At The End Of The Hidden Greenery

Chapter 2 - Akarna

—In El Ragnile, it’s commonplace for one woman to be in command of a group. And, the average number in one group is about thirty people.

One day was enough to turn the whole world upside down.

One day, instead of the mechanical sound of her desk’s alarm clock, Seo Jiwoo woke up to many people watching her. She was inside a pure white building with the large columns behind those people. Without thinking deeply, she could tell that this place was like a temple.

She was at the center of all those people.

She was sitting in a place that was perhaps an altar. She was wearing the same pajamas she had worn before going to bed. But she was not bewildered by the sudden change of environment.

One of them came up to her. He seemed like a high priest.

An elegant robe. A high crown worn over his head. And the people around him bowed their heads as he stepped forward.

Even though it wasn’t the type of clothes that she usually saw, she could tell that this was a place that people considered sacred. If this place was a temple, that person seemed to be a bishop. But as he bowed his head politely to her, Jiwoo became more confused.

He opened his mouth.

“It is nice to meet you, Akarna. What an honor it is to meet you.”

Surprisingly, she could understand him. He wasn’t speaking in Korean, but Jiwoo could understand the strange language.

“A, Akarna…?”

“You, the guardian Akarna who has descended from the heavens to enact the will of the Lord.”

“Ah…”

Jiwoo let out a rather stupid reaction, but it wasn’t because she agreed with what he said. She could only understand the speech, but she couldn’t speak the language.

Hearing that, the old man who looked like a priest smiled at Jiwoo, who was even more wary. And he pulled out a splendid dagger from his chest pocket.

Without a moment to react, he grabbed Jiwoo’s arm and cut off Jiwoo’s palm in an instant. Jiwoo flinched and let out a shallow scream. But surprisingly, the pain was not bad.

Compared to the deep cut left by the knife, the stinging pain she felt was like just a needle’s stab. Blood trickled down, but it stopped quickly. Not even a scar was left.

“This is the most sure proof that Akarna has been favored by the gods. And…”

The priest cut his hand this time with the dagger. The priest grabbed Jiwoo’s hand before she could even say anything, then guided Jiwoo’s blood over his wound.

The drops seeped into the wound, and his wound healed just as Jiwoo’s was.

“This is proof that Akarna came down to enact the will of God here on earth.”

The old priest smiled kindly at Jiwoo, who opened her mouth in surprise.

“Should I show you more?”

“……”

“You can say yes or no.”

“…No.”

He seemed kind at first glance, but he gave off the impression that this suggestion was not just a suggestion.

From that day on, Seo Jiwoo began to live in a temple in this unfamiliar world. Before she could adjust to the environment, she had to accept her position here.

The Akarna was a fairly high position in the temple. Before she could say what her name was, Seo Jiwoo was treated as Akarna and called Akarna. As she struggled to adapt, she almost forgot her own name.