I was Alraune, a young plant monster girl.
At that moment, I was flying through the sky, carried aloft by the white bird. I never would have dreamed I’d end up soaring through the clouds while stuck inside a bucket. You really never knew what life was going to throw at you.
The reason I, a plant, was able to travel was that the little witch had repotted me. I had effectively become a potted Alraune. While it meant I had moved into a new home, it wasn't exactly a high-quality residence. The soil in my flowerpot was bone-dry and desperate for water. If the little witch were to abandon me now, I would surely die.
No matter what happened, I couldn't afford to let her leave me behind. Besides, the bucket was such a perfect fit that I didn't think I could get out even if I tried. I was wedged in tight; escaping on my own was impossible.
And so, there I was, suspended in the air inside my bucket. Being transported by the white bird made me feel less like a passenger and more like a piece of cargo. Still, the wind felt wonderful against my leaves. The view was vast, allowing me to see far into the distance. I wondered if the birds in the sky always enjoyed this sense of freedom.
The fact that I could move like this at all was entirely thanks to the little witch. She had transformed into a white bird and was flying while clutching the bucket in her talons. Since she could use levitation magic, she seemed to have no trouble traveling even while carrying my weight. It would have been easier for her to carry me in her human form, but since we didn't know who might be watching, she had chosen the bird transformation. It would have been far too suspicious to see a girl flying through the air with a bucket, after all.
The white bird flew gracefully high above the blackened earth. She seemed so accustomed to flight that she looked like a genuine bird. I turned my gaze from her toward the ground below. The scorched remains of the forest stretched on endlessly—a landscape turned pitch black by the flames. It seemed the wildfire started by the Flame Dragon had consumed a massive area. This region was no longer fit for living creatures to inhabit.
That was why we were searching for a new home—a vast, healthy forest. The little witch said there was one in this direction; she had apparently passed through it when she fled from the Empire to the Kingdom.
While we flew, she shared various stories from her past. We had plenty of time to kill up there, after all. It wasn't exactly a formal introduction, but she told me a great deal about what had happened during the year she spent watching over me. Apparently, she really had been looking after me and protecting me from the shadows. Honestly, I couldn't thank her enough. It truly made me happy to know that while I thought I was alone, she had been there for me all along.
Thinking of the forest made me miss my lady knight, Hachi-san, as well as Madam Butterfly and the other tefutefu. I could only hope everyone had managed to escape the fire safely.
As I was reminiscing about the members of my forest circle, the white bird let out a weary chirp.
"I'm getting a little tired of flying," she admitted.
"Do you want to take a break?"
"I think I'll be fine if I replenish some energy. So... I want some nectar."
That little witch! She segued into asking for my nectar so naturally! I wondered if it was really okay to keep giving it to her. I had only just given her some before we took off because she said she was hungry.
"Alraune nectar is my favorite. I think I'll feel much better if I have some. Is that a no?"
Seriously, since when had my nectar become her favorite food? She had only tasted it for the first time a few hours ago. It was far too early to declare it her favorite. But when the white bird pleaded with such a sweet voice, I found I couldn't refuse.
Taking pity on her, I decided to play the role of the big sister and grant her request. Between a small bird and a young girl Alraune, I looked like the older one by a hair, right? Well, once she returned to her human form, I would clearly be the younger one, but still...
Gunu-nu.
Even if my mental age was higher, the physical difference was frustrating. I bit into my vine, coated it with nectar, and extended it toward the bird's beak. The white bird lapped it up as she glided through the air. Looking satisfied, she offered a quick "Thank you" and continued flapping her wings as if nothing had happened.
Our comfortable journey continued until a change finally appeared in the monotonous scenery. In the far distance, I spotted something that looked like a long, thin pole. As we drew closer, its true identity became clear.
It was a tower.
Unlike the Japan of my previous life, high-rise buildings hardly existed in this world. A tower tall enough to be seen from such a distance was a rare sight, making it easy to identify. There was only one such landmark in this region: Tower City.
There was no mistake. It was the large city spreading across the heights, centered around the massive tower that served as its symbol. It was arguably the most prosperous city in these borderlands. I recalled seeing on a map that there was a great forest near Tower City. If we lived there, this city would be our nearest neighbor.
As I pondered this, I noticed a highway appearing at the edge of the blackened wasteland. As we approached the city, signs of civilization were returning. It appeared we weren't the only ones heading toward Tower City; a single carriage was traveling along the road.
However, something else on that carriage caught my eye, sparking a sudden interest. I was stunned. I never thought I would lay eyes on that symbol again.
The crest emblazoned on the carriage was the mark of the church's Heiliger Cathedral. To the general public, it was known as the Saint's Mark. Most people in the country who could manifest light magic were brought to the Heiliger Cathedral in the Royal Capital. Owned by the church, the cathedral served as a training institution for apprentice saints.
I, too, had belonged to the Heiliger Cathedral during my time as a Saint. This meant there was a high probability that an apprentice saint was inside that carriage. She was likely being transferred to the church in Tower City.
Back when I was active, I was the only person in the country recognized as a Saint. Even if a new one had been named since my departure, there would only be one or two at most. Therefore, someone sent to such a remote frontier was almost certainly an apprentice saint, not a full Saint. Apprentice saints were valued as users of light magic in both peace and war, and were thus stationed in the churches of major regional cities.
I wondered if the person in that carriage was someone I knew. The shitty junior who had betrayed me had supposedly married the Hero in the capital, so she wouldn't be sent to a backwater like this. That meant the carriage didn't contain my nemesis. If it was an old acquaintance, it would be quite nostalgic, I thought, as memories of my life as a human Saint resurfaced.
I felt a twinge of longing for those days. But I could never return to that life. I was no longer human. I had become a monster—an enemy of humanity.
As I was reflecting on the Saint's Mark that had once represented my comrades, I felt a strange presence. I sensed eyes on us. It didn't feel like it was coming from the carriage, yet I couldn't see any other humans on the ground. Perhaps the gaze wasn't coming from below.
I turned my face upward. High above us, a single large bird was circling. It was a Begia-Ad Adler, a giant eagle-type monster. It was a terrifying predator capable of snatching away not just humans, but even other large monsters in its talons.
The realization that such a fearsome creature was looming over us made my skin crawl. The little witch noticed it too, whispering, "That bird is scary."
Were we in trouble? If that violent giant eagle attacked, the white bird wouldn't stand a chance. Even if I fought back as a plant monster, the eagle had the clear advantage in the sky. We would be devoured in an instant.
Uugh.
I hadn't realized the sky was such a dangerous place. Even birds that seemed to fly so freely had to live in constant fear of predators. The little witch tried desperately to put distance between us and the eagle, but she was no match for its speed. We couldn't outrun it.
I thought it was all over... but as time passed, the giant eagle never drew any closer. It was strange; we were well within its reach, yet it didn't strike. It simply looked down on us from the heights, as if it were monitoring us or perhaps watching the Saint's carriage on the ground.
Eventually, the eagle flew off without having done anything at all. I had no idea what it wanted, but I was relieved we were safe.
As the sun began to set, Tower City loomed large before us. Simultaneously, our destination came into view.
"There it is! The new forest!" the little witch cried out happily.
However, a bizarre sight awaited us. The blackened, scorched earth came to an abrupt, clean stop. The boundary between the forest and the wasteland was a perfectly straight line. It looked as though an invisible wall had stood there, shielding the trees from the dragon's fire. The forest beyond that line was completely untouched.
It was utterly unnatural. I could only assume some supernatural power was at work.
We had arrived at this mysterious place. This great forest adjacent to Tower City was famous enough to be named on maps: the Dryades' Forest. It was an ancient expanse that had existed long before the founding of the Kingdom—a domain of the Non-human Realm where monsters had roamed for a millennium.
This was to be our new home. The little witch and I descended into the inexplicable, terrifying depths of the demon forest. Our new life was finally about to begin.