"Old friend, calm down!"
Even though people around him attributed Mel's attitude to his ignorance or excitement, the truth was different. Mel was dealing with the tree in the cave he had refined.
"I understand that you can't absorb energy from those on the other side of the water and these plants have whetted your appetite. Take it easy. Keep your appetite for the time after I enter the academy! "
The tree, which shook its branches madly, was speaking by rustling its green and red leaves. It was giving an impression that he was going to insist on this matter.
"Don't stop, go ahead and let those people here find out our secret! Did you think what might happen after that?"
For ten seconds, he focused all his attention on making sure that the tree inside him did not absorb the energies of the surrounding plants. Then the tree calmed down, and Mel breathed a sigh of relief. The young man, who had stated the rules, continued to speak.
"Each bud will be worth one point. If you can open all ten buds, you will be able to get the plant too together with ten points!"
After the announcement, a rumble began to come out from the participants. The common feeling was excitement and ambition. If they managed to get the Ten-Buds Ghost Orchid fully opened, the herb gardens would gain a rare piece.
Mel was also happy to hear the award, but his motivation was a little different from the others.
"Look, old friend, how things go when you're calm. On the other side of the water, there is this Ten-Buds Ghost Orchid. On your side, there is not. If we can manage to do what's told to us, you will win a neighbor!
"I cannot pass the plants in my grandfather's garden to the other side. But from now on, I will always plant my earnings on your side. But you won't bully them. Beware!"
Mel was speaking to the tree inside by taking advantage of the rumbling in the hall, but a familiar voice rang out in the structure once more.
"Silence, Otherwise, I will eliminate all of you!"
This time Grumpy Hanry warned the student candidates of the Plant Department sharply.
"You have an hour. You can start now!"
When the crowd went silent, the younger one sitting at the seat of honor announced that the test had begun. From that moment on, everyone began to close their eyes and concentrate. In fact, it would be more correct to say everyone except one, because Mel was looking around with eyes that did not know what to do.
"So, normal people need rituals like this to communicate with plants. Very interesting. Even though it won't work for me, it won't be bad if I learn. I will have to imitate them in the future!"
He looked at all the participants one by one with the thoughts he was passing through his mind. For five minutes he just concentrated on this by doing nothing.
"What is this stupid kid doing?
Grumpy Hanry began to grumble about Mel's attitude. Grumpy Hanry's moves were cheering up the young man on the other side.
"Master Hanry, isn't this the boy kind you've signed up? If the eyes of a gifted person like you only saw him, something extraordinary must be with this child."
He was openly teasing Hanry, but the middle-aged man remained silent against this act. The man with the long beard first looked at the young man on his left, then at Grumpy Hanry.
"Are you still upset that I sent you to the registration area?"
The white-bearded old man's voice was soft. When Mel heard that, he turned his head immediately in that direction, but Grumpy Hanry was staring steadily at him.
Seeing a pair of eyes glowing like a pair of the aisle, Mel turned his eyes away. It seemed that all of Hanry's anger was targeting Mel. Meanwhile, the old man spoke again.
"Anyway, after this audition is over, we will talk about it again later!"
"This time, are you going to put a basket on my arm and send it to the mountain of plants?"
Hanry concluded his words with a few short and cocky hilarities. It was apparent that he and the Head of Department were at odds.
"Sir, a participant managed to open the first bud!"
The younger ones in the trio excitedly pointed a place. The bud of the Ten-Buds Ghost Orchid, which was in front of a girl dressed in bright clothes, was blooming white on a place close to the soil.
"As expected from the little genius of the Gloove family, she was the first to cross the bud line!"
The young man's face was brightened up.
"Master Louise, I was wondering when you would say the name of your family. Like you did before, you couldn't hold it for long!"
Grumpy Hanry, who was rarely speaking, rolled his eyes over the young man's words.
"What can I do, Master Hanry? Since my Gloove family is the best Plant Science Family in the Green Shadow Academy, we always achieve firsts. This year's participant, Maria, also continues the legacy of her ancestry."
The shirt he wore was hardly resisting the puffing of his chest and was about to explode. The young man was boasting by using words that were not lies.
"Look, another person made his plant to bloom the first bud. What a coincidence, it also comes from one of the noble families!"
As the young and handsome master's words wandered through the building, the buds on the left-hand tables began to open.
They all got their first points, even if it was a minute after Maria. There was no sound at the tables directly on the opposite side.
When Mel examined the people in front of him, he saw stylish clothes, glorious hats, and a cocky demeanor. People who were in the same line with Mel were like him in appearance, with plainclothes, and with a somewhat timid demeanor.
Those were lining on the side of Grumpy Hanry and the others were on the side of young Master Louise. Mel had involuntarily sat on the place where the man, who he entered the hall together in the morning, was standing. But Mel realized that the others did this in a certain hierarchy.
The noble families were staying on the left while the lower class participants were staying on the right by lining up in front of the Masters who coincided with them.
"Master Hanry, you came out of the public and rose to this rank, but unfortunately exceptions cannot break the rule!"
The fact that no buds bloomed on the right side despite 10 minutes had passed was the greatest proof of the young master's bitter words. Even though Grumpy Hanry's color had changed because of anger, he could not find anything to say.
If there was someone else in the place of Hanry, he would shout at the children on the right side. But the middle-aged master did not do this. He put up with his opponent's words and continued to sit calmly.
"Hehe, look at those poor people. They are just for filling quotas. "
"Lots of kids like these come every year. Then they get eliminated and return!
"We need them too, or else who will we step on and rise!"
On the side of the noble families, the children were boasting of their achievements. Although there were differences among themselves too, the opposite front was weaker than all of them, and whatever they may say, no answer would come from that weaker side.
"Silence!"
Children of the noble families, who were accustomed to hearing such warnings from Hanry, were surprised when they saw that this time it came out of Louise's mouth. But they got the required message from the master's tone.
The young master, who was just pretending to be disciplined, was almost trying to say 'go ahead, but don't exaggerate it that much'.
Once again, Mel turned his gaze to the bench on his side. The boy sitting at the next table was covered in sweat. His fingers were wounded because of squeezing the chair and blood, coming from his nails, was falling on the wooden floor drop by drop.
Witnessing this sight, Mel closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath. Ten seconds later when he opened his eyes again, a massive howl was heard.