Hiding beneath the Pilz Trading Company's carriage, I finally reached the Edelweiss mansion.
However, almost as soon as we arrived, I heard the voices of Speck and the other merchants.
When I cautiously peeked my head out from under the carriage, I saw several merchants making quite a fuss.
"What do you mean we're short on urns and clay figurines? How did this happen!?"
"Well, when we tried to collect the goods according to the Ducal House's instructions, three urns and a figurine had vanished before we knew it."
"Three urns and a figurine missing!? Who was in charge of them!?"
"Is that clay figurine the huge lion-like one? The one with wings on its back and a human face? It was a strange clay figurine, wasn't it?"
"Could it be that no one carried them from the carriage to the mansion? Then where could they have gone?"
"You don't think the urns walked off and got lost on their own, do you?"
"There's no way an urn would walk by itself! Let's look again. If we leave things like this, we'll surely get a massive scolding from the Ducal House."
"More importantly, where is Zel? He was with us just a moment ago, wasn't he?"
"That guy is competent, but he's still a newcomer. He probably got lost while carrying an urn."
"Zel has that Afro hair; he'll be easy to find since he stands out. Anyway, let's find them before this commotion gets any bigger."
Apparently, a rookie merchant had wandered off while holding an urn. The Edelweiss estate was quite vast, so if someone got lost, they wouldn't be found easily.
Wait, more importantly, the problem was how I was going to infiltrate the mansion! I couldn't exactly walk from the carriage to the building. After all, I was a Potted Alraune.
While I was agonizing over what to do, the merchants began unloading the cargo. The moment one of them hoisted a large barrel, a revelation struck me.
Yes, now was my chance!
Just as the merchant unloaded the final barrel, saying, "This is the last one," I extended a vine directly beneath it. Using Plant Generation, I transformed the vine into a sundew and clung to the bottom of the barrel like an octopus.
With my current strength, I could use the sundew’s sticky liquid like an adhesive. Moreover, the barrel was quite heavy, so the merchant carrying it didn't notice my presence. Unless someone looked directly under the barrel, they wouldn't be able to see me.
—That said, I would be found eventually if I stayed like this.
It was just luck that I hadn't been noticed yet; this was far too dangerous. The other merchants were occupied with their own heavy loads, but if someone saw me from a distance, I would be exposed immediately.
Attempting to camouflage myself, I used Plant Generation to create wooden boards identical to the barrel's material, building a small wall around myself. Now, even if someone looked from the side, I would just look like part of the barrel!
Just then, I heard the voices of a merchant and a butler.
"Pilz Trading Company, here. We've brought the additional barrels of Saint Nectar."
"Take the Saint Nectar to the warehouse over there. The barrels delivered earlier are already being inspected."
Following the butler's instructions, the merchants moved through the garden while carrying the barrels. If I went all the way to the warehouse with them, I would surely be found. I had to find a place to hide before that!
I waited for an opportunity while remaining stuck to the bottom of the barrel. Then, on the way to the warehouse, an inner courtyard came into view.
I recognized that courtyard. It was a garden filled with various flowers and plants, decorated with stone statues. Since it wasn't far from the main buildings and offered plenty of cover, it was the perfect place to hide.
As the merchant carrying my barrel passed the courtyard, I extended a vine to a nearby tree. I pulled myself toward it, moving along with my pot, and dove straight into a flowerbed to play the part of a flower.
"Thank you for the ride, Mr. Merchant," I whispered to the man’s retreating back.
Of course, he didn't hear me. Since he was at the very end of the line, no one noticed me leaving.
Yes, it was a perfect infiltration. Perhaps I had a natural talent for espionage!
"Now then, what should I do next?"
I had managed to reach the gardens of the Edelweiss mansion. The problem now was how to get inside. I looked around the garden once more.
A nostalgic scene from my memories spread out before me. Neatly trimmed hedges formed geometric patterns, with colorful flowers blooming in full glory between them. The sound of water echoed from a central fountain, topped by an Angel Stone Statue with outspread wings, watching over the garden with a benevolent expression.
Further down the path the merchants had taken, I knew there was a rose garden. Near that, the mansion's botanical garden was located as well.
After scanning the area, I shifted my gaze forward. Standing right before my flowerbed was a Knight Stone Statue. Such statues were placed all over the grounds. This was one of the gardens built by my great-grandfather, the Duke from two generations ago. My father had once told me that my great-grandfather loved to gaze at that fountain from his office, which was why he designed the garden this way.
—How nostalgic.
As the young Iris, I had played here many times. I had even walked through these paths with my half-sister, Tulpe. At that time, we were trying to make a flower crown in the tulip bed. It turned out to be harder than I expected, and I remembered being satisfied with just wearing a tulip as a hair ornament instead.
That was one of the few precious memories I had with my sister. Since I had spent most of my life in the Royal Capital as a Saint, my memories of this mansion were limited, but the time I spent with my family remained dear to me.
And now, I was back in that nostalgic garden alone.
"No one else is in sight. If I'm going to scout, now's the time!"
The mansion towered behind me. First, I needed to see what was happening inside. I extended a vine to a tree branch and hoisted myself up. Through a window, I could see into a room.
"Ah, found Rufe!"
I saw a white-haired girl with cat-ears. I thought it again—the Little Witch in her cat-ear form was just too cute! Her ears were twitching just like a real cat's. She looked a bit grumpy, but she made a very convincing member of the Beast-ear Race.
Next, I observed the others in the room.
"Is that Katarina? Which means... that's Tulpe!?"
I saw the back of a woman with orange hair wearing a dress. She was wearing her trademark tulip earrings; there was no mistake. That woman was my half-sister, Tulpe Edelweiss.
I hadn't expected to see her so soon. Even if it was only from behind, I was just glad she looked well. I hoped she would turn around so I could see her face.
Tulpe and the Little Witch seemed to be having a serious conversation. I couldn't hear them, but I could see the Little Witch speaking. It was lucky that I had found them right away. It seemed my great-grandfather's old office was now Tulpe's. I really had to thank him for his love of this garden.
I wanted to move on to a heartfelt reunion, but then I noticed something strange about the room. I looked away from the people to check the surroundings.
"Yikes..."
The walls were covered in portraits of Iris. There were so many that the wallpaper was completely hidden.
...Yes. The collection had definitely grown. It seemed Tulpe's peculiar obsession hadn't been cured yet.
Tulpe and I were half-sisters, and for some reason, she adored me to a frightening degree. It had been manageable when we first met, but once I became famous as a Saint, her gaze had grown... intense. She didn't just see me as a sister; she worshipped me.
I had found it a bit scary back then, but since I had many fans as a Saint, I tried not to let it bother me. However, it seemed things had only escalated after Iris "died."
More importantly, she had let the Little Witch into a room like that? It was too embarrassing!
Suddenly, I heard footsteps. Someone was entering the garden. I quickly lowered myself to the ground and hid in the flowerbed, closing my petals to conceal my human half. To any observer, I was now just a slightly oversized potted flower.
The footsteps approached and stopped abruptly right in front of me. I waited, but they didn't move. Had they stopped right there? Was it a gardener?
I remained hidden for what felt like forever, but the person didn't budge. Had they left while I wasn't looking? I decided to check. Without fully opening my bud, I cautiously peeked out.
There was no one there.
However, in the spot directly in front of me sat a strange clay figurine.
—Wait, what?
Was that there before? I didn't remember it. I remembered the Knight Stone Statue, but not this.
The figurine looked like a lion on all fours with bird wings on its back. Its upper body was that of a woman, and its face looked human. It looked exactly like the Sphinxes from the Egypt of my previous life.
Now that I thought about it, I had seen a strange clay figurine like this at the Pilz Trading Company. It was about the size of a person and had stood out quite a bit. Everyone had been calling it a "strange clay figurine."
Still, I felt a gaze from somewhere. I didn't want to believe it, but I felt like that figurine was watching me...
Then, I heard footsteps again. This time, a gardener actually approached the flowerbed. I quickly snapped my petals shut and resumed my "large flower" act.
The gardener walked over and muttered, "What's this? Was there always a huge clay figurine here?"
So the figurine didn't belong to the mansion. It had to be the missing Sphinx the merchants were talking about. But why was it here? It certainly hadn't been here a moment ago...
"Who put this here? What a weird-looking thing... hm?"
I felt the gardener's gaze shift to my flowerbed. I held my breath.
"And this? Since when did we have such a giant flower here?"
That's definitely about me! Ugh, I'm being suspected. Was I really too big to pass as a normal flower?
"What a strange plant... oh, right, no time for this. The butler's waiting."
With that, the gardener jogged away toward the mansion. I had survived, but honestly, how rude! I might be a large flower, but I wasn't "strange." I was a beautiful, elegant flower! The Sphinx might be a strange clay figurine, but I was different.
I couldn't help but shout out.
"I am not a strange plant!"
"I am not a strange clay figurine!"
The moment I spoke, another female voice cried out right in front of me. The gardener was gone, so where had it come from!?
"Eeeeh!?"
"Mmm!?"
My eyes met those of the Sphinx clay figurine. Wait, the figurine's eyes and mouth were actually moving!?
The figurine stared at me and shrieked in shock.
"T-The flower talked! Aaaaaaah!!!"
No, wait. That’s my line!
The clay figurine talked! Aaaaaaaaah!!!
Next time: The Mysterious Sphinx.