The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 110: Town Matters

Vol 2 Chapter 110 Town Matters

Lantern Town, Sylutia sat in her office and reviewed the recent situation in the town.

"Potato yield: 100,000 jin, wheat yield: 180,000 jin, radishes: 30,000 jin, cabbages: 20,000 jin, alfalfa fodder: 60,000 jin..."

These were the crop yields for the past half year, and the food stockpiled in the mountain warehouses was considerable—equivalent to about three months of the town's production as reserve.

With so much food, supplying the more than 200 apprentices and over 100 toad servants in Lantern Town was more than enough; it was estimated they could eat for nearly ten years.

Currently there were six gorge garrisons, five lookout garrisons, and three supply garrisons within the Darkmist Mountains. According to the information Sylutia had, the other two supply garrisons, White Lake Town and Squirrel Town, currently produced only about one-third of Lantern Town’s yield and quality combined.

Sylutia didn't quite understand why. Their manpower was roughly comparable and the association's resources were not very different, so why was their output only one-sixth of her garrison's? She was told this was their best possible result.

Unfortunately she stayed in Lantern Town and had little time or opportunity to bypass the mountains and inspect the other two garrisons in person; she only learned about them occasionally through communication with association personnel.

Putting that aside for now, Sylutia shifted her attention to this year’s supply quotas.

According to the association’s set targets, she had to provide food and daily necessities to frontline garrisons. The gorge garrisons "Flint Fortress," "Dark Sand River Valley," "Ironwall Precipice," and "Falling Dream Mist River," as well as the two lookout garrisons "Thunder Flash High Tower" and "Venomous Sting Fortress," were all within Lantern Town’s supply remit."Over half a year we must supply each garrison with 20,000 jin of wheat, 10,000 jin of potatoes, 3,000 jin of radishes, 2,000 jin of cabbages..."

This standard was basically modeled on Lantern Town’s own yields, meaning roughly eighty percent of the town’s grain output would be sent out. Although the task was heavy, the association would not take it for free; Lantern Town would be paid 70% of market price in gold coins and receive many contribution points. Those points would be distributed to the apprentices, who could then exchange them with the association for needed resources and courses.

For the association this was extremely cost-effective, because transporting supplies from outside would cost more than three times what it did to ship directly from Lantern Town.

This process saved a huge amount of loss and consumption on the road, and reduced personnel and material expenses. Localized supply was also more convenient and safer.

Although apprentices would receive many points, they would certainly spend them within the Hidden Grove, exchanging them for resources and courses. This strengthened internal resource circulation and economic flow.

Under this model, even though some organizations occasionally complained about Hidden Grove governance rules, most benefited from the circulation. According to the data Sylutia reviewed and summarized, after the Hidden Grove association was established, the supernatural schools in the southern continent all gained members and resources gradually increased—stronger than ever before.

If one set aside the central continent’s Mage Alliance, the southern schools were now at the peak of their histories, flourishing.

Yet history was curious: even in unprecedented prosperity, the Hidden Grove alliance still faced enormous pressure, because the world situation kept changing. The Mage Alliance’s unstoppable rise forced the Hidden Grove to compete and keep searching for more power.

The arrival of Gale Season was not just a surface climate change. Deep in the Darkmist Mountains, regions reaching toward the Twilight Sea were also experiencing many changes; new dangers and opportunities were brewing simultaneously.

"It’s said that Flint Fortress discovered another vein deep inside a secret realm. There are massive gemstone ores there, and now the association has sent many surveyors and gem craftsmen to support Flint Fortress."

"Thunder Flash High Tower reported strange beast silhouettes darting through the clouds, possibly Twilight Beasts above Fifth Tier."

"Not long ago Falling Dream Mist River sent a few well-preserved black water lilies, asking if we could cultivate them, because those lilies produce special seeds that are the main ingredient for the 'Abyssal Reverie' spiritual medicine."

Sylutia listened as an apprentice next to her reported recent developments.

"A large number of surveyors and gem craftsmen. That means we must prepare to provide food and supplies. How many people would that be?" Sylutia asked.

"It’s said the core team is about 100 people, and the accompanying personnel around 300."

"Accompanying personnel?" Sylutia pressed.

"Those are First Tier and Second Tier apprentices traveling to learn, and many strong working other-race laborers." In the Fourth Continent context, "other races" generally referred to races other than humans, Elves, and Lizardmen.

"Only four hundred people, that’s manageable for now. But if Flint Fortress truly opens that vein for mining, more people will come later, and the food we need to prepare will increase."

"We’ll need to continue expanding the greenhouses in the second half of the year." Sylutia rubbed her brow, feeling like she was kneading dough.

The more greenhouses built, the more the association thought the town could sustain newcomers; then they would keep sending people into the Darkmist Mountains. More people meant new greenhouses and more grain to plant.

This could not continue—she could not handle it all alone. She had to ask the association to add manpower to the town, especially scholars skilled in stonework and some alchemists; otherwise, with only Dorothy handling things, it would be overwhelming.

With that thought, she picked up a pen and began writing a request and explaining the reasons.

The second piece of news, the strange beast silhouettes at Thunder Flash High Tower, did not concern her much. Lantern Town’s main duties were not combat, and many apprentices here were Second Tier, unable to face powerful enemies.

The third item, the black water lilies from Falling Dream Mist River, she could try to cultivate later, but the results were not guaranteed.

After replying and handling these matters, Sylutia stood up. Town business for today was finished; her free time began.

During this period, besides managing the town greenhouses, her primary task was to perfect the gardener progression path. Considering the town’s lack of books and mentors, she planned to return to Glittergold Plains for a visit to study and to stop by the Four Seasons Alliance to inquire about formal membership.

After all, she had reached Third Tier through the core secret arts of Autumn Garden. Even if she did not join the organization, she wanted to express her gratitude. Besides, she owed Instructor Falan a debt of affection that could not be ignored.

Finally, having reached Third Tier also meant she had the opportunity to return to the surface continent without paying points or costs, to visit home once.

She had been away from Scorchstone City for three years—she wondered how everyone was doing now.