Summer arrived with a sudden vengeance.
It was hot. Seriously, what was up with this weather?
I looked up at the cloudless sky and stretched out my arms.
I wondered if it would ever rain again.
I really, really needed some water.
Ever since the night I saw that glowing Unidentified Flying Object, summer had abruptly descended upon the forest. A summer-summoning UFO? I felt like I was in the middle of some eccentric sci-fi coming-of-age story, but that wasn't a trope I’d ever heard of in this world.
Perhaps because of the relentless heatwave, the ground had actually begun to crack in some places. It was a full-blown drought. The forest was screaming from the water shortage, and my own body was groaning right along with it.
I was completely dried out and limp. My pride-and-joy petals were wilting, and my leaves were starting to fray. My vascular bundles—the internal highways for a plant’s water—were screaming for something to transport. Lately, they’d been entirely unemployed.
But hey, don’t look at me; take those complaints up with the roots.
I was doing everything I could. I squeezed out every bit of strength I had left to keep pushing my roots deeper and deeper into the earth, ordering them to find even a hint of moisture. Even so, I could only scavenge a pathetic, misty amount of water.
The surrounding trees seemed to have a bit more leeway, but I was different. Compared to other plants, my body was massive. As an Alraune monster, my daily energy consumption was on a completely different scale. Having a mouth in a giant bulb, moving vines at will, and having a human girl growing out of a flower made me a special, rare existence—and that meant my fuel efficiency was absolute garbage.
I just hoped I could endure this. I kept wishing for the rain to come.
Several days passed.
When I woke up one morning, something felt off. I felt a strange sensation, like someone was touching me. There was a weird pressure, as if something was bumping against my bulb.
When I looked down, I saw someone else’s roots poking out of the ground.
What was this? There hadn't been any roots here yesterday. They certainly weren't mine.
Does this mean... is this that?
Is this sexual harassment?
I found the perpetrator immediately. After all, the culprit was standing defiantly right in front of me. Hey, you! Tree! I’m talking to you!
The roots of a nearby tree had extended all the way to my position, exposing themselves on the surface. They hadn't been anywhere near this long a few days ago. What could possibly motivate a tree to grow that fast?
Are you some kind of pervert tree?
I’ve caught you in the act. You have the right to remain silent, but if you’re willing to grace me with a large amount of water as a settlement, I might consider not turning you over to the police and pretending this never happened.
That was how much I craved water.
This tree must have been feeling the same way. It had pushed its roots to the surface, spreading them out in a desperate bid to gather even a single drop of moisture. An ordinary tree couldn't have grown its roots this much in just a few days. This was likely what people called a Demon Tree. It was my first time seeing one.
But you know, sexual harassment is wrong.
So, it was time to put the naughty boy away.
Inside my stomach, of course!
The Demon Tree was less than ten meters away, well within the range of my vines. I delivered divine punishment to my would-be molester. It took half a day, but I finally managed to pluck it out by the roots. I snapped off its branches with my vines and hauled them into the mouth at my base.
Down the hatch.
There was a tiny bit of moisture inside.
I see. So there was another way!
I mustered my remaining energy and began gathering the surrounding vegetation. These plants weren't withered yet, which meant they still had water inside their bodies. In other words, it was an all-you-can-eat water buffet.
I laid my vines on nameless weeds, nearby thickets, and even full-grown trees. This was the natural world—the world of survival of the fittest. The weak were meant to be consumed by the strong. It couldn't be helped. It was a matter of survival.
And so, while the rain refused to fall, I managed to endure by stealing moisture where I could.
Whether they felt sympathy for my plight or not, the Zornbiene had temporarily stopped their nectar collection. That was a huge help. If possible, I would have preferred they bring me water from the river, but I couldn't really ask that of a bee. They didn't exactly have hands for carrying buckets.
Even so, life was grueling. The environment was so harsh I occasionally hallucinated that I was being tortured. I wanted water so badly I felt like I was losing my mind.
Despite the bees' consideration, I finally reached my breaking point. I went a little crazy.
"Rain, rain, fall! Fall, O rain!"
"Goddess who dwells in the heavens, please bestow a rain of mercy upon me!"
The sight of a single Alraune prostrating herself in prayer was utterly surreal. But I didn't care about appearances anymore. I wanted water so incredibly badly that I was willing to try rain-making rituals or anything else.
I didn't actually know how to perform one, though. If I’d known things would get this bad, I would have researched rain dances in my previous life. Still, it was do or die!
I felt like a miko offering prayers to a god. Since I was putting this much effort into my rain dance, I figured it was about time I awakened to my shamanistic powers.
As I worked hard at my unfamiliar priestly duties, I felt a gaze from nearby. A white bird was watching me from the ground. I’d been seeing that bird a lot lately.
Must be nice for you, Mr. Bird. You can fly freely through the sky. If you get thirsty, you probably just fly to a watering hole and take a bath while you’re at it. I was so jealous.
The bird stared at me with eyes that seemed full of pity.
What was his deal? Was he here to pick a fight? Did he come to watch a poor, pathetic flower wither and rot away because she couldn't get a drink?
Unforgivable. I was officially pissed off. Looking closely, that bird had a pretty healthy-looking body. If I swallowed him whole, it would certainly moisten my throat.
I lashed out with my vines to catch him, but once again, he slipped away and took flight. Dammit! That white bird was way too good at sensing danger.
However, something good did come of it. The bird really had just taken a bath; the moment he flapped his wings, a spray of water droplets fell. It was only a tiny amount, but it was definitely water. Even if it was just a few dozen drops, they fell near my roots like a rain of mercy.
Thank you, Mr. Bird. For today, I’ll let you off the hook in exchange for the water.
With that, I managed to pull myself back from the brink. My head was back to normal, too. Mostly.
I still continued my rain-making ritual every day, though. I really was that desperate.
My wish was finally granted about a week after the rituals began.
It happened at night. Just like the day the drought started, something glowing passed overhead. The Unidentified Flying Object, wreathed in a red light that looked like fire, streaked across the sky and vanished.
The next morning, I looked in the direction the UFO had gone. I recalled there being a large mountain range that way—the Demonic Realm Mountains. They said the Demon King’s subordinates lived there. Back when I was a Saint, those mountains were supposed to be our party’s next destination.
Well, that had nothing to do with me anymore. I’d lost all interest in the Demon King. A mere flower in the forest didn't need to worry about such things.
The identity of the UFO was still a mystery, but I had no way of investigating it. Maybe it was some kind of spirit that appeared during the changing of seasons. I’d heard that spirits could manipulate nature, so it was a possibility.
That was just speculation, of course. I really had no idea. I was completely cut off from the outside world. Even if something world-shaking was happening out there, I was just a flower; there was nothing I could do.
So, I decided not to think about the outside too much. I hoped the day would come when I’d learn the UFO’s true identity, but until then, I’d just put it out of my mind.
Right now, I only cared about the cloudy sky that was covering the heavens for the first time in a month. I squeezed my hands together, chanting hurry, hurry in my head.
Then, a single dark spot appeared on the ground. Within moments, the spots multiplied like rabbits.
It had finally started to rain.
I was saved.
Gulp.
The water... it tasted so good...
The midsummer heatwave finally ended, and my daily routine returned to normal. There hadn't been another drought since. It rained regularly, and the temperature didn't spike strangely anymore.
I never thought I’d be that starved for water. Rain truly was a blessing to the natural world. If it hadn't fallen, the whole world might have turned into a desert. I was so grateful for the rain. Water is delicious.
With that hurdle cleared, I could go back to my comfortable life.
Wake up in the morning, bask in the sun, wait for the Zornbiene to bring food in the afternoon, provide nectar in exchange, take a nap while sunbathing, trade more nectar for food in the evening, and close my petals to sleep at night.
I found myself wondering what kind of NEET life I was leading, but hey, it couldn't be helped. That was just the lifestyle of a plant!
It was the absolute best!
Well, there was so little entertainment that I occasionally felt like I might die of boredom, but still!
My days in paradise continued. It felt like a reward for surviving the water shortage. I had successfully realized the dream life I’d always wanted: living quietly while photosynthesizing.
The Zornbiene and I were the perfect partners. Now that the drought was over, I gave them even more nectar than before as a token of my thanks. They seemed pretty happy about it, too.
Everyone was living in peace and harmony. If I could keep this up, I might eventually take control of the entire forest. If I had no enemies, nothing could threaten me. Then, my plant life would be truly perfect. To reach that goal, I’d keep doing my best to provide nectar while the bees protected me.
"Oh, excuse me, Mr. Bee? For tonight's dinner, I'd like a rabbit, please. They're just so cute. They’re a bit small on the nutritional side, but think of it as dessert."
The fact that I was even thinking like this showed how much I was letting things go to my head. With my safety and food supply guaranteed, I was definitely getting cocky. I didn't have much experience being fawned over by boys in my past life, but being pampered by bees and acting like a Forest Princess didn't feel half bad.
Our peaceful forest circle—me the nectar provider, and the Zornbiene my Lady Knights.
That was probably why I was so afraid of it ending.
And then, a Circle Crasher appeared.
She arrived suddenly, carried in by a Zornbiene. Unbelievably, the bees had brought back a new princess.
I was shocked. The bees' new princess was—of all things—another flower monster.
Thank you for reading. I plan to update twice again today.
Next time: The Circle Crasher, her name is Man-eater!