Hello, everyone.
I am the Queen Bee.
Those around me refer to my kind as Gnosis Bees.
Even though I was a queen... I was currently in quite a bind.
To start with, I had no guards. Normally, several guards would accompany me from the moment I left my old home until I established a new nest, but they had all gone missing after a fight with a massive bear. Well, considering the opponent was that bear, it couldn't be helped. There was no chance of winning.
I told them we should hide, yet my guards gallantly charged into the fray anyway. I really had to wonder if they had their priorities mixed up. And so, I was left all alone.
I was in extreme trouble. A spider was currently boring its gaze into me.
A spider. My natural enemy. My absolute arch-nemesis.
If it had been a small spider, that would be one thing, but a monster of that size was impossible to deal with. Unlike my guards, I possessed the intelligence to know when to flee. Under normal circumstances, I would have bolted instantly.
But I didn't. Our eyes were locked. If I were to avert my gaze and try to run now, I would surely die. Therefore, I couldn't look away. In other words, I couldn't escape.
What was I supposed to do? No, wait—there was still hope!
The spider was staring at me without moving an inch. Could this be a classic standoff between two powerhouses, neither able to make a move? I was a queen and didn't possess a needle, but was the enemy being cautious of me? My guards could use magic, even if I couldn't. I could understand why the spider might be wary.
Oh! This could work. I might actually get out of this!
I summoned my courage and stared back at my opponent with everything I had.
...
Behind that spider, there were several more just like it.
Was I seeing things? I must have been seeing things, right?
I wasn't.
Well, my life was over. Fin. The end.
Ah, I wondered how I would be eaten. I wished I could have tasted more flower nectar before I died. Also, I wanted to have children.
...Fine. My resolve was set. I would run with every ounce of strength I had!
It was no use.
A strand of spider silk was now looped around my neck. I could still fly, but I was effectively a prisoner. It was a total humiliation. If they were going to eat me, I wished they would just get it over with instead of tormenting me. Ideally, in some way that didn't hurt.
Ah... my only hope in this situation was that my guards would miraculously return and scatter the spiders, but... life isn't usually that convenient.
Despair. I was utterly consumed by it.
But then, there was a glimmer of hope. A human. A human had appeared!
Oh, I knew about humans. They were the ones who always wanted the nectar we collected. In other words, they were our allies! Usually, my guards would chase them off, but with the guards gone, this human should be trying to drive away the spiders to secure me for himself!
Yes! Good, good, goooood! Now, human! Do something about these spiders for my sake!
...
Wait, what? Why was he chatting so casually with the spider? Humans and spiders were supposed to be on bad terms, weren't they? Was I wrong?
...How cruel! You deceived me! You gave me hope just to cast me back down into the depths of despair! This was unforgivable!
...Oh?
After listening to the human, the spider began leading me somewhere. Where were they taking me?
...It was a place that smelled wonderful. Flowers were blooming on trees I had never seen before. And so many of them, too.
...No, I wouldn't let my guard down. He was just giving me hope again so he could crush me once more!
The human who came with the spider brought some wood from the forest and began briskly constructing something. Wait... was it normal for humans to manipulate the wood around here so easily? Even my guards could only manage to hollow out a hole in a tree by spending a significant amount of time on it...
What was he making? Could it be... my execution scaffold? Was he going to cruelly put me to death upon that thing?
...I was wrong.
It seemed the human had prepared a place for me to build my nest. What was his objective? What humans usually sought was our nectar... could it be that he intended to make me build a nest here so he could exploit my honey indefinitely?
H-H-H-How terrifying! But if that was the case, I would get to live! Hope! Total hope!
H-However, he shouldn't think that a queen like myself would be satisfied with a place built so haphazardly.
...It was a magnificent spot.
Guh. My instincts were tingling. I wanted to build a nest here so badly! Was it okay? Could I?
I looked at the spider that still had its silk attached to me. After a moment of deliberation, the spider gently untied the thread.
Thanks.
I would do my best to bear many children and collect plenty of nectar! So, if you'll excuse me, Spider-san... could you perhaps go catch a male for me? Yes, a healthy-looking one. I believed a fair number of them should be flying around at this time of year. Yes, I'm counting on you. No, no, I'm not picky about looks. Stamina and character are what matter.
And so, I obtained a paradise. I was what you might call a "winner" in life. I did it. A total reversal of fortune!
I had to offer up a portion of the nectar I collected, but considering the spiders would take care of any external enemies in exchange, it wasn't a problem at all.
Symbiosis. Yes, this was symbiosis. Hehehe.
Well, even in a paradise like this, it wasn't as if I was completely satisfied. If I had to voice a complaint, it would be that the flowers we loved weren't growing nearby... eh?
Oh, the human was going to grow those flowers right near the nest for me.
My apologies. Thank you very much. I will continue to do my absolute best.
...Ahem.
If I changed my perspective... it wasn't exactly symbiosis. Rather, the spiders and the human were all working hard for my sake! Yes, one could certainly look at it that way!
That was exactly how it was.