[BL] Challenge: 100 Baby in Fantasy World-Chapter 249: Herbalist Club Meeting

Carrying the hope of an entire association was a heavy burden. But Gara simply shrugged it off.

It was a century-long project anyway, and he didn’t particularly like the idea of a longevity elixir.

Right now, what lingered in his mind instead was the One-Night Flower, especially after his first experiment with it ended with no result at all.

"Professor," Gara began, "do you know the One-Night Flower? The one that grows in the herb garden behind the academy?"

Aura raised an eyebrow. "You’ve been to the forest behind the academy? Didn’t you skip the entrance test?"

"I entered the forest with Professor Langga for special training," Gara replied.

Aura nodded, understanding. "I see. Yes, I know that flower. The One-Night Flower ruined one of the biggest Herbalist Class projects in the past."

"Professor," Gara continued, "do you think there’s a chance that the Chrona Flower could keep that flower from wilting after just one night?"

Aura turned to him, surprised. "You really do think differently from everyone else, don’t you? It’s... possible, I suppose. But why would you want to make the One-Night Flower last longer? For most herbalists and florists, that thing’s just a pest."

"I just feel that it’s too beautiful and its scent too sweet to live for such a short time," Gara said softly.

He didn’t have any profound reason behind his curiosity. The truth was, the color of that flower simply reminded him of Aldwin’s eyes.

Aura smiled faintly. "Maybe once the Chrona Flower blooms again, you’ll find your answer."

Gara nodded. After chatting briefly with Aura about next week’s class materials, he excused himself.

He hurried through the corridors, looking for anyone he could trust to help store the wooden box containing the rare seeds in his room.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t find anyone familiar enough to ask.

Until— he came across a few students from Class E. Among them was a face he recognized. The boy noticed Gara too and immediately called out.

"Looking for Madha and Fian, Gara? I saw them at the back field earlier," he said helpfully.

"Are you busy, Kevio?" Gara asked without hesitation.

Kevio blinked, confused, and shook his head.

"I need to hurry to the Herbalist Club. Could you take this box to Madha or Fian and ask them to keep it safe for me?"

Kevio nodded right away. "Sure. I’ll give it to them."

"Thanks. I owe you." Gara handed over the box, his little treasure chest, and dashed off toward the club building.

Left with the wooden box in hand, Kevio started walking toward the back field. But soon, he noticed the looks his friends were giving him.

"So, you really are close with Gara from Class S, huh?" one of them asked.

"You think I was lying?" Kevio frowned. "I, Gara, Madha, and Fian are all from Raksa County. We came here together."

His friend chuckled. "Yeah, but you’re so weak compared to those Class S monsters. They’re all amazing."

Kevio only shook his head and kept walking.

His friends exchanged glances.

"Not like you to stay quiet," one muttered.

"Yeah. You’re usually the king of bragging," another teased.

"Exactly. You brag about everything, but you barely talk about being from the same county as the Class S group. That’s suspicious."

"I’m not worthy of bragging about being close to them," Kevio replied, then went silent again despite his friends pestering him to explain what he meant.

Not long after, they reached the back field. It wasn’t hard for Kevio to spot Madha and Fian.

The elf was training alone, his movements like a graceful performance— ice shards rose from the ground and hovered in the air, reflecting light like dancing crystals.

Madha, on the other hand, was sparring with Revan— the vice headmaster’s grandson. The clash between the two top students had naturally drawn a crowd of spectators.

Kevio decided it would be safer to hand the box to Madha. Truthfully, Fian’s quiet nature made him a little nervous.

Pushing through the crowd of fans, Kevio and his friends finally managed to reach the front row. They practically formed a shield around him and the wooden box he carried, afraid it might get crushed in the crowd.

"So how are you planning to tell him about the box? Yelling across the field?" one of Kevio’s friends asked awkwardly, clearly intimidated by the Class A and B students around them.

After all, they were from Class E, the lowest rank. In the academy’s hierarchy, they were always beneath everyone else here.

"I’ll just call out to him," Kevio said casually.

And he really did. Without hesitation, he shouted, "Madha! Gara asked me to deliver this box to you!"

Instantly, every pair of eyes in the field turned toward him. The crowd’s expressions screamed the same thing, ’Who does this errand boy think he is, interrupting a spar between two Class S students?’

Revan heard the shout but ignored it, assuming it was just another fan trying to get attention.

But Madha actually stopped mid-fight, making Revan, who had been preparing to defend against the next strike, look awkwardly frozen in place.

"Give me a moment," Madha said, glancing at Revan before walking toward the voice that called him.

Revan wanted to stop him, but his classmate had already moved, and from the way Madha responded, it was clear, they really knew each other.

"I forgot Madha doesn’t come from an elite family like me," Revan murmured under his breath. "No wonder I don’t know his friends."

A short while later, Madha returned, a wooden box now in his hands.

"This is from Gara," he said. "I’ll take it to his room and keep it safe. Do you want to wait for me, or should we continue another time?"

Revan wanted to suggest that Madha just leave the box at the side of the field and continue their sparring.

But he knew Madha too well. When it came to Gara, he always came first. Even his belongings were treated as precious.

"I’ll wait," Revan said finally.

Without the slightest hint of guilt, Madha walked off, leaving Revan standing there, looking somewhat awkward.

Meanwhile, the very person Madha prioritized the most, Gara, was attending the Herbalist Class meeting with the upperclassmen.

The meeting began with introductions, and, as Clara had said, Gara quickly became the center of attention. The seniors had clearly been eager to meet him.

They bombarded him with questions, though he couldn’t answer all of them due to time constraints.

Afterward, the senior leading the session began explaining about the class project and gave the first-years some direction.

"This project will be your generation’s collective work," the senior explained. "It’s something that must be completed before graduation. What kind of project it’ll be is entirely up to your team."

When the discussion ended, the meeting officially adjourned. But not a single student left the room.

They all stayed behind to chat, the atmosphere lively and full of excitement.

And naturally, Gara became the center of everyone’s attention, the hot commodity of the group.

Fortunately, Clara managed to pull him aside, bringing him into a quiet corner to talk with a third-year student who seemed to hold quite a bit of influence.

"This is our junior, Gara. Don’t overwhelm him too much," said one of the seniors with a gentle authority. "You can discuss whatever you want to talk about some other time."

The rest of the seniors immediately backed off, no longer flooding Gara with questions.

Clara leaned closer to whisper beside him, "That’s Senior Selena Strigi, granddaughter of Professor Tito Strigi. She’s a third-year from Class S. Everyone respects her, some are even scared of her."

Gara nodded slightly. ’So Revan isn’t the only one with a powerful family name here.’

Once the mood in the room settled, Selena turned her attention back to Gara. "Clara told me you’re looking for rare seeds, right?"

Gara’s eyes lit up. "Yes." He would never turn down the chance to get his hands on rare seeds, especially from someone like her. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Before that," Selena continued, her tone growing more serious, "did you know that the fertility of our soil naturally decreases every year?"

"As far as I know, soil that’s been used for years loses its nutrients. That’s why it needs to be overturned regularly," Gara replied.

He blinked, a bit surprised. ’Did people here really not know something that basic?’

But Selena quickly shook her head. "Of course we know that. What I meant is— even after turning the soil, its fertility still drops. Crops no longer grow as they did years ago."

"That’s one of the signs of this world’s decay."

The sudden voice of Goddess Freya echoed in Gara’s mind, making him flinch slightly. Thankfully, neither Clara nor Selena noticed.

’So the world isn’t just being destroyed by Mist Monsters, huh?’ Gara asked inwardly.

"There are many forces colliding," the Goddess replied calmly, "each one leading to the world’s ruin."

Gara exhaled softly and focused back on the conversation. "Isn’t there any high-quality fertilizer that can restore the soil’s fertility?"

"Herbalists and alchemists are trying to develop one," Selena said. "But it’s still in the research phase. Honestly, this decline in fertility is only something people recently started noticing. Before now, no one paid attention to it."

’Probably because of their ignorance,’ Gara thought, half amused.

"Correct," Goddess Freya answered immediately, almost smug.