Medicine Pocket: That's the last thing I remember clearly.
Medicine Pocket: After that, my consciousness, like young Ezra, became a snowflake lost in the mountains—vanished without a trace.
Medicine Pocket shrugged helplessly, palms open.
Mesmer Jr.: Let it go. You left him a vial of the potion; your message was clear enough.
Mesmer Jr.: When you woke up—what about the test tube? Was it still there?
Medicine Pocket: Of course not; Ezra isn't that naive.
Medicine Pocket: He lost Laplace's approval, which means he's without their technical support and backing. If he wanted to return to that mountain and climb higher and farther, he'd have to rely on my potion.
Mesmer Jr.: You're pushing him into a dangerous situation.
The young woman lowered her head, fidgeting with the cuffs of her uniform as if the fabric was itching her skin.
Mesmer Jr.: You're his friend. You shouldn't—
Medicine Pocket: As friends, it's only right that I help him, anyway I can.
Medicine Pocket: He'd do the same for me.
X: ...From what I know, earlier today, an emergency team was sent to the mountain.
Mesmer Jr.: What? To find Ezra?
X: I think so. But it wasn't Ezra who requested help.
X: ......
Medicine Pocket: Why are you looking at me like that? He hasn't come back all night; it's about time to send someone to fetch him!
Medicine Pocket: My potion can sustain him wandering around the mountain until he finds that damn Edelweiss, but it's still an experimental drug. If he climbs too high, he might lose strength before he reaches the peak.
The Girl: Wow—look over there! The lady is back!
The child's exclamation interrupted the Laplace staff, and people in the exhibition hall turned to look as the assistant curator wheeled a cart toward the center of the hall.
Mesmer Jr.: What's that?
The young woman straightened up, fixing the microphone dangling from her cheek.
Assistant Curator: First, I must apologize to all our attendees. I'm afraid Director Ezra's speech has been canceled.
Assistant Curator: Our new director is currently undergoing treatment at Laplace Hospital and unfortunately, can't meet with you all at this time.
Assistant Curator: However, Director Ezra still brings us an unparalleled piece of good news.
A smile spread across her face.
The black velvet covering the cage was pulled off, revealing the square outline of the terrarium underneath.
Mesmer Jr.: Is that... Ezra's mushroom terrarium?
Medicine Pocket: Ha! That's the Leontopodium alpinum!
Laplace Staff I: Oh my god! I heard he was looking for it, but I didn't think he could actually find it—!
Laplace Staff II: Until now, no indoor exhibition has successfully displayed a live Leontopodium alpinum. Even the World Plant Exhibition held by the St. Pavlov Foundation only exhibited a preserved specimen!
Laplace Staff II: Academics once believed it couldn't leave the mountain ... Am I dreaming...?
The audience erupted in awe, the sounds blending into a wave of excitement.
People who had been lingering in front of various exhibits began to gather in the center of the exhibition hall.
No one wanted to miss witnessing a miracle.
The Girl: Hmm...? What's that card?
X: It's an introductory note, my dear.
X bent down to shield the girl from being jostled by the crowd.
X: Judging by the style, it feels like my friend penned this, the very person who found this plant, the curator behind this exhibition.
The Girl: Ah, I know him! My grandfather told me about him!
The little girl made a mushroom shape with her hands on her head.
The Girl: He sometimes wears a hat—a mushroom-shaped hat. I remember his hat!
The Girl: I haven't talked to him yet, but I've always wanted to...
X: Maybe you can start by reading what he's written. It's right here.
It was a paper note, placed next to the terrarium.
It had been soaked by snowmelt and then dried, slightly grayish in color, contrasting with the snowy white flowers, like its dark shadow.
X and the girl picked it up, and only then did people begin to notice it.
Ezra: "Leontopodium alpinum, also known as Edelweiss, is a plant from the Leontopodium genus, Asteraceae family."
Ezra: "Unlike other Leontopodium species, it mainly grows in high-altitude plateaus and mountainous regions, ranging from 3000 to 3800 meters above sea level."
Ezra: "It's highly flammable, making it an excellent kindling material, which is why it's known as the 'fiery grass'."
Ezra: "At the same time, its snowflake-like white color earned it the nickname 'snowdrop flower'."
Ezra: "My mother introduced me to this flower; she told me that, in my hometown, it is a symbol of peace, stability, and genuine understanding."
Ezra: "Legend has it in the snowy territories that this blossom belonged to a fabled kingdom, unseen and shrouded in perfection."
Ezra: "In that kingdom, there is no conflict. People love each other, respect each other, and treat each other equally."
Ezra: "And the Edelweiss was the emissary of that kingdom, entering our world through cracks in the window sill. Where the Edelweiss grew was on the borderland next to this ideal kingdom."
Ezra: "The origin of the legend is uncertain, and the existence of such an 'unknown and unseen kingdom' is yet to be proven."
Ezra: "But undoubtedly, upon the Edelweiss rests the people's sincere hopes for peace, mutual understanding, love, and respect."
Ezra: "And this, truly, is the theme of this exhibition."
Ezra: "Those with eyes can behold the beauty of its flowers; those with hands can touch the greenery of its stems."
Ezra: "Those with blood flowing through their veins can walk; those with beating hearts can love each other."
Ezra: "From today, from this moment."
Ezra: The ideal kingdom will border the soil beneath the snow-capped mountains. One single spark on the edelweiss will spread and light up the sky.
