Several weeks had passed since I became the Lord of the Forest.
To put it simply, I was bored.
Even with my new title, my daily responsibilities hadn't exactly increased. It seemed that enemies of the forest weren't going to come charging in anytime soon.
Ideally, I would have liked to go on patrols, but the frustrating part was that I couldn't actually leave my spot.
I was a plant, after all.
Wasn't it a bit late to realize how strange it was for a plant to be the Lord of the Forest?
Now that the original Four Heavenly Kings were dead, the forest's ecosystem had to be undergoing a massive transformation. This area was originally Bear-papa’s territory, but in the regions where the other Kings used to reside, other monsters were likely asserting their dominance. Perhaps a New Four Heavenly Kings of the Forest had already been formed.
It was depressing that I had no way to go and confirm any of this.
Well, if anything major happened in the forest, I assumed one of the animals would come to let me know. Though I didn't actually know what I was supposed to do once they told me.
The Tributes had also stopped coming. I wasn't particularly thrilled about the idea of my subordinates increasing any further, so that was probably for the best.
"Oh, good day to you."
My Lady Knight, Hachi-san, had come to visit. My relationship with her hadn't changed since I became the Lord of the Forest. In exchange for my Nectar, she would bring me food.
Unlike before, monsters coming to test their strength against me had completely vanished. Because of that, I was suffering from a lack of nutrients. I was truly grateful for Hachi-san. I had grown strong even without the Lady Knight's protection, but now, I would be the one to protect her and her sisters.
"Give my regards to your elder sisters. Good day."
Speaking of things that hadn't changed, that withered tree I had been curious about remained right where it was. It was still within my field of vision.
But lately, something about it bothered me. Was that withered tree always shaped like that? Its location hadn't moved, but it felt like the angle had shifted just a tiny bit. Could it be that, despite being withered, its branches were still growing? It was a total mystery.
As I thought, it deserved to be certified as one of the Seven Wonders of the Forest.
Oops, it looked like prey had been caught in the trap I set near the withered tree. I had tried smearing my Nectar on the surrounding trunks. I would lure in wild bears with the scent, catch them in my vines, and then—munch. I also left Poison Apples near the trees; whenever a monkey ate one and fell to the ground, I would—munch.
That was how I had been staving off my hunger.
However, things had been strange lately. The animals had stopped showing their faces. I was starting to worry if I had overeaten, as they simply refused to appear. Even when I prepared a generous amount of Nectar, not a single wild bear showed up.
That wasn't all. Hachi-san was also acting peculiar. She had started demanding several times the usual amount of Nectar. This had never happened before. Thanks to that, I hadn't been getting enough nutrients or water lately.
I wanted water.
Yes, water. It hadn't been raining much either. It wasn't scorching hot like a drought; if anything, it had started getting chilly. Yet, the rain had just stopped falling. I couldn't understand why.
Whether it was my imagination or not, the water being supplied through my roots was also decreasing by the day. It wasn't just the lack of rain; I could feel something changing deep underground as well.
Even the nutrients I gained from photosynthesis felt diminished compared to before. My instinct to keep photosynthesizing was as strong as ever, but unlike before, I felt nutritionally unsatisfied.
Something was definitely wrong. Something was happening in this forest. I could feel the presence of something massive shifting, something I was powerless to stop. But I had no idea what it was.
Just what was going to happen to me? It was making me anxious.
Many days passed, but the climate remained the same. In fact, it was gradually getting worse. And lately, it had been so cold.
Even as a plant, I still had sensations of heat and cold. I was a monster, so having various functions was a good thing, but still.
As you could see, I was half-naked. My outfit consisted of nothing but a Vine Bra wrapped around my chest, and I had nothing on my lower half. I really wanted a coat or something.
Since I had no choice, I wrapped myself up in my own vines to create a Vine Futon. I felt like a Bagworm.
Ah, this was actually quite warm.
I made my choice. From this day forward, I would become a Bagworm.
Honestly, besides a futon, I really wanted to prepare a Kotatsu to keep warm. Since I was a plant, I wasn't fond of fire, but I would have welcomed a moderate amount of heat.
I loved Kotatsus. They were demonic pieces of furniture.
Back in my high school days, I often relied on them. Once you crawled inside, you could never get out again. I couldn't count how many times I had wanted to just sleep in the Kotatsu forever. Every time I tried, my mother would get angry at me.
I wanted to get into a Kotatsu again. I wondered if someone would take me to one. It wasn't right to exclude me just because I was a plant, was it?
Someone, please, a Kotatsu. Won't you let me into a Kotatsu?
I felt like the Little Match Girl.
"Kind sir over there, won't you please invite me to the Kotatsu in your home? As you can see, I am but a lonely, solitary flower. If I were to go to your home, I would decorate your room with this beautiful crown of flowers, and I would offer you sweet Nectar for dessert after dinner. I'm sure it would be a wonderful night, unlike any other."
"Eh? You say no? How cruel! When I desire a Kotatsu this much, refusing me is simply inhumane. What is it? Are you refusing to let me in just because I'm a plant? If I were a human, you would welcome me warmly like family. Is it quite alright for me, as a plant, to be left exposed to the elements? Fine then. I'll go ask someone else."
Oh, Kotatsu. Someone, please welcome me to a Kotatsu.
Well, I had never heard anyone say you shouldn't put flowers in a Kotatsu, but then again, I had never seen anyone actually do it.
Even so, my body and soul were trembling. Because it was so cold. Without a Kotatsu in the winter, I wouldn't be able to survive.
—Wait.
Winter??
That was it! It was winter!
I finally figured it out. I knew what was happening in this forest. No, it wasn't just this forest; this entire region was changing. The reason the climate was so strange was that winter was approaching.
Why didn't I notice it until now?
I should have realized it when I felt unusually hungry for the past month. My body had been preparing for hibernation. That was why I hadn't ended up with excess nutrients even after swallowing Bear-papa and Bear-mama whole. That was also why I had eaten so many Tributes.
Certainly, the fact that I was growing was part of it, but that wasn't the only reason. Hachi-san taking so much Nectar from me was also her preparing for the cold. The reason the animals weren't showing themselves was that they had already started hibernating.
For wild animals, winter was a brutal season. But it wasn't just the animals that had it hard. Winter was a painful time for plants, too.
The air became dry, and the amount of water I could pull from the ground decreased. But that wasn't the worst of it. Many plants withered and died due to frost and freezing. After all, they had to remain exposed to the biting cold.
Snow might even fall. If heavy snow fell, small plants would be buried. If that happened, I wouldn't even be able to photosynthesize.
I wondered how much snow fell in this region. If this was a heavy snowfall zone, I would be isolated. If that happened, there would be nothing I could do. I would probably wither away. No matter how powerful a poison I possessed, I was no match for the snow.
What was winter like around here, anyway? I was in the middle of a journey to defeat the Demon King when I passed through, so this was my first time staying here. To begin with, I was born and raised in the Royal Capital, so I wasn't familiar with the rest of the country. In my party, we had a comrade who was an expert in geography, and they were the one who decided our itinerary.
I believe I heard that in the nearby mountain ranges, the snow melts and doesn't pile up even during winter. If we were receiving that benefit, then maybe it wasn't a heavy snowfall zone. In that case, no matter how much it snowed, it shouldn't pile up enough to bury my Bulb.
Still, this was something I wouldn't know until I actually experienced winter. You never knew when a once-in-a-decade blizzard might strike.
What would happen if a massive, historic snowfall hit this land? For a half-naked plant monster with no house and no roof, the damage would be far worse than just catching a cold. If things went poorly, I might not live to see next spring.
Well, such heavy snow rarely falls, so it should be fine. It only happens once every few decades, after all.
Nonetheless, it didn't change the fact that an average winter was harsh. At the very least, it would have been nice if I had someone to share warmth with, but I had no such companions.
My body was lonely, and my heart was lonely too.
A solitary, terrifyingly dangerous winter life was about to begin.
And so, I prepared to face my first winter as the Plant Monster, Alraune.
There will be two updates again today.
Here is an announcement for everyone.
Updating twice a day was much harder than I thought. I kept up the twice-daily updates during Golden Week, but the holidays are over, and my body is nearing its limit. Therefore, from next Monday, I would like to return to the usual once-daily update. However, on days when the writing is flowing or I have extra time, I might still update twice as before. I hope you can understand.
If you read this work and thought it was "interesting" or that I'm "working hard," I would be very happy if you would support me with a bookmark or ★★★★★. That support becomes my motivation for writing.
Updating twice a day was quite grueling, so even a small gesture of support would make the author overjoyed!
Next time: Great Sage's Continental Travelogue.