Back outside, walking the stone pathways between houses, Luca spotted a patch of strange plants growing in the space between two buildings.
They looked almost like corn—tall and stalky—but mixed with the characteristics of sugarcane. They weren't cultivated in neat rows or tended gardens; instead, they grew wild, like massive weeds that had been allowed to flourish undisturbed.
Sigrid turned to look and smiled knowingly.
"We call them Itch-brush. They are not for consumption purposes. They don't even produce fruit."
"Then why are there patches of them everywhere?" Luca asked, genuinely puzzled. "They don't look particularly pretty. They seem almost like weeds—hard and thorny, like shrubs."
"That's exactly why we keep them." Sigrid replied, and there was a note of satisfaction in her voice.
Luca stared at her obvious confusion. "I don't understand."
Sigrid's expression shifted to something slightly sheepish as she explained,
