I was Alraune, a plant monster girl.
At that moment, my vines were being greedily munched on by Barometz-san. Like a contestant in a speed-eating competition, she devoured one of my vines in the blink of an eye.
I had actually become fodder!
"M-My apologies. Please rest assured, I won't eat any more," she said.
"Then... please... let go... of the vine... you're holding... in your hand."
Barometz-san’s cotton hands were already gripping a second helping.
"Ohoho, my apologies, Alraune-san. There, I've let go, so please be at ease this time. It wasn't out of malice, so I do hope you can forgive me."
"...It's fine. If it's just... two vines... they'll grow back... soon enough."
Perhaps she was full, because Barometz-san soon drifted off to sleep. Seeing her breathing so rhythmically and peacefully was actually quite a heartwarming sight.
Since I’d been told it was okay to eat her, I suppose I could have preyed on her wool right then, but I hesitated. Even though I had permission, attacking someone in their sleep felt wrong. As a former Saint, the idea of a midnight raid made me pause.
So, for the time being, I decided to put the eating on hold.
With Barometz-san’s eyes closed, it was time to get to work. Yes, it was sudden, but I was going to become a phantom thief!
I had no intention of staying in this botanical garden forever. Eventually, I had to return to the Little Witch’s side. To do that, I needed to improve my abilities.
My plan was to secretly consume the rare plants within the garden. The Manager was nowhere to be seen, and Barometz, the only potential witness, was fast asleep. I could commit the perfect crime.
As Phantom Thief Alraune, I was going to give it my all!
If I ate the plants right next to me, Barometz-san would notice immediately, so I had to aim for those further away. I extended my vines across the greenhouse, targeting flora in spots that were hidden from both our vantage points. I uprooted whatever my vines touched and dragged them back to my position.
Plant secured!
Oh, I recognized this one. I’d seen it in a plant encyclopedia back in my high school girl era. Or rather, I had eaten the processed version of it many times.
This was Cassava.
A tropical plant of the Euphorbiaceae family. It contained a toxin known as cyanogenic compounds. And yet, this very plant was the raw material used for tapioca. Once the rhizomes were properly detoxified, the starch was processed into boba for consumption. Since the poison was removed, there was no danger in eating it.
Back in my high school days, while my classmates were drinking their boba tea, I used to think to myself: That’s originally made from a poisonous plant called cassava.
Being a loner, I never actually had the chance to say it out loud...
If I removed the poison, I could eat these tubers as starch, but the only practical use I could think of was giving boba to the Little Witch as a gift. If I ever saw her again, maybe I’d make her some boba juice.
Well, let’s pull myself together and move on.
Cassava was rare in the Kingdom of Gardenia, but it hadn't been that precious in my previous world. I knew it would be hard to strike gold with a rare plant on my first try, but I really wanted to find a winner next.
"Say, Alraune-san, are plants delicious to eat?"
Suddenly, Barometz-san’s voice rang out.
I timidly looked forward and my eyes met hers. She was wearing a beaming smile. Oh no—she had woken up without me realizing it!
"So, Alraune-san, you’re actually quite the glutton too, aren't you?"
This was bad. She’d caught me red-handed!
"I wonder what would happen if I mentioned this to the Manager?"
N-No, anything but that! I’d be fed to Barometz-san as her lunch! I didn't want to become my friend's dinner!
"Fufufufu. I would never be so tasteless as to expose a friend's secret. You can rest easy."
"R-Really?"
"Yes, of course. Exposing the secrets of others is one of the things I loathe most."
Now that I thought about it, Barometz-san had been betrayed by the ladies of the Imperial Palace. That was likely why she was so tight-lipped.
"However, in exchange for my silence, I have one request."
A request? Last time, it was to be her friend. I wondered what she wanted now. Would she ask for one of my vines instead of eating me whole? Or maybe two?
"Would you please tell me stories about the forest where you used to live?"
"Is that... really... all?"
"Yes, I would very much love to hear them."
It seemed Barometz-san loved my tales of the forest. She begged me to tell her anything and everything about it. It wasn’t really that special of a place, though. From my perspective, the Imperial Palace where she had lived sounded much more exciting.
Feeling a bit guilty, I confessed that I had the ability to grow any plant from my vines once I had consumed it. It was my way of reciprocating her secret about the wool and her promise to keep my snacking quiet.
"In that case, you ought to sow the seeds of the same plant in the spot where you took it from."
"...Why?"
"The Manager has nine heads, which means she has an excellent memory. If a plant suddenly vanishes, she will surely notice. Even if it was far away, she would likely deduce that the newcomer, Alraune-san, was the culprit."
You’ve got to be kidding. I thought if I stole from a distance, I’d be safe from the Manager’s gaze.
"You should sow the seeds and return things to the way they were before the Manager gets back."
Barometz-san, are you a genius?! Forget the perfect crime; I’d have been served up as Barometz-san’s fodder as punishment for eating the garden. That was a close call for Phantom Thief Alraune.
I was saved thanks to her. In gratitude, I promised to tell her many more stories about the forest. Hearing that, Barometz-san was overjoyed. I didn't realize it was such a big deal to her.
After we enjoyed a long chat, Barometz-san murmured with deep emotion.
"I’ve gained three people to talk to now, including Alraune-san and the Manager. Things are going to be so much fun from now on."
"Three... people? Does that... mean... there is... someone else... you talk to?"
"That is correct. Besides the Manager, there is one other person who goes out of their way to visit me."
It seemed that person wasn't bad. Judging by Barometz-san’s expression, they were quite friendly.
"Her name is Vergissmeinnicht-sama. I would certainly like to introduce you to her, Alraune-san."
That was quite the name.
...Wait.
I felt a strange sensation. That name... it rang a bell.
"Vergissmeinnicht-sama is incredible. After all, she is one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King's Army."
The Four Heavenly Kings?! That meant she was an incredibly powerful figure.
"I believe the others in the Demon King's Army call her the Spirit Princess."
...Hold on a second.
The Spirit Princess, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, and named Vergissmeinnicht. Could she be the "Fair-sama" that the Poison Fairy Oin had mentioned...?
"Is... Vergissmeinnicht-sama... by any chance... a Dryades?"
"You’re very well-informed. I suppose being one of the Four Heavenly Kings makes her quite famous."
"Do you... know... when she... will come... next?"
"Let me see... She has been quite busy lately, but she mentioned she would stop by again before the end of summer."
If it was before the end of summer, it might still be a month away. But in the meantime, a Dryades of the Four Heavenly Kings was going to show up here.
The master of the Poison Fairy Oin was a fallen Dryades. That same spirit was one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Furthermore, while she was supposed to be in the West Forest, for some reason, she was here at the Demon King's Castle.
Ultimately, it was because of that Dryades that I had been attacked by the Poison Fairy and the Golden Birdman. In a sense, it wasn't an exaggeration to call her my nemesis. She was a threat to the peace of the Dryades' Forest.
I felt the looming presence of an encounter with the enemy I was destined to defeat. And that premonition was going to come true much sooner than I expected.
Cassava: A member of the Euphorbiaceae family and famous as the raw material for boba. It is the second most consumed tuber in the world, following the potato, which holds the top spot in global production.
Next time: The lone wolf magic swordsman is invited by the second Saint.