At the End of the Hidden Greenery - Chapter 132

“See, you don’t know?”

“I can do this.”

Jiwoo cleared her throat.

“Lo… Lof…rella?”

“…”

The female manifestation widened her eyes, staring at Jiwoo. Feeling foolish, Jiwoo’s face turned red, wondering if she had made a mistake. However, the next moment, she was met with a bright smile.

“Did I get it right?”

“Not at all. But you can call me that if you like.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Yes.”

“…Lofrel?”

The female manifestation, or Lofrel, simply smiled without giving a clear answer. It seemed that no matter how hard Jiwoo tried, she wouldn’t be able to pronounce it correctly. Was it admirable just to make the effort?

Since the atmosphere felt somewhat positive, Jiwoo decided to bring up the issue that needs to be resolved.

“Then Lofrel, what about those two? If you suddenly…say they’re a gift to me, what about their own will?”

“Do you really need to ask?”

It felt as though their opinions didn’t matter at all. It was as if they weren’t even treated as people from the start. Jiwoo understood with her mind that this was a given here, but faced with it directly, her thoughts became overloaded.

As Jiwoo hesitated to respond, Lofrel smiled slyly.

“It seems you don’t really understand what El Ragneil is like.”

Lofrel tilted her head. Despite not showing hostility, her expression was still somewhat cold, making it hard to read her emotions.

“I know there are very few men here. The gender ratio is about… 50,000 to 1.”

After coming here, Jiwoo realized that the mere fact of a shortage of women was not what she had imagined.

The reality was even more stark. The population of this continent roughly matched that of the world before the 15th century. Given that the area of this continent was three times larger than Caranazion, its density was much lower.

It goes without saying that female manifestations were far rarer than expected.

The children of Ellandos waited for their master for long periods, but due to such a gender imbalance, it was common for them to go their entire lives without ever meeting one. Since they regarded simply encountering a female manifestation as an honor, it made sense that asking for their opinions would be unnecessary.

But that was their perspective, not a reason Jiwoo had to accept. Knowing this, she intended to express her refusal, but while quietly listening to Jiwoo, Lofrel asked.

“Gender ratio?”

“Yes.”

“So, what do you think the reason people like us maintain absolute power in El Ragneil?”

“…Because we’re rare?”

“Hmm.”

Lofrel made a small sound, showing her first hint of negativity.

It seemed like Jiwoo’s answer was incorrect.

“I’m glad I came.”

Lofrel approached the tree roots she had been observing. Sitting nearby, she gestured for Jiwoo to come sit beside her. As Jiwoo sat next to her and waited, Lofrel began to explain calmly.

“First of all, that’s not a gender ratio. It’s an issue that can’t be called that.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Does Seo Jiwoo think the wind has a gender?”

Jiwoo didn’t understand why she was being asked such a question, but she answered nonetheless.

“…No.”

“The rocks?”

“They wouldn’t have one either.”

“What about the sun? The moon? Does the Ellandos you’re nurturing have a gender?”

“The sun and moon probably don’t, but… Ellandos might? Since it blooms flowers…”

“Pfft.”

As Lofrel continued her questions, Jiwoo started to feel confused. Did Ellandos have a gender? It seemed like that wasn’t even the main issue.

“This is a common misconception regarding creatures that reproduce sexually.”

She added one more thing.

“Seo Jiwoo, I came here to bring you along.”

“…What?”

“I’ll explain.”

A gentle breeze blew from the ceiling where the roots connected. The warm air swept through their hair. After a brief silence, Lofrel resumed her slow and calm explanation.

“There’s no need for gender since reproduction and regeneration are not required. You mentioned before that you know the sun and moon don’t have gender, yet only humans assign genders to them and engage in mating.”

Jiwoo recalled an explanation Helka had given about female manifestations.

They could live independently, while the men here were seen as unstable beings born from the chaos of nature. Only by being cared for by a complete being could they live perfectly in El Ragneil. Thus, they strived to be chosen by the female manifestation.

But if, as Lofrel said, gender didn’t exist, it meant they were entirely separate beings.

Much like the sun and the moon.

Although their fundamental existences were different, the mere outward similarities made them appear equivalent in meaning.

“…Then why are they called female manifestations?”

“They believe only they can be paired with the embodiment of Ellandos. However, there are simply too many of them to call it a pairing.”

Fifty thousand to one.

That was not a number that could truly be considered a pairing. The explanation that one female manifestation typically gathered around thirty individuals didn’t match that ratio at all.

Lofrel met Jiwoo’s gaze quietly and then spoke firmly.

“Seo Jiwoo, while rarity can be valuable, it cannot translate into power.”

It was as if she was imparting something crucial.

“In fact, it’s the greater numbers that hold power, just like them. Do you understand what that means?”

“…”

Jiwoo felt as if she had been struck by something.

She had been under a significant misconception all along. According to Lofrel, the female manifestations here were not rare due to natural selection or some inherent quality. They simply possessed that much power.

If this was a matter of power and strength rather than the gender ratio, it meant Jiwoo’s position in El Ragneil was quite precarious.

“They are arrogant.”

In reality, the prejudices held by the Empire were very different from those she experienced directly with the children of Ellandos. The disparity felt almost jarring.