Two days later, Lady Falan returned from her outing.
"Have you decided to go to the Secret Forest?" The blonde noblewoman rested one hand lightly on the armrest, tapping it now and then as she pondered.
"Actually, I've visited that place myself, though not in the Regas Kingdom. I went to the Merchant City Union." She paused to reminisce.
"The competition there is fierce. Everyone is a handpicked talent or someone people have high hopes for."
"If you don't have any connections or a solid foundation, going there really is your best choice, though there are risks."
"At first, I thought I'd keep you by my side a little longer. In another two years, I could recommend you directly to those organizations, and you wouldn't have to go through the selection trials at the Secret Forest."
"That path would be much easier and safer." She looked up at the girl before her.
"But since you want to make your own way, I won't stop you. In fact, you'll gain more experience that way."
"As the old saying goes, 'Hardy flowers do not grow in warm rooms.' People have to go through certain things to grow." At this, Lady Falan remembered something.
"Little Tia, do you like growing flowers?" she asked suddenly, changing the subject.
"I do. The process fills you with anticipation and hope."
"That's an interesting way to put it, though most people plant and nurture things for the harvest in the end."
"Some people care about the result, others about the process. There's no way to say which is better, but..." Her expression grew a little more serious.
"Tia, the result lasts only an instant. Most of your time is spent waiting."
"If you can't enjoy that waiting, you'll suffer. Waiting is the dullest thing of all. You