Ascension of the Sylvan Cosmos.

Chapter 93. Importance of Berries. Town Size.

Liu Shu listened and became thoughtful. She understood most of what Verdantia explained. She also knew that some of her fruits were dangerous. For example, Verdantia was panicking over the <Palace Berry>. However, she had yet to learn of the improved details of the <Breakthrough Berry>. 

Intuitively, Liu Shu felt that this berry was much more precious and useful than <Palace Berry>. Her previous <Breakthrough Berry> was lackluster because, even if it was miraculous as it allowed <Tier Up> for F Rank creatures, the limit was F+ Rank. Anything beyond that was not possible.

F Ranks, as the lowest rank classified by the system, were abundant but not powerful. However, now, her <Breakthrough Fruits> allowed her to transform common F Rank creatures into E Rank creatures. 

E Rank Creatures, while they were second weakest, they didn't stand at the very bottom. The danger from rank to rank was exponentially higher. That was one of the reasons for Liu Shu to be so dominant where she was. The <Tier> calculated in the past by the system when Liu Shu asked about it was somewhere between D+ and C-. This allowed her to dominate Level 10 F Rank creatures at Level 4. 

She was also a World Tree, so her strength was higher than the average creature at those tiers as well. 

Taking the absolute advantage tiers gave, Liu Shu rationalized that the <Low-Level Breakthrough Berry> was much more important and valuable compared to <Palace Berry> and the rest. 

Liu Shu expressed her thoughts, and while Cinderielle and Verdantia got another shock, they were quick to recover and answer her.

Cinderielle disagreed with Liu Shu's views. "Tiantian. What you said is the truth. However, you've missed one very important detail." The World Tree focused on Cinderielle, making the Fire Aether Sylvan squirm a bit in delight. "Ehem. You missed who the berries affect. Your <Palace Berry> and the rest don't seem to have a limit to who can consume them. So, it can be used by High-Level masters as well." 

Flor and Liu Shu finally realized that small fact. It was indeed a very powerful yet small detail that reversed the scales. 

Their conversation then started to change into what to sell and what not to sell outside. Other than that, they also asked Liu Shu if she needed materials so that they could buy them, and what kind of books she wanted them to bring so that she could learn about new things. 

Liu Shu looked at the town and saw that the ten houses, inn, and town hall had a total space for nearly 300 inhabitants. The ten houses could fit around 60 people easily, in Liu Shu's opinion, and the inn had enough rooms for around 180 people. The town hall was also accompanied by a residence building that could fit nearly the same amount compared to the houses. 

With such thoughts in mind, Liu Shu asked. 'So, when do we fill the houses?'

Cinderielle and Verdantia looked at each other and commented. "What do you mean? Realistically speaking, there is barely any space for 100 people in this town. You will need to increase the number of houses by a large amount before you can start inviting other races, to be honest." 

Liu Shu was startled. 'What do you mean? The inn alone can already house that many people.'

Cinderielle and Verdantia titled their heads while Flor didn't participate this time. She was clueless about it, after all. 

Verdantia asked, curious. "Um. Liu'er. How many people do you think this town can hold?"

'At least 300.'

Both Sylvans were stunned. "T-Three hundred? Like, three zero zero?" 

Liu Shu hummed. 'That's right!' 

Cinderielle shook her head. "Liu Shu, sorry to tell you, but unless you want people to live like a pack of sardines, this town can hold around one hundred people. The inn has thirty rooms. Based on design, each room can hold an average of two people, with a few rooms being able to hold three residents and others one. While there are three for families of four, it doesn't change much."

Cinderielle sighed. "In total and working at full capacity, the inn can hold around sixty-four people. Rounding down, that's 60 people. "

Liu Shu stuttered. 'S-So little?' 

Verdantia cleared her throat, feeling a bit bad for what she was about to say. "That's not all. The houses you've built have enough space for families of four. Of course, if we imagine a perfect world, they will all be filled, and that's forty more people. But, that won't happen, probably."

Liu Shu stuttered. 'But, I thought each house could hold six people…'

Verdantia asked, incredulous. "How?"

Liu Shu commented. 'Well, there are two couches and three bedrooms. Six people if we count one of them as the parent's bedroom! I even made sure the couches were comfortable to sleep on!'

Verdantia looked at the World Tree and sighed with a smile. "It doesn't work like that, Liu'er. Couches are usually used for close guests. Moreover, most people will want to leave one of the bedrooms for visitors. So, in truth, a family of three is much more likely to live in that house." 

Liu Shu became upset. 'So greedy for space. Why do each of you people who don't even have roots need so much space?''

The three of them looked speechlessly at the World Tree that was trying to swallow her surroundings into her domain, literally. But, after thinking about it, none of them decided to retort.

Liu Shu asked, frustrated. 'Then, what about the Town hall? That building has living rooms as well!'

Cinderielle coughed. "Well, those will probably not even be used as residencies. They are more for diplomatic guests or other similar people. At most, ten permanent residents might live there. But, most of the time, those rooms will be empty. So… yeah. Around 100 people is what you get with what you've built."

The three of them looked at the silent World Tree with sympathetic eyes. 

Verdantia patted the trunk of the tree and said slowly. "Don't be upset, Liu'er."

Liu Shu answered. 'I am upset.'

The three of them felt like someone had punched their hearts when they heard her sad and dispirited tone. 

Cinderielle looked at Verdantia and spoke. "L-Liu Shu. How about we ask Verdantia to help you build? She is really good at controlling living beings! We can expand this town so that it can hold 500 people!'

Liu Shu looked at the plenty of free space inside her walls, but she felt like sulking today. 'I don't want that. Go away.'

Flor looked at the Sylvans and shooed them away. "Go, go. Come back tomorrow or in a week! Preferably, when she has stopped sulking.

The Sylvans were nervous, not knowing what to do. Hearing Flor, they became even more flustered. Still, knowing that they really couldn't do anything, they left a few words before leaving. 

"Liu'er, don't worry so much, okay? These things take time to understand correctly."

"Tiantian, we can always buy more materials and expand the villag- I mean, town."

Liu Shu's depressed voice reached them. 'That's right… It is not a town… it is a village… All my efforts for nothing but one hundred people… I can't even house all the Rose Fairies…'

Cinderielle's face stiffened as she received two pairs of murderous eyes. 'I-I messed up.' 

The Fire Sylvan decided that if she spoke more, she might mess things up more, so she turned around and left with Verdantia. 

Flor spoke when she saw that they were gone. "So, why are you so upset, Little One? Is it really because you can't house as many people as you thought?"

Liu Shu muttered. 'I miscalculated badly… I thought I had the hang of it, but I was being ridiculous.'

Flor smiled. 'As expected, it wasn't because of the town's size but because her expectations were severely incorrect.' 

Flor soothed her. "Liu Shu, can I say something?"

The World Tree sent a positive energy pulse, like in the past, making the Rose Fairy Queen feel a bit nostalgic. "I think that you are getting a bit arrogant, Little One." 

Liu Shu was confused. 'Arrogant? Why?'

Flor hummed, putting on a thoughtful face. "For example… When you made mistakes in the past, how did you react? You tried to rectify the mistake without dwelling on the failure, right?" 

Liu Shu tried to remember, but it was a bit difficult to pinpoint these situations. Flor commented. "Liu Shu, failure is the base of success. Ignatia told me in the past that unless the failure is something you can't recover from, it is not really a failure but a learning experience." 

Flor laughed and teased. "Is my little World Tree so weak that she can't recover from being wrong on a few estimates?"

Liu Shu answered with a harrumph. 'As if! Something like this is nothing!'

Flor smiled widely. "Right? So, don't let this get you depressed. So what if you failed? Look at why you failed, and redo it. Slowly, repeating this process, you will learn. Fail and fail and fail until you succeed. From then on, you will only succeed with very rare failures."

Liu Shu giggled and praised. 'Flor, you are so clever!'

Flor shook her head. "Me? All these words are from Ignatia. I'm just reciting what she told me from memory."

Curious, the World Tree asked. 'Were you also depressed?"

Flor hummed and smiled. "Secret~. It's all in the past either way."

Liu Shu humphed. 'Sure. Don't tell me. I won't tell you things in the future as well.'

Flor laughed and answered her. "Okay, okay. I'll tell you." Then, her mind went back a few weeks, and she spoke about it. "Well, because my strength was getting stuck, I was a bit depressed. So, one thing led to another, and in the end, Ignatia realized. She took me to her nest, and we had a talk."

Liu Shu asked, her voice filled with intrigue. 'Ohh! And then, and then?'

Flor smiled. "Well. Then, she told me a few of the things I've just shared with you. And, like you, my worries were calmed."

Liu Shu giggled. 'Ignatia is so nice~.' 

Flor lifted an eyebrow and asked. "Do you like her?"

Liu Shu answered enthusiastically. 'I do! How to say it… Hm… I feel like she is always there, silently looking. Very reassuring.' 

Flor got a bit jealous and asked. "What about me?"

Liu Shu laughed. 'Hm… I don't know~.' 

Flor smirked. "Oh? You are teasing me now?"

With another laugh, Liu Shu's branches swayed in glee. 'I am~, what can you do about it~?'

Flor's red eyes softened, looking tender and loving. "Nothing, it seems. Sigh, such a mischievous Little One."

Liu Shu and Flor laughed and continued their conversation for a while.