Sylutia's life began to settle into an exceptionally regular routine.
Each morning she focused intensely on practicing the 'Dew Prayer thod', then read the books Mareen had found for her. In the afternoons, she practiced swordplay and trained in the 'Breathing Technique', occasionally watering the newly planted 'Swan Orchids' in the courtyard during breaks.
In this manner, she gradually stabilized, with everything progressing in an orderly fashion.
...
Over a week later, Sylutia finally completed her study of the 'Dew Prayer thod'.
[Dew Prayer thod Lv.1] (Verdant Nectar): Gathers morning mist at dawn, transforms it into verdant dew as water. (Verdant Dew Water can promote plant growth and cultivate plants)
She had finally mastered the basics. Letting out a sigh of relief, she looked at the bottle of 'Verdant Dew Water' in her hand, which still had about one-third remaining.
If she hadn't learned the 'Dew Prayer thod' by the ti this bottle was used up, she wouldn't have had money to buy a second one.
Now she should be self-sufficient, and might even have extra 'Verdant Dew Water' to sell to the Horticulture Guild.
Just as Sylutia decided to take a proper day off to relax, Winnie's notification arrived.
In the afternoon, Talier led Sylutia through the streets of the western district, then pointed toward a distant mansion and told the young girl.
"See that place over there, Tia."
"That's Scholar Hyde's residence. Sister said she already spoke with Scholar Hyde a few days ago. Today you just need to go et him. He'll probably give you a simple assessnt. If you pass, you'll be able to study under Scholar Hyde afterwards."
"I understand." She took a deep breath, adjusting the slight nervousness in her heart.
Logically speaking, her current knowledge should exceed most people her age, so she shouldn't fear an assessnt. But no matter what, this was currently Sylutia's most crucial evaluation, just like her first job interview after graduating back in the day.
"Let's go." After adjusting her mindset and breathing, the young girl walked toward the mansion.
Knocking on the door, being guided by a servant, walking across the front courtyard's lawn, Sylutia arrived at the mansion's side parlor to wait.
Today she wore that simple white dress, her smooth hair tied up with a cornflower hair ribbon, showcasing the young girl's tranquility and beauty. Simply standing there, she resembled a beautiful painting.
Soon, Scholar Hyde arrived in the side parlor with his elderly servant. Today he wore his scholar's robe, giving him a sowhat formal yet kindly appearance.
Upon seeing Sylutia, he slightly adjusted his round reading glasses, then sat in a single armchair.
"Sit down, child." He gestured for Sylutia to sit as well.
"This is our first eting. What is your na?"
"My na is Sylutia." The young girl bowed with graceful etiquette before sitting down, her movents and deanor nearly perfect.
"Sylutia..." Scholar Hyde murmured the na softly, as if searching his mory for related information.
"A very good child." He nodded slightly, revealing a kindly smile.
"Lessons will begin next Monday, then five days each week afterwards. If you encounter any difficulties, you can always talk to ."
Huh? The young girl was sowhat surprised. Wasn't there supposed to be an assessnt?
"We still have plenty of ti today. Let's chat about recent circumstances." Scholar Hyde indicated the girl needn't hurry to leave.
"Winnie told
you've forgotten many things from your past and wish to recover through cultivating supernatural Aspects. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"Haha, no need to be too reserved. Let's continue. If the mory loss is due to Aspect power, it's most likely influenced by either the 'Mist Shadow' or 'Nightmare' Aspects." He recalled his lifelong learning.
"To recover, the most suitable path for you would be cultivating 'Luminous Moon' Aspect power. However, the 'Luminous Moon' Aspect..." He paused for a mont.
"Taking this path would be quite troubleso to study." He spoke from feeling.
"Why is that?" Sylutia tilted her head slightly with curiosity.
"The Aspect powers ordinary people encounter most frequently belong to 'Castle' and 'Bloodline', followed by 'Beast Fang' and 'Verdant Nectar'."
"These Aspect powers all have physical manifestations, making them relatively easier to contact, sense, and cultivate."
"The three moon-related Aspects are different. These three lean toward the spiritual realm—they're intangible, ethereal, dreamlike existences. Among them, 'Mist Shadow' at least has traces to follow, while 'Luminous Moon' is like the bright moon hanging high in the night sky, distant and difficult to reach."
"Resources related to the 'Luminous Moon' Aspect are scarce, resulting in exceptionally few supernatural practitioners who focus on the 'Luminous Moon' Aspect."
"But 'Luminous Moon' is still worshipped—it's one of the three upper-tier Aspects among the many Aspects."
"Judging by your expression, you probably don't know about the three upper-tier Aspects. This is actually a classification within supernatural practitioner circles—not that these three are absolutely powerful, but compared to other Aspect powers of the sa tier, they're often more comprehensive and dominant."
"Blazing Sun, Luminous Moon, and Dragon Eye—these three are the upper-tier Aspects."
"In Regas, supernatural practitioners skilled in 'Luminous Moon' Aspect power can be counted on one hand. If you want to follow this path, you'll need exceptional talent." Although this young girl appeared to have excellent temperant, no one could guarantee she would have equally exceptional talent in cultivating supernatural Aspect power.
"If this path truly proves impassable, you could also attempt cultivating the 'Verdant Nectar' Aspect path..."
"'Verdant Nectar' cannot directly lead to 'Luminous Moon'. However, 'Silver Moon Orchids' containing 'Luminous Moon' Aspect power can be cultivated. If you truly beco a master in the relevant field, you could obtain high-tier 'Luminous Moon' Aspect power through this indirect thod. Then find a skilled alchemist to prepare a potion for you to restore your past mories."
"Thank you, teacher."
The young girl bowed in gratitude, feeling respect for this elderly man. No wonder he was recognized as a master scholar in Scorchstone City—he had so easily clarified the problems she faced.
"Well, let's not discuss matters too distant today." He waved his hand, indicating for the girl to sit back down.
"What abilities and skills do you currently possess? I might be able to help organize and guide you."
"I currently know the 'Breathing Technique' and the 'Dew Prayer thod'." The young girl recounted her learning experiences from this period.
"How long did it take you to learn the Dew Prayer thod?"
"One week." Hearing this, Scholar Hyde nodded, his expression showing clear appreciation.
"Learning this must have cost quite a bit of money. I recall practicing the 'Dew Prayer thod' has always been a luxurious endeavor, which is why there are so few professional 'gardeners' in Scorchstone City."
"This... can't 'Verdant Dew Water' be purchased at the Horticulture Guild?" Sylutia asked hesitantly.
"Ah, that 'Verdant Dew Water' is for accelerating plant growth—it's usually diluted? Using it for practice won't work because the Aspect power is too faint." Scholar Hyde shook his head.
"Generally, you need 'Verdant Dew Water' with at least 70% concentration. However, such 'Verdant Dew Water' requires the 'Dew Prayer thod' to be refined to the second stage before it can be condensed, and it's quite expensive."
Is that how it was? Sylutia recalled her recent period learning the 'Dew Prayer thod'. Indeed, in the early stages, sensing the faint 'Verdant Nectar' Aspect had been very difficult. She had spent considerable ti gradually familiarizing herself with that sensation before finally condensing her first drop of 'Verdant Dew Water'.
"It seems you've encountered a benefactor who sponsored the 'Verdant Dew Water' you needed in the early stages." Scholar Hyde stroked his beard. This was actually quite understandable—judging by this young girl's appearance and temperant, anyone with discernnt would consider her promising material and not be too stingy.
"I also have many gardening-related books here. You can borrow and read them whenever you have ti." In this world, books were exceptionally expensive. Being able to borrow books was, in a sense, obtaining substantial wealth for free.
"Thank you, Scholar Hyde."
"No, you should call
teacher now."
"Apologies, thank you, Teacher Hyde." The young girl bowed in gratitude, and the elderly man opposite her revealed a smile.
Afterwards, the two chatted about recent circumstances in Scorchstone City. Scholar Hyde occasionally asked Sylutia her opinions on various matters, including small questions about economics, customs, and even managent. As the young girl responded, Scholar Hyde's expression grew increasingly satisfied, and their pleasant conversation continued until dusk began to fall.
"Oh, is it dinner ti already?" Scholar Hyde looked up, seeing the colorful sunset outside the window.
"Manson, prepare dinner. Make it as sumptuous as possible to entertain Tia."
"Yes, master." The elderly servant left the room upon hearing the command and began preparations.
In the ti that followed, Scholar Hyde had the young girl stroll and rest in the courtyard for a while, no longer needing to accompany him in casual conversation.
After leaving the side parlor, Sylutia encountered Talier, who had been waiting for her elsewhere for so ti.
"Tia, what did Lord Hyde say? You talked for so long—almost the entire morning and afternoon. Weren't your mouths dry?" She grabbed the young girl's shoulders, her eyes full of curiosity.
"Perhaps there was tea. But that's not important." The two then strolled in the courtyard, looking at the flowers planted there.
...
"Big sister used to study here too. Occasionally when I ca to find her, I'd see many students around her age."
"Where did those students go now?" The young girl was quite curious about this.
"Them? So, like my sister, work within the city. Others continued their studies and went to other cities for advanced learning."
"Anyway, becoming a scholar requires learning many things and receiving recomndations and recognition from three formal scholars—that's what I heard from my sister."
"Her grades were average among her peers. Her hope of becoming a scholar like Grandpa Hyde was slim, so she didn't continue her studies."
"But sister said there were a few younger classmates who are still on the path of learning and went to other places."
...
That evening, Sylutia and Talier sat at the dining table, sharing dinner with Scholar Hyde. Today's delicacy was 'Honey Wine Braised Wild Boar', with black bread and dipping sauce as the main course.
This rare feast would probably cost 2 silver coins if Sylutia and Talier were to eat it outside.
After the al, the two bid farewell to Scholar Hyde, and the young girl began preparing for her upcoming study life.
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