My bloodline is so eager to improve.

"When I have time later, I'll inquire about the price of scented candles."

Otto had never bought this type of item before, so he wasn't very familiar with the price.

Fortunately, he hasn't had any troubles lately, and once he finishes dealing with his current tasks, he can go and buy scented candles.

However, as Otto and Michael walked out of the city gate, a cool evening breeze blew in their faces.

It was almost night, but he and Maika had been busy all day and hadn't eaten yet.

Now that he felt the chill again, Otto was feeling a bit tired.

Michael, on the other hand, looked all cheerful.

"Since we're going to resolve Sam's request, as is customary, he should at least provide us with a meal."

Otherwise, why do you think I would rush over before dinner time?

Michael is quite experienced in handling these kinds of requests.

In order to save some money, we should try to get free meals whenever possible.

However, he also encouraged the newcomer beside him who was participating in the investigation commission for the first time, telling him not to be too nervous.

"Don't worry, kid."

Later in the evening, your Lamplight Eye should be back to normal.

That will come in handy at that time.

Finding those monsters hiding in the corners was quite easy.

Mika had also worked with the priests of the Order of Light.

Once these priests activate their spiritual eyes, they become very sensitive to extraordinary professionals and hidden dangers.

Just as the two were planning their next move, the winery arrived.

This is a rather large-looking manor.

However, it is already late autumn, and most of the flowers have withered; their arrival is out of season.

But neither Michael nor Otto were there to admire the flowers.

Michael walked skillfully through the garden and into the interior of the winery.

When Michael pushed open the wooden door, the warm aroma of beer and honey wafted out.

For a moment, Maika became somewhat intoxicated, revealing the cravings typical of an old drunkard.

Fortunately, he remembered that he had taken Otto out to gain experience, so he quickly recovered his spirits.

He immediately shouted at the top of his lungs toward the depths of the room.

Sam.

Sam, are you there?

At Maika's call, a middle-aged man with a worried look on his face immediately came out from the backyard.

He quickly approached Michael, rubbing his large, fleshy hands together.

"What, is it Michael?"

Great! My winery is saved.

You have no idea, my wine cellar hasn't had a moment's peace for the past two weeks!

As a veteran adventurer in Oaktown, many people know Michael, and Sam in front of him is one of them.

This also saves a lot of time on formalities.

Without hesitation, Sam immediately led the two deeper into the winery, explaining the situation to them along the way.

"First, several of the mead barrels in the cellar mysteriously went empty."

The bottle was sealed properly, but most of the wine was gone.

Later, the night watchman said that he saw some swaying golden phantoms in the cellar and smelled a sweet fragrance. He then immediately felt dizzy, as if he had been poisoned, and when he woke up, he couldn't remember anything.

I think it must be the work of a demon. If I don't do something about it, my mead will be ruined!

That's much more valuable than ale!

Sam's winery operates a business selling ale and mead, as well as related merchandise.

Mead is far more expensive than ale.

Therefore, as long as those monsters are still here, Sam will lose a lot of money!

But seeing Sam's increasingly rapid speech, Michael simply patted the battle axe behind his back and calmly said...

"Don't worry, we'll go check right away. But we're hungry, aren't we? We just came back from the mines outside the city."

Michael simply told Sam to relax and provide him with some food.

He didn't need to worry about the rest.

Seeing this, Sam handed the two some honey bread to them before heading to the wine cellar.

The sweet and soft texture instantly won over Otto's taste buds.

In the past, Otto mostly ate only black bread in order to save money.

That is, during holidays, you can eat some high-end bread.

Therefore, seeing the rare opportunity, Otto devoured the food in the basket one bite at a time.

Only after Otto finished the last piece of bread did he finally put the basket down, satisfied.

It was at this moment that Otto and Michael, led by Sam, arrived at the entrance of the wine cellar.

"Let's go down."

After saying this, Maika immediately picked up his battle axe.

Otto also drew his iron sword, ready to deal with any unforeseen circumstances.

The stone steps of the wine cellar were cold and damp. The further down you went, the rich aroma of ale became mixed with a faint, sweet floral scent.

These scents reminded Sam of his recent sorrows.

"I've been working on a new recipe lately, but who would have thought that instead of attracting discerning wine merchants, it would attract cunning monsters!"

Sam was very frustrated. He should have just stuck to selling ale and mead.

At least you won't attract monsters!

But Sam's nagging went unanswered.

Michael walked silently beside Sam.

Only Sam's nagging echoed up the stone steps.

When they arrived at the cellar door, Michael simply gave Otto a look, and Otto already knew what to do.

Otto silently recited the name of the goddess of light, and his spiritual eye of light immediately activated.

After confirming that the Eye of Light was activated, Michael immediately pushed open the cellar door.

Here, rows of oak barrels stand in neat rows, and dim oil lamps can only illuminate a small area.

Otto keenly observed that a strange white mist seemed to be swirling deep within, gradually enveloping the entire wine cellar.

Accompanying the white mist was a faint, almost ethereal hum, like the fluttering of wings.

Michael, of course, couldn't see any of this; he just planned to go in first and try to find some clues.

But Otto grabbed Mikel.

Chapter Twenty-One: Honey Wine Bee Demon

Seeing that Otto had blocked his way, Mikea immediately stopped in his tracks.

Michael understood Otto's meaning, and he planned to investigate it himself.

Having witnessed Otto's abilities, Mikea naturally had no intention of stopping him.

Seeing that Michael had agreed, Otto immediately used his zero-ring spell, Shadow Step.

This is a good opportunity to practice bloodline magic.

Otto now understands that combat skills and spells that can be learned later cannot be trained with the help of 'animal friends'.

However, bloodline magic is different.

Like other specialties that can be trained, bloodline magic should also be able to be elevated through their constant practice.

However, the prerequisite is that Otto understands the effects of this spell, which can be considered as preparation for more actual combat in the future.

While Otto was pondering, Shadow Step was already activated.

At that moment, Otto held his breath, completely concealing his footsteps and breath, like a silent object slipping into the shadows of the wine cellar.

Under the clear light, most disguises are meaningless.

Upon getting closer, Otto discovered a translucent membrane.

Otto carefully passed through the membrane and finally saw what lay beyond.

They were a group of creatures, each only the size of a thumb.

They have the bodies of bees, but with translucent blue wings, and their bodies are even covered with a layer of fine golden down, making them look quite magical.

"found it."

Otto beckoned Michael over.

He didn't sense any murderous intent from these strange little creatures, nor did he see any crimson mist; at least for now, he was safe.

Upon hearing Otto's call, Michael immediately brought Sam over.

After passing through that illusory membrane, Maika saw the little guys.

As a seasoned adventurer, Maika recognized them.

"Mead Bee Fairy?"

No wonder only the mead was stolen, while the other types of wine were fine.

Michael then told Sam and Otto about the details of the mead bee.

"They belong to the fantasy species and are not harmful villains."

They feed on sweet wine and nectar, are gentle in nature, and are only skilled in minor illusions for self-defense.

As they were talking, dozens of bee demons were flying around the rows of oak barrels at the deepest part of the room.

They used their stingers to drill extremely fine holes in the cork of the barrel, drawing out the wine little by little, mixing it with their own secreted nectar, and injecting it into the amber-like honeycomb in the crevices of the oak barrel.

Michael gestured for Sam to come closer and observe more closely.

With Michael's help, Sam then discovered that inside the hive, a golden liquid was slowly swaying.

Sam felt that this enticingly sweet aroma far surpassed all the alcohol he had ever made in his life!

Meanwhile, Maika patiently explained.

"They use the wine cellar as a safe haven, and your wine as nourishment for their nest and for brewing mead."

As a winemaker, you should be able to tell, right? This golden liquid is truly high-end.

Maika looked at the mead bee demons with a hint of nostalgia.

"In the past, dwarves would often seek out mead bees to help them brew mead."

These golden liquids are also known as Bee Fairy Wine.

Even a single serving of Bee Demon Brew, enough to fill the entire helmet, could sell for two silver Thorns.

Sam was incredibly moved when he heard this.

You should know that two silver Thorns are enough for him to sell several barrels of ale and mead.

These aren't golden fantasy species at all; they're practically Golden Thorns flying around in their own wine cellars!

But just as Sam was fantasizing about finally becoming rich, Michael looked troubled.