The Cornflower Witch

Chapter 58: Mastering the 'Branch Grooming Method'

After being taken out by Lady Franne for her first social outing, enduring the long morning and afternoon, Sylutia could finally bid farewell to these noble ladies.

"See you next time, Anluo'er~" They waved their fingers, smiling as they said goodbye to the young lady.

In response, Sylutia once again lifted her skirt in a curtsy before boarding the carriage.

When she finally leaned back against the seat, the young lady let out a sigh of relief. Her mind, which had been somewhat tense all along, only now began to relax.

Lady Franne sat opposite her at this moment, finding Sylutia's demeanor quite amusing.

"A bit tired, are you? After all, you were the only junior today, hehe." She naturally understood the situation Sylutia had faced today, lightly covering her face with her folding fan.

"However, now that you know those ladies, even if I am occasionally not at home, you can seek their help and won't be completely isolated and helpless."

"Furthermore, since you are my student, you will eventually become known to everyone. Hiding away would only make people suspicious, so it's better to step out openly."

"I understand, Lady." Sylutia knew the other woman was doing this for her own good.

After calming her emotions, the scenery outside the window began to change again as the carriage moved. Through a gap in the curtain, she spotted several of her noble classmates passing by.Baren and Toss, they were riding horses, accompanied by several attendants. They looked like they had just returned from hunting, with prey like foxes and geese hanging from the sides of their horses.

Upon seeing Lady Franne's carriage, the two seemed to recognize it and slightly adjusted their reins, moving their horses to the side of the road to let the carriage pass safely. This made Sylutia even more aware of Lady Franne's status within the city.

"Scorchstone City isn't very large. The most esteemed person here is Viscount Xuefeng himself, followed by his family," Lady Franne explained to Sylutia.

"However, his family isn't large. Aside from his wife, he only has one son and one daughter, and neither of them are currently in Scorchstone City."

"Where are they then?" Sylutia asked curiously.

"At the Royal Academy in the royal capital, White Cliff City. That place gathers the heirs of many major nobles and allows them to socialize and access the entire noble circle of Regas. That's why most nobles send their children there to study."

"Your classmate, Iona, was a student there before."

"Aside from Viscount Xuefeng, the people of relatively high status within Scorchstone City are some nobles with real power, such as Baron Quad, Baron Kenny, the knights subordinate to Viscount Xuefeng, and so on. After that come those who, while lacking noble titles, still wield considerable influence, such as the owner of the 'Oak Barrel' trading guild, the person in charge of the Adventurers' Guild, the heads of the major industry guilds, etc."

"These figures form the important supporting pillars within Scorchstone City. Finally, there are the relatives, friends, and subordinates who attach themselves around them."

"Lady Polia, whom you met today, her husband is the owner of the 'Oak Barrel' trading guild, managing an organization of nearly a thousand people."

"Carrie is the head of the Horticulture Guild. Although her personal ability is average, you will likely have many cooperative dealings with her in the future."

"Moran is the wife of Baron Kenny, that noble lady just now wearing the sea-blue dress with wine-red hair. She was originally the daughter of Viscount Woshan from the central region of Regas and has been married here for almost ten years now."

Lady Franne introduced the backgrounds of the noble ladies Sylutia had just met, one by one.

"As for me... how much can you guess?" Lady Franne revealed a teasing smile.

"Hmm, during the gathering just now, Lady said she was from the distant Windchime Kingdom." Sylutia's memory was excellent.

"You remember quite clearly, don't you? That's right, I hail from the Windchime Kingdom, located in the central part of the continent, slightly closer to the north. It's a relatively small country, situated on grasslands, growing endless, lush windchime grass. The climate is pleasant, and life is quite peaceful." She reminisced briefly.

"However, these are all memories from twenty years ago. I've left that place for a long time now."

...

"You ask me why I left my homeland? The reason isn't that clear-cut. Perhaps one day I suddenly wanted to travel around, and then I just never went back."

...

"I've traveled to quite a few places, not just within Regas, but also the Winter Kingdom to the north, the Merchant Capital Alliance to the east, the Hot Rain Swamps further south, and so on."

"In each place, I would stay for a few years, familiarizing myself with the local flora and special cultivation techniques, then move on to the next place after a few more years."

"Many gardeners always stay in one place, pouring all their heart into their garden. I believe this easily leads to becoming complacent and limiting one's horizons."

"However, everyone has their own choices. Just as I occasionally tease Carrie, telling her she could go see the more distant Merchant Capital Alliance, where there would be many new styles she'd like. Unfortunately, she rarely takes such advice to heart." Lady Franne gently fanned herself with her folding fan.

"Traveling to many places means you get to know many more friends. This lovely dress you're wearing was tailored by an acquaintance of mine from Valley City. Although it can't compare to the intricate and ornate styles from the Merchant Capital region, even in the royal capital, White Cliff City, it would be considered a rare and excellent high-quality piece."

Lady Franne's narration pulled Sylutia's awareness away from her increasingly repetitive student life, allowing her to view her current situation from a broader, more elevated perspective.

More distant places... Sylutia quietly noted down these place names and their characteristics.

...

The carriage arrived at Lady Franne's mansion. Sylutia got off and took a short stroll in the courtyard before returning to the living room.

After resting for a while, Lining came to tell her that Lady Franne was waiting for her in the flower field.

"Alright, I'll head over right away." She put her hat back on and walked towards the flower field in the backyard.

The sunflowers here were still brilliant, their pale yellow and golden petals layered like waves, swaying slightly in the sunlight, emanating waves of warmth.

Gently parting the flower stems and leaves before her, Sylutia walked along the small path within the flower field. Before long, she saw Lady Franne in the center of the field.

She was sitting on a wooden chair placed among the flowers, with a small round table and an empty chair beside her, presumably left for Sylutia.

"Have a seat, Tia."

"Mhm." The young lady softly responded and then sat down beside her.

"How's the scenery here? Isn't it comfortable?" The sky above was a vast expanse of blue, and from the sides occasionally came the rustling, swaying, and rubbing sounds of leaves and branches in the wind.

"Now that you are my student, today I shall teach you your first lesson. It's about the grooming of flowers, plants, and trees, namely the 'Branch Grooming Method'." She picked up her teacup and began to explain slowly.

"Unlike the 'Dew Prayer Method', learning it requires you to have at least the 'First Tier·Verdant Nectar' standing."

"Just like the literal meaning, it's like combing hair. You comb through and adjust the internal state of plants and trees, making it clear and orderly." Lady Franne then began to explain in detail the function, principle, effects, precautions, and so on of this secret art.

Occasionally, she would even demonstrate it directly in front of Sylutia.

Different from Scholar Hyde's method of merely imparting the knowledge content of a secret art, this one-on-one, visually demonstrated ability allowed Sylutia to comprehend and understand at an extremely rapid pace, gradually grasping some of its true essence and rhythm.

In roughly one afternoon, under Lady Franne's guidance, Sylutia learned the 'Branch Grooming Method'.

[Branch Grooming Method Lv.1] (Verdant Nectar): Combs through the nutrients, moisture, fibers, structure, etc., within a plant. It is an ability that allows for active adjustment of a plant's state.

Previously, relying on observing the plant's condition and striving to create the most suitable environment was a relatively passive approach. For example, to achieve the optimal humidity, one had to repeatedly adjust the environment, sprinkle water, etc. With the Branch Grooming Method, one can directly guide the plant to absorb moisture or expel excess moisture. The same principle applies to the absorption of trace nutrients.

This way, when cultivating plants, it becomes much easier to achieve the optimal state, or even surpass the optimal state, reaching a state beyond perfection.