"Sure, we will think of a way to protect the lotus while you try to calm it down and figure out how we can harvest it safely," Bertho said, accepting Arin's proposal without much hesitation. He then began wandering around the lake, carefully examining the surrounding vegetation and looking for an obvious way to conceal the rare plant from prying eyes. Although the lotus was currently isolated in the middle of the water, that did not mean its location would remain a secret once other people started exploring the forest. They needed to consider how to protect it without disturbing the lake or interfering with the plant's unusual requirements. Meanwhile, Arin prepared to establish a connection with the lotus, hoping that his Forest Stewardship skill would provide some insight into its condition.
Right, let me see if I can connect with the lotus, Arin thought, directing his attention towards the flower. He was genuinely interested in obtaining a seed for the Sonnenberg forest, as the plant could potentially solve a problem that had been troubling them for some time. Their own forest was currently doing well, and the vegetation had adapted remarkably well to the changes brought about by the arrival of mana. However, the water level underground had dropped considerably, and there had already been discussions about finding a plant that could improve the stream flowing through their territory. A Stillwater Lotus would be an excellent addition, provided they could cultivate it without damaging the original plant or disrupting the environment around it.
The reason they had not simply purchased a similar plant through the System marketplace was that Gaia had quickly removed most of the extraordinary plants capable of producing such beneficial effects. She had made sure that the marketplace no longer offered easy access to the kinds of natural treasures that could dramatically improve an environment or provide cultivation advantages. The plants available for constructing magic-filtering circles had also been replaced with mundane alternatives that served the same practical purpose. Admittedly, those alternatives performed the specific filtering function considerably better than the plants people had previously used for their formations. Nevertheless, they were limited to that particular function and could not provide the additional environmental benefits of genuine magical plants.
Arin had already spent enough time thinking about the marketplace's restrictions, and he forced himself to return his attention to the lotus. There was little point in complaining about the absence of plants that Gaia had deliberately removed from circulation, especially when a suitable specimen was growing right in front of him. He began connecting with the forest while simultaneously searching through the information provided by his Forest Stewardship skill. Unfortunately, although the skill helped him understand the lotus's relationship with its surroundings, it offered no clear instructions for harvesting the plant or preserving its seeds. None of his other skills provided the missing information, leaving him with a valuable discovery but no obvious method of safely collecting it.
What he could determine was that the lotus was exceptionally beneficial to the surrounding forest. Its ability to refine water-attributed mana made it an important part of the local ecosystem, and the loss of its influence would likely cause further problems for the vegetation. When Arin considered the implications, he realised that a similar plant could be extremely helpful to the Crimson Forest as well. A steady supply of refined water mana could improve the environment and support the growth of plants that depended on favourable cultivation conditions. However, understanding the lotus's benefits was not the same as knowing how to harvest it, and Arin was unwilling to risk the plant simply because he wanted a seed.
Gotcha, Arin thought suddenly, emerging from his concentration as he finally caught hold of the lotus's connection. Finding it had been considerably more difficult than he had expected, since he needed to search through the extensive network of connections that linked the forest together. Although the lotus was connected to the surrounding woodland, its connection was unusual because it appeared to function primarily in one direction. Rather than maintaining an ordinary exchange with the forest, the lotus seemed to contribute something to the surrounding environment without receiving the same kind of connection in return. Arin could only establish a proper connection with it near the outer edge of its influence, which explained why he had struggled to reach it through the forest's network.
Right, that makes sense. I think I can help you, though, Arin concluded as he examined the lotus more carefully. He removed his clothes and left them safely on the shore before placing a knife between his teeth and swimming towards the flower. The water was astonishingly clear, allowing him to see the bottom of the lake even as he moved through it. Despite his swimming, the surface barely showed any signs of disturbance, as though the lake's unusual nature prevented the water from behaving like an ordinary body of water. Once he reached the lotus, Arin carefully extended a finger and established direct contact with the flower, which appeared to be preparing to bear fruit.
Unfortunately, the lotus did not look entirely healthy when he examined it at close range. Although its petals remained beautiful and it continued releasing an impressive amount of mana, something about its developing fruit seemed wrong. The seeds appeared to have suffered damage, and the channels responsible for supplying them with nutrients were no longer functioning properly. Arin quickly suspected that the interruption of the flowing water had affected the lotus more severely than its outward appearance suggested. The plant had survived the disturbance, but its ability to develop healthy seeds had clearly been compromised.
Right, let's see what I can do, Arin thought as he began infusing the lotus with his nature mana. He carefully directed the energy towards the damaged areas, hoping to restore the channels that supplied nutrients to the developing seeds. His intention was not to force the plant to produce fruit faster, but to repair the damage that had prevented it from developing normally. If he could restore those channels, the lotus might be able to recover without requiring him to interfere with its natural growth any further. He proceeded cautiously, paying attention to the way the flower responded to the mana he supplied.
After approximately five minutes of continuously infusing the lotus with his nature mana, Arin realised that his efforts were having an effect. The damaged areas were responding to his energy, and he could tell that his approach was at least partially correct. However, the results were not as good as he had hoped, because the channels responsible for transporting nutrients remained damaged and blocked. He could repair some of the surrounding tissue, but the mana alone was not enough to reconnect the entire system properly. Continuing in the same manner would consume a considerable amount of his reserves without guaranteeing that the seeds would recover.
Recognising the limitations of his current approach, Arin decided to return to the shore and reconsider the problem. He swam back across the exceptionally clear lake, once again noticing that the water remained almost perfectly still despite his movements. The bottom was visible throughout much of the crossing, revealing the lake's contents without the usual distortion caused by ripples or suspended debris. When he finally reached the shore, Bertho immediately noticed that Arin had returned without harvesting anything. Judging by the serious expression on his face, it was clear that his attempt had revealed a problem rather than solved it.
"What is the problem, Arin?" Bertho asked as he approached the waterline. He had been watching the lotus from the shore and had expected Arin to return with a clearer idea of how they could collect its seeds. Instead, Arin had come back empty-handed, and the plant remained exactly where it had been before. Bertho understood that Arin would not abandon an attempt without a reason, particularly when the discovery could be valuable to the Sonnenberg family. He therefore waited for an explanation rather than immediately suggesting another approach.
"The problem is that the lotus's seeds are damaged," Arin explained, shaking his head as he considered the condition of the flower. "If we harvest them now, I am not sure how many will survive, but I know a way to save them. The problem is that I need your help." He went on to explain that the channels responsible for supplying nutrients to the seeds had been damaged when the water supply was interrupted. Although his nature mana could help repair the damage, the channels needed to be properly reconnected for the lotus to recover fully. He believed that a stronger flow of water could provide the conditions necessary for him to complete the repair, but he could not accomplish it alone.
"Good, because we have been discussing the situation, and we agree that this lotus is extremely important," Bertho replied. "We need to make sure that we have enough people available to protect it." He explained that the group had already considered several possible approaches while Arin was examining the plant. Their first option was to remain at the lake for the next few weeks and protect the lotus while it recovered. The second was to inform the Sonnenberg family and let the family leadership decide whether to send their own people or involve other organisations in its protection.
Under the second proposal, Lilian would return to the forest and inform the family about their discovery. The Sonnenbergs could then decide whether to deploy their own people to secure the lake or share the information with other forces in exchange for an agreement concerning the rights to harvest the seeds. The latter approach would allow them to distribute the responsibility for protecting the lotus while ensuring that other interested parties had a legitimate reason to help. However, it would also mean revealing the location of an exceptionally valuable plant to people who might have their own priorities. Whatever decision the family made, they would need to ensure that the lotus remained protected and that no one attempted to harvest it recklessly.
"That is a good idea, and I support that decision," Arin said after considering Bertho's explanation. He knew that something capable of influencing the cultivation environment was too important for him to decide its future entirely on his own. Although he had discovered the lotus and understood its immediate condition, the long-term consequences of cultivating such a plant could affect the entire family. Allowing the Sonnenberg leadership to consider the available options was therefore the sensible choice. Arin was satisfied that they had a reasonable plan, at least until the family could decide how to proceed.
"All right, but to do that, we need the physical item, so I need you to help me restore it first," Arin continued. "I need a high volume of flowing water, which means we have to open the dam." The lotus's damaged channels required more than the slow infusion of nature mana he had attempted earlier, and he believed that restoring a strong water flow would give him the conditions necessary to reconnect them. Since the original disturbance had involved the interruption of the stream, returning the water to its proper course was a logical part of the recovery process. However, they would have to coordinate the release carefully so that the sudden flow did not damage the lake or the surrounding vegetation.
"At seventeen hundred, I want you to open the dam, and I will be waiting in the water," Arin said, setting out the timing of their next step. This gave him approximately three hours to recover his mana, since he had already spent around seventy-five percent of his reserves trying to repair the flower. Attempting the procedure again while exhausted would be unnecessarily risky, especially when he needed enough control to manipulate his nature mana precisely. He therefore planned to use the remaining time to rest and prepare for the moment when the water began flowing through the area again. Bertho accepted the arrangement, understanding that the timing was important if they wanted the operation to succeed.
"That is reasonable, but what is the plan after we harvest the lotus seeds and send Lilian on her way?" Bertho asked, gathering Arin's clothes and carrying them farther from the waterline. He wanted to know how they would divide their responsibilities once the immediate problem had been resolved. Protecting the lotus was only the first part of their assignment, and they still needed to oversee the mine and communicate with the representatives of the Great Houses. Leaving those responsibilities unattended for too long could create unnecessary complications, particularly when the mine's operation was already under scrutiny. Bertho therefore expected Arin to explain how he intended to manage the situation after their work at the lake was finished.
"Simple," Arin replied, looking entirely too pleased with his own solution. "I will stay here and protect the lotus, since my physique allows me to sense when someone approaches the flower. The three of you can return to the mine, oversee its operations, and speak with the representatives of the Great Houses." As far as Arin was concerned, the arrangement was perfectly logical, because someone needed to remain near the lotus and he was the most suitable person for the task. It also meant that he would not have to spend his time attending meetings or dealing with people whose priorities differed from his own. He considered that an excellent outcome, even if the others were less enthusiastic about his reasoning.
"Fine, you win," Tom said, his irritation becoming increasingly difficult to conceal. "You do not have to socialise, but could you at least stop looking so smug about it?" He understood that Arin had presented a reasonable argument, and the lotus genuinely did need someone capable of protecting it. Nevertheless, Tom was fairly certain that Arin had also recognised an opportunity to avoid speaking with the representatives of the Great Houses. The fact that Arin seemed so pleased with himself only made that suspicion more convincing.
"Okay, will do," Arin replied, raising both hands in a gesture of surrender as he walked away from the group. His expression suggested that he had no intention of changing his plans, regardless of Tom's complaints. After all, protecting a rare magical plant was a perfectly respectable responsibility, and he had already demonstrated that he could contribute more by working with the forest than by sitting through endless discussions. With three hours remaining before the dam was to be opened, Arin intended to recover his mana and prepare for the next stage of the lotus's restoration.