I was in a total bind.
The Flame Dragon, a high-ranking member of the dragon kin, was closing in on my position. He was an existence so far above me that the very idea of hosting a tea party to entertain him was laughable.
The white bird had been right—hiding was my only option. This wasn't the kind of opponent I could just shower with poison pollen and hope for the best. If I tried anything, I’d just end up being trampled like a common weed pulled from the garden.
I decided to commit to the role of a normal flower and hide. I wound vines around my entire body, thickening my Vine Cocoon as much as possible. I even snapped my bud shut.
I was terrified, after all.
As the Flame Dragon drew near, I hugged myself tightly inside the cramped space of my bud. My entire body was trembling, and I wasn't sure if it was from the vibrations of his footsteps or my own fear. No, it wasn't just the ground shaking. It was me. I was shaking like a leaf.
A creature of such extraordinary terror was right outside. He might incinerate me in an instant, or perhaps just step on me without noticing. There was even the possibility he might decide to eat me. The sheer horror of it all nearly had me in tears. Nectar began to pool at the bottom of my bud, little by little.
Wait... what if he steps on me?
If I stayed closed up like a flower and he stepped on me, wouldn't that still be the end? Or if he suddenly breathed fire, I’d be roasted alive.
But there was nothing I could do. I could only pray that the Great Flame Dragon would pass me by without crushing me underfoot.
I offered up a prayer to the gods from within my bud. But deep down, I already knew the truth. There were no gods. If there were, they would have saved me a long time ago. No matter how many times I had prayed before, help never came. My life-or-death survival in this forest had simply continued unabated.
And once again, my prayers were crushed by fate.
Because, without warning, the Flame Dragon spoke to me.
"Hey, you there. Alraune."
—Eh?
The Flame Dragon had spoken. That in itself wasn't entirely shocking; dragons were a sub-race of the Demon Race, after all. It was only natural they understood human speech. What truly shocked me was how he knew I was an Alraune.
I mean, from his perspective, shouldn't I have looked like nothing more than a tangled lump of vines? Even if parts of my body were poking through, as long as my bud remained closed, I should have appeared as nothing more than an oversized red flower.
"It is useless to hide. Come out at once."
What was I supposed to do? He was demanding I show myself. I never imagined things would take this turn. Who could have predicted a Flame Dragon would strike up a conversation? No one, that’s who.
Would it be so wrong to just pretend nobody was home?
"What is this? I heard you were a beautiful flower, but if you will not show yourself, I shall simply burn you where you stand."
Whatever could you mean, Mr. Flame Dragon? No... Great Flame Dragon.
I immediately unraveled my Vine Cocoon and bloomed my bud.
"Good day to you, Mr. Dragon."
Up close, he was even more massive than I thought. And his body was burning with an incredible intensity. His tail, glowing with scorching heat, was absolutely dazzling. The pressure he exerted was overwhelming—in scale, in heat, and in the sheer weight of his presence.
The Flame Dragon observed me intently. He took in the vines sprawling across the dirt, my large round bulb, the beautiful red corolla, and finally, my human form serving as the pistil.
"I see. You are indeed a beautiful Alraune."
My heart skipped a beat. The Flame Dragon actually complimented me? Maybe he was a surprisingly decent guy. I felt a small spark of joy.
"G-Good day..." I stammered.
I had to give him a proper greeting. I needed to get on his good side, even just a little, if I wanted to avoid being turned into charcoal.
The Flame Dragon nodded slightly, his massive jaws moving as he spoke.
"Indeed, I have never seen such a beautiful and lovely Plant Monster. You are so exquisite I am tempted to take you home as a decorative plant for my own residence."
No way. A dragon’s houseplant? Come to think of it, I felt like that Minotaur had said something similar. Was I actually... popular?
"I was told your nectar was delicious, and indeed, you possess a most intoxicating fragrance."
Wait, was this the "dessert-cum-pet houseplant" route? When the Minotaur suggested it, I still had the spirit to resist. I absolutely refused a life of being enslaved by a mere Minotaur, existing only to have my nectar licked away.
But against this Flame Dragon, my rebellious spirit had already turned to ash and scattered. I had no chance of winning a fair fight. Given his size, even if I managed to make him inhale my poison pollen, it would likely have a negligible effect.
That left my poison nectar as a final resort, but I was skeptical. I doubted even my most potent nectar could bring down a dragon of this scale in a single gulp. My safest bet would be to slowly infect him with poison over time. However, that would mean letting him lick me again and again.
If I could just endure being captured and licked, I might be able to defeat him eventually, even if I started out as his prisoner. Perhaps there was still a path to survival.
The Flame Dragon leaned in, bringing his face dangerously close to peer at me. He took a deep breath through his nostrils. The red corolla growing from my waist fluttered violently from the wind pressure.
"I see, nectar spills from your eyes. Your appearance is to my liking, but the scent of your nectar promises even greater pleasure."
A massive glob of drool escaped the Flame Dragon's mouth and fell to the ground. The moment it hit the earth, it ignited.
What kind of terrifying drool was that?!
Wait, if his drool was literally on fire, then wouldn't I catch fire the moment his tongue touched me? I never imagined such a terrifying brand of "licking" could exist in this world.
If that were the case, he’d only get one taste before I was incinerated. I wouldn't be able to poison him, and I certainly wouldn't survive. As I thought, the "dessert-cum-pet houseplant" career was off the table.
"Yet, it is strange," he continued. "I find it hard to believe that you were the one who defeated Dickkopf."
I blinked. "I'm sorry, what did you just say? Dickkopf?"
What was that word? I had never heard it in my life. Given the context, was it a name?
"I'm afraid I don't know anyone by that name, Great Flame Dragon. Perhaps there has been a misunderstanding?"
"You have the... wrong person," I added, hoping he'd believe a simple flower like me.
"That is impossible. My subordinate Minotaur reported it to me himself, so there can be no mistake."
Subordinate Minotaur?! Could he mean the leader of those Minotaurs—the one with the eyepatch? So that guy actually had a name like Dickkopf. Well, there was no way I could have known that. The "ball" had started without any proper introductions, after all. It would have been stranger if I did know his name. Besides, Demon Race names were always so bizarre.
Since he was the boss of those Minotaurs, that meant this Flame Dragon was definitely part of the Demon King's Army. His size and power were so far off the charts it was frightening.
Wait, did that mean the "Lord Glühschwanz" the Eyepatch Minotaur had muttered about at the end was this dragon? I had assumed the name belonged to someone powerful, but my imagination hadn't come close to the reality.
But a Flame Dragon as a direct superior to a Minotaur? That felt like skipping a few steps in the hierarchy. Weren't there supposed to be middle-management demons? Why did the CEO suddenly show up on the front lines?
From what I could see, this guy was significantly stronger than the Demon King's Army Executives my Hero party had fought in the past. Seriously, who was he?
He had to be an Executive, but the scale was all wrong. I felt incredibly small and overwhelmed.
"I am truly humbled that such an esteemed personage would grace me with his presence," I said, my voice trembling with polite desperation. "I am most grateful that you have traveled so far to visit my humble abode. Regarding this Mr. Dickkopf... he isn't here, you see. I believe he went off that way with his companions. They left for somewhere else entirely... so he isn't here! And I certainly didn't eat them. You see, I've always found bear meat much more to my liking than beef."
"I have come all the way to this forest," the dragon rumbled, ignoring my excuses. "It is a waste, but it cannot be helped. I shall attend to my business while I am here."
"Business? Well, thank you for your hard work. I'm a little curious, but it doesn't involve me, does it...?"
"I heard everything from the Minotaur who fled back to me," the dragon said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous register. "You are the one who murdered my subordinate, Dickkopf."
—Eh?
"Therefore, you shall die here."
Flames began to swirl and accumulate inside the Flame Dragon's maw.
Wait, was I about to be killed for revenge? He knew everything. I couldn't bluff my way out of this. That one Rear-guard Minotaur must have leaked everything. I couldn't believe my life was ending just because I let a single one escape...
"H-Have you no mercy?"
"I have lost a precious subordinate. I shall settle his regrets by taking your life as atonement."
What was with this dragon and his "power of friendship"?! If you're in the Demon King's Army, you're supposed to be a heartless villain! Don't come all this way just to avenge a comrade; go find a city to burn down or something!
"Farewell, beautiful Flower Monster."
Great Flame Dragon... please. I don't want to die yet. I don't want to be burned to ash. I'll be your dessert! I'll be your pet houseplant! I'll even seal away my poison nectar!
So please, I beg of you... somehow, some way...
"P-PLEASE FORGIVE MEEEEEEEEEE!!"