Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 172

Chapter 172
Despite the unusual commotion coming from the Golden-Furred Bee King’s dwelling, I resolved to address the situation with Hwayang first.

I brought him back to my room and settled him in a corner. Knowing how acutely sensitive the Golden-Furred Bee King is to uninvited guests, I needed to ensure Hwayang stayed behind before I paid a visit. Furthermore, he required a firm talking-to. Given his endless hunger, if I didn’t intervene now, he would likely attempt to pilfer fire from the kitchen at every single meal.

“Hwayang, you cannot simply go into the kitchen and take fire, understand? Doing that means other people won’t have anything to eat. Besides, consuming toad flames daily isn’t healthy for you.”

– Bii!

The instant I reprimanded him, his large, round eyes widened in shock, as if questioning what absurd thing I was saying.

I let out a sigh, frustrated that his attentiveness seemed exclusively reserved for matters involving food.

“I’m not telling you this because I want to withhold food. I’m saying it out of concern. If you overeat constantly, you could become ill. If this behavior continues, I will only feed you once every two days.”

– Biiiii!? Biiiii…

His entire body initially jolted in terror. Then, upon hearing the threat of meals every other day, he slumped over in complete dejection.

I felt a twinge of guilt, but I saw no alternative. Even as a spiritual beast, Hwayang’s eating patterns were still rooted in his amphibian nature. Toads and frogs do not eat daily. Amphibians typically only consume food every two days due to their distinct digestive systems. Unlike mammals, they lack teeth and depend entirely on their stomach and intestines to process food. A standard meal takes a full day to digest, and a larger one takes even longer. If Hwayang continued eating at every meal, it was inevitable that he would eventually have problems. Certainly, as a spiritual beast, he might be fine, but logically speaking—

Fire is one of the most difficult food sources to locate in the wild. A fire-eating spiritual beast would naturally have to rely on events like forest fires or volcanic eruptions to sustain itself. Judging by where I found him, he was undoubtedly not from a volcanic area. This implied his innate feeding cycle was much less frequent. Therefore, I needed to establish some boundaries.

“Please, just try to endure it for a while, alright?”

“…”

He didn’t answer and instead shut his eyes, feigning deafness. I gave a soft laugh and let it be, then focused on rousing the others before making my way to the Golden-Furred Bee King’s house. If I was going to leave, I had to make sure everyone was awake first.

“Alright, Bini, time to wake up. Hyang, you too.”

– Tsrrr…

Bini, still mostly asleep, dragged himself sluggishly in my direction and rested his head against my leg. He was still far too drowsy to operate normally.

“You lazy little thing. Come on, wake up now.”

I reached out and softly lifted his antennae, holding them upright above his head. But the second I released them—they flopped right back down like the soft ears of a puppy. Even though I had intended to be firm, his utterly charming appearance completely disarmed me.

‘Aaaahhh! He’s just too adorable!’

I couldn’t help myself and nuzzled my cheek against his forehead. While scolding him, I was simultaneously succumbing to his cuteness.

“You little rascal. Still refusing to wake up? Huh?”

– Tsutsu…

Bini offered a weak, irritated resistance, but I paid no attention and continued to rub his head.

I was right in the middle of this affectionate tussle when—

“So-ryong, you’re here. Did you give Hwayang a proper scolding?”

I glanced up to see Hwa-eun standing at the doorway to my quarters. Since she brought up Hwayang, she must have already learned the reason breakfast was running late.

“Oh, I was just wrapping that up.”

“My mother was rather distressed because we have visitors.”

Right, the guests—it was only the Three Dragons Peak brothers, so it wasn’t a major crisis. But for my mother-in-law, who manages the kitchen, it was undoubtedly a significant issue.

The moment Hwa-eun’s gaze fell upon Hwayang, who was trying to hide in the corner, he buried his head even deeper. For a creature usually so oblivious, his instincts were surprisingly sharp.

With her hands on her hips, Hwa-eun strode over with a severe look on her face.

“Hwayang!”

The second she called his name, his round, chubby rear end gave a guilty twitch.

I sighed. I needed to come to his rescue. As endearing as his trembling backside was, I had experienced Hwa-eun’s scolding before, and it was brutal enough to make one’s ears hurt. Every home needs at least one strict parent, but it also requires a gentle one—otherwise, the children would feel suffocated.

“I’ve already given him a strong warning. He gets it now.”

“No, I must make this absolutely clear. Hwayang, look at me—”

Even with me stepping in, Hwa-eun was not relenting. To redirect her focus, I swiftly changed the subject.

“Hwa-eun, I’m really hungry. When will breakfast be ready?”

“Hm? Oh, you’re hungry? Well, Mother said it should be about another half a shichen.”

“Half a shichen, huh? I suppose I’ll have to be patient.”

Her stern expression softened immediately at my complaint. I had managed to successfully shift her attention. This was my opportunity.

“In that case, could you watch the children for a little while? I need to go to the Golden-Furred Bee King’s house—something seems unusual over there.”

“The Golden-Furred Bee King?”

Hwa-eun tilted her head, curious, then nodded.

“Alright, I’ll manage them. Go on ahead. Kids, tell your father goodbye!”

The instant she switched from disciplinarian mode to doting wife mode, she efficiently rounded up the children. She perched Moji and Soji on her shoulders, carried Yeondu and Hyang on her other arm, and tucked Bing, Seol, and Dong into the folds of her skirt. Even Bini, still half-asleep, was cradled in her arms. She smiled as she bid me farewell.

“Take care, So-ryong.”

– Tsrrr.
– Kukku. Kuu. Kkyut.

“Yes, I’ll return shortly.”

Feeling strangely like a patriarch heading off to work, I made my way to the Golden-Furred Bee King’s house.

The moment I got there, I spotted dozens of Golden-Furred Bee Kings flying busily in and out of their hive. Something was clearly underway.

‘What is going on here?’

– Tak.

When I walked into the training ground, I anticipated the bees would react to my footsteps.

But they didn’.

That was peculiar.

Curious, I moved closer to the hive’s entrance. One after another, the bees took note of me, flying over to land on my shoulders briefly before taking off again.

“Hello there. It’s been some time, hasn’t it? Apologies for not visiting sooner. So, what’s all the activity about?”

Trying to read their mood, I spoke in a gentle tone as I looked inside the hive. There, I spotted something new. The hexagonal combs had expanded enormously since my last visit.

‘They’ve truly grown their domain.’

A larger hive indicated increased honey storage and a bigger population. Based on the number of bees inside, their colony had grown by at least half.

– Buuuung. Buuuung.

Something significant was occurring.

At that moment—

From the mass of bees swirling above, a single bee detached itself and flew directly to me. This one was bigger and moved more elegantly than the others, and it came to hover right in front of my nose.

“Oh, how have you been?”

I greeted the Queen Bee on instinct, but the moment I saw her, I observed something odd—she appeared thinner. Her normally robust body was distinctly less plump.

“Wait, what!?”

No, her overall build hadn’t completely transformed. She hadn’t suddenly become as slim as a wasp or anything of the sort. But by the standards of a bumblebee, she looked decidedly leaner. Had she been dieting?

“Why do you look so much thinner?”

Instead of answering, she gradually rose and flew towards a thick gathering of bees. Then, she beat her wings rapidly.

– Buuuuung!

At her signal, the bees separated like a dividing sea, uncovering an enormous comb in the center. A comb far bigger than a typical Golden-Furred Bee King nest.

I inhaled sharply.

“Wait… is that a royal cell!?”

The term escaped my lips automatically. A royal cell—a specially built, oversized comb designed for nurturing a new queen. Seeing it confirmed it all.

‘Wait… does this mean they’re preparing to swarm!?’

Connecting the thinner Queen Bee, the unusual bee activity, and the royal cell, I understood what was taking place. This was unmistakably a swarming event.

Swarming happens when:
1. The hive becomes overpopulated, leaving no room for laying eggs.
2. The Queen Bee ages and requires a replacement.
3. The colony grows too large for the Queen’s pheromones to control all the bees.

To address this, the old Queen produces a new Queen and then departs the hive with a group of worker bees to establish a new colony. Her slimmer physique meant she had already finished laying eggs and had ceased production, preparing herself for flight. Since their hive had become too large, she was now intending to leave with half the workers.

‘Wait, what!? There were no indicators beforehand!’

Although I had been absent, there had been no previous signals of swarming. Before a swarm, certain signs typically emerge:
– A sharp rise in the number of worker bees.
– The development of several royal cells.
– Bees congregating in large crowds at the hive’s entrance.

But neither I, nor the warriors assigned to watch the hive, had observed any of this. Perhaps they missed it by not inspecting the interior deeply, but even externally, some clues should have been visible.

‘Damn, no time to ponder that now. I must locate a new home for them!’

Despite my shock, I couldn’t allow myself to panic. If the Golden-Furred Bee King was swarming, I had to arrange a new hive for the older Queen to move into. If I failed, they would simply fly away and find a new spot independently. But if I could lead them to a nearby tree, I could grow their colony instead of losing them.

‘Is there another large tree close by?’

I needed to consult the warriors to see if another appropriate, mature tree was in the vicinity. If one existed, I could accompany—no, courteously guide—the Queen to settle there as I had done previously.

“Just hold on for a moment!”

I was on the verge of dashing off to find a new site when—

– Buuuuung!

The Queen Bee zipped in front of me, obstructing my way. She seemed to be attempting to halt me, but I was uncertain why. I hurriedly tried to clarify.

“Wait a moment! I’m trying to find a new home for you. If you just fly off, you know I’ll be upset, right?”

And then—

– Buuuuung!

A second bee, a perfect duplicate of the Queen, materialized right next to her.

“…Wait. What!?”

A new Queen Bee had already emerged. I gaped at the ceiling in astonishment, and only then did I see—the royal cell I had noticed earlier had an opening in it. The new Queen Bee had already hatched. No wonder the hive was so agitated. Everything was already in progress.

I pushed aside my surprise and smiled at the new Queen.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m So-ryong.”

But instead of replying—both Queen Bees vibrated faintly, as if amused.

– Buuung! Buuung!
– Buuung! Buuung!

Something seemed wrong. I squinted my eyes. They looked… too much alike. Too perfectly matched. That was when it dawned on me.

‘Wait… something is very strange here.’

Most people believe all insects look identical, but that is far from true. Every bee has distinctive traits:
– Varying density and length of fur
– Minor differences in leg structure
– Proportions of the head and body

Normally, I could distinguish them without difficulty. But these two? They were precise replicas. As if someone had simply copied and pasted them.

Then—another understanding hit me with the force of a thunderbolt.

‘Hold on a moment…’

Ever since I introduced the Golden-Furred Bee King here, I had never observed a single drone bee. Drone bees—the male bees that fertilize the Queen’s eggs—were totally missing from this hive. Ordinarily, a hive should contain at least a few drones. But in this hive? I had never seen a single one.

“…Wait a minute.”

That could only signify one thing. I had presumed I was caring for a mated Queen Bee. But no. This hive… was utilizing parthenogenesis. Asexual reproduction.

“…Holy shit.”