Icicle currently resides in a small hut a short distance from our mansion.

A short distance... though, it's only a few minutes' walk away.

She originally had a room inside the mansion, but as a reward for her recent success in breeding killer bees and other species of bees, the Marquis granted her the use of a nearby hut.

After relaxing at home for a bit, I decided to visit Icicle.

“I'll just stay here and take it easy, so you and Boss Bruno should go on ahead… ugh.”

Despite having eaten so much already, Sanshita had devoured an extra boar just because he sensed the presence of a monster nearby. Now, he was completely out of it.

He was so bloated that he looked almost spherical.

Leaving him behind since he clearly couldn’t move, we headed to Icicle’s hut.

The buzzing of wings filled the air, but no bees were in sight.

As we walked, something resembling a transparent cover came into view.

It seemed that the bees were being kept inside that structure.

Although I had seen it once before departing, the modifications to the garden had progressed significantly, noticeable even from a distance.

The transparent covering was divided into sections, arranged in a way that completely encircled the hut.

Looking at the whole setup, it was quite large, with several openings for airflow here and there. However, the bees showed no signs of leaving the enclosure.

They were probably being controlled with pheromones, restricting their movement to a certain area.

We passed through an open space within the transparent membrane surrounding the hut and made our way to the entrance.

“Icicle, are you there?”

I knocked and called out, but there was no response.

Maybe she wasn’t home... just as I thought that, a familiar buzzing sound rang in my ears.

A small shadow fell over Ivy and me, and when we looked up, we saw Icicle flying in the sky.

“Ah, Bruno and Miss Ivy. Welcome back.”

Icicle was dressed in a more elaborate, decorative outfit than usual—probably because she had some important business.

When I asked, she explained that she had been out selling something to the Marquis.

And that something was—

“These are the latest, highly recommended Icicle-brand honey cookies! Please do try them!”

“Icicle-brand… what?”

She presented a neatly packed box filled with cookies.

Since she was so insistent, I picked one up.

The surface bore a cute, deformed image of Icicle’s face, and when I flipped it over, there was a winking Icicle printed on the back.

Just where is she headed with all this…?

“…(munch, munch)… Oh, it’s gently sweet and delicious. I actually like this flavor.”

“Mii!”

As I crunched on the cookie, a nostalgic and gentle sweetness spread in my mouth.

Unlike the overly sugary sweets found in the royal capital, this had a flavor that highlighted the natural taste of wheat.

Some might find it too simple, but I liked it.

Ivy seemed to like it too—she was already reaching for a second one.

The texture of the wheat was pleasant, and the crumbled cookie danced on my tongue.

“Recently, we’ve been able to adjust the sweetness freely. From mild syrup-like flavors to intense honey that alters the taste with just a single drop, it’s completely customizable.”

“That’s pretty impressive. You’re basically a full-fledged beekeeper now…”

And not just any beekeeper—she was doing things ordinary beekeepers couldn’t even dream of.

Should I ask to taste that ultra-concentrated honey that changes flavors with just a drop…?

“Right now, this is the best way I can contribute to this town. Eventually, I’d love for more people to appreciate the wonders of insects!”

It seemed that Icicle was actively working to promote the appeal of insects as the ‘Insect Queen.’

Unlike Rey, who frequently traveled from place to place, Icicle mostly stayed in Akoup.

As a result, her reputation in town was quite high.

She had connections with the Marquis, Jennifer, newly hired beekeepers, and even merchants who traded magic honey. Lately, she might even be more well-known than me.

She also looked very human-like and was quite beautiful, making her popular among men.

But she also had an endearingly clumsy side, which meant she wasn’t disliked by women either.

Lately, she’d even been recognized as the town’s ‘fourth mascot character’ alongside Ivy, Sanshita, and (very much against my will) myself.

Still, Icicle had become much more easygoing.

They say pets resemble their owners, but… wait, does that mean she’s becoming like me?

…No, no, now’s not the time to be questioning that.

I came here to ask her about something important.

“And that’s the situation.”

“I see… the Demon Lord’s strength and the power of his Right Hand Fingers, you say?”

“Yeah. Out of everyone around us, you have the most direct connection to the Demon Lord’s army.”

“That is true.”

Since standing around and talking wasn’t ideal, we decided to continue the conversation inside the hut.

As I stepped in, a familiar scent filled the air.

Was this… lavender?

“Bees are excellent pollinators, so I’ve also been working on flower breeding lately.”

Apparently, the aroma came from lavender that Icicle had helped improve through breeding.

It was also set to be commercialized soon.

Icicle, you’re way more business-savvy than I am...

“Would you like some herbal tea?”

“You’re really living the elegant life, huh?”

“Everyone has been very kind to me.”

She let out a gentle sigh. Looking at her now, she seemed completely human.

She really had softened compared to when we first met.

After all, she was willing to talk to me about the Demon Lord’s army.

“First of all, I don’t know much about the Demon Lord’s strength. I’ve only met him a handful of times.”

“Uh-huh.”

“But I do know a bit about the Right Hand Fingers… Let’s see…”

Icicle placed a hand on her chin, deep in thought.

Her wings slowly opened and closed, a habit she had when pondering something.

“The Right Hand Fingers are incredibly strong. Even the weakest, the First Finger, is far beyond my ability. But among them, the Fourth and Fifth Fingers are in a league of their own… Even with your current strength, Bruno, I doubt you could defeat them.”

“…(gulp).”

Before I knew it, I had swallowed nervously.

I've never really faced life-threatening danger before.

Aside from sparring with Ivy during training, I had almost no experience fighting opponents stronger than me.

But even I could still remember the shock of blocking that one strike meant to take down Gavarius.

“The Fourth Finger, Quattro…”

“Ah, that’s right. Bruno, you’ve met him once before.”

His magic was on par with Ivy’s.

And that mysterious movement technique—was it also magic?

“Ivy, do you know anything about it?”

“Mii…”

Ivy shook her head as if to say no.

Well, even Ivy probably couldn’t use—

“Mimi!”

Suddenly, her eyes lit up as if she had an idea.

She opened her mouth, and an intricate, complex magic circle appeared before her.

Then, as if swallowing something, she shut her mouth—

And with a boom, darkness engulfed the space before us.

…It was the same magic Quattro had used back then.

And without hesitation, I stepped into the abyss.