Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 459

Preparations for the Cherry Blossom Viewing

「Flower viewing?」
「Yeah, I thought it would be nice to have fun with everyone once in a while. A day away from the Volton Mansion would be fine.」
「Fumu, well, it would be fine if it’s only a day. Back then, it was only the golems that protected the mansion while we’re away.」

Having decided to do a flower viewing, I teleported to the Volton Mansion and talked to Maribelle and Sebastian. Akane who was supposed to inform Sebastian and the others just said “We’re doing a flower viewing!” and left to go to town. Why did she even come?

「A flower viewing? Maribelle, do you know what that is?」
「No, I buy flowers from a florist, but I am not familiar with that.」

Apparently, this world doesn’t seem to make sense of what a flower viewing is even if it’s said.
I suppose it’s like that. In the mansions of nobles and wealthy merchants, there were few that had a pretty garden. Gardens decorated with flowers of various colors were probably a delight to the eyes of the residents and guests beholding it. However, a flower viewing was slightly different.

「It’s dangerous outside of the city.」

I forgot that, while they are pretty, this is a world where it’s impossible to go outside of the city to look at flowers.

So I lied saying that it was a custom of my hometown, and explaining that it was an event to enjoy the flowers of the season.

「Enjoying a meal and alcohol while watching the view of flowers? Master’s hometown must be a very peaceful self.」
「Admiring the flowers while drinking the wine made in the Sanctuary, I see.」

Maribelle and Sebastian agreed, so it was decided that everyone will participate.

「The big tree in the Sanctuary mansion is blooming, is it?」
「But there wasn’t a single leaf on it.」
「It had plenty of flower buds though. The leaves grow after the flowers fall.」

Mabel knew that there was a cherry tree in the garden of the Sanctuary mansion. Ah, so it was like that, it was a big tree, after all. Tifa, the youngest among the maids, was curious why the cherry tree had no flowers. The maids have a rotation to work between the Volton mansion and the Sanctuary mansion, so they know the inside and outside of the mansions. Naturally, they also noticed the cherry blossom tree.

「In the green-filled Sanctuary, a tree with no leaves or flowers stands out.」

Just as Maribelle had said, there were no withering trees or any overgrowth of weeds in the Sanctuary. It might seem like it was out of nature’s providence, but that isn’t the case.

The Sanctuary is a place where various spirits inhabit.
There is spring, there is summer, there is autumn, and there is winter.
The Sanctuary’s climate includes all four seasons, and its inhabitants use them to farm the land and grow crops. If this was a form of the Sanctuary, then the trees and flowers jumbled together with the four seasons was another form of the Sanctuary.

An easy to understand example were the fruit trees in the Sanctuary like the grapes. The Sanctuary grapes can be harvested 3 times a year. The growth of the grapes was stimulated by the Great Plant Spirit Dryas and her familial spirits, and the Great Earth Spirit Gnome and his familial spirits manage the soil so it was always in optimal status.
Why do they promote the growth of the grapes to increase harvest? It was because the Great Spirits love to drink. It was that silly of a reason.

「Well, setting the cherry tree aside, the alcohol needed for the viewing will be provided by the Sanctuary, so I’d like to ask everyone to help with cooking.」
「What do we do about the tables and chairs?」
「Oh yeah. It would be better if everyone sat on tables and chairs. Okay, I’ll provide them.」

Maribelle asked if tables were needed. In Japan, we just lay down blue tarps or picnic sheets, but it might be better for the people of this world to have tables and chairs.

「So Master, when will the flower viewing be?」
「Ah! I didn’t say when that will be. Dryas said that the flower buds seem like they’re already starting to bloom, so it will probably be in full bloom in 3 days. So please adjust your schedules to keep that day open for these plans.」
「Very well.」

I told Sebastian when the flower viewing would be.
The cherry tree that Dryas created were blooming at a fast rate, but they can be enjoyed for a long time after they are in full bloom. When I first asked Dryas for the cherry tree, she asked me if I wanted the full bloom to last, but I refused.
Cherry blossoms are also nice when they fall.

I asked Sebastian and Maribelle to buy the ingredients needed and have them come to the Sanctuary mansion the day before the flower viewing.

It takes time to prepare food, after all.

After I informed the employees of the cherry blossom viewing, I returned to the Sanctuary mansion to make some more preparations.

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