At the End of the Hidden Greenery - Chapter 238
When Jiwoo hesitated to answer with certainty, Tyrinos explained again, as if understanding her hesitation.
“For example, this world has many cracks where different dimensions can collide, like shattered glass. And Ellandos is what seals those cracks.”
Usually, a tree becomes such a being because it has stayed close to those cracks for a long time, defending itself against the energy of other worlds with its whole body.
Jiwoo instinctively gazed into the distance. Hearing this explanation, the Ellandos rising throughout El Ragneil looked like stakes planted for safety.
“But what does that have to do with me?”
“If you came from another time, that explains it. Because there’s no Ellandos here, you, an Akarna, have replaced it.”
In reality, the dimensional collision occurred, and to protect the husbands who should have been torn apart in the rift, this situation came about.
It was as if she inadvertently protected a natural disaster.
“It’s just speculation, but the air has become lighter and more comfortable since you’ve been here.”
Then Tyrinos added with difficulty,
“So we’d like you to stay if possible.”
“…What?”
Jiwoo jumped in place.
“That’s not possible. I have to return home.”
Tyrinos lowered his eyes, his ears drooping as if trying to evoke sympathy. And Jiwoo was very susceptible to such things.
She heard Kaman clicking his tongue behind her, mocking the pity act.
“Is it impossible? Without you, not only us but this whole area would die.”
“That’s… unfortunate for you all, but this power isn’t permanent like a tree, it could disappear suddenly.”
It was true she had a home to return to, and Akarna’s power wasn’t exactly stable. She needed rest, and the husbands were quite anxious about the short moments when she weakened.
So realistically, her simply staying here wasn’t a solution for them.
But since she also cared about them, Jiwoo made a suggestion.
“If that’s the problem, couldn’t we just transplant the trees here?”
“If it were easy, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
Saying to transplant the trees was a typical outsider’s naive comment, but they neither criticized nor laughed at her.
“Or… we could make another tree into an Ellandos.”
Ellandos wasn’t a specific species but a tree that had reached a certain state.
If possible, it might just be a matter of turning one of the trees here into an Ellandos.
“…That’s even harder.”
Jiwoo’s face flushed slightly as Tyrinos reacted like it was nonsense.
“I’m only saying that because I’ve seen it once.”
“Seen it?”
Tyrinos quickly turned his head, showing it wasn’t a common event.
Even Jiwoo’s husbands looked at her in surprise. Jiwoo glanced at Solmih and quietly said.
“Well… I saw it while going on a date with Tevon. I saw a small mushroom turn white, and it really looked like Ellandos.”
“Is that true?”
When Solmih asked, Jiwoo nodded, and the husbands quietly sighed together.
Especially Lancet and Arven grumbled loudly.
“Hah… Tevon. Why didn’t he say anything about that?”
“That youngest one…”
Tyrinos’ eyes sparkled.
“How did you happen to see that?”
“Well, we were on a date…”
Jiwoo stopped mid-sentence.
She had spent a stimulating and sensual time with Tevon and the mushroom Tevon.
No way she could explain that properly.
Jiwoo hesitated to answer, so they didn’t ask her again. Instead, Tyrinos casually said.
“…Whatever the method, you should find it quickly.”
Jiwoo stared at Tyrinos intently.
His ears twitched slightly.
“Ah, don’t misunderstand.”
Not knowing the full context, that remark could have sounded somewhat like a threat.
“You said you want to go home, right? To return to where you belong, you need to make contact where the dimensions collide.”
She had been caught in that boundary where dimensions clash, which caused her to jump through time and space like this. Fortunately, such an event wasn’t so rare in El Ragneil, happening every few decades or centuries.
It just didn’t have to happen here.
But there was also no reason it couldn’t be here, and Jiwoo personally had things she needed to do here.
“Have you seen a large bag or something?”
“What bag are you talking about?”
“It’s a bag containing our belongings. It looks like this…”
It held many gifts she received and items she bought after her business trip to the beach, as well as things she collected while spending time there.
They were keepsakes, and she wanted to show many of them to her husbands when she returned home.
Since she arrived here, one thing after another happened, and she hasn’t had a moment to think clearly. Only after being chased by those people did she realize her belongings were missing, but she wasn’t sure exactly where she lost them.
Tyrinos listened carefully as Jiwoo described the bag’s size and appearance, then tilted his head.
“No, I haven’t seen anything like that. If you want, we can search the forest. Is that the condition for considering our request?”
“….For now, yes.”
“Alright.”
Tyrinos immediately stood up and gave instructions to the others standing behind him.
He moved hurriedly, as if afraid she might change her mind.