Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 87 Gift of the Botanical Garden
Domenico maintained his smile. "As an apology from the Reeves family, we are prepared to give Augustine breeder a complete set of medium-quality seed screening equipment, as well as a standard layer column single-element separation system."

Locke raised an eyebrow, a hint of interest in his expression.

Medium-quality seed screening equipment is not very expensive. A complete set costs about two hundred magic stones. It is used by both breeder assistants and breeders to screen certain high-quality seeds or to select a specific seed from different seeds.

This is one of the things that the various alchemy workshops at Lilith's Hut most like to produce.

However, the single-element separation equipment is very expensive. It is a piece of equipment that both potion master assistants and breeders need. A complete set of equipment will definitely cost at least 1,500 magic stones.

When a potion-making assistant is concocting a potion that is extremely difficult to make, they may need to use this equipment to extract the elemental components from a certain substance.

And in rare cases, breeders may indeed need to extract a single substance from a plant and use it on the magical plant that needs to be cultivated.

The things Domenico gave him were indeed things he would definitely need.

Locke was surprised that the Reeves family was willing to pay so many magic stones as an apology; it was almost two thousand magic stones.

Locke's expression was still not very good. Back when he was at his weakest, the Reeves family came to him wanting to sign an unequal contract. After he refused, they tried to prevent other wizard families from investing in him.

I didn't need it at the time, but logically speaking, most wizarding apprentices from overseas would.

This is an act of obstruction.

Although he didn't care about the small Reeves family, he was now a first-class wizard apprentice, a student of the witch Sophia, and a genius breeder that was rumored to be around. Getting his forgiveness wouldn't be so easy.

The Reeves family had long since fallen into ruin, and there were no formal wizards in the family. The remaining two first-class wizard apprentices had lost their potential for advancement and were too old to possibly stand up and oppose him.

If they really did that, he wasn't afraid. After all, these people were a group of white wizards who weren't very good at fighting, and their combat experience might not even be as rich as his own.

Seeing that Locke's expression hadn't softened much, Domenico's heart skipped a beat, realizing that things weren't so simple.

Domenico sighed inwardly. In fact, he should have come to apologize when Locke was still a second-class wizard apprentice.

But at the time, he was self-assured and felt that a second-class wizard apprentice couldn't cause any trouble, so he just watched his granddaughter run wild.

Having come to this point, he knew that two sets of equipment alone were no longer enough to resolve the situation.

Domenico's tone softened as he spoke to Locke. "In addition, our Reeves family will lend you one of our small to medium-sized botanical gardens indefinitely, free of charge."

Locke was taken aback. He was genuinely interested now, because he hadn't expected the Reeves family to go to such lengths to gain his forgiveness.

They actually offered to give me a small to medium-sized botanical garden for free.

Locke originally thought that applying for a botanical garden would be a relatively simple matter, but after such a month of delay, he realized how troublesome it was to apply for a small or medium-sized botanical garden in Lilith's Cottage.

That's why he was surprised that the old man Domenico was willing to give him a spot in a small to medium-sized botanical garden.

If that's the case, then this matter can indeed be put to rest.

After all, everything can be measured by value.

Small and medium-sized botanical gardens are exactly what I need right now.

It's impossible for her to use Sophia's botanical garden indefinitely. Sophia has her own things to grow, and it's quite impractical for a formal wizard to use a medium-sized botanical garden. Generally, a formal wizard-level advanced breeder would have a large botanical garden.

Locke spoke with a pointed remark. "Mr. Domenico, you really are willing to spend so much."

Domenico sensed Locke's softening tone and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Small and medium-sized plantations are indeed rare. The approval process alone takes a long time, and they can easily get stuck due to some minor irregularities.”

Domenico sighed. "Unfortunately, since the death of our Reeves family's first-class wizard apprentice breeder, our family has never produced another breeder, and the other breeder assistants in the family have also gradually died out, so all the botanical gardens we applied for before have been abandoned."

"With unfilial descendants, the family can hardly continue. We can only rent out the family's two medium-sized botanical gardens and four small botanical gardens to other first-class wizard apprentice breeders, charging a small amount of rent."

"The small to medium-sized botanical garden that I was going to give you just happened to have its lease expiring recently, so I decided to give it to you as a gift."

Domenico sighed with genuine regret. "Good things need the right people to handle them."

“A breeder as excellent as you, Augustine, deserves to have your own small to medium-sized botanical garden in advance. I only hope that the misunderstanding between us can be cleared up in this way, and that we can maintain a good relationship in the future.”

Locke nodded slightly. "If that's the case, then the previous matter can indeed be wiped clean."

Domenico beamed. "Chrislene, apologize again to Breeder Augustine..."

"Breeder Augustine, the supplies will be delivered to you tomorrow."

Locke nodded slightly. "Nothing else, that's all for now. I have to get back to work."

……

After leaving Locke's cabin complex, on the way, Domenico and Chrisel couldn't help but ask her grandfather, Domenico, "Grandpa, you and he are both first-class wizard apprentices. Is it necessary for us to go to so much trouble just to restore our relationship?"

Domenico gave Chrisel a cold look. "Chrisel, I spoiled you before. You actually did something unnecessary, offended someone for no reason, and caused the family to lose so many resources."

"You...you're such an idiot. We're both first-class wizard apprentices, but do you really think that a first-class wizard apprentice like me, who only reached level four through sheer time, can compare to someone like him, who became a first-class wizard apprentice in just two years and has even developed two new varieties of magical plant creations!"

Domenico suppressed his anger and said in a low voice, "You almost offended an enemy that the family couldn't afford to mess with because of your stupidity."

“Our family has declined; we don’t have a single formal wizard anymore, and all the past connections and favors have been almost exhausted. Locke, on the other hand, is not only a genius himself, but he is also the beloved disciple of the Witch Sophia. Compared to him, our family is the truly disadvantaged one…”

"Even in the realm of first-class wizard apprentices, our family is already considered the weakest."

Chrisel said regretfully, "Who could have imagined that a seemingly ordinary country bumpkin from the overseas mortal world, who just had a bit of luck, would grow to this level in two years?"

Chrisel reflected for a moment. "Perhaps I really shouldn't have underestimated anyone. In the end, it was my willfulness that ruined our family. I'm sorry, Grandpa."

Domenico snorted coldly. "Luckily, you weren't stupid enough to actually harm Mr. Augustine. If you had, you wouldn't be so easily fooled as you are today. You're lucky, no, it's just because you're incapable of doing anything at all."

“Starting today, you should leave the house less often.”

(End of this chapter)