I was Alraune, a plant monster girl.
Strangely enough, when I asked for Drink Bar-san, everyone was suddenly seized with terror. I only wanted him to water the forest and satisfy my parched throat, after all.
Lord Manfred looked at me timidly and asked a question.
"May I ask the reason why he is necessary?"
"Because he is necessary... for my meals."
I wanted water. Moisture was essential for a plant to survive.
"If it is acceptable to you, Alraune, I could prepare something else... How about a cow?"
No, a cow wouldn't satisfy my thirst. I didn't want milk; I wanted water. What would I even do with milk splashed all over the ground?
"It... must be... Drink Bar-san."
There weren't many people who could use water magic like he could. He was the perfect person for irrigation!
But when I considered their perspective, I realized they probably didn't want the strongest adventurer in Tower City taken away from them.
"Then... just borrowing him... for a few days... is fine. I will... return him... properly."
"......Does that mean he will be returned as a pile of bones?"
Bones?
I felt like our conversation wasn't quite meshing. Perhaps he was worried because I had crushed Drink Bar-san and the others' bones into splinters the day before.
"I do not... quite understand... but to grow... many vegetables... he is necessary."
"…………Although she is friendly toward humans, I had forgotten she is a monster. Meals are a necessity, I suppose. Personally, I want to fulfill the requests of this Alraune—who resembles Saint Iris—as much as possible."
"L-Lord Manfred, how could you!?" Drink Bar-san screamed from within my vines.
"If it is the wish of Alraune, the savior of this city, I have no choice but to accept. Besides, if one life can save every soul in the city, then as the Lord, I must make that decision."
With those words, Manfred ordered Drink Bar-san to serve me.
"Nooooooo! I don't want to die yet!!"
I didn't intend to make him do anything so difficult he would die; he was just going to water the trees. I wondered if Drink Bar-san was just that lonely at the thought of being left behind in the forest.
After that, I spoke further with Manfred. We decided that I would deliver vegetables every day to secure food for the residents of Tower City. Then, Manfred and his party returned to the city, carrying as many vegetables as they could manage.
It was a mystery to me why Manfred looked as though he had swallowed a bitter bug, muttering that sacrifices were inevitable to protect the people. I wondered if humans really hated staying in the forest that much.
As she was leaving, Nina spoke to Manfred. "Lord, you’re all misunderstanding something," she said.
I didn't know what the misunderstanding was, but I was happy to see that Nina was looking out for me in her own way.
And so, for a short while, a new companion joined the forest. This newcomer was currently screaming like a baby. "Let me go back to the city!"
No matter how lonely he was, he was getting so noisy that I felt like stuffing a pacifier in his mouth. Instead, I decided to let him lick a Nectar Ball.
Immediately, Drink Bar-san—who had been wailing "I don't want to die," "Let me go," and "I'll do anything"—settled right down. "I want nectar," "I want to stay here," and "If I do the watering, will you give me more nectar?" he asked.
With this, there was no longer any fear of him running away.
I released Drink Bar-san, now an obedient worker, into the forest and asked him to get to work. When I told him he’d get a reward once he finished, he began splashing water everywhere with a joyful skip in his step. I hadn't realized Drink Bar-san loved watering this much. It was a pleasant surprise.
Ah, the water was delicious. Even though I had become a Half-Spirit, I really couldn't give up water. My fundamental nature as a plant hadn't changed a bit.
Come to think of it, this forest I created didn't have a river, unlike the Dryades' Forest. Between the Little Witch and Kiri, we had a water problem to solve, so I wanted to build a waterway eventually. Until then, I’d let Drink Bar-san play his part.
As I watched Drink Bar-san head deep into the forest while casting water magic, the Little Witch used Levitation Magic to fly up onto my Corolla. She pulled on my arm, acting a bit spoiled.
"Is that man going to live here?"
"For the time being... that seems to be the case."
"Does it have to be him?"
"For watering the forest... and for everyone's water... Drink Bar-san... is necessary."
"I see..."
The Little Witch seemed a bit out of sorts. She appeared bothered by Drink Bar-san living in the forest... Ah, I understood now.
I forgot that the Little Witch hated humans! Especially adult men. She had told me that when she was caught during the Witch Hunt, the adults in her village had been very violent toward her.
It was no wonder she was afraid. Drink Bar-san probably wasn't the type to be violent like those villagers, but that wouldn't matter to her. She seemed to have gotten used to Nina, so I hoped her trauma would heal little by little. Until then, I would keep Drink Bar-san isolated.
Besides, this was the Garden of Forest Maidens. Entry was forbidden unless there was official business. Sir, please sleep somewhere else!
And so, I decided to build a residence for Drink Bar-san. A short distance away, I used a banyan tree to create a tree hollow. From that day on, that banyan tree was Drink Bar-san's house!
Providing a home for a newcomer right away—wasn't I an impressive Lord of the Forest? Since it provided shelter from the rain and wind, I was sure Drink Bar-san would be satisfied. For now, as long as their living spaces didn't overlap, the Little Witch should be able to feel at ease. When I checked with her, she agreed that it was fine as long as he lived far away.
He would be living alone in the woods, but I was sure Drink Bar-san could handle it.
Once the newcomer's situation was settled, the Little Witch went off somewhere to practice her black magic. Fairy Kiri and the Younger Sister Treant had also gone out to investigate the expanded forest.
Left alone, I decided to mass-produce vegetables for the people of Tower City. At the same time, I didn't forget to continue expanding the forest.
Oh, I just had a great idea! When the Corporal and his group came to the forest tomorrow to pick up the vegetables, I’d try to negotiate for them to bring me some different seeds. I wanted to increase my vegetable repertoire soon.
The Little Witch had mentioned she liked roasted broad beans, but even she would probably get tired of eating the same thing every day. Even as Cook Alraune, it was hard work to plan the family menu.
I had to make vegetables for tonight's meal, too. Since Drink Bar-san had joined us, I needed to increase the portions, which meant growing more broad beans than usual.
Oh right, I couldn't forget the defenses. I had to set traps in the forest to prepare for intruders. Should I use sundews or Venus flytraps?
I was a little worried that I might accidentally prey on someone if I set up insectivorous plants, so perhaps I should settle for spreading a Chili Pepper Mist instead. Hmm, it was a difficult choice.
While I was lost in thought, Kiri flew straight toward me, her face pale with fright.
"Lady Alraune, it's terrible!"
"Kiri, what happened?"
"Over there! A Carnivorous Broad Bean Grove has appeared!"
"A what!?"
According to Kiri, broad beans larger than humans had grown in a certain part of the forest. When she approached to investigate the mysterious beans, their "mouths" had snapped open like Venus flytraps and tried to eat her.
Without my knowledge, a new species of plant was inhabiting the forest. Or rather, broad beans and Venus flytraps were exactly what I had been thinking about just now.
Could it be that I had accidentally crossbred them using Plant Generation? Even though I had intended to create a bright and happy forest, I had apparently birthed an outrageous monster unconsciously. A Venus flytrap masquerading as a broad bean was the ultimate beginner trap.
Then again, maybe that’s just how insectivorous plants were supposed to be. After all, I myself had an ecology where I pretended to be a human woman in the forest to snatch up delicious prey. Plants were surprisingly scary, weren't they?
Just as that thought crossed my mind, I heard a human scream from the distance.
"Eek!"
Had someone been caught by the new species? Since the voice sounded nearby, it didn't seem like an intruder.
My lovely plants, stop attacking people so recklessly! I didn't mean to create such a terrifying forest. Everyone, behave yourselves and live gracefully, like noble ladies!
Drink Bar-san's role increased more than I expected, so I had to split the chapter. That’s why the preview and subtitle were different from the last time. As the unsung hero of the forest, I hope Drink Bar-san keeps working hard at the watering!
(Will the day ever come when Alraune learns Drink Bar-san's real name...?)
For real this time, next time: Alraune in Charge of the Field.