Chapter 27: Healer, what is this?

Before the spirit lay a shiny acorn and five vibrant pinecones.

‘Hmmm…’

The tiny spirit circled them, rolling its small head with determination.

‘They say a gift should be something the giver cherishes most.’

Then my favorite acorn is the right choice.

The spirit lined up three acorns at the gate’s entrance, then dove into the lake, peeking out shyly.

‘How happy will the human be when they see this?’

Puhehe— Giggling bashfully, it hid.

But even after a long wait, the human didn’t appear.

‘…When are they coming?’

Did something happen?

‘I have to thank them for saving my home…’

Staring glumly at the entrance, the spirit perked up.

-Pii…!

Finally, the human appeared!

Heart pounding, the spirit crept closer to see their joy.

But—

“Huh? What’s this?”

Instead of delight, the human brushed the acorns away like trash.

Shocked, the spirit stood frozen, mouth agape,
then furrowed its brows in realization.

‘…Aha! They must prefer pinecones!’

How did I miss that?

As soon as the human left, the spirit rummaged through its treasure stash, placing five pinecones neatly at the entrance.

But the human carelessly swept those away too.

The spirit’s tiny wings drooped in heartbreak.

“Oh, right—I forgot something. Gotta grab it!”

When the human stepped away again,
the spirit, with its last shred of hope, brought its prized treasure—a four-leaf clover—to the entrance.

‘No human dislikes a four-leaf clover.’

Surely,
this human would smile brightly upon seeing it!

Puhehe—

Giggling shyly again, the spirit placed the clover in plain view and turned to retreat to the lake.

Grab—

“Gotcha!”

A sudden jolt shook its body as the human’s hand seized it.

“What? A scrawny fish-thing?”

The spirit’s eyes widened at the words.

Once famed among spirits as ‘the prettiest face,’
it had even stained its lips with balsam petals and powdered its cheeks with peach blossoms for this moment.

But…

‘A scrawny fish…?’

Its eyes quivered.

Not only had its precious gifts been discarded, but now it was called a scrawny fish?

The hurt doubled!

-Piii… Piiii…

Unable to hold back, the spirit burst into tears in front of the human.

—

‘A spirit in this gate too?’

Its palm-sized body wore a dress of petals, clearly marking it as a spirit like the others I’d met.

I gazed at the sobbing creature in my hand.

‘I thought all spirits were pretty, but maybe not.’

Sunken cheeks, shadowed eyes,
skinny, bony limbs…
It really did resemble a scrawny fish.

‘…This one’s kinda ugly.’

I’m pretty strict about looks,
and even a spirit couldn’t pass as pretty if it wasn’t.

Carefully, I set the wriggling, distressed spirit on the ground.

It glanced around, teary-eyed, then covered its eyes with tiny hands, as if that made it invisible.

‘Still, it’s kinda cute.’

Compared to Pristine and Lumina, its frail appearance tugged at my heart. I held out a cream bun I’d brought.

“Want this?”

It shook its head firmly, lips pouting—clearly miffed about the ‘scrawny fish’ comment.

But—

Grrr—

A brutally honest rumble cut through the silence.

-Pii…

The spirit’s face turned apple-red.

“…”

Silently, I pushed the bun closer.

After hesitating, eyes darting, it reached for the bun.

The moment it nibbled—

-…!

Its eyes sparkled.

Loving the taste, it flapped its hands wildly,
sniffed the bun with a twitching nose,
and—

-Piiiiik!!

With a deafening squeal, it snatched the bun and buried its face in it, devouring it.

Nom nom nom, slurp—!

Cream smeared its face and fingers, but it didn’t care.

“…You eat well.”

Amazed by its appetite despite its tiny size,
I pulled another bun from my bag.

—

I’d spent most of my life in a basement.

Sunlight only ever grazed the window’s edge.
Opening it brought mold and sewer smells.

Even in that environment, I couldn’t give up my plants—my only friends and family.

I installed grow lights despite the electric bill,
and on sunny days, I carried them to the stairs or rooftop for light.

The guilt of keeping plants in such a place always weighed on me.

So, stepping into a sunlit house…

“…”

I was speechless.

Beyond large windows, green trees and a whispering breeze filled the forest view. Sunlight danced on the glass, warming the room softly.

Outside, a small greenhouse sat beside a quaint garden patch.

Neglected for years, wildflowers and weeds grew freely,
but they only added to the charm.

I reached for the plants lined along the windowsill.

[Stucky soaks in the warm sunlight.]
[Sansevieria breathes fresh air.]
[Monstera sways in the gentle breeze.]
[Rosemary shakes its leaves with joy.]
…

They’d had a tough time in the basement too,
judging by how each reveled in their own happiness.

“Sorry for all that.”

Stroking their leaves,
I unpacked, then took a walk to see what plants grew in the nearby forest.

Grass brushed my toes, and sunlight filtered through branches in the vast forest,
feeling like a world apart with its odd mushrooms and strangely grown plants.

Then, my gaze stopped.

“…What’s this?”

Not a flower, not a weed.
It looked like an onion, but wasn’t…

Curiosity won, and I touched it.

—

[Harnella]
– A rare species blooming in the quiet forest where sunlight lingers longest.
– Emits a soft bioluminescence, purifying the air.

[Effects]
– Effective for chronic fatigue recovery and nerve stabilization
– Induces restful sleep and balances the autonomic nervous system

[Uses]
– Harnella Aroma: Distilled essential oil for relaxation and focus.
– Harnella Tea: Lightly dried petals steeped in hot water. Gently relieves daily fatigue.

—

Reading the info, my eyes stopped at the last line.

“…Huh?”

[Harnella Tea – Gently relieves daily fatigue]

‘Relieves fatigue?’

Images of the agency’s overworked staff and the frantic medical team flashed through my mind.

‘This as a café menu item would be a total hit.’

In a world full of chronically exhausted people,
a tea that relieves fatigue and aids sleep would be a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!

And that’d naturally draw regular customers for my covert rare item trades!

‘I gotta test this!’

Eager to confirm its effects,
I called Ha Doyeon, who always sported dark circles, to check out the purified gate.

—

“You purified this whole place in such a short time?”

Wiping sweat with a handkerchief, Doyeon marveled at the gate’s interior.

“I didn’t even realize how big it was when I first came…”

She wandered around the lake and ancient tree, gushing over their beauty.

‘Heh, even I think this nature’s gorgeous.’

Pride swelled in me.

“…A coffee machine? And all these tables and chairs—Healer-nim, are you opening a café here?”

“Yup! Pretty good idea, right?”

Her eyes widened before I finished.

“You planned this far ahead in that mess?”

Covering her mouth, she scanned the area again, voice full of awe.

“You didn’t just buy a trash-filled gate. You had this vision… That’s incredible. I could never dream of this.”

“Haha…”

I kicked a leaf awkwardly, tickled by the unfamiliar praise.

Time to get to the point.

“So, um, Necromancer-nim, could you taste-test a new tea I developed for the menu?”

“What!? Me, trying your first new menu item? That’s an honor!”

I sat her down, eyes sparkling with anticipation.

I took out dried Harnella petals, placed them in a clear teacup, and poured hot water.

A subtle, sweet floral scent spread around us.

“Done!”

Handing her the tea, Doyeon carefully took the cup.

“Tasting the first new menu item… I’m kinda excited.”

Sip—

I watched nervously as she drank.

“…Huh?”

Her eyes widened, staring at me.

“Healer-nim, what is this…?”