I was Alraune, a plant monster.
The enemies had all vanished, leaving me alone with the Little Witch.
It was Rufe who had decimated the Demon King's Army gathered on the outskirts of Edelweiss. Not only that, but she had also defeated Diesel, a subordinate of the Witch Queen.
The Little Witch was no longer a mere child; she had become an incredibly powerful young girl.
Currently, I was flying through the sky, held in her arms. I had changed my form into a Child Alraune, nestling into a simple flowerpot I'd fashioned out of wood. Thanks to that, I was traveling through the air with her, just like we used to.
The only difference was that the Little Witch hadn't transformed into a white bird this time. Instead, she was flying in her human form. Dressed in her oversized blue gown, she soared through the clouds with white wings sprouting from her back.
The "angel" the townspeople had been talking about was clearly the Little Witch in this form. It seemed she had been having her own secret adventures in Edelweiss while I was busy. I was dying to know what she had been up to.
"Hey, Rufe. Tell me everything that’s happened while we were apart."
"Okay."
The Little Witch slightly altered our flight path. Instead of heading straight for the city, she began to bank in a wide circle, taking the long way around.
Up here, no one could interfere with us. Neither Kiri the fairy nor my younger sister Treant were present. For the first time in a long while, it was truly just the two of us. Realizing she had intentionally delayed our return to the Duke's Mansion made me feel a warm surge of happiness.
"Hmm... where should I start?"
Slowly, the Little Witch told me about being summoned to the mansion and her meeting with Tulpe, the Duke's Proxy.
"She asked to buy you from me, but I refused. Then we ended up talking a lot about Saint Iris."
"Wh-what!?"
I was desperate to know the details of that conversation. Tulpe, the Duke's Proxy, was my—Iris's—older sister. To think that my sister and the Little Witch, two people so close to me, had been discussing my past life... there was no way I could stay calm.
"Of course I told her no. Because, Alraune, you’re my family..."
The Little Witch seemed to think my shock was over the proposal to sell me. That was a close one. It was a relief she had misinterpreted my reaction.
"After that, I was going to tell her about the First Prince, but I ran into Diesel and beat him. And that’s when the Urn became my familiar."
"Wait, what?"
I was curious why the topic of the First Prince had come up, but more importantly—how does an Urn become a familiar just because you beat someone? For that matter, did she mean that strange Urn?
"What exactly is a familiar, anyway?"
"It’s a type of magic where a witch makes people or creatures into their subordinates. Apparently, only someone on the level of a Witch Queen can employ one."
A witch’s black magic was truly full of mysteries. I nodded slightly, fascinated that such spells existed.
"I’ve learned how to use the Power of the Witch Queen. I think I’ve grown in a lot of ways because of it."
The Mistletoe Fruit I had planted in the Witch Queen had apparently become an item that empowered the Little Witch. By consuming it, she didn't just physically grow into an adult form resembling the Witch Queen; her magical aptitude had improved as well. Considering she had blown away an entire army, she was clearly several orders of magnitude stronger than she used to be.
"But why make an Urn your familiar?"
"It... just sort of happened?"
"Just happened?"
"While I was saving Katharina-san, it just turned out that way."
Katharina was the Lady Knight who had once served as my guard when I was Iris. When I pressed for more details, it turned out Katharina had been on the verge of being killed by an Urn Golem. The Little Witch had saved my old acquaintance without even knowing the connection. She really had become someone I could rely on.
Still, her very first familiar being an Urn Golem was... certainly unique.
"It’s an Urn, but it meows. It’s actually kind of cute."
"An Urn that meows?"
"Its name is Ruru. It’s an Urn, but it acts like a cat."
I couldn't even wrap my head around that. I definitely wanted to see it for myself.
"Then I blew away the Demon King's Army outside, and on the way back, I dropped my blue dress—"
"And it fell right to where I was. That’s an incredible coincidence."
Perhaps the dress had simply wanted to return to its previous owner. Though it had caused quite a stir in the plaza, making things difficult for a moment.
Even so, the Little Witch had become truly formidable. Watching her now, I didn't feel like she would lose even if she faced an army alone. Depending on the circumstances, she might even be a match for someone of the Four Heavenly Kings-class.
When we first met, she was an ordinary girl who couldn't even stand up to a villager. Three years had passed since then. Rufe, who had been only ten then, was now thirteen.
Her appearance hadn't changed much—she was still the same small Rufe. She had filled out a bit since our first meeting, but I felt like I needed to give her more nutrition. Even though she drank my nectar every day, she was in her growing years; I needed to think of a more balanced menu. Maybe I should add more meat to our meals.
When she finished her story, she looked at me, wordlessly asking for mine.
"That was my adventure. Now, tell me what happened with you, Alraune."
"All right. As for me—"
I told her my side of the story. I talked about saving Kusukusu the Sphinx and making her an ally, and how I had exterminated the Urn Golems to protect the city. However, I purposely left out the part about the residents worshipping me as if I were Saint Iris. I also kept quiet about that mysterious, watching gaze. I didn't want to worry her unnecessarily.
"You're amazing, Alraune! You protected everyone in Edelweiss, too!"
"I only did... what I could..."
"But I think turning the city into a forest was a bit much."
"...I’m sorry."
Even now, Edelweiss remained shrouded in green. The Gajumaru trees I had grown to defeat the Urn Golems had flourished with excessive vigor. I'd have to sneak out later and do some pruning.
Beyond that, I could tell the Little Witch was curious about why my face looked exactly like Saint Iris's. I could sense it in the way she spoke and the way she looked at me. Coming to my old hometown had likely piqued her interest more than ever.
Yet, she didn't seem to have any intention of asking me directly. Because of that, I tried to avoid the subject of the Saint as much as possible. If she ever flat-out asked me if I was connected to Saint Iris, I wasn't sure I could pull off a lie anymore.
For a short while, the two of us enjoyed our aerial tour of the Edelweiss sky. By the time we finished catching up, we had reached the Duke's Mansion.
As we began our descent, a knight on the ground spotted us. He called out to his comrades, and soon everyone was looking up. In response, the inhabitants of the mansion came pouring out into the garden. They surrounded us as we touched down, their voices rising in a chorus of celebration.
"The hero has returned!"
"Thank you for saving our city!"
"Blessings upon the new Saint of Edelweiss!"
"You even drove off the Demon King's Army outside! Edelweiss is saved because of you!"
The knights I had seen in town and the servants of the mansion took turns offering their thanks. Among them was Alex, my former guard. He must have told everyone about what I had done in the streets.
"Those wings... Rufe-san, you were an angel all along! Thank you for saving my life!"
Katharina was there, too. Everyone was showering us with gratitude.
The simultaneous terrorist attacks by the Urn Golems, the assassins at the mansion, and the army of ten thousand marching on our gates—we had solved it all. And with zero casualties to boot. We had done a pretty good job.
"Lady Alraune, thank you so much!"
The maid who thanked me was a face I remembered from my days as Iris. Soon, the maids and butlers were all chiming in.
"The two of you are going to stay here in Edelweiss, aren't you?"
"Please, you must live here at the mansion!"
"What a wonderful idea! It feels as if Lady Iris has come back to us!"
"Even in that small form, you look just like Lady Iris did when she was a little girl."
"Please, stay with us."
"I'm certain Tulpe-sama will feel the same way."
Iris was dead; she was no longer of this world. There was only Alraune, the reincarnated monster. And yet, these people—my family who knew nothing of the truth—were welcoming me with such warmth. It touched a chord deep within me, and I felt my eyes begin to sting.
"I’m... so happy..."
I used a vine to wipe away the nectar spilling from my eyes. The Little Witch watched the nectar with a somewhat envious expression before her eyes narrowed.
"That reminds me, I had a conversation with Tulpe, the Duke's Proxy."
"...About what?"
"About why you and Saint Iris look so much alike."
I felt a phantom throb where my heart once would have been. Even knowing it was an illusion, the shock was physical. At that moment, someone in the crowd whispered.
"It’s Tulpe-sama."
The crowd parted. From the back of the group, a woman with orange hair appeared. Still wearing the same tulip earrings she always had, she was my half-sister—Tulpe Edelweiss.
"I have been waiting for you."
Tulpe stared intently at my face. Her gaze held a strange, nostalgic warmth. At the same time, a dark premonition flashed through my mind.
"Lady Crimson Flower Princess Alraune, there is something I wish to discuss with you. Please, come with me."