A new day brought Annan three pieces of good news:
The first two were that the Firstlove Fruit and Ancient Oak Seed had both sprouted. Free City would soon have reliable ways to cultivate its own Professionals and Treefolk.
Though "soon" would be measured in years.
The third was that the long Elimination Round would end in one more day.
The Advancement Round would follow immediately, but with only a hundred Contestants competing over seven days, they would no longer have to rush through the field and eliminate most of them.
"We can start planting them on a large scale, right?"
"Aren't you afraid they'll grow into mutants?"
"Mutants...?"
Dade explained that plants influenced by the World Tree normally grew strong and healthy. But the Otherworld Tree's Life Force was different from that of the Allen World. No one knew what plants influenced by it might become.
It would be best to plant only some of the Firstlove Fruit and Ancient Oak Seed first, then observe them.
Dade had expected the explanation to be complicated. To her surprise, Annan understood at once.
"The more advanced a life-form is, the more complex its genes are, right?"
"Genes..."
"They're... uh..."
Annan stalled like Martin losing consciousness. After a long moment, his eyes came back into focus.
"Let's do as you say. But we're short on time, so let's use half for the experiment."
"All right."
That meant Dade couldn't leave after all. Her appointment as a professor of Agricultural Studies would have to wait.
Naturally, Annan had to tell Olmedo this good news.
With mischief in mind, Annan sneaked up to the third floor of the City Lord's Mansion and stopped outside Olmedo's Bedroom.
Knock, knock, knock—
He knocked for ages, but no one answered.
Was Olmedo sleeping that soundly?
While Annan