I was Alraune, a plant monster girl.
The Demon King’s Army was gone, and peace had returned to the forest.
Spring was in the air, and the weather had been lovely lately. The heavy snow from that massive cold wave felt like a distant memory. The sun seemed to shine brighter than ever before.
Ah, photosynthesis felt wonderful.
Thanks to the abundance of snowmelt soaking into the earth, I didn't have to worry about water shortages. The water tasted delicious.
But I was starting to get bored. I wondered if anyone would come visit.
Wait, I saw something white. Could it be the White Bird? That would make me quite happy.
...No, I was wrong. It was certainly white, but it wasn't a bird.
I wondered what it was. It looked like... a white flower?
A vibrant, flashy white flower was blooming in the thicket ahead. I’d never seen such a conspicuous blossom around here before. In fact, I was fairly certain there hadn't been any flower there yesterday. I decided to certify it as one of the Seven Wonders of the Forest, right alongside the trees that had suddenly withered away.
I heard a bird chirping. A single bird was approaching the flower. It wasn’t the White Bird, just a common green one. It looked a bit like a Japanese white-eye. It was actually quite cute.
The little bird seemed intent on drinking the flower’s nectar. The bird perched right in front of the white flower.
Then, to my horror, the flower suddenly snatched the bird. It held the creature firmly with two vine-like appendages.
Wait, what?! Was that flower a carnivorous plant like me?
As I observed the white flower more closely, our eyes suddenly met. Not only that, but it even had antennae.
Oh, I see. That wasn’t a plant at all. It was an insect—a mantis monster.
It seemed the mantis had been disguising itself as a flower. I remembered seeing an insect like that back when I was a high school girl. The encyclopedia called it an Orchid Mantis. They were famous for mimicking flowers to catch and eat any insects that wandered too close.
So, this was an Orchid Mantis Monster. It had been using mimicry to look like a flower. What I thought were vines were actually its predatory sickles.
I’d never seen one of those before. I didn’t even know its official monster name; it hadn't been listed in the monster encyclopedia at the Royal Library. I suppose there were still monsters in this world that remained unknown to man. It was a reminder of just how vast the world truly was.
The mantis munched away on the bird it had caught. It must have moved into this spot sometime between when I went to sleep last night and when my buds opened this morning.
Alright then. Since I had the chance, I decided to stretch a vine toward it. I tried to offer a "hello" with my vine.
The Orchid Mantis seemed to react to movement, immediately taking a threatening stance against the approaching vine. If my eyes didn't deceive me, the creature looked a little startled.
Apparently, it had assumed I was just a regular flower. It probably never dreamed that a fellow flower would attack it.
Listen here, unlike you, I’m not just using mimicry. Sure, my pistil is shaped like a human girl, so I might get mistaken for one occasionally, but I live my life proudly as a flower. That's why, even if my prey doesn't come to me... see? I can just snatch them up with my vines.
"Now then, hello there, Mr. Orchid Mantis."
It was useless. My vines were far too tough for those tiny sickles to cut.
"You don't need to struggle so much. It's hard to escape these vines, isn't it? I'll bring you inside me soon enough."
"There's nothing to worry about. After all, this is exactly what you were doing to that green bird just a moment ago."
In this forest, only the strong survived. That was the law of nature.
And then—chomp.
Munch, munch.
Hmm, I see. So that was mimicry.
Since becoming an Alraune, my primary method of feeding was catching monsters and animals lured in by the scent of my nectar. If anything, that felt more like the strategy of a standard carnivorous plant: lure them in with sweetness, then snap.
However, as an Alraune, I had one major difference compared to other predatory plants. That was my pistil.
It had a human appearance—the complete likeness of a human woman. I likely looked like a girl in her mid-teens. It was probably the same face I’d had when I was a Saint.
Since becoming an Alraune, I’d only been able to put this appearance to use once, during my conversation with that nectar-obsessed boy. But seeing that Orchid Mantis made me wonder: couldn't I use this form more effectively?
Well, I suppose it would only work on humans. And there wasn't a soul in this forest. It was far too dangerous for ordinary people to approach. Even if someone did come, I didn't plan on eating them, so it wouldn't fill my stomach.
It didn't seem like I'd have a use for this appearance anytime soon. As long as I had my nectar and vines, I had no trouble gathering nutrients.
Still, to think that what I’d mistaken for the White Bird was actually an Orchid Mantis mimicking a flower.
Speaking of which, I hadn’t seen the White Bird at all lately. Even during the harsh winter of that great cold wave, it had visited me every two or three days. Now, it hadn't come by in over a week.
I wondered if something had happened. I was genuinely worried.
Now that it was gone, I finally realized it: I’d grown quite fond of that White Bird. At first, I’d thought it was an annoying little thing, but after spending so much time together, I realized it was a good bird. We’d been through a lot, but I knew now that it never acted out of ill will toward me.
I never imagined I would come to care for that bird this much.
What was I going to do? My chest felt tight with a faint ache. I wanted to see it soon. I wanted to hear it chirp "Chun" in that clumsy voice again. If it did, I’d cheer it on so it could get better. We could practice together.
But no matter how long I waited, the White Bird didn't appear.
Instead, I received an unexpected and rare set of guests.
It wasn't the chirping of a bird, but the voices of men that drifted from the depths of the forest. They were the voices of adults who sounded like they were searching for someone.
And it wasn't just one person. Several humans were approaching.
I was stunned. I never expected humans to venture this deep into the forest. What on earth were they doing here? No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't find an answer.
The human figures drew closer. They really were humans.
Oh no, what should I do? They were finally here.
With the nectar-obsessed boy, I’d been able to handle things peacefully because Hachi-san had brought him to me and I had saved his life. But how would ordinary humans react to me? They might see me as a monster and attack immediately.
I didn't want to fight humans if I could help it. As a Former Saint, that feeling was especially strong. But at this rate, they were going to walk right up to me.
W-w-w-what was I supposed to do?!
Calm down, me. That’s it! I just have to pretend to be human.
Just as the Orchid Mantis had mimicked a flower, I would mimic a person. It was fine. I could pull it off as long as they only saw my upper body. I looked exactly like a human girl.
But I absolutely could not show them my lower half. I had a flower blooming down there, and if they saw the mouth of this terrifying bulb, they’d brand me a monster instantly.
Ugh, I was so nervous. To think that, despite being born human, the act of pretending to be one would be this difficult. I guess I’d really settled into being a plant.
Plants were, by nature, loners. I rarely had to communicate with anyone compared to my human life. It had been so long that I was practically shaking.
I clutched my head in my vines. Then, I noticed something reflecting light from the direction of the figures.
Something was shining in the forest. It was coming from the humans, but why was it glowing?
The answer became clear almost immediately. The people approaching were all clad in suits of armor. They were fully armed. It looked as though they were prepared for a war.
And they were carrying weapons—swords, spears, and bows. Each of them formed a formation and maintained a combat-ready stance as they drew closer. They had the aura of hunters stalking prey.
Wait, I heard them shouting earlier as if they were looking for someone. Could they be looking for... me?
But why? Did that nectar-obsessed boy leak my location? Did the army mobilize a Subjugation Squad to come get me? Or was it related to the Demon King’s Army from the other day?
No, that seemed unlikely. If it were the Minotaurs returning, that would be one thing, but these were humans.
Regardless, my current situation was dire. If they were Kingdom Soldiers, they were likely trained to kill monsters on sight. Even if they weren't looking for me specifically, they might just decide to hunt me for sport.
Did I have no choice but to fight? I wanted to settle things peacefully if I could. Besides, if a fight started and even one of them escaped, what then? I’d have to live in fear every day that they’d return for revenge, just like those Minotaurs.
Humans felt a far stronger hatred for monsters than the Demon King’s Army did. If I was found out, they’d definitely form a Subjugation Squad to eliminate me.
If the soldiers got any closer, they’d definitely find a single giant flower growing in the middle of nowhere suspicious. They’d come closer to investigate.
There was only one way to prevent that. I had to use mimicry. I had to become a human. I had to convince them to leave peacefully.
I was a former human. I was a Saint once; surely I could do this. But I’d been a plant for so long now... I was so anxious. Could I still pull it off in this body?
──No, I can't lose heart!
If I’m worried, I just have to become an actress. I’ll put on a transparent mask and hide my plant self. I’ll perform the role of an ordinary girl. If I mind-control myself into believing it, I’m sure I’ll find the courage.
You can do it, me! You are human! You aren't an Alraune! You are a human girl!!
──Yes. I think I can do this. I wasn't an Alraune. I was just an ordinary girl who happened to live in the forest.
Alright, I could do this. I just had to remember what it was like back when I was a Saint. I would mimic a human so perfectly that they’d never suspect I was a plant monster!
Thank you for reading. Tomorrow’s update is scheduled for once a day. If you enjoyed the story or want to cheer me on, I’d be very happy if you could support me with a bookmark or a ★★★★★ rating. Your support is what keeps me writing!
Next time: Please believe me! I know it looks like a flower is blooming from my lower body, but I’m just an ordinary human!