A saintess? She's just a bad woman.

Page 118

Strawberries are fragrant, juicy, and nutritious, earning them the title of "Queen of Fruits." They are also among the earliest fresh fruits to hit the market, hence the nickname "First Fruit of Early Spring."

Strawberries contain high levels of vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and other nutrients. They also contain numerous active substances that can quench thirst, aid digestion, and have certain medicinal value, as documented in books such as "The Medicinal Plants of the Lorian Empire".

Finally, strawberries can also be used as ornamental and landscaping plants, and have become the preferred crop for farmers in the western part of the empire to escape poverty and become wealthy.

"Now, do you feel that the knowledge is clearer and more internalized?"

"Yes... of course, Sister Saint Karina... every word you say is like a lighthouse guiding me through my confused life, shining like this holy sword, radiating a dazzling light even in the darkness."

Do you want to continue attending the class?

"Of course I want to... Haha... My favorite thing is studying late into the night, working late into the night... I say no to the health risks of staying up late. I'm in great health, and I know exactly how to take care of myself..."

She spoke haltingly and haltingly.

However, as Esther herself said, her body was in excellent health. To put it another way, a demigod's body is like a Golden Core cultivator in the cultivation world who has achieved abstinence from grains; even if they don't eat, drink, or defecate, it doesn't matter, as impurities in their body will be expelled through their pores.

In that case, it's not uncommon for powerful cultivators to go into seclusion to seek breakthroughs in their cultivation realm. Three to five years is considered short; they usually take ten to a hundred years, and even a thousand or ten thousand years is not impossible.

During seclusion, one usually meditates and practices direct cultivation in an attempt to break through to a higher level of spiritual attainment.

Therefore, not sleeping is perfectly reasonable.

Esther was in the same boat. For her, eating and sleeping were habits, and she didn't need to sleep unless she was extremely tired. Similarly, she could sleep whenever she wanted.

"However, I'd really like to hear about seeding now. Could you tell me about strawberry propagation, Sister Saint Karina?"

As Esther spoke, her hand touched the hilt of the holy sword.

The holy sword was deeply embedded in an indescribable place, with only the hilt remaining outside.

Moreover, the hilt and blade were making a parallel movement that created afterimages, as if the indescribable parts were eagerly awaiting a new round of nourishment.

"Then I'll tell you..."

So, Saint Karina continued to talk at length about the knowledge areas that Esther wanted to know.

Strawberry seeds are mainly used for long-distance introduction or for cultivating strawberry seedlings to breed new varieties. They can also be used for planting in gardens for both landscaping and fresh consumption.

First, during the fruit harvest in May and June, select well-developed and fully mature fruits for seed collection. Peel off the pericarp, soak it in water to wash away the sap, then drain and dry it; or dry the peeled pericarp directly, then crush it to separate the pericarp from the seeds.

Sowing and seedling raising are usually carried out in the following spring, but can also be done in July or August of the same year the seeds are collected.

Before sowing, prepare a wide-mouthed clay pot, fill it with fine nutrient soil, and flatten it. Soak the seeds for 8-12 hours in advance. After they swell, sow them on the soil surface and then cover them with a layer of fine sand about 0.2 cm thick using a sieve.

To ensure the soil contains enough moisture while remaining loose, which is conducive to seed germination, place the clay pots after sowing in a shallow pool of water. Once the water has slowly seeped into the soil, remove the pots and cover them with plastic film. Seedlings will emerge in about 10 days.

After emergence, thin out the seedlings appropriately. When the seedlings have grown 3-4 true leaves, transplant them into small flower pots with soil attached. After a period of acclimatization, transplant them to the propagation nursery with soil attached.

"Ah...this is so exciting! I love Sister Saint Karina's lectures the most."

Esther felt the indescribable seed spraying into her, instantly filling the dark area, and her mouth stretched into a wide grin, revealing her small white teeth.

She really enjoyed the process of sowing and irrigating this plant.

Especially the indescribable part, that area is usually neglected, and only now can one truly appreciate its unique charm.

Indeed, planting and such things cannot be done by one person alone; it requires the efforts of two people.

"Please teach me again, please teach me more... okay? Sister Saint Karina?"

Her "Mmm~" was exceptionally alluring, her eyes fixed on Saint Karina, and she even blinked, looking like she was tempting someone to do something naughty.

The Holy Sword had been imprisoned in an indescribable place by the opponent, so Saint Karina certainly couldn't back down.

Even if she wanted to back out, Esther wouldn't allow it.

Her attitude had softened considerably, but in matters like this, Esther, being a powerful member of the group, naturally remained firmer.

Although this assertiveness was already a form of half-coquetry, it looked quite cute.

Then, Saint Karina began to speak about strawberry cultivation. Meanwhile, the Holy Sword, like a perpetual motion machine, tirelessly and diligently cultivated in indescribable places.

"It sounds so good!"

After Saint Karina finished speaking, she began by explaining the knowledge of site selection and preparation.

Strawberry fields should be located on slightly elevated, flat ground with convenient irrigation and drainage, good sunlight, rich in organic matter, strong water retention, good aeration, and fertile soil with a slightly acidic or neutral pH value.

The best preceding crops are vegetables, beans, melons, and wheat.

Before planting strawberries, weeds should be thoroughly removed and well-rotted farmyard manure should be applied. Generally, 5000 kg of organic fertilizer, 50 kg of superphosphate, and 50 kg of potassium chloride should be applied per acre as base fertilizer. After spreading evenly, the soil should be tilled to a depth of 30-40 cm to promote soil maturation.

After leveling the land, make beds 100 cm apart, with a bed surface width of 80 cm, a furrow width of 20 cm, a bed height of 15 cm, and a bed length of 20 meters.

Then comes planting management. The quality of planting has a great impact on the growth of strawberries and subsequent management, so careful attention must be paid to planting.

When transplanting strawberries, attention should be paid to directional transplanting. The arched back of the seedling should face the trench side so that the inflorescences grow in the same direction. The number of seedlings should be one per hole, and the planting depth should be such that the crown is not buried above the soil and the roots are not exposed below the soil.

Reasonable planting density: The planting density of strawberries is closely related to the planting level. Fields with weak seedlings, late planting, and lack of fertilizer should be planted densely, with a planting density of about 8000 plants per acre being ideal. Conversely, fields with strong seedlings, early planting, sufficient fertilizer, and the use of mulch film covering technology should be planted sparsely, with a planting density of 6000 plants per acre being ideal, and a plant spacing of 50 cm × 20 cm being appropriate.

After planting, water thoroughly once. Water twice a day, morning and evening, for the first week after planting. Keep the soil moist to promote survival.

Strawberries require a lot of fertilizer from planting to flowering and fruiting. In addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer, it is also necessary to supplement fertilizer in a timely manner. During the fruit enlargement period and the beginning of harvest, apply 10 kg of strawberry-specific fertilizer or diammonium phosphate per mu.

Combining irrigation with 200 times diluted liquid fertilizer in furrow application yields better results. For fields with good growth, spraying 0.1-0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate 2-3 times can also increase yield to a certain extent. In principle, spraying should not be done during the flowering period.

The principle of fertilization in fruit-growing fields is to apply appropriate amounts of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in a reasonable ratio to achieve higher yields and maximum benefits.

Thus, the teaching, covering all aspects of knowledge, took three days and three nights, until Esther completely submitted to the Holy Sword.

……

Only after seeing Esther's sleeping face, so exhausted that her tongue was sticking out, did Saint Karina draw her holy sword.

The holy sword had red paint on it, which was quickly absorbed by the blade.

After 72 hours of intense fighting, Holy Sword was not tired; on the contrary, it became even more energetic.

208. Princess Hero's Passion

She didn't intend to sleep in the temple; instead, she wanted to visit the young emperor.

Perhaps because she had enjoyed the pleasure from Esther and the power of the fire seed, Saint Karina didn't feel tired at all.

Speaking of which, it's been a long time since she's shown any affection to the mermaid princess Hero and the demon general Melissa.

Thinking this, Saint Karina walked out directly to the side hall and left the sanctuary of the Church of Order.

Along the way, priests and paladins greeted her with bows, clearly having grown accustomed to the saintess.

They still treated her with respect.

After all, even the canary has to consider who created this cage. As the highest-ranking figure in the Church of Order, who dares to say no to the canary kept by His Holiness the Pope?

It was still daytime, and there were many pedestrians on the street. Santa Karina thought that she might be able to get a date.

"Hmm...who should I contact first?"

As usual, she should first greet the young emperor and flirt with him.

However, after learning about Esther's memories, she hesitated again, even though she was already in the capital.

If there are secrets hidden behind the betrayal, and even her rebirth after death was a calculated scheme... wouldn't you say she's a wicked woman who has ruthlessly bullied the descendants of Ernest VII?

Although this offspring was not born to her and Ernest VII, but to Ernest's sister.

Moreover, by all accounts, she and Ernest VII were not even collateral relatives within three generations. The young emperor was Ernest XV, and more than 500 years ago, she was probably at least ten generations removed by blood.

Brenda's features resembled those of Ernest VII, but her eyes were purple, quite different from Ernest VII's blue eyes.

Many people say that purple eyes are an omen of bad luck, a symbol of witches and demons.

Before barging into the young emperor's bedchamber, Saint Karina hesitated. She was somewhat unable to face that...

So she turned directly into the residence that the young emperor had arranged for her in the palace.

In that area, neither too big nor too small, two beautiful young girls were kept hidden away.

If Hero hadn't returned by then, Saint Karina could probably imagine the look he'd give her, like she was a heartless man. After all, when she'd lured Hero out of the underwater kingdom of Ilparaiso, Saint Karina had sworn she'd never forget him, while she herself was out gallivanting off.

But in reality, apart from spending a short time with her at the beginning, doing some fun things together, and engaging in some exercise that was good for her physical and mental health, for the next month or so, Santa Karina was practically missing, except for explaining her whereabouts.

If the two were to switch positions, Saint Karina's words would be similar to what a scumbag woman would say to a naive young girl.

Of course, Saint Karina felt that if the other party could wait for her for over five hundred years, they certainly wouldn't be unwilling to wait even a short month before returning to the underwater kingdom. Another point was that Princess Helos herself knew that if she went back now, she would be imprisoned by the still-angry Mermaid Queen, her mother.

In this way, not only will she not be free to move around, but she will also be punished and lose her freedom.

Hero, who longed for land, certainly wouldn't want to see this happen.

At least Saint Karina left Melissa with him, which served both as surveillance and as a form of protection for Hero.

Compared to the mermaid princess who grew up in the deep sea, the demon general Melissa understands the dangers of the world far better. Melissa lives on the demon realm, where the law of the jungle prevails and deceit prevails; the fact that she rose to her previous position shows she's no innocent lamb. Adorably naive.

If it weren't for the Holy Sword Pact, Saint Karina would never have trusted the Demon race, a race known for its cunning nature.

Besides controlling the life and death of its servants, the Holy Sword Pact can also brainwash them, making the contracted party genuinely fall in love with the contracted party, essentially turning them into a love-struck individual who will swear eternal loyalty and never betray them.

As for terminating the contract, trying to unilaterally terminate it is simply a pipe dream.

The only way is to break Saint Karina's holy sword, thus severing the path of the contract.

"Lord Saint!"

The maids responsible for the sanitation and preventing unauthorized personnel from entering the area saw Saint Karina and immediately bowed and greeted her with great excitement.

With her white hair and blue eyes, such striking features, coupled with her almost perfect face, made it hard for them not to recognize her.

Since Saint Karina saved the empire, she also saved their families.

Therefore, they are actually very grateful to Saint Karina.

How can anyone not become a fan of someone so powerful and beautiful?

"Ah."

Saint Karina nodded indifferently.

She had met them before; it was a special arrangement by the young emperor. Besides their loyalty to him, they had also received Saint Karina's life-saving grace.

People who use this kind of product or service are more reliable.

After all, before Saint Karina awoke, the empire was already riddled with holes and infested with parasites.

"Saint Karina!"

"Owner!"

As soon as I stepped into the residence, I saw two familiar figures.

This place can be considered both a garden and a courtyard.

For just two people, this size of courtyard and castle-like luxury house is already quite extravagant.

The two were playing chess in the courtyard, probably because they were bored lately.

The courtyard has a shaded corridor and a pavilion, so it's cool and comfortable to play in during the day without getting hot.

Because in this magical world, adding a cooling spell is easy. The environment doesn't have to be indoors; outdoors is fine too.

"thump--"

A light blue figure suddenly rushed into his arms.

The shadow was like a blue light, rushing straight ahead, much faster than the somewhat reserved Melissa.

The pink-haired demon girl had barely lifted her bottom off the stone bench, probably wanting to greet her master.

However, she didn't come over in the end. Instead, she stood quietly watching over Saint Karina from a distance, like a doll whose pause button had been pressed, or a sculpture.

That expression looks so sorrowful. Like a puppy abandoned by its owner.

As for Helo, since she was facing away, she didn't think too much about it. She pounced on Saint Karina and pressed the soft water bags against her arms.

Because sea creatures have a low body temperature of 35°C, the water bag is also kept at 35°C.

If she had a tail, it would wag like a puppy to express her joy.

When Princess Heroine sees the person she misses, she expresses her emotions with great enthusiasm compared to Melissa's restraint.

This is probably like the reserve of the people of the Dragon Kingdom and the indulgence of the Romantic Kingdom. The latter is like Hero, who is good at taking action when necessary and never backs down.

209. The Little Mermaid's Weakness