This story is told from the perspective of Niece Alraune.
I was an alraune, a plant monster.
However, I was not the Original.
I was a newly born Child Alraune.
My new guardian, Tulpe-sama, called me Niece Alraune.
My mission was to protect Edelweiss, the hometown of the Original—Iris. Since Mama had entrusted this to me before departing for the Royal Capital, I had to live up to her faith in me.
"I am Mama’s child, and because I have inherited almost all of her power, I am very strong. I will turn anyone who dares harm the Edelweiss Mama loves into fertilizer."
Having sworn that to Mama and Tulpe-sama, I took up residence in the Duke’s Mansion.
Being separated from Mama was painful, but in a sense, Mama was also me. Therefore, while I felt a certain sadness, I did not truly feel lonely. I was always connected to Mama and my sisters through the roots of the Alraune Network. If I used Teleportation, I could go to see her at any time.
"For Mama’s sake, I will carry out my duties as Niece Alraune to the best of my ability!"
"Yes, yes, quite right. You are my niece! And I am your aunt! Since we are to live together from this day forward, you must think of me as true family—treat me just like a real older sister."
"I understand."
"What a sensible child! Even if your body is small, you truly are the child of that girl—of Iris-chan. Please, call me Big Sister Tulpe."
"I understand, Big Sister Tulpe."
The person claiming me as her niece was my aunt, Tulpe Edelweiss-sama. However, since she said it was alright to call her Big Sister Tulpe, I decided to update my internal designation for her to "Big Sister."
Big Sister Tulpe showered me with an almost abnormal level of affection.
"Mei-chan, what kind of things do you like?"
"Water. Also, fertilizer."
"Mei-chan, what do you like to do?"
"Basking in the sun. Photosynthesis feels wonderful."
"Mei-chan, surely it must be boring staying outside all the time. Why don’t we move you into a pot so you can live in my room with me?"
"I refuse. If I am not connected to the roots, I won't be able to protect the city in an emergency."
"Then I shall live here! Steward, build a house in this garden at once!"
"……Um, Big Sister Tulpe."
"Yes, what is it?"
"What is this 'Mei-chan'?"
Was it because I was a "niece"? Was it common to add "-chan" to a kinship term the way people did with "Big Sister"? Mama’s knowledge didn't include anything like that, but Mama hadn't been a Saint for many years. She likely wasn't up to date on the latest trends.
Come to think of it, Mama was a person from another world in her previous life. While I possessed her knowledge of living in Japan, it felt like someone else's business to me.
While I was pondering this, Big Sister Tulpe answered with a beaming smile.
"Mei-chan is your name."
"……My name?"
"If I simply call you Alraune, it will be confusing since it overlaps with Iris, won't it? And 'Niece Alraune' feels a bit stiff… Since we are living together, you simply must have a proper name."
"Big Sister Tulpe……!"
I was deeply moved.
"I understand. My name is Mei, the Niece Alraune."
I turned my face toward the alraune forest. The countless sisters living there did not have individual names. But I did. Furthermore, it was a distinguished name given to me by a noble and the Original’s own sister.
"Oh my, look at that smirk. Were you really that happy?"
"I am very happy. I like this name very much!"
This was the moment I surpassed every other sister in the world. Because I had a name, I was no longer just one of the nameless masses.
"You may even call yourself Mei Edelweiss if you wish. I haven't obtained Father's permission yet, but you are my family regardless."
"Does that mean I can use the family name too?"
"Of course. Mei-chan is my niece, a member of the House of Duke Edelweiss. In other words, from today, you are a noble!"
"I am… a noble!?"
In that moment, I felt as if I had been struck by lightning. I, who was nothing more than the child of a plant monster from the forest, was a noble? My many sisters in the forest were just alraunes. One could even say the Original was nothing more than a wild alraune traveling with Witch-ko.
But I was a noble!?
"Is it really alright for a monster to be a noble?"
"There is no law anywhere stating that a monster cannot be a noble!"
I suppose no one had ever even bothered to consider the possibility. To be honest, I felt that me becoming a noble was a bit of a stretch, but I had no intention of pointing that out. After all, I was Mei Edelweiss. I was an alraune who had obtained the status of a Duke's Daughter—a rank even the Original had lost!
"I might have actually surpassed Mama."
Still, I wondered if it was okay. This was the very position Mama had once wished for.
"I am so happy that Mei-chan has become my family!"
Big Sister Tulpe pulled me into an embrace. The simple fact of being held by my new family filled me with an inexplicable sense of security. Whether it was because my body was small or because I was newly born, I didn't know, but I felt so happy I almost wanted to cry.
That was it. If I could live admirably as a noble alraune of the House of Duke Edelweiss, perhaps Mama could return to the Ducal House too! I knew Mama had chosen the path of living as a monster, but somewhere in her heart, she still felt an attachment to her home. If she could return, she would surely be happy.
Mama’s smile was my smile. To achieve that, I would live here as Mei Edelweiss and become a peerless noble alraune.
And so, my noble life began.
I woke up every morning as the sun rose. While I scanned the surroundings for any abnormalities, a maid would arrive from the botanical garden carrying water. That was my breakfast. After the watering, it was time for sunbathing. It felt warm and pleasant.
During the morning, I had very little to do. Big Sister Tulpe had given me books, so I spent my time reading to accumulate knowledge. For a noble, studying was a vital duty. However, I wasn't allowed to enjoy my reading in peace.
The carpenters had started construction right next to me.
"……So noisy."
It seemed they were building a detached house for Big Sister Tulpe right beside my spot in the garden. If she moved there, she could be with me all day long. But I couldn't help but worry. What would happen if Big Sister Tulpe was with me every waking hour?
"……It will definitely be loud."
According to Mama, Big Sister Tulpe was an eccentric. She had a history of decorating her room with countless paintings of Saint Iris. If that was the case, I could guess what was coming next.
"Stare……"
I turned my gaze toward the painters across from me. Several famous artists from Edelweiss had been gathered to paint my portrait. It was easy to predict the future; the rooms in the new house would undoubtedly be filled with paintings of me.
"Is this… the noble life I yearned for?"
Mama dreamed of spending a quiet plant life in the forest. Sadly, that hadn't lasted long, but she was still working toward that dream even now. But what about me? If I stayed here, I would undoubtedly become Big Sister Tulpe’s toy. I couldn't let this continue. I had to do something……
A few days after my life at the Duke's Mansion began, Big Sister Tulpe came to see me in the afternoon as usual. Having tea during her breaks from her duties as the Duke's Proxy had become our daily routine.
"Mei-chan, how is the black tea?"
"Hmm, I suppose it's delicious."
I tilted the teacup and poured its contents onto the ground. The tea soaked into the soil, reaching my roots. To be honest, plain water tasted better.
"Oh, that's right. I know I was entrusted with a request from that girl—Iris-chan—but I still cannot recall what it was. Does Mei-chan know anything?"
"……No, I don't."
That was likely from the time I was first born. I remembered Mama talking to Big Sister Tulpe about something, but I hadn't heard the details. I had been too overwhelmed by Big Sister Tulpe’s intensity to pay attention to anything else.
"I feel as though it was about someone coming to the city…… Come to think of it, there have been reports of a Suspicious Person nearby recently."
"I heard the knights patrolling the garden mention that. What kind of Suspicious Person is it?"
"Well… the reports are a bit confused. Some say it's a Spindly Giant-like Figure, others claim it's a Strange Duo on Each Other's Shoulders, and some say it's a New Monster Type of Vertically Connected Humans. It's all very vague."
"Is that really just a Suspicious Person?"
"Apparently, this figure not only runs faster than a horse but also manipulates lightning and runs across rivers while levitating in the air."
"That is definitely not a human."
The information about this Suspicious Person had arrived via messenger pigeon from a neighboring town.
"I had intended to gather information on the Twelve Sword Generals of the Empire that Iris-chan mentioned, but this mysterious individual is so bizarre that I can't find anything else."
"Could it be… that they are actually one of the Twelve Sword Generals of the Empire?"
"……Oh my!"
According to Mama’s knowledge, the Twelve Sword Generals of the Empire were the finest warriors in the Empire. Even the Crown Princess, Malai of the Dancing Sword, was one of them. Her swordsmanship, which involved manipulating blades through levitation, was superhuman. If the Twelve Sword Generals possessed such immense power, it wouldn't be strange if one of them could manipulate lightning or outrun a horse.
Just then, a knight came running from the mansion. He stopped in front of us, looking flustered, and gave a sharp military salute before reporting.
"Duke's Proxy, we have an emergency! The lookout has reported a smoke signal rising from the south!"
"Then someone is approaching from the southern highway?"
"Exactly, my lady!"
I locked eyes with Big Sister Tulpe. It might be the rumored Suspicious Person—or rather, one of the Twelve Sword Generals of the Empire. Mama had entrusted me with the protection of this city. I would show no mercy to anyone who threatened it.
"Leave it to me, Big Sister Tulpe."
I raised a vine and struck a graceful, noble pose.
"I will eliminate this Suspicious Person!"