The First Female Duke

Chapter 31

Edith and Penny had already gone back to their dormitory, while Elena was still searching for the Luminescent Grass under the Moon.

Emi, who was in charge of protecting her, had followed Elena around the Levin Forest, and his patience was on the verge of running out. When he saw Elena pointing at a brightly colored mushroom with red spots and asked if it was a matsutake mushroom, he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Don't you ever read any books?"

Elena looked at him with a straight face, "No, before every class, I do study my homework."

"So, that's it?"

"What?"

"I said, don't you ever read any extra books to supplement your knowledge!"

As a result, surprisingly, Elena retorted, "No."

Emi paused, thinking, Did he misunderstand her, that this first year wasn't as uneducated as he thought?

"In addition to the textbooks, I usually do read 'Explanation of Riding Moves', 'How to Strengthen Physical Conditioning - With the Requirements of a Knight', 'Origin of Knights', and 'History of Knight Development' ......" Elena said a lot in one breath.

Emi: "......"

Elena frowns when she sees how he's about to say something, "Do you have a problem with the book I'm reading?"

"No, the books you read- very politically correct, befitting your status as a knight." Emi sighed, "So is it true that you don't know anything about the characteristics of fluorescent grass and matsutake mushrooms under the moon?"

Elena nodded innocently.

Emi pushed her glasses up with a grimace, "I'll bet your good friend Ms. Willey would never be as clueless as you are."

Emi's intention of saying this was to make Elena realize her gap from this cruel comparison, but it turned out that after he had finished speaking, the little green-eyed girl became even more excited than she had looked just a moment ago, and she looked as if the person who was being praised by Emi was herself.

"You're right~" Elena said excitedly, "Edith knows a lot more than I do, back when she was in Violet she used to read the books inside the Taggermatt's library, and now that we're both here in Sofia, after a few years have passed who knows how much she's put into her little head. "

Emi was half speechless, he really didn't understand where this strange complacency of Elena's was coming from.

"So why don't you ask her before you scatter?" That way he wouldn't have to follow her around the forest for half a day.

Elena also looked regretful, "I forgot."

Emi: "......"

He sighs deeply and helplessly once more, "Let's go back straight back to the rendezvous, seeing as how - even after dark - you won't be able to find any of the homework items."

Elena listened to his tone and asked a little sheepishly, "So, let me ask, if I fail this class, will it affect your grade, after all, we're both in a group."

A snow goat scurried past his eyes, Emi walked forward expressionlessly and said, "Thank you for your sudden conscience, well - your grade won't affect me, not by half."

If it would, then becoming a group with Elena today was the decision he regretted most today.

It was only when Elena saw Flanda that she realized Edith and Penny had actually gone to the infirmary, "What's going on?" She asked with a frown.

Flanda then explained to her in detail what had happened earlier and then said:

"Edith and Penny were not hurt, it was Master Clark who seemed to have been bitten by the undead, Edith accompanied Master Clark to the infirmary, but she seemed to see that Penny was frightened and dragged her along as well."

Elena breathed a sigh of relief at that, "It's been so long, they should have already returned to their dormitory."

And that was exactly what happened, as Elena returned to her dormitory, she happened to bump into Edith and Penny, who had just returned, at the entrance to the dormitory.

"Honey, I heard you just killed an undead?" Elena's emerald-like eyes sparkled.

Edith bristled and walked straight inside, "No, I didn't kill the undead, it was Bridges, I just hitched a ride."

"That's pretty impressive too!" She caught up and walked with Edith, "What's it like to deal with undead with your own hands, is it any different than when we were in magic training class?"

"The difference between the two - it's bigger than you can imagine."

"All I can say is that the undead that are caged and sealed and the ones that are alive and able to move freely - are simply two different creatures." Edith sat down on the soft couch, then breathed a sigh of relief; a lot had really happened today.

Elena was kinda sorry, Edith knew what she was thinking as soon as she took one look at her expression, "Trust me, you don't want to experience that first hand."

"Ask Penny if you don't believe me." Edith lifted her chin in Penny's direction.

Meeting Elena's expectant eyes, Penny froze, but nodded honestly, "It's scary ......"

"When the scarlet eyes of the undead are staring at you, you'll feel so cold that you won't even be able to move."

Elena shook her body, "So scary? Well, you managed to dispel all my curiosity, I only feel grateful now."

Edith glanced at her and said faintly, "Just steal the joy!"

Elena smiled cheekily, and then she looked like she thought of something, "By the way, Ms. Gabriel also assigned homework."

Edith couldn't help but frown, "What homework?"

"For us to write a paper on fluorescent grasses under the moon and to finish it and mail it to him before the next gathering class."

Hearing the topic, Edith relaxed, "It's okay, it's good writing."

But Elena cried, "But I don't even know what Luminescent Grass under the Moon looks like, I didn't even see its shadow when I was in Levin Forest."

Edith: "...... You wait for the night, I'll help you write out the characteristics of the Luminescent Grass under the Moon, and tomorrow you'll go to the library to find some more information, and the paper should be ready to be written."

By the time the evening came, the four of them were sitting on a desk that was covered with messy parchment, and Edith was currently holding a feather quill and writing something quickly on the parchment.

"I've made a list of specific things to look out for for you, and that's all the first year's report asks for - the external features of the Luminescent Grass under the Moon, the growing environment, the basic recipe potions that will be used ......" she c****d her head as she thought about it. "You can also add plants that can be easily confused with the Luminescent Grass Under the Moon, so if you write all of those down, you'll definitely have enough words."

Elena took the parchment and found that the content on it was clearly organized, Edith had even helped her with the structural framework, all she had to do was to go and collect the relevant information, and then integrate the information to analyze it specifically.

"Oh baby, I love you!" She said sweetly, and the two of them burst into laughter.

While they were fighting, Penny reached over and picked up the piece of parchment Edith had just written on and scanned it for a few moments - she stared at one of the phrases, her eyes flashing with a huge shock.

"The Luminescent Grass under the Moon itself doesn't glow, what does is the Light Moss spores that cover the leaves; Light Moss tends to grow in dark, damp caves, and it can be assumed that the Luminescent Grass under the Moon prefers dampness and darkness as a result."

Penny knew very well that Edith would never fool Elena with a wrong answer, which meant that her previous guess about the Luminescent Grass under the Moon growing in caves was correct.

But, how did Edith know this? To know, the books she had once read about the Luminescent Grass under the Moon were far from this detailed.

After hesitating, Penny still asked this question out.

Edith didn't think about it that much, she thought back and said, "I did once see it in Tagmart's library, there were a total of two books that mentioned the Luminescent Grass under the Moon, one was called The Complete Book of Basic Pharmaceutical Materials, and another was called The Illustrated Guide to Medicinal Plants."

"Is it true that one of those two books you read was called The Complete Book of Basic Pharmaceutical Materials?" Penny raised her voice.

Edith gave her a somewhat odd look, keenly aware that Penny seemed a bit agitated now, and she nodded hesitantly:

"Yes." She had a good memory, so she shouldn't be mistaken.

Penny's lips turned a little white as she said in amazement, "But the book I read was also called 'The Complete Book of Basic Pharmaceutical Materials', but in the part about the Luminescent Grass under the Moon, the book only wrote about some basic external characteristics as well as its luminescent properties." Other things like light moss, shade-loving, and these, not a single word was mentioned at all.

Edith was obviously a bit surprised as well, but she gave an answer after thinking about it, "I remember that there seem to be many versions of this book, perhaps the version you read is not a very comprehensive record?"

Suddenly noticing that Elena Flanda was looking at her, Penny realized that she seemed to have overreacted a bit.

She calmed down a little and nodded slowly, "I think that's it."

It was only a suspicion that surfaced in her mind that didn't dissipate for a long time.

By the time the evening came, Edith and Elena had both gone to bed, but Flanda suddenly knocked on the door of Penny's room, and hearing the sound of voices calling in from inside, Flanda pushed the door open, and found that Penny really wasn't sleeping, and that the lamp at the head of the bed was turned on, while Penny was holding a book in her hand.

"Penny," Flanda said softly, walking over and sitting on the edge of her bed.

Penny smiled at her, "What's up?" She was a little surprised that Flanda had come to her at this hour.

"I seem to recall that Mrs. Anas gave you a bottle of sleeping aid," the little blonde looked at Penny worriedly, "I also think that you are due for a good night's sleep - don't think about anything."

"- you seemed a little off today when you came back from Levene Woods."

Penny lowered her eyes, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the corner of her book, "I just got spooked by the undead."

Flanda hesitated for a moment before saying, "It better be, I don't know if it's just me, but it always seems to me that you have a lot on your mind."

Penny looked up a little surprised, like she was getting to know the blonde girl for the first time - usually out of the four of them, Flanda was probably the most unassuming one, she was short on words and meek, Penny didn't even think she had a temper, and it was only today that she could see that the girl might have a keen insight that she didn't know about - it was just that usually she hid it well or didn't need to show it.

Penny was silent, half a moment before she said softly, "I just feel bad about myself - being helpless in the face of the undead and ending up letting someone else save me."

"Edith did much better than I did."

Flanda listened attentively, but asked suspiciously, "Shouldn't you be happy about that when Edith is excellent? Why are you bothered by that?"

Penny looked into the blonde's eyes and realized that she was indeed positively puzzled.

--There was nothing more pleasing to them, the lesser nobles who were dependent on the great nobles, than the excellence of the heir to a subordinate family.

Flanda stood up, she glanced at the small vial of medicine on the bedside table and thought better of it:

"I suggest you listen to Mrs. Anas and get some sleep."

The room felt like it was quiet after Frenda left, Penny suddenly felt as if her mind was jammed with a lot of things, maybe Frenda was right, she did deserve a good night's rest.

The next morning, Edith packed her things and was ready to go out when she suddenly realized that Penny wasn't there, she asked suspiciously:

"Where's Penny?"

"She got up pretty early today, and when she got up she told me she was going to the library to look for some materials and told us not to wait for her."

Edith smacked her lips, "Fine!" With that she sighed, "I have to change a certain young master's medicine."

Elena smiled and wrapped her arm around her and said, "Who asked him to save your life with a wound, bear with him, I heard he'll be fine in a few days."

Edith trailed off and said sarcastically, "Life is so unpredictable, before this I wouldn't have even imagined that I would have such a strong will to wish Young Master Clark good health."

Elena finally stifled a laugh.

In the library, Penny found the book that Edith said yesterday, "The Complete Book of Basic Pharmaceutical Materials", when she quickly found the introduction of the Lunar Fluorescent Grass from her memory, her face turned white, sure enough, this version of "The Complete Book of Basic Pharmaceutical Materials" had a very comprehensive introduction of the Lunar Fluorescent Grass on it, comparing to the previous one, the one that she had once looked at at home was like a neutered version of this one.

Yesterday's suspicion surfaced in her mind once again, as if to verify it, Penny searched for many more books that she had once read in her home's storeroom, and then she was shocked to discover the fact - almost all the books she had read at home were in some sense castrated versions.

It wasn't that the content of the books she read was incorrect, but rather - incomplete, with some important parts basically omitted.

Why was this the case, and did the mere difference in editions make such a big difference?

After careful thought, Penny's hand holding the book abruptly squeezed tight, and she came to a terrifying conclusion.

--Perhaps, the great nobles of this world monopolized not only the force at the top, but also knowledge and culture.

Just as when their magic power awakened, big nobles like Edith Elena could awaken in their own homes because they mastered the ancient method of awakening, such a method of awakening was absolutely impossible for the lesser nobles to know - they could only follow the crowd and awaken in Violet.

There were also formulated potions, occupational arts, and formations that only ancient noble families would have - books were even just one aspect of it.

Penny thought with complexity that she should perhaps even feel grateful that she was from the noble class and could still see such a castrated version of the Complete Book of Basic Pharmaceutical Materials, if it was put on commoners, they might not have been able to know about it in their entire lives.

In Building Seven, Edith muttered as she changed Bridges' medication:

"There's never been a moment when I've wished so much for you to be back to your living, breathing self immediately as I do now." Her intention was to be sarcastic about the young master.

But she didn't realize that this person's skin was as thick as a city wall, not only did he listen to it without changing his face, he even said it with a bit of smugness:

"I'm touched that you should be so concerned about my health - of course it's not very good right now and needs your careful care."

The force under Edith's hand was three times heavier because of that word of careful care.

"Ow~" Young Master Clark barely managed to leap up from his seat in pain, his handsome eyebrows squeezing together, "Will you lighten up!"

Edith glanced at him lightly and said faintly, "That's it for the hand, if you're not satisfied find someone else."

Young Master Clark looked at her with a dark face.

Edith ignored him and just kept her hands to herself, perhaps because she was carrying a bit of emotion, as she put a big bow on Bridges' bandage.

Bridges stared in silence at the bow, which was too ugly for words, and shuddered to think how many strange looks he'd get if he brought it to class.

Edith smiled, said, "Young Master Clark, I really can't bandage, I can only tie bows, after all, I'm a girl ...... If you're not happy with it, let Lexi re-tie it for you, I think Lexi will be happy to oblige."

Lexi looked up in bewilderment, not understanding how the battle had come properly to him.

He didn't see the situation clearly and asked Bridges quite seriously for his opinion:

"Need any help?"

Bridges gave him a hard stare and rasped, "No!"

His eyes glanced at the bow that hurt his eyes, Young Master Clark finally tasted the flavor of lifting a stone to hit his own feet, and as if consoling, he said with difficulty, "This bow ...... is not bad."

Edith's mood soothed from the soles of her feet to the strands of her hair - she suddenly felt that changing Master Clark's medicine every morning and evening wasn't such a bad thing anymore.

When she finished breakfast, the waiter came over and bowed as usual, inquiring, "Do you need today's Canaan City Daily News?"

Bridges hadn't cared much, he'd already received a copy to read on his afternoon break, but it was Emi who asked for one, he didn't have any classes in the morning and was planning to spend the morning reading and reading the paper in building seven.

As a result, he just read the biggest headline on the newspaper, he was so shocked that he stood up from his seat at once:

"Oh my god! Canas City's horse racing festival for this season is starting to warm up."

Bridges bristled and whipped his head around, "What did you say?"

Emi handed him the newspaper, unable to hide the surprise in his eyes, "I didn't realize that this year's festival had warmed up early, now that the racehorses and jockeys have been released, the first warm-up race will be held in a few days at the Delhi Racecourse!"

Bridges face is also the same as Emmy's excited look, he carefully, with the seriousness of not missing any punctuation to not miss any of the newspaper headlines read through, and then his face reveals a satisfied smile.

"I've been waiting for this day for far too long."

Edith stuck her head over for a few moments and said in realization, "So it's the Racing Festival, and it seems that Canas has a much grander one."

Bridges' dark eyes looked over at her, "Doesn't Nobia City have a horse racing festival?"

Edith said calmly, "There is, but the races are much shorter, unlike Canas City, which takes two months to even warm up."

The nobles in this world were keen on horsemanship, and Nobia was already the largest city in the fiefdom, so of course there would be a horse racing festival.

"Looks like you missed a lot of excitement once." Bridges commented.

Edith glanced into his glowing dark eyes - he looked a bit like a boy watching a World Cup match in a previous life, "You look a bit overexcited, Bridges."

"What do you know ...... My Harrington is ready to play this season after two years of training."

"What's the matter you expect it to come back with a championship?" Edith stifled a laugh.

"Why not?" A little annoyed, Bridges looked extra serious as he said, "Even if it's a little harder to win the championship, there's always the group championship to think about!"

Emmy grinned back and said, "Hey Edith, don't knock our Young Master Clark, two years ago he was waiting for his Harrington to be ready to go down."

"Harrington, your big dark horse?" Edith raised an eyebrow.

As if offended, Bridges' temples jumped and he pressed his voice, "Harrington is a Lyman thoroughbred of honorable blood."

"So?"

"So it's bound to do well in the group stage." Master Clark lifted his chin and said with certainty.

Perhaps infected by the emotions of the two boys, Edith also came over and couldn't help but speak to Elena:

"It makes me want to compete too."

Perhaps having received enough skepticism earlier, the not-so-mindful young master Clark said mockingly when he caught a break at the moment:

"To compete, you need a breed horse at the very least."

Edith and Elena looked at each other and said in unison, "Of course we do."

"I have a Calcutta Pureblood." Edith said smugly, her favorite Lilian.

Elena smirked and spread her hands, "Well, my horse isn't a pureblood, and purebloods can be a bit tricky."

Bridges raised an eyebrow, the little bastard sure was good for a lot of things, but, "Even for the minimum required 1000-2000 meter race, the age requirement for a racehorse is a minimum of no less than 3 years old."

"How old is your horse?"

Edith got stuck, and she said sheepishly, "Only two years old."

The corners of Bridges' mouth quirked up in satisfaction, and he deliberately trailed off in a long, lazy tone:

"Then I'm afraid I have to regretfully inform you that your horse will have to wait until next year at the earliest."

Edith whipped her head around to look at Elena, meaning she was her last hope, only to have Elena shrug and say helplessly, "Hey don't look at me, my horse is only 1 year old."

Well, there goes the final hope.

Edith's interest in the festival did not wane, however, and she sent a letter to Taggart that night.

The letter was very simple: it asked her mother to send her Lilia to Luxembourg as soon as possible.

Polina's reply was also brief:

"The Festival of Racing in Canas City is indeed not to be missed, as mom once had a racehorse that got the glory of being a group winner, but of course, your Lilian blood is pure, and with fine training, you can surely achieve better results.

To make a mark at the festival, besides excellent horses, you also need experienced and well-trained jockeys, but the history of horse racing in Nobia City is not that long, and the quality of jockeys is not that high, and in this regard, mommy suggests that you turn to Aunt Jolene for help.

Lilia will be here soon, there is no need to rush."

Edith saw the last sentence and finally revealed a satisfied smile.