# Chapter 12
“A flower…?”
Near where the water had dripped, a small yellow flower was peeking through. Surrounded by dead grass that had turned completely black as if burned, it stood out all the more.
Ion thought that the pond water imbued with his ability must have influenced it.
He remembered once while tending to a flower bed, he cut himself on a rose thorn and his left hand’s blood mixed into the soil. The next day, in just twenty-four hours, the roses in that spot had grown notably vibrant and large. So it made sense that if even one or two seeds unaffected by the black water remained in the soil, a small flower could bloom in a day.
After placing the washed laundry on a nearby thorn tree branch, he searched thoroughly around the pond. Indeed, where he had wrung out laundry water yesterday, green sprouts and small flowers were growing.
‘So the pond itself really does have a special power.’
This pond, which absorbed both Levi’s and his power to create changes, was definitely not ordinary. He’d never seen other water being affected by just a touch of his hand, so it must be something unique about this pond water that could both kill the forest and revive dormant flower seeds.
Ion gazed at the pond in wonder, then smiled as he looked around at the tiny grass and flowers. Having seen nothing but the black forest for so long, these signs of life were incredibly welcome.
He carefully plucked a tiny yellow flower, making sure not to damage the roots, then grabbed the laundry and ran.
“Levi!”
Upon reaching the tent house, Ion immediately thrust the flower toward Levi, who was once again lighting a bonfire.
“Look at this. It grew near the pond.”
Levi took the small flower, barely as long as a pinky finger, from Ion and stared down at it intently. Watching him, Ion’s lips twitched upward.
‘He seems fascinated. How cute.’
By now, Ion could tell just by looking at Levi’s eyes. He had the same expression as when he was curiously handling Ion’s left hand.
“It just started growing, so if we leave it for a few days, it’ll grow bigger and prettier.”
Ion took the flower back from Levi and planted it next to the tent house. Though the roots were intact, without the influence of the pond water, it might die quickly, so he deliberately wrung out some water from the laundry he had brought nearby. Since the water contained his left hand’s ability, it should be able to grow sufficiently here, just as it did near the pond.
Ion felt satisfied, thinking he had made the right choice in bringing the flower, as he watched Levi staring at it, unwilling to move away.
Levi looked at Ion with innocent eyes.
“Can I eat it?”
“No, you can’t!”
“I can’t?”
“Even if you stare at it like that, you still can’t. It’s just started growing, and we don’t even know if it’s an edible flower.”
“I won’t die anyway.”
“Well, that’s true, but… Um… When it grows more and there are several flowers… then maybe…”
“…”
As Ion struggled to find a rebuttal, he was completely drawn in by Levi’s pitch-black eyes before he could think further.
“Yes… Just go ahead and eat it…”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Levi picked up the flower and bit off the head with a snap.
Seeing Levi chewing like a child, Ion looked enthusiastically toward the pond.
After transplanting several small yellow flowers next to the tent house, they grew to Levi’s knees in just a week, perhaps because they had more than enough nutrients. Not only that, lush grass and other small flowers grew alongside them, creating what looked like part of a beautiful garden.
The area near the pond showed even more impressive growth. The pond’s perimeter, which had been rimmed with hard stones, became surrounded by various flowers and grasses as if someone had deliberately cultivated it, and the closest black thorn trees began sprouting green, elongated leaves. Levi, who had been dragged there by Ion, gazed at the scene in wonder.
He also tried eating flowers of different colors and chewing on long blades of grass. He looked like a deer grazing or a black rabbit. Ion, thinking how someone so adult-like could be this adorable, kept picking flowers and grass for him as if enchanted. Thanks to this, Ion could appreciate his own ability after a long time.
Until he was taken by the slave traders, he had repeatedly thought how he would have been better off without this ability. But now, even though all he had done was revive grass and flowers, he once again believed he possessed a good power.
Levi was observing the flowers, and Ion was watching Levi, both enjoying this peaceful time, when—
Clang— Clang—!
A strange sound hit their ears from somewhere. Startled, Ion quickly clung to Levi. Since meeting Hest, he had developed a habit of instinctively sticking to Levi whenever he was surprised by something.
Despite the sudden intrusive sound in the otherwise quiet forest, Levi showed little reaction. This was partly due to his characteristically calm demeanor, but also because this was a sound he was already familiar with.
The sharp sound, like something hard being struck, was heard exactly five times in a uniform rhythm. Afterward, there was no further sound.
Ion, extremely tense, trembled at his fingertips with anxiety, wondering if the sound might be a signal between people from the slave traders who were pursuing him. The corner of Levi’s garment clutched in his hand trembled along with him.
“I need to go out. Stay in the tent.”
“Where are you going?”
Ion asked urgently, gripping the garment even tighter. Instead of answering, Levi walked ahead toward the tent. Still holding onto the fabric, Ion asked again with a pale face.
“Where are you going without me? Can’t you just not go?”
“I have to go.”
When he put it that way, there was no way to stop him.
Even after reaching the tent, Ion still refused to release Levi’s clothes, his face anxious.
“At least tell me where you’re going. I’m saying I’m anxious being alone.”
Levi, picking up a black robe with a hood from the washed clothes, answered in an emotionless voice.
“I’m going to the shantytown near the forest.”
Ion knew about the shantytown near the Black Forest. It was a gathering place for patients suffering from the Numinel disease, an incurable contagious illness. The fact that Levi was going to a place surrounded by epidemic was reason enough to stop him.
“Are you crazy? Why would you go to a disease-ridden village?! What if you catch the disease…!”
Before finishing his sentence, he let out an “Ah.” Upon reflection, like himself, Levi also had exceptionally high self-healing capabilities. Above all, he was immortal, even more resilient than Ion. It was questionable whether he would catch such a disease, but even if he did, he would recover on his own if left alone.
Realizing this, Ion had no valid argument to stop him. In fact, he knew it wasn’t right to interfere with Levi’s actions just because he himself felt anxious. So he just groaned, unable to say anything.
“Sigh… Alright. But why are you going there?”
He understood that the strange sound from earlier was calling Levi, but he couldn’t comprehend why they would need him in the shantytown.
‘Don’t tell me they’re exploiting innocent Levi for labor…’
If that was the case, he wouldn’t stand for it.
Levi, pulling the hood of his robe down low, answered Ion who was wearing a deliberately fierce expression.
“To kill someone.”
Ion, who was about to spit out harsh words thinking they were indeed exploiting Levi, suddenly swallowed his voice.
“…What?”
Looking at Levi’s face, heavily shadowed by the hood, Ion was considerably shocked to realize he hadn’t misheard.
Ion, who insisted on following Levi’s path, couldn’t hide his complicated feelings.
‘Is he really going to kill someone? No, are they actually calling Levi to kill people for them?’
He had heard that among those who operate in the shadows, there are individuals who kill for money. Having seen slave traders who committed unimaginably cruel acts to sell him at a high price, Ion wasn’t about to deny the existence of such contract killers.
But Levi? The innocent and pure Levi who behaved like a child? The Levi who would unhesitatingly kill those who threatened him, but who was busy providing food and saving people like Ion who expressed a desire to live?
It was so unbelievable that Ion couldn’t possibly let Levi go alone.
Moreover, Levi said the payment for the murder was nothing more than a few vegetables.
‘He’s being used. Because he’s so innocent, they’re luring him with a few food items to do terrible things…’
His insides boiled with anger. If Levi was truly being exploited in such an unreasonable way, Ion thought he should step in, give them a piece of his mind, and drag Levi back.
However, for someone with such a firm resolve, Ion’s appearance was decidedly suspicious.
