At the End of the Hidden Greenery - Chapter 204

“Um, would you mind coming out for now?”

“Ah, if you wish.”

Only then did Petar mimic coming out of the water.

“Wow…”

It was as if the figure Jiwoo had thought of as a mermaid was now walking onto the shore with legs. When he had been hunched over and wearing a robe, it was hard to tell, but now that he stood upright, his height was almost as tall as Helka’s.

In fact, most of the children of Ellandos, when seen in Caranazion, had always been reluctant to show their true appearance to outsiders, always hiding behind their robes. No matter how extravagant their looks might be, they never openly revealed them, especially to someone they were meeting for the first time.

Technically, Jiwoo had met Petar before, but this situation felt a bit different…

It was still an unexpected sight. She had never seen someone so openly extravagant before. He wasn’t even wearing a shirt. The only thing covering his smooth skin were the ornaments that hung from his body, serving as the closest thing to a top.

The bottom, in contrast, was much more ornate. He wore form-fitting pants that clung to his ankles, but the fabric that draped from his hips and down to his thighs kept it from looking too plain. The light, airy fabric faded in color as it reached the ends, making it semi-transparent and giving it a somewhat mermaid-like appearance as it reached the floor. 

It was clearly designed with life on the water in mind, not on land.

On the other hand, his bare feet were unadorned, though his ankle ornaments shimmered, catching the light and naturally drawing attention.

Petar, seeming to enjoy Jiwoo’s gaze, climbed up onto the rocks and dramatically flipped his hair back.

“Hmm.”

Seeing his attitude, Jiwoo began to understand why they had called him impure.

“Hey, tone it down.”

Petar simply tilted his head, looking unfazed.

“I was just standing still. What exactly should I tone down?”

Eventually, feeling Jiwoo’s eyes on him, Lanset stepped in front of her. His face was scrunched up in frustration.

“You said you wouldn’t look elsewhere!”

“I, I wasn’t looking elsewhere…”

No, it was just that his movements were so eye-catching…

“First of all, I want to express my gratitude to Seo Jiwoo for your help to us.” 

Petar said politely, as if ending the teasing.

The emphasis on ‘to us’ seemed a little overdone. But his tone became formal as he bowed slightly.

“You can’t stay here forever, so let me guide you to the village.”

With that, Petar walked back into the water. The splash sounded as bubbles appeared on the surface. Petar then poked his face above the water, looking as though he was asking why they hadn’t followed him.

“Just, just a moment. I don’t have the fruit that helps me breathe underwater. I lost it when I got caught in the whirlpool.”

“Aahh well, you don’t need that.”

Petar briefly responded and gestured for them to follow him again.

“…It seems the tree is helping, though.”

“It is already recovered like that?”

Despite having an idea of why this was happening, Lanset and Arven still seemed confused.

It wasn’t until they went ahead and confirmed things that Jiwoo was able to enter the water. Just to be safe, she held her breath before diving in, but Petar swam up close to her and, with a clear voice, said,

“You’re fine, try breathing.”

“Ah.”

Jiwoo instinctively let out a breath and began to breathe. The sound of his voice underwater felt different, almost as if they were on land.

And as she exhaled, she realized just how different it was.

“Ah… this is amazing.”

“Mm. Seems like you like it.”

Jiwoo nodded.

Breathing underwater was something she had experienced before, but with the help of the fruit, even if water filled her lungs, she wouldn’t suffocate. The difference was that she couldn’t stop water from getting into her lungs, and she couldn’t speak underwater. 

But now, breathing and speaking felt almost no different from being on land.

Breathing was like inhaling fresh, clean air in a dense forest, and her voice was clearly transmitted to the other person. Aside from the occasional bubbles making a small noise, it felt just like being above water.

“Keep up. The current will guide us, so we’ll get there quickly.”

With that, Petar started swimming in one direction.

It was easy to spot where the current was flowing. The water in that area flowed differently, and the difference could even be seen visually. Moreover, a school of colorful fish swam along with the current.

It was a stark contrast to when the water had been filled only with black fragments. The water was now incredibly clear, allowing everything around them to be visible.

Just yesterday, the sea had been lifeless, but as they approached the trees, Jiwoo could already see coral and seaweed starting to take root. It felt like a dream, considering the sea had been a deathly place just the day before.

And… given the surroundings, Petar’s figure looked like something out of a mermaid’s tale. His flowing hair resembled the waves, and the fabric around his lower body looked like vibrant fins.

“Th, this, this crazy guy.”

But Lanset and Arven couldn’t seem to look anywhere but at Petar. They were blushing with embarrassment, clearly uncomfortable.

“What the heck did he do to his ears?”

“Ears? The earrings?”

Now that she thought about it, Jiwoo realized that her husbands, whether when getting married or when they dressed up, had never worn anything in their ears. They wore heavy, decorative jewelry, but their ears were always left bare. 

It was the first time Jiwoo had seen someone decorate their ears in El Ragneil.

“Why is that?”

“Those are… something meant to be shared only with your spouse… a very sensitive area.”

The idea of the ears being a ‘sensitive area’ was strange, but Jiwoo realized it. For her husbands, ears were more than just a sensory body part, they had an almost se*ual connotation. Touching or licking someone’s ears was considered a strong form of seduction.

In that sense, wearing metal on such a sensitive part of the body was considered an extremely provocative and bold act.