At the End of the Hidden Greenery - Chapter 196
At Jiwoo’s words, Skias, who had been silent the entire time, turned his gaze away and fidgeted with his hands.
…Thinking about it, Skias wasn’t much like the other children of Ellandos.
“I’ll learn and try my best if you teach me.”
“Pfft.”
Seeing how seriously they were taking this, Jiwoo couldn’t help but laugh.
“It’s not difficult. What we’re doing right now is dating.”
“Right now?”
In fact, they treated their spouses as if they were distant, almost untouchable figures. It wasn’t that Jiwoo felt repelled or disliked it, but the attitude was still a little overwhelming at times.
“Traveling together to distant places, seeing beautiful things along the way, teaching each other when there’s something we don’t know, and exchanging souvenirs as gifts.”
“Souvenirs like this?”
Kaman fiddled with the pine resin Jiwoo was using as a hair accessory, gently brushing her hair aside.
“Honestly, the more useless it is, the better. Well… not useless exactly, but it’s about giving meaning to the time spent with you, making that time more valuable.”
The less meaningful the object itself, the more value is attached to the time spent purchasing it, or to the person who was there at the time. Things that don’t last long or aren’t particularly useful tend to hold more value in another way.
That’s why Jiwoo loved flower gifts. Even when she left the temple for the market, her attention was more drawn to simple, modest items rather than expensive, flashy ones.
“Is this what you mean?”
Solmih spun a finger in the air, and a soft sprout emerged from the frozen ground, quickly growing to wrap around Jiwoo’s ankle and gently climbing up.
The children of Elandos were skilled at growing plants, and such things came easily to them without much effort. And among her husbands, Solmih was said to be the best at growing plants.
“Yes, that’s right.”
The stem was thornless, so Jiwoo had expected a different flower, but the flower that appeared between Solmih’s fingers, like a ring, was a rose that smelled like Solmih himself.
Even with such good conditions for romance, they were still so unaware of it.
“So, don’t think too badly of me when I go on business trips often. I’m happy during those times.”
Jiwoo smiled happily while gently caressing the petals with her fingers.
She didn’t realize that throughout the conversation, their eyes had remained fixed on her little finger.
* * *
However, this trip didn’t seem like something that could be casually passed off as a date.
It had started out pleasantly, but as they neared their destination, the scenery became increasingly bleak.
“I had heard that the condition would be worse than the last trip…”
On her previous business trip, they had passed through a lush but beautiful forest, and at the end, they had encountered a tree that still held a trace of sacred energy.
But now, it was like arriving at El Ragneil for the first time, seeing a hill with dying trees.
The grass had turned black, as if it had been burned, and ashes were swirling in the air. The atmosphere was thick with a foul stench.
The person who came to greet them looked just as grim as the environment.
“You really came. I thought you wouldn’t.”
He was wearing a plain black robe that covered his entire body, and his hood was pulled low, making it difficult to see his face. He gave a formal bow to Jiwoo.
“Greetings. My name is Petar.”
Following his lead, Jiwoo noticed the area looked similar to her village. It was a coastal area, so she had expected decorations suited to the beach, but it closely resembled where Jiwoo lived, though slightly more run-down.
There were no people walking around; occasionally, someone could be seen peeking out from somewhere, watching them from a distance.
“Solmih.”
“Yes.”
Jiwoo gestured for Solmih, who was walking beside her, to bend down and whispered quietly.
“But didn’t you say these people were… different?”
It was a bit surprising. Jiwoo had expected them to act like Asilion, but they weren’t.
“Well, they’re, a bit different, in nature…”
Thinking back to how her husbands had disparaged the ‘sea folk’ before coming here, this was an unexpected sight. But now, looking at their behavior, it was more like the way Enci, who was known to be somewhat conservative, acted when he first saw her.
“Hmm… that’s true.”
Solmih squinted his eyes and scanned the group.
“That’s just for show…”
“Ridiculous.”
Of course, the others weren’t any better. Her husbands didn’t seem to trust them.
Kaman suddenly jumped in with a question.
“…Did you expect something?”
“Ah, no…”
Jiwoo was honestly just curious, so she covered her face with both hands.
However, the playful atmosphere quickly faded away.
It was because of the scene that unfolded before them.
“Ah, this is…”
This wasn’t the typical beach one would imagine. It looked as if an oil tanker had spilled into the sea. The water was completely black. As they got closer, even the sand had turned black.
“Wait, Seo Jiwoo.”
“It’s dangerous.”
As Jiwoo tried to get closer, Lanset and Arven, who had been walking beside her like guards, instinctively stopped her.
But the reason they had come on this trip was to purify this very place.
“You know I’m fine.”
Jiwoo stepped forward, the miasma in the sand began to burn away, scattering into the air.
Chiiik.
Wherever her feet landed, the miasma dissipated and purified the ground. When she looked back, the white sand was revealed in the shape of her footprints.
‘My purification abilities have definitely improved since before.’
Jiwoo had visited many barren lands where the miasma had seeped into the earth, but back then, just walking didn’t purify the area. She had to forcefully pour blood to make it habitable for people.
But now, she didn’t have to struggle like that—just walking was enough, and it didn’t seem like such a big deal.
Her companions were anxiously pacing, but seeing Jiwoo walk through the area, casually purifying it with each step, seemed to put their worries at ease.