MTLNOVEL Chapter 1462: Little Buds
Putting the military might aside, the agricultural and horticultural aspect of the territory was also not left behind.
"Ah, my little buds… grow well…" a certain wood elementalist with light-colored curly hair and sleepy eyes uttered, looking at the plant as if it were his daughter.
Well, it kind of was, and it was estimated that if someone dared to harm it, he'd go to war with that person.
This was none other than Thorance, one of the first wood elementalist garden experts Althea managed to secure.1 He had remained working for Althea the entire time and was perfectly happy to do so. Rather, he could be said to be among the most fulfilled among the aborigines.
Right now, he was in one of the greenhouses, which had now been upgraded to have glass walls and ceilings, supported by sturdy black iron frames. This would allow the plants inside to enjoy light as if they were outside, but at the same time placed in more controlled environments.
Speaking of the greenhouses, for such big structures, they were beautiful. They seemed to be one with the fields, but shielding a special area from the elements. The farms were filled with them, arranged in rows with sufficient distance from each other, each one holding different conditions.
Some would be warmer, some would be moist, and some would have arid conditions. Many of the plants and seedlings here were from other regions, brought to Alterra through varied channels like caravans or trade deals.
Some greenhouses, in contrast, would be colder. Not only did they control the ambient temperature, but they also had highly insulating curtains that could be closed as needed. There would also be versions built underground, for those plants that thrived in those conditions.
These subterranean greenhouses were also fascinating, and there was a surprising number of plants and fungi that they could bring there.
For one, there were a lot of green leafy vegetables like lettuce that'd thrive there as long as it was properly built, and there was also a high demand for tubers and root crops that flourish underground.
They could control the temperature and humidity according to what the plants needed, which was really so magical. Thorance had yet to understand how this was done, to be honest, but some of it required electricity, which in itself was too magical for him.
Miss Althea explained it as artificially inducing the abilities of a rare electricity user and controlling its intensity to a very specific degree. At the time, he shivered, wondering if there was an electricity user being 'farmed' somewhere.
He looked at Drake with pity a lot, confusing the heck out of the guard.
Eventually, after a few bar drinks with Terran friends, he soon came to understand that there was no such thing.
Rather, it was just a collection of man-made 'tools' that 'create' electricity!
He had never heard or seen or could even imagine something like this was even possible, but anything seemed plausible in Alterra and he eventually got used to it.
Now, he was taking advantage of this technology to use his skills to the fullest. What was the skill to understand the plant's needs if he didn't have the power to change so many things, like temperature or the climate? Now, it was different.
Anyway, those technicalities were beyond him, and he didn't want to think about them again. Instead, he focused on his precious little buds.
And because he was taking care of them so closely, his attachment with the plants was really tight. "Ah, yes, my little buds, very good…"
The current greenhouse he was in, which Miss Althea called 'Nursery', mostly contained seedlings before they were transferred out to bigger places. There were separate sections within a single greenhouse, and each one might have its own conditions.
During this stage, the plants were extremely sensitive because anything happening during the early stage of growth could influence their development, health, and eventual survival.
It seemed cumbersome but, to be frank, it was Thorance's favorite stage. He could see the changes he made in real time, and he felt closest to the plants at this point.
Some were known plants, while others still needed some experimentation. It was his job to monitor them every few hours to ensure that the conditions were correct for their growth.
He would record the findings and data in the notebooks given to him by Miss Althea. There, he'd record things like 08:00 so-and-so plant required more humidity, so he put it in a more humid section, and so on.
Using his ability, he'd determine what the seedlings needed, making him perfect for this job. He was also paid very well, with a salary for supervisory positions, so he was living very, very well here.
Thorance had never been so happy. Not only was his lifestyle the best he had ever experienced, but he was doing what he loved. How many people would be so blessed?
He wondered when his family would listen to him and actually move. What was so good about Ester Town? 1Just because they lived there their whole lives? They should really travel more, to see that there was so much to the world they hadn't seen.
Sure, it was a pretty decent Town with a long history, but Alterra was another world altogether!
Even just looking at the greenhouse alone was enough. They could control what used to be untouchable, and they could grow what should not live. This meant power over nature. How many territories had that?
Alterra had endless potential, unlike most "plants" that would have a cap in their growth, have a cap in their fruition, and have a cap in their importance.
A year ago, Alterra itself was a little bud that some believed could be easily stepped on. But now…it was growing up to be quite a lovely and sturdy tree, one that people would think twice before colliding with.
Those other territories could just be shrubs or small trees in their lifetime, but Alterra was meant to become a gargantuan tree with deep roots that would touch a huge area!
How much of an honor would it be, to be one of its most fruitful branches?
He was an aborigine hire early on, and one of the few wood users who chose to develop their support skills than their aggressive ones
Ester Town was the Town Cassandra almost married into