Big Sister Dryades retrieved the Hero's Helmet that had been resting in the sanctuary.
Behind me, Nina stared at the relic and whispered, "What an incredible amount of light aura... I've never seen anything like it."
It seemed Nina could see it, too.
That Hero's Helmet was a holy relic, said to have been created by the Goddess herself. It harbored an infinite well of magical power—far more than any human could hope to contain.
If I had remained a human Saint, I might have felt an urge to worship such divine radiance.
However, now that I was a plant, a very different thought crossed my mind.
—It looks so delicious.
Looking at the light magic radiating from the helmet, I found myself wanting to devour it.
Big Sister Dryades held the Hero's Helmet aloft as if to show it off.
"The Hero's Helmet is useless to ordinary humans or the Demon Race. Only those like the Hero, blessed by the Goddess, are meant to wield it. However, as spirits, we Dryades know the secrets to siphoning off a portion of its power."
"You mean... the forest... barrier...?"
"Oh? So the Princess knew after all."
Fairy Kiri had told me that Lady Dryades was using the Hero's Helmet to maintain the barrier. That meant the helmet likely possessed the power to project defensive wards.
"As long as this Hero's Helmet remained at the Hero's Grave within the sanctuary, the East Forest and the Tower City were protected. But because I have brought it outside, the barrier has vanished."
The forest barrier was the invisible wall that separated the West Forest from the East. Kiri had explained that it was this very ward that kept the monsters of the Demon King's Army from invading the East Forest and the Tower City.
Now that the Hero's Helmet was in Big Sister Dryades's hands, the barrier had been shattered.
"At any moment, the monsters under my command will come swarming in from the West Forest."
The more time passed, the more likely it was that reinforcements from the Demon King's Army would arrive. The reason Big Sister Dryades hadn't attacked while we were holding our strategy meeting was to buy time for this very purpose.
This was bad.
The West Forest was home to a swarm of monsters on the same level as the Four Heavenly Kings of the Forest—creatures like the Wolf of Hell, Hellwolf; the "War-Loving Tiger," Krieg Tiger; and the giant anaconda, Wahnschlange.
I really didn't want any of them showing up as enemy reinforcements!
Perhaps reacting to my internal panic, a spirited voice rose from the adventurers.
"Exterminating monsters is an adventurer's specialty. Leave that part to us!"
—D-Drink Bar?
Maybe you have a cool side after all!
I decided to take him up on his offer and leave the incoming monsters to Drink Bar and his companions. If a massive horde arrived, we might be overwhelmed regardless, but knowing they were there made me feel a little more at ease. I was counting on them to watch our backs.
That said, we didn't have a chance of winning unless we defeated Big Sister Dryades before the horde from the West Forest reached us.
As I was considering my strategy, Nina’s voice rang out.
"Look! The Priest is gone!"
It appeared that the Priest—the Clone Dryades—had used the commotion to make his escape. Since his troll subordinates had been wiped out, I suppose he had no reason to stay.
Big Sister Dryades took it upon herself to inform us about the disappearance of the last of the Three Spirit Beasts with an eerie kindness.
"Aren't you going to chase him? He went back to the city to restock on trolls."
"Why... are you... telling... me... that?"
"Now, I wonder why."
The way she grinned with such smug composure was deeply unsettling. Was she trying to thin our numbers by baiting someone into chasing the Priest?
Even if someone started running now, I didn't know if they could even catch up.
The one who broke through my circular thoughts was the Little Witch.
"Alraune, I’ll go!"
What? The Little Witch was going after the Priest Dryades? It was true she could catch up quickly if she flew, but it was too dangerous!
"I want to help you, Alraune. After all, I’m your big sister!"
"No... I'm... the big sister."
"Hush, little sister!" the Little Witch barked, smacking her hands against my cheeks to sandwich them. "I am Alraune's keeper and her big sister. I won't just stand by and watch while you're working so hard."
My heart was struck by the resolve in her eyes. If she was that determined, I couldn't stop her. I would have to trust the Priest to her.
"Just... don't... push... yourself... okay?"
"I'm just going to drop trees from the sky. I'll be fine!"
The Little Witch used her Levitation Magic to take flight and soared off toward the city. Nina and the other humans, as well as Big Sister Dryades, let out gasps of surprise at the sight of a human flying through the air.
Be careful, Little Witch.
But remember this: you’re the younger sister, and I’m the older one. I won't back down on that!
Big Sister Dryades watched her fly away before turning her gaze back to me.
"I’m surprised that human was actually a witch. You and your companions are certainly a unique bunch, Princess."
She carefully tied the Hero's Helmet to the tree growing from the Land Tortoise's shell. Then, she gently stroked the metal with her palm.
In that moment, I noticed Big Sister Dryades’s eyes soften in a way I had never seen before.
It was said that fifty years ago, the Hero of that era and Big Sister Dryades had been lovers. Perhaps she was reminiscing about him now.
Back at the Demon King's Castle, she had spoken of how much she hated the Hero, but perhaps seeing his relic in person was stirring up old memories.
The reason I suspected this was because I felt the exact same way.
I had been abandoned and murdered by my fiancé, the Hero. The pain of being betrayed by someone I had opened my heart to wouldn't disappear, no matter how much I wanted to forget. Even though this helmet belonged to a different Hero, seeing it forced memories of my own fiancé back to the surface.
The warm, gentle memories of the Hero were immediately followed by a flashback of the moment of my death—when he tried to kill me alongside that shitty junior apprentice Saint.
The faint feeling of nostalgia was instantly swallowed by a black haze of betrayal. My heart, which I no longer possessed, felt tight with phantom pain.
I looked up and saw Big Sister Dryades clutching her chest with one hand, just as I was.
However, her expression held no sorrow. She was wearing a smile that was refreshingly clear.
"I haven’t felt this good in a long, long time. I have the helmet I’ve always wanted, and I’m about to have my sister’s life."
"I would... be happy... if you... were satisfied... with just... the helmet..."
"No. I won't be satisfied until I’ve wiped out these hateful humans—just like that Hero—and turned them into fertilizer. For starters, I think I’ll turn the humans right there into nutrients."
I extended briars from my bulb to shield Nina and the others.
Since becoming a plant, humans had caused me a great deal of suffering. However, when I thought about people like the Little Witch and Nina, I couldn't bring myself to hate them entirely.
Besides, I used to be a human Saint myself. It is the duty of a Saint to protect her precious companions and her people.
No matter what, I would protect the Little Witch and the others!
"I’ll ask you one last time. Won't you join me in creating a world of plants?"
"I... refuse. I cannot... walk... the same... path... as you."
"I thought you’d say that... Well then, Princess, it’s about time we began."
The tree behind Big Sister Dryades surged with sudden force. The forest itself began to pulse and shift as if undergoing a growth spurt.
"Spirit Magic: 'Dominion of the Great Forest'—Herrschaft Pflanze. To a Dryades, the forest is no different from her own limbs."
Colossal roots burst from the ground, undulating like serpents. The entire forest writhed in response to her voice. She was truly manipulating the very flora around us with her Spirit Magic.
"I’ll show you what happens when a mere plant monster dares to defy a Dryades."
Listen here, Big Sister Dryades.
Please stop acting so superior just because you’re a spirit. Who decided that a plant monster was inferior to a spirit?
Perhaps the plants you've met until now were nothing but sheltered little lords and ladies, but it’s far too early to judge based on them alone.
The world is a vast place. After all, there's at least one plant monster here who used to be a Saint.
I'll show you exactly how incredible an Alraune can be!
The clash with Big Sister Dryades had finally begun.
Next time: Little Witch's Solo Dryades' Forest Disturbance Chronicle.