Ball of Nothing Chapter 277 - [Bonus] Honey Cake Offerings

On several occasions, Zero has noticed that the garden tended to themselves magically. Hua Tuo has also mentioned some mysterious helpers who were behind the healthy herb garden. Who exactly were they and why did Zero have to offer them honey cakes every week?

From flipping through many books and research, Zero has narrowed the mysterious helpers to be either garden gnomes or garden pixies. Mii claimed to not know any pixie relatives and Zero could only depend on his brains to catch a glimpse of them.

The first step to catching one is the good old honey trap.

[Zero's Honey Trap Lessons!]

Step 1: Place a plate of delicious honey cakes at the usual offering place.

Step 2: Set up the trap of a box and hold it open with a stick. Tie a thread to the stick so that it will collapse when pulled, trapping the mystery guests inside.

Step 3: Carefully hide behind a rock and wait for the mystery guest to appear. Don't forget to pull the thread when they appear!

[End of Zero's Special Lesson.]

The boy scurried behind a rock and stifled an excited giggle. His heart pounded so fast and his fingers trembled in anticipation. Hua Tuo never forbade him to peak at their mysterious garden aides but his teacher would also not say anything about their identities. That made Zero very curious so he decided to meet them himself.

Ten minutes later, the guests showed up. Although Zero wasn't able to see them, the tiny tinkling sound of wind chimes and high pitched laughter told the boy that they were here. He quickly ruled the possibility of garden gnomes because gnomes didn't giggle or flutter around. They were most like garden pixies at this rate.

Zero couldn't see the pixies but he could tell that they were near. Pixie dust glimmered as they came closer, flying at high speeds in zig-zags through the air. Zero waited for them to land and take the honey cake but that didn't happen. Instead, the cakes suddenly vanished before Zero's eyes and the stunned boy stood up. The laughter faded in the distance and Zero was severely disappointed. He knew that their guests were elusive but that happened way too quickly!

Fire up, Zero kept the box away and took the plate back to the hut. Just because he failed the first time, it didn't mean that he would give up. Maybe that trap was too obvious. Those pixies were smart. They could've guessed what Zero was up to. The apprentice decided that he would revise the plan and try again next week, taking into consideration of the plan's weakness this time.

Hua Tuo was amused. Zero wore his heart on his sleeve and the cloud of frustration over his head looked like it might just burst and turn into a full-fledged storm if Hua Tuo didn't do something soon.

"You're back. Did our guests like the cake?"

Zero stared at the empty plate bitterly. "They liked it a little too much... not even a single crumb left."

Hua Tuo hid his smile behind his sleeve. Zero was still trying to catch those garden pixies? If there was one way to catch them, it would be to use glue or nets. However, these garden pixies were naturally swift. Zero had to think out of the box for this. Hua Tuo didn't disapprove of Zero's attempt to catch those pixies as long as nobody was hurt in the process.

"Those guests of ours must really like honey. I guess we could add a little more next week."

Hua Tuo's off-handed comment gave Zero an idea and the boy volunteered to harvest honey. "I'll harvest a pot! No... two pots worth of honey! Let's make it extra sweet next time."

The physician didn't stop Zero from running back into the forest. The child was now an expert in foraging, hunting and stealing honey from the tree hives. Zero often hunted bears if they tried to hinder his honey stealing claiming that it killed two birds with one stone. Hua Tuo lost count of the number of times he scolded Zero for it.

Killing bears should be banned. They've eaten bear roast so much ever since Zero started hunting bears and Hua Tuo was seriously craving for something else. When he lived alone, he'd never eaten this much meat. Usually, he only visited the forest for foraging vegetables and mushrooms. The physician's diet consisted of mostly vegetables and fish before he took on a student. It was understandable for boys of Zero's age to like meat more. However, must they really eat tough meat like bear and boar on such a regular basis? Would it kill to have pheasants or rabbits from time to time?

By the time it was dusk, Zero thought that he might have overdone it. Those bees were going to suffer for a while. He emptied out five honey holes in his frenzy and wondered what he could do with it. Would garden pixies enjoy honey baths? Could he use it to make a sticky thread for them or add new treats to ensnare them?

Zero didn't know much about traps so he would have to search that up tonight after Hua Tuo had gone to bed. 

Zero didn't have to wait long. Hua Tuo must be tired because lights out came a lot earlier than usual. The boy sneakily retrieved his reading device and threw the blanket over his head so that the light wouldn't disturb his teacher. As he tapped away and read up on the different types of sticky traps he could make, Zero thought back about how fast the pixies escaped. If he made a trap, they would quickly escape it as soon as they sensed something wrong. The problem laid with how Zero couldn't counter their speed.

Sticky traps were good but Zero needed something more invisible and a multi-layered trap in case the previous trapped failed. Zero didn't need to capture many pixies, he just needed one. In fact, he didn't need them to be trapped forever, Zero just wanted to have a good look at them before setting them free.

"The traps should not hurt them," he noted and started sketching a rough design.

The honey he had was sticky but not sticky enough. Tapioca paste was stickier and if Zero could combine that with honey, it would bag him a pixie. The stickiness would hold them but only for a fraction of a second. Zero would need something more if he wanted the pixie to be trapped for a good while. A well-known fact was how pixies were small so Zero designed a heavy net that would fall from the top. The usual offering place had a tree over the rock. If Zero was able to tie a net and hide it among the leaves, cutting it once the pixies were lured to the dessert, Zero would succeed.

Satisfied with his two-layered plan, Zero fell asleep easily.

The next week came quickly for the usual offering once more. Zero was overly excited and offered Hua Tuo to help make the treats. Hua Tuo didn't deny the brunet but Zero was making it too obvious that he was up to something. the apprentice almost got down on his knees to plead when Hua Tuo didn't agree immediately. The physician wondered how his student would survive once he started travelling. Merchants would try to rip him off and people would take advantage of his kindness.

Zero thought he wasn't being too obvious sneaking in bits of tapioca powder into the cake mixture but Hua Tuo begged to differ. In fact, it became super obvious once the cake was ready. Tapioca flour made the cake really hard and it had too much honey that it oozed golden liquid. Hua Tuo took a look at the cake and deadpanned. 

"Is that meant to be an offering? Do it all over again," he said and left stomping.

Zero thought that his teacher was angry. He looked at his creation ashamed. However, with Hua Tuo gone, Zero now had more time to perfect his trap. The apprentice turned his attention back to the dessert. He was going to make the best honey cake any of the guests had ever tasted. If he didn't succeed today, he would stop trying to catch a glimpse of the garden pixies.

Hua Tuo spied on Zero secretly and smirked at his student's attempt to make good bait. The boy had a good head on his shoulders and Hua Tuo wished him all the best. Those garden pixies may be difficult to catch but if you appeal to their curious nature and make them let down their guard, it wasn't difficult to catch them.

Hua Tuo caught the first garden pixie while enjoying his afternoon snack. The garden pixie pleaded so earnestly for Hua Tuo let her go after he caught her stealing his honey cakes. The physician made a deal that he would give them honey cakes regularly if they helped him tend to his herb garden especially when he wasn't around.

Back then, Hua Tuo travelled to Half Moon Village every few months and he would come back to a garden that withered up. It was painstaking to watch the new plants he managed to grow to die from neglect. Still, it couldn't be helped. He couldn't be in two places at once.

Zero's tricky tapioca honey cake was completed quickly and the boy stuffed his trap materials into a basket before Hua Tuo returned.

"Master, I'm going to deliver them now!" he yelled out and ran before Hua Tuo could stop him.

Zero was more than ready. He had ropes, nets, weights, his hunting knife and a bottle of honey all waiting for the pixies. The tapioca cake was extremely sticky, Zero tested it out and rubbed his hands gleefully. This time, the pixies were not getting away. He even made sure to bring some tea with calming effects to make the quick pixies slow down a little.

The boy reached the usual offering venue and started to climb the tree. The trap set up was slightly more complex and Zero struggled with gathering leaves to cover the net. Once it was secured, he brought the rope all the way behind the huge rock he hid behind previously and anchored it there. His hunting knife was already in his pocket and Zero started brewing tea while placing the tapioca honey cakes on a plate.

Satisfied and checking twice to ensure that everything worked perfectly, Zero quickly assumed his hiding position. he didn't have to wait long before the garden pixies appeared. They smelled something different today and more delicious than anything they've come to know.

Zero grinned. mixing honey into the chamomile tea seemed to be a good idea because the first garden pixie hovered over the cup and called out to her other pixie friends who took a curious sniff. They were pleasantly surprised at the additional treats but enjoyed it. Zero readied his hunting knife and placed it near the rope. His fingers twitched, ready for action but he held steady. It wasn't the right time yet.

Only when the pixies started digging into the tapioca cake, Zero started sawing the rope. In a few hard cuts, the rope gave way and the net fell, startling all the pixies. Some managed to escape but Zero heard some distressed voices from under the net. He grinned widely. The tapioca was too sticky and the garden pixies got stuck in it.

"Hello," he greeted the small creatures who looked positively fuming under the net. they spoke in a language Zero didn't understand but the boy didn't care. He took a good look at the tiny helpers with great interest.

"Mii, they look a lot like you!"

The strawcherry fairy took offence and materialised.

"Which part? They have pointy ears and small wings! Don't compare us!"

The garden pixies seemed to agree and chanted in unison, making Zero laugh at how adorable they were. Mii huffed and pouted the same time the garden pixies did. deciding that he was satisfied, Zero apologised to the trapped pixies and removed the net, offering them some honey sweets in return for the trouble.

The garden pixies took the sweets and flew away quickly. Zero cleaned up the trap and decided that he would return later to collect the plate and cup. The garden pixies might have left for now but they would definitely be back again to finish the rest of the offering. 

Before he left, Zero placed a note by the cup written in common language. He didn't know if the garden pixies would understand it but he felt like he still had to express his thoughts to them somehow.

[Thank you for keeping the garden healthy.]

Chapter end