Edelweiss was a fortified city, girded by high, sturdy walls.
It was one of the top five cities in the Kingdom of Gardenia, with a population that comfortably exceeded tens of thousands. To a little witch raised in a remote forest, it was a massive metropolis. Rufe stared at the city walls with sparkling eyes.
"You’ve looked like you’re having fun for a while now, Rufe."
"Yeah! This is the first time I've properly traveled with you, Alraune, and we’ve finally arrived at a place where we can actually do some sightseeing."
The smile the little witch turned toward me was so dazzling that I found myself blinking. Rufe was just too cute! In her exuberant state of mind, she was likely already imagining us touring the city together.
"This is the first time in my life I've ever gone sightseeing. I wonder what the local specialties are..." she muttered under her breath, before adding, "I want to get inside quickly. I didn't realize there would be a checkpoint, though."
Rufe shifted her gaze to the carriage ahead of us. Merchant caravans had formed a long queue before the gates of Edelweiss, and the line was barely moving.
Edelweiss was one of the kingdom’s leading cities, but it was also a strategic stronghold on the highway leading to the Royal Capital. If Edelweiss were to fall, an enemy army could march straight to the capital unopposed. Consequently, the identities of everyone entering the city were strictly vetted.
That was why we had to be careful.
"Alraune, are you ready?"
"Of course! I’ll definitely make it through the inspection."
If anyone discovered that monsters were aboard this carriage, Rufe would be arrested. Not only would her life be in danger, but our journey into Edelweiss would end right there. To prevent that, I had to maintain my Mimicry perfectly.
In time, our carriage reached the gate, and the inspection began. Rufe presented her documents to the guards and officials.
"I am Rufe, a merchant. This is the request form I received from the Village Chief."
"Hmm. So you've brought wheat from that village, have you?"
We had taken on the job of transporting the village's grain as itinerant merchants. Because of that, our cover story for entering the city was airtight.
"Will this let us inside?" Rufe asked.
"I heard about you from Mr. Speck of the Pilz Trading Company earlier," the guard replied. "You drove off those bandits, didn't you? As a citizen of Edelweiss, you have my thanks."
"It was no trouble. I am a professional itinerant merchant, after all."
"Even so, a merchant of the beast-ear race is a rare sight indeed—enough to make one expect a hailstorm. And that horse is a breed I’ve never seen..."
"All beast-ear race horses look like this," Rufe claimed. "He’s a bit large and unusual, but he’s not a suspicious animal, so please don't mind him."
"...I’ve never heard that before, but then again, I’ve never actually met a beast-ear race merchant. I suppose that must be the case."
"I'm glad you understand. Then, may we go inside?"
"Not yet. We have to inspect the goods."
"Inspect... the goods?"
"Yes. We need to check the interior of the carriage."
When the conversation outside ended, I heard the sound of someone climbing aboard. It was finally time. Anticipating this, we had hidden ourselves in advance. Even if they searched the carriage, we should be fine.
The voices of the official and the little witch echoed from nearby. I couldn't see them, but I could hear every word clearly.
"The cargo is Saint Nectar and rare plants passed down by the beast-ear race... Impressive. Are all these barrels filled with Saint Nectar?"
"Yes. Every single one."
"I can't even imagine how much a haul like this is worth. How on earth did you procure it?"
"I am the original nectar merchant on this continent," Rufe said proudly. "No one can source more Saint Nectar than I can."
"Still, it's highly suspicious for a mere child to be transporting this much nectar alone. Are you hiding something?"
"I'm not hiding anything. Besides, I'm twenty years old."
"Don't lie to me. No matter how I look at you, you're in your early teens."
"The beast-ear race is known for their baby faces; even our adults are mistaken for children. I'm a fully grown beast-ear race merchant."
Since the beast-ear race was so rare in the Kingdom of Gardenia, no one really knew the truth. It seemed her persona was working well, though even I found the idea of Rufe being twenty years old to be a blatant lie.
"............Well, if you say so, I'll drop the matter of your age. Now, what is this humongous plant?"
I felt the official move in front of me. 'Humongous plant' definitely referred to me.
"The bud is closed, but I've never seen a plant this large."
"This is a rare flower passed down among the beast-ear race called a Rafflesia," Rufe explained. "It's the largest flower in the world... I think."
"A Rafflesia? I've heard the name, but I've never seen one. I don't know what it’s supposed to look like. Actually, the area under the bud seems unusually swollen..."
"No, don't touch it! Those briars are poisonous. If you touch them, your fingers will rot right off... I think."
"That sounds... terrifying..."
I had wrapped my briars around myself to hide my lower mouth. If he saw that, he would realize I was an Alraune instantly.
"I'll leave the plant be. But what about that withered tree? Why are you transporting dead wood?"
"That is a rare incense wood passed down among the beast-ear race. It smells lovely when you shave it... I think."
"And the plant buried in that pot? I can't allow dangerous vegetation into the city."
"That is a rare radish passed down among the beast-ear race. You have to be extremely careful when pulling it out... I think."
I nodded to myself; everyone was hiding well. I had expected the Mandrake to be fine, but I was surprised that the Amazoness Treant—pretending to be incense wood—was overlooked so easily. Rufe’s beast-ear race excuse was proving to be a masterstroke. Kiri was also tucked away where she wouldn't be found. If only he would let us go now...
"Well, you’re certainly carrying some strange wares, but anyone transporting this much Saint Nectar is clearly no ordinary person. We owe you for taking care of those bandits, so you may proceed."
"Thank you. Goodbye, then."
"Hold on. You haven't paid the tax yet."
"............Tax?" Rufe’s voice was laced with confusion.
"The transit tax. Naturally, there is a tax on cargo entering the city."
"..................Transit tax??"
Come to think of it, Rufe likely didn't know about such things. Tower City had been a frontline base against the Demon King's Army, so it had been granted a special exemption from transit taxes. Since then, we had bypassed other towns using the Wood Horse Golem, so this was her first time encountering the system.
"It costs money just to enter the city...?"
"Of course it does. You're a merchant; you should be used to this, right?"
"............Right. I am the beast-ear race merchant Rufe. Of course I know that."
Reluctantly, Rufe paid the official. She clearly didn't want to part with her cash, so she chose to pay in kind by handing over a Saint Nectar Barrel. Since I could replenish the nectar whenever I wanted, we were essentially paying the tax for free.
"All right, you're clear. Welcome to Edelweiss!"
"............Thank you."
The carriage lurched forward. We had successfully made it through the checkpoint. Once the coast was clear, I opened my bud, and the Amazoness Treant carried me over to sit beside Rufe. As long as I draped a cloak over my lower half—the flowerpot—I looked like a human child. This allowed me to sit on the coachman's seat next to the little witch.
"You did a great job, Rufe!"
"............Yeah. I was so nervous."
Now that we were inside Edelweiss, we were safe. We could move about as we pleased.
"We have to let Kiri out later, too."
"I never thought the day would come when the Wood Horse Golem's storage compartment would be so useful," Rufe remarked.
Kiri, being a fairy, couldn't pretend to be a plant like I or the Amazoness Treant could. Thus, we had tucked her into a hidden storage space built inside the Wood Horse Golem. History had proven that the Trojan Horse strategy was effective, and the official never would have guessed a fairy was hiding inside our horse.
Still, as the former daughter of Duke Edelweiss, I felt a twinge of concern about the lack of scrutiny at the gate. I could only hope nothing truly dangerous had snuck into the city along with us.
Regardless, I was here. I had returned to my birthplace—to the home of Iris.
The cityscape of Edelweiss remained unchanged from how I remembered it. The cobblestone street stretching from the gate led straight to the Central Plaza, flanked by beautiful half-timbered buildings with pristine white walls. Colorful flower baskets hung from the upper floors, swaying in the breeze and catching the eye.
Children leaned out of windows to watch the street with smiles, and the thoroughfares were bustling with life. I heard the lively chatter of the citizens, the rattle of carriage wheels, and the distant peal of church bells. Nearby stalls sold a variety of wares, traveling performers displayed their talents, and the voice of a minstrel drifted on the wind.
Just as I had seen it last, Edelweiss was vibrant and full of energy. It was the city Duke Edelweiss had been so proud of, the home I had loved so dearly. And now, I could show it to the little witch who was so precious to me now. I watched Rufe, eager to see her reaction.
"What do you think of Edelweiss, Rufe?"
"............It's amazing. I've never seen a city this big."
Edelweiss housed tens of thousands of people, making it several times larger than Tower City. Because it eclipsed every town she had ever visited, Rufe spoke with wide, sparkling eyes.
"If this isn't even the Royal Capital, I wonder how big that place is?"
"......Who knows. But when we get there, we'll see for ourselves. So... let's keep going together, okay?"
"......Yeah."
Our carriage, drawn by the Wood Horse Golem, continued down the street toward the Central Plaza. The Selene Church Cathedral stood there—the landmark of the city. I recalled visiting that cathedral often as a child.
Further back, perched upon a hill behind the cathedral, the Lord’s manor came into view.
"That castle is so grand," Rufe noted. "Does the King live there?"
"............Since a Duke rules this city... it seems the Duke lives there, not a King."
"It's so big, but it's not even the King's house? It’s even more impressive than the Lord’s manor in Tower City."
The House of Duke Edelweiss was a great noble family with immense power. Few lords in the kingdom possessed a metropolis of this scale. And I, Saint Iris, had been the daughter of that house.
To think I would look upon my family home again...
After losing my life as Saint Iris, I had become the plant monster Alraune. I had believed I would never return to my hometown or see my house again. Yet here I was, setting foot in the place where I was born. My feet were gone, replaced by roots, but I was still happy to be back.
I wanted to go home.
I had long ago told myself that visiting the mansion of Duke Edelweiss was impossible. But now that it was right there, within sight, a part of me couldn't let it go.
I made up my mind. I would go there. I had come all the way to Edelweiss; if I left without checking on my home, I would regret it for the rest of my life. I wanted to return to that nostalgic house, even if only for a moment.
While we stayed in Edelweiss, I would find a way to sneak into the Duke’s mansion. Having set my new goal, I gazed at my old home from the distance.
I could never return as Iris. But that didn't matter. I just wanted to see my family again—if only for a single glance.