The Wizard and the Perfumer

Inside was more spacious than I'd expected.

The hollow roots of the strangler fig curved overhead like arches, reaching up to the high ceiling.

From outside, it had looked like nothing but a grotesquely tangled tree, but inside, it felt like a little chapel.

Waterproof tarps hung at an angle between the thick roots.

They seemed to be tilted so rainwater would run off outside instead of pooling.

Small pouches hung between the roots. A drying rack made of woven branches.

Long, narrow plants and unidentified leaves were tied up separately so they wouldn't mix.

"It's a little messy, isn't it? That's because this is where I test what kind of scents different plants give off. I hope you'll understand."

This place felt like perfumer Solen's little workshop.

When I focused on the smells, I could sense all kinds of fragrances coming from the pouches...