I woke from my nap.
Unfortunately, it seemed I hadn't been able to dream. But what was this? A warmth spread through my body, as if someone were gently cradling me.
I unfurled my bud.
When I did, I found the Little Witch clinging to me. She had already returned from her shopping trip to the city.
"Ah, you bloomed! Alraune, are you okay!?"
"I am... fine."
"I thought you might have withered again while I was gone..."
The Little Witch squeezed me tight. Apparently, seeing my bud closed during the middle of the day had made her anxious. It certainly was unusual for me not to have my flower in bloom during the daylight hours. I felt a swell of happiness knowing how much she cared for me.
"Here, I brought you some fertilizer."
"Thank... you."
I was stunned. I couldn't have imagined that the Little Witch, who should have been practically penniless, could actually afford fertilizer. It seemed she had run into the regular customer who buys my nectar, and the woman had provided the money for the purchase.
As I thought, that woman is simply too kind. She’s become such a loyal customer that, to us, she really is a Saint.
After she scattered the fertilizer, she gave me plenty of water.
Fertilizer is the best! Water is delicious!
Now that I was feeling energetic again, my mind began to sharpen. I never would have expected to be attacked by a fairy. That Poison Fairy had claimed to be a member of the Demon King's Army. At the same time, she said she was acting under Lady Dryades' orders.
Combining these two facts, doesn't it stand to reason that Lady Dryades is also a member of the Demon King's Army?
However, that was pure speculation. I needed to ask Fairy Kiri for the details. Kiri had already switched her allegiance from Lady Dryades to me just for a taste of nectar; if I asked, she might actually speak the truth.
But if the Poison Fairy was from the Demon King's Army, it would be quite a problem if Kiri, being a fellow fairy, was a member as well. And to begin with, who exactly was the person the Poison Fairy had been searching for? That remained a mystery.
"Hey, Alraune. I heard a strange story in the city just now."
The Little Witch began to speak with a serious expression. It seemed she had heard a tale about the Forest Spirit and the Hero from our regular customer.
"That Dryades... apparently, she killed the Hero of fifty years ago."
"Is that... true?"
"Yeah. It's a famous story in the Tower City."
Lady Dryades, the Forest Spirit, killed the Hero of 50 Years Ago. That explained why the Hero's Grave was in that Sanctuary. Because she had killed him herself, she had fallen silent when I questioned her about the grave—it was a difficult subject to address. The pieces of the puzzle were fitting together.
I didn't know why someone who was supposed to be a Forest Spirit would do away with a Hero, but this story corroborated my theory. If she was the Hero's enemy, then Lady Dryades was surely a member of the Demon King's Army. And if she was in the Demon King's Army, she would have had a thousand reasons to kill a Hero.
Still, it felt a little strange. Lady Dryades had saved me and the Little Witch. Furthermore, she had appointed me the Forest Bodyguard. If she were truly a member of the Demon King's Army, she should have had plenty of powerful allies without needing to recruit me. Besides, it felt odd for her to betray us now. It would have been much more efficient to attack us a few days ago when the Little Witch was unconscious.
When I thought about it that way, I couldn't bring myself to believe Lady Dryades was truly a bad person.
"Yoo-hoo! Oh, what are you two looking so serious about?"
The carefree Fairy Kiri appeared. Our information source had arrived at the perfect time.
Miss Fairy, please excuse my rudeness.
"Eh? Wait, Alraune, what are you doing all of a sudden!?"
I snared Miss Fairy with my vines. To be safe, I tightened them just enough to be threatening.
"Answer... honestly."
"W-what...?"
"Everything... about... this forest."
I demanded that Fairy Kiri tell me about Lady Dryades, the other fairies, and the Hero's Grave from fifty years ago.
"I can't tell you everything! That's way beyond what I'm allowed to tell outsiders who have nothing to do with this forest."
"You... switched... from Lady Dryades... to me... didn't you?"
"Even so, I'm a guardian of the forest. I have to honor my secrecy."
It seemed she wouldn't talk easily. I suppose it couldn't be helped. I didn't want to use this method if I could avoid it, but I had no choice but to play my hand.
I pulled out a bucket I had hidden behind my back. It was filled to the brim with nectar—fresh nectar I had just produced after replenishing my strength with fertilizer and water.
"N-nectar?! This much...!"
Fairy Kiri began to drool. She was reacting quite strongly to it. Without giving her a choice in the matter, I submerged her directly into the bucket of nectar.
"The nectar is amazing! It’s a nectar bathhhhh!!"
Having experienced being "pickled" before, Miss Fairy was overcome with excitement as she wallowed in the liquid. After waiting a few seconds, I slowly hoisted her back up with my vines.
"Ah..."
When I pulled her out of the nectar, she let out a lonely whimper. It seemed she wanted to go back in. So, I dropped her into the bucket once more. After watching her frolic for a while, I pulled her back up.
"Ahhh..."
Miss Fairy’s expression was pathetically sad. She was clearly obsessed.
"If... you tell me... about the forest... I'll let you... soak... again."
"I-if you think I'll yield over something like this, you're dead wrong!"
"And... I'll give... you... all of this."
"Yes! I'll tell you anything I know, Alraune-sama!"
Fairy Kiri... I never imagined she would fall for nectar this easily. I felt a chill run through me as I watched her dive back into the bucket.
"I'm sorry, Lady Dryades! But this nectar is just too incredible!"
"Kiri... is on... my side... right?"
"I've decided! This time for sure, I'm Alraune's fairy, heart and soul!"
While gulping down the nectar, Miss Fairy promised to be my fairy once again. I was honestly surprised by how effective it was.
What exactly is my nectar? For it to be so sweet and delicious that it causes a fairy to undergo such a complete personality shift... I wonder what it actually tastes like?
At any rate, Kiri was now completely my fairy. All that was left was to let her indulge in her nectar bath while she told me everything she knew about the forest.
"Now... tell me... everything... you know."
"You got it!"
And so, I was finally about to learn the Truth of the Forest.
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Next time: Apprentice Saint's Work Struggle Chronicle.