Blutenweiss, a city to the east of the Royal Capital.
I had thought this city, famous for its wine, was under attack by the Demon King Army's Second Army—and yet, the streets were the very picture of peace.
Stunned that reality was nothing like what we had heard, Witch-ko and I stood staring at the plaza.
The townspeople, thrown into a panic at the sight of us, were shouting and pointing in our direction.
"Hey, Alraune... where's the Demon Race?"
"Never mind that, Rufe! It's dangerous to stay in that form!"
The Demon King Army wasn't here.
Which meant Witch-ko, having transformed into a harpy, would be treated as an enemy monster.
As proof of that, I could hear shouts rising from the crowd: "Report this to the knights!"
It seemed best to withdraw for now.
"...Then I'll undo the transformation."
"Not here, you can't! First, we need to get somewhere we can hide, just as we are!"
"Understood."
What would happen if Witch-ko undid her transformation in plain view of everyone in the plaza?
Even if they realized on the spot that she wasn't of the Demon Race, she would immediately be outed as a witch and treated as an outright enemy.
Witches were feared around these parts even more than the Demon Race.
The reason was simple: being so close to the Royal Capital, Blutenweiss rarely suffered damage from the Demon Race.
On the other hand, incidents involving witches were frequent.
After all, Blutenweiss was one of the sacred grounds of the Selene Church, the very birthplace of the First Saint Nemea.
"Alraune, taking off."
Still in the form of a harpy, Witch-ko seized my flowerpot and soared into the sky.
Immediately after, the clatter of galloping hooves echoed from the distance.
Those were probably the city's knights. For them to rush in so quickly, they had to be remarkably capable.
"...Taking off was fine, but where should we go now?"
"We need a place without people around so you can undo your transformation."
"Then what about that building?"
Beyond the plaza, a massive white structure towered above everything else.
Standing as the tallest building in the city and exuding an imposing, sacred aura, that monument of a landmark was none other than the Blutenweiss Church.
Which meant there had to be plenty of Apprentice Saints gathered inside.
As an important holy site for the church, Blutenweiss was staffed by numerous wielders of Light Magic.
"That's a church, so absolutely not."
"There looked like plenty of places to hide up on the roof, though..."
I understood Witch-ko's point.
The rooftop of that cathedral, built as massive as a small mountain, offered countless places to conceal oneself.
However, it was far too conspicuous to shake off our pursuers, not to mention inherently dangerous.
Besides, there was no reason to go barging straight into enemy territory.
"Rufe, let's head over there! For now, try landing in the shadow of that building!"
Toward the outskirts of the city, a cluster of red-brick buildings came into view.
For some reason, the area was surrounded by thick groves of trees, making it ideal for taking cover.
Gliding through the air, Witch-ko touched down behind the red-brick complex.
Setting my pot on the ground, she dispelled her transformation and returned to human form.
With that, there was no longer any danger of her being mistaken for a member of the Demon Race.
Even so, having shifted back from a harpy to her usual appearance, Witch-ko clutched her head in distress.
Sprouting from the top of her head were a pair of adorable cat-ears.
"...Do I still have to pretend to be from the Beast-ear Race?"
"Rufe, your identification lists you as a Beast-ear Race Merchant, after all. Until we return to the Tower City, you have to stay like that."
"No way..."
Her cat-ears drooped despondently.
Ugh, that reaction is just way too cute!
"That look suits you wonderfully, Rufe! You're supremely cute!"
"...If Alraune says so, I'll bear with it."
Somehow, Witch-ko looked secretly pleased with herself.
At any rate, observing the city from above had made things abundantly clear.
As suspected, this town hadn't been attacked by the Demon King Army.
There were no traces of battle anywhere, nor was there any lingering terror in the air.
Rather, people were sprawled out drunk in every corner, giving off the impression that they had just wrapped up a wild festival.
"Hey, Alraune. It smells kind of sweet around here."
"You're right. Which means, could this place be..."
As we surveyed our surroundings, a mounted knight suddenly rounded the corner of the building.
It was the very same knight who had appeared in the plaza earlier.
To have tracked us all the way here, he was certainly competent.
I closed my petals, concealing myself.
Like this, I should look like nothing more than an oversized bulb plant.
Since I couldn't see a thing that way, however, I carefully peeked outside through a crack in my bud.
Halting his steed before us, the knight called out in a sharp tone.
"You girl over there! Have you seen a harpy around here?"
"...Haven't seen one."
"I see. More importantly, those ears of yours............ could you be of the Beast-ear Race?"
"...What if I am?"
"Someone of the Beast-ear Race is rare, which makes you suspicious. What are you doing in a place like this all by yourself?"
"...I am someone like this."
Witch-ko held out the gold plate to the knight.
The instant his eyes fell upon the credential, the knight recoiled in shock.
"This plate is proof of an important associate of Saint Nectar...?! Are you affiliated with Count Turmburg?"
"Something like that."
Count Turmburg referred to Manfred-san, the Lord of the 'Tower City.'
Guarding the southern border, the House of Count Turmburg was a Great Noble family whose name commanded respect even around the Royal Capital.
Well, compared to Saint Iris's Family Home, the House of Duke Edelweiss, the difference was still like that between an adult and a child.
"Count Turmburg is set to wed the Imperial Princess of the Empire in the Royal Capital soon... Ah, I see."
Putting two and two together, the knight handed the plate back to Witch-ko.
He then politely informed her:
"Then your presence here makes sense. This is Blutenweiss Workshop Number One, so you'll be able to procure the finest goods."
"...Workshop?"
"What, didn't you come to purchase this city's wine?"
Witch-ko's eyes widened in realization.
I had only just noticed it myself, but these red-brick buildings appeared to be a wine workshop.
Since I had caught the scent of grapes earlier, I had suspected as much.
Turning to leave, the knight offered a final word of warning.
"It has been years since any of the Demon Race appeared in this city. That harpy might still be lurking nearby, so take shelter inside until safety can be confirmed."
Hearing that erased any lingering doubts.
Just as I had thought, the Demon King Army had not arrived in this city yet.
"Alraune... looks like the Demon Race isn't anywhere."
"Indeed. For now, shall we try asking around?"
Just like what happened with Edelweiss, it was entirely possible the Demon King Army simply hadn't launched their assault yet.
First, let's investigate the current state of Blutenweiss.
Mimicking an ordinary potted plant, I settled into Witch-ko's arms.
From around her midriff, I peered out at our surroundings.
"...Hello?"
Witch-ko stepped cautiously into the red-brick building.
Whether she entered without hesitation because the knight told her to take shelter or simply because she was drawn to the wine remained a mystery...
Inside, the building was completely deserted.
That said, the space was partitioned by walls, meaning someone might be in the back rooms.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, Witch-ko let out a dejected voice.
"Wine... where is it?"
"Doesn't seem to be any here, does there?"
Far from barrels of wine, there wasn't even a single bottle in sight.
All that remained were wood shavings strewn across the floor.
"Huh? These wooden fragments, could they be..."
"Alraune, I hear voices from the back."
"Ah, wait a second!"
Still carrying me, Witch-ko dashed forward.
She pushed open the door to the adjacent room—and a booming, gravelly voice thundered through the air.
"Giving all the wine meant for wholesale to the Royal Capital to those bastards, just what the hell is the meaning of this?!!!"
In the next room, several young men kept their heads down with miserable expressions.
In stark contrast to them, a muscular giant of a man with a toothbrush mustache stood rigidly with his arms crossed. To make matters worse, he was utterly livid. Shouting at the top of his lungs, his fury was practically shooting through the roof.
"B-But Master! The other party was Prince Kintora of the Glanz Empire himself, you know?! There was no way we could've refused!"
"Since when did you lot degrade yourselves into dogs of the Empire?! Where has the pride of a workshop supplying the proud Gardenia Royal Family gone?!!!"
"W-We're sorry, Master!!"
"Failing to deliver our wine as requested is the greatest disgrace in the history of our workshop! Not only that, at this rate, we're going to face punishment from the Royal Family! Do you understand that?!!"
"Eeeek, we're so sorryyyy!"
The young apprentices looked ready to burst into tears.
Meanwhile, the giant addressed as the Master had turned so red he looked ready to explode.
Yeah. It seems we walked in at a terrible time.
It didn't look like we had any business here, so let's quietly make our exit.
Just as I was about to signal Witch-ko with a vine...
The Master turned his gaze straight toward us.
"...Who are you lot?"
Ah, we've been spotted.
I wonder if he'll forgive us for trespassing.
Brushing my worries aside, Witch-ko made a bold declaration.
"I am the Beast-ear Race Merchant Rufe. Hey, where's the wine?"
No, Witch-ko.
He just said there isn't any.
Though some concerning words like the Empire came up, let's give up on the wine for now.
"You certainly look the part, but... a little girl like you is a merchant? Really?"
"Really. Here is the proof."
Witch-ko held up the gold plate for him to see.
The instant he laid eyes on it, the Master barked in utter astonishment.
"T-That's... a Saint Nectar Trade Permit?!"
Thank you for the second serving of that reaction today.
Even so, when on earth did Saint Nectar become so widely known?
Honestly, even now, I still couldn't fathom how things had ended up this way.
His eyes wide with disbelief, the Master rushed over to Witch-ko.
Then, with an intensely serious look on his face, he bowed his head deep.
"Please, you have to help us!"