The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 11: Alfalfa

Vol 2 Chapter 11 Alfalfa

Compared to planting wheat, sowing alfalfa was exceptionally simple. After simply turning the soil, you could just scatter the seeds.

After planting, catalyzed by Sylutia's Verdant Dew Water, in just two days, the previously bare soil was completely covered by tender green alfalfa.

They grew in large patches, making excellent forage grass and nitrogen-fixing plants.

During these past few days, the two ponies had even stopped eating their fodder. Whenever they had time, they would come to the fields to nibble on some alfalfa, showing a particular fondness for this fresh, tender, and tasty food.

Ah well, let them be. These two little fellows couldn't eat that much anyway.

Regarding this, Sylutia just shook her head in amusement. She then soothed the tall draft horse in the stable. While she could let the ponies out to play and nibble freely, if this large draft horse were let out, it could probably finish off two mu of land in a single day.

"You'll just have to endure a little longer. Once the alfalfa matures, you'll definitely get your share," the young maiden said, using a brush to groom its coat, her fingers gently stroking the draft horse's forehead.

Under thick, dark eyelashes, the draft horse's eyes looked at this young maiden. It snorted a few times, then lowered its head to continue eating grass.

Through these days of interaction, it had become very familiar with this young maiden. Probably able to sense her goodwill and having built sufficient trust, it was no longer restless and gradually calmed down.After tending to this large draft horse, Sylutia walked out of the stable and went to check on the situation of the newly plowed land on the other side.

Considering the previous nutritional deficiency when planting wheat, she decided this time to also plant alfalfa on this newly reclaimed land first, before then planting wheat.

Through the efforts of the toads and the draft horse pulling the iron plow, fifty new mu of land were gradually reclaimed and successively planted with alfalfa.

Thinking about how to better increase fertility while also training herself, the young maiden began focusing on how to cultivate alfalfa. With her previous wheat experience, she was even more adept and familiar this time.

Cultivating alfalfa seemed simpler than wheat. After about ten days of observation and adjustments, Sylutia had this strange feeling.

This wasn't just due to a difference in experience. Through her meticulous observations, she discovered that she could more easily perceive flowering plants like alfalfa and grasp their unique 'rhythms' of life.

Cultivating wheat took her nearly three months to raise the skill to Excellent quality. Cultivating alfalfa, however, took only fifteen days for her to elevate this alfalfa to Excellent quality, and this wasn't even the limit.

('Gardening Skill - Alfalfa Branch' Proficiency +42)

On the twentieth day, the alfalfa bloomed in full glory, a sea of purple flowers dotting the valley plain.

The alfalfa leaves grew in dense, overlapping layers, thickly covering the fields. Within this low, green 'jungle,' clusters of pale purple little flowers bloomed. Their calyxes stretched in the wind, the purple petals within them supple, white inside and purple outside, layered densely together.

【Alfalfa】(Rare-82): Forage grass containing excellent nutrition, a favorite of many animals. Can significantly improve soil fertility and enhance nutrient content.

With such a stark contrast, Sylutia gained a clear understanding of her own talent: she was more proficient with flowering plants, or plants where flowers were the main characteristic.

Come to think of it, even before advancing to the First Tier, she had managed to cultivate a First Tier · Verdant Nectar Swan Orchid. She herself hadn't been aware of it, but Lady Franne later told her this was the first time she had seen someone without an Aspect manage to cultivate a plant possessing an Aspect from scratch.

In the following days, her cultivation of alfalfa progressed by leaps and bounds. Sylutia was now gaining more and more insight. She not only used the 'Verdant Eye' potion to enhance her observational abilities but also occasionally switched her own Aspect to 'Alien Star,' utilizing the 【Alien Star Perception】 effect of her Fate Card to observe hidden information undetectable in an ordinary field of view, gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the plants and environmental conditions.

These, combined with the foundational 【Nature Perception】, her [Gardening Skill], and other skill experiences, resulted in astonishing progress during her learning and comprehension process.

('Gardening Skill - Alfalfa Branch' Proficiency +51)

A month later, Sylutia sat on the hillside, looking down at the vast sea of alfalfa flowers below, feeling a bit troubled.

This wasn't because there was any problem with the cultivation or planting. On the contrary, the situation was too good, so good it left her somewhat at a loss. Blinking her captivating eyes slightly, the information about the alfalfa flower sea below was absorbed into her consciousness.

【Alfalfa】(Perfect-94): Forage grass containing extremely strong nutrition, a favorite of many animals. Can superbly improve the soil environment, enhance fertility. Simultaneously, its root system extends nearly 50 meters underground, eliminating the need for additional watering as it can replenish moisture on its own.

Well, now even watering was unnecessary. If she didn't actively remove them, these overly thriving alfalfa plants would spread and cover the entire valley over the next few years.

Perhaps choosing to run a farm was a mistake. If she had known cultivating alfalfa was this easy, she should have switched to a ranch for grazing instead. That would also significantly reduce the required manpower.

The summer breeze swept by, causing the many alfalfa plants to sway in the wind. Their flower buds unfurled, tiny stamens scattering in the breeze.

As if a signal had sounded, more and more alfalfa plants spread their petals. The 【Verdant Nectar】 Aspect they possessed gradually condensed in this comfortable summer wind, like an invisible purple flame spreading across the valley fields.

【Alfalfa Purple Flower】(First Tier · Verdant Nectar): In bloom. Due to your meticulous cultivation, the alfalfa has bloomed perfectly. As a reward for your incredibly detailed care, the 'Verdant Nectar' law rewards you with the condensation of an Aspect.

'Alfalfa Purple Flower can be added as a food supplement, allowing organisms to more efficiently absorb and utilize nutrients in food (can also enhance the absorption of Aspect power).'

Oh no.

Watching this scene, Sylutia had no time to react. The 【Verdant Nectar】 Aspect within her body seemed to awaken, resonating distantly with the purple flower sea before her. In another layer of her vision, countless minute Verdant Nectar light points rose from this blooming purple flower sea, flying towards her on the hillside and merging into her body.

The Fate Card originally encircled by verdant vines now emitted a glow. An intangible emerald green flowed, and the scenery on the card's surface also changed. The cornflowers that once bloomed beside the young maiden's figure now shrank in scope, leaving only a few by her side near her hand. The large grassy field on the card was now occupied by purple alfalfa flowers, surrounding the central young maiden, changing her style. Her originally simple dress now had a pale purple waist sash added, with purple flower cuffs on the sleeves.

【Maiden in the Sea of Flowers】(First Tier · Verdant Nectar) → 【Maiden Surrounded by Alfalfa】(Second Tier · Verdant Nectar)

——

Name: Sylutia · ※※※※

Race: Human (※※※)

Status: Healthy (No Abnormalities)

Talents: Star [Unknown Tier], Cornflower's Affection [Rare Tier, Can Be Upgraded]

Fate Card: 【Maiden Surrounded by Alfalfa】(Second Tier · Verdant Nectar)

'A young maiden slumbering in a sea of purple alfalfa flowers, possessing unimaginable potential. Now she has discovered the secret of flowers.'

- Effect 【Discernment Eyes Lv.4】: Originating from a special talent and physique, you can distinguish four layers of color imperceptible to ordinary people, as well as part of the essence of things. (This ability also receives synchronized improvement when you elevate the tier of your Fate Card.)

- Effect 【Nature Perception Lv.3】: Soaked in the Dew Prayer Method, your perception of all things in nature has become more delicate and sensitive. Even without the Verdant Eye potion, you can still perceive part of a plant's state. (Current effect is approximately two-thirds that of 'Verdant Eye.')

- Effect 【Alfalfa Purple Flower Lv.3】: You can control the alfalfa in your surrounding environment, making it follow your will to grow rapidly, bloom, set seed, and spontaneously adjust its state, moving it closer to Perfect quality.

- Profession 【Gardening Apprentice Lv.4】: A formed profession. Can gather Verdant Dew Water and possesses the ability to groom plant growth conditions. (Dew Prayer·Branch Grooming Lv.4)

Ability Cards: 【Lunar Radiance Breathing Technique Lv.3】【Flower Blooming Method Lv.3】【Sylutia's Clear Spring Lv.3】

Skills:

- Combat Category [Basic Swordsmanship Lv.5][Military Swordsmanship Lv.5][Garden Swordsmanship Lv.5], [Basic Archery Lv.4], [Basic Spear Technique Lv.4], [Unnamed Blade Art Lv.3]

- Profession Category [Secret History Knowledge Lv.5][Gardening Skill Lv.6]