I was Alraune, a plant monster young girl.
I had been summoned to the room of one of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Dryades, and Uncle Teddy carried me there.
When I entered her quarters, I found a space overflowing with greenery. Plants grew from every conceivable surface. It was like a miniature forest.
I was placed atop a table in the center of the room. Uncle Teddy, having completed his task, gave a polite bow and departed. It seemed he wouldn't be staying to chaperone.
"Sorry for calling you out here on such short notice," the owner of the room said.
The big sister Dryades, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, moved to stand before me. Just as before, she remained rooted atop a giant land turtle.
"My name is Vergissmeinnicht. I don’t believe we’ve met, have we?"
That was right; this was technically the first time I had met the Fallen Dryades in this reincarnated body. I had to maintain the act of a first meeting.
"Nice... to meet... you. This is... first time... we meet."
"So, you’re the child that Alraune just produced? I told her I’d turn her into a woman, but I never imagined she’d go off, have a child, and play mother all on her own."
Actually, this was my second time being "born." And as a bonus, it was my second time being a young girl, too!
"How do you like this room? It’s just like a forest, isn't it? Don't you find it comfortable?"
Come to think of it, ever since entering this room, I felt my condition improving. I wondered why that was.
"There are two reasons for that. First, plants belong in a forest, not a castle. Second, indoor environments lack sufficient light, which stunts growth... just as it has for the newborn Alraune Princess."
"Light... deficiency?"
"The gloss of your petals is dull, and shadows are forming on your leaves. Didn't you notice?"
Now that she mentioned it, I felt as though I hadn't been able to perform much photosynthesis since I’d been inside the castle. My new life had been so fresh and stimulating that I hadn't paid it much mind, but it seemed my health had been declining.
"I’ve cast pseudo-light-producing magic on this room. Thanks to that, I’ve created an environment where plants can truly thrive."
Magic that produced light usually meant Light Magic. That meant there was a high probability it was the magic of the Golden Birdman. Since the big sister Dryades had been controlling him—a fellow member of the Four Heavenly Kings—it made perfect sense.
"Tell me, wouldn't you rather move here than stay in that dim office?"
"What... do you... mean?"
"Why don’t you join me, Alraune? We’re fellow plants; I think we’d get along quite well."
The reason I had been summoned by Vergissmeinnicht was, of all things, a headhunting offer. I recalled her saying something similar back when I was in the botanical garden. It appeared she hadn't given up.
"Why... me?"
"Isn't 'I want a plant companion' reason enough? Strong, intelligent plant monsters are rare. I want to keep you close."
The Dryades gently stroked the leaves of the nearby plants.
"Don't you find it strange? Plants possess such incredible vitality, yet we are treated with disdain by both the demon race and humans alike. Every last one of them looks down on plants as inferior beings."
"That is..."
She wasn't wrong. I had been disparaged for "being a plant" more times than I could count. Both demons and humans had treated me as if I were nothing more than a common weed on the side of the road.
"Neither the demons nor the humans understand the truth. They don't realize that they are the ones being used by us."
"What... do you... mean?"
"Plants cannot move, so we make other living creatures serve us like slaves. For example, a bird eats a plant’s fruit. That bird then defecates the seeds elsewhere, and from that dung, the seeds sprout. Thus, the plant flourishes in a new, distant land."
Just as she said, many animals were essentially forced to work for the sake of plants. It was the same for pollinators like Hachi-san and Madam Butterfly, who carried pollen. For me—a flower who had no desire to be pollinated—they were also terrifying insects that tried to force themselves on me.
"The same goes for the demons and humans who grow vegetables and fruits for food. Without even knowing it, they are being made to work for the plants' prosperity."
Her point was that vegetables and fruits flourished while being protected and nurtured by humans. However, one could also argue that both the pollinators and the farmers were in a symbiotic relationship.
"Furthermore, even if every demon and human in this world went extinct, plants would continue to proliferate across this continent. We cannot walk on our own, but we possess a terrifying vitality that creatures of flesh can never match."
"I... understand..."
Even if my vines were cut a hundred times, they would grow back. If a human’s arm were severed, it would be gone forever. Unlike humans, having a vine cut wasn't even particularly painful for a plant. As long as the roots remained, we could always return to our original state. Having already reincarnated twice since becoming an Alraune, I had experienced that vitality firsthand.
"That is why I intend to create a reign of plants. I’m sure you, Princess, would also like to live in peace in a world made for us. Why don't you help me wipe out those bothersome humans and create a plant paradise?"
A plant paradise. That was remarkably close to my ideal dream of spending a quiet life simply photosynthesizing. Her words resonated with me. However, I had also learned over the past year that such a dream was incredibly difficult to achieve.
"A plant paradise... is that... even possible?"
"Oh? And why wouldn't it be?"
"Plants... cannot move... so we are... always... attacked..."
"There’s no need to worry about that. Look at me. There are countless ways for a plant to move."
By parasitizing the land turtle, the Dryades could walk freely. If I could parasitize an animal monster in the same way, I would be able to travel as well. Of course, the trade-off was that I would have to control the host.
"If you become my ally, I’ll give you a pair of legs, Princess. I might even teach you the technique to freely control a host."
The technique to freely control a host. Was she referring to that blue flower I saw growing inside the Golden Birdman’s mouth? But even if I wanted to parasitize something, I couldn't do it on my own. I wondered how she intended to manage it.
"I am a researcher, after all. Making a plant parasitize another creature is a simple matter. In fact, I already have a successful specimen."
With that, the big sister Dryades clapped her hands. A large silhouette emerged from the back of the room.
"Allow me to introduce her. One of the Three Spirit Beasts, and my direct subordinate."
It was a massive Troll. But to my shock, a beautiful woman with hair like blue vines was growing directly from the Troll’s shoulder. She looked exactly like the big sister Dryades, Vergissmeinnicht. The only difference was that this woman didn't wear an eyepatch.
"This girl is an Artificial Dryades that I cultivated from one of my own branches. I fused her with the Troll, using its regeneration ability as a nutrient source. What do you think?"
I was stunned. In other words, she was a Clone Dryades. Furthermore, she had merged with a monster to walk around freely. Since she had made the Troll’s regeneration her own, her recovery speed was likely far beyond that of any normal plant.
"She hasn't quite reached the fusion rate of Barometz—who is a natural half-plant, half-beastman—but this level of integration is more than sufficient."
So that was why she had been examining Barometz-san so closely at the botanical garden. It was all for this research.
"Well? If you join me, I’ll give you your own set of slave-legs, Princess. You’ll be able to walk to wherever you want to go, right this instant. If you remain a mere plant, that’s a dream that will never come true, don't you think?"
"Does that... mean... I can go... to the Dryades' Forest?"
"But of course. I’ll permit it. Whether it’s the forest or anywhere else, you may walk wherever you please."
I could walk.
It was an incredibly seductive temptation. In the year since I had become an Alraune, I had lost count of how many times I had resented my immobile body. I had wanted to walk more than anything. Now, this Dryades was offering to erase that weakness.
"Is there nowhere you’d like to go on your own two feet, Princess?"
The place I wanted to go. That was, without question, to the Little Witch’s side. After that, the Royal Capital. The Little Witch was in grave danger right now. With the Witch's Village trying to kidnap her, the ability to return to the forest immediately was a blessing.
It was a sweet temptation, but at the same time, it felt like a deal with the devil. If I agreed, it meant I would be "madly remodeled" by the big sister Dryades.
"I’ll ask you one more time. Won't you become my ally?"
One of the Four Heavenly Kings extended her hand toward me. Honestly, I wanted to walk on my own feet again. I wanted to walk just like I had when I was human! Besides, this Dryades truly saw me as a fellow plant monster and an ally.
For a moment, I felt like I could just reach out with my vines and take her hand. However, I decided to ask one question first. Something that was very important to me.
The protagonist had not walked a single step since becoming an Alraune. Now that she had adjusted to her life as a plant monster, her longing to walk had only grown stronger.
Next time: A paradise for plants is a hell for humans.