His Breeding Obsession Chapter 162

Grecan whispered something in a low voice, and judging by the pale, shaken faces and the vigorous shaking of heads, it seemed he hadn’t revealed today’s events to anyone else.  

 

As he hurriedly slipped out through the window, just as he had come, the room filled with the smell of medicine.  

 

Mirania felt a strange sensation.  

 

‘Perhaps it was right to do as Grecan said this time.’

 

She had always been accustomed to drawing her blood whenever someone was hurt.  

 

The unfamiliar feeling of relying on another doctor’s exceptional skill lingered in her mind.  

 

“…Excuse me.”  

 

As Mirania was about to leave to call Wigenia, a soft voice from behind made her turn her head.  

 

A tall child, standing out among the shorter ones, bowed deeply. This child, the leader of the group, had stayed in the room to comfort the others who were anxious despite their minor injuries.  

 

“Thank you. For healing us.”  

 

Mirania nodded lightly. The child then bowed to Grecan as well.  

 

Grecan, who had received the thanks, replied bluntly, “All I did was bring the doctor. Save your gratitude for the doctor.”  

 

A smaller child, hiding behind the leader, suddenly popped their head out.  

 

“We already thanked the doctor! But if it weren’t for you, the doctor wouldn’t have come here at all. So, thank you. For saving us.”  

 

“This kid’s right. Thank you.” 

 

Grecan remained silent.  

 

When Wigenia returned, carrying bundles of good food for the patients, Mirania and Grecan quietly stepped out of the room, leaving her to take over.  

 

As they descended the stairs, Mirania’s lips twitched.  

 

“How do you feel…”  

 

“Not bad,” Grecan answered before she could even finish her question.  

 

Mirania was momentarily stunned by his quick reply, but then a soft chuckle reached her ears.  

 

“Mirania, you’re really persistent.”  

 

“What?”  

 

Turning sharply to look at Grecan, Mirania froze when she saw him smiling serenely.  

 

For some reason, the moment she saw that smile, her mind went completely blank.  

 

“Don’t worry too much. Even if I get angry, I won’t kill these kids. If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do. But I’m asking you to trust me.”  

 

Even as he grumbled, his smile was dazzling.  

 

It wasn’t the kind of smile that humans often described as stealing one’s gaze, hearing, or even soul.  

 

Unlike the magical aura of Leverianz or Malandor, it was different, yet it dug even deeper into her mind.

 

It was a mature smile from Grecan, one that carried no scent of blood, so Mirania instinctively cleared her throat.  

 

‘Why does he smile as if he knows everything about me?’

 

Feeling awkward, she responded a beat late.  

 

“So, you’re saying you’ll leave the kids alone but not the others?”  

 

“If you’re here, if you’re holding my reins, I won’t harm anyone.”  

 

Grecan reached for Mirania’s hand on the stair railing and held it tightly. His uniquely warm body temperature enveloped her skin.  

 

“I’ve given you my reins, Mirania. Please, don’t let go.”  

 

His plea was calm and straightforward, without a hint of desperation.  

 

Mirania rolled her eyes, glanced at his face, and then cleared her throat again.  

 

“Miss Witch!”  

 

They were almost on the first floor when Wigenia came running down from the second floor, out of breath.  

 

“I checked on the kids. I had no idea they’d recover so completely… I was really worried.”  

 

Understanding the gratitude in Wigenia’s eyes, Mirania nodded.  

 

Wigenia looked down at her and Grecan with teary eyes and smiled brightly.  

 

“Thank you, truly.”  

 

Mirania glanced at Grecan. He wasn’t even looking, as if it had nothing to do with him.  

 

Turning back to Wigenia, Mirania replied nonchalantly.  

 

“The rest is up to you.”  

 

“Of course!”  

 

Wigenia replied energetically, mentioning that she had set the table with food, and then hurried back to the treatment room.  

 

It seemed she had been deeply troubled by the critical condition of some children, though she hadn’t shown it.  

 

As Mirania walked toward the dining room, her skin prickled.  

 

Wigenia’s voice had been so loud that even those eating had turned to look at her.  

 

“Well, do you have something to say?”  

 

Clang!  

 

Kanit dropped his spoon, his face flustered as he quickly picked it up. The tense atmosphere lightened slightly at the sound.  

 

Clearing her throat, Minella was the first to speak.  

 

“Thank you, Witch. And to you as well.”  

 

Minella, who had been cautious and occasionally wary, spoke with sincerity. The other teachers blinked and looked at her in surprise.  

 

“If it weren’t for the two of you, this situation would have been much harder. Especially with the guards… if you hadn’t handled them. I’ve been meaning to thank you.”  

 

Minella spoke again with a serious expression.  

 

“Thank you.”  

 

Once the least likely to be sincere had broken the ice, the other teachers also offered their heartfelt thanks.  

 

The invisible line that had been drawn between Mirania, Grecan, and the school teachers was beginning to fade.  

 

Given the nature of their group, it was hard to let go of suspicion, and Horus admitted that it might remain that way. Mirania, in turn, gave him honest advice.  

 

“It’s fine to be suspicious. That’s your duty, and it might just save your lives.”  

 

It was her way of apologizing for hiding Grecan’s true nature.

 

💫

 

The abandoned and ruined streets of the imperial capital. In those streets, agricultural life had begun anew.  

 

The gang’s claim that they had tried farming was not a lie.  

 

Behind the teachers inspecting the yellowing, withering wheat sprouts planted a few days ago, Gangchi frowned.  

 

“See this? No matter how much we plant, it’s all in vain. Everything we sow just withers and dies.”  

 

Mirania, who had walked over quietly, bent down and touched the soil.  

 

“How about building boats and going fishing further out?”  

 

Realizing farming might not work, Horus shook his head vigorously.  

 

“Is there at least some fish in the sea?”  

 

“Yes, there is. You’d have to sail further out or expand your hunting grounds, but it’s better than clinging to farming with no yield. Though, you’ll have to be prepared for battles with the merfolk, who rule the sea.”  

 

“…”  

 

“With our numbers, we could handle a fight, but going up against the merfolk, the rulers of the sea, requires careful thought.”  

 

Mirania straightened up and spoke, “There’s no need for that.”  

 

Horus and Gangchi stopped what they were doing and stared at her. The school teachers and the gang members, who had been scattered around looking for anything salvageable, also glanced at her.  

 

“What do you mean, ‘no need’?”  

 

Mirania pointed to the ground.  

 

“The land has been tainted by the fire demon. That’s why the sprouts can’t grow and wither away.”  

 

“…I had a feeling that might be the case.”  

 

Horus sighed and shook his head.  

 

“But there’s no solution. Unless someone can purify it with magic, and no one among us is capable of such high-level magic.”  

 

At his skeptical words, Mirania stared intently at the blackened soil. Then, she made a motion as if grabbing the air.  

 

A light breeze blew. After repeating the motion a few times, the soil trembled faintly. People looked around in confusion.  

 

Plop, plop—

 

Soon, almond-colored, streamlined heads emerged from the ground.  

 

Wigenia’s eyes widened.  

 

“…Earthworms?”  

 

As she said, the creatures that slowly revealed themselves were a swarm of earthworms.  

 

{We heard someone calling, so we came. Who are you?}  

 

{Me, me, I heard it too! My great-great-great-great-grandfather—uh, anyway, my ancestor said they’ve seen this before. This feeling… it’s the Great Witch who lives deep in the forest!}  

 

{The Great Witch?}  

 

{Great Witch?}  

 

{The Great Witch!}

 

Mirania calmed the earthworms, who were chanting like a refrain, and asked them to purify the land.  

 

{We can do it, we can. But there are things we can’t do. The land close to the sky is too bitter. We’ll die if we live there.}  

 

{We can’t do that.}  

 

{We might die.}  

 

{Scary!}  

 

Mirania fell into thought. The earthworms were referring to the ash that had seeped into the ground.  

 

‘’If it were the past, I could have summoned the wind to handle it, but now my magic is insufficient. It feels like there’s a way, but…’

 

Someone took her hand.  

 

“Tell me.”  

 

It was Grecan.  

 

“Whatever you’re thinking about, tell me.”  

 

Mirania wondered if she had been making a strange expression and touched her face.  

 

‘I’m not sure. How did he figure it out so eerily?’

 

Curious, she studied Grecan for a moment before speaking.  

 

After hearing her out, Grecan didn’t even bat an eyelid, as if it were no big deal.  

 

“Is that all?”  

 

Then, as Mirania had done earlier, he raised his hand, palm facing downward. His fingertips pointed toward the ground.  

 

“What’s he doing?”  

 

The crowd murmured.  

 

In that position, Grecan moved his hand inward, as if pushing something away.  

 

“Whoa!”  

 

A gasp of astonishment erupted.  

 

Mouths hung open as they watched the black soil roll up like dough being kneaded, curling to one side.  

 

The soil rolled into a ball, reaching the edge of the land. Grecan clenched his fist.  

 

Whoosh! 

 

Pop—!  

 

The black ball, now as large as a person, burst and vanished into the air.  

 

“…!”  

 

Silent awe swept through the crowd. Mirania let out a soft sigh of admiration and then urged the earthworms to move.