This is the Little Witch’s POV.
My name is Rufe.
I’m the witch responsible for raising an Alraune—a plant monster.
Somehow, the Alraune I had nurtured so carefully managed to multiply the moment I looked away.
“There are so many of them now... What am I supposed to do?”
It seemed my Alraune had given birth to children.
I was shocked she could produce so many at once. I never imagined the Alraune I treated like a younger sister would have children of her own. After all, she was only a year old, while I was eleven. Even though she was ten years my junior, she seemed to have reached adulthood before me. It left me with some very complicated feelings.
Still, I wondered when she had even conceived. Was it possible the Demon King’s Army had done something to her while she was kidnapped? Was that why she became pregnant and ended up with so many children?
Curse that Demon King’s Army! How could they do such a thing to my Alraune?
Then again, do plants even get pregnant? I knew they grew from seeds, but I didn't really understand the specifics. Thinking about it, plants usually just seem to spread on their own. Maybe an Alraune can multiply without any outside help. Come to think of it, vegetables and fruit were always growing from her vines.
If that was the case, then the Demon King’s Army probably wasn't involved. Not that it changed anything—they still deserved to be punished for kidnapping her. I would never forgive them.
The new Alraunes made short work of the dragon. Dragons are supposed to be legendary creatures, the kind you only hear about in stories and folklore. To think they could defeat one so easily... my Alraune was just too amazing.
I wondered why she was so strong. Maybe my watering technique was just that good.
Once the battle ended, the Alraune began chatting intimately with a lady who was a regular customer for her nectar. Watching the Alraune act so familiar with her sent a wave of unease through my chest. Now that I thought about it, this was the first time I’d ever seen her talking to a human other than myself.
What if she became more attached to someone else? I might end up all alone again. Anything but that!
The lady turned out to be an Apprentice Saint, and she had used magic to help the Alraune during the fight. Maybe the Alraune liked strong people? If that was the case, I had to prove that I could be useful too!
When the battle shifted to the Demon King’s Army Dryades and someone needed to chase down the enemy Priest heading for the city, I shouted in my heart: This is it!
I was the Alraune’s big sister. I had to prove that I was more worthy of that title than some Apprentice Saint!
I took to the sky to pursue the Priest. The others might have realized I was a witch by now, but I didn't have a choice. Once this battle was over, I would just have to move somewhere else with the Alraune. Both she and I were targets for humans. Once the Demon King’s Army was dealt with, the city’s inhabitants would surely turn on us next.
After a while, I spotted the Priest running through the forest. I used levitation magic to hoist up a conveniently sized fallen tree. Rising higher into the air, I took aim and hurled the trunk at her.
The tree slammed into the Priest, crushing her beneath its weight. She went down more easily than I expected. I was a witch, after all—even if only a fledgling. I could hold my own when it counted!
“I never imagined I would be attacked from the sky, you know.”
The fallen tree I had thrown suddenly bounced off the ground and came flying back at me. I dodged it in the nick of time. It seemed the Priest had thrown it back. She hadn't been defeated after all. To launch a tree all the way up to where I was levitating... that didn't seem like a human feat.
“So you’re the Alraune’s human companion. I’m surprised to find you’re a witch, but you’re no match for me, you know. Why don’t you step down here for a moment?”
The Priest’s hands elongated, transforming into gnarled branches. Even though she looked normal, she wasn't human! I tried to fly away, but I was too slow. She caught me and slammed me into the ground.
Her branches pierced the earth like roots, pinning my arms and legs. I was trapped, unable to move. I tried to use transformation magic to turn into a bird and escape, but for some reason, the spell wouldn't trigger.
Sensing something was wrong, I glanced down at my chest. A thin twig extending from the Priest’s hand had pierced my skin.
The Priest approached me.
“Since it would be a hassle if you struggled, I’ve injected you with a body-paralyzing poison. You won’t even be able to speak now.”
I’m sorry, Alraune. I... I failed...
“Normally, I’d just let the poison kill you, but since you're here, why not turn you into a troll instead? You shall become a monster, attack your own kind, and serve Vergissmeinnicht-sama.”
A plant seed sprouted from the Priest’s palm. The Alraune had been turning trolls back into humans earlier, but now I was going to be turned into one?
I hated being human, and I hated being a witch, but I never imagined a day would come where I’d become a literal monster. Tears welled up in my eyes. At this rate, I was nothing but a burden. The Alraune would hate me. It wasn't supposed to end like this...
The Priest’s hand reached for my mouth. Just as the seed touched my lips and she prepared to force it down, a voice echoed from nearby.
“And here I thought you’d finally returned to the city, only to find you in a place like this.”
Suddenly, a small figure stood between the Priest and me. He was an old man, barely taller than me, with hair the same color as mine. It was the dwarf who had approached me in town the other day. Back then, I’d been terrified he would realize my hair was white. Why was he here in the forest now?
The Priest glared at the Dwarf Elder.
“You... where did you come from? Who are you?”
“Let’s just say I’m a passing adventurer, ho ho. I have a bit of business with the young lady there, so I decided to step in and help, you see.”
“A city adventurer? Then you’re a target for elimination regardless. Do you really think a mere dwarf can match me, one of the Three Spirit Beasts of the Demon King’s Army!”
Countless branch-like hands erupted from the Priest, lunging toward the dwarf.
“It can’t be helped, then. This is strictly self-defense, ho ho.”
A sharp gust of wind whistled around the dwarf. In the blink of an eye, the Priest’s wooden limbs were shredded to splinters.
“What?!” the Priest cried out in shock, her body beginning to crumble.
Then, a flash of light thundered from within her. Her body, now nothing but pitch-black charcoal, went up in flames. I had no idea what had just happened.
“A pseudo-Dryades like that never stood a chance, ho ho.”
The dwarf had defeated her. He was incredibly strong... but I was safe.
He walked over to me and pulled back my hood as I lay paralyzed.
“No burn marks, I see. But your hair really was white, wasn't it?”
He was referring to the lie I’d told him about having burns. I never expected him to confirm the truth here. I wanted to thank him, but my jaw wouldn't move. The poison was still in my system.
“Don’t look so worried. I only came here to help you.”
He was actually helping me. I had assumed he wanted to capture me because I was a witch.
“Since the poison has you stuck, this works out. The forest is about to become a battlefield, so I’ll have you sleep for a while, ho ho.”
The Dwarf Elder held something under my nose. As he smiled, his face began to blur. A dizzying sensation washed over me, and the world began to spin.
Hands that were surprisingly soft for a dwarf’s gently closed my eyelids. I thought I heard someone whisper “Goodnight.” It was a voice I recognized from somewhere... but when? Where?
Actually, it didn't matter. I was so, so sleepy. My thoughts faded away, and I drifted into a deep, heavy slumber.
And that concludes the Little Witch’s POV.
It seems the battle on this front is over. However, while the Little Witch was pursuing the Priest, the Alraune’s own battle was just beginning.
Next time: Alraune vs. Dryades.