Author’s note:

The first half is in a sense an extra chapter, and an unnecessary addition.

If you just want to enjoy Princess Ragweed, I recommend skipping this and starting from Part 2

—I dreamt.
I remember now, the form of that dream I once saw…

—So vivid, so beautiful.
The moment I laid eyes upon it, I was captivated by its beauty.

—Fleeting, like an illusion.
It was as if I were watching a myth, far removed from reality.

—Noble and solitary, like snow from the heavens.
And I understood then that this was an exalted being, forever out of reach.

—The one and only, shining like a star and moon descended to Earth.
Just as man cannot possess the heavens, no matter how much I desired it, it could never be mine.

—A single rose blooming amidst the swirling mire of this world’s lies and filth.
It was a fleeting dream, a being of memories, destined to cross paths only for an instant.

—It was, indeed, a miracle.
But still, I hungered. I wanted to drag that being down to Earth, to make it entirely mine.

—And so I…
Thus, I rebelled against the heavens, mocked destiny, and transcended the laws of the world.

♦♢♦

It was in the month of the Death God (November), as winter approached, that I first laid eyes on the girl. The sun had begun its descent in the west, and a cold wind was blowing on that afternoon.

At the time, the town I lived in was a moderately sized fortress city. Though somewhat insular, it prospered as the commercial and cultural center for the surrounding local population.

My father was the leading physician in the city. Although he couldn’t use Healing Art, he came from a long line well-versed in herbalism and witchcraft. While not a noble, he was respected and revered by those around him, holding a solid position and a considerable amount of wealth as one of the town’s prominent figures.

From a young age, I was trained by my father, and by the time I was aware of myself, I had become his assistant. Aside from my duties in our practice, I also helped my father manage the many responsibilities that came with his prominent status. There were even times when I conducted treatments in his place.

Had my life continued on its ordinary course, I likely would have married the daughter of a wealthy neighbor, inherited or established my own practice, and spent the rest of my days in that countryside.

But such a mundane life came to an abrupt end one day.

All because of a girl and a dragon.

That day, I was returning home after making a house call for the town magistrate’s wife, having sent my servant ahead with my medical bag.

(…Good grief. She’s well past her mid-thirties, yet still insists on contraceptives every two weeks.)

The pretense of needing an examination due to a headache was a familiar one. The magistrate’s wife had a habit of taking on young lovers one after another and indulging in fleeting affairs, so preparing contraceptive potions had become a routine task.

And it was no surprise that it was me, rather than my father, who was sent to attend to her. I had long been aware of her flirtatious advances for over a year or two now, but no matter how much she tried, I was not so desperate as to feel any desire for a woman twice my age and with the physique of a white pig.

Not to boast, but I was quite handsome, came from a good family, and was capable. In fact, without saying a word, young women were already lining up at my door.

At the time, I was in my mid-teens—an age when most are consumed by passion—but due to my circumstances, I never had any trouble with women. Because of my work, I knew the ins and outs of both their public and private sides all too well. For me, women weren’t objects of love or desire; they were simply a means to pass the time, a replaceable accessory.

This attitude didn’t apply solely to women. For someone like me, who could easily accomplish most things without effort, the world was nothing more than a tedious miniature garden. With resignation and despair as my lifelong companions, I figured I’d eventually decay into nothing, just like all the other worthless fools around me. At least, that’s how I felt until that moment…

While wandering the streets without any particular goal, I happened to notice a small figure sitting on a large stone, about the size of a bundle, using it like a chair. For no real reason, I stopped in my tracks.

Had I not acted on a whim that day, my life would have likely continued down the peaceful path I mentioned earlier. But at that moment, fate’s scales tipped, and I encountered her.

The figure wore a white, hooded robe, resembling ceremonial attire, and gripped a long, ornate staff, leaning against it as she crouched.

(A girl… no, perhaps still a child…)

Her face was hidden by the shadow of the hood, but I judged from her physique and the smoothness of the arm holding the staff.

(And what beautiful fingers…)

Laborers typically had thick, rough joints, and even women who did housework often had cracked skin from constant exposure to water. By looking at a person’s hands, I could generally guess their occupation. But this girl’s hands were completely unblemished, like those of a newborn, untouched by the world.

The only women with such hands were either daughters of secluded nobility or high-class courtesans who could command several gold coins in a single night.

She appeared to be dressed as a pilgrim, but oddly, she carried no belongings. While others didn’t seem to pay her much attention, to me, she appeared suspicious—if I were to put it bluntly, she seemed like an unbalanced, shady figure. At the same time, a small flicker of interest ignited within me. Perhaps this would add a little spice to my dull routine.

With that thought, I left my puzzled servant behind and approached her.

“Excuse me. You seem to be a traveler, sitting here on the roadside. Are you unwell? If you’d like, I can offer a medical examination… Ah, I’m a physician from this town, just returning from a house call, which is why I approached you.”
“A physician…?”

Her soft, translucent voice reached my ears as she raised her face.

And there it was—her revealed face.

She appeared to be around the age of adulthood, though perhaps not yet. Her skin was as flawless as pristine marble, her frame delicate, and her beauty seemed almost too perfect for this world as if it encompassed every ideal of beauty and still fell short.

In an instant, an overwhelming shock and impulse erupted from deep within me, leaving me speechless and momentarily lost in a daze.

It was a sensation like my heart was burning, or perhaps being tormented from the inside out, a frustrating feeling I had never experienced before. This unrelenting wave of emotion tossed me about.

Not understanding this emotion, I felt at a loss. The girl, however, smiled at me with a gentle grace. At that moment, the world, which had seemed dull and faded, suddenly appeared to regain its brightness.

“Thank you for your concern. But there’s no need to worry; I’m not injured or suffering from any illness. Despite appearances, I do have some knowledge of healing magic.”
“Is that so? A practitioner of the Healing Art, then. Please pardon my rudeness.”

Somehow, I managed to maintain a calm demeanor on the surface, thanks to my professional habits. But inwardly, a storm raged through my heart, far from calm.

“I’ve come to this town to issue a warning, but no one has taken me seriously, no matter where I go. So, I’ve been left with no choice but to try to alert people on the streets. Unfortunately, no one seems to believe me, and it feels like my efforts will be in vain.”

Her sigh, filled with deep melancholy, caused my chest to ache unbearably.

“A warning? That sounds rather alarming. What is the nature of it? Depending on the situation, I might be able to help.”

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have made such an offer so readily.

At that moment, I understood.

I desired this girl—no, this woman. I wanted her so badly that I was willing to pay any price. This feeling, the willingness to sacrifice everything, was what they call ‘passion,’ ‘longing,’ and… my ‘first love.’

“…Well, I’m not sure if you’ll believe me, but I’ll explain. It’s possible that a dragon will soon attack this town. I came to warn people to prepare for evacuation and defense.”
“A… dragon?!”

The story was so far-fetched that my voice instinctively cracked in disbelief.

A dragon is the pinnacle of magical beasts, and even a lesser wyvern, one of the easier-to-handle kinds with lower intelligence, can completely wipe out a village or two if it descends upon them. That such a threat was approaching this town was, understandably, hard to believe. Whether she had pleaded her case to the guards, the Adventurer’s Guild, or the city council, it made sense that she had been dismissed out of hand. In fact, I was surprised she hadn’t been arrested for spreading such wild rumors.

“It’s natural that you’d doubt me, but this is the truth. A young dragon—not a purebred true dragon, but a sub-dragon, a red dragon—has relocated and now claims the area surrounding this town as its territory. If swift action isn’t taken, many will suffer. While I cannot involve myself directly with the affairs of mankind, I came to issue this warning to minimize casualties.”

Her calm words, backed by an unshakeable conviction, left me unable to argue. Not that I intended to challenge her in the first place.

“I see. You don’t seem to be lying. If that’s the case, we’ll have to make them see the threat with their own eyes. I’ll arrange for adventurers to be hired under my name and send a scouting party to the dragon’s lair. Can you provide more detailed information?”

As I made this suggestion, her eyes widened slightly in surprise.

“You actually… believe me?”
“Yes, I believe you.”

In truth, it didn’t matter whether her story was some made-up nonsense. All I wanted was to be near her for as long as possible.

“Thank you. My name is… Snow.”

She stood up, removed her hood, and bowed gracefully.

That was the moment I met my fate.

Afterward, we went around to the Adventurer’s Guild and the town’s influential figures, warning them of the impending danger from the red dragon. But in the end, no one took us seriously. Two weeks later, the dragon attacked, catching the city completely off guard. Unable to mount any defense, the city was ravaged, and many lives, including my father’s, were lost.

Yet, to be honest, I felt no sorrow over it. If anything, I was relieved that the fools who had ignored her warning were gone.

What truly moved me was seeing Snow, her face filled with anguish, tirelessly healing the victims without a moment’s rest.

“Isn’t it enough already? You did everything you could. It’s their own fault for suffering. So please, stop tormenting yourself!”

Despite my silent pleas, she continued healing them. Reluctantly, I helped treat the injured alongside her.

Eventually, the chaos subsided, and after about a month, aid arrived from nearby cities. The kingdom finally took action, and we received word that a dragon-slaying expedition had been assembled to deal with the red dragon.

…And then, without a word, Snow disappeared from my life.

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