At the End of the Hidden Greenery - Chapter 144

“Then it’s good if a lot of wizards are born?”

Helka tilted his head slightly and seemed to be deep in thought.

However, it was Tevon who answered that question.

“Not really.”

“Why?”

“Because the power gets divided. Wizards borrow their power from the trees, so it’s best if there’s only one.”

“Ah, I see.”

So, if there are two wizards, the power gets split in half, and with three, it gets divided into thirds.

“I was born late, so I can’t use any magic.”

“Really?”

“Instead, my physical strength is a bit stronger.”

“Everyone has their role, huh?”

When Jiwoo thought about how Tevon had found his way to the castle where Jiwoo was trapped alone, it certainly made sense.

The comment about being born late naturally shifted Jiwoo’s attention to the other two.

The ones who had been ‘gifts,’ brought into the world. Their appearance, dark as night, was slightly out of place with the bright, flower-filled fields, which caught Jiwoo’s attention.

They were sitting quietly around the flower beds, like flowers themselves. They seemed to be in a good mood and was smiling constantly.

Did they have roles too? The husbands had always wanted to learn the language Jiwoo used, so they could make good teachers.

‘But is this appearance really necessary?’

Jiwoo was still surprised by how unfamiliar their appearance was. It was fascinating, though.

Surrounded by the scent of flowers, Jiwoo smiled as Tevon made a flower crown for her, and the two others did the same, placing them on Jiwoo’s head.

Jiwoo laughed at the increasing weight of the flower crown.

“Thanks.”

“We should be thanking you.”

“Thank you.”

Their polite and respectful manner made them seem like good teachers.

And then Jiwoo thought of Callan. For some reason, even though their appearances were so different, there was something oddly similar about them.

* * *

Helka guided them along a sky path for quite a distance. Along the way, Jiwoo learned that the tree they were going to treat this time was located further inland, closer to the capital than any tree Jiwoo had previously connected with.

After traveling for a while, someone finally appeared ahead. It seemed that the group’s wizard had come out to guide them.

The man had short, platinum blonde hair with soft waves, resembling a knight from a fairy tale book. However, unlike the knights Jiwoo knew, he was much more extravagantly dressed.

“Seo Jiwoo, you are Seo Jiwoo!”

“Hello.”

“Thank you for coming all the way here. I am Ramon, the wizard of this group. I came alone so as not to make you feel burdened.”

Ramon briefly introduced himself, then glanced at the people Jiwoo brought and smiled back at Jiwoo.

“Who are the people with you?”

“My husbands.”

“Ah…”

They made eye contact but didn’t exchange any words.

Instead, Ramon quickly started leading Jiwoo toward the location of his tree.

From a distance, a white pillar was visible, so it was clear where they were headed.

As they moved, Ramon explained more about the location.

“Our tree has recently been affected by the miasma overflow from the nearby area. No matter how much time passes, it hasn’t healed, and it’s only getting worse.”

“It looks fine though.”

Tevon said casually.

“Tevon.”

Jiwoo intervened, sensing that this could lead to an argument, and turned to look at Tevon.

The tree’s condition wasn’t something easily understood just by looking at it.

But despite Tevon’s words, Ramon simply gave a light smile.

“It’s alright. You’re cute.”

It wasn’t common for siblings to be this friendly with each other, and maybe because Jiwoo had seen them bicker often, it was rare to see them handle things so smoothly.

Though Jiwoo could still hear Tevon muttering in the background, it seemed like it would be fine since they’d be leaving soon.

Normally, Ellandos trees weren’t compatible with miasma, so they would naturally push it away and purify it. However, if small wounds weren’t healing quickly and were spreading, it meant the disease was worsening.

Since they had met a wizard, Jiwoo was quickly guided to the tree.

At eye level, the familiar wound was visible.

The bark, which would normally be white, was now scratched as though it had been gnawed by an animal.

Having treated this before, Jiwoo knew that this meant the inside of the tree was likely rotting.

Jiwoo examined the tree from all angles and could feel the magic had deeply penetrated, starting to rot from within.

“Good thing we caught it early.”

“Yes…”

Ramon, who had been cheerful earlier, now showed a worried expression.

As Jiwoo gently touched the wound, she watched the miasma recede. Initially, the miasma tingled on her fingertips, but as it retreated, the pain gradually subsided.

Although it was in its early stages, it was clear that even a small wound like this needed careful attention, especially considering how long the tree had likely lived.

While Jiwoo connected with the tree, there was a strange sensation that time around her had stopped. The more focused she became, the more the sounds faded away, and all that remained was the comforting warmth, as if she was submerged in warm water.

While in this state, before she knew it, the dark miasma had retreated, and the tree’s vitality filled her with joy.

She had thought the connection had only lasted for a short time, but when she came to her senses, hours had passed.

Thud.

“Aack!”

Something dropped from above, snapping Jiwoo out of her trance. It hurt sharply.

Jiwoo absentmindedly looked up to see what had fallen, and something else fell right after.

Thud.

When Jiwoo had first revived the Ellandos tree, white leaves had fluttered down, and even white flowers had once fallen. This time, however, large, plump fruit-like objects were falling. And the shape of these fruits was unusual.

Jiwoo recognized them from somewhere.

The trees Jiwoo connected with hadn’t borne fruit like this before. She had seen beautiful flowers bloom, but…

To be honest, seeing the shape of these fruits did remind her of something, but just to be sure, Jiwoo asked Ramon.