"Starting next week," Ace continued, "You will all be assigned plots in the academy's herb gardens. You will plant your own seeds, raise your own herbs. You will talk to them if you have to."
One boy raised a hand timidly. "Talk… to herbs?"
Ace grinned. "Of course. They don't always talk back, but the special ones? They will listen and even give a response."
And just like that, the class found itself staring at a madman...
One student in the back, the exact girl who had burrowed her face in a scroll earlier, raised her hand timidly, her brow furrowed. "What sort of herbs talk…?"
Ace smiled and folded his arms, looking around the room. "Ever heard of Spirit Herbs?"
The girl nodded slowly, uncertain.
"Good," Ace said, "Spirit Herbs talk. Though fair warning, they talk a lot. So unless you want your gossip spread to the wind, I suggest you don't go around spilling your secrets to one."
The girl's eyes widened. "B-but… I've never seen one," she whispered.
