I was Alraune, a plant monster.
But in this fleeting moment, I had been reunited with my sister Tulpe as the person I used to be—Iris Edelweiss, the former Saint.
As Tulpe held me, the cold lump that had been lodged in my chest for so long began to melt away like ice under the touch of the spring sun. I wondered what this comforting sensation was. It had been an eternity since I had felt anything like it. It was different from the warmth I felt when the Little Witch and I embraced; it was something else entirely.
Just as I was trying to put a name to the feeling, Tulpe’s arms shifted.
"Iris-chan... truly, I am so grateful I lived to see this day."
Her hand reached out, only to stop abruptly just before touching my head. In that instant, memories of our past came flooding back.
Though we were sisters, we were born of different mothers. Beyond that, I was already eleven years old by the time we first met. On one side was the Saint, a Duke’s daughter from the moment of her birth. On the other was an illegitimate child with commoner blood who had only recently been brought into the family.
No matter how close we had grown, our bond was different from that of true sisters who had been inseparable since the cradle. We were close enough to exchange earrings as gifts, but we hadn't shared a childhood. I had always tried to maintain our relationship as noble sisters, but we had never built the kind of deep, dense intimacy I now shared with the Little Witch.
That was why I had almost never allowed myself to act like a spoiled younger sister around Tulpe.
"Hey, Tulpe...?" I ventured.
"...Yes?"
Having realized the meaning behind her hesitation, I decided to be the one to bridge the gap.
"I have... a small request."
"I will grant anything you wish for, Iris-chan! Do you want to live in the manor again? Or perhaps you wish to reclaim your reputation as the Saint? I will use the full authority of House Edelweiss to make it happen! If you like, you could even live here as Iris-chan once more..."
"It’s nothing that difficult," I interrupted softly. "If you still... if you still think of me as your younger sister... would you pat my head?"
"...! You don't even have to ask. I will pat your head as much as you desire!"
A soft, gentle touch settled on my crown. Through the sensation of her hand, I could feel the sheer depth of Tulpe's affection.
Acting like a pampered child toward my elder sister—back when I was Iris, I had never been bold enough to do this. But perhaps it was because I was no longer a Saint, and no longer even human. By becoming an Alraune, the pride and the restrictive noble status I once carried had withered away completely.
Just for now, I could simply be a younger sister. That sense of security allowed me to drown in a sea of happiness.
"I’m... I'm truly glad that you’re my big sister, Tulpe."
"Iris-chan, did you just call me 'Big Sister'?! Is this... a dream? Oh, I am so moved!"
Even among those who shared the same blood, there were those who sought to kill one another. The First Prince of this kingdom and his brother, the Hero, had been locked in a bitter conflict over the throne. Despite the existence of such blood-soaked sibling rivalries, I had been accepted by my family—even after becoming a monster.
She probably had no idea how much I appreciated her. I had been terrified that she wouldn't want me back looking like this.
"But I truly cannot believe it! To think you would actually come back to me alive... I’m so glad you’re safe... Ah."
Tulpe’s expression faltered, a look of regret crossing her face as her eyes drifted to my lower body. My waist was ringed with vibrant red petals, giving way to leaves rich with chlorophyll. Below that sat a plump, sturdy bulb, which even featured a second mouth.
From a human perspective, calling someone "safe" when they had been transformed into such a shape was certainly debatable. And when that person was your own sister, it was even harder to say. I had to intervene before the silence became unbearable.
"It’s okay! This body is actually much better than it looks. Even if I'm burned or cut, I can regenerate over and over. Photosynthesis feels wonderful, and drinking water through my roots is actually quite delicious. I've grown very fond of it!"
"I-I see... If you say so, Iris-chan..."
Ah, that didn't work. Tulpe looked like she was on the verge of tears. No matter what I said, she was going to look at me with the eyes of a sister pitying her tragic sibling. It probably just sounded like I was putting on a brave face. I needed to change the subject.
"Tulpe, you suspected I was Iris, didn't you? When did you first start thinking that?"
"In the garden this afternoon, you said something, Iris-chan. You said, 'I'm not unrelated to the city of Edelweiss.'"
"I knew that was it."
"Those words weighed on my mind. And... well, to begin with, your face as an Alraune is the spitting image of Iris."
"So you were already suspicious."
I had said those words the moment we were reunited. It seemed my sister had entertained the possibility that I was Iris from the very start.
"Furthermore, I thought that doing something as absurd as swallowing the entire city in a forest was exactly the sort of thing you would do."
"...I'm not that reckless."
"Yes, you are! Who was it that used to shock everyone with such extraordinary Light Magic? Honestly, what a handful of a younger sister I have."
As Tulpe spoke, her face brightened with a smile more radiant than I had ever seen.
"The way you fought so desperately to protect Edelweiss also reminded me of the Iris I knew. Your actions didn't fit a mere traveling Alraune."
"Because... Edelweiss is my home."
"Even so, I still think turning the city into a forest was a bit much."
"I'm truly... sorry for that."
"...Goodness! Since the sister I thought was dead has returned to me, I have nothing to be angry about. The city was saved and there were no casualties. Even if the price was the city becoming a forest, it's nothing short of a miracle!"
I did suppose I had gone a bit overboard with the greenery. I would likely have to do some serious pruning later to make the environment habitable for people again. I’d have to make sure to tidy up properly.
"Honestly, when Father returns to the city, his legs will give out from the shock!"
"...Father."
"You’ll be staying here in Edelweiss until he and the others return, won't you, Iris-chan?"
"T-That’s..."
"I'm certain Father will be overjoyed to see you! Even if you have become an Alraune, he will accept you just as I have. So please, don't worry."
Tulpe seemed to think I was hesitant because I feared my father's rejection. While that was a small part of it, the truth was different. I didn't intend to stay in Edelweiss.
"I'm sorry. I can't stay here."
"...W-Why not? You've finally come home."
"Because... I have companions now."
There was Rufe, the Little Witch. There was Kiri the fairy, and my "younger sister," Amazoness Treant. There was even the Mandrake that had been born from me. I had a new family now—people I considered my true companions.
"I suppose that Beast-ear girl, Rufe-san, did seem to dote on you quite a bit."
"Rufe is... very precious to me."
"............I see. It saddens me to see my little sister leave her big sister's side, but more than that, I am grateful to the people who accepted you in this form. As your sister, I thank them."
If I hadn't met the Little Witch, the "me" that existed now wouldn't be here. I would have likely withered away, alone and forgotten, in that forest.
"But please, at least let me return these earrings to you, Iris-chan."
"No. I'm not staying in this city. So... I want you to keep them, Tulpe."
I looked at the iris earrings resting in Tulpe’s palm. Using a vine, I gently closed her fingers around them.
"Iris died once. So the current me—Alraune—cannot take them back."
"............"
"Besides, it makes me happy to know you have them. Won't you keep them for me? As proof that, even now, we are still sisters?"
"You have no intention... of living as Iris ever again, do you?"
"No. I've already decided that I'm going to live my life as Alraune."
A heavy, quiet moment stretched between us. We didn't know when someone might burst through the door. The Little Witch could be back at any second. Our time alone as sisters was likely coming to an end. Once I stepped out of this room, I didn't know when we would be able to speak like this again. It was possible it might never happen again.
That was why I wanted to treasure this moment. I would lock the memory of this time away in a precious chest within my heart. I was certain that I would never forget this for as long as I lived.
In the midst of the silence, I heard footsteps in the hallway. I thought I heard the Little Witch’s voice calling for me. However, her voice was drowned out by someone else and faded into the distance. Tulpe had likely made arrangements to ensure we wouldn't be disturbed.
Once the hallway fell silent again, Tulpe took a deep, steadying breath. She looked at me with newfound resolve.
"Now then... you'll tell me, won't you?"
"...Tell you what?"
"Tell me everything that happened to you, Iris-chan. I want to know it all!"