I am Alraune, a plant monster.
The day after we arrived in Edelweiss—my former home—a messenger arrived from the ducal house. When I saw her face at the door of our inn room, my heart, which shouldn't have even existed, hammered against my ribs.
It was Katarina!
Her full name was Katarina Kahn. A knight of the House of Duke Edelweiss, she was the woman who had served as my personal guard when I was a child.
From the age of five, I had lived and trained at the Saint Cathedral in the Royal Capital. For the six years following that, until I was officially recognized as a Saint at age eleven, Katarina had been my constant protector. She had spent more time by my side than my own family.
At the time, Katarina was in her early twenties. To me, she was more than just a knight; she was a sister, a relative, a member of my family in every way that mattered.
However, once I became a Saint, the Kingdom assigned me a new detail, and Katarina was relieved of her post. She became the personal guard for my older sister, Tulpe, and I had barely seen her since.
I struggled to hide my shock at her sudden appearance. I was overjoyed to see her face again after so many years, but the timing was so abrupt it left me reeling.
It seemed the feeling was mutual. Katarina stared at me, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging slightly open. We remained locked in a silent gaze.
Had she realized?
No, that was impossible. Even though I was merged with Treant to maintain a human facade, I looked like a young child. No matter how much my face resembled Iris’s, my current form was that of a little girl. Even for someone as sharp as Katarina, it was a leap of logic too far to imagine that Saint Iris had been reincarnated as an Alraune who was now using monster powers to masquerade as a child.
I noticed the Little Witch watching the two of us with a puzzled expression. If I didn't do something, she’d get suspicious. I had to play this off.
Summoning every ounce of effort, I put on a bright, innocent beam. I made sure it was the kind of childish grin the dignified Saint Iris would never have made in a million years.
"Nipah!" I chirped.
Katarina cleared her throat and shifted her gaze back to the Little Witch.
"A carriage is waiting outside," she said briskly. "Please, follow me."
Phew. I’d managed to fool her! Better yet, it looked like I was going to be taken straight to the mansion. I had been dying to see how things were at home, so this was a godsend.
But just as I was about to follow them out in high spirits, reality came crashing down. As I reached for the carriage door, Katarina held up a hand to stop me.
"Only Rufe-dono has been summoned. Little Witch's Younger Sister, you must wait at the inn."
Apparently, my sister Tulpe had only called for the Little Witch. I was being left behind to watch the house.
I watched the carriage pull away, waving a small, dejected hand at the window. "Have a safe trip, Rufe..."
And just like that, the Little Witch and my former guard disappeared. I was left standing there with Treant and Kiri the fairy.
"I wanted to go, too..."
I had thought that coming to Edelweiss meant finally going home, but it seemed that was a hollow dream. Looking back, it felt like I was destined to never return. I had lived in the capital since I was five, and even after becoming a Saint, my visits home were rare. My time in Edelweiss had been short, but it was still my birthplace. To Iris, the mansion was the only place where her heart could find true peace.
After being betrayed and murdered by the Hero and my own junior apprentice saint, that nostalgia had only deepened. I tried not to dwell on it, but the thought always lingered: if I returned home as an Alraune, would my family still accept me?
I was terrified. I wasn't human anymore; I was a monster. If I reunited with them, they might never look at me as family again.
And yet, Nina—the novice apprentice saint—and my cousin Vol-nii had accepted me for what I was. Their kindness had made me greedy. I couldn't help but hope that my family might do the same. Even if they couldn't love a monster, I just wanted to see them. One look from a distance would be enough.
As I stood there pouting, Kiri whispered into my ear from where she was tucked in my hair. "If you want to go that badly, just go anyway."
"...You're right!"
If they wouldn't take me, I’d just have to find my own way in.
"But how?"
The root network I had woven beneath the Kingdom of Gardenia reached this city, but because my primary focus had been the Royal Capital, the roots only passed through Edelweiss in transit. They didn't extend into the mansion's gardens, which meant I couldn't teleport inside.
"It would take too long to grow new roots now, and I can't exactly walk there."
In my current disguise—perched atop Treant’s head under a heavy robe—I looked like a human child. But a random child showing up at the gates of the Duke’s estate wouldn't exactly be welcomed inside.
So, when would the gates be open?
"I should have just jumped on the back of Rufe's carriage."
"But Alraune-sama," Kiri chimed in, "there's no way you'll catch them now."
"I know..."
Just then, a stagecoach rattled past the inn. An idea struck me like a bolt of divine inspiration.
"If I can't catch Rufe's carriage, I'll just use a different one!"
I happened to know of another carriage headed for the mansion today. I pointed toward a specific district and gave Treant—my makeshift legs—his orders.
"To the Pilz Trading Company! Now!"
Yesterday, I had delivered thirty-three barrels of Saint Nectar to them. I was certain they’d be transporting that nectar to the mansion today. The trading company would have reported our arrival to the Duke’s staff yesterday, and they would have cleared the delivery then. They were desperate to score points with the Ducal House, so they wouldn't waste any time.
If I could slip into a Pilz carriage, I could cruise right through the front gates.
Treant began to stride through the city. We kept to a walking pace; we could have moved much faster, but a running robe-monster would have drawn too much attention. We needed to be stealthy.
Before long, we arrived at the trading company. Luckily, the inn they had recommended wasn't far away. But when we arrived, I realized things weren't going to be that simple.
"Are we too late?"
The carriages I’d seen loaded with Saint Nectar yesterday were gone. They had already departed for the mansion.
Kiri patted my head comfortingly. "It happens. Let's just give up and go back to the inn."
"...No. I’m not giving up yet. But what do I do—"
Just as I was losing hope, a single carriage rolled out of the Pilz Trading Company's gates. It screeched to a halt right in front of me. The horse reared back, neighing loudly.
Whoa. I almost got flattened.
"Hey!" the coachman barked. "Watch where you’re standing! That’s dangerous!"
"I-I’m sorry."
"What’s a kid doing out here by—wait. Are you Rufe-dono’s sister?"
"...Oh! Speck-san, hello."
The driver was none other than Speck, the merchant I had saved from bandits. My mind cleared instantly. Fate hadn't abandoned me after all.
Speck looked completely different from yesterday. He had swapped his dusty traveling gear for an expensive, luxurious outfit. His hair was perfectly coiffed, clearly prepared for a high-stakes meeting. His carriage was piled high with crates.
"Speck-san, are you delivering the Saint Nectar to the Duke?"
"I am. Sharp girl, aren't you?"
"But just the one carriage? You bought so much yesterday."
"The main shipment went out first thing this morning. But there was a... slight misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?"
"I tried to present some rare foreign urns and clay figurines to the mansion earlier, but it seems I inadvertently offended them. I’m heading back now with an emergency apology gift."
Ah, those weird urns and figurines. They had looked incredibly suspicious and bizarre. I remembered the staff saying they didn't even know where they had come from. A collector might have liked them, but they certainly wouldn't fly in my household. One of the servants must have turned him away at the door.
"Anyway, I’m in a hurry. Sorry I can’t chat."
"No, I’m the one who bothered you. Have a safe trip!"
As the carriage started to roll, I shot a vine out toward the underside of the cargo bed.
"Wh-What?! Alraune-sama?!" Kiri squeaked.
"Kiri, go back to the inn with Treant! I’m going the rest of the way alone!"
I tossed the fairy onto Treant’s head. With Kiri to guide him, he’d find his way back fine. Meanwhile, I used my vines to hoist myself into the carriage’s undercarriage.
With my current power level, moving like a blur was easy. And since I was in my child form, I was small enough to tuck myself away perfectly beneath the floorboards. Speck didn't notice a thing.
I held on tight as the carriage rattled toward the estate.
"I feel like a spy."
I remembered seeing spies do this in action movies in my previous life. Now, I was the one living it. Since I was away from Treant and had dropped my disguise, I was in my true Alraune form—if anyone looked under the carriage, I was done for. The tension was exhilarating.
Mission: Duke Edelweiss’s Mansion Infiltration. I was going to see this through to the end.
Eventually, the carriage reached the estate. The guards checked the cargo, but none of them thought to look underneath. After all, there was no space for a human to hide down there. It occurred to me that their security was a bit lax; if a monster like me could slip in this easily, they were in trouble. The Demon King’s Army was looming, and the city was technically in danger. They really needed to be more careful!
The carriage rolled through the gates, and even from my limited vantage point, I recognized the grounds. It was exactly as I remembered. A wave of bittersweet nostalgia washed over me.
I was finally back. Back at the mansion... back to Iris’s home.
The carriage came to a stop in front of the main building. Nearby, I could see the other Pilz carriages and the ducal carriage that had picked up the Little Witch.
Now, how was I going to get inside the house?
While I was weighing my options, a commotion broke out. Something was wrong with the Pilz shipment.
I heard Speck’s panicked voice as he hopped down from the seat.
"What do you mean the number of urns and figurines doesn't match?!"