Cornflower Witch

Chapter 14 The Gardener's Path
Instead of squeezing under the crowded notice board, Hilti and Thalys watched from a distance and listened to the discussions among the people present. By this time, the girl had also roughly surveyed the members of the guild.

There are 6 adventurers who have reached the first level of sexuality. Most of the others also know breathing techniques or other abilities, so they are not completely ordinary people. It seems that knowing breathing techniques is the most basic requirement to become an adventurer.

Currently, Siltiya's breathing technique has advanced to the second stage.

[Breathing Technique Lv.2] (Blood Rhythm): Regulates blood flow rate through breathing, thereby enhancing overall strength and reaction speed. This ability places a strain on the heart and body and should not be used for extended periods (recommended not to exceed 3 minute/day); (Completion 21/600)

She hasn't encountered the bottleneck that Frien mentioned yet. Each time she finishes practicing the 'breathing method,' she gains +5 completion points. Moreover, due to the practice of the breathing method, her physical fitness has improved significantly in the past two weeks. Now she can practice 4 times a day, which means +20 progress points every day. At this rate, she should be able to enter the third stage of the breathing method in about a month.

She has to stop once she enters the third stage. If she continues to cultivate, her destiny and nature may directly shift to (first stage - Blood Law), which is not the result she wants.

As for swordsmanship and spearmanship, they are currently 'Basic Swordsmanship Lv.4' and 'Basic Spearmanship Lv.4' respectively. The improvement in proficiency is slow. Hilti guessed that if she wanted to further improve these two skills, she would need to gain experience through actual combat.

At noon, many people went to eat, and the Adventurer's Hall became relatively quiet and peaceful.

Hiltia walked to the front desk and asked, "Excuse me, is there a girl here named Mylin?"

Upon hearing the girl's question, the chestnut-haired receptionist behind the counter looked at the hooded girl with a strange expression for a while before answering.

"I am Mylin, and you are?" She was certain she didn't recognize this person.

“I came from Linden Village. I got lost in the forest due to an accident and lost some of my memory. I’ve come to Scorched Stone City and am looking for some help. This is a letter of introduction from Mr. Frien.” She handed over the letter she had prepared in her arms.

Upon opening the envelope and seeing the familiar handwriting, Mai Lin's expression softened, and her earlier suspicion vanished.

“Ah, so he’s an acquaintance of Uncle Frien. Hmm, he praised Miss Tia a lot in his letter and told me to take good care of you.” Mylene read out the gist of the letter.

"It's not a good place to talk, come this way. By the way, this must be Taliel, right?" She actually knew this wild girl.

"You actually know me?" Taliel exclaimed in disbelief.

"Hehe, of course, as the receptionist of the Adventurers' Guild, the first thing is to have a good memory." Mylene winked and led the two to a room on the side of the hall for a short rest.

“When Uncle Frien mentioned Lindenwood Village, I was reminded of Grandpa Pound, and you’re his granddaughter, so I guessed it right away,” Mylene explained.

"Grandpa is that famous?" Sitting at the small round table, Talil propped her head up with a hint of happiness and pride.

“Old Master Pound is a well-known figure recorded in the Scorched Stone City Adventurers’ Guild, and the only legendary figure still alive today,” Mylene explained, shaking her head slightly, indicating that he was no ordinary person.

"Many adventurers come to the guild, but very few can stay in this line of work for more than ten years."

"Adventurers do earn a lot of money, but they also face many dangers and accidents. Many people either die on missions or are seriously injured and have to leave the profession," Mylin lamented.

"If an adventurer is very strong, they should be able to overcome all kinds of dangers and remain safe and sound," Taliel imagined her future.

“Very rare. If an adventurer’s strength reaches level three or above, he will basically stop doing this.” Mylene brought the two of them some simple tea.

"A third-tier transcendent being is enough to become a powerful knight, pledge allegiance to a nobleman, and receive a small fiefdom."

“If it were another profession, you could join some large organizations and gain a high status, instead of having to travel around every day like adventurers, without a fixed abode.” She sat down in front of the two of them.

"Are you here today because you're interested in adventurers?" "Yes." Hilti thought for a moment and briefly explained her situation.

“I see. If Miss Tia doesn’t want to rely on her looks to enjoy life, then she needs to find a job to make a living. And I happen to have the most information here.” Mylene winked shrewdly.

"Since it was Uncle Frien who recommended and introduced her, Miss Tia must have been recognized and praised by him in some way. I know my uncle's personality very well."

"The Apothecary Guild that Miss Tia mentioned earlier is indeed a very good choice, but becoming an apothecary is not easy." She shook her head slightly.

“First,” she said, holding up her finger.

"You need to learn how to identify, select, and process various herbs. These things are very detailed, and the records in books are often incomplete."

"Secondly, if you don't know the 'scent-based technique,' it's difficult to go far as a pharmacist."

"As the name suggests, the 'scent method' uses the sense of smell to distinguish the medicinal properties of herbs, the degree of decomposition of the medicine, the effects after the reaction, and so on."

Just as not everyone knows how to breathe, learning how to smell fragrances also depends on talent.

"If you can accomplish the first two things, you should be able to become a regular apothecary apprentice, join the apothecary guild, and then make some common potions to make a living."

"To truly become a pharmacist, one must also learn the 'blending method,' which is a more complex skill than the 'fragrance method.' It involves harmonizing the 'properties' of the extracted materials in order to create special potions of 'first tier' or higher."

"Currently, there are only four apothecaries in Scorched Stone City who know the 'blending technique'. They are the elites of the Apothecary Guild, and most of the potions they make are not available on the market. Only a small number of healing and detoxification potions are sold to adventurers."

"Therefore, I suggest that Miss Tia postpone her career as a pharmacist and instead aim to become a horticulturist."

"Ordinary gardeners only need to learn how to care for and prune flowers and plants. However, professional gardeners need to learn how to cultivate the 'Cui Mi' type. They can cultivate high-quality flowers, vegetables, fruits, and even rare flowers and trees that contain the power of 'type'."

"There is no clear superiority or inferiority between the two, but the job of a gardener is relatively easy, and Ms. Tia has more time to do other things."

"For you, this job is just a temporary measure." As the receptionist of the Adventurers' Guild, Mylene was experienced and knew that this girl wouldn't be confined to this place forever.

She didn't pay much attention to what Mylene had said about the difficulties of becoming a pharmacist, but she did take Mylene's mention of time to heart.

Indeed, if one were to study under Maester Hyde, most of one's time would likely be spent learning knowledge. Moreover, apothecaries require two ability slots; once those are used up, there would be no time left to learn other abilities.

In terms of time, energy, and planning ability, the 'Gardener' is a better choice.

"It seems I need to be a gardener for a while." The girl ran her fingers through the strands of hair in front of her and looked up.

"I wonder if Sister Mai Lin could guide me on how to get started?" Her soft and melodious voice made Mai Lin pause for a few seconds.

“It’s a shame you didn’t become a songstress,” she said, shaking her head.

"How to get started? That's a small matter. I'll help you find a book by a well-known gardener in the city. I'm quite familiar with that Mrs. Fran, but ordinary people don't know she exists."

"As for expressing gratitude, there's no need to rush. Just focus on living your life well first, Tiya."

(End of this chapter)