Master Of None

Chapter 242 - 242. Planting

This was perfect timing for them, the garden was pretty much ready to accept the seedlings since Gil's mother had tilled the soil with her skills. This being said the real challenge was to get all the seeds and seedlings she had started to grow in place. "I will focus on the willow tree, it will need my skills to start out properly and catch up to the other plants. The spirit lily is already planted. I dropped the seeds in to the pond this morning during the rising sun. Not a single person is allowed to disturb them, I already made a scarecrow to keep any animals away." Not a single one of the party had noticed her making a scarecrow but it sounded good that they did not have to worry over the most delicate plant.

"We can all be up early to help you put no problem!" Walker answered for them not wanting anyone to find an excuse to sleep in. 

"Hm good. Then I will see you all bright and early." She left them all to keep chatting but realizing how late it was they decided they should go sleep as well. 

The party slept well, especially Walker and Midnight who had spent the day in the hot forge practicing their fire and watching the wandering blacksmith create something amazing. Of all the people that was up first to wake all of them up it was actually Gil. It was a trick he had gained from his mother to wake up right before the sun would start to rise. It was the basic instinct of someone who worked the fields.

Tossing on their rattier clothing the party was ready to get muddy from the days work. Walker was wondering if his elemental manipulation would come in handy. If he used high earth sculpting then he may be able to better create places for the plants to rest.

Finding Gil's mother already outside in the garden with a pile of gardening tools she started to distribute the seeds. "Gill you will be planting these oozing vines along the wall there. Keep the pointed part down so that the vines will sprout properly!" Gil took the handful of seeds and a small trowel before moving to the wall to start a row. "And space them out at least three feet so they can spread!" This was a general rule for vines so that they could have space to grow for the years. Gil did not need this reminder though since he had heard it a thousand times when his mother had him plant pole beans.

"Remey you are in charge of fruit. The strawberries will go in that row there. The kiwi are going to be the next row near them so that when they grow they give the strawberries some shade. I already have those apple saplings planted on the other side of the strawberry row. Su come here, the blood fruits are you job. They are a larger bush and will take up some space. The will go as far around the opposite side of the wall that Gil is going on so that they can really spread out. Just plant them at least six inches deep so that the roots can really hook in to the moist soil." She handed them the seeds they needed and off the two went to their respective areas. 

"Miss Jane, will my high earth sculpting skill work to make places for the seeds?" Walker wanted to still be as polite as possible since Gil's mother had done so much work already but instead he received a bit of a glare. 

"I said none of this miss stuff, use that again and I will make you clean out the poison Ivy next time it starts to grow." This was a much heavier threat than Walker imagined. ASs a farmer Gil's mother had a skill that protected her from the poisonous itching oils of the poison ivy plant, Walker did not have such a skill. "And why would you disturb the earth mana? It is relaxed and flowing naturally. If you harden it up and force it to change the seeds won't get any nutrients, why do you think mages make the worst farmers?" Walker just sat there a bit silent, he had never heard that mages make bad farmers. Since he focused on magic would he make a bad farmer too?

"Now I hope you are ready to learn some things because first we are going to plant your dragon fruit tree." She practically dragged him to the stone bench she had moved to the center of the garden. The paths she had outlined lead to a round flat spot that Walker assumed would be covered in stone later. "The tree will be the shade for this spot here. If it is not grown properly forget about reading here you won't be able to stand the summer sun at all." 

Gil's mother took out the dragon fruit seeds from her pocket and moved in to the tilled solid behind the bench. "Get over here and dig about ten inches down, these are the deepest seeds we need to plant." Walker scooped the soft slightly damp soil with his hands. The scent of first penetrated his nostrils. "These seeds need to be deeper because once they grow they will try and absorb as much sun as possible. This means they will grow tall and be off balance. I did some research and asked around and one of my friends said that they normally grow in clusters of five or six dragon fruit trees that all share a root network. This formation keeps them standing against winds."

Walker headed her words and dug five well spaced out holes in the flower bed. He saw that the solid had already been treated with some small bits of fertilizer made from the plants and leaves that Gil's mother had taken out and ground up when they first moved in. The fact that she had not even wasted the weeds was rather impressive.

" Now I have a skill that adds some of my mana in to a seed, it will cause it to sprout within a few minutes and reach a younger growth stage within an hour. This is draining when planting an entire field but really beneficial when planting important crops. Just watch what I do and give it a try, this is a skill that farmers and alchemists can both use." Gil's mother held one of the small seeds between two fingers. There was a soft green glow enveloping the seed for just a second before she planted it and covered it up with solid. "Did you see the mana that covered it? That is what you want to happen, now try it out." 

Handing Walker a seed Jane leaned back a small smirk on her face. Walker held the seed just like her and started to channel his mana in to the seed. The glow seemed to be starting. Crack! The seed shattered in his hands and fell in to pieces on the ground. Jane cracked up with laughter at this, she had known this could happen but said nothing. "Ha-don't worry, hahaha, I did the same thing, haa, when I first started." She rubbed a tear from her eye finding it extremely funny. "The farmer that told me how to master that trick did not warn me either, it's a right of passage. Once you learn how much mana a seed can hold you will get the skill. Here are the rest of your dragon fruit seeds, good luck." She left Walker sitting there frustrated on the ground with four holes left in the ground waiting for seeds to be placed.

Walker was dead set on making his seeds grow faster just like hers and decided to give it his all. However the next three seeds cracked just like his first attempt. He was pouring his mana in to the little seeds too fast causing them to be unable to hold all of it at once. This was a trick that took precision and not rushing. Taking a deep breath Walker held a seed and decided to start at the basics. How do I control my mana? This question was simpler said than done but since he had been doing so much training manipulating elemental mana he thought it would be easier. 

Walker focused on the amount of mana in his own body, he imagined a small amount of it flowing from the center of his being and through his fingers in to the seed. This slow flow was softer on the seed which had almost no strength as of yet. This time the result was a bit different. The seed did not shatter and fall apart but instead Walker could feel it break slowly and split in half. This was not the goal he had in mind but it was progress. "I need to be softer!" He took another deep breath and grasped at a seed, he started on his next try.

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