I was Alraune, a plant monster girl.
Peace had returned to the forest after we repelled the Stalker Four Heavenly Kings. It had been quite an ordeal, but above all, I was just glad everyone was safe. Thanks to that, my quiet life with the Little Witch resumed.
Even the next day, the Little Witch seemed to be dwelling on the story Lady Dryades had shared. "I wonder why the Hero gave flowers to his lover, the Big Sister Dryades?"
She was referring to the tale of the Hero of 50 years ago and the Fallen Dryades. Being careful not to let it slip that I was once human, I decided to enlighten her. "It... is... a... custom... to... give... flowers... to... someone... you... like, isn't... it?" "I see."
Come to think of it, I had once received a bouquet from the Hero myself back when we were engaged. I was so happy then. He gave me yellow roses, saying they suited my golden hair perfectly.
According to my knowledge as a high school girl from my previous life, the flower language for a yellow rose included "jealousy," "fading love," and "parting." They weren't exactly the sort of thing you gave a lover, but I suppose the Hero didn't know that. Even so, simply receiving flowers from the person I loved had been enough to make me radiate joy. How nostalgic...
...Wait. Hold on a second. Our relationship hadn't felt strained at the time. And yet, everything that followed mirrored the flower language of those yellow roses exactly. No way. Are you kidding me?
I didn't think for a moment that the Hero knew the flower language, but the reality was that he had abandoned me. The "prophecy" of the yellow roses had come true. "Jealousy," "fading love," and "parting." Every one of them had fallen upon me, accompanied by a betrayal called death. How horrific...
Maybe because I accepted those yellow roses that day, all those disasters were set in motion. Ugh. If I could go back, I’d want to return to that day and whisper in the Hero's ear, begging him to give me any flower other than a yellow rose.
It was the Little Witch's innocent voice that pulled me out of my spiral of sorrow. "If I gave you a flower, Alraune, how would you feel?" Wait—did that mean she was planning to give me a gift? There was only one possible answer! "I... would... be... very... happy." "Oh..." The Little Witch's reply was curt, but her expression was alight with excitement. As the "big sister" figure here, I decided to play along and pretend I hadn't noticed.
But really, she mustn't give me yellow roses. They were seeds of misfortune. If she did, another calamity might strike me. Since I died the last time it happened, I’d probably die this time, too...
"Well, Alraune, I’m heading out." "Please... be... careful."
As I watched the Little Witch leave to sell her nectar, I turned my attention to the former golden bird-man lying nearby. Specifically, Garda-fresvelg of the Radiant Crown, one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Fairy Kiri had plucked every last one of his feathers, leaving him in a truly pathetic state. It felt cruel to leave him exposed like that. I decided to hide the evidence.
Snap. Munch, munch. Thank you for the meal.
Now, what to do with the golden feathers we harvested? They looked like they’d fetch a high price, but selling them now might alert the Demon King’s Army that we were the ones who took down a member of the Four Heavenly Kings. I decided it would be better to wait a while before putting them on the market. Besides, they were imbued with light magic, so they might have uses beyond mere currency. Perhaps I could use them as a nutritional substitute for photosynthesis.
"Store... them... all... somewhere." "Understood, Lady Alraune!" Kiri chirped before fluttering away.
I was the only one left in the clearing. My "little sister" Treant, the withered tree, was running around the forest as she always did. With nothing to do, I decided to sow some seeds in the area. The massive light magic used by Garda-fresvelg of the Radiant Crown had turned the land around me into a barren waste where nothing grew. I resolved to begin reforestation and bring back the greenery.
I used my vines to generate flowers from various plants, pollinating them one after another. Then, I fired the seeds out using my Teppou-uri Machine Gun. Phew. That was the first round done. I hoped they would sprout soon. It was lonely being the only plant around. I wanted to surround myself with beautiful, vibrant flowers.
The Little Witch returned in the evening. Today's nectar sales were respectable. She had sold to the usual regular, three of that woman's acquaintances, and one man. That was four times her previous sales volume. As expected of the Little Witch—she really was like a sister to me. She could do anything she put her mind to!
"And, um... I have a present for you, Alraune..." The Little Witch fidgeted, her body twisting bashfully. It was glaringly obvious she was hiding something behind her back. "Here... this is for you." Looking shy, she held out a single white flower. I knew exactly what she was doing, but I felt a bit mischievous and decided to play dumb. "Why... is... this... for... me?" "You defeated that really strong enemy from the Demon King's Army—the 'Shitenno,' right? This is your reward."
A reward from the Little Witch. Defeating that bird-man had definitely been worth it. "And also... you said it was a custom to give flowers to someone you like, right?" "Someone... I... like..." She must have spent all day searching the forest for this. That was why she hadn't come back from the town until so late. She had wandered through the woods until dusk just for me. I was genuinely moved.
"Why... did... you... choose... a... white... one?" "I couldn't decide. I thought about a red flower to match your petals, or a green one to match your hair." In Lady Dryades’ story, the Hero had given a blue flower to match his lover's hair. My hair was green. Yet the Little Witch had chosen white—not green like my hair, red like my corolla, or gold like my eyes. I was curious about her reasoning.
"But then I realized that since you are a flower, giving you a flower that 'suits' you felt a bit strange." That was true. It would be pretty funny to tell a girl, "Here's a beautiful flower that matches your hair!" when the girl herself was a flower. "I'm an Alraune, so I'm literally a flower. Are you saying this one is prettier than me?" I could practically see a couple breaking up over a misunderstanding like that. Though I suppose that was a uniquely monster-girl problem.
"I decided there was no flower more suited to you than you are. So I wanted to give you a flower that would act as my substitute... I wanted you to cherish it as if it were me." Oh, Little Witch... How adorable. In other words, this white flower was her. She was giving herself to me. Thinking about it that way made even me feel a bit flustered. Well then, I wouldn't hold back. No older sister would fail to cherish a gift from her younger sister.
"I... will... treasure... it." "Yeah!"
Snap. Munch, munch. Thank you for the meal.
"...No way," the Little Witch whispered, her voice trembling. "Wh-at? You ate it...?" She stared at me with an expression of pure disbelief. She even started muttering about how an Alraune was a plant after all, and couldn't possibly understand the human heart. No, Little Witch, you've got it all wrong! Look!
I caused a single white flower to bloom from my vine. "This... way... I... can... keep... it... blooming... forever." "...Is that okay with you, Alraune?" "I... am... so... happy."
Now I could bloom the flower she gave me whenever I wanted. The truth was, if I ate a withered flower, I couldn't assimilate its properties. I had to take it into my body while it was still at its peak beauty. And besides, did she know what this first gift of hers actually was? It was a lily. A white lily.
The flower language for a white lily was "dignity," "sweetness," and "purity." It was a perfect fit for a former Saint like me, and for an innocent soul like the Little Witch. (The fact that I’d already been pollinated once via my main pistil since becoming an Alraune was a complete non-issue. The me of that time was in a different body. Therefore, I was currently a picture of innocence and integrity. Also, pollinating flowers on my own vines didn't count.)
I doubted the Little Witch, who didn't even know what photosynthesis was, knew anything about flower language. Even so, the white lily looked just like her hair. Just looking at it made me feel her presence. From that day forward, the white lily became the symbol of the Little Witch within me.
I began blooming white lilies one after another along my vines. Before I knew it, my entire body had become a field of lilies. "It looks like you're wearing a dress made of white flowers. It's the perfect contrast to your red petals. You're so beautiful, Alraune." Looking bashful, the Little Witch gently touched one of the lilies blooming from me. I used my lily-covered vines to softly squeeze her hand in return.
"Thank... you... for... the... flower." "...You're welcome." The Little Witch's cheeks flushed crimson. I gently enveloped her in those white flowers of purity. Her white hair and my lily-laden vines mingled until they were one. The two shades of white blended together, standing there like a single, magnificent bloom.
The lily flowers had bloomed.
Thank you for reading. If you found this chapter interesting or want to support the story, I would be very happy if you would bookmark it or leave a ★★★★★ rating. Your support is a huge encouragement for my writing.
Next time: The Lone Wolf Magic Swordsman sets out on a second journey.