Cornflower Witch

Chapter 38 The Shaking Blue Sky

On the last day, Hiltiya let Komia and Karen do as they pleased and not follow her anymore.

"Today I plan to take a walk around the village and ask the local farmers about their experience in growing crops."

"Aren't we going to continue mushroom picking today?"

“We’ve already explored the nearby forest; it wouldn’t be safe to go any deeper.” The girl shook her head slightly. She wasn’t afraid to go alone, but it was a different story for Komia and Karen.

"Okay." Komia thought about it and agreed.

"Then Karen and I will go fishing." She quickly regained her energy.

After saying goodbye to the two, Hiltiya left with a small basket containing her books and notes, bread for lunch, and a small bottle of water.

Just as Komia had said, she first asked the local villagers about their farming practices, and then squatted down to examine the local soil with her fingers.

I remember when I first came to Luanshu Village, Teacher Haide said that the yield of wheat here is more than 60 jin per mu, which means that if you sow 6 jin of wheat seeds, you can produce 60 jin of wheat.

Compared to the rest of the country of Legas, this yield is exceptionally good. It is said that in some impoverished areas, planting 6 jin of wheat seeds can only produce a little over 20 jin of wheat.

When she first heard this number, Hilti was incredulous, because in her memory, wheat could easily yield hundreds of kilograms per mu, and there were even cases of yielding thousands of kilograms per mu.

As she chatted and inquired with the local villagers, some things gradually became clear.

The lack of fertilizer, the necessity of fallow rotation, insufficient irrigation, poor varieties, and pest and disease infestation all directly led to low yields.

It seems there is still a long way to go to improve grain yield. She briefly outlined that it would take to make the villagers aware of and accustomed to fertilizing, building irrigation canals, using high-quality seeds, and implementing sterilization and pest control, etc., in order to completely change the current situation.

These are not things that can be accomplished in a day or two. For now, she can only make a note of them and try them later when she has the energy.

Having learned all this and satisfied her curiosity, Hiltiya carried her basket to the woods not far from the village.

The sun was shining brightly today, and the grass was dry and refreshing. She put down her basket, picked up a stick, and began practicing her swordsmanship, which she hadn't practiced for several days.

First, let's talk about basic swordsmanship. Recalling what she saw and heard during the competition some time ago, and based on her own reflections, her movements have become more refined and fluid in certain details, achieving a wonderful balance between power and skill.

(Basic Swordsmanship Proficiency +2, Basic Swordsmanship Lv.4, Progress 856/1200)

Her swordsmanship is gradually reaching a bottleneck. She only made a breakthrough after watching a competition recently. Otherwise, it would be difficult to improve through training.

"Why don't we go for a walk in the forest?" she thought, glancing at the stick in her hand before shaking her head.

She needed to bring at least a real weapon. She didn't know if she would have enough time to go back and get a sword. As Hilti packed her things and prepared to go back, the slight rustling of leaves in the distant forest made her look up. She blinked and quickly spotted a boy walking with his hands on the trees in the distance on the hillside.

It was Mick; she recognized the boy with the fierce look in his eyes.

It seems he was injured; one of his legs is not functioning properly.

After thinking for a moment, Hiltiya picked up her basket and walked over.

……

Huffing and puffing, Mick glanced at the village at the foot of the mountain not far away, feeling slightly better.

"Almost there," he silently told himself, before struggling to move his aching left foot again.

Most of the trainees didn't go up the mountain today, but he still came, hoping to find more prey and save money to pay back his brother, Gerald.

During this time, he had hardly earned any income because of his studies at Hyde University, and he had almost spent all the money he had saved. If it weren't for his brother Gerald's financial support, he probably wouldn't have been able to continue his studies.

Sorry, Brother Jero, I didn't place.

If he had placed in the last competition, he would have received a reward from the Viscount. That piece of equipment could be sold for one gold coin on the market, enough to pay off his brother Jero's debt in one go.

Money is very important, especially for the poor and ordinary people.

Often, injuries and illnesses are not incurable, but rather caused by a lack of money to buy medicine or see a doctor, or by eating poor-quality or spoiled food due to lack of funds.

He wants to become a powerful adventurer so he can earn a lot of money.

The profession of adventurer is really great. You can earn in a month what an ordinary job would earn in half a year or even a year. Mick has always dreamed of becoming a great adventurer like Geralt.

However, compared to those experienced adventurers, Mick was still too inexperienced. The successful hunting in the previous two days gave him a lot of confidence, but he did not expect that an accident would happen today.

While chasing a fox, he lost his footing and slid down a mountainside slope. Although he reacted quickly and adjusted his position, he still stepped into a crevice between rocks covered by fallen leaves. His weight pulled him down, causing him to sprain his left ankle, which may also be broken.

The mountains are not safe; if a person cannot save themselves, they may never make it out.

Holding onto the moss-covered tree trunk, he struggled to lift his right foot and take another step, dragging his aching left foot along. Large beads of sweat rolled down his face, and his palms made tiny cuts on the bark.

One step, then another, and he was almost at the village, he kept encouraging himself. Perhaps he was exhausted, or perhaps his eyes were playing tricks on him, he wasn't paying attention and his right foot hit a stone on the ground, causing him to fall to the ground again. His arm hit the edge of a rock, drawing a burning wound.

Fortunately, his head was alright. He lay on the ground, catching his breath for a moment, and then managed to get up again and slowly walk forward.

Trying not to think about when he would arrive, Mick's mind was only focused on reaching the village, which kept him moving forward.

So it went on until beads of sweat covered his forehead and cheeks, and then he saw a figure with black hair and a black dress in front of him.

Who is this...? He was already somewhat delirious.

Hiltiya looked at the boy who had collapsed in front of her and bent down to check on him with concern.

It seems he has heatstroke, and he also injured his foot.

Even in the autumn of the Asahi season, the heat of midsummer still lingers. It had rained a few days ago, so it was alright, but it's gotten hot again these past two days. Recalling the local climate, Hiltiya took out the small bottle of water from her basket.

The water was in a ceramic bottle, which Karen had prepared that morning. She hadn't drunk any of it yet. Hiltiya opened the stopper, poured the water onto the unconscious boy on the ground, and then dragged him to the shade of a tree and laid him down.

About ten minutes later, Mick slowly woke up and gradually regained consciousness.

Looking around, and then glancing at the girl sitting under the shade of a tree reading a book not far away, he finally realized that he had just fainted.

"Thank you." His voice was weak and listless.

"It's nothing, but you don't seem to be in a good state right now." Hilti walked over and placed her hand near the boy's forehead again.

It felt warm and hot; I couldn't tell if it was a fever or lingering heat from heatstroke.

It is said that during the monsoon season, prolonged exposure to the scorching sun can easily cause one's body temperature to rise and become unable to come down due to the influence of the 'scorching sun' element, eventually leading to fever and death.

However, this is now the ninth year of the Ascension Season, and the 'Blazing Sun' aspect is weakening, its power having passed its peak and most unbearable period.

Hilti blinked and checked the boy's condition again.

Name: Mick

Race: Human (Mortal Body)

Status: Healthy (injured, fractured, heatstroke)
Talent: Blood Circulation [Good Level]: The pulse of the blood is active, making it easy to perceive and cultivate abilities related to 'blood rhythm'.
Fate Card: [Mountain Boy] (Rank: None) 'A nimble and wild mountain boy'
Ability Cards: [Breathing Technique Lv.2] [Empty Slot] [Empty Slot]

Skills: [Basic Swordsmanship Lv.3][Wilderness Survival Lv.1]
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Fortunately, it wasn't an illness or fever, just heatstroke, so Hiltiya put her hands down.

Feeling the cool, soft hand against his forehead and smelling the faint floral fragrance emanating from the girl, Mick was momentarily stunned. For the first time, he was so engrossed in something other than hunting, making money, and exercising.

Watching the girl get up and leave, he even felt a brief sense of regret and reluctance, as if if he had been a little more ill, she might have stayed by his side a little longer.

This bizarre idea was quickly rejected by his remaining rationality, but he was still surprised by his own vulnerability and attraction.

He had never been this moved when facing that striking blonde heiress among the students. Could it be that people really become emotionally vulnerable after being injured? His head, already burning from heatstroke, was feeling dizzy.

"I can't lift you by myself, can you wait here for a while?" Hilti's gentle voice struck his heart once again.

"I...I'm fine..." As the last shred of dignity a man had left, he felt he shouldn't be weak in front of this young girl.

"Wait a moment, I've checked the area and there are no other animals around. I'll go get someone right away." Hiltiya bent down to reassure him again, then stood up and ran down the mountain in small steps.

With blurred vision, Mick watched the figure walking down the hillside until the other person disappeared from sight. Finally, his tired eyelids couldn't stay open any longer, and he fell asleep.

Half an hour later, Thorin and the others, guided by Hilti, arrived at the mountain and found the unconscious Mike. They each took one leg and one arm and lifted him up.

The bumpy ride made Mick open his eyes again. Seeing that he was awake, the people around him teased him.

"Hehe, you're lucky. If Tia hadn't found you, we wouldn't have been able to come out to look for you until it got dark today."

"Something must have gone wrong because he was acting alone."

"A lone wolf won't do, you idiot."

“I…” Mick wanted to explain something, but he didn’t have the strength.

He opened his eyes and looked at the azure sky. His body felt like a small boat swaying aimlessly. He was exhausted, which should have been an extremely uncomfortable situation, but the teasing voices around him and the raised arm gave him a faint sense of peace and gratitude.

Everything seems not so bad after all.

(End of this chapter)