11: Botanical Garden Selection

Three days later… in the Advanced Magical Plant Cultivator exchange hall on the third floor of the Wizard Tower.

This day was the Plant Heart Wizard Academy's monthly Magical Plant Cultivator exchange day.

Under normal circumstances, almost all Magical Plant Cultivators would come to the exchange hall and stay for a few hours on this day.

Here, apprentices gathered in small groups of two or three, exchanging experiences in cultivating Demonized Plantss, acquiring needed resources, or inquiring about various news.

Every apprentice who came here gained considerable benefits.

Green had just become a Junior Magical Plant Cultivator and was visiting the exchange hall for the first time.

He looked at the bustling crowd, his eyes full of curiosity.

It felt like when Green, as a child on Aqua Blue Star, attended the market fairs from ten miles around… Oakes patted Green's shoulder,

saying, “Isn’t it lively? The first time I came here, I was as stunned as you.”

“Let me tell you…”

“Our Plant Heart Wizard Academy has been rooted in the Mist Coast for over a hundred years, recruiting hundreds of apprentices every five years.”

“Plus, we’ve absorbed many knight retainers from the Motlan Grand Kingdom.”

“Thousands of people come and go here on exchange days, making it the liveliest place in the Wizard Academy.”

Green nodded in agreement, saying,

“It’s truly extraordinary…”

“I never see so many people during classes or mealtimes.”

“I thought our Wizard Academy only had a thousand people, but now it seems there must be over ten thousand.”

Oakes shook his head and said,

“It’s just that our Plant Heart Wizard Academy is a bit special.”

“Under the protection of the great Formal Wizard, His Excellency Joyce of the Heart of Plants, our Academy has opened up tens of thousands of acres of Demonized Plants cultivation gardens.”

“This is equivalent to a giant low-level resource point. So the Academy needs a lot of manpower to manage these Botanical Gardens, which is why our Academy’s scale can reach over ten thousand people.”

“On the Mist Coast, only the Radiant Fire Wizard Academy also has a scale of over ten thousand people, and that’s because they possess a small resource secret realm.”

“Most of the other Wizard Academies in the Seven Towers Alliance only have a scale of around a thousand people.”

...“Alright, let’s not talk about these things.”

“These are all basic common sense.”

“You’ll understand everything once you’ve visited the exchange hall a few more times.”

“Let’s finish our business first, and then we can take a good look around.”

Oakes interrupted Green’s thoughts and pulled him towards a corner of the hall.

“Based on your requirements, I’ve selected a few good Botanical Gardens for you.”

“Let’s go see the best one first.”

“This one offers the best benefits and can greatly assist you on your path as an Apothecary.”

“Don’t be late; the interviews will be over.” Oakes said as he walked,

“Let me tell you, Green, the director of this Botanical Garden is an old man who entered the Academy eighty years ago.”

“I heard he even had the honor of listening to a lecture by the Formal Wizard, the protector of Plant Heart Academy, His Excellency Joyce. Everyone calls him Old Moler, and you can call him that too.”

“He is a seasoned Intermediate Wizard Apprentice, an Advanced Magical Plant Cultivator, and has also taught two batches of new Wizard Apprentices.”

“The Old Moore Botanical Garden he currently manages is a large, comprehensive Botanical Garden.”

“It spans over a hundred acres, cultivating over two hundred common low-to-mid-level Demonized Plantss, and more than thirty rare mid-level Demonized Plantss.”

“It also employs over a hundred people.”

“If it weren’t for an elder in my family being his close friend,”

“I wouldn’t have been able to get the apprentice internship recommendation from their Botanical Garden for free. When you interview, remember the key points I told you, and perform well.”

...Oakes led Green through the crowd.

They walked straight to the front of a shop.

Looking at the sign, it read in modern wizard language — “Old Moler’s Plant Cottage.”

The two pushed open the wooden door and entered the shop, finding the small space currently packed with people.

The entire shop, as far as Green could see, was about five meters wide and six meters deep.

On the left was a row of shelves filled with various Demonized Plantss.

In the middle was a long tea table, and along the right wall was a long sofa chair, now full of people.

At the very back of the shop was a door, currently closed. Green guessed the interview might be in the room inside… “Hey, guys…”

“You’re here so early; how many have been interviewed so far…”

Oakes, as the vice-chairman of the club, wasn’t just for show; he was a social butterfly, familiar with everyone present and greeting them one by one.

In contrast, Green was a bit socially anxious, following behind Oakes, a smile and a nod serving as his greeting.

“Only the second one so far, still early…”

“Oakes…”

“You’re taking your time; are you confident?”

A slender female apprentice with blonde hair like Oakes’s asked tentatively. Green remembered her as Lilith from Class Five.

“Haha…”

“It’s because my interview number is eight, so I guess it won’t be my turn so quickly, which is why I’m not rushing.”

“By the way, I’m not the one being interviewed this time; it’s my good brother — Green.”

Oakes put an arm around Green’s shoulder and introduced him to everyone… “Ha, Oakes…”

“You’re really generous; that spot couldn’t have been cheap.”

Lilith, though relieved by Oakes’s explanation, couldn’t help but feel a little envious of Green’s good fortune.

She had spent a considerable amount of magic stones given by her family to get this interview qualification.

“But that’s good too…”

“If Oakes isn’t participating, my chances are even greater.” Lilith thought to herself.

As for Green, she knew about him.

A person with no background, no resources, and no talent.

Aside from achieving good results in the first five-year assessment, his performance in the second five-year assessment was very ordinary.

Lilith didn’t consider Green a rival.

“That’s right, Green is my brother.”

“Green, don’t feel pressured.”

“I’ll be waiting for your good news at the Battle Axe Bar. Come find me after the interview. I have something to do, so I’m leaving now.” Oakes smiled at Green.

“Okay, you go do your thing,” Green replied.

With nowhere to sit, Green stood in place, waiting.

No one else seemed to want to chat either; after exchanging greetings, they all waited quietly… The waiting time was agonizing.

To pass the anxious waiting time, Green began to think about the details of this interview.

Before coming, Green had no idea that obtaining this interview qualification required a considerable cost, and his heart was filled with gratitude.

His good brother Oakes had silently given Green the greatest help.

He had only asked Oakes for a favor —

to find an internship that wasn't too demanding, allowed him to learn, and helped him complete his course thesis.

After all, Green needed to simultaneously pursue Magical Plant Cultivation and Pharmacology during his third five-year period, and time was a bit tight.

That’s why he wanted to find an internship at a Botanical Garden with less work and an easier pace.

According to Oakes,

for this interview, the Old Moore Botanical Garden had released three internship spots, meaning they would only recruit three interns from Green’s batch of Wizard Apprentices.

But there were now twelve interview spots.

A one-in-four success rate.

If Oakes hadn't told Green some key points beforehand, Green wouldn’t even have had the confidence to participate in the interview…