I’m Alraune, a young plant monster girl.
And this is the Treant—a withered tree who left me behind to escape a fire all by itself.
Suddenly, I’d been reunited with an acquaintance I never expected to see again.
Emerging from the bushes, the Treant charged toward me with a surprisingly sharp sprinting form.
Startled, I reflexively shielded myself with my vines.
The sheer momentum of its approach was honestly a little terrifying!
But the Treant didn’t actually slam into me. Instead, it came to a screeching, dead stop just inches away.
It loomed over me, standing tall and imposing, turning the situation into a tense standoff.
Gunuuu...
Curse you, Treant!
How dare you leave me behind like that?
I’d begged for help during the fire, and you just bolted. It was heartbreaking. I can still remember watching your back as you ran away, wanting to cry.
Do you have any idea how it feels to be abandoned by a fellow plant monster?
Then again, a Treant who can walk freely probably wouldn't understand.
Fine. Maybe I’ll just eat you.
If I do, I might gain your walking ability and finally be able to move on my own. That would be perfect!
Decision made. It was time for lunch.
Sorry, Mr. Treant.
We have a lot of catching up to do, but let's save the small talk for inside my stomach.
I lashed my vines toward him.
Suddenly, a small ball of light zipped out from behind his trunk.
“I’m back, everyone!”
The one who popped out was that fairy.
Why on earth was she with the Treant!?
Shocked, I halted my attack.
Kiri drifted down and landed right on top of my head.
She seemed to have taken a liking to that particular spot.
“I made it back faster than I expected! How have you been?”
She chirped a cheerful greeting. Her speed was impressive, but I was more baffled by the fact that she’d come back with him.
The fairy’s gaze shifted to the unconscious Little Witch. “She doesn’t look so good,” she muttered.
Exactly! I needed her help to save her!
But what was the story with the Treant?
I hadn't realized they even knew each other.
“Oh, that’s right, Alraune. You know this Treant?”
“How... do you... know?”
“I can talk to plants, remember? I ran into him on my way back, and since he seemed to be looking for an Alraune, I decided to bring him with me.”
Looking for me?
Why would the Treant who abandoned me be searching for an Alraune now?
“He told me he left you behind during a fire. Apparently, he's been regretting it ever since. He wanted to make amends if he ever ran into another Alraune.”
What...?
I was stunned that he’d actually been worried about me. Judging by the way he’d galloped away so gracefully while leaving me to die, I hadn't sensed even a hint of remorse.
“You’d just told me about being driven out by a fire, so it clicked. I figured you two might be the ones.”
Bullseye.
Though I was a lot smaller now than I was back then.
“It looks like he recognized you as the same Alraune, despite your new look,” the fairy whispered into my ear.
“He seems to really like you. He’s all fired up—says he’ll do anything for you, even if it costs him his life.”
I knew he liked me; it felt like he’d been watching over me for a long time. Or stalking me, depending on how you looked at it.
“What... does... he... want?”
The Treant remained silent. Kiri answered for him.
“No use asking him directly; he doesn't understand human speech. He can't talk, either.”
I see.
It made sense; it would be weirder if a forest-born Treant could understand humans. That meant he hadn't even understood me when I begged him for help.
Kiri flew off my head and hovered near the Treant.
“Don’t worry, I’ll translate.”
A fairy who speaks plant. That was a pretty handy skill for a forest sprite to have.
“Hmm, I see. It sounds like he wants to become your Subordinate.”
—A Subordinate?!
What did that even mean?
Like a lackey or a junior? Did that make me the Boss!?
“He says he won't insist on traveling with you, but he wants to help you out as a neighbor. He considers it atonement for leaving you behind in the fire.”
When Kiri finished her explanation, the Treant stepped forward and bowed deeply.
He looked just like an obedient servant.
To be honest, I’d planned on eating him. I had no mercy for someone who’d left me to die.
But if he couldn't understand human speech, then he hadn't ignored my plea—he just hadn't known what I was saying. And now he was here, begging to be my lackey out of pure remorse.
Faced with this much sincerity and humility, I couldn't exactly just scarf him down. I wasn't that much of a villain.
So, I made my decision. I’d accept him as my Subordinate.
Maybe it was because I’d been alone for so long, but being needed felt... nice.
Besides, the Little Witch was in critical condition. I was desperate enough to take any help I could get, even from a tree.
—Ahem.
I’d never been a Boss before, but I was willing to try my best for the sake of my poor “lost lamb.” Since this was my very first underling, I decided to hold a little internal ceremony.
Imitating a knightly Investiture Ceremony, I extended a vine and tapped the branches on the Treant’s shoulder.
I hereby permit you to serve as my subordinate.
He didn't have enough of my trust to be a "Knight" like Hachi-san yet, so he’d have to work his way up from Junior status.
I had Kiri translate my acceptance.
“He’s thrilled! Still, first a Stray Witch and now a Treant... you sure attract some weird ones. After all, this Treant is a fe—”
The Treant rustled his branches violently, cutting her off.
“Fine, fine. I’ll keep your secret. Relax.”
What was that about? His eyes? What about them?
Now that I looked closer, his eyes reminded me of a Halloween jack-o’-lantern from my previous life in Japan. They were a little creepy.
Kiri finished her private chat with him and turned back to me.
“He wants to know if you have any orders. What’s the plan?”
Orders, huh?
Well, he could walk. I should have him look for food for the Little Witch and me. And while he was at it, he could look for some rare plants to help me level up my abilities.
As soon as Kiri translated, my new Junior tried to dash off.
“Wait... hold... on.”
I snared him with my vines to stop him.
I’d just had a great idea.
Before he went foraging, I’d use him as a Transporter!
Clutching the Little Witch, I gestured for him to pick me up.
The message got through. He extended his branches like arms and scooped up both me and my bucket. Now, if I just pointed the way with my vines, he could carry me wherever I needed to go.
“Where are we going?” Kiri asked, flying ahead.
“The... city. Need... medicine... food... for... her.”
“If an Alraune and a Treant waltz into a city, you’re just going to get burned at the stake,” Kiri warned.
I knew that, but what choice did I have?
“If you're desperate enough to try a human city, I’ve got a better idea. I’ll take you somewhere that’ll have her on her feet in no time.”
“Really?”
“Of course!” Kiri hopped onto my head. “Treant! Run exactly where I tell you!”
At her command, he bolted toward the heart of the forest. He really was incredibly fast for a tree.
“Where... are... we... going?”
“To the Forest Sanctuary.”
A sanctuary? I hadn't realized this forest had one.
“If we ask the Lord of the Forest for help, she’ll be fine.”
The Lord of the Forest? My mind immediately flashed to that massive bear, the Laobubear. Bear-papa was the only one who came to mind.
“I’ve been meaning to introduce you anyway, so the timing is perfect. I’m sure she’ll like you.”
“The... Lord... isn't... a... bear... right?”
If I ended up being “liked” by someone like Bear-papa again, I’d be back in that nightmare of constant face-licking. Even for the Little Witch’s sake, I really wanted to avoid that.
“Oh, she’s much scarier than a bear. But she's beautiful, too. She is the Forest Spirit, after all.”
Well, at least it wasn't Bear-papa.
But wait... a Forest Spirit? That sounded like someone incredibly high-ranking.
“The one we're meeting is the spirit who has ruled this land since the Ancient Forest was first born: Lady Dryades.”
Dryades.
Even I knew that name. She was a legend, spoken of only in myths and old books.
I swallowed the Raw Nectar pooling in my mouth.
It had been a year since I was reborn as an Alraune, and it looked like I was finally going to meet a true celebrity of the plant kingdom.