Arthur led the way down around the corner, into the shade of the hill. Thick bushes crawled in horizontal lines along the hillside. Red, ripe berries hung under dark green leaves. A sweet smell wafted their way.

A basket dropped into Gale’s hands. Beside him, Kino jumped and caught his basket out of the air. Arthur gave them both a little shove. “Go on. Have at it.”

Gale narrowed his eyes at Arthur suspiciously. There’s something fishy. I smell it.

“Berries, berries!” Kino rushed headlong into the bushes.

“Kino!” Gale shouted, racing after him.

Kino plucked a berry and tossed it into his mouth. A blissful smile passed over his face. As Gale approached, he peeked an eye open and grinned. “I got the first one!”

“Have fun, you two. Pick them quickly, and we’ll have that pie sooner than later,” Arthur said. He walked off.

“Bye!” Annette called, waving. She followed Arthur, picking up her skirts to jog as he stretched out his long legs. “Arthur, wait up!”

Gale narrowed his eyes at the two of them. Don’t you lay your hand on that young woman, you old bastard!

Arthur glanced over his shoulder and caught Gale’s glare. He rolled his eyes.

At his side, Annette gazed longingly up at him, eyes sparkly as a doe’s. Gale glanced at her and rolled his eyes back at Arthur.

Kino bounced ahead, nudging Gale out of the way. Knocked out of his impromptu staring contest, Gale glanced after him instead, then stepped into the berry patch proper.

Wind swayed through the tall bushes. Twine stretched between worn wooden stakes, supporting the berry bushes. Dark, bushy green leaves danced, revealing red berries or long red thorns.

Kino grabbed one and shoved it into his mouth, closing his eyes to savor the flavor.

“Is there really no catch?” Gale asked. Carefully, he picked one of the berries, looking it over. Pastel, slightly dusty red skin, and a plump, round body that gave slightly when he squeezed. He spat on it, then popped it into his mouth. His eyes widened. “Blueberry?”

“Nope. Redberries!” Kino replied.

Gale rolled the taste around in his mouth. “It does have some notes of strawberry. The sweetness of ripe blueberry, but undertones of strawberry… Not bad, not bad.”

“Strawberry? Berries grow on straw where you’re from?” Kino asked, curious.

“No, no. It has nothing to do with straw, it’s just the name of this red berry. Grows on this low, leafy plant… looks more like a weed, than anything,” Gale replied.

“Then why are they called strawberries?” Kino asked, tipping his head.

Gale opened his mouth, then shut it. He shrugged. “I dunno.”

“So much for the all-knowing Legendary Heroes,” Kino muttered, waggling his eyebrows at Gale. He bounded ahead, picking a few plump berries. The plumpest ones vanished into his mouth. A lucky few, too small to catch his immediate interest, made it past his gaping maw and into his basket.

“I never said I know all!” Gale protested. He reached out to the arm-level berries, only to find the branches already mostly picked. Hmm… I guess Arthur can reach this part of the bush. Makes sense. He crouched and began to pluck the lower berries, piling them into his basket.

Kino laughed. “Your ears are all red! You’re embarrassed!”

“They are not. They’re—” Gale stopped.

“What?” Kino asked.

Fierce buzzing filled the air, growing louder and louder. Gale searched around him, brows furrowed. “Do you hear that?”

Kino’s ears perked up, his cap twitching, and he stood on his tiptoes to look around. He nodded. “I hear it.”

The buzzing became a drone, low and loud. Yellow and black bodies swooped through the air, diving at them.

“Bees! Run!” Kino shouted. Abandoning his basket, he sprinted away, his hands over his head.

Gale hesitated. He furrowed his brows and held his ground. We did nothing to disturb the bees’ hive. Actually, I don’t see a hive at all. Bees don’t usually swarm like this. If I’m right…

“Gale!” Kino shouted. He doubled back, running for Gale.

“Hold on. I think… I think it’s fine!” Gale said.

The bees swooped at Gale, then darted away. They passed close by him, but none of them stung. Swooping around, they dove deep into the bushes, vanishing once more.

“Eh?” Kino asked, tipping his head.

Gale’s eyes lit up. “I watched all kinds of animal videos when I was slacking off and not doing homework in my original world… anyways. When bees swarm like that, it usually means they’re trying to find a new hive. They almost never sting when they’re like this.”

“Oh. So we don’t need to worry?” Kino asked.

“No, but… we shouldn’t let them settle in the bushes. Arthur will disturb them every time he goes to pluck berries, and that’s no good for anyone. We should relocate them,” Gale said, determined.

Kino hesitated. “Re…locate them?”

“Don’t worry. They won’t sting! Probably,” Gale said. He stared into the bushes and bit his lap, then shook his head. I don’t have an allergy to bees. At worst, it’s a little pain. I’ll be fine.

“Probably?”

Gale glanced at Kino, earnest. “You don’t—”

Kino smacked his shoulder. “Stop saying that! I’m here because I want to be. If I don’t want to do something, I won’t do it!”

A smile spread over Gale’s face. He punched Kino’s shoulder back. “Right!”

Gale turned and retreated. The buzzing sounded, but faint. It echoed, seeming to come from every direction at once. At the border of the bushes, he turned to Kino. “Can you hear the bees?”

Kino popped up on his tiptoes. His ears swiveled. He furrowed his brows, then glanced around. Moving quickly, he ripped the cap off his head. His ears sprung up to their full height. Kino listened intently, then slapped the cap back on. “This way.”

Kino took off at a run, bouncing across the ground as he always did. Gale chased after him, barely keeping up. At the third row, Kino swiveled and sprinted down the row. He stopped a quarter of the way down the row and pointed. “There.”

Gale drew up alongside him, panting. This close, he, too, could hear the buzz. He wiped his brow and edged forward toward the buzzing.

A dark clump of bees swarmed around the base of one of the bushes. They piled on top of one another, so thick Gale couldn’t see the trunk through the bees. He stared down at the bees, then took a deep breath. The moment of truth. Time to find out if bees operate the same in this world as in my world!

Gale knelt next to the bees. Their buzzing grew louder. His hands trembled. He clenched his hands into fists, then reached out delicately and scooped a handful of bees away.

The bees crawled over his hand. Feet prickled at his skin. Gale tensed, flinching with every step the bees took. He waited, expecting pain.

Nothing. Not a single stinger broke his flesh.

Gale beamed. He carefully set the handful of bees aside and scooped another, then another, setting the bees in his basket.

“Are you going to carry the bees away?” Kino asked, tipping his head.

“I’m looking for the queen. She’ll be a little bit bigger than the rest of them,” Gale said.

“You’re looking for one bee in all those bees?”

Gale bit his lip. “Yeah.”

Kino shook his head. “You’re crazy.”

“I’m the guy who’s going to gather the Legendary Heroes. I can’t give up just because the job is hard!” Gale declared.

Kino hummed in agreement.

Handful after handful of bees sunk into the basket. The basket filled, then overflowed. Bees swirled around the basket. They climbed in and out and flew in the air around the basket, circling between the basket and the bush. Gale’s brows furrowed. They keep going back to the bush!

Kino knelt beside Gale. He hesitated, then closed his eyes. His hands changed into furred paws. Carefully, he scooped a handful of bees away from the bush and put them in his basket. He nodded at Gale. “I’ll help.”

Gale met Kino’s eyes. He smiled. “Thanks.”

With the two of them scooping bees, the bush’s trunk began to appear. Still bees circulated between the baskets and the bush.

If they’re going back to the bush, that means the queen is still in there somewhere. Gale crawled forward carefully, mindful of the bees all around. He poked his head into the bush.

“Gale!” Kino called at a mock-shout, afraid to fully cry out.

“She’s in here somewhere,” Gale muttered, narrowing his eyes. He scanned up and down the bush. Ordinary bees scurried up and down, dancing along the trunk.

A flash of muted yellow and black, tucked deep in the bush in the crux between two branches, enlarged body dangling in the air. He smiled and reached out.

The queen buzzed fiercely, a warning cry. Instantly, all the bees leaped into the air.

“Gale, they’re getting ready to attack!” Kino cried.

She doesn’t want to be moved? Gale frowned. He leaned deeper into the berry bush.

Thorns scraped at his forehead and dug at his neck. One broke his skin. A drop of blood ran down his throat.

Ah, I’ve already spent the blood. Let’s try it! Gale reached out to the mana in the drop of blood, then toward the queen. Connect to her. I want to understand.

[Prerequisites Acquired] [Skill Unlock!]

Blood Resonance

Allows the user to resonate with the blood of another creature in order to read their mental state and emotions. Costs 50 mana.

Gale’s eyes widened. Fifty mana? Cancel, cancel—

A burning pain rushed through him, followed by icy cold. Gale slumped against the bush. Thorns dug into his skin. The queen buzzed again. All the bees rose up around him, ready to attack.

Gale shuddered. Fear pounded into him. His heart raced, anxiety pumping through his blood. Pain. Pain, all-encompassing pain, a clutching pain that paralyzed him. His breath came short. He clutched his throat, thirsty. Exhaustion wore at his mind, leaving him on edge.

“Are you okay?” Kino asked. He put his hand on Gale’s shoulder, ready to yank him out of the bush at a moment’s notice.

The sensations faded as suddenly as they’d come on. Gale blinked and frowned. That… what was that?

“Gale?” Kino asked.

“I… I’m fine,” he said. He looked at the queen. “Is that what you’re feeling?”

The queen regarded him. No longer fierce, she quieted her buzzing.

“Let me help you,” Gale said, stretching his hand toward her.

She tensed. Struggling, she began to buzz again. The bees rushed toward Gale.

Gale froze. He crouched there, hand held out, waiting. Still struggling, the queen buzzed louder. The bees closed in on him.

All at once, the queen fell silent. The bees halted, legs brushing Gale’s skin. She looked at Gale. Her dark eyes flickered with an alien intelligence, one that saw him as well as he saw her.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Gale promised.

The queen hesitated again, then bowed her head.

Taking it for acquiescence, Gale reached for the queen. Carefully, he grabbed the twig from either side and pulled the forked branch apart from itself. The queen popped free and tumbled toward the earth.

Gale reached out and caught her.

The second he touched her, the bees buzzed fiercely again, almost screaming. One landed on his face, scurrying toward his eye. Gale held completely still, the queen lying in his palm.

The queen crawled upright. Seeing the bee on his face, she buzzed. The bee halted, then lifted off Gale’s face. It circled around in the air, almost embarrassed, then dashed toward the queen. All around, bees flew toward Gale’s hand and the queen he held.

“I’m going to take you somewhere safe. Come with me,” Gale said.

The queen’s antennae twitched. She lowered her head again.

Gently, Gale closed his hand to protect her. He crawled backward out of the bush, then stood carefully. Kino hovered beside him. “Is it her? Do you have her?”

Gale nodded, holding up his fist.

Kino trembled, staring at his fist. His eyes widened. “Can I see her?”

Gale opened his fist just an inch. The queen stared up at him, twitching her antennae.

Kino stared in awe. “Wow.”

A second later, his face fell. “She looks like a normal bee. I thought she’d look more special.”

“What, like… have a crown, or something?” Gale teased.

“She is a queen! She should be… more impressive,” Kino said defensively.

Gale snorted. He shook his head at Kino.

“It’s possible! Monster queens are a thing, you know? Queens, Kings…” Kino said. His cheeks burned, red.

“Your face is all red. You’re embarrassed,” Gale pointed out, grinning.

“Shut up!” Kino said, blushing harder.

Still shaking his head, Gale carried the queen out of the berry bushes. The other bees streamed out of the baskets to follow him, chasing after him as twin streams of insects. He hurried down the hill toward a stand of trees, then loosed the queen on the tree’s trunk, as high as he could reach. “Go on. That’s a good place to grow a hive.”

The queen glanced at him, then scurried up the trunk. The other bees rushed to her side, swirling about wildly. Gale stepped back, letting them reunite with their queen.

“I’ll go check for birds,” Kino offered. Jumping into a nearby tree, he climbed it with shocking speed, darting between the two trees to burst higher into the canopy. Halfway up, his body shifted, undulating with fur. A bolt of brown and white vanished into the leaves.

“Hey! What are you doing?” Gale asked. The tree shook, and the bees buzzed louder, annoyed. Gale backed away another few steps, concerned.

Feathers filtered down. Crunching sounded from above. Kino swallowed loudly, then darted back down the trees to the ground, transforming as he leaped to the earth. Dreamily, he declared, “No more tasty—ahem, dangerous bee-eating birds.”

“You’ve got blood on your…” Gale gestured to his chin.

Kino swiped at his chin, then licked his hand. He held out his arms. “All good?”

Gale snorted. “Good enough.”

Quest Complete!

A Regal Home

Congratulations! You found the queen a better place to build her hive. +500 XP.

Level Up!

Lvl 2.

HP: 105/175

Mana: 105/175

Gale wrinkled his nose. All I got was more mana?

Well… no, that’s fair, actually. The only thing that matters for a Blood Mage is mana. Everything else changes depending on the body I possess.

I wonder… if my body can level independent of my level?

Gale frowned and punched his hand into his fist. “How would I even do that, though?”

“Do what?” Kino asked, tilting his head.

Gale waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Boys! I told you to pick the berries, not to play around in the trees!” Arthur bellowed from atop the hill.

Gale stuck his tongue out at Arthur. “We’re getting to it!”

Arthur harrumphed. “If you don’t hurry up, you’re going to miss out on pie. Miss Annette’s heading back soon!”

“Pie!” Eyes wide, Kino ducked his head and darted back to the berry bushes, leaving Gale in the dust. Carefully brushing the last of the bees out of his basket, he took to the bushes like a hurricane, tossing berry after berry into his basket.

Chuckling, Gale followed after Kino. He, too, plucked berries, though not as quickly as Kino. When Kino finished his picking, he circled back and joined Gale, helping to fill Gale’s basket.

Kino jiggled in place, too excited to stand still. “Pie pie pie pie…”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it,” Gale said. He twisted his hand, plucking a last few berries, then nodded. “Alright. It’s full!”

“Let’s go!” Kino shouted, excited. He bounded off, dropping berries behind him.

“Kino, your basket!” Gale shouted.

“Oh!” Kino slowed, clapping a hand over the basket. He barely managed to hustle along a few steps before he began to speed up again, hat perked atop his head where his ears stood on end, excited.

Annette stood outside the back of the farmhouse, hand draped over the empty bread basket. Kino raced at her and held out his basket. His eyes begged her to take the berries.

Laughing, Annette accepted the basket. “I’ll make a nice hot pie with these. You boys look forward to it!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Kino said, nodding.

Gale smiled and ducked his head, hiding his eyes. “Thank you, Miss Annette.”

She grinned and rubbed his hair through his hat. “You just look forward to that pie!”

“Yeah!” Gale said. He grabbed his hat and held it low, afraid his ears showed after her scruffing, equally afraid to check.

Arthur stood in the back door of the farmhouse, his arms crossed. He smiled at the boys and shook his head.

“Did we prove it yet? Anyone can work a farm!” Gale declared boldly.

“Not by half,” Arthur said, furrowing his brows dismissively. “Come on, boys. Day’s still young. There’s still work to be done.”

“Don’t work them too hard, Arthur!” Annette called, turning back as she walked down the hill.

“Fine. Let’s see it,” Gale said. Resolve burned in his eyes. I won’t stop halfway. Make it as tough as you like, I won’t give up!

Arthur chuckled. “Then, next…”