I’m Alraune, a plant monster in the form of a young girl.
My destination should have been the Botanical Garden, but the Demon Maid led me astray, taking me to a secluded, empty room instead.
Waiting there for me was... not Big Sister Dryades.
The Big Sister I knew wore an eyepatch, but this opponent stared at me with both eyes. And though the face was identical, the foundation was entirely different. Instead of a land tortoise, this Dryades sprouted from the shoulders of a massive Troll.
This wasn't my sister. This was the Clone Dryades I’d seen in the Four Heavenly Kings’ room the other day—the one Vergissmeinnicht introduced as one of her Three Spirit Beasts.
"Is the... original... not here?" I managed to ask.
"Lady Vergissmeinnicht has already departed. It is just you and me now."
So, Big Sister Dryades was gone. She had already headed for the Dryades' Forest.
"Lady Vergissmeinnicht’s order is to eliminate the Alraune."
"Why... me?"
"Don't play innocent. We already know you helped that younger sister and erased Oin from the forest."
It seemed they had seen through everything. Big Sister Dryades and I were enemies. That was a reality I couldn't change.
"If you... kill me... Glüh-sama... won't... stay silent."
"That won't be an issue. That maid over there is going to take the fall for your murder. We won't suffer a bit of blame."
So the maid was just being used as a scapegoat.
"Now, it’s time for a little slaughter."
The Troll Dryades began to close the distance, brandishing a heavy club. In a situation like this, running was the only way to win!
"Maid-san... run... outside!"
I looked back at the Demon Maid who was still holding me. She was laughing, her mouth pulled wide to reveal that Blue Flower growing inside her throat.
—It was no use. She was being puppeted!
The moment the thought crossed my mind, the Demon Maid hurled me into the air. The Troll Dryades swung her club like a baseball bat, connecting with a sickening thud.
—Crash!
I was slammed against the wall.
How cruel... my flower pot shattered. My lower half was completely exposed. Without soil, my roots were laid bare for all to see. It was beyond embarrassing. Worse, I couldn't replenish my nutrients or water like this. If the fight dragged on, I would wither away.
Gunuuu, how dare she break my precious flower pot! I wouldn't forgive her.
This "Troll Dryades" name was too long. I decided to call her Toro-ko.
"Take this!" Toro-ko shouted, swinging her club down at me.
I lashed out with my vines, wrapping them around the weapon to halt the strike.
"Then how about this!"
Toro-ko chanted a snippet of Spirit Magic. Suddenly, countless branches sprouted from the club, extending toward me like sharpened spears. I grew a thicket of briars in response, intercepting the branch spears mid-air.
"Not bad. But let’s see you handle this! Burst!"
The club in Toro-ko’s hands exploded. Sharp wooden splinters rained down on me like a volley of knives. I quickly wove a Vine Shield, bracing myself as the fragments hissed through the air.
That was the end of her weapon. This was my chance to counter—or so I thought. Toro-ko didn't seem bothered at all. She laughed and gripped her own left arm with her right hand.
"Spirit Magic allows one to manipulate the natural world. And when combined with a Troll’s regeneration, well... it allows for this."
Toro-ko ripped her own left arm clean off. As I watched in horror, the severed limb transformed into a fresh club. A new arm sprouted from her shoulder instantly, fully regenerated.
"A little Alraune like you can't possibly defend against this!"
Toro-ko hurled the club at me. In my small form, and without my roots firmly in the soil, I had no way to dodge or deflect a projectile of that size. A Vine Shield wouldn't be enough... unless I had a cushion!
Moving as fast as I could, I produced a massive amount of Barometz's Golden Cotton. A fluffy, golden mass expanded in front of me—a Golden Cotton Guard!
—Thud.
The club buried itself deep into the cotton. The shield acted as a perfect shock absorber, turning what should have been a fatal blow into a dull impact.
"Again! And again! What’s the matter? Is that all you've got!?"
Toro-ko threw club after club. Thanks to the Golden Cotton Guard, I managed to avoid any direct hits, but I was stuck entirely on the defensive.
"Is this the best an Alraune can do? I expected more backbone."
Toro-ko seemed to be enjoying herself. Her personality was different from the original Big Sister; she was much more sadistic. I had to stop her movements.
A Troll’s weaknesses were fire or Light Magic. I considered using the Flame Vine like I had against the previous Troll, but that was a double-edged sword. If I messed up, I’d burn right along with her, and I didn't have a backup pot to hide in.
That left Light Magic. As a plant, I couldn't cast spells, but I could produce nectar imbued with Light Magic.
It was time for my counterattack.
Good day to you, Toro-ko-san. I am, after all, a maid of the Demon King's Castle. Allow me to teach a barbarian like you the true etiquette of a maid.
A maid's first duty is the laundry. As your Laundry Maid, I shall make you sparkling clean.
Behind the safety of my cotton guard, I diligently grew a Soap Bubble Tree. Let's get you all washed up. I used my own nectar as the detergent. If I could mix chili pepper into my fluids, I could certainly concentrate the properties of my nectar.
"Hah! What cute little bubbles. Have you given up and started playing house?"
Toro-ko batted the bubbles away with her club. The countless shimmering spheres I’d sent flying were popped instantly, turning into nothing but a mist of water.
"If you thought these fluffy things would distract me, you're mistaken!"
"Then... please... eat... this."
While Toro-ko was busy with the bubbles, I moved on to my next task. Once the body is clean, it's time for a meal. This was a job for the Parlor Maid.
Today’s menu: my seeds. Please, help yourself.
I grew a Teppou-uri Machine Gun within the cotton and took aim.
Spo-po-po-po-pon!
"What!?"
Toro-ko, still distracted by the bubbles, couldn't react in time. The seed-bullets hammered into her. Several Thorn Seeds buried themselves deep into the Troll's chest.
"You think this matters? With a Troll's regeneration, a few seeds—"
"But... you aren't... regenerating... are you?"
"What!?"
Far from healing, the wounds on the Troll's chest were spreading. I had packed those seeds with nectar imbued with Light Magic. It was the same flavor the Flame Dragon Lord loved so much—didn't she like it?
Oh dear, we can't have a picky eater. It seemed the Troll part of her body absolutely detested Light Magic nectar. The nectar was purifying and dissolving the Troll's flesh from the inside out.
"UGYAAAAAAAH!!"
Since the Dryades clone was fused with the Troll, she felt every bit of the agony. She wailed, a protest that it wasn't mealtime yet. Or perhaps she was crying out because she wanted to be the ingredients instead?
In that case, it was time for the Kitchen Maid to shine. I’m quite an expert at fire-making.
Using my Eucalyptus ability, I sparked a flame and created a Flame Vine. I wrapped the burning vine gently around Toro-ko. Like a Nurse Maid soothing a fussy child, I held her close.
There, there. It will all be over soon.
Perhaps comforted by the warmth of a maid’s embrace, Toro-ko stopped struggling and turned charred black. She had fallen into a deep sleep—one she likely wouldn't wake from.
With the babysitting finished, my duties were complete. I used my Lithops molting ability to shed my outer layer and separate myself from the Flame Vine. Now I didn't have to worry about catching fire myself.
She had put me through quite a lot, but I hoped my service was satisfactory. Toro-ko had called me a "tiny Alraune," but I was the Flame Dragon Lord’s personal Maid Alraune. It was insulting to be compared to common monsters.
"Where... where am I? And this mess... what happened?"
A voice came from the doorway. I turned to see the Demon Maid, trembling as she surveyed the scorched room.
That’s right, there was one more maid here. I couldn't let my guard down; she had been under Big Sister's control just moments ago.
"Are you... the Alraune? You're wearing a maid's uniform, but who are you!?" she asked, her voice high with panic.
Something was wrong. She sounded as if she had never seen me before.
"You... know me... right?"
"I don't. I've never seen a plant monster like you."
What was going on? We had met dozens of times. She was the one who always mocked me and called me a "pot." To be given a "nice to meet you" now was a bit of a shock. Was her memory wiped?
Then I noticed it. The Blue Flower was lying on the floor at the Demon Maid’s feet.
Lithops: A succulent of the Aizoaceae family. Also known as Pebble Grass because they look like small stones.
Next time: Preparations for escape.