I am Alraune, a plant monster girl.
And as of today, a flower has bloomed on my head.
That earlier sensation, as if something were bursting inside me—it must have been this flower opening up!
Even though I am a flower myself, the thought of another flower blooming atop me had never even crossed my mind.
It was only a small one for now, but since it had managed to sprout, there was every chance more would follow.
What on earth would I do if the top of my head turned into a literal flower garden? Having a head like a flowery meadow... I wasn't some simple-minded airhead!
Honestly, it was just embarrassing!
As I clutched my head in despair, Nina offered a comforting smile as she looked at the flower.
"It looks just like a hair ornament. It’s beautiful—and very cute!"
Oh, really?
Come to think of it, I hadn't been called "cute" much since becoming an Alraune. "Beautiful," maybe, but not "cute."
Fairy Kiri chimed in next. "The red flower harmonizes perfectly with your colors, Alraune-sama! It suits you well!"
Fair-chan, the sapling Dryades, gave me a beaming, full-faced smile. "Mother, cute!"
Even my "younger sister," the Amazoness Treant, swayed her branches in a gesture of praise.
If everyone thought it looked good, maybe it wasn't so bad after all.
None of us had a mirror, so I still couldn't see exactly what was happening up there. I was dying to know, though. Someone, please bring a mirror next time!
A mysterious sensation began to flow from that curious flower, pulsing through my vascular bundles and out into the rest of my body. For some reason, power was welling up inside me.
Lady Dryades was the only one present who looked genuinely serious, deep in thought. "Alraune, let me see that closely," she said, teleporting directly in front of me.
She began to inspect the flower on my head with intense focus. Then she muttered hesitantly, a troubled look on her face. "As I suspected... this is..."
"Is... something... wrong with my flower?" I asked.
"I feel spirit magic, much like a Dryades’, radiating from the flower on Alraune's head."
"What... do you mean...?"
"It seems that by predating your older sister, you have inherited her power. You haven't become a full spirit, but it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say you have reached the level of a Half-Spirit."
When I had consumed Big Sister Dryades, I had spat out half of her power to create Fair-chan. The remaining half must have finally finished assimilating into my system.
"That moment where you felt like you were losing control earlier... that was likely your body adjusting to the spirit energy. Now that you have fully absorbed her magic, a portion of that power has manifested as a flower. Just like this 'horn' of mine." Lady Dryades pointed to the branch growing from her own head.
A Dryades, being a tree spirit, had a branch growing from her head. Since I was a flower monster who had gained Spirit Power, I suppose it was only natural that a flower grew on my head.
Still, what exactly was a spirit? I wasn't very well-versed in the specifics.
"You are no longer just a plant monster," Lady Dryades continued. "An Alraune who has incorporated spirit power... there is no precedent for this. I honestly don't know what to call you."
In other words, I’d evolved, hadn't I? I wasn't a full spirit, but some kind of Half-spirit Monster.
Alraune Version 2. Or maybe... Half-spirit Alraune?
Did this mean I could control the forest's plants now, just like the "Dominion of the Great Forest" (Herrschaft Pflanze) that Big Sister Dryades had used?
"Lady Dryades... how... do I use... 'Dominion of the Great Forest' (Herrschaft Pflanze)?"
"Teaching you the specifics of spirit magic would be difficult... but more to the point, Alraune, aren't you already capable of doing the same thing as the 'Dominion of the Great Forest'?"
"What... do you mean?"
"You can already control your own body at will, can't you? Simply put, you just need to treat all the surrounding vegetation as your own limbs."
—I see!
Now that she mentioned it, I’d been able to do things similar to a Dryades from the start.
The area around us had been reduced to a wasteland during the battle with Big Sister and her cohorts. I’d been thinking about doing some reforestation anyway, so this was the perfect time for an experiment.
Now that I’d undergone my Half-spirit Evolution, sprouting countless vines from a single source seemed like it would be easy. Using Plant Generation, I spread my roots beneath the earth like a massive spider's web. Shoots reached up from those roots, and in the blink of an eye, they matured into great trees.
The desolate landscape was instantly transformed into a lush, vibrant forest.
At the sight, Manfred-san threw up his hands in joy. "The plants—they’re growing one after another!"
Drink Bar-san stumbled back, his face a mask of shock. "The forest... in an instant...!"
Nina, equally stunned, whispered in awe, "It’s like a goddess from the myths."
If I were still my old self, staying connected to such a vast number of trees would have drained my nutrients in seconds. But with the power of a Dryades, creating and maintaining a small forest was a piece of cake. I felt like I could do it in my sleep.
In fact, I was curious to see just how far I could push it. If I kept going, maybe I could grow large enough to establish a properly sized woodland. Creating an entire massive forest all by myself might actually be possible...!
Then, I remembered something else that had been on my mind.
"Lady Dryades... you can... use Teleportation, right? Is that... spirit power too?"
"That is an innate ability of the Dryades. We can teleport our spirit bodies to any point where our roots reach. It’s possible that you have gained that ability as well."
That sounded amazing! Teleportation was so convenient it was practically a dream come true. If I could master that, I’d be able to travel anywhere my roots could reach!
"However," she added, "unlike the spirit body of a Dryades, your body is physical. It might be much more difficult for you to achieve the same result."
That was fine. If teleportation was an innate Dryades ability, then I must have absorbed the potential for it.
If I experimented with Plant Generation and used Selective Breeding to make fine adjustments, I was sure I’d be able to teleport eventually. I just had to refine the other Dryades abilities in the same way.
Suddenly, my "to-do" list had grown quite long. I was going to try everything until I’d truly made this spirit power my own!
As I was mapping out my future, Lord Manfred cried out, practically dancing with excitement.
"Exquisite! Ah, why do I not have my canvas and brushes with me? I must return to the city at once and paint Alraune's portrait!"
As Manfred-san turned to sprint toward the city, I snared his feet with a vine.
Where do you think you’re going, Lord? We aren't finished talking yet.
I used the vine to reel him back in after he tripped. With the Lord dangling upside down before me, it was time for our business negotiations.
"How... should I... deliver... the Golden Cotton?"
"I will send merchants here in a few days. You can hand the stock over to them." Manfred-san held up an index finger. "And one more thing... along with the cotton, might I also request some Saint Nectar?"
"...Sure. That’s fine."
Since my evolution, I was practically brimming with power. Mass-producing nectar would be a cinch, so it wasn't a problem. If they wanted my nectar, they were welcome to sell it or drink it as they pleased. In exchange, of course, I intended to be paid handsomely.
With the discussion concluded, Nina and the other humans prepared to return to the city. It was likely still in total chaos, so they needed to get back and settle things quickly.
"I'll be back soon!" Nina called out, waving a lingering farewell as she walked away.
Only the forest dwellers remained: Lady Dryades, Kiri, and the Treants. If only the Little Witch were here with us, everything would be perfect.
If it hadn't been for that Witch Queen, the Little Witch wouldn't have been taken. On the other hand, a dark thought crossed my mind: if the Queen hadn't interfered, the Little Witch might have been killed by the Priest Dryades. Looking at it that way, perhaps the Queen's arrival had actually prevented the worst possible outcome.
She would likely be treated well in the Witch's Village, so there was probably no immediate cause for alarm. It would be wonderful if the Flame Dragon Lord managed to bring her back safely, but if possible, I wanted to go and rescue her myself.
Had I remained a mere plant monster, such a feat would have been impossible. But with this new spirit power, storming the Witch's Village and defeating the Queen might not be just a dream.
To do that, however, I needed more strength.
Little Witch, please stay safe. I’m going to get stronger—strong enough to make sure no one ever takes you again. Because in the end, that was the only way I'd ever get to live the quiet life in the forest I truly wanted.
Thanks to you, half a year has passed since my first post. The reason I have been able to continue writing like this is because of everyone's support. Thank you for always supporting me! If you read this work and thought it was "interesting" or that I am "doing my best," I would be very happy if you would support me with bookmarks or ★★★★★. That support encourages my writing.
Next time: Little Witch's first time in the Witch's Village.