Brain bloom

She slipped into the bathtub, and the day's fatigue melted away. The strawberry vines overhead needed special care to avoid getting wet, but otherwise, everything was fine.

After soaking for a while, Mori hugged his knees and submerged his mouth underwater, blowing bubbles as he habitually began to think about serious matters. It was still in the initial stages, and there was a mountain of things to consider.

She already had a preliminary idea. Based on the market information she had gathered, and considering the need to mitigate risks while ensuring high profits, she thought that selling magic scrolls to accumulate funds was a good idea.

It wasn't something like healing spells, which are monopolized and would cause a huge uproar, but rather magic scrolls containing other high-level, lethal magic.

Because high-level mages are few in number, and even fewer who have also mastered magic, the production of such high-level magic scrolls is extremely low.

However, because of its excellent effect and lack of barriers to use, it is relatively expensive. Many wealthy nobles or adventurous travelers like to buy one or two to use as trump cards, so there is no worry about sales.

Mori happened to know several very practical advanced spells and could also make his own low-cost magic scrolls; there was no better profession for him—knowledge truly can change one's destiny.

……

(Don't say I'm padding this out; this is a transitional chapter, and I even restrained myself from describing the scenery. Otherwise, I could have written three more chapters just about one grape variety.)

Volume 1 #046 - Do it manually

After deciding what he needed to do, Mori stayed in the bath for a while longer before reluctantly leaving.

Although some preparations need to be made, the magic scrolls are sure to sell well, and the future of restoring the kingdom is bright.

Her body was soaking wet, and Mori instinctively reached for a towel, but there weren't any. She then remembered that she was a magician and didn't need a towel.

The mage, of course, had a way to dry her body. She waved her finger and cast a fire spell. Then, she immediately used a useless wind spell, Wind Spell, and warm air blew continuously over her body under the heat of the flames.

Sen stood barefoot in front of the bathroom mirror, preparing to comb her vines and long hair—but when she saw her body, she suddenly felt a tickle in her heart.

Unlike before, she was now covered in water droplets, her hair soaked with moisture and draped over her like silk. Her clean skin was smooth and fair, not to mention the delicate, full mounds of her chest, which she herself found incredibly alluring.

Apart from that, her face and amber eyes are almost works of art.

The transformation after just a short soak in water reminded her of the plants in her previous life. Those leaves, covered in dust, would also become lush and green once moistened with water.

Sen looked at himself in the mirror a few more times, thinking to himself that this was who he was now.

"I have to say, the smaller size is really nice, it's so pleasing to the eye."

She waved away the wind, put on the loose pajamas that Dandelion had lent her, and hummed a song as she prepared to go and talk to someone about business—and incidentally ask if they had any extra fabric, as she was thinking of sewing herself a few more nice outfits.

Upon entering Dandelion's room on the second floor, Mori found her using magic, so he treaded lightly, not wanting to disturb her.

Dandelion, wearing a monocle, was casting nature magic on the grapevines on the table. Through the colorful light, Sen Shi could tell it was an intermediate-level spell to awaken plant vitality. Her technique was skillful, and her mental energy was remarkably stable.

It must be said that although it can't even beat wheat flour, dandelion is indeed very good at natural magic, and it wouldn't be wrong to call it a master.

Thinking about all this, Mori moved a little closer to the window and looked at the large grapevines under the moonlight, which had once been Dandelion's only asset.

"Did you grow all of these by yourself...? It's truly magnificent."

"Tu Mi was also a great help, but now that she's gone, our workload will increase. Fortunately, we bought two Hand Clan slaves, which are perfect for taking care of the plants."

"I will help too."

While checking the condition of the grapevines, Dandelion said to Mori:

"This year's brewing work is over. I've reserved a plot of land with the best drainage and the richest soil minerals to plant the variety I brought back. If all goes well, we can harvest it next year and start brewing for the first time."

"Next year? That soon?"

Mori had some agricultural knowledge; although grapes were resilient, all they had was a broken vine. She had assumed it would take many years to revive the variety and bring it to a scale suitable for winemaking.

"Believe me, we're all from the four seasons, we have an advantage when it comes to farming." Dandelion turned her face away and asked softly, "By the way, Mori, can you sleep here tonight?"

"Why...why..."

"Talk to me a bit more. Aren't you afraid of ghosts at night? I'll protect you." She gave a mischievous smile.

Convinced by her smile, Mori accepted her invitation. Then, sitting on the edge of the bed, she spoke to Dandelion about her future plans. Her plan wasn't complete yet, but the general direction was clear.

"I want to make some magic scrolls to sell. Even a single high-level wind-attribute spell can sell for more than twenty gold coins on the market. That's incredibly profitable. The cost is less than one gold coin, and there are plenty of buyers."

"After all, Sen Shi is a master-level magic practitioner, and he really knows how to use his advantages. No one can compete with you. After all, besides you, there is only one other master-level magic practitioner in the contemporary era... I really envy you. The success rate of your magic scrolls must be very high."

Dandelion nodded repeatedly, seemingly very satisfied with the business proposal put forward by Sen Shi, and then offered a reminder.

"However, we should still avoid healing spell scrolls. It's okay if one appears occasionally, but if they appear repeatedly..."

“I know this is a monopolized thing, so I’m considering other advanced magic.”

“That’s good—however, you need more than just words to cast advanced magic, right? When we go to Silvermoon City tomorrow, we’ll buy you a few suitable staves, one for each element, so you can use the corresponding spells.”

She specifically emphasized one sentence—

"Anyway, we have money now!"

"We do have money now, but we don't need to buy the staff. I have another idea."

Mori knew very well that although the deal had been proposed, it couldn't actually be done for the time being. After all, advanced magic required corresponding staves to cast, and her level was still too low to use the good staves sold in the shop.

She once believed that there were no level restrictions in this world, so she forcibly used the gift of the sea god. Unfortunately, she could not gather any spiritual power at all, and level was still a necessary condition.

By the way, that gift from the sea god is currently hanging on the clothesline on the roof. I guess it will dissipate its fishy smell after a few days of airing.

Dandelion continued busy reviving the grapevines, while Mori silently pulled a blank travel notebook from his bag.

She had already decided that she needed to manage everything in her life more systematically, since she couldn't possibly remember too many things at once. That's why she bought a book and planned to manually create a task list.

This world is so stupid; it didn't even save the task list. She has to do it manually.

Dipping his brush in ink, Moritoki opened the leather cover and wrote "What I'm doing right now" on the first page of the white paper.

Task 1: Help the dandelion regain its homeland

(This is a long-term plan, and can't be rushed. But if I ever run into the leader of the Holy Coffin Kingdom, I might just shoot him dead? I don't know if I can also wipe out the whole country. I'll try it if I get the chance.)

After thinking for a moment, Sen Shi thoughtfully added the note "Epic Mission". It's just a pity that the quill pen only comes in one color, so it doesn't have the same weighty feel as in the game.

Task 2: In order to restore the country, we need to earn money and accumulate capital.

(I've learned my lesson and will never throw money away carelessly again. I was really throwing money away.)

Task 3: You can only start earning money after reaching level 25 – Go fight monsters!

Note: Also, buy some other elemental gems so you don't need to spend extra money on a staff. You can start crafting magic scrolls at level 25. (This is the current quest!)

(I have to say, leveling up is always the most painful part. Wouldn't it be great to have a few more rain wizards?)

"Do you need me to call Fufu over to provide the light?" Dandelion asked considerately.

"No need, let her continue wandering around. After all, she's in a new place, and there's no threat of nightmares coming true on your land."

Would you mind if I asked what you were writing?

"Writing something like a memo reminds me not to forget what I need to do."

After answering, Mori dipped his quill in ink and wrote down the fourth point in neat handwriting.

Task 4: Protect the dandelions

She didn't add any extraneous words to this one line, but she wrote it in the most conspicuous place. This was Sen Shi's heartfelt sentiment, not only because of the guilt she felt as the one who carried the coffin, but also because she had developed a genuine affection for dandelions.

At least, this princess wasn't defeated by reality. Even though she was the only one left among the Four Seasons, she still walked this arduous journey with strength and optimism. That alone was enough to earn Mori Toki's admiration.

Volume 1 #047: Strategies Win Hearts

The next morning, the two of them left Fufu to watch the house and leisurely headed towards Silvermoon City.

Now that she had arrived in a new city, and it would be her future residence, Moritoki naturally wanted to explore it. The local customs and culture, which she had never experienced in the game era, held a great attraction for her. In particular, the magnificent and bustling city, even just looking at it from afar, allowed her to feel the charm of this other world.

Silvermoon City doesn't have imposing high walls, since the surrounding valleys serve as a natural barrier.

Outside the city, there were mostly farmlands or free markets; although they were messy, they were not dirty.

Mori's impression of free markets and fairs was always limited to "finding bargains." Therefore, when passing through a market, her eyes shone like two jewels, unwilling to miss a single stall. Unfortunately, it was all that damned agricultural produce; there were none of the legendary items buried among the people.

"Oh? It's that time of year already?"

Dandelion would occasionally stop in front of the stall to look at other people's tomatoes.

Perhaps because they both experienced the four seasons, Mori knew what Dandelion was observing. She was estimating the climate and soil conditions for the coming year based on the quality of the crops, all of which were closely related to winemaking.

She is so dedicated to winemaking that she even has to be precise about these details.

They walked for a while longer and suddenly noticed something unusual—the atmosphere at the entrance to Silvermoon City was unusually lively.

Mori saw some people dressed as nobles, as well as farmers, and perhaps thousands of people gathered together, craning their necks to stare at the large wooden platform that had been specially erected.

"What? An auction?" Mori asked casually.

"Correct."

"Really? What's being auctioned? It's agricultural products again, right? Pumpkins? Or eggplants... What are we having for dinner tonight? Should we buy some too? Braised eggplant?"

Dandelion, taking it very seriously, immediately retorted:

"It's not some cheap vegetable, but something very precious! There are only a few of these all year round. It's incredible. We're really lucky. We came back just in time for the autumn auction—look, even many of the city's most aristocratic families have come."

Upon hearing what Dandelion said, Sen Shi immediately perked up.

Although she couldn't see the specifics through the crowd, the auction didn't seem to have started yet. She had a certain obsession with auctions—after all, they usually meant she could get her hands on something good. Like legendary equipment, special spellbooks, never-before-seen blueprints…

Perfect timing! Her purse was quite heavy; it was time to spend some money.

Sen was even more excited than a dandelion, grabbing the princess's hand and squeezing their way in. They exerted a lot of effort, and secretly used some magic, finally managing to reach the very front, their excited faces beaming with anticipation.

Minutes later, more people received the news, and the entire auction hall was packed with people. According to Dandelion, more than half of the city's prominent figures came, demonstrating the significance of this auction.

After observing for a while, Mori noticed that unlike the relatively homogeneous population of Frozen Bear Town, this place was home to many fantastical demi-human races. Mori began to ponder which category the Four Seasons should be classified under… Human? Demi-human? Plant?

But before she could find the answer to her question, a startling sound brought her back to reality.

"Everyone!"

That was the sound of a burly man banging a gong, and the host shouting.

"Are you ready for your luck?"

"--Oh oh oh oh!" The crowd erupted in a thunderous cheer, even the nobles raised their hands, adorned with jeweled rings, their faces full of anticipation.

Sen Shi glanced at Dandelion and noticed that her expression was unusual, as if she were looking down at her with a mocking smile, and the corners of her mouth were raised in a malicious manner.

"...What exactly is being auctioned?" Her curiosity deepened.