Cornflower Witch

Chapter 179 Enhanced Alfalfa Buns

"The association has given you an 'excellent' rating for your outstanding performance in the first half of the year, and this is a badge of recognition for it."

Cerofie handed Sylphia a specially made badge, with a pure white crescent moon engraved on a base of metal with a slight blue luster, surrounded by white and blue bellflowers.

“The badge uses a small amount of mithril, making it very valuable. With this badge, you can receive double the supplies up to Tier 4,” Cerophi told Silti.

"In addition, we will specially customize a Tier 3 weapon or equipment for you, as well as 1000 gold coins worth of free lessons."

As he said this, Sophitina behind him looked somewhat envious. Although her evaluation for the first half of the year was 'excellent,' it was worlds apart from 'superior.'

In each cohort of students, about 8%-10% receive an 'Excellent' grade, but less than 0.1% receive an 'Outstanding' grade, making them extremely rare.

It's important to understand that those who make it to the woodland are already the most outstanding among ordinary people, and then the best of the best are selected from among them again. Those who receive this evaluation are all geniuses among geniuses.

After giving the commendation, Serofi discussed future plans with Silti.

"Originally, second-tier students could freely choose where to live and grow, but the association has higher expectations for you."

"You have only recently entered the second stage and still need to consolidate your foundation and learn a lot. In about six months, the association will assign you a task, most likely to be a border post, for you to participate in training. I hope you are prepared."

"The border outpost, is it where I'm supposed to go to fight?" Hiltiya asked curiously.

"You do need to learn some combat skills for self-defense, but the reason I sent you there is not for fighting, but to help you adapt and learn from the pioneering experience in the Shadow World."

"You will meet elite trainees from various rear bases there. They are responsible for various tasks, such as protecting the bases from attacks by monsters from the Shadow World, crafting weapons and preparing medicines for the members in the bases, building fortified residences, cultivating land for growing crops, and so on."

"When the newly established base is operating stably after many years, you will become the elders of the base and enjoy many privileges and benefits."

"I see, I think I understand." Hiltiya nodded.

This process reminded her of the history of pioneering new continents on Earth, where colony ships carried people to unknown continents, established settlements, produced goods and resources locally, transported them back to the Old World, and grew stronger in the process.

"Take the next six months to prepare well." After offering some encouragement, the conversation between the two ended.

The next day, Hiltiya returned to the valley with her luggage.

A gentle breeze still lingers here. In the month that Hilti was away, another 50 acres of land in the valley have been cultivated, and the toads have transplanted a lot of alfalfa into the new fields.

When Hiltiah appeared in the valley, the toads living there immediately gathered around her, croaking happily.

"Croak, the boss is back from hunting."

"It's been a long time."

"The boss is still alive, quack."

Having been away for nearly a month, the toads missed the girl terribly. Of course, there was another reason: because Hilti was not around, they could only eat dough paste during this time and no longer had delicious alfalfa buns.

"Alright, alright, I'm back." The girl tilted her head, amused, and responded to the toads. Then she walked with them around the fields in the valley, bringing the withered alfalfa back to life.

The distorted pollution seems to have spread again; it needs to be purified once more, Hilti thought to herself after inspecting the fields.

It's time to get back to work, but she doesn't dislike it. In fact, she's looking forward to the next harvest.

After settling down again, Hiltiya stayed in the valley for five days. During those five days, she led the toads to clear and harvest the alfalfa from 100 acres of land, preparing to make silage.

Silage is made by harvesting fresh plants while they are still moist, sealing them, and piling them up to ferment. This kind of silage has a sour and fragrant aroma, is soft and juicy, palatable, nutritious, and can be stored for a long time, making it an excellent source of feed for livestock.

Over the next two days, she first directed the toads to chop up the harvested alfalfa and stored straw, and then began ensiling.

“Yes, that’s it. For every layer of alfalfa, put in a layer of straw.” In the warehouse, Hiltiya directed the toads to store the fodder.

First, lay three layers of straw on the semi-buried warehouse floor to absorb water. Then, continuously pile alfalfa and wheat straw on top, compacting each layer with a stone roller before adding the next. Continue this process, layer after layer, until a thick cloth is placed on top and sealed with soil. The wheat straw neutralizes excess moisture from the alfalfa and is also excellent hay, participating in fermentation to keep the silage in an optimal semi-dry state. The lactic acid and fatty acids produced during fermentation kill pathogens and insect eggs in the silage and destroy weed seeds, preventing them from germinating again.

Compared to hay, silage is softer, juicier, and more palatable. After fermentation and decomposition, its nutrients are easier to absorb, and the fermentation process also produces aromatic substances that animals prefer.

After the harvested alfalfa and previously stored straw have been silaged, the next step is to sow new wheat in the fields.

After the wheat seeds were watered and ready to sprout, Hiltiya finally had some free time.

That evening, she made many alfalfa buns for the toads in the valley as a reward for their labor during this period.

"Croak, delicious~"

"The boss made steamed buns again, quack~"

"Last time I ate, I fell asleep right away."

"Quack, quack, I want to eat steamed buns."

In the valley square at night, Hilti sat by the campfire, opened the steamer, took out the steamed buns, and handed them out to the toads who were lining up.

"One per frog, you can't handle too many." This time she used rare flour and a newly learned baking method, resulting in a much better outcome than before.

【Alfalfa Bun】(Tier 1, Emerald Honey): A special bun made from rare quality wheat flour and 'Tier 1, Emerald Honey' alfalfa purple flowers. Its nutritional value is approximately sixty times that of a regular bun, and thanks to the alfalfa, it can be digested and absorbed even by ordinary creatures. (Nutrition +4, Stamina Recovery +2, Sexual Affinity Condensation +2)

To prevent the nutritional effects from being too strong, she specially cut the steamed buns into smaller pieces this time. However, judging from the results after the toads finished eating them, they still couldn't last long. Due to the excessive sugar and nutrition, they felt dizzy and soon fell asleep in the room.

"Quack, so delicious."

A toad staggered into its little house, and before it even reached its bedroom, it fell asleep leaning against the corridor wall.

"I'm full, quack."

The other toad fared slightly better; it took a few more steps and managed to reach its sleeping room before finally falling asleep while leaning against the door.

After Xilutiya finished feeding them, the toads were lying haphazardly inside and outside the house. The few that were still conscious were the toads that had previously solidified their nature and stepped into the first stage.

"Do you still want them?" Although we can't give them to the other toads, we should still be able to eat these few.

With the idea that if they wouldn't die from being fed, then feed them a little more, since there were still some steamed buns left, Xilutiya waved to the frogs.

After glancing at the silver-haired girl by the firelight and then at the steamed bun in her hand, the little quack slowly walked over, longing for the food. But halfway there, the constant flow of nutrients from its stomach told it that it really couldn't eat anymore.

"Quack, I'm so sad."

"Mingming, there's still a steamed bun waiting for you."

It took a few more steps, but the overwhelming feeling of fullness finally forced the toad to give up.

"Quack, I can't eat quack anymore, or it'll explode!" It rubbed its belly, turned around, and squatted down, afraid that it wouldn't be able to resist the temptation.

"Sigh, can't I finish this?" Hiltiya thought for a moment, then took a small bite of the steamed bun beside her and savored it.

She has now entered the second stage, so she doesn't fall asleep as easily as before, but she was full after eating only a small piece.

"Hmm, this is only a third of it." After thinking for a moment, she put away the remaining steamed buns, packed them up, and took them back to her small room at home for storage.

As night deepened, Hilti sat at her small desk in her bedroom, summarizing and recording her adventures over the past few days, and finally writing down her recent goals.

Cultivate a new crop to make money, learn intermediate-level secrets, and understand your future advancement direction.

(End of this chapter)