters…

“Still, their front claws and venomous stingers remain deadly. Especially the venom—if not properly treated, it can kill within a day.”

Despite his calm demeanor, that sounds incredibly dangerous…

Is this really okay? The king fraternizing with poison-wielding monsters?? Is it really okay???

—

A couple managed to survive thanks to the fruits dug up by their loyal dog from beneath the earth.

Delicious whether boiled or roasted with butter, these underground fruits required only careful handling of the toxic sprouts. They decided to call them potatoes.

“Bark!”

“Thank you indeed.”

From that day forward, the dog continued bringing various treasures—sometimes sweet fruits, other times chunks of solidified salt.

One day, the dog returned carrying something unusual.

“My goodness, what is this?”

“Keeeeyyyy…”

It was a giant bee, battered and bruised from people defending themselves against its dangerous sting.

“Bark! Bark!”

The dog seemed to plead earnestly for help.

“Doggy, this bee is dangerous. Are you sure you want to help it?”

“Bark!”

And so, the couple decided to assist the perilous insect.

— A classic fairy tale: The Grateful Dog.