Xol, Ena and Kenia arrived at the dining hall, seeing the prices and the 200 contribution in his ring, Xol opted for slightly cheaper dishes to eat. He wanted to save some of his contributions since apart from the Blue Flame Lion and Blue Flame Winged Lioness drops he already exchanged everything.
As Xol sat he saw he still had the life ring, due the challenge he completely forgot to return it.
"Teacher here the life ring you lent for the various explanations on botany and how we use it as we get a specific element attunement." Xol said as he extended his hand with the ring.
"No no, it's all right you can keep it, it's been a long time since someone wanted to learn botany properly from me."— Kenia shook her head and closed Xol hand—" You´re the first student that came looking to me in order to gain contributions through botany instead of picking alchemy or tailor like other students."
"Just accept it mum is afraid you switch to—"
Kenia grabbed some food with a spoon and shove into Ena mouth.
"Ah Ena, its being a long time since you let me give you food in such a way." Kenia said wish sweet smile taking her hand to her cheek.
"AH!" Xol widened his eyes remembering something.
"Teacher I forgot to tell you something, I´m supposed to report to my dormitory what would we need to nurture botanists. I may not be the only person from my dormitory to come looking for you to get the side job. So, I still think it wouldn't be appropriated to accept it." Xol said as tried to return the gift again.
"What do you mean?" Kenia said with surprised look.
"Mum you´re a meanie." Ena burst having passed the food.
"Well, you see …" Xol explained the dormitory situation. Hearing she could potentially get more student interested in botany Kenia erupted in a wide smile.
"Then I will keep the ring for now, depending on the number of persons that come to my class from your dormitory I will give it to you as a prize. You said there five persons hat haven't chosen a side job right now, if you can get them to join the class and 10 other persons, I will give it free to you as thank you for promoting my class." Kenia said after some time as she took the ring.
"But In the end, it would be the same I don't –"
"Xol come with me." Ena said seeing Xol was Intending on refusing the ring. Standing up the both walked some meters away.
"Please just accept the ring, she is really happy you came to learn botany properly instead of getting it just to upgrade the Mana academy's ring." Ena said with faint voice.
"But it's a life ring. I know someone who has one and he told me he got it for three million contributions when he studied in the academy." Xol replied in a faint voice remembering the life ring Jun used as beast tamer.
"Don't be so strong headed, she already is giving it to you as a prize from promoting her class in your dormitory, with that she can maintain her face up next time she sees teacher Sela from the earth attunement class." Ena said and glanced at her back seeing Kenia was eating maintaining her smile she sighed in relief.
"Teacher Sela uses various tactics to get student for her class, like promoting the stats the student will get for academy's ring if they take the botany side job class. If the student say they don't have the time, she offers making fertilizers for them with her attunements, so the student doesn't have to bother so much with the side job nor the plants they grow."
"Mum hate these tactics as the student isn't really interested in taking care of the plants just the stats. These students would not care properly for the plant just seeing it as a way to level fast, the more levels they achieve the better stats the ring gives. They ignore the plants that die and don't bother to improve so next time more plants survive. Finally, they would sell their medical plants in the academy at low price compared to mum´s since their quality is inferior." Ena explained the whole story.
"Okay I would accept it but why teacher doesn't like the fertilizer part, she explained that point to me in her lesson. She said depending on the fertilizers it can help the plant grow strong." Xol said with a confused gaze. Ena turned to look at her mum and then glanced at Xol.
"Yeah using fertilizers can help them, but in correct quantity and taking consideration for the plant if you don't take this in consideration you harm the plant growth, medical properties and can even kill it. Also, most of the fertilizer they use focus on increasing the speed harming the quality and the plan in the process. Teacher Sela receives a commission from the sales of her students so she doesn't care about the final quality." Ena said with faint voice. "Now then let return and please just nod at her proposal."
"Mum Xol said he is accepting the life ring once he gets the students from his dormitory." Ena said as she walked with Xol. Nodding once she asked if it was true, the group chatted as they ate.
"Now then Xol what are you plans for the rest of the day." Kenia said some time after they finished eating.
"I like to exchange some contributions for HP and MP potions, I want to go to the dungeon to get some drops for teacher Izuriel tasks and exchange the rest for more contributions. After that I return to sparring hall to spar with some friends at 5 pm." Xol replied as he stood up.
"Then do you mind if I accompany you and introduce some of the seeds you can exchange for contributions and recommend you some seeds for getting the Botanist side job plus the ones that are easier to raise in the first levels of the side job." Kenia said with a smile. 'I also have to monitor your bottom-line and restrain you if you show signs of killing intent like that incident.'
'I'm still can´t really draw the line between the pure kid I have in front of me and the killer Zestari said he turns once he get mad.' Kenia thought glancing a Xol after some time.
"Un, then I would thank teacher in advance." Xol nodded.
"Ena can you go to my classroom and report me if there someone having trouble. We would wait you in the shopping district." Kenia said with a smile.
"Eh, but that's your job beside I want to head to the dungeons so I'm not doing it." Ena said with a reluctance tone.
"Ena." Kenia said and her smile turned from a sweet one to one indicating she didn't have a choice.
"Okay, I go. But only if Xol also let me spar with him and his friends once he heads for the sparring hall." Ena said pointing at Xol.
"Well I don't mind, and it would be up to them as we are doing a mini tournament between us." Xol said tilting his head.
Parting their ways, Xol used almost all his contributions for the potions just leaving some for his dinner. Kenia introduced the various seeds and Xol took note of the various seeds. Once Ena caught to them and hearing that her student were doing all right, Kenia took them to the architect hall so Xol could see what the dormitory would need in order to build a suitable greenhouse based on their needs and the persons that interest themselves in the side job.
Taking care of that the group went to the sparring hall, as Kenia and Ena came with him, Xol explained them he intended to examine the outside of the building first so he would try recreating with mana as he waited for his friends as it was part of the task he received from teacher Izuriel.
Xol recreated his dormitory in his left hand while recreating the sparring hall, he came up with this idea to improve his multitasking once Ena said that Xol should improve on his control of the mana chains and shooting mana bullets at the same time.
Marcel soon arrived and introduce himself after some time Kingo also arrive with Richter behind him.
[Richter Mana Cultivator LVL 13]
Xol was surprised that Richter had already transformed the +3 into actual levels. Introducing themselves, the group didn't mind Ena participation in the sparring and Kingo even thank her since the more variety in his opponent, the closer he would get in acquiring katana intent. Renting a private hall, the group started preparing.
Xol tried various of the spears Kingo had made as he sparred against him. Kingo would instruct Xol how to get the most of each spear design in the light spar they were making. After they finished Kingo added some more comments and neither of them put attention to Marcel and Richter spar session.
Ena got to spar against Marcel soon after they finished as Kingo was still introducing some techniques to Xol. Once that match ended Kingo sparred against Richter. After that fight the group started the tournament.
"AHH just you wait currently I have only learned wind gust for my wind attunement, once I learn more skill I definitely improve! Currently I´m working on a new skill but once I get it the ranking would definitely change." Marcel shouted seeing he ended last again even with Ena participation.
"Good I will wait your challenge." Richter said as he rubbed his nose after maintaining the first place.
Ena was surprised when she heard Richter had be two times champion in their tournaments. Waiting a little so Kingo could grasp what he learned in the spar, the group exited the hall and bid their farewells.
Reporting to Ethan Xol explained what they would need to nurture botanists. When Ethan heard teacher Kenia offered them a space for them to learn in her greenhouse as they got the botanist and would even come from time to time once they build a greenhouse he got really excited and thanked Xol. Ethan had already talked with the alchemist team leader and was waiting on knowing the news. Xol suggested for him to talk with the team leader to introduce better the side job from what he learned, which Ethan nodded and arranged the meeting.
After discussing with the alchemist leader, they both got to work onto recruiting persons to take the side job making sure the person was truly interested on it.