Cornflower Witch

Chapter 43 The Blooming of the Swan Orchid
Bang, bang...

Inside the training ground, Mick and Ray clashed as usual, with the occasional crisp sound of weapons clashing.

Hiltiya stood behind the railing not far away, her eyes following the two who kept changing positions, watching them adopt various tactics and how they used their own advantages to gain opportunities.

(Basic Swordsmanship Proficiency +2)

(Basic Swordsmanship Proficiency +1)

……

Currently, she is gaining less and less experience from watching games.
After watching for a while, she had a general idea of ​​the two swordsmen's techniques. She closed her eyes slightly and used only her voice and memory to recreate their actions. When she opened her eyes again, she found that their movements and reactions were exactly as she had predicted.

With that, she lightly pressed her fingers to her chin, contemplating how to guide the two.

Her swordsmanship wasn't far superior to theirs, but with her keen observation skills, she could easily spot their weaknesses.

Generally speaking, a person's observation or appreciation ability must exceed their current ability in order to make continuous progress. If a person's ability reaches the level of their own vision, and they cannot see any flaws, but their strength is still inferior to others, this is the most uncomfortable and dangerous state.

Currently, after two months of training, both of them have reached what they consider to be their ideal state. However, since then, they have found it difficult to make any further progress and have hit a bottleneck.

Looking back on her experiences over the past few months since awakening, Hiltiya felt that what had the greatest impact on this life was not the still unknown 'cornflower affection' and 'star' talent, but rather the observational and comprehension abilities that were difficult to attain in her previous life.

The ability to hear, understand, and memorize the words of ten people simultaneously, along with the ability to observe and detect subtle changes that are difficult for ordinary people to perceive, allows her to learn skills at an extremely fast pace.

A few minutes later, the two sparring partners stopped, returned to the rest area to drink water and wipe their sweat, and then asked the black-haired girl a question.

"Well, Tia, did you understand?" Mick still didn't think this quiet girl could understand the situation of his fight with Ray.

"I roughly understand it." The girl nodded, but after thinking for a moment, she added more.

“I can offer you some advice, but you must not tell anyone that I taught you.”

"Why is that? Okay, Ray and I won't tell you." Mick didn't understand, but after thinking about it, he agreed.

"However, your suggestions have to be useful, otherwise I won't listen."

Over time, his previously impatient temper was unconsciously influenced by the girl, and he became more peaceful.

Occasionally, he would recall that hot and drowsy afternoon when Hilti touched his forehead to check his temperature. Perhaps it was from that day on that he became less willing to lose his temper with this girl.

Was he in love? No, it wasn't. It wasn't the kind of passionate, intense longing that Brother Jero had described. It was more like the faint scent of grass and flowers that wafted during his afternoon nap, something he would think of when he calmed down.

While Mike was lost in thought, Hilti took out a pen and paper and sketched, calculating and thinking in her mind. Finally, after more than ten minutes, she roughly finalized her strategy.

“Here.” She went to the blackboard and began to use a chalk to draw the two people’s fighting positions and the way they used their weapons.

"This is my private lesson, so don't leak it to anyone, and don't get distracted." The girl had mastered the technique, using her soft and pleasant voice to keep the two focused.

……

... (Mick's 'Basic Swordsmanship' proficiency +12)

... (Lei's proficiency in Basic Swordsmanship +9)

...(Mick's 'Basic Swordsmanship' proficiency +11) ...(Ray's 'Basic Swordsmanship' proficiency +8)

……

The lecture time passed by in the blink of an eye. When Hilti finished speaking, Mike and Ray felt as if they had unlocked some secrets and gained new perspectives and insights into many things.

"So, it can be like this?" Mick stroked his chin.

"Lei, I understand." Lei also showed a simple and honest smile.

"Phew, I've managed to teach these two idiots a lesson," Hiltiya breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head slightly.

This was only after she had taught the two of them for quite some time and understood their comprehension and thinking abilities, and then she gave them targeted explanations. Otherwise, she really wouldn't know how to impart any of these things.

At this rate, their basic swordsmanship should be able to break through to Lv.4 in a while. As for Lv.5, that will be difficult, since Sylvia herself hasn't reached that level yet.

“Then there’s Karen,” she said, referring to the girl listening to the lecture not far away.

“Your marksmanship could actually be improved.” She winked, gesturing for her friend to come over and give her private instruction.

……

After a day of classes and training, in the evening, Hiltiya returned to her residence.

As soon as she stepped inside, she sensed something different. Following this subtle feeling, she quickly went to the backyard and found that a 'Swan Orchid' in a glass dome was now in full bloom.

The slender stamens extend from the unfolded petals, forming an S-shaped curve that first droops and then rises, resembling the graceful curve of a swan's neck. The five green and white petals around it, like swan wings, lie naturally with a slight curve, symmetrical around the swan-like stamens. It is so natural, yet so strangely beautiful.

【Swan Orchid】(Perfect-91): In bloom, thanks to your meticulous cultivation, this Swan Orchid is blooming almost perfectly. As a reward for your extremely careful cultivation, nature is giving you the condensation of the 'Emerald Honey' quality.

【Swan Orchid】(Tier 1·Emerald Honey): A manifestation of the gardener's meticulous care and patient cultivation. It can be used to purify the power of other elements and create a tranquil environment free from interference.

Carefully bending down and kneeling on the stone slab, Hiltiya carefully observed the blooming swan orchid. On the stamens, which were as graceful as a swan's neck, there seemed to be a faint, invisible golden halo that then gently fell and dispersed into the surrounding air.

When she gently placed her hand on the bulb of the Swan Orchid again, a strange ripple traveled along her fingers and spread to her body and mind. It was the condensed 'Emerald Honey' essence, like scattered fragments, piecing together a complete picture. The Swan Orchid's own free and fragile essence power no longer easily dissipated, but became concentrated and resilient. It could even guide and manipulate the hidden 'Emerald Honey' essence power in the surrounding flowers and plants like a magnet.

As Hilti immersed her consciousness in the Swan Orchid, she suddenly had an epiphany: if she used guidance, she could introduce the nascent 'Tier 1 - Emerald Honey' within the Swan Orchid into her destiny chart, allowing her destiny card [Sleeping Maiden] (Sexual Aspect Rank: None) to advance and obtain the 'Tier 1 - Emerald Honey' sex aspect.

Should she advance to the next level now? She thought about it and decided to hold off for now and ask Professor Hyde before making a decision.

Moreover, the other two Swan Orchids were about to bloom. She turned her gaze to the other two Swan Orchids, whose buds were beginning to unfurl and begin to condense the 'Tier 1 - Emerald Honey' nature.

The first Swan Orchid to achieve cohesive phase is the most difficult. Once you have the first one, the other two will be much easier to guide and assist.

"We definitely can't touch the first one now. Let's wait until all three of them bloom before making a decision," the girl stood up.

As usual, she watered the swan orchids again, replenished their nutrients, and then carefully loosened the soil.

After finishing all that, she washed her hands, picked up her book again, and sat in the backyard to read by lamplight. Occasionally, she would look up at the blooming 'Swan Orchid' that emitted a faint golden glow in the night.

This patient cultivation and the harvest after a long period of hard work brought her a sense of happiness and peace of mind, and even taking a nap in the backyard at this moment would make her feel much more at ease.

(End of this chapter)