The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 16: The Glittergold Baker

Vol 2 Chapter 16: The Glittergold Baker

During the two days of waiting, Sylutia did not stay at her lodgings to sleep. Instead, she went to the market to look around. This time she had brought part of her wheat to the city, intending to sell it separately.

According to the Hidden Grove association rules, after submitting the required portion, any surplus wheat could be disposed of freely. This rule was meant to encourage apprentices to produce more grain.

Even if she stopped planting wheat now, the 8,000 jin piled in the granary would already cover the required submission. The remaining 3,000 jin could be handled on her own.

At the market, Sylutia rented a stall and hung up a sign that read, "Superior Quality Wheat Flour, 3 silver coins / 1 jin."

Both the price and the slogan were plain and simple. She wore a black hooded dress today and sat behind the stall; her bearing actually seemed out of place with the goods she was selling.

A price of 3 silver coins per jin was acceptable for apprentices who only occasionally ate one or two meals of it, but if someone ate it every meal every day, they would spend nearly 1 gold coin a month, which was almost an apprentice's entire normal income.

So most apprentices chose staple grain of "Good" or "Excellent" quality for daily eating. High-quality provisions were reserved for missions and explorations.

Many people passed through the market, but very few came specifically to buy food, and even fewer were buying wheat flour.

Sylutia sat all morning and only sold 16 jin of wheat flour. Many of the buyers were apprentices seeing "Superior" flour for the first time and just wanting to try it.In the afternoon, Sylutia continued sitting at the stall, thinking that if she didn't sell it all today she would just hand it over to the association anyway. She'd at least experienced running a stall; taking a small loss on price was fine.

Around three o'clock, as Sylutia sat behind the stall daydreaming about whether to pack up and go for a walk, a customer in white approached.

"Oh, someone selling wheat flour too — how interesting." The visitor came to the stall, examined the samples, pinched a few grains with his fingers, and put them in his mouth to taste.

After a short while, he sounded repeatedly surprised.

"The texture and purity, this is really quite good, even better than the association's special supply." Those words finally snapped the girl out of her daze. She lifted her hood and scrutinized the customer.

Sylutia's nose twitched, and a light flickered in her eyes. She quickly deduced the customer's identity.

A baker, huh...

——

Name: Unknown

Race: Human (mortal body)

Status: Healthy (no abnormalities)

Talent: Flame Sense [Excellent], naturally sensitive to fire intensity, a promising candidate as a cook.

Fate Card: [Baker by the Hearth] (Second Tier · Glittergold)

"Master of controlling oven heat, able to use the hearth to better bake and produce high-quality pastries."

- Effect [Heat Control Lv.3]: Through exposure to high-temperature oven fire, your control of heat becomes increasingly precise, enabling breads and pastries to be baked at optimal temperatures while retaining their nutrients. This grants your baked goods +1 quality.

- Profession [Baker Lv.3]: A formed profession, capable of skillfully fermenting dough and activating its nutrients. (Fermentation · Nutrient Activation Lv.3)

Ability Cards: [Baking Technique Lv.4 (Glittergold)] [High-Temperature Furnace Lv.4 (Glittergold)]

——

So it's the Glittergold Aspect, Sylutia was a little surprised. This was her first time seeing a baker with an extraordinary profession.

"Hello, would you like to buy anything?" She stood up slightly.

The man didn't pay much attention to the girl behind the stall; his focus stayed on the flour and the wheat grains.

"Oh, fresh wheat grains, not yet milled. Did you grow these yourself?" The baker had assumed these were bought elsewhere and resold.

"I grew them myself," the girl answered honestly. There was no reason to hide it.

"Really very good quality. Also, you're an established Second Tier apprentice, no wonder." He noticed she was Second Tier · Verdant Nectar and nodded several times.

"I'm a baker at the Wind Furnace Bakery in the city. I'm very interested in the wheat and flour you're selling." He didn't beat around the bush and said it outright.

"Three silver coins per jin is really cheap. This is your first time selling wheat in the city, right?" he asked.

"That's right. Is there a problem?" Sylutia thought for a moment; she hadn't broken any rules as far as she knew.

"No problem, just that the price is low." He laughed.

"Indeed, it matches the association's standard price. Superior quality is three silver coins per jin, but in reality, Superior wheat yields far less than Excellent quality. It's actually hard to find."

"The Glittergold Plains grow a lot of wheat, tended by higher-ranking gardeners. Their 'Rare' quality and above wheat is sent directly to the association's various organizations and doesn't enter the market. So the best wheat flour you can currently buy on the market is 'Superior' quality."

"Although everyone calls it 'Superior' in general, those of us who are professional bakers or cooks can still distinguish differences even among ingredients of the same labeled quality."

"You cultivated well. It probably took many years to raise quality to this level." He nodded appreciatively.

"You look young too," he added.

"How much stock do you have now? If possible, I'd like to buy it all. I'll pay you 4 silver coins per jin."

If she had handed it straight to the association, it would have fetched about 2.1 silver per jin. Selling directly would nearly double her income.

Even though she hadn't expected much profit at first, seeing the produce she had personally grown turn into income made Sylutia quietly happy. It wasn't just the money, which could be used for many things; it was the satisfaction of having her effort recognized.

"All of it? Let me think." She had to reserve at least 5,000 jin for submission, meaning only 3,000 jin were hers to dispose of. Allowing for some loss, she could realistically sell about 2,600 jin.

"About 2,400 jin, then."

"That much? I thought it was only a few hundred jin." He was surprised; gardeners had limited energy, and to focus on improving quality they usually managed only small plots.

"It seems you're very skilled." Pleased at the prospect of stocking a batch of excellent raw materials, his mood brightened.

"It looks like we should discuss the deal in more detail."

"Do you have time to sit at the restaurant for a bit? Oh, I haven't introduced myself — I'm Fred."

Sylutia had the nearby toad pack up the goods and carry them back to the inn, then followed the baker Fred to a pastry restaurant by the street to sit.

"Actually, many of this restaurant's pastries are supplied by us. We have a good relationship." He introduced himself and then called over a staff member.

"Bring this lady an 'Orange Windmill Cake'. I remember supplying six of those this morning; this item has been selling well lately."

"No problem, Mr. Fred. Your creations have always been our shop's specialty." The staff smiled and made a note.

Soon a delicately presented cake was placed on the table. The sponge was a faint lavender color, with little orange windmills on top. The windmill blades were separated orange slices, and a golden wheat-colored cheese represented the field; together they formed a tranquil, pleasant pastoral scene.

[Orange Windmill Cake] (First Tier · Glittergold): Made from superior-quality oranges, cream, eggs, and flour. The ingredients blend perfectly into an excellent texture. (Beyond ordinary food, it greatly restores stamina, soothes a weary mind, and can heal certain mental wounds.)

Sylutia took a small spoonful and tasted the cake. A sweet, fragrant flavor blossomed on her tongue, and she felt as if she had landed on a light, floating cloud.

This dual comfort for body and spirit was unforgettable, and Sylutia marveled inwardly.

She vaguely remembered that only ingredients raised to "Perfect" quality could condense an Aspect, yet this baker had used a collection of "Superior" ingredients to construct a nearly "Perfect" product that condensed an Aspect.

Indeed, no extraordinary profession should be underestimated.