Amelia the Level Zero Hero

Chapter 124

I left Nolan, Nicole, and Noele behind as I went outside to check on the bastion bees. Bucky followed me as I exited the restaurant. The hive stood right next to the small building, fully completed ever since a week ago.

Right now, the bastion bees were probably focusing on raising their young. I didn’t think that the eggs they’d brought with them had hatched just yet. So they kept to themselves, only coming out when they were in need of nectar.

They hardly even made a sound right now. I couldn’t hear their buzzing over the muffled clamor of the crowd inside. It was already late, and we were going to be closing soon for the night. That was why we were reducing capacity— hence the tables and chairs that had been set out here had been brought back inside.

It was a good thing that the bastion bees have been mostly inactive so far. They were… a bit of a repellant to customers as of right now. Maybe the people of Wolfwater— and the travelers who visited the large village— would warm up to the idea of these sacred monsters over time.

Certainly, after that brief commotion on the first day, the people of Wolfwater no longer bore animosity towards the bastion bees. But that didn’t mean that they could get over their fear of the sacred monsters. They, of course, terrified.

Most of my customers were afraid to even get close to the hive. Many of them insisted on waiting to sit indoors even when they could get an outdoor seat at that moment. Funnily enough, it was mostly the children who were least afraid of the bastion bees. So during the day, the front of my restaurant would be filled with parents sitting down and eating as their kids ran around outside and having fun.

I considered building a playground— or something of the sort just to entertain the kids so that their parents would be forced to come back— but that was in the future. Once the hive was better settled, and the bastion bees were acclimated to their new home, I could carry out my future plans.

Right now, I just needed to check on the honey production of the bastion bees. I peered into the hexagonal entrance, seeing the luminescent green glow coming from the inside. But it wasn’t a lot. Not enough to harvest just yet.

The bastion bees buzzed inside of the hive as I leaned in. I watched as the nursing bee flitted out towards the entrance to greet me. Her bulbous red eyes peered curiously my way, and I shook my head.

“How’s everything? All good?” I asked.

And the nursing bee’s antennae twitched in response. I wasn’t a [Druid], but I could tell that that was a twitch of affirmation. I nodded back at her as I smiled.

“That’s good to hear.” I glanced towards a sack of eggs lying at the center of the hive. “And what about them? Are they gonna hatch soon?”

The nursing bee didn’t visibly react. She just looked back silently as she floated before me. If I had to guess, she was completely clueless as to when her new queen would be born. She only turned to face me once again when she heard a cluck coming from my side.

The both of us looked down to see Bucky standing right next to me. The chicken hopped up onto the entrance of the hive, bobbing her head at the nursing bee.

“Bawk bawk!” she said.

“Bzzz… bzzzzzz…” the nursing bee replied.

“Bawk?” Bucky asked.

“Bzzzzzzz.” The nursing bee drew back.

“Please speak English,” I said. They both glared at me, and I scoffed. “It was a joke. I don’t think anyone in this world even speaks English.”

Bucky waddled forward as the nursing bee led her further into the hive. Unlike my customers— and even some of my employees— the chicken wasn’t afraid of the bastion bees in the slightest. In fact, they even befriended each other somehow.

For the bastion bees, it was probably because Bucky was an animal. There had been plenty of animals and monsters back in the Vox Forest, so to them, she was something familiar in this unfamiliar place of humans.

As for Bucky, she probably just wanted to eat their honey.

I watched as the chicken strode into the hive and happily munched on the green honey as the nursing bee just looked on. I rolled my eyes, waving a hand at them.

“I’m going to go back now,” I said as I took a step back. “Don’t let Bucky eat too much of your honey— she’s going to get fat.”

“Bawk?!” Bucky spun around and snarled at me.

I just grinned back at her. With that, I returned back to my restaurant.

—--

I returned to work, but it was already getting late. So after an hour, most of the evening crowd began to leave, and we started to close up for the night. I stepped out of the kitchen, watching as the last of my customers finished their food as Harlan and Arthur cleaned up.

Guardian Angel Z357 was just standing silently at the entrance to the kitchen, and Xakor was doing the dishes. I greeted the leaving customers as I stood next to Noele’s table.

I turned to Nolan and Nicole as they got up to leave as well. “By the way, is Dorien back from the Vox Forest yet?”

“He is.” Nolan nodded with a smile. “He’s been planting those mailim bushes all around our farm— they’re growing quite quickly too thanks to our combined Skills.”

Nicole waved a hand dismissively at me. “And don’t worry about paying us for this. We’re doing you a favor, Amelia. After everything you’ve done for us.”

“Well, I can’t say I’ve done much for you… but thank you.” I gave them a grateful look.

Soon, I would be able to have a steady supply of malim juice for the restaurant. I could even use it in cocktails and whatnot if I really wanted. Right now, it was only in our special menu— meaning that there was a limited amount we could serve each day.

However, that would change once Nolan was able to grow enough malim fruits at his farm. Apparently, the malim bushes grew relatively fast, and compounded with both the Skills of a [Farmer] and a [Druid], I was pretty sure I was only a few weeks away from being able to serve those faux-soda drinks at my restaurant.

I watched as Nolan and Nicole took their leave. But Noele remained. She continued staring suspiciously at Guardian Angel Z357, and I rolled my eyes.

“Are you literally going to come here every day just so you can ogle at Z?” I said as I crossed my arms.

She glared at me. “I’m not ogling him— I don’t trust him. How could you let him continue working here at your restaurant after what happened?”

“Well…” I shrugged, gesturing vaguely at all my customers. “I like money.”

Noele scowled, and I shook my head.

“But also, I can keep a better eye on him here. We’ve already had this conversation, remember?” I said simply.

“It’s just…” The blonde girl pursed her lips. But she trailed off, not finishing her train of thought.

“Don’t worry about it,” I reassured her as I took a step forward. “Z isn’t going to try anything while I’m around.”

She knew that. But she still wore her apprehension on her face. I understood her concerns too. I was probably going to have to address the problem with Z soon enough. But for now, I just clapped my hands together as I called out to the remaining diners.

“Alright, finish your food everyone! We’re closing for the night!”

A susurration swept over the room as my last few customers hurriedly emptied their plates into their stomachs. I placed my hands on my hips, waiting expectantly. And as they finally began to take their leave as well, the door swung open.

And a cloaked figure stepped into the restaurant.

“Sorry, we’re closed—” I started as I turned to face the cloaked figure.

But then I paused. My eyes grew wide when I caught a glimpse of his face. He walked past the exiting customers as he lowered his hood, and I recognized him. Those pointed ears. The bow slung around his back. The wild look in his eyes. They were all too familiar.

Noele blinked as she stood up in her seat. She recognized him too. Of course she would. How could she forget him? How could I forget him? He wasn’t just memorable— he was… he was…

He was a major pain in the ass. I narrowed my eyes as I stared at the elf standing at the doorway. And he took a step forward.

“Jax?” I frowned, crossing my arms. “What are you doing here?”

“Amelia,” the Forsaken Archer greeted me as he held my gaze. “We need to talk.”