My name was Leonhart von Gardenia.
I was currently traveling under a hidden identity, but I was actually the First Prince of this kingdom.
Aside from my royal lineage, I didn't have much going for me, which was why traveling had always been my dream.
Yet, despite being from the same royal family, my younger brother had awakened as the Hero. He had set off on a fairy-tale adventure with his companions, and honestly, I was a little jealous.
I remembered my brother once telling me that traveling would broaden my horizons. However, now that I was experiencing it for myself, I never imagined I would witness things quite this bizarre.
"Is this the Duke of Edelweiss’s mansion...?"
The Duke’s Mansion had been transformed into a deep, verdant forest. The traces of the manor were still there, but I had never seen a nobleman’s residence overgrown with so many trees. It looked like someone had deliberately chosen to live in the deep woods, but I had grown used to such sights by then.
"This is definitely... Alraune’s doing, isn't it?"
After all, the city itself had become like a forest. No matter how much she resembled Saint Iris, at her core, she was a plant monster. Perhaps she simply couldn't be satisfied unless she turned human settlements into woodland.
"Hey, Leonhart. Are you sure this is the Duke’s house?"
"I understand why you’re skeptical, Kyle, but there’s no mistake. You don’t need gatekeepers for a plain old forest, after all."
After answering my partner, Kyle, I walked up to the guards. They looked at us with deep suspicion. Still, I knew it would be fine. That Alraune child should have already passed word along.
"My name is Leonhart von Gardenia. May I speak with the Duke’s Proxy?"
"His Highness the First Prince...?"
Oh? They seemed even more suspicious now. However, it was definitely going to be fine this time. I had a secret weapon.
"Will this let us through?"
"!? M-My apologies, Your Highness!"
I showed them a dagger engraved with the Royal Family's Emblem—a possession permitted only to royalty. Since it was the only thing that could prove my identity, I usually kept it hidden, but it proved remarkably effective.
"It looks like the gatekeepers weren't told anything. Mei hasn't returned to the mansion yet, it seems."
"Nah, I don’t think that’s it."
As we entered the Duke's Mansion grounds, Kyle pointed ahead. A carriage was racing toward us from the depths of the forest. It seemed we wouldn't have to walk any further.
"Prince Leonhart, we have come to receive you by order of the Duke’s Proxy."
Guided by the newly arrived knights, we boarded the carriage. Perhaps because I had lived a wild life for so long, I had grown accustomed to roughing it. Receiving royal treatment after so much time felt strangely out of place.
We arrived at the manor and stepped out of the carriage, but the knight did not lead us to the main building. Instead, he led us to a small hut that was still under construction in the center of the garden.
It was an incredibly disrespectful place to receive a member of the royalty. It was almost unbelievable behavior for the House of Duke Edelweiss. I was shocked that they actually intended for me to enter such a place, but the knight was serious.
Still, I didn't mind the slight. I had done everything possible to escape the witches who sought my life; I wasn't about to be rattled now. Keeping a composed face, I entered the hut.
Inside the single-room structure, a woman sat in a chair. Her hair was orange, and she wore her trademark tulip earrings. The bright red dress she wore seemed carefully chosen to match the petals of the Alraune growing beside her.
"It has been a long time, Prince Leonhart."
The moment she saw me, she offered a greeting with a cold expression. In a way, her face resembled Iris’s. Even so, she didn't resemble Iris nearly as much as the Alraune standing next to her did.
"Hello, Tulpe. It’s been a while. How many years has it been?"
"...It has been five years since then."
Kyle, standing beside me, and the Alraune, standing beside Tulpe, reacted slightly. They were likely surprised to learn that we were acquaintances.
"First, let me introduce my companion. This is Kyle. He’s an adventurer and my partner—he’s skilled at manipulating lightning and performing shoulder carries."
"I have heard the story from Mei. I was told he possesses enough strength to fight this child to a draw."
As Tulpe spoke, she stroked the head of the Alraune beside her. She directed a tender, gentle smile toward it, as if looking at a real younger sister.
That confirmed it for me. The Alraune beside Tulpe was not the Alraune I knew. It was Alraune’s child—the one who had appeared before us earlier—Mei.
"I wondered why you guided us to a hut, but it’s because that Alraune lives here, isn't it? I didn't expect you to go so far as to cut a hole in the floor and remodel it into an indoor garden."
"No, I did not build this hut to make Mei live here. I built this hut around Mei so that I could live together with her."
Mei, the child Alraune, wore an exasperated expression. It seemed she was fed up with Tulpe’s reckless, impulsive behavior. I had experienced it a few times myself, so I understood the feeling well.
"For now, I shall accept the designation of 'hut,' but by next year, I plan to expand it into a magnificent mansion that will put the main building to shame."
"I-I see... Good luck with that."
In that moment, I noticed something else. The entire right wall of the room was decorated with paintings of Saint Iris.
"At any rate... this is quite an atmospheric room. Honestly, I’m surprised."
"As expected of the First Prince. I am relieved to see you are someone who understands."
To shift my gaze, I looked toward the left side. The left wall was covered from top to bottom with paintings of Alraune.
"............"
"Yes, yes, that is right. This hut is not merely a place for Mei and me to live. It is also a sacred cathedral meant to honor the two Saints who achieved the historic feat of saving Edelweiss. Surely, Your Highness already knows them without an introduction. One of the Saints is my younger sister, and the other is—"
Suddenly, Tulpe stopped. It was only for an instant, but it was a sufficient enough pause to feel a sense of dissonance from someone as talkative as her.
"—The other is Saint Alraune. The mother of the Mei who is here."
The Alraune known as Mei had red eyes and was said to be the offspring of the original Alraune. This child, just like the original, looked exactly like Iris. There was no way Tulpe, who was obsessed with her sister, wouldn't dote on these Alraunes.
"Tulpe, tell me one thing. What exactly is this Alraune named Mei to you?"
"Mei is my family. I intend to educate her as a member of our Edelweiss family—as a noble."
"A-A noble...?"
Educating an Alraune, a monster, as a noble? Was she sane?
"Stop joking. There’s no way a monster can become a noble."
"No, she can. There are no laws stating that a monster cannot become a noble, and there are no such Church regulations either."
"Monsters are creatures of magic. The Church would never allow it, would they?"
"Even if the Church does not allow it, if the King recognizes it, anything is possible."
"I don't think my father would allow it, though..."
My father, the King, had become a puppet of Saint Zelma. No one knew what had actually happened between them, but it was a fact that my father cherished Saint Zelma as if she were his own daughter and granted her every wish. There were even rumors that the King’s mind had been unsettled due to his illness.
And the successor to my father, the Crown Prince, was the Hero—Zelma’s husband. In other words, since he was my younger brother, the Second Prince, Tulpe’s wish would likely never be granted in her lifetime. I couldn't imagine my brother and Zelma allowing an Alraune to become a noble.
"I understand the current situation in the Royal Capital very well. I heard everything from Alraune-chan, who looks just like Iris-chan."
"I understand perfectly well that Mei is your family. Then, Tulpe... what kind of existence is Alraune to you?"
Walking through the city, I had arrived at a single mystery. It was the question of whether Alraune’s true identity was actually Iris, who was supposed to be dead. Normally, it would be impossible. To put it mildly, it was absurd. Even so, the thought crossed my mind that Alraune and Iris might have some sort of connection.
"Alraune-chan is—"
Tulpe bit her lip. Mei’s gaze, looking at her worriedly, caught my attention.
"Alraune-chan is also—one of my precious family members."
Tulpe told me this while looking me straight in the eye. Her words were filled with such conviction that I was certain she wasn't lying.
"In that case, it’s not like Alraune’s true identity is Iris or anything, right?"
"...Ohohoho! How could that possibly be the case?!"
"R-Right?"
"Your Highness is quite the tease. There is no way a Saint could become a monster!"
"Ahaha. Sorry, sorry."
As I thought, it really was impossible. I couldn't imagine the Iris who had been a perfect Saint turning into a monster. Since their faces were exactly the same, the people of the city must have simply misunderstood. However, Tulpe looked as though she was hiding something. That meant there was indeed some mystery surrounding that Alraune.
"However... even a monster can become a Saint. For now, Alraune-chan is the Saint of Edelweiss!"
Tulpe stared into my eyes. There was an intensity to her that was almost frightening.
"I love Alraune-chan as if she were my own sister. And Alraune-chan has asked me to take care of Prince Leonhart."
"Take care of me...?"
"I promised Alraune-chan that I would see Your Highness safely to the Royal Capital. I have prepared a special carriage that can travel at three times the usual speed, so please use it."
It seemed I wouldn't have to travel while being carried on Kyle’s shoulders anymore. I’d grown tired of it; it was exhausting.
"I appreciate the cooperation, Tulpe."
"No, there is no need for thanks. Your Highness... would you like to make a deal with me?"
Tulpe stood up from her chair and slowly approached me.
"From this day forward, our House of Duke Edelweiss shall swear its loyalty to Prince Leonhart. Your Highness shall bring divine punishment upon that wicked Zelma and the hateful Second Prince, and cleanse this kingdom."
"...What do you mean?"
"It means I cannot leave those two alone after what they did to Iris-chan. To that end, I promise that my family will do whatever is necessary. If I explain it to him, my father—the Duke of Edelweiss—will undoubtedly agree."
Tulpe was serious. If she weren't, she wouldn't be hurling such insults about the current Crown Prince and Crown Princess to me, a member of the royalty.
And then, I realized one more significant thing. I looked at the child Alraune, who was standing beside her with a blank expression. The person whose role it was to make this child a noble wasn't my father, nor was it my brother—it was me!
"Our Ducal House shall surely place Your Highness upon the throne. To that end, Prince Leonhart, we shall have you become our figurehead!"