Mansion Tour: Part 10

After the group had spent their time resting for a bit, Yuri led the ladies around to the yard area around the corner. This backyard was more spacious than the other stated yard areas. Even if the pool from the previous area were out of the way, that yard area would still be a fraction of the size of this new area. The ladies, of course, marveled at the space. Even when you factored out the large structure that seemed to be a house with a domed roof made entirely of glass or some similar material taking up almost a quarter of the yard in the back right corner. There was also a carpet of vibrant emerald leaves standing almost straight up from the ground between the party and the structure.

“What is that structure,” Lithira, I have never seen anything like it before.”

“That would be the custom arboretum I had installed a few years back to further increase my self-sufficiency,” said Yuri casually.

“And the leafy plants covering the ground before us,” said Usagi inquisitively, “what are they?”

“A species of grass that is grown in lawns and some sports fields,” said Yuri, “this is actually an artificial hybrid, meaning the likelihood of it occurring naturally was so low it might have well been zero before it happened. The species is called Emerald Zoysia, and it has a number of features that make it considered especially high favorable to own. This means it is also rather expensive, but mainly chose it for aesthetics; even if it were one of the cheaper breeds of grass, I would have still made my decision the same way. When grass like this is laid out like this, where I come from, we call it a ‘lawn,’ and part of the maintenance involves regular watering and managing the plant’s height. Last I checked, I had all that on an automated system.” As if on cue, a series of small black spheres sprung from the ground in what seemed like strategically placed positions and started spraying water all over the grass with each of the tiny holes spitting water at different angles and distances, “and my sprinkler system will be at that for a few minutes.”

The group watched as the water sprayed all over the grass for a moment; after watching the spectacle for a moment, Thelsia said, “I know you said the world you and this place came from is practically devoid of magic,” she took a quick glance at the fox priestess and her goat guardian before continuing, “and chances are a few alterations have been made by the goddess that brought you and this place here. That all said, I’m trying to think of how magic can be used to emulate scenes like this.”

“I have no doubts that once they hear about it,” said Yuri, “they will want to have their own lawns to subtly show off their wealth and influence. But seeing as I am unwilling to share any of the seeds for the grass I have on hand with those powers; at most, I’ll turn over some to the temple and guild so they can have a small patch near their facilities. And that’s only locally; I suspect this will prompt some nobles to hire adventurers to find seeds for similar kinds of grass, maybe get some Plant attribute magic-users to try growing their own.”

“That seems a reasonable assumption,” said Lithira, “I can attest to nobility doing such things; I’ve worked for a few who sent me on some, frankly speaking, ridiculous quests as a condition for funding my ventures when I needed funds and couldn’t find anything at the nearest guild to get me those funds fast enough. And honestly speaking, this sounds like something more reasonable they could ask for. Some might want something just like what we see here; others will want something to stand out from everyone else with this sort of expression before us.”

“Lawn maintenance isn’t just about giving the grass enough water,” said Yuri, “it also requires trimming the grass so it doesn’t get too high; I have an automated system for that as well, but the height of grass has been determined by the one growing the grass or some kind of group or organization that sets rules for that sort of thing. You also have to make sure the grass is getting enough nutrients; if the soil is lacking, then the plants start to get sickly; that’s why the water for my grass is mixed with a special nutrient solution that my research found to be optimal for the plants to maintain proper health. Also, if the grass doesn’t get enough water, then it will start to turn yellow and brown as it wilts and dies from lack of water; excess heat can make this more difficult to keep an eye on. Granted, those with enough funds or the proper connections can mostly negate these concerns, but they would still need to know what is what. Then there’s the issue of overwatering or excess nutrients in the soil, which can also have potential adverse effects on the health of the plants; it’s why my nutrient water only happens once every 4 days; every other time, it’s just regular water that’s been filtered to keep harmful contaminants away from plants.”

“That makes sense,” said Usagi, “you need to consider as many sides as possible when it comes to the health of anything, especially plants. I suppose having a few patches of this sort of grass in strategic locations could help our younger clan members, who will likely be coming up soon after the pregnancies have ended. Given the kinds of diets my kind have, plants like this could be useful in places intended for infants and juveniles.”

“I’ll see about giving you a sample bag of my reserve seeds for when it becomes necessary to grow new grass in the lawn,” said Yuri, “after the tour is finished, everyone has settled in. Now then,” he gestured to the greenhouse, “I’ll take over to the greenhouse so you can look at what I’m keeping in my little garden. I’ll tell you what I know about the plants you ask about.”

As the group moved onto the grass, the spheres receded back into the ground. The grass was damp underfoot; all of the ladies that had footwear actually removed what they were wearing on their feet before stepping onto the grass. They all seemed to get some joy at placing their bare feet on the grass; their reactions upon stepping on the grass reminded Yuri of what you get with little kids when they run around on the grass. He just grinned lightly as he led them to the greenhouse.