At the End of the Hidden Greenery - Chapter 147

Just as Jiwoo had been thinking, Tevon returned with something.

He had brought over meat, expertly prepared and unrecognizable from its original form. He skewered the meat onto a long stick and roasted it over the fire, skillfully turning it before handing it to Jiwoo. The grease dripping off looked incredibly appetizing.

Along with the meat, he handed over some fruits he must have gathered from somewhere and spoke to Jiwoo.

Marron immediately translated for her.

“He said if he was good at growing plants, he would have made it himself, but since he couldn’t, he brought these instead.”

“Ah, it’s fine. This is good too.”

Now that Jiwoo thought about it, Tevon had spent more time apart from the trees, so he wasn’t very good at this sort of thing. He also wasn’t very skilled with magic.

While Jiwoo happily shared the food, Tevon watched her intently. After a moment, he muttered something under his breath, clearly irritated.

Night, overhearing, chuckled and translated.

“Tevon says he only knows one phrase, and that it’s pretty cheesy.”

“What’s that?”

“…”

Jiwoo looked to Tevon, urging him to say it, but to her surprise, Tevon remained silent. Tevon was usually so carefree and rarely embarrassed, but this time, he seemed a little shy.

Soon, the one phrase he knew came out.

“Seo Jiwoo, saranghae.”

Despite the serious situation, Jiwoo couldn’t help but laugh.

* * *

In the end, it was getting late and they were all tired, so they decided to camp for the night.

Helka, who had been clinging to Jiwoo and refusing to leave his side, had a warm body temperature, and Jiwoo figured it would be fine to sleep outside next to him.

After dozing off for a while, Jiwoo woke up to a sudden commotion.

When Jiwoo stirred, Marron immediately spoke up.

“Oh, you’re awake?”

“What’s going on?”

“Another group is watching us. I didn’t want to make you nervous, but…”

Jiwoo immediately tensed up and sat up, and Tevon shook his head, signaling that everything was fine.

Instead, he pointed to Helka, who had woken up alongside Jiwoo. Tevon’s expression showed signs of irritation. He glared around the camp, then pulled Helka up.

“Why?”

“Sending Helka away would solve this problem easily.”

“What? Helka’s sick right now!”

“Actually, in this state, it’ll show those guys a lesson.”

“What? That’s too much! Don’t send that innocent fool anywhere.”

Tevon grimaced at Jiwoo’s reaction and shook his head forcefully. No matter how wild Helka seemed to his brothers, he had always acted like a gentle, affectionate puppy with Jiwoo.

But now, Jiwoo wondered if that was the case after all.

Helka, still not fully aware of what was going on, was clinging to Jiwoo’s waist and rubbing his forehead against her, not understanding the conversation.

Seeing this, Tevon sighed deeply, holding his neck as if the whole situation was a lot to bear.

Jiwoo stroked Helka’s back, feeling increasingly anxious. It was clear to her that Helka was not in a good condition and needed protection. The rest of the group was also tense, aware of the situation.

“Another group… why are they doing this?”

Was it because Jiwoo’s powers as an Akarna had disappeared? They were originally a species that rejected humans. Sometimes referring to them as the ‘flame’ that countered the trees.

Jiwoo had tried to stay out of sight as much as possible, wishing to adapt and stay in this place, both to fit in and because of the kindness she had received from it. She had also wanted to protect the trees.

However, the fact that another group was watching them meant that multiple people had gathered—perhaps even more than just one.

Tevon clicked his tongue.

“Seems like that guy, a tree wizard and all, is even less capable than Helka.”

Marron, no longer just translating Tevon’s words, began to mimic his tone and speak directly.

“What does that mean? Ah…!”

But Jiwoo didn’t get an immediate answer.

The person standing in front of her, Marron, disappeared completely without a trace. Not only Marron, but Night also vanished in the blink of an eye. It happened so quickly it almost seemed like they had evaporated on the spot.

As she looked at Tevon for reassurance, Jiwoo saw him place a finger to his lips, signaling to wait for a moment.

Moments later, someone dropped down right in front of Jiwoo.

“Kyaak!”

Jiwoo instinctively pulled Helka closer, shielding him.

The strangers were being subdued by Marron and Night each. They had them kneeling with expressions of frustration. These were people Jiwoo had never seen before.

Marron and Night held knives to their throats and signaled for Jiwoo to observe. Although Jiwoo could see them speaking, the words weren’t clear.

“What should we do?”

“Huh?”

“These guys seem like they did this on purpose.”

“Did this on purpose…? I don’t even know… what’s going on here!”

How was it possible for someone to disappear and reappear in front of her like that? Jiwoo had always been impressed by how quickly Tevon and Lanceil could move in the forest, but Marron and Night were on a whole other level. She couldn’t even follow their movements with her eyes.

Noticing Jiwoo’s confusion, Marron and Night explained.

“Our bodies are more suited for combat.”

“What do you mean, ‘suitable for combat’?”

The bodies they were referring to were exactly what Jiwoo had found so intriguing. Their skin, blue like the night sky, their hair shimmering like stars.

“Yes, since that person deemed you were insufficient here, they were given as gifts.”

“…..”

Jiwoo blankly turned to look at the other children of Ellandos who were being restrained by them. It didn’t take long for him to understand completely.

“So, what you’re saying is that she thought this group might need bodies specialized for combat, and now we’re in a situation that proves it?”

“Exactly.”

Tevon clapped his hands in approval, pleased that Jiwoo understood so quickly.

The reason why the situation felt so calm, even though they had been attacked, was probably because their side was stronger. The attackers had miscalculated and ended up in a worse position.

The person who had been subdued mumbled with frustration while glaring at Marron and Night.

“They never said anything about something like this… Seems like this was all planned.”