At The End Of The Hidden Greenery

Chapter 17 - Helkainis

While groaning in Jiwoo’s arms, Helka lost consciousness.

Jiwoo shook his shoulder in embarrassment, but he showed no sign of waking up.

His long black hair, which was fluttering in the air due to the rising miasma, also subsided. Come to think of it, it was unusual.

Dark hair was not a color easily seen in their race, the ‘children of Elandos’. Most of them had blond or silver hair, but even if not, she observed only light shades mixed with other colors like Lanceil.

It was the first time she had seen such intense black hair, as dark as ebony. The reason Jiwoo recognized him as a black figure was because of the black mist that surrounded him with a vicious force. However, the fog cleared and what was visible inside was also a black-clad man.

Jiwoo, who looked at the sweat-drenched long black hair, possessed, suddenly came to her senses and looked up at Callandein.

“Is he okay?”

However, their group, including Callandein, was noticeably relieved.

“…He has been screaming that he’s going to die for the past few days. It’s the first time he has fallen asleep like this.”

“Then please help him up.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Jiwoo was almost completely crushed by Helka.

A couple of them lifted Helka from Jiwoo. The pressure disappeared and a sigh could come out. When Helka’s groans disappeared, the surroundings were quiet.

They were all holding their breath and watching the scene.

The number of people increased compared to before, and it seems that a few people who had been in other places joined here.

Callandein asked Jiwoo, raising her up.

“Would there be anything needed for the treatment process?”

“Are you going to ask me for this favor?”

“If possible… I’d like to ask you for a favor, maybe we all think so.”

Callandein said so and looked behind him. The other people behind him also looked at Jiwoo, nodding their heads.

Some were still apprehensive, but the tense atmosphere had softened a lot. The feeling of exclusion that she felt when she first came here is gone.

That’s how Helka seemed important to them.

“I think we need a closed space for now. It will be in trouble if the miasma bounces back like before. I hope it’s not too narrow and not too wide.”

“All right.”

Callandein briefly went away from Jiwoo and exchanged simple words with the group. And three or four people helped Helka and dragged him away. They were so nervous that they didn’t say a word. Jiwoo said as if nothing was a big deal, patting the clothes dirty with the dust.

“Can I ask who he is?”

* * *

Helkainins. They called him Helka.

“Helka is a great mage in our region. He’s such a…”

Callandein, who was explaining, sighed once.

“He came to be like this because he took on all the contamination of our original home.”

“Are you talking about the contamination created by the beasts?”