The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 8: Getting Back on Track

Vol 2 Chapter 8 Getting Back on Track

After making her selection, Sylutia spent 3 gold coins to purchase all the toad servants, which totaled three groups of 60 individuals.

After the count and handover, the manager handed a token to the young girl, telling her that this item could be used to control these toads. However, its binding power wasn't infinite; she would still need to use some rules and methods of her own to train them.

"The association will send someone to take a count in one year. As long as the number still alive is not less than 48, it will be fine."

"I understand." A 20% attrition rate in one year... if she was careful, she should be able to avoid that, right? After all, she wasn't the type to be particularly cruel.

"Ribbit, are you our new boss?" The leading few toads gathered around the silver-haired girl, observing her curiously.

"Silver-white hair, ribbit. Not healthy, ribbit."

In the toads' view, white hair was likely an innate defect caused by a lack of pigment, so it was a sign of poor health. In their eyes, large, distinct black spots or stripes were the most beautiful. Furthermore, the darker the skin tone, the more dignified and powerful one appeared.

Finally having helpers, Sylutia led these fellows through the market. She bought a large quantity of farming tools, such as hoes, shovels, axes, and sickles, as well as some daily necessities like lamp oil, candles, soap, rope, large pots, nails, salt, and medicinal herbs. Finally, she also picked up several bags of fresh vegetables.

Fortunately, these toads didn't need clothes, which saved some expense.After loading these items onto the carriage one by one, and for the sake of convenient transportation, Sylutia spent more money to buy two additional carts, hitching them behind the original carriage to transport the toads.

Their webbed feet were suited for swimming; if they had to walk on land continuously, they'd probably get blisters.

Once everything was ready, Sylutia rode her pony alongside the group. The lakeside draft horse just had to follow the one-way road straight ahead.

...

In the afternoon, the group finally returned to the valley. It looked much the same as when Sylutia had left a few days ago.

She dismounted and had the toads get down from the carts to begin unloading. First, they piled the purchased vegetables on the first floor of the stone house. Then, Sylutia led them to the inner part of the valley, where there were still many trees.

"First, clear out this area," she simply gave the order, wanting to see how these toads would complete it and roughly how strong their independent problem-solving ability was.

"Ribbit, chop trees, ribbit."

"Chop trees, fetch water, catch fish every day, ribbit." It seemed they were quite familiar with these three tasks.

Wielding the newly bought axes, a group of toads skillfully felled the withered branches and trees here, along with the scattered various shrubs and thorns. During this, if they encountered useful wild plants, Sylutia would gather them in advance and set them aside.

Before dark, Sylutia had the toads carry a batch of bundled withered branches back near the fields. There, they built a simple bonfire, then brought over the newly purchased large pot from the cart and placed it beside the fire.

First, she had them pour a small amount of water into it, then add flour. After that, she had several toads take turns pounding the dough with wooden sticks, then kneading it together.

When it was about ready, Sylutia had them take the dough out. They poured a sufficient amount of water into the pot and began adding firewood to boil it. Once it was bubbling, they put in the previously shaped dough balls to cook.

Soon, amidst faint wisps of white steam, oddly-shaped dough balls floated and bobbed on the water's surface. At this point, Sylutia used a ladle to distribute the dough balls to these fellows.

"Use cold water to scoop them, otherwise they're too hot." Considering these guys had absolutely no patience to wait for the dough balls to cool before eating, the girl had no choice but to instruct them this way.

"Ribbit, dough ball." The first toad to get food couldn't wait and swallowed it in one gulp. Just as Sylutia had guessed, it absolutely wouldn't wait.

"Gulp, tasty." This time, it finally closed its mouth.

Seeing their companion eat, the other toads gathered around the large pot, each holding a bowl and waiting.

Because she had to feed 60 toads, Sylutia ended up cooking roughly six large pots, barely managing to feed them all.

After finishing, she sat to the side, looking at the large iron pot smeared with paste everywhere, and didn't feel like moving at all.

She'd just let them wash it themselves later. Speaking of which, she'd have to teach a few of these toads how to cook later on, to save herself some energy.

After eating the dough balls, these toads were in a much better mood. The nervousness they felt upon first arriving at the woodland had also dissipated considerably. By now, some were already lying on the grass by the bonfire, fast asleep.

Occasional snoring and gurgling sounds emerged sporadically in the night.

Calling over a few toads who were still relatively awake, Sylutia gave them simple instructions, then returned to the small house across from the fields herself.

She needed to eat something now too, and also take a bath and go to sleep.

Over the next few days, Sylutia first had these toads build themselves a place to sleep and rest. Their requirements for this weren't high—basically just a shelter to block the sun and provide a sense of security. Also, these toads didn't sleep on beds; they preferred soaking in water or lying on rocks.

After about five days, the long shed where these toads would live was completed. Although they were quite small in stature, the interior of this building was actually quite spacious, somewhat like the warehouse or factory buildings Sylutia remembered from her previous life.

This structure was naturally for better ventilation and also to be much cooler, so it wouldn't be too stuffy in summer. Additionally, the simple design made it easier to build and maintain, requiring less effort.

After initially settling these fellows, Sylutia began assigning them tasks. Currently, they were roughly divided into three work groups: watering, weeding and tilling the soil, and miscellaneous daily chores. The miscellaneous chores included boiling water for cooking noodles and cleaning.

If the weather was particularly good occasionally and time permitted, Sylutia would also take them deeper into the valley to clear the primitive woods and scattered rocks, dragging the felled timber out and placing it in the built shed to dry in the shade.

Everything was slowly getting on track. At the very beginning, Sylutia had to spend a lot of energy every day instructing them on what to do and which details to pay attention to.

Considering these toads' intelligence wasn't very high, she had to break many tasks down into clear, simple goals for these fellows to gradually learn.

Fortunately, persistence paid off. After about twenty-some days, these toads could manage the basic work without her having to give daily instructions.

Moreover, under Sylutia's guidance, the wheat seedlings in the fields grew taller day by day, and the situation gradually became more encouraging.

[Wheat] (Good - 56): Wheat in good growing condition, expected to yield a decent harvest.

Reaching a 'Good' rating in just over twenty days was already a pretty good situation for some novice gardeners. With a bit more effort, reaching 'Excellent' wasn't impossible either. The Hidden Grove association's requirement for newly arrived apprentices was set at this level.

When she first arrived at this valley, association members had already helped her plow fifty mu of land in advance. The wheat currently sown was on these fifty mu. If each mu yielded 100 jin, that would be exactly 5,000 jin of wheat.

If these 5,000 jin of wheat achieved 'Excellent' quality, she would also receive an 'Excellent' evaluation, making it much easier to join other organizations later on.

These 5,000 jin of wheat, if of 'Excellent' quality and sold on the market, would fetch roughly 5,000 silver coins, which is 50 gold coins. This was the result of three months of work. During this period, hiring the toads, purchasing tools, and buying food had cost about 8 gold coins.

Sylutia sat in her study, using a pen to calculate the profits, occasionally glancing out the window at the lush green fields.

Although these past two months had been busy and hectic, with little time to rest, looking at the gradually taking shape valley fields, she also felt a faint sense of fulfillment.

The contract stated the goal was to be completed within six months. Only two months had passed so far. After harvesting this first batch, she could begin the second round of planting. For the second cultivation, her experience would be more sufficient and skilled, allowing her to further improve the results then.