As it happened, the village we stopped at was a place I had visited when I was thirteen, back when I was still Saint Iris.
Every time the village chief spoke my name, "Iris," I felt a twinge of embarrassment. After all, the woman he was talking about was sitting right there! What's more, the way the Little Witch hung on his every word made me feel even more self-conscious. If she hadn't been listening, I might have been able to keep my composure.
Just what was the village chief planning to say? I just hoped it wouldn't be anything too strange.
Unaware of the conflict raging inside me, the village chief began his tale.
"This village is part of the Duke of Edelweiss's territory," the chief explained. "And Lady Saint Iris herself was the Duke's daughter."
"A Duke’s daughter? So Saint Iris was a noble," the Little Witch mused.
Ugh... She finally knew about my noble background. This was bad. If she ever figured out that I, this Alraune, was actually Saint Iris, she’d also realize I was a former high-ranking noble. I used to be a Saint and a lady of the court, and now I was living as a half-naked plant monster.
The mere thought of her finding out was mortifying!
If she ever learned that the girl who had been acting like a clueless child as the Forest Alraune was actually a refined lady and a Saint... I’d probably be so dejected that I'd wither up and die of shame on the spot.
Should I start acting more like a noble while I still had the chance? No, it was probably too late for that.
"The Duke of Edelweiss is a great noble of the Southern Kingdom of Gardenia," the chief continued. "His is a prestigious house that has produced many Saints over the centuries, not just Lady Iris."
The House of Duke Edelweiss... my family home. Being back in his territory felt like an accidental homecoming.
I was still stunned that we’d made it from the Alraune’s Forest to the Duke's lands in a single day. I wanted to praise the Wood Horse Golem for its efficiency, but a wooden horse that ran several times faster than a real one was far too conspicuous. I’d have to tell it to slow down from now on.
"I first heard Lady Iris's name when she was only five," the chief said. "Even then, as an Apprentice Saint, her fame had reached every corner of the territory."
"She was famous even as a child?" the Little Witch asked.
"Indeed. They called her the second coming of the First Saint, Nemea. Even at five years old, she was said to possess power that rivaled a true Saint."
I remembered that year. I'd started commuting from the Duke’s mansion in the Royal Capital to the Saint Cathedral for my training. I'd had no idea the local farmers already knew who I was.
No one had ever told me that.
As my fame grew, people spoke to me less and less about the common world. Once they put me on a pedestal as a Saint, everyone looked at me as if I were a goddess, their eyes full of nothing but hollow adoration. Listening to the village chief—a total stranger—talk about the girl I used to be without any ulterior motives was a rare, refreshing experience.
"Low-born folk like us never saw her in person," the chief noted. "But when she was officially recognized as a Saint at eleven, we joined all the neighboring villages in a massive festival."
"Why celebrate if you'd never even met her?" the Little Witch wondered.
"Because the Duke was so overjoyed by his daughter's success that he sent food and gold to every village in the territory to mark the occasion."
Wait, what? This was the first I was hearing of this! If I hadn't misheard him, the entire territory had celebrated my appointment. What on earth...?
"Lady Iris was our pride and joy," the chief said warmly. "So the whole village celebrated her. The Duke supported us, and it was a wonderful time for everyone."
"Was the Duke just that kind to his people?" the Little Witch asked.
"Perhaps. But I think he was simply a father who cared very deeply for his daughter."
I couldn't believe it. My father had done that for me?
I had moved into the Saint Cathedral when I was ten and spent nearly all my time away from home. Once I became a Saint, I was so busy that we barely spoke as parents and child anymore. I never knew he’d been so proud that he’d ordered the entire territory to celebrate.
Something warm swelled in my chest. I felt like nectar was about to spill from my eyes.
Was Father still hard at work? Was Mother still lost in her hobbies? Was everyone else at the mansion doing well?
I had tried so hard not to think about my family since I'd become an Alraune. I had no way to reach them, and I could never face them as Iris again. But being so close to home and hearing about my father made me ache with longing.
I wanted to see them.
I wanted to see them so badly, but actually doing it was a different matter. I wasn't human anymore. Aside from my facial features, almost every trace of Iris was gone. My hair was no longer the color of radiant sunlight, but a pale green. My lower half was a mass of petals and leaves sitting atop a massive bulb. I even ate through the bulb's mouth. I had roots that could regenerate my body as long as they remained intact.
I was a monster. Plain and simple.
Hearing how much my family had celebrated my success made the thought of seeing them even more agonizing. I didn't want to imagine the look on their faces if they saw that their precious daughter had turned into a plant monster. From the day I awakened to Light Magic, I’d been raised on a diet of high expectations. I didn't know how to handle being a disappointment.
And so, I couldn't go back. Not like this.
"—Then, when Lady Iris was thirteen, she finally visited our village in person!" the chief exclaimed, breaking my train of thought.
My routine back then had always been the same.
"She healed every sick person in the village," the chief said proudly. "She even fixed my stiff shoulders and my back. I used to struggle with the harvest because of the pain, but look at me now!"
He gestured to his sturdy frame, still a working farmer at his age. I had healed everyone, from those with minor aches to those on death's door. Back then, I believed that was my only purpose.
"Her Light Magic was a miracle. Everyone was so happy that some started to worship her like a living god."
The chief picked up a piece of bread from the table as he continued.
"To make sure her visit was never forgotten, we asked for permission to shape our bread like an iris, named after the Lady herself."
In this world, the name Iris was synonymous with the flower. So that was why the bread was shaped that way.
I remembered now. Back at the mansion in Edelweiss, we’d often received tributes from the local villages. I distinctly remembered eating iris-shaped bread and wondering where it came from. It had been this bread all along.
The chief kept talking, recounting my engagement to the Second Prince, how he became the Hero to fight the Demon King, and how their party defeated the Four Heavenly Kings. And then...
"Six years ago, Lady Saint Iris passed," the chief said solemnly. "We were told she fell in battle against the Demon King’s Army."
But that wasn't the truth. I died because the Hero—my own fiancé—and my junior, Zelma, had betrayed me and cut me down.
"That’s about all I know. I suppose most people know the story, so it might not have been much help," the chief said.
"No... there were things I didn't know. Thank you for sharing them with me," the Little Witch replied, looking satisfied.
I wondered just how much she was beginning to piece together.
"The city of Edelweiss is just ahead. That's where she was born," the chief added. "If you go there, you'll surely find out more about her."
"Edelweiss... So that's the place to go for answers about Saint Iris," the Little Witch murmured.
Edelweiss was on the direct route to the Royal Capital. Plus, the Demon King's forces were gathering there. Our next destination had basically chosen itself.
The chief reached into his tunic, pulled out a letter, and handed it to her.
"If you're heading that way, would you mind delivering this to my son?"
"He lives in the city?" she asked.
"He's working there. You'll find him at the Iris Bakery."
"I... I understand," the Little Witch said. She couldn't very well refuse after he’d fed and housed us.
"One more thing," the chief said, his tone shifting. "Since you're a merchant, Rufe-san, I have a business proposal for you."
The Little Witch froze. Her merchant persona was just a cover to get the Saint Nectar to the capital. Whether she could actually negotiate like a professional was another story entirely. She was visibly starting to panic.
"A-A negotiation? Me?"
"Yes. You're a beast-ear merchant with rare goods. I can tell you're quite renowned. I was hoping you could lend your expertise to help our little village."
The dinner plates were cleared away in an instant, replaced by stacks of paperwork.
"Now then, Rufe-san, shall we get down to business?"
"Wait... what? Eeeeeeeek!"
Ignoring her mounting confusion, the chief began to explain the details. The Little Witch’s first real business negotiation was officially underway.
Next time: Rufe, the Beast-ear Merchant.