"!!!"
The sudden turn of events startled the two majin.
The named magical tiger had already been defeated.
But instead of calming the beetle, it only made it more wary.
"Not bad battle instincts."
"You must have been through quite a few brutal fights, haven't you?"
Ice Empress descended from the air, her pristine feet stepping onto the sea of flowers, approaching the beetle and the bee step by step.
"Eek!"
The beetle sensed the terrifying aura radiating from Ice Empress.
It immediately positioned itself in front of the bee, emitting a series of chirps, as if urging the bee to flee.
"Buzz buzz~~"
But the bee refused to leave.
It too had sensed Ice Empress's fearsome presence.
If she intended to harm them, they had no chance of resisting.
So, it wouldn't abandon its companion to escape alone.
"Such loyalty." Ice Empress remarked, interrupting their exchange. "Oh, by the way, I can understand your language."
"You're Insectar, right?"
"What a coincidence... I'm an Insectar too."
In the Cardinal World, Ice Empress was classified as an Insectar.
And these two little ones before her were Insectar as well.
Ice Empress wasn't entirely sure about the status of Insectar in this world.
But since she'd encountered them, there was no way she'd let them slip away.
Back in the Douluoverse, Ice Empress had commanded a vast clan of Ice Jade Scorpions.
Ice Jade Scorpions were social creatures, deeply united.
Unfortunately, the spatial pathways of the Douluoverse were sealed off.
Otherwise, Ice Empress would have loved to bring her clan here, freeing them from those constraints.
'Even without Ice Jade Scorpions, these two seem promising,' Ice Empress thought, recalling how the beetle had fought fiercely to protect the bee despite the danger.
It was a spirited creature, one she admired.
That bee was impressive too.
It refused to abandon its companion, choosing to face death together rather than flee alone.
"I could use a couple of underlings to help me out." Ice Empress declared.
Shuna and Shion both had their own subordinates, which Ice Empress had envied for a while.
Now, this was her chance.
By bringing these two back, she could start building her own faction.
"So, what do you say?"
"Want to come with me?"
Ice Empress softened her fierce aura, approaching the beetle and bee, and cast a healing spell to mend their wounds.
"Is that really okay?" The beetle asked, still wary but mostly excited.
At first, it had thought Ice Empress was a powerhouse sent by the Insectoids to exterminate them.
But no matter how it racked its memory, it couldn't recall anyone like Ice Empress among the Insectoids.
So, she wasn't an enemy but an Insectar born in the material world!
"I don't know what you're so cautious about." Ice Empress said. "But I truly mean no harm."
She beckoned the two little ones, preparing to take them back to the town to introduce them to Damien.
She wasn't worried about Damien refusing.
The more majin that joined, the more magicules Damien would gain.
As long as they were genuinely willing to submit, Damien welcomed all comers.
As for making them her underlings, Ice Empress was happy to take charge, and Damien would likely be thrilled, not opposed.
"A town of majin?"
"Can we really join?" The beetle and bee asked, uneasy about being bullied in a majin community.
Yet, they couldn't help but yearn for a place where majin gathered.
Exiled from the world of the Insectar and stripped of their power, they had struggled to survive, relying on each other.
If possible, they didn't want to live such a nomadic, unstable life anymore.
"Don't worry, they're all good folks." Ice Empress assured them.
She held a high opinion of the majin in the town.
Everyone worked hard, and the town was thriving, free from the scheming and deceit she'd seen in human societies.
Ice Empress genuinely liked this world and the people of the kijin and Star Wolves tribes.
Compared to this, her days in the Far North were utterly dull.
"By the way, are you underestimating me?" Ice Empress said, patting her chest confidently. "With me around, who'd dare bully you?"
"Ohhh!" The beetle and bee exclaimed in unison, their eyes sparkling.
With misunderstandings cleared, their fondness for Ice Empress skyrocketed.
She had saved them from the magical tiger's claws.
And now, she was looking out for them.
This kindness left the two little ones deeply moved, almost ready to bow in gratitude on the spot.
"We'll never forget your kindness, boss!" They chirped.
"Don't call me boss." Ice Empress said, frowning. Shion loved that title, and she didn't want to copy her. "Just call me Ice Empress."
"Got it, Lady Ice Empress!" They replied in unison.
"Hmph!"
Having picked up two capable underlings on a casual outing, Ice Empress was in high spirits.
She wanted to take them straight to Damien.
But he was resting, and she didn't want to disturb him.
Instead, she sought out Akahiko, the leader of the kijin, hoping he could arrange a place for the two.
"So these are Lady Ice Empress's new subordinates." Akahiko said, sizing up the beetle and bee. He crouched down, his tone gentle. "Do you have any preferences for where you'd like to live?"
"Chirp chirp chirp."
"Buzz buzz buzz."
The two were flustered, waving their legs to express their thoughts.
"They prefer living near the forest." Ice Empress translated. "Ideally somewhere with lots of flowers. The bee says it's skilled at making honey and can offer it as a token of gratitude for being taken in, dedicated to Damien."
"You can make honey? That's impressive." Akahiko remarked.
This meant Ice Empress was contributing too, right?
She wasn't one to freeload.
Occasionally, she'd help Ogerpon with planting crops in the fields.
In her spare time, she often hunted magical beasts in the forest.
But compared to those tasks, producing something unique like honey gave her a greater sense of accomplishment.
"A majin that makes honey?" Akahiko said, surprised. He thought for a moment. "In that case, how about the east side of town? There's a large orchard there."
Fruit trees needed pollination to bear fruit.
The bee could collect enough pollen there to produce honey.
"They say that works." Ice Empress confirmed.
"Great."
Since Ice Empress had personally brought them, Akahiko would treat the matter seriously.
As for Damien, he was currently occupied, dealing with the fiery enthusiasm of Shion and the shy charm of Shuna.
***
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