I am Alraune, a plant monster girl.
The Dryades of the Four Heavenly Kings, who had appeared riding atop a Land Tortoise, abruptly asked if I had eaten the Poison Fairy, Oin.
The blue vines trailing from her reminded me of the forget-me-nots I’d seen growing inside the mouth of the Golden Birdman, another of the Four Heavenly Kings. Those flowers—the ones capable of manipulating others—had been a striking blue.
The image of this Big Sister Dryades, who was blue from head to toe, fit the association perfectly.
With hair and eyes of the same vine-blue, the Dryades cast a suspicious gaze my way. I hadn't actually eaten the Poison Fairy, but I couldn't exactly be honest and tell her what I did know.
"......Who... are you... talking... about?"
"I'm talking about the little fairy from the Dryades' Forest. Do you have any memory of snapping her up and digesting her in that big mouth of yours?"
"I... have never... eaten a fairy."
"Oh, is that so? Then it's fine."
I hadn't eaten Oin. That wasn't a lie. After she consumed that strange seed and transformed into a Troll, I had incinerated her with my fire-vines. I hadn't preyed on her.
Still, if she had pushed the matter any further, she might have realized I was involved in the fairy’s disappearance. That was a close call.
"So, I hear you've become friends with Barometz. I am Vergissmeinnicht. I may not look it, but I’m a Dryades. Since we’re similar species, let’s try to get along."
"It is... a pleasure... to meet you."
"I hear you're a rare Alraune, a Unique Monster. For a plant, you seem quite intelligent, and you can even speak? You're definitely a new species. How very intriguing."
The Fallen Dryades scanned me with a gaze so intense it felt like she was licking me.
Instead of using her hands, the blue vines that served as her hair extended toward me like tentacles. She cupped my face between the vines and flashed a smirk as if she’d found something amusing. Then, she slowly began to read the sign standing right in front of my eyes.
"What a coincidence. I happen to have a connection to the Dryades' Forest myself."
"Is that... so...?"
"Tell me. Weren't you called the 'Crimson Flower Princess' by the humans?"
I recognized that name. I was fairly certain the Corporal had used it to refer to me once. Since I had apparently become a Named Monster back at the city, I suppose "Crimson Flower Princess" had become my alias.
"Or would 'Man-eater Alraune' be easier for you to understand?"
There was no doubt about it. This Dryades knew about my time in the Tower City. Otherwise, she wouldn't have known either of those names.
I didn't know if she realized I was the one who defeated Oin, but the fact that she knew about recent events in the Tower City was shocking. Even with the Poison Fairy gone, news from the city was still reaching this Fallen Dryades. That meant someone in the Tower City was leaking information to this member of the Four Heavenly Kings.
"One of my fairies went missing in the forest. Immediately after that, a Man-eater Alraune called the Crimson Flower Princess supposedly appeared out of nowhere. Don't you think the timing is a bit too convenient?"
"I... do not... really... know."
"............Well, even so, I suppose Oin hasn't fallen so far as to be defeated by an Alraune, regardless of their compatibility in battle. She’s probably just off playing somewhere."
T-This Spirit Princess is terrifying! It felt like I was being interrogated; I was shaking like a leaf.
If I could defeat this Fallen Dryades right here, the Dryades' Forest would finally be at peace. However, she was currently incredibly wary of me. On top of that, this was enemy territory. If I attacked and she managed to escape, it would be all over for me. There was no future for a girl who couldn't even move her own roots.
In that case, I shouldn't fight her yet. It would be better to let her lower her guard and wait for a guaranteed opening to take her down.
"At any rate, you really do seem interesting. Say, why don't we try a little mating?"
──Wait, what?
Did she just ask me... if I wanted to mate...?
W-W-Whaaaaaaaaaat?! What is she talking about all of a sudden?!
"Even though you're a monster, you're a plant, so it's more like biological reproduction than mating. I just need you to let me pollinate your body for a bit. It'll be over before you know it."
Wh-Wh-Wh-What on earth is this Spirit saying?!
I’ve never had someone invite me to bed so bluntly before! Not during my time as a High School Girl, not during my Saint Era—and certainly not since becoming an Alraune!
Well, since becoming an Alraune, I’d dealt with plenty of insects, birds, and lizard monsters that tried to violate me without my permission. But I never imagined the first person to actually ask would be a woman, a Dryades, and a member of the Four Heavenly Kings to boot.
"Oh, don't misunderstand me. I’m not going to be the Alraune's pollination partner. This is a little bit of research."
"...Research?"
"I have a real weakness for research. This tortoise monster is another new species I created through selective breeding. My body is practically tingling with the urge to see how much further I can evolve a new-species Alraune."
Does she mean she wants to use me for a breeding experiment? She wants to perform selective breeding on me?
"I wonder what I should cross you with to make you evolve even more. Well, you might stop being an Alraune entirely and turn into some kind of plant monstrosity, but that would be amusing in its own way, so I don't see any problem with it."
There are nothing but problems with that!
As I thought, this Fallen Dryades is way too dangerous! Now that I think about it, I believe her younger sister, the Dryades of the East Forest, mentioned that her sister was obsessed with experiments. The "Seed of Evolution" that turned Oin into a Troll was likely a product of this kind of research.
But I never imagined the day would come when I would be the research subject.
I could already see it: me, isolated in a laboratory somewhere. There, pollen from some unknown male flower would be poured onto my stigma. As the pistil, I would be pollinated, and the ovary in my belly would begin to swell.
Once I became a seed, I would surely no longer be myself. Crossbred as a new species, my consciousness as a Saint would vanish. My leftover body would likely be forced into submission by some partner I never chose.
Ugh, I do not want to become this Fallen Dryades' experimental toy!
This woman is trouble. For the sake of my own safety, I need to get rid of her as soon as possible.
Wait... That’s it!
Even knowing the risks, if I ambush the Fallen Dryades right here, won't all my problems be solved? I felt like it would be better to throw caution to the wind and take out this mad scientist, even if it meant a double knockout. That was definitely better than being pollinated for an experiment.
"But it's a shame. If this botanical garden were under the direct control of the Demon King's Army, I could have laid a hand on you. But since this is a private botanical garden, I can't even use a princess for my experiments."
──Wait, a private botanical garden?
"Is this... not... the Demon King's... Army Botanical Garden?"
"This garden doesn't belong to the Demon King's Army; it's the private garden of that person."
"That person?"
I was shocked to learn this place wasn't directly managed by the army, but something else bothered me even more. There shouldn't be many people a member of the Four Heavenly Kings would refer to as "that person."
But, you know... I did know one person who acted that important.
Oh no. I’m starting to get a very bad feeling about this.
There’s a chance this botanical garden belongs to someone I know.