This was the Little Witch's POV.
My name was Rufe.
While I was traveling toward the Royal Capital with Alraune and the others, we arrived at a massive city called Edelweiss.
The city was larger than any I had ever seen before. Everywhere I looked, there were crowds of people, and the buildings were grand and imposing. This place was so bustling that even Tower City—which had seemed hundreds of times larger than the village where I grew up—felt small by comparison.
I had been looking forward to visiting Edelweiss for one reason: it was the city where Saint Iris had been born.
Ever since Nebiros, the demon back in Tower City, had told me that, I had been desperate to see it. He also mentioned that the Demon King’s Army had attacked this city numerous times, trying to seize Saint Iris’s weakness, but they had been repelled every single time. Knowing that even the Demon King’s Army held this place in such high regard made it feel even more special.
Edelweiss was Saint Iris’s home.
My fascination with the Saint was entirely because of Alraune. I knew there was some kind of connection between them. I had no idea why Alraune, a plant monster born and raised in the forest, would have a link to a celebrity like Saint Iris, but the two of them were undeniably similar.
Their faces were identical.
I had never seen Saint Iris’s face in person, but I had seen a portrait of her at the Lord’s mansion in Tower City. She was the spitting image of Alraune. Everyone else said the same thing. If Alraune’s pale green hair were changed to a shimmering gold, she would be a perfect match for that painting.
Aside from their faces, however, they weren't alike at all. Saint Iris’s lower body hadn't been a plant, and she certainly didn't produce nectar from her mouth. She wore proper clothes instead of hiding herself in vines like Alraune did. Furthermore, while Saint Iris was a refined woman everyone admired, Alraune was still just a clumsy child.
They were completely different people in every way—except for their faces. That was precisely why I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Why did Alraune look exactly like Saint Iris?
I had come to Edelweiss to find the answer. To do that, I needed to visit the House of Duke Edelweiss, the Saint’s family home. I wanted to meet the Duke’s Proxy, who was also the Saint’s older sister.
I had mentioned this while we were at the Pilz Trading Company, and though I wasn't quite sure how it happened, my wish was granted almost immediately. When I woke up the next morning, a messenger from the Duke’s Proxy was already waiting at our room in the inn.
I had been formally invited by the Duke’s Proxy herself. I was actually going to meet Saint Iris’s older sister.
I beamed with joy as I looked at the messenger, but then I noticed something strange. The woman who had brought the invitation was staring at Alraune with a look of utter shock.
Alraune was currently sitting on top of Treant’s head, wrapped in a mantle and pretending to be human. Her face was visible, but her body was hidden; to any stranger, she should have looked like an ordinary human girl. And yet, the messenger was clearly reeling from the sight of her.
Had she realized Alraune was a monster?
My heart hammered in my chest. But when I looked at Alraune, I became even more confused. Alraune was staring back at the messenger with equal shock, as if she were looking at something impossible.
The two of them sat there, locked in an intense stare-down. Did they know each other? No, I dismissed the thought immediately. That was impossible. Alraune and I had only just arrived in Edelweiss for the first time.
The messenger cleared her throat with a sharp ahem and led the way. "A carriage is waiting outside. Please, follow me."
When we stepped out of the inn, a carriage more luxurious than anything I had ever imagined was waiting for us. While it was smaller than our Wood Horse Golem, it was the sort of elegant vessel only a high-ranking noble would use.
As I moved to board, the messenger stepped in to stop Alraune.
"Only Lady Rufe has been summoned to the ducal mansion. Her younger sister must wait here at the inn."
Alraune’s expression withered with sadness. Her mouth worked as if she were trying to protest, but no words came out, and she eventually fell silent.
Thinking about it, Alraune had also seemed eager to see Saint Iris’s childhood home. It felt cruel to make her stay behind. I wondered if I could change the messenger's mind.
"She’s my precious sister. I don't want to go without her."
"Be that as it may, the Duke’s Proxy is a high-ranking noble. We cannot allow a child to be present. Furthermore, I cannot bring anyone to the mansion who was not specifically invited."
"But I’m also a chi—"
"That is curious. I was told that Lady Rufe was twenty years old?"
"Oh, right. I am twenty. Definitely."
I’m sorry, Alraune. They said no kids allowed. And since only three years had passed since you were born, you’re definitely a kid. You’ll just have to wait until you’re a refined older sister like me—I’m thirteen, after all.
Alraune couldn't seem to accept the reality of the situation and began to throw a noisy tantrum. As her big sister, I had to step in and discipline her. I leaned in close and whispered so the messenger wouldn't hear.
"Alraune, you’re staying here. Do you understand?"
"…………Yes."
Treant and Kiri the fairy were still at the inn, along with Alraune’s child, the Mandrake. She wouldn't be lonely with everyone else there. Before leaving, I gave the dejected Alraune a comforting pat on the head.
Leaving her behind in a state of speechlessness—as if she were experiencing the end of the world—I climbed into the carriage with the messenger. We sat across from each other as the carriage began to move. Once it was just the two of us, the woman finally spoke.
"My name is Katarina Kahn. I am a knight in service to the House of Duke Edelweiss."
She was an adult woman dressed in practical gear. I’d suspected she was a knight, and it turned out I was right.
"I’m Rufe. It’s nice to meet you."
"Lady Rufe, you look like a minor no matter how I look at you. However, the people at the Pilz Trading Company explained that the Beast-ear Race has very youthful features, and that you are actually an adult. Just to be safe, would you mind showing me proof of your heritage?"
"…………I am Rufe of the Beast-ear Race, no doubt about it. Here is the proof."
I pulled back my hood and showed my head to Katarina. The cat ears I’d conjured with transformation magic were perched right on top of my head. For some reason, I’d ended up having to commit to this Beast-ear girl act. I still didn't quite understand how it had come to this. How much longer did I have to keep this up?
As soon as she saw the ears, Katarina’s face lit up with a brilliant smile.
"Th-They’re real cat ears! I've never seen them in person before... I want to touch them so badly."
"…………You want to touch them?"
"!? N-No, no! I am on duty! I couldn't possibly touch the ears of an honored guest!"
"……I don't really mind."
"Lady Rufe, please, have mercy! The Duke’s Proxy would have my head!"
That was a shame. I’d thought that if I let her touch them, she might be more willing to do me a few favors.
Katarina kept stealing glances at my ears, looking embarrassed. Eventually, she tried to change the subject.
"This is a bit sudden, but regarding your sister from earlier………… Is she truly your biological sister?"
"She’s my sister. There’s no mistake about that."
"Then is she also a member of the Beast-ear Race? She didn't seem to have any ears……"
Oh, no. Since I was supposed to be a Beast-ear girl, that meant Alraune had to be one too. But Alraune didn't have cat ears. I panicked for a second, but then I remembered a term I’d just learned the day before.
"My sister is an illegitimate child. We have the same father, but different mothers. That’s why she doesn't have the ears."
"Wh-What?! Does that mean her mother was a human?!" Katarina practically screamed, leaping up from her seat. Because we were in a carriage, she slammed her head into the ceiling with a loud thud. "Ow..."
This was becoming a headache. I felt like I’d just made things way more complicated. Katarina ignored the pain and pressed on.
"By any chance, did her mother have golden hair?"
"Golden? No. I never knew my sister’s mother."
"I see……"
I wondered why she was so interested in Alraune’s mother. But then I realized I didn't actually know who Alraune’s mother was either. Since she was a plant monster, her mother should have been another Alraune. But plants didn't really have parents like humans did, right? Then again, Alraune had given birth to a lot of little Alraunes herself. Did that mean she had a mother who did the same?
There hadn't been any other Alraunes in that forest. Where had her mother gone? Plant biology was way too confusing. I decided I’d have to ask Alraune about it later.
In the meantime, I had a question of my own. "Why are you so curious about my sister?"
"…………I currently serve as the guard knight for Lady Tulpe, the Duke’s Proxy. However, before that, I was the guard knight for her younger sister."
"Do you mean Saint Iris?"
"Yes. I served her for several years, right up until the moment she was officially recognized as a Saint."
I was stunned. This woman had actually known Saint Iris. If she had been her guard, she probably knew everything about her. I couldn't resist asking.
"Tell me, what was Saint Iris like?"
"In a word? She was a genius," Katarina said, her voice filled with nostalgia. "She was a child of Light Magic. She was as kind as the Goddess Selene and was praised as the reincarnation of the First Saint, Nemea. She was the pride of the entire Edelweiss Dukedom."
I could see the look in her eyes. She had truly adored the Saint.
"I served her from the time she was five until she was eleven—right before she officially became a Saint and was assigned guards directly by the Crown."
"So you knew her when she was a little girl."
"Of course! Ah, those were the days…… When she was small, she was such an incredibly lovely child. She looked just like an angel."
Katarina had been even closer to the Saint than I’d imagined, and she clearly held her in high regard. I figured she might be willing to talk even if I didn't let her touch my ears. I decided to push a little further.
"What did she... What did she look like back then?"
The atmosphere in the carriage shifted instantly. The dreamy, nostalgic look vanished from Katarina's face, replaced by a deadly serious expression.
"Iris-sama’s appearance………… Well," she said, looking me straight in the eye. "Your sister’s face────the way Iris-sama looked as a child was the spitting image of your younger sister."
Next time: The Little Witch’s First Visit to the Ducal Mansion, Part 2.