Vol 2 Chapter 171 The Joyful Elf Girl

The previously planted cornflowers have already been harvested. The next harvest will probably be another year later. Third Tier plants are not comparable to First or Second Tier ones. Even with Sylutia’s fairy-blessed talent, it’s impossible to cultivate large batches of ‘Third Tier·Perfect’ quality cornflowers in just a few months.

Many of these were planted before she left the Hidden Grove and returned to Scorchstone City. Now, a year has passed, and they have just reached ‘Perfect’ quality. Then there are the cornflowers blooming in Sylutia’s own Autumn Garden.

Although the cornflowers within the garden are of higher quality and effect, she doesn’t plan to harvest them. Instead, she will keep them as an emergency trump card, just like that time when facing the Hundred-Eyes Sect Leader’s unavoidable attack, she stimulated the cornflowers to enhance the garden’s environmental force field, blocking and weakening his rays.

Generally, Third Tier gardeners only cultivate large quantities of ‘Second Tier’ plants. Although they can also cultivate plants of the same ‘Third Tier’, it consumes a great deal of energy and can even delay the condensation and accumulation of their own Aspect. Therefore, they rarely do this. Only when reaching a state of completion or a bottleneck period do gardeners consider cultivating an exceptionally special plant for their own breakthrough.

The new cornflower seeds have been planted. After Sylutia’s selective breeding and meticulous selection, this batch of seeds is plumper and of superior quality compared to before. Perhaps a year from now, she can select the few cornflowers in the best condition from among them and attempt a breakthrough, cultivating ‘Fourth Tier’ cornflowers.

The initial seed germination and growth don’t require too much care and adjustment. With some free time, Sylutia began researching the cultivation of other plants.

She currently doesn’t lack food crops. Many carrots and potatoes have been cultivated by her to possess the ‘Second Tier’ Verdant Nectar Aspect. So this time, she plans to experiment with other flowers and plants, such as the ‘Black Rose’ not yet unlocked within the garden.

Taking out a small number of ‘Black Rose’ seeds, she sprinkles them on the soil and waters them. Sylutia squats beside them, patiently sensing their condition. Then, with her fingers hovering over the soil, she activates the [Natural Growth] ability.

Visible to the naked eye, the seeds in the soil slowly sprout and unfurl. Stems and leaves gradually spread and grow taller, and the leaves also gradually turn green and enlarge. Afterwards, the small flower buds hidden within slowly open, revealing elegant, pure black rose petals.

They’re really beautiful. For some reason, Sylutia suddenly thinks of Mursa, who also often wears a black dress, with a black-gold rose pinned at the neckline of her off-shoulder gown.

According to botanical classification, roses and roses (note: the Chinese text uses two different words often both translated as ‘rose’, but here likely refers to garden roses vs. wild roses/rugosa roses) are very closely related. One could even say that the rose is a type of specialized rose, a variety developed through artificial selection.

For her first cultivation of the ‘Black Rose’, Sylutia wasn’t in a hurry to elevate its Aspect tier. Instead, she experimented with the growth conditions and states of the ‘Black Rose’ under different environments and techniques.

After watching the ‘Black Rose’ go from sprouting to flowering, then to fruiting and withering about a dozen times, Sylutia grasped the basic cultivation patterns of the ‘Black Rose’.

Now she could begin formal cultivation.

Behind her house, she tidied up a small experimental garden of four square meters. Then she planted the ‘Black Rose’ seeds, sprinkled Verdant Dew Water, and began adjusting their state, letting them sprout, grow, and develop slowly.

Unlike the rapid catalysis used in combat, the catalysis assisted by the [Natural Growth] ability during this kind of cultivation was much more precise and meticulous, trying to let it grow under the most suitable conditions without causing the condensed Aspect power to degrade or dissipate.

Surrounding this small experimental garden, Sylutia began employing the various abilities she had mastered.

Dew Prayer Method, Branch Grooming Method, Fertile Soil Method—first, the gardener’s trio of abilities. Under their influence, the ‘Black Rose’ easily advanced to First Tier and steadily approached Second Tier.

In about two more months, she could make them condense a ‘Second Tier’ Aspect, Sylutia thought.

However, these ‘Black Roses’ were rather special, condensing the ‘Dead Embers’ Aspect. If given to wizards of the ‘Dead Embers’ Path, they would probably be especially popular.

Time slowly approached the end of the year. The surface continent also gradually entered winter. Although the Shadow World had no obvious summer-winter differences, it was also influenced by the projection of the surface continent, experiencing snowfall and temperature drops.

While Sylutia leisurely tended to the ‘Black Rose’ and explored the possibilities of new plants, Florerella, far away at another garrison of the Hidden Grove, received a gift from the Darkmist Mountains.

“Eh, is this specifically for me?”

This golden-haired elf girl stood at the threshold of the small house, somewhat puzzled as she accepted the wooden box carried by the staff member.

Dressed in a gown of emerald gauze with golden threads, this beautiful and slightly plump elf young lady carefully tore open the seal and opened the box, seeing the carefully packaged paper box inside.

Her slender, jade-white fingers lifted the paper box. Seeing the horizontally placed blue cornflower, Florerella immediately remembered that name.

“It must be Tia who sent this to me,” she said, her voice tinged with happiness.

The maidservant inside the house was curious. Seeing the young lady still standing at the door, she walked over.

“Lady Florerella.”

“Ah, I see.” Florerella belatedly retreated into the house, letting the maidservant close the door. Then she sat at the table in the room, placed the paper box down, took out the cornflower emitting a faint fragrance, and unfolded the letter pressed beneath it.

「Long time no see, Florerella,

Sorry it took so long to write to you. Have you been sleeping and resting well lately?

A year ago, I received the ‘cornflower seeds’ you gifted me. I was so happy then that I could hardly sleep at night. At that time, I thought how wonderful it was to have Florerella as a friend.

I heard that to obtain this batch of seeds, you even troubled a friend to mail them across the Cloud Sea Sky Curtain. I was deeply moved, even somewhat at a loss. Probably because I hadn’t received such care in a long time. After all, I only mentioned it casually a few times back then, never thinking someone would remember it so attentively.

Thank you very much, Florerella. You helped me a great deal.

Over this past year, I planted many cornflowers in the town. Through planting them, I gained many insights, and later even achieved a breakthrough, advancing to Third Tier.

More than half a year ago, I returned to the surface continent. There, I met many people again and experienced a lot.

…

Unknowingly, by the time I finished handling everything and returned, more than half a year had passed. I’m very sorry for only replying now. These flower essences are extracted from the cornflowers I planted. I really like their color, that clear and serene feeling. I hope Florerella will like them too.

Thank you, Florerella.

—Your friend, Sylutia」

At the end of the letter, that familiar signature name made this elf girl smile.

“Tia advanced a tier. That’s wonderful.”

“Hmm, no, I need to work hard too. It seems I’ve been preparing quite a bit lately.”

Putting down the letter, she saw the rows of transparent flower essence glass tubes arranged beneath the paper box. She was surprised and enchanted by the faint blue gradient color inside.

“So pretty, I love it~”

Holding the paper box, Florerella felt so happy she wanted to jump up, but she held back, afraid of damaging the precious gift inside.

“I’ll work hard too, Tia.”

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