This story is told from the perspective of Former Guard Knight Alex.
My name is Alex.
I am a knight in service to the House of Duke Edelweiss.
Having joined the order in my teens, I have now reached my thirties and hold a position of considerable responsibility. One day, I will likely succeed my father and become the Edelweiss Knight Commander.
However, there is one thing I can never forget.
It concerns my former master, Iris Edelweiss—the one known as Lady Saint Iris.
From the time Lady Iris was five until she was eleven, I was constantly by her side as her guard knight. I took immense pride in serving her, she who was hailed as the reincarnation of the First Saint Nemea. The fact that a hero of the continent had emerged from the House of Duke Edelweiss—the family my own lineage has served for generations—felt like a personal honor.
That period was the most brilliant time of my life.
The days spent supporting Lady Iris alongside my twin sister, Katharina, were deeply meaningful and, above all, a joy.
However, on the day Lady Iris was officially appointed as the "Saint," my sister and I were relieved of our duties.
"Henceforth, the protection of Lady Saint Iris will be handled by the Kingdom's Royal Guard Knights. You have done well. You are dismissed."
I still remember the moment the Royal Castle Official delivered those words. Because Lady Iris had become the Saint and was engaged to the Second Prince, she was destined to become royalty. She had passed completely out of the Ducal House's reach.
"Thank you for everything, Alex."
The memory of Lady Iris holding my hand and thanking me on the day I was relieved of my post remains one of my most cherished treasures.
Deeply moved by her words, I devoted myself to training even after returning to the city of Edelweiss. I pushed myself relentlessly so that I would be ready to return to her side at a moment's notice.
Despite my preparation, the call to return never came.
Lady Iris was surrounded by elite companions: Lord Wolfgang, a relative of the Ducal House; the Elf Mercurée; and His Highness the Second Prince, who had awakened as the Hero.
I told myself everything would be fine without me. I believed that—until that fateful day.
When news of Lady Iris's death reached the House of Duke Edelweiss, the household was consumed by grief. The citizens felt it just as keenly; the sound of sobbing echoed from every corner of the city.
I thought I would never see her again.
And yet—today, I encountered a monster that looked exactly like Lady Saint Iris.
"Alex, please wait."
"…You! How do you know my name!?"
Not only did this Alraune know who I was, but she possessed a face that was the spitting image of Lady Iris. Aside from the different hair color and the flowers and leaves sprouting from her head, they were identical. Even her manner of speaking felt strangely familiar.
It was enough to make me feel as though I were talking to Lady Iris herself. Her actions—traveling through the city to save the residents—were exactly what the Saint would have done.
The feats the Alraune achieved were nothing short of heroic. Even accounting for the fact that her magic had covered the city in a forest, I couldn't bring myself to punish her just for being a monster.
In the end, I acknowledged her. Despite my hatred for the monsters that had taken Lady Iris from us, I simply could not hate this Alraune.
Eventually, she vanished into the city, likely off to save more people. She was a truly mysterious creature. Though she was clearly non-human, she possessed the heart of a person.
To provide an accurate report to the Duke’s Proxy, Tulpe-sama, I began gathering information on the Alraune.
"President Pilz, you seemed to know that Alraune. Tell me everything."
"That Alraune arrived in the city yesterday," the President of the Pilz Trading Company explained. "She was with a merchant of the Beast-ear Race named Lord Rufe."
According to the President, the Alraune was traveling with a female merchant. Furthermore, she had apparently repelled bandits who attacked the company on the outskirts of the city. Every account I heard was positive.
"I heard the rampaging urns were your goods, President?"
"Yes… the newbie merchant Zel procured them from the Glanz Empire, and they suddenly went wild. But I swear on my life, we had no ill intent toward the Ducal House! Please, you must believe me!"
After listening to the President’s tearful explanation, I committed the name of the key suspect to memory. Zel, the newbie merchant—he was likely the one responsible for the chaos. I dispatched my subordinates to track him down and sent a portion of the knights back to the Duke’s Mansion.
Leaving the scene to my men, I toured the city. Though massive trees now blanketed the streets—undoubtedly the Alraune’s work—it turned out there were zero casualties. Not a single resident had died; the Alraune had treated every single injured person without exception.
I began questioning the survivors she had saved.
"A woman who looked just like Lady Saint Iris grew out of a tree and saved me!"
"The moment I drank her nectar, my wounds vanished. I owe her my life."
"I saw her helping the knights. She isn't our enemy!"
"She was controlling the trees, but she only did it to protect us from those urns."
"My daughter would be dead if it wasn't for that lady. She looked just like Lady Iris…"
The praise for the Alraune was universal. But then, the people began to ask me the same question over and over.
"Sir Knight, tell us… is she the real Lady Iris?"
The citizens were projecting the Saint onto the Alraune, just as I had. Some even insisted she was the real thing, despite how impossible that seemed.
One old woman spoke with absolute conviction. "That was Lady Iris, make no mistake. Her body may have changed, but she surely returned from the Land of the Dead to save Edelweiss."
Meanwhile, a local baker had a different observation. "That Alraune reacted to the Iris Bread from my shop! It’s very suspicious!"
The more stories I heard, the deeper the mystery became. Just who was she? It couldn't be that Lady Iris had truly been resurrected as a monster…
"Hey, you there."
I looked up to find a woman standing before me.
She was the embodiment of a "fragile beauty"—one of the most stunning women I had ever seen. While no one could surpass Lady Iris or the Alraune, I could say with certainty that she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever encountered otherwise.
She appeared to be about twenty years old. Striking long white hair framed her face, and beast ears sat atop her head. This matched the description of the merchant the President had mentioned.
However, he had said the merchant was in her early teens. The woman before me was undeniably an adult.
"…You’re a knight, right?" she asked. "Do you know anything about that army outside?"
"The army outside? What are you talking about?"
"…If the knights of Edelweiss don't know, they must be enemies. Maybe if I blast them with magic, I can turn back to normal."
"Wait, what are you saying?"
I couldn't make heads or tails of her words.
"I don't follow, but I have questions of my own. If you know anything about the Alraune who resembles Lady Saint Iris, speak up."
"…You know about my Alraune?"
"Yours? Then you’re the merchant, Rufe?"
I was stunned. This white-haired beauty was indeed the merchant who had been traveling with the Alraune. That President's eyes must be failing him; she looked nothing like a young teenager.
I recalled that Rufe was supposed to have gone to the Duke’s Mansion with my sister, Katharina, for an audience with Tulpe-sama. Why was she here in the city?
Despite my confusion, I had a duty to perform as a knight.
"The Alraune saved our people. As a knight, I thank you."
"I see… Alraune worked hard again, didn't she?"
Rufe smiled gently. In that moment, I saw just how much she cherished her companion.
Then, she did something that left me speechless. Her body rose effortlessly into the air.
"Then I guess I have to work hard, too."
"Wait… you’re floating!?"
Without another word, Rufe flew off into the distance. As she went, I saw white wings sprout from her back. She looked like an angel stepped straight out of a myth.
"Just what was that woman…?"
An Alraune who looked like Lady Saint Iris. A winged Beast-ear woman who felt like an angel. Neither of them fit into any category of person I had ever met. Who were they?
As I stood there staring at the sky, one of my knights came sprinting toward me, breathless and pale.
"Squad Leader Alex! It’s an emergency!"
"I’ve had enough emergencies today to last a lifetime," I groaned. "What is it now?"
"An army has been spotted! A massive force from the Demon King's Army is gathering outside the city walls!"
"What!?"
In that instant, I realized what Rufe had meant. The "army outside" she had mentioned was the vanguard of the Demon King.
And so, that was the situation from the perspective of Alex, the former guard knight. While the Alraune was busy in the city, it seems Rufe was also active.
Next time: The Little Witch enjoys her first time in an adult form.