I was a seed of the plant monster girl known as an Alraune.
It felt like an eternity had passed since my escape from the Demon King’s Castle.
While in seed form, I existed in a state much like sleep. Lacking the five senses, I had no way of knowing what was happening in the outside world, and my sense of time was nonexistent.
To be honest, I was completely helpless as a seed.
However, the time for me to sprout finally arrived.
Light pierced through the cramped, pitch-black world. I stretched my body upward, and the bud that had served as my protective cocoon unfurled.
It was my fourth blooming as an Alraune.
"Where on earth am I?"
It wouldn't have been funny if I had accidentally landed right back in the gardens of the Demon King’s Castle.
Fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case. After all, I was on a cliff. It appeared I had sprouted within a hollow on a sheer precipice.
It was quite high up—high enough that a human likely wouldn't survive the fall.
With my current body, I probably wouldn't die from a drop like that, though.
I could hear the roar of rushing water nearby. A massive waterfall was cascading down just a short distance away. Perhaps I had been swept away by the river? Then, by some stroke of luck, my seed had been blown into this hollow where it finally took root.
That was a close call!
If I had been swept downstream and sunk to the bottom of the river, I might have died while still in my seed state. The thought was terrifying. Traveling as a seed carried far too much risk.
Even if it was on the side of a cliff, I was grateful I had managed to sprout safely. I chose to believe that God had lent me a hand because of my daily good deeds.
Though, if He was going to help me, I would have preferred He do it back when I was dying as a Saint, before I ever became an Alraune...
In any case, I seemed to have sprouted in a rather peculiar location. On the bright side, the mist from the waterfall felt wonderful. The water tasted delicious, too.
It wasn't just the waterfall's spray, though; it seemed to be raining as well. I wondered what would happen if I used the ability of the Winged Gourd to fly away in this weather. The raindrops would likely ruin my gliding form and send me plummeting.
Given that, waiting for the rain to stop seemed like the wisest course of action. It was frustrating to be stuck in the middle of nowhere when I wanted to get back to the forest as quickly as possible.
I mean, where really was this?
The area below the cliff was covered in a dense forest, but it looked different from the Dryades' Forest. Perhaps I was still within the territory of the Demon Kingdom. If I was near the border of the Kingdom of Gardenia, the Dryades' Forest should have been close.
Since I had time to kill, I decided to have a meal.
As it turned out, other plants were growing in this cliff hollow besides me. Though it was a narrow space, it seemed to be a thriving colony. Between the sunlight and the abundant moisture, it was a comfortable environment for vegetation.
Among the various vines, I spotted some thin yellow strands spread out like a spider web. This was Dodder—a parasitic plant also known as the "Yellow Vampire."
As the name implied, Dodder had no roots of its own. It survived by driving fang-like parasitic roots into the bodies of other plants, draining the life-sustaining nutrients from its prey just like a vampire drinking blood.
Chomp.
I devoured the Dodder.
With this, I gained the abilities of a parasitic plant. The Vampire Alraune was born!
If I utilized the parasitic roots of the Dodder, it might even be possible to parasitize animals. I could potentially travel by latching onto someone else, much like the Troll Dryades I had fought recently.
Well, considering my poor "fuel efficiency," I might accidentally drain the host dry and kill them, but still...
I scanned the area, hoping an animal might pass by. A bird would have been perfect, but none seemed likely to show up in this rain.
I had no idea how much time had passed while I was a seed. If it had been several days, the Dryades' Forest and the Tower City might have already fallen under the control of the Big Sister Dryades. The uncertainty made me anxious.
I really wanted to go home!
Just as that thought crossed my mind, I saw a small dot approaching from the distance. A bird was flying straight toward me.
Come closer, Mr. Bird.
Once it arrived, I would entangle it in my vines and gulp down its nutrients through my parasitic roots. Then, I'd have it fly exactly where I wanted. Since I'd be taking the travel fare directly from its body, I could be transported with total peace of mind.
"This is lucky. It's coming right for me."
The small bird was headed directly toward my position. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Come, Mr. White Bird. Let us dance the dance of love. I won't let my parasitic roots go until you're spent.
Wait... a white bird?
"Hey—!"
I heard Fairy Kiri’s voice coming from the bird. That meant—could it be?
The white bird was the Little Witch, and Kiri was riding on her back!
Little Witch! Kiri! I missed you both so much!!
The white bird landed in front of me and opened her small beak.
"Alraune! You’re safe! I’m so glad."
"A lot happened, but I managed. More importantly, how did you find me?"
"We found you thanks to Kiri’s magic."
By Kiri’s magic, did she mean that spirit magic she had cast as a protective charm? I was shocked to learn it was actually a tracking spell. It had certainly saved my life.
Kiri hopped onto my head.
"I was so scared when Alraune-sama split! Then one of the signals vanished, and you split again! And then you started moving at an incredible speed! I was panicking!"
By "splitting," she was likely referring to when I self-pollinated and turned into seeds. Since normal humans didn't exactly divide like that, I couldn't blame her for being surprised.
"We have to get to the forest. Fast."
The white bird’s body shimmered and shifted, returning to the form of the Little Witch. She dug me out of the hollow and took flight using levitation magic in her human form.
I didn't have a pot, so I wrapped Golden Cotton around my roots instead. I had the cotton soak up plenty of water from the waterfall, so I figured I would be fine for a while.
"How did you escape from the Demon King's Army, Alraune?"
"It's a long story, but..."
During our flight toward the Dryades' Forest, I recounted everything that had happened at the Demon King's Castle. I also told them that the Big Sister Dryades was likely attacking the forest at this very moment.
The Little Witch was stunned, and Kiri was even more distraught. Since the forest was her birthplace, her worry was understandable. We had to stop the Big Sister Dryades' tyranny!
That night, we stayed in a ruined village we found along the way. It had once been a border village of the Kingdom of Gardenia, but after the long war, it had eventually fallen under the territory of the Demon Kingdom.
The next morning, we departed at sunrise. It was the second day of our journey through the skies. The continuous rain was starting to take a toll on the Little Witch; she looked freezing and miserable.
I used the Skunk Cabbage's ability to generate heat, turning myself into a living hand warmer for her. Hang in there, Little Witch!
After a while, the color of the forest below began to brighten. Noticing the change, Kiri shouted with joy.
"We’re almost there! The Dryades' Forest is just ahead!"
On the horizon, I could see a tall, slender structure. That was the Tower City. The Little Witch pushed her levitation magic to its limit and soon arrived at the forest’s edge.
However, the atmosphere in the city was wrong. Even over the sound of the rain, I could hear screams.
"Little Witch, head toward the city."
"Got it."
To be safe, the Little Witch transformed back into a white bird and flew over the Tower City. We saw that parts of the city were stained a grim red. Fires had broken out, though the rain was preventing them from spreading too far.
But that wasn't the worst of it. The city was crawling with Trolls.
We were too late. The Big Sister Dryades’ invasion had already begun.
"How could this happen...?" Kiri whispered. "Lady Dryades' barrier should have kept this many monsters from entering."
Only high-ranking members of the Demon Race were supposed to be able to bypass that barrier. Trolls shouldn't have been able to set foot inside. I wondered where they had even come from.
A group of Trolls began advancing from the city toward the forest. Kiri pointed and screamed.
"If this is the work of the elder sister, she’s going for the Forest Sanctuary!"
They were heading there to break the barrier once and for all. The Big Sister Dryades’ goal was to seize the Hero's Helmet and murder her younger sister, Lady Dryades.
Lady Dryades was in grave danger!
I was, officially, the bodyguard of the Dryades' Forest. I wouldn't let that woman have her way. I would be the one to protect the peace of the forest!
Dodder: A parasitic plant of the Convolvulaceae family. Despite being a plant, it lacks roots and leaves for photosynthesis. It is a relative of the Morning Glory.
Next time: Newbie Apprentice Saint's Tower City Disturbance Chronicle.