That day, I was in the office giving the Flame Dragon Lord a shoulder massage.
Since he’d mentioned his eyes were tired from endless paperwork, I was using my vines to attend to him. As a maid, I had to work hard for my master. After all, if I could improve his impression of me and raise my favorability, it would only help when the day finally came for me to escape.
"Alraune, this isn't bad at all."
"Ehehe... I'm... vewy grateful."
"Still, I find it truly strange. You are only a few days old, yet you already know how to give a massage, not to mention how fluently you speak. What do you make of that?"
"............I'm just a... wittle girl. I don't... understand... hard things."
──Awa-wa-wa-wa!
The Flame Dragon Lord was too sharp! It was terrifying. Every now and then, I got the chills, feeling like he’d seen right through me—that he knew I wasn't an Alraune born only days ago, but one who had lived much longer.
"What's wrong? Your vines have stopped moving."
"I am... sowwy, Master."
As I fidgeted nervously under his suspicious gaze, a helping hand was extended from an unexpected source. Uncle Teddy entered the room from the hallway.
"Glüh-sama, your guest has arrived."
"Is it that time already? Show them in."
"As you wish."
Eh? A guest?
It was rare for him to allow outsiders into this office. Usually, whenever he had a meeting, he moved to a different room.
"Stay quiet and act like a houseplant," the Flame Dragon Lord commanded as he picked me up and placed me on a shelf.
It seemed I was allowed to stay. How lucky! Maybe I’d finally learn something about the Flame Dragon Lord’s true nature.
"It has been a long time, Lord Glühschwanz."
Led by Uncle Teddy, a woman who looked human stepped into the room. She was a beautiful woman, appearing to be in her mid-twenties. She wore a black robe and a pointed hat, looking every bit like a witch.
However, much to my surprise, her hair was pure white. It was the same snowy color as the Little Witch’s. The only difference was that hers wasn't entirely white; she had a single streak of blonde, like a stylish accent. She had the air of a fashionable older sister.
As I wondered who she could be, the Flame Dragon Lord gestured for her to take a seat.
"I apologize for summoning you, the Queen's Assistant of the Witch's Village, to a place like this. Since I have been away from the castle, my work has piled up."
──The Witch's Village?!
Come to think of it, Lady Dryades back in the forest had once suggested that it might be best to send the Little Witch there. And if this woman was a witch with white hair, maybe she was related to her? I doubted all witches had white hair, so I was dying to know more.
"No one can eavesdrop here, so feel free to speak your mind. It is also perfect timing, as I had a matter I wished to discuss with you as well."
"Not at all. It is an honor to be granted this audience today."
"No need for formalities. On that note, I must offer you an apology."
The Flame Dragon Lord is apologizing to a witch? What on earth did you do, Glüh-sama?!
"Regarding the search for the white-haired girl requested by the Witch Queen... I lost her trail at the final hour."
A white-haired girl? Without a doubt, they're talking about the Little Witch!
Now that I thought about it, the Little Witch was being pursued by the Demon King’s Army. When I defeated that Minotaur in the forest, he’d been carrying something that looked like a wanted poster for her. And then the Flame Dragon Lord himself had personally come to the forest. He’d even mentioned he was looking for her while he was busy trying to incinerate me.
I’d wondered why the Demon King’s Army was so fixated on finding her, but it turned out they were just doing a favor for the Witch's Village. That meant the people actually hunting for the Little Witch were her own kind.
"As you are our alliance partner, I intend to continue the search on the village's behalf."
"About that, Lord Glühschwanz... thanks to the sighting reports provided by the Demon King’s Army, we have successfully identified her location. My visit today was actually to report this development to you."
"Oh? She’s been found? Does that mean she is already back in the Witch's Village?"
"No... it’s just that my moth—I mean, the Witch Queen said she would handle the rest herself and told me to just report the news to the Demon King’s Army for the time being..."
"I see. So it was the Witch Queen herself who found the runaway. It seems her habit of wandering the world is useful on occasion."
The Demon King’s Army and the Witch's Village were in an alliance relationship. And who was this Witch Queen anyway? No, that didn't matter right now—the Little Witch was the priority!
Did this mean her location had been leaked to this White-haired Witch? But... but that didn't mean it was definitely the Little Witch I knew. It could be a case of mistaken identity.
"So," the Dragon Lord asked, "where was this young witch hiding? The one with white hair like yours?"
"In a place called Tower City, within the Kingdom of Gardenia."
Yep, that’s her. That’s the Little Witch.
If even the location matched, there was no mistake.
"Tower City... that was near the Dryades' Forest, was it not?"
The Flame Dragon Lord shot a sidelong glance in my direction. He clearly remembered that I had been growing in that very forest. I had a feeling he suspected some kind of connection between us.
"And what will be done once the girl is secured?"
"Naturally, she will be brought back to the Witch's Village."
This was bad. Very, very bad. It meant the Little Witch was about to be kidnapped. We’d finally managed to reunite, and I didn't want us to be torn apart again. She was in real danger!
I couldn't just stay here playing maid in the Demon King's Castle. I had to get back to the Dryades' Forest immediately. But how?
Now that I was stuck in a planter, I needed someone to carry me if I wanted to reach the forest. But there wasn't a soul in this castle who would follow my orders. If I wanted to escape on my own, I really did have to resort to preying on other plants. If I could just get to the botanical garden, I might find the power I needed.
Besides, the kidnapping wasn't the only problem brewing back home. The forest was also being targeted by one of the Four Heavenly Kings—Big Sister Dryades. She’d been here in the castle until recently, but there was no guarantee she was still here. It wouldn't be surprising if she’d already moved out and taken control of the forest while I wasn't looking. I didn't want to return home only to find my forest completely conquered!
Before I realized it, the White-haired Witch had left the room. In her place, Uncle Teddy leaned in and began whispering something to the Flame Dragon Lord. I had a feeling they were talking about me. Call it a woman's intuition.
"Alraune, you have a visitor."
"Eh? A visitor... for me?"
There shouldn't have been anyone in the Demon King's Castle coming to see me. Barometz was rooted in place, and I couldn't think of anyone else.
"Who... is it...?"
"A message from the Fallen Spirit Princess. It seems she wishes to meet you."
My visitor was the last person I wanted to see—the Four Heavenly Kings' member herself. I’d just been thinking about her; the timing was far too perfect.
I had no idea what she wanted with me, but I didn't have a good feeling about it. It seemed I’d just received a direct summons from the very person I feared most.
The reason why the Demon King’s Army was searching for the Little Witch had finally been revealed. At the same time, it seemed her identity had been compromised by someone in Tower City.
Next time: The Spirit Princess's Sweet Temptation.