Chapter 557: Gardeners and Fertilizers
For now, having finished everything we needed to do in the indoor training grounds, we headed straight for the gardeners’ area. At this hour, there probably wouldn’t be anyone around. They should all be out in force, performing routine maintenance on the gardens.
As expected, the preparation of the compounding room wasn’t finished yet—but that was perfectly fine. Today’s goal was simply to examine the components of the fertilizer currently in use. Based on that, I planned to create an improved version: the prototype fertilizer known, for now, as Grow-Grow Booster (working title).
“Good morning. Is anyone here? …Looks like no one’s around. If we’re going to intrude, now’s our chance.”
“Julius-sama, this really feels like we’re doing something bad,” Fabienne said quietly. “Why are you walking so carefully, trying not to make any noise?”
“Just because.”
I crept along, and Fabienne watched me with an exasperated expression. What? It’s fine, isn’t it? Lately, every time someone spotted me, things tended to turn into a commotion. Well… in most cases, I was the cause, but still.
Last time, we hadn’t been able to take a proper look around the building, so this time I examined everything without holding back. From the outside it had looked fairly large, but the interior was even more spacious than I’d expected.
There were plenty of rooms, too. Borrowing just one of them shouldn’t be a problem. If it didn’t work out, I’d planned to change course and simply build a house on a nearby vacant lot using earth magic.
Next, we headed to the adjacent shed. Gardening tools and fertilizers should be stored there. …As I thought, the door was locked. But a lock of this level was hardly worth worrying about.
I slipped a set of lockpicking tools from my inner pocket and had the door open within a few seconds.
Click.
The sound was soft but distinct as the lock yielded. When I opened the door, a wave of earthy scent washed over us. That peculiar smell of soil. Would Fabienne dislike it? …No, she seemed fine.
Of course she would be. She personally tended part of the garden back at her family home. She was probably used to it. We stepped inside carefully—lifting our feet, placing them gently, moving like shadows.
“Julius-sama…”
“Come on, Fabienne, you too.”
“No, um… where did you learn that kind of technique?”
“Huh? Would it have been better if I’d opened it with magic?”
“That’s not what I meant…”
Perhaps they noticed us making noise. At some point, a gardener had returned and was now walking toward us. It was the same woman who had welcomed us yesterday. When she saw us, her eyes widened in surprise.
“Julius-sama? Fabienne-sama? You’re here already! You could have waited in the break room. Oh? Don’t tell me… was the shed left unlocked?”
As she spoke, she came closer and checked the lock.
I said nothing. Fabienne, Nero, and Lionel all followed suit, sealing their lips. The gardener, completely unaware of the truth, tilted her head repeatedly while inspecting the door.
“Um, we’d like to take a look at the fertilizer you’re using. Would it be all right if we observed?”
“Of course. So that’s why you came here. I’d heard that you act quickly, Julius-sama—but it seems the rumors were true.”
She said this with a smile and guided us deeper into the shed.
So there were rumors about me already? Was the source Sophia-sama? Or perhaps Giovanni-sama? That couldn’t be right. I’m more of a laid-back type, you know? When I glanced at Fabienne to confirm, she shook her head from side to side.
Apparently, I really am impatient.
“This is the fertilizer we’re currently using.”
“There are more varieties than I expected.”
“When we searched for fertilizers suited to each individual plant, it ended up like this.”
She lowered her eyebrows slightly as she spoke, but that was probably just a gardener’s dedication showing through. Compared to the Heine Marquisate’s ‘force-feeding plants with nutrient tonics’ approach, this seemed far healthier for the plants themselves. No wonder the royal garden had become such a recommended spot.
“With this many types, it makes sense that Sophia-sama relies on the gardeners. Perhaps my help isn’t even necessary.”
“Oh, no, not at all. If you lend us your strength, Julius-sama, I’m certain an incredible fertilizer will be completed.”
“That’s right! If we work together with all the gardeners, we’ll definitely be able to make an amazing fertilizer!”
I took the opportunity to emphasize “all the gardeners” and “fertilizer” as much as I could.
That way, no one could say that the greening effort was thanks to my magic potion alone. It would be fertilizer—fertilizer made together with the gardeners. Perfect.
As I raised a hand to hide the grin threatening to spread across my face, my eyes met Fabienne’s. She was wearing a wry smile.
“R-right then, let’s take a closer look at the fertilizers. Oh—this one looks like the kind you use too, Fabienne, doesn’t it?”
“Yes… it does seem that way.”
Her wry smile deepened. Forgive me.
The fertilizers differed mainly in the ratios of their ingredients; the materials themselves were largely the same. These subtle differences in composition, however, could eventually create major changes in the soil over time.
Some plants prefer acidic soil, while others thrive in alkaline conditions.
This time, though, we needed a plant nutrient that could handle both. If we had to switch fertilizers depending on vegetation, it would be inconvenient. Ideally, you’d just scatter it without thinking and—oh, how mysterious—suddenly it’s a forest. That’s how it should work. Probably.
“I see… I see.”
“Did you figure something out, Julius-sama?”
“You know how soil treated with purification powder becomes fertile, right? So I was thinking—we could just add whatever nutrients are missing after that.”
“That would certainly reduce the amount of fertilizer we’d need to make here.”
Making enough fertilizer on-site to spread across an entire mountain would be exhausting. The mountain was already covered in rich soil to begin with. Mixing in specific components afterward would be much faster—and honestly, a lot easier.
“To do that, we’ll need to thoroughly analyze the soil after purification powder has been used. In that case, we might need to visit the site again.”
That’s where the problem lay. If we did, Fabienne would have to see that scene one more time. I’d really like to avoid that… but if I left her behind, she’d definitely be angry, wouldn’t she?
As I was wrestling with that thought, the gardener brought us some welcome news.
“We’ve received a sample of soil that was purified, courtesy of Sophia-sama. I believe examining that should suffice.”
“That’s perfect. Let’s take a look right away.”
As expected of Sophia-sama—thorough as ever. With this, our work could finally move forward smoothly.