The following is still from the perspective of the Newbie Apprentice Saint.
My name was Nina.
I served as an Apprentice Saint in Tower City.
Trapped within the Alraune’s vines, I had fully intended to take the monster down with me using a fire bottle.
But at that exact moment, a gift from the heavens reached my nostrils.
Yes, it was that nectar!
For some reason, the unmistakable scent of the Saint Nectar Rufe-chan sold was wafting from the Man-eater Alraune.
In an instant, my mouth watered uncontrollably.
I wanted to taste that exquisite, mellow nectar.
I wanted to savor that sweetness that felt as if it would melt upon my tongue right this second.
That sugary temptation assaulted my senses.
Haa... Haa...
To think she would try to paralyze me with the scent of nectar—as expected, the Man-eater Alraune was a coward.
Unable to suppress my excitement, I tried to squirm and thrash, but because I was bound so tightly by those vines, I couldn’t move an inch.
However, the moment I looked at the Alraune—at that face so identical to Iris-sama's—reality came crashing back.
T-That’s right.
I was in the middle of carrying out my revenge!
This was no time to be distracted by sweets.
Forcing the thoughts of nectar from my mind, I reaffirmed my resolve to defeat the Alraune. I prepared to throw the fire bottle, ready for us both to perish in the flames.
Nevertheless, my body had not yet fully recovered.
When I reached for the fire bottle, I accidentally pulled out Iris-sama’s handkerchief instead.
The white, lace-trimmed cloth fluttered down from my breast pocket.
It was my most precious treasure, something I had carried with me every day as a memento of Iris-sama.
Ah, Iris-sama, I am so sorry.
I can’t believe I dropped your precious handkerchief at a time like this.
If Iris-sama saw me in this state, she would surely be heartbroken.
But please, bear with me just a little longer.
Prepared for the end, I will avenge you now.
I’ll release you from this hateful plant monster immediately, so please, rest in peace once it’s over.
Just as those thoughts crossed my mind, the Man-eater Alraune muttered something strange.
"My handkerchief... you still had it, didn't you?"
——Eh?
"……What did you just say?"
The Man-eater Alraune called Iris-sama’s handkerchief "my handkerchief"?
Moreover, she said "you still had it," as if she knew I had received it from Iris-sama personally.
That was impossible.
I had never told a soul about this handkerchief.
The only people in the world who knew about it were me and Iris-sama.
Which meant—
"C-Could it be... is it truly you, Iris-sama...?"
My eyes met the Alraune’s.
B-But, I still had no proof that this creature was actually her.
There was a chance that when the monster devoured Iris-sama, it inherited her memories as well.
It might have just been an act.
As if to dispel my suspicions, the Alraune continued with words that pierced straight to my heart.
"Even now, Nina, you still have such beautiful eyes."
The Alraune used Iris-sama’s handkerchief to gently wipe my tear-stained face.
Just like she had done back then.
"They look like special eyes that have received the Goddess’s blessing."
——Ah.
I couldn't believe it.
Those were the exact same words Iris-sama had spoken to me on the day she gave me the handkerchief.
I began to tremble as the shock radiated through my entire body.
I didn't believe a mere plant monster was capable of a performance that struck my heart with such precision.
Which meant, as unbelievable as it seemed, this Alraune really was Iris-sama.
When I looked at her again with that realization, her expression did indeed resemble Iris-sama’s.
Those gentle eyes were filled with affection.
She was the very image of the Saint I so deeply admired.
I never could have imagined such a thing.
For some reason, Iris-sama was living on as a plant monster!
But in that moment of revelation, I made a terrible mistake.
I let the fire bottle I was holding slip, dropping it right toward the Alraune.
What have I done to Iris-sama?!
At this rate, I’m going to be the one who kills her!
"I-Iris-sama…… ugh!"
The blast from the fire bottle slammed into me.
Then, my consciousness vanished.
──────.
────.
──.
"Iris-sama!?"
When I opened my eyes, I was lying in a bed back at the church.
A Sister explained the situation to me; apparently, Franz-sama had carried me all the way back here.
Iris-sama’s white handkerchief was safe.
It seemed a full day had already passed since the subjugation attempt.
I was told the Alraune had survived the fire bottle’s explosion and was still somewhere in the forest.
"She’s alive. Thank goodness..."
Then, the weight of my actions hit me.
What on earth had I done…!
Not only did I scream profanities at the Iris-sama I revered, but I also tried to blow her up.
My behavior was beyond disrespectful.
"……I have to apologize to Iris-sama!"
Driven by that need, I sought out the adventurer, Franz-sama.
After thanking him for saving my life the other day, I got straight to the point.
"Franz-sama. I would like to hire you as an adventurer."
"By any chance, do you intend to go back to see the Alraune?"
"I do. I need you to act as my guard and guide me through the forest."
"I told the Alraune girl I’d come back anyway, so this works out. Leave it to me!"
And so, Franz-sama and I set off into the woods.
Along the way, he filled me in on the aftermath of the failed subjugation.
"The Knight Commander is apparently still bedridden. His mouth was stuffed full of onions, so I doubt the smell has faded yet."
However, he was reportedly consumed by rage and was planning to appeal directly to the Lord to authorize another subjugation.
"Oh, and the Top Hat Adventurer you were worried about has left the city."
The man in the silk hat had supposedly gone missing during the battle, but a letter later arrived at the Adventurer Guild stating he was moving on.
Come to think of it, I hadn't seen him since we first encountered the Alraune.
In the end, I still didn't understand why he looked like a giant teddy bear to me.
Perhaps it was due to my eyes being inhabited by Light Magic.
Since Iris-sama was an expert on Light Magic, I decided I would ask her to teach me about that, too.
We continued our journey, taking occasional breaks for nectar.
Now that I thought about it, that scent of Saint Nectar had definitely come from the Alraune.
It was likely that Rufe-chan had been harvesting the nectar from her.
That meant the Saint Nectar was actually Iris-sama’s nectar.
That explained why it carried an aura of Light Magic. It all made sense!
In that case, the name was quite literal—it really was the Saint’s Nectar.
——Lick.
Ah, it was simply divine!
A single taste brought Iris-sama’s holy visage to the forefront of my mind.
When I savored this nectar, I could feel her presence within the light.
The reason I had become so obsessed with it was that the source was Iris-sama herself.
Everything was clear now.
At the same time, I felt the nectar was more precious than ever before.
Now that I knew the truth, I had to thank her for the nectar as well.
And while I was at it, surely it would be fine to ask if I could have just a little bit more……?
"Nina-sama, we’re almost there."
The Alraune’s clearing was right before us.
I was certain that the monster was Iris-sama.
Part of that was my own desire to believe, but it was also my intuition as an Apprentice Saint.
That aura was unmistakably hers.
It wasn't that the Alraune had stolen her power; the Alraune was her.
I was going to return the handkerchief to her.
I couldn't fathom how she had ended up as a monster, but she must have suffered terribly.
She must have been so lonely, living as a monster all by herself.
This time, I would be the one to support Iris-sama.
Just as she had supported and saved me when I was only ten years old.
It was finally my turn to do my best for her!
"W-What is the meaning of this……!?"
Franz-sama’s confused shout broke my train of thought. I looked ahead.
"The Alraune is... gone……?"
In the clearing where she should have been, no one remained.
She had definitely been here yesterday, so how could this be?
The only things left behind were the supplies and weapons the adventurers had dropped in their retreat.
In the center of the clearing, where the Alraune usually stayed, was a massive hole.
It looked as though she had been dug up, roots and all.
I couldn't imagine a plant monster like an Alraune walking away on her own roots.
Then how had she disappeared?
I didn't have a single clue.
"Where have you gone, Iris-sama?"
There was no one there to answer me.
And so, this was once again the Newbie Apprentice Saint’s perspective.
It seems the white handkerchief was handed to the adventurer Franz by the Alraune.
Next time: Beware the Silk-Hatted Plant Hunter.