Reincarnated To Evolve My Bee Empire-Chapter 288: But I *didn’t* mutilate anyone!

I woke up feeling much better than yesterday and was 100% sure that the person in the improvised prison cell was *not* Ambrosia.

The real Ambrosia was still sleeping next to me. I smiled to myself, looking at her relaxed face. She rarely looked so relaxed when awake, and she was rarely asleep for longer than me. She must've gotten tired from all the work she shouldered without me yesterday.

Amby was even drooling… My smile grew wider.

Quietly, to not wake her up and let her sleep some more, I went outside to start my working day.

While I ate breakfast, Attendant Helping-Hands approached me with news.

"Father, the research team you sent for the 'special mission' reported that they had a major success. They are ready to show it to you whenever you are ready."

I was still chewing, but now this didn't slow down my reply, even for a second. I didn't need a mouth to speak!

'Perfect! Then I will see it as soon as possible!'

***

The research team of a couple dozen bees met me near the holding cell, with Tabletina leading the group. All these girls looked like they barely slept a wink through the night, but despite that, they were very pleased with themselves.

Tabletina smiled proudly, twirling a scalpel in her fingers.

"Father, we've reached a great breakthrough! It was most incredible. I hope you will allow further research of this creature's ability…"

"Wait, Tabletina. Report things in order, alright? Did the hypnosis wear off from you?"

"Yes, Father. My mind is clearer than ever. But we understood the mechanism of this creature's hypnosis even before that." Tabletina nodded to herself. "I raised a hypothesis that it affected one or several of our senses. By testing each sense separately, I located the one the creature affected."

I raised my eyebrows.

"This was a great idea! But how did you block one's sense of smell? It's not as simple as holding one's breath…"

Bees didn't smell with their noses—they had antennae for this. Right now, Tabletina nodded them in agreement.

"Yes. I originally thought to cut off antennae off a volunteer, or perhaps find one among the handicapped bees in the hospital. However, one of my assistants suggested a less permanent solution."

Tabletina gestured at a Researcher Bee whose antennae were tightly wrapped in cloth.

It couldn't have been comfortable, but it was surely better than cutting them off!

"I didn't give you permission for anyone's mutilation, Tabletina," I reminded her sternly. "Even for something like this, and even if people volunteered. I *know* they would volunteer for just about anything if it's for my sake!"

Tabletina looked offended.

"Father! Why are you chastising me? I *didn't* actually mutilate anyone!" She pursed her lips. "I would've asked for your final approval of the plan first."

I just stared at her for a moment.

Tabletina stared back.

Someone shifted uneasily at the side, making my gaze flick to them and breaking the stand-off.

I clicked my tongue and decided to let Tabletina be. After all, she *really* didn't mutilate anyone, and she never mutilated anyone in the past. Except for a few unfortunate accidents with her hand-crafted prosthetics.

"So, how does the infiltrator's hypnosis work, Tabletina?"

"The creature uses pheromones, which affect whoever smelled them for the next several hours. The pheromones themselves don't stay long in the air, so generally you need to be in the same area to be affected. After you are affected, all your senses go wrong." Tabletina frowned. "'Hallucinations'—that's the word for when you sense something that's not true, right?"

"Yep, that's right. So the hypnosis makes me hallucinate whatever the infiltrator wants me to see?"

Tabletina shook her head.

"I don't think it's that precise. I made several tests, and it feels like people can see and hear different things under hypnosis even if they stand side to side. Only a general impression was the same—that the creature is our Queen and it wants to be let out and fed. Preferably honey."

I nodded to myself, thinking.

If hypnosis was induced by pheromones, but affected the mind itself, then the mind could change every sense to fit the picture that the infiltrator wanted people to see.

That would explain why even my system and my telepathy couldn't see anything wrong with the infiltrator.

"Alright! So does this all mean we can finally see what this creature really looks like?" I asked, gesturing at the Researcher with wrapping antennae.

"Yes, Father! I will be glad to show you as soon as you wrap your antennae. You will be safe then."

"Excellent."

Wrapping the antennae was as uncomfortable as it looked, and because of the extra weight on them, they drooped to my face. Because of this, I didn't waste any time and went to the holding cell immediately afterward with Tabletina as my guide.

The guards placed nearby also had their antennae covered. They saluted me and opened the door to us.

"It doesn't resist… But still, be careful!" one of them urged in a whisper. The other one just passed us a lit candle.

It was too dark inside without it. Without going deeper into the spacious holding cell, I could see only the silhouette of the infiltrator.

She (or it?) didn't seem to be impaired by the darkness. I couldn't smell a thing, but I clearly heard munching and slurping, which stopped only when the door opened.

With a displeased sound, the creature covered her eyes with a hand and turned away from the light.

I made a step closer, and the candlelight sketched the creature's silhouette.

I finally saw the real thing!

She was at least two heads taller than Ambrosia—I could tell even though she was sitting on the ground. Large, soft-looking and dark wings fell behind her like a cloak, and her body seemed to be covered in fur.

What an eerie picture she made. Like a wild beast.

But much more interesting was what my system showed to me!