The Golden Radiance Plain, outside the White Stone Citadel, by a riverside farm.
"Lucy, how have you been lately?"
Two young apprentices ran into each other and started chatting in the fields.
"Not bad. Looks like we're finally headed for a good harvest." The short, blond young man answered. His name was Lucy, and he had been in the Woodland for four years.
"I think I should be able to grow some excellent-quality wheat this time." Looking over the vast golden fields beside the farm, he felt a deep sense of accomplishment.
"Impressive, Lucy. I heard that even the soil near the citadel is slightly polluted, which makes cultivation really difficult," his companion praised.
"Yeah, dealing with the pollution is a real hassle." Lucy shook his head.
"Every so often, I have to buy special Cornerstone Powder and scatter it underground to stop the pollution below from spreading upward. Then I pay classmates with the Blazing Sun Aspect to use flame-like abilities to burn the top layer of soil, lowering the pollution to a manageable level. Only then can I plant anything."
"If the wheat doesn't turn out excellent after all that, I'll lose money."
"I remember you were assigned twenty acres, right?" his companion recalled.
"That's right. Land near the city is in high demand. I was able to get extra acreage because I'm under a pretty good teacher. Most apprentices probably only get fifteen acres," Lucy replied.
"What about the more distant suburbs outside the city? I heard the Association has been encouraging people to expand outward."
"You mean those places? That's true. If I went far outside the city, I could probably easily get fifty acres to cultivate." Lucy nodded.
"But the pollution out there is much worse. An upperclassman tried it before. He'd already reached the