First, since there are plant-based coagulants that have the same properties as those extracted from the stomach of a calf, I decide to use them.
Figs - it’s not the season, since it’s spring now.
Fruits from the south - according to the plant guide, they can also be found in the southern part of this country, but they are expensive and not widely available.
Stamens of artichoke flowers - the flower itself is not sold.
Safflower seeds - that’s possible!
Since safflower is a plant also grown by farmers in this country for its dye and good oil, I thought that the seeds might be sold for agricultural use. So, I went to the commercial guild to ask for a recommendation on where to buy them, accompanied by Leaf for safety, as I learned my lesson from the attempted kidnapping incident.
Since I healed the legs of the guild leader’s daughter Kachua, word of it has spread among the guild headquarters, and even as a child, I have gained respect from the guild members. It’s helpful to have someone to rely on when I need something.
“Hello.”
When I arrived at the commercial guild window, I showed my guild membership card to the receptionist.
“Hello, Miss Daisy. What brings you here today?”
“I want to get safflower seeds and was hoping you could recommend a good store.”
“I see…please wait a moment. I’ll check with someone in charge. Miss Daisy, please wait on that sofa over there.”
She smiled and asked me to sit on a nearby couch while she went to check.
I sat on the couch, feeling a bit bored for a while, but when I looked up at the ceiling, I saw a huge mosaic depicting the god of commerce and his messenger angels adorned with tiles. The craftsmanship of the artisans was truly remarkable, and the colors of the tiles were so vivid and beautiful. It was truly amazing!
As I admired the details of the mosaic, the receptionist came back.
“Miss Daisy, I’ve written down some stores that I can recommend, and I’ve included a simple map. Please visit them.”
She handed me several sheets of paper, including a list of store names and a few maps.
“Thank you so much for putting this together so nicely! I appreciate it!”
I smiled and thanked her, and she smiled back.
Leaf and I walked around town, looking for the store with a star next to its name, which meant it was the most recommended. We eventually arrived at a large florist’s shop. Although it was called a florist, it sold seeds and seedlings for agriculture, as well as flowers and trees for gardens.
“Leaf, you won’t be able to enter the store at that size. Please shrink down to the size of a small puppy.”
I petted Leaf’s head and he shrank down to the size of a small puppy. Together, we went to the area where the seeds were kept.
There was a large, impressive cabinet with many small drawers, each labeled with the name of a different plant.
“Safflower, safflower…”
Hmm, it wasn’t there. I was worried.
Suddenly, a shopkeeper wearing a thick apron made of sturdy fabric approached us.
“Are you looking for something, miss?”
I told him I was looking for safflower seeds.
“Oh, I’m sorry. They’re not usually sold to the general public, so they’re kept in the back. Shall I get them for you?”
I nodded and waited on the spot.
Soon, the shopkeeper returned with a bag of safflower seeds, which were about the size of my palm.
“It’s sold in the smallest unit for farmers, so is this okay?”
“That’s fine. I don’t mind having a lot of them. By the way, I saw tomato seedlings over there. Is it too late to plant them?”
I thought Mina would be happy if I bought some tomatoes.
“Yes, it’s recommended to plant them around this time in spring, and you’ll have a lot of large fruit by summer.”
He recommended it, so I decided to buy a safflower seed and a tomato seedling, and went back to my atelier."
Early the next morning, Marcus, who was supposed to have been taught manners by the family butler, Sebastian, let out a loud scream from the back of the garden.
“Marcus, why are you screaming so loudly?”
I and Mina rushed to the garden from the third floor of the women’s quarters.
…Huh?
There’s a difference in size among the green fairies. And for some reason, there’s a larger one…
“The fairies are growing!”
On the ground, Marcus pointed to a large fairy? Sure enough, there was a fairy…? With a considerably larger size than the girl fairy who often talked to me, happily coming towards me in the girl’s fairy’s voice.
“Daisy! Thanks to your garden, I was promoted to a spirit!”
She, who had a body size one size smaller than mine, took my hand and happily spun around in the air.
“I can do this too!”
She stopped spinning and pointed to the tomato seedlings planted yesterday, and from her fingertips, a sparkling green light went towards the seedlings. Suddenly, the seedlings grew rapidly, and large, bright red tomatoes were produced in abundance!
“What was that just now!?”
Mina, who couldn’t see fairies or spirits, was surprised, her tail puffing up. Certainly, it would be surprising for the tomato seedlings to suddenly grow. But it’s a good thing that I had put up support poles for when they grew. Otherwise, they might have wilted and fallen over from the weight of the fruit.
I explained to Mina that there are actually green fairies and spirits in this garden, and that what just happened was the work of a spirit.
“I see, this is a garden with divine protection. But even though it’s not yet the season, there are so many beautifully red tomatoes… We need to make tomato sauce and preserve them. And because they are unstable, we need to tie the stems to the support poles…”
The tomato seedlings that were bought out of kindness ended up increasing Mina’s work.
