I was absolutely livid.
I decided right then and there that I could not forgive that Lord.
Just what should I do to him? Making him cry with onions would be a start, or perhaps making him shriek with chili peppers would be better. At this point, even pickling him in nectar was a tempting option.
──But, wait.
I needed to get a grip. I was no longer Saint Iris; I was the plant monster Alraune. If he was convinced that I wasn't the Saint, I should actually consider myself lucky. After all, this was the first time since becoming an Alraune that I’d met a human whose first impression of me was so favorable.
Besides, what would happen if I were to harm Lord Manfred now? Even if I looked like Iris, he might decide that I was just another monster incompatible with humanity and keep his distance. If that happened, all my progress in establishing friendly relations with the humans would go down the drain. Far from being accepted by the people of Tower City, I might find another subjugation squad being formed to hunt me down.
And so, Alraune, let us save the Lord's punishment for later.
Be still, my spirit. It was frustrating, but I had to endure!
Steady, now.
As I wrestled with my inner thoughts, the oblivious Lord continued to mutter ostentatiously.
"To be sure, this Alraune’s face is the spitting image of Lady Iris, right down to the eye color. However, her hair is green rather than gold, and besides... Lady Iris’s chest was much more modest."
Modest, you say...?
Was he implying it would have been better if I’d accumulated useless fat like that shitty junior apprentice saint?
──Gunuunu.
Admittedly, I might not have been quite so large during my Saint Era, but I didn't think it was that different from how I am now. In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were about the same. Yes, that must be it. Manfred-san’s memory was simply failing him.
Just as I reached a compromise with myself, Nina chimed in for some reason. "Huh? Now that you mention it, you're right... I wonder why?"
Wait a minute, Nina! You don't need to recall those details. If anything, you should forget them!
"Now that I’ve calmed down, I see many points of difference," Manfred said. "My apologies. I was so overwhelmed at the thought of seeing Lady Saint Iris’s face again after all these years that I jumped to conclusions."
"…………It is, quite, fine."
"What was I thinking? In the first place, there is no way an Alraune could be Lady Iris. Because Lady Saint Iris would never dress in such an indecent fashion!"
…………Ugh.
Because I had grown so accustomed to life as a plant, I had forgotten, but my sense of human ethics suddenly came rushing back.
"A half-naked Saint? Impossible!"
Well, I certainly hadn't seen many half-naked Saints either………………
Ugh, Nina’s pitying gaze really stung.
"However, I am certain of one thing," Manfred declared. "A monster that looks so much like Lady Saint Iris couldn't possibly be evil!"
It seemed Manfred-san had firmly decided I wasn't Iris. In exchange, he appeared to hold a very high opinion of me. I was happy about that, of course, but his punishment was still definitely confirmed. I would stay quiet for now to build a friendly relationship, but he had better watch his back in the future!
"I heard about what happened here from those adventurers," Manfred said, shifting his tone. "It seems you repelled a member of the Four Heavenly Kings and protected the city. As the Lord of Tower City, I wish to offer my thanks."
Apparently, while I was occupied with the Corporal, Manfred-san had gotten the full story from Drink Bar-san.
"I would like to grant you a reward, but I must ask for your patience. The city was left in tatters after the attack by the Demon King's Army Trolls, so reconstruction is our priority. Even my mansion was burned down..."
Hearing Manfred-san’s words, the Corporal lowered his head. "My apologies," he said, for some reason.
Come to think of it, when I was returning to Dryades' Forest, I had seen the city engulfed in flames. Between the destruction caused by the Trolls and the fires that followed, they were going to need a massive amount of funds for reconstruction. Since that was the priority, he didn't need to worry about me.
"With this much damage, I don't even want to imagine the cost," Manfred muttered, his face taking on the serious expression of a ruler.
He looked nothing like the perverted fanatic from moments ago. Without my realizing it, Manfred-san had truly grown as a Lord.
Since I was the one who had technically destroyed the Goddess’s Tower, I wanted to help rebuild the city. Besides, I planned to live in this area for the foreseeable future, so I wanted to maintain a good relationship with the Lord of Tower City. I wanted to build up as many favors as possible so that I wouldn't be casually hunted just because I was a monster.
Therefore, I decided to swallow my earlier indignation and reach out a hand.
"The Lord, seems to be, in, trouble. If, it is, alright, shall, I, assist, you?"
"The Alraune?"
"I, cannot, produce, money."
Plants couldn't grow coins, after all. But what about something else?
"However, things, that, can, become, money, I, can, create, infinitely."
Manfred-san looked back at me, clearly confused. I activated my Plant Generation.
I made golden cotton flowers bloom across my vines. Yes, this was the Golden Cotton from Barometz-san back at the Demon King's Castle Botanical Garden. I had been granted the ability to create it by my dear friend, and there was no better time to use it than now.
"Golden Cotton...!?"
I could feel everyone present catching their breath. This Golden Cotton was incredibly rare on the continent; with this, they would have no trouble with funding.
Flashing a smile, I plucked a cotton flower.
"As, a, token, of, our, friendship, I, shall, give, you, this."
I gently handed the Golden Cotton to the stunned Lord. The more cotton I produced, the more money it would bring in. All right, I was going to fund the entire reconstruction myself!
I decided to show them that I could grow much more than just a single flower. As I began to manifest more cotton, I realized that the abnormality in my body—the surge of power that had been running wild since I absorbed the Spirit Power—was finally settling down.
A mysterious sensation, as if gears were finally clicking perfectly into place, surged through my entire body. Suddenly, a massive field of Golden Cotton erupted from my vines. A vast, overflowing energy exploded from deep within me.
It was a sensation that made my previous existence as a mere Alraune feel small and insignificant. It felt as if my level had jumped up a stage—or rather, as if something fundamental about my being had shifted. I wasn't sure how to describe it accurately.
Just then, I noticed that everyone was staring at me. They seemed shocked by the field of Golden Cotton I'd produced. I puffed out my chest proudly, but then I realized the atmosphere had shifted.
Nina, Manfred-san, the adventurers, and even Kiri and Lady Dryades were staring intently at the top of my head.
Kiri, acting as the spokesperson for the bewildered group, spoke up while pointing. "Alraune-sama, what is that?"
Every single person was looking at my head. I hadn't grown any cotton up there, so I didn't understand the commotion.
"Something is growing out of your head!"
"Whose?"
"Yours, Alraune-sama!"
Wait, mine!?
I reflexively reached up to touch my head. To my surprise, there was something large there. Something was definitely growing...!
"A bud is coming out of Alraune-sama's head!"
Once I focused on it, I realized it was indeed a plant bud. Why was there a bud growing out of my head!?
As I touched the mysterious object, it suddenly began to move.
"The flower...!" Nina gasped.
The moment I touched it, I knew. The bud on my head had bloomed. To put it simply, I now had a flower growing out of my skull.
W-Why!? Just what was happening to me!?
...Oh!?
The Alraune is...!
Next time: I evolved.