Chapter 32: The Door in the Eyes
After completing the assessment, since everyone had been tense before, Scholar Hyde intentionally wanted everyone to relax and change their mindset.
"For the coming week, we will be spending time in a village outside the city." the scholar announced to the students.
"Each person can only bring one suitcase of luggage, containing your change of clothes. We'll depart together tomorrow morning."
"We'll conduct classes in a natural environment and help you genuinely understand various crops and the farmers' working conditions."
"Alright, after this morning's class ends, you can go home to prepare."
"Oh~" Hearing they had time off, all the students cheered excitedly.
Afterward, everyone gathered in groups to discuss how they would spend their days in the countryside village.
For the commoner students, this was quite ordinary, but for some noble and wealthy students, it felt quite novel.
"I wonder if we can hunt there. I learned archery a year ago, but never had the chance to practice for real."
"It would be great if we could ride horses, galloping across the grasslands with someone special."
"I'm so tired of staying in Scorchstone City."
"Is there a river there? Can we go swimming?"
"If there's a river, we can go fishing."
"Sigh, we can't bring servants, that's no fun."
"Maybe we can go see some scarecrows. I recently read a strange story about scarecrows."
Meanwhile, Komea pulled Sylutia and Karen together to discuss their plans.
"Karen, bring your bow and arrows. This is your chance to put them to use. Maybe we can even hunt some game for barbecue." Komea suggested.
"No problem. I also have a set of outdoor tools that I've used before." Karen nodded.
"What about you, Tia? What are you good at?"
"I can probably help you identify wild plants, and I can prepare food too." The girl thought for a moment.
"How about you bring seasonings? Or maybe we need a picnic blanket."
"As for me, I'll have my dad prepare a tent to carry along."
"Aren't we staying in the village? Not in the wilderness." Sylutia remembered.
"Oh, we're not camping outdoors? Well then, I'll bring some delicious food and a blanket. I still want to sleep comfortably." She really loved sleeping.
"It's settled then. Tomorrow we'll set off together."
"Okay."
...
In the afternoon, Sylutia returned to her residence and began preparing.
Actually, she didn't have much to bring—just essential clothes, two books, one notebook, and a small bag of seasoning utensils.
Should she bring her pillow? She really liked the new buckwheat pillow she had recently made. Since she couldn't afford cotton, this pillow was already quite comfortable.
Hugging the pillow and stroking it, she decided to bring it along anyway.
It wasn't heavy, and she could carry it.
Then there were the flowers and plants in the backyard that she was worried about.
Thinking of this, she went to the bedroom and retrieved the recently prepared potion, examining it carefully.
This potion was given to her by Teacher Hyde yesterday. It was said that the Apothecary Guild spent several days successfully concocting it.
[Verdant Eye Potion] (First Tier - Verdant Nectar): When dropped into the eyes, it allows you to see the nutritional flow within plants, hidden Aspects, and growth conditions. (Good quality, each application lasts 3 minutes)
Only three minutes? The girl murmured softly, then opened the bottle cap and carefully extracted a few drops with a specialized glass tube, dripping them into her eyes.
A cool sensation instantly spread, and everything in her vision turned gray, like a black and white world. However... she blinked and looked at herself in the mirror.
Her originally light blue eyes now had one turned emerald green. This heterochromatic combination of emerald and blue added a strange, mysterious charm to the girl in the mirror.
Going to the backyard, Sylutia scanned the flowers and plants, discovering that in this black and white world, these plants had exceptionally vibrant colors. Even the greens, she could distinguish hundreds of different forms and shades—utterly miraculous.
Approaching the Swan Orchids she cultivated, the girl carefully bent down and closely observed the plants before her. As if capable of seeing through them, she gradually perceived the 'colors' within the Swan Orchids. This 'seeing' was more like some kind of intuition, discovering their rhythms and differences.
Following these color patterns, Sylutia placed her hand on the Swan Orchids and activated the 'Verdant Nectar' Aspect from the potion in her eyes. More delicate and clear sensations emerged, as if adding another layer of 'touch' to the 'colors,' along with the plants' subtle breathing 'rhythms.' With these three perceptions merging, a more three-dimensional and completely different awareness unfolded.
The world hadn't changed, but she saw scenes she had never witnessed before, as if emerging from a narrow, dark cave and seeing the wilderness beneath the sky for the first time.
Countless pieces of information converged in her eyes and mind, simultaneously understood and analyzed by her, gradually being sorted out.
Three minutes was completely insufficient. She had to drip a few more drops of the Verdant Eye Potion into her left eye. This emerald-stained eye possessed a strange charm, the emerald color within the pupil floating and flowing like liquid, making one deeply immersed.
Again and again she perceived, again and again she understood and analyzed. The secrets of the plant before her were like closed doors, opening before Sylutia's eyes.
The unknowns behind the doors, the knowledge behind the doors, the mysteries behind the doors—all were revealed to her one by one.
(Insight gained on 'Swan Orchid.' When facing 'Swan Orchid' plants in the future, gain an advantage in information. 'Discernment Eyes' completion +1)
A moment of enlightenment emerged in the girl's mind, and then she slowly detached from that immersed state.
Now, when she observed the Swan Orchids before her again, various sorted pieces of information surfaced in her mind.
[Swan Orchid] (Good - 58): Growing, humidity not at optimal state, requires additional humidification of 21.24%, ambient temperature slightly low, needs increase of 5.8 degrees, soil compacted due to watering, air permeability decreased, nutrition insufficient, lacking some micronutrients...
Not checking was fine, but checking gave her a shock. Sylutia only now discovered there were so many problems.
Humidity, temperature? These weren't things she could solve currently—probably requiring a greenhouse. However, regarding soil compaction, air permeability, and nutrition, she thought of many solutions.
First, loosening the soil, replacing the surface soil, mixing in a small amount of gravel to increase air permeability and prevent clumping. Then watering some Swan Orchids, and finally finding some eggshells to crush into powder, adding it to the soil as fertilizer.
She recorded the solutions she thought of in her notebook, then began loosening the soil. During the process, she continuously adjusted and recorded data, as if searching for the perfect meshing of gears.
Like this, Sylutia kept busy until dusk approached. By then, Talier had also returned home from work, and she stood up from the backyard ridges.
"Tia, I bought bread on my way home today." Talier placed the bread she was carrying in the kitchen, then found the girl who had just emerged from the backyard.
"Why is there mud all over your arms and skirt? Were you so busy today?" She took Sylutia's hand, led her aside to brush off the dirt, and inquired with concern.
"Talier, I made many discoveries today." Sylutia's voice was unusually cheerful, with some excitement.
"You're so happy today?" Although Talier didn't understand what Sylutia had discovered, she was equally happy.
"How about we skip the bread and go to a restaurant for a big meal~" She was feeling hungry for something delicious.
Normally, Sylutia would be reluctant to spend money since her saved silver coins were running low.
But today she was genuinely happy, so she nodded in agreement.
"Just for today, but next time we'll have to wait longer. We still need to save money." Seeing her agreement, Talier jumped up happily, then looked at Sylutia and hurried to the kitchen.
"What are you going to the kitchen for?" The girl was curious.
"To heat water for you. Tia can't go out looking like this." Her voice came from the kitchen.
...
About an hour later, after bathing and feeling refreshed, Sylutia changed clothes and went out with Talier.
They returned to Grelia Restaurant and found a quiet small private room.
Tonight they ordered 'Braised Oxtail.'
[Braised Oxtail] (Excellent): Simmered oxtail, with onions and bay leaves pan-fried in hot oil. When the oxtail is 80% cooked, add the pan-fried onions, bay leaves, and carrot chunks, seasoned with garlic cloves, salt, sugar, and tomato sauce. Finally, when serving, pair with several roasted round potatoes, drizzled with the oil sauce for enjoyment.
The two enjoyed a rare delicious feast. After finishing, Talier returned home with Sylutia, satisfied and content. By this time, the girl had already decided what tasks to assign to Talier.
"So, Tia won't be home for the next week?" Talier felt somewhat dejected after hearing this, because Sylutia cooked quite well, and every evening she could enjoy some new dishes.
Although not quite comparable to the chefs in restaurants, it still made her very happy.
"If Tia isn't home, I'll have to survive on dry bread and vegetable root soup every day."
"Endure it a little. If it's really too much, you can go to Sister Winnie for dinner." The girl joked.
"I can go, but going too often would be embarrassing."
"Speaking of watering flowers, Tia, how should I water those flowers you're growing? I see you record the water amount and time every day." Talier inquired.
"Don't worry about that. I'll organize a chart tonight, and you just need to water according to the amounts listed."
Talier definitely couldn't achieve her level of precision, but currently for cultivating 'Swan Orchids,' other conditions had already been adjusted. As long as the watering amount error remained within 30%, it would be sufficient to cultivate excellent quality 'Swan Orchids.'
"Well, I'll entrust the coming week to you then."
"Leave it to me, o(* ̄︶ ̄*)o~" After saying this, the two walked home laughing.
Come to think of it, it had been over a month since she last left Scorchstone City. This trip out filled Sylutia with freshness and anticipation once again.