The next morning…
Arianne borrowed every book she could find.
Spirit ecology.
Mana circulation.
Awakening theory.
Elemental development.
Even old Association journals Lady Rowland had collected over the years.
Her desk slowly disappeared beneath stacks of books.
“…”
“If this were an office…”
“…I’d definitely be getting paid overtime.”
Unfortunately…
No one laughed.
She sighed.
Then opened the first book.
Hours passed.
Children awakened differently.
Mana matured differently.
Elements resonated differently.
Some Hunters bloomed early.
Others bloomed late.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing useful.
By noon…
Arianne had finished five books.
None mentioned…
Growth simply stopping.
“…”
“That’s impossible.”
She leaned back in her chair.
“If something keeps happening…”
“…someone has to have documented it.”
She reached for another book.
This one was older.
Much older.
Its leather cover had begun to crack with age.
Foundations of Mana Development
“…”
That sounded promising.
She carefully opened it.
The first several chapters covered basic Awakening theory.
Nothing new.
Then…
A single paragraph caught her attention.
“While most Awakened naturally strengthen over time…”
“There have been rare historical records of individuals whose mana development ceased despite continuous training.”
Arianne immediately sat upright.
“…”
She continued reading.
“Most recorded cases were believed to be congenital abnormalities.”
“Due to their rarity…”
“Very little research has been preserved.”
“…That’s it?”
She flipped the page.
Nothing.
The topic simply ended.
One paragraph.
No examples.
No names.
No conclusions.
“…”
Someone had stopped researching it.
Or…
Someone had removed the research.
That thought made her pause.
“…”
“No.”
She frowned.
“…I’m overthinking.”
Maybe.
Or maybe not.
A gentle knock interrupted her thoughts.
“Young miss?”
It was one of the household maids.
“Someone has come looking for you.”
Arianne blinked.
“…For me?”
“Yes.”
“It’s Master Conrad.”
Arianne hurried outside.
Master Conrad stood beneath the shade of an old maple tree.
As always…
He carried a small wooden basket.
Several tiny potted herbs peeked over the rim.
“…Master Conrad.”
The old man smiled.
“You’ve been busy.”
Arianne blinked.
“…How did you know?”
He chuckled.
“You have dirt on your sleeve.”
“And ink on your fingers.”
“That usually means you’ve been studying instead of gardening.”
Arianne instinctively looked at her hands.
“…”
“There really is ink.”
Master Conrad laughed.
“So.”
“What are you trying so hard to understand?”
Arianne hesitated.
Then answered honestly.
“…Growth.”
The old man wasn’t surprised.
“I thought so.”
They slowly walked toward the garden together.
The afternoon breeze carried the scent of fresh earth.
For a while…
Neither of them spoke.
Finally…
Arianne broke the silence.
“Master Conrad…”
“Can a healthy flower…”
“…simply stop growing forever?”
The old gardener stopped walking.
He looked at her for a long moment.
Then…
He smiled.
“That’s an interesting question.”
Instead of answering…
He walked toward two identical potted flowers resting near the stone path.
At first glance…
They looked exactly the same.
Same leaves.
Same height.
Same healthy color.
Master Conrad pointed to the first pot.
“This one receives sunlight every morning.”
Then the second.
“This one doesn’t.”
Arianne frowned.
“They look identical.”
“They do.”
Master Conrad gently rotated the second pot.
Only then did she notice it.
The side hidden from view…
Was pale.
Its leaves had stretched awkwardly in one direction.
Searching.
Always searching.
“…”
“It isn’t unhealthy.”
“No.”
“It simply hasn’t received what it needs.”
Master Conrad gently returned the pot to its place.
“The flower isn’t refusing to grow.”
“The conditions around it are preventing it.”
Arianne’s heart skipped.
Conditions.
Ellis had spoken about seasons.
The System had spoken about a condition.
Master Conrad had spoken about the environment.
Different words…
The same meaning.
“…”
“So…”
“It isn’t always the flower?”
The old gardener smiled.
“Most of the time…”
“It isn’t.”
Most of the time…
It isn’t.
Master Conrad gently adjusted the second flowerpot.
The pale leaves caught the afternoon sunlight.
For a brief moment…
They almost looked healthy.
“…”
Arianne quietly watched.
“Can it still bloom?”
The old gardener smiled.
“Of course.”
“It isn’t dying.”
“It’s waiting.”
“Waiting…”
“For what?”
Master Conrad looked toward the sky.
“The right season.”
“The right place.”
“The right conditions.”
He glanced back at her.
“And sometimes…”
“…the right person.”
Arianne’s heart skipped.
Erin.
She wasn’t weak.
She wasn’t talentless.
She was…
Waiting.
Master Conrad picked up a small trowel resting beside the flowerpots.
“Most people think growth is something you force.”
“They pull.”
“They push.”
“They add more fertilizer.”
“They water more.”
“They panic.”
He chuckled.
“And the flower…”
“…becomes exhausted.”
Arianne quietly lowered her gaze.
That sounded painfully familiar.
Years of instructors.
Years of training.
Years of expectations.
If Erin truly was waiting for a condition…
Then perhaps…
Everyone had been trying to force the wrong door open.
“…”
“Master Conrad.”
“Mm?”
“What if…”
“…someone doesn’t know what they’re waiting for?”
The old gardener smiled.
“Then they need someone willing to wait with them.”
Silence settled between them.
The breeze carried the scent of fresh soil through the garden.
For some reason…
It felt lighter.
Arianne looked down at the moonbell flower.
It hadn’t changed.
Not even a little.
Yet…
She no longer felt disappointed.
Because now…
She knew something important.
No matter how healthy a seed was…
It could never bloom…
If the conditions were never met.
The System quietly shimmered.
[Main Quest Updated]
[Second Seed ]
[Current Objective: Discover the Missing Condition.]
[Synchronization: 8% → 10%]
Arianne smiled.
“So…”
“We’re finally making progress.”
The System didn’t respond.
It never needed to.
She gently picked up the moonbell pot.
“I’ll take good care of you.”
Master Conrad laughed.
“I wasn’t talking about the flower.”
Arianne blinked.
“…”
Then she laughed too.
“I know.”
But somehow…
She felt as though she had just accepted her first lesson…
As a true Spirit Gardener.
End of Chapter 20