The Cornflower Witch Chapter 128

“We’ve arrived, Miss Hylial.”

The carriage slowly drove into the vast valley and finally stopped in front of a stone hut.

The first floor of the hut, a rectangular structure built of white stone, was empty and could be used to park carriages and store miscellaneous items, or to store harvested grain crops. Steps on the side of the hut led up to the second floor, which was Hylial’s living quarters. It included a bedroom with a good view, a study, and a small private meditation room.

“The kitchen is on the side of the first floor, and there’s a cellar dug next to it. You can store things there, Miss Hylial,” the knight attendant leading them said, guiding her through the inspection of each area.

How to build city walls, castles, towers, and residences was professionally planned within the ‘Castle’ path. These buildings were often part of a grand ‘Castle’ formation and also symbolized the boundaries of civilization.

Though small, the stone house was fully equipped and perfectly suited for Hylial’s sole occupancy. Situated on a higher slope within the valley, there was no need to worry about flooding.

Behind the hut, about 400 meters to the north, were the steep cliffs surrounding the valley, covered in wind-eroded rocks, where no sparrows flew.

The entire valley was vaguely ‘C’-shaped, with an entrance 200 meters wide on the eastern side, and a vast plain inside, estimated to be about 1200 mu, or the size of 120 football fields.

The interior of the valley still had large tracts of untouched forest and rocky overgrown areas, with only the area near the exit currently cleared.

Hylial had mentally prepared herself, but upon arrival, she realized she had underestimated the difficulty of reclaiming this area. Not to mention the planting issues, just clearing the land itself was no easy feat.

Fortunately, the Woodland Association, considering the difficult start, had already cleared and tilled the first 50 mu of land for her, so she wasn’t completely at a loss.

“Miss Hylial should now have a general understanding of the situation. Do you have any other questions?” The second-order knight attendant stood with her in the open space in front of the hut.

“We’re still severely short-handed.”

Hylial guessed this problem would be hard to solve. If there were enough people, she wouldn’t have been sent here in the first place.

“There’s nothing we can do about that. However, you can check the market at the beginning of next month to see if you can find some enslaved or laboring people from other races. But managing and providing for them will also require a lot of effort,” the other party suggested.

“Also, is it safe here? I see large tracts of forest within the valley.”

“That area has already been combed through by us. There are basically no wild beasts left, at most some rabbits or rats.”

“If you’re still worried, here are three signal rockets. Just light and launch them, and the tower of White Stone Fortress will detect them. Then, patrolling knights will arrive.”

“About 6-7 kilometers south of the valley, there’s a hunter’s cabin, where forest rangers are stationed long-term. They patrol the border and deal with any monsters or wild beasts that intrude. If you have any trouble that needs addressing, you can try to negotiate with them.”

“About 10 kilometers north, there’s a lumber mill where people work daily. If you want to add furniture, expand fences, or buy basic necessities, you can go there to check it out.”

“Oh, and before we set off, our captain said that this carriage and horse used to transport luggage would be given to you as compensation. For the first year, we’ll regularly send you feed and beans to raise this draft horse and two foals.”

Hearing this, Hylial finally took a closer look at the tall draft horse that had brought her here. Its coat color was similar to reed, a grayish-white, but its thick hooves were black.

[Lakeside Horse]: A tall draft horse with a small amount of Blood Discipline Aspect. It has a strong and robust physique, suitable for pulling heavy cargo and plowing fields. It is not fast and not suitable as a cavalry warhorse.

The young girl gently stroked the tall draft horse. Its hooves were probably thicker than her thigh, and it weighed about a ton. Standing under the draft horse, Hylial’s head just reached its chin. If she wanted to ride it, she couldn’t straddle it normally; she could only sit sideways on its broad back. Although this draft horse was enormous, the two miniature foals by its side were just the right size for Hylial. Riding one would be very suitable for her.

[Lakeside Foal]: A Lakeside Horse that has not yet grown up, with a lively personality.

The two little ones, one brown and one black, had followed their mother the entire way. During breaks, they would hide under their mother’s body, occasionally tilting their heads to gaze at the knights with their black eyes.

When no one was around, they would come out to play, hopping and prancing about freely.

After some further instructions, the knights departed, leaving Hylial to reside in the newly reclaimed valley.

…

That afternoon, the young girl walked across the valley’s wilderness, initially familiarizing herself with the environment, then returned to her stone hut.

Should she cook? She thought for a moment and went to the kitchen, where two bags of vegetables were stored under the cabinets, delivered with the carriage that morning.

Untying the ropes on the bags, Hylial opened them and looked inside.

One bag contained about 20 pounds of potatoes, an 8-pound pumpkin, five onions, six greenish tomatoes, four large cabbages, sixteen parsnip roots, and eleven turnips.

After counting, Hylial opened another bag, which contained three bundles of 26 smoked sausages, five pounds of dried smoked meat, and a bag of salt.

If she ate sparingly, this food would last her a month.

Standing up, she checked the flour bag on the other side. It contained 30 pounds of good quality flour, which was also the better main staple food available in White Stone Fortress.

As for excellent quality wheat flour, not much was sold in the market; most of it was supplied to official members of various organizations stationed at other outposts.

She peeled three potatoes and one parsnip root, then boiled them in a pot. Soon, Hylial added a little dried smoked meat and a small spoonful of salt.

For the main course, she mixed water with flour until it was a thick paste, then poured it onto an oiled iron skillet to make simple flatbread. Once cooked, she scooped it out, cut it into small pieces, and placed them in a bowl.

Steamed buns and bread were too troublesome; since she was eating alone, she naturally wanted to save time.

After some preparations, Hylial sat at the dining table by the stove, eating her vegetable and meat soup with crispy flatbread, feeling quite content.

Late at night, after washing up, Hylial sat at the head of her bed, covered by a new cotton quilt. A candle lit the bedside, allowing her to read the book in her hands.

Under the faint candlelight, the girl’s soft cheeks glowed with a warm, gentle hue. Her bright eyes, brimming with interest, flipped through the pages. Only when the candle was nearly burnt out did she reluctantly lie down.

Outside the window, the world was dark and quiet, and the night passed in silence.