Expanding the forest and growing vegetables at the same time had caused my focus to overlap. The result was the accidental creation of a giant carnivorous broad bean grove.
Ohohoho, I made a bit of a mistake, didn't I?
To make matters worse, a scream echoed through the woods shortly after. I had a nagging feeling that the voice belonged to the Little Witch. Had she been attacked by my new creation? That would be disastrous.
I immediately focused on the sensations from the roots I had spread across the entire forest. Fortunately, none of my plants seemed to be in the middle of a meal. At the very least, the worst-case scenario—the Little Witch being eaten by a carnivorous plant—had been avoided.
I wanted to rush to her side immediately, but as a plant, I was rooted to the spot.
Ugh, I really wanted to be able to move!
While I was groaning to myself, the Amazoness Treant came sprinting toward me with her usual sharp, athletic form. Her withered tree body was covered in a sticky liquid. Yeah, I could imagine what had happened there... she’d run right through the sundews.
I was about to ask Kiri to interpret so I could get the details, when the Little Witch suddenly came running back, wailing, "Alrauneeeeee!"
She was sobbing, her eyes bright red and terribly swollen.
Little Witch, what on earth happened? Did someone make you cry?
Now I was angry. I would personally punish any insolent brat who dared to make her cry!
"Over there... a Giant Chili Pepper Grove appeared," she sobbed. "A bunch of red mist came out, and then my eyes started stinging and swelling..."
I see. It turned out the culprit was me.
I had apparently given birth to a New-species Chili Pepper Grove that scattered chili pepper extract into the air. I hadn't intended to turn my forest into a literal deathtrap, but I’d gone and done it. I was truly sorry.
If I were only growing enough food for a few people, this wouldn't have happened. However, trying to mass-produce enough for over a thousand citizens led to some unpredictable accidents. I didn't know the exact population, but since Tower City was a sizable place, it likely held several thousand people. Growing that much took a lot of time and concentration.
If I focused entirely on the agriculture, it would be fine, but then I wouldn't be able to expand the forest boundaries. It was already starting to interfere with my daily life. I’d accepted the job quite casually, but it was turning into a massive project.
I couldn't balance forest expansion and industrial farming all by myself. But if I couldn't do it alone, I just had to get someone else to help me!
And so, I decided to create a clone Alraune to put in charge of the fields. Since vegetable production was going to be an important business, I wanted to expand the operation anyway. Besides, if I divided the labor, I wouldn't accidentally turn the forest into a "magical domain" filled with dangerous new species.
I produced an Alraune Seed and dropped it into a bucket. A tiny Alraune sprouted from the soil almost instantly.
Unlike my current Half-Spirit form, this young girl Alraune didn't have a flower growing on her head. It seemed that simply creating a clone didn't bestow Spirit Power upon it. There was still so much I didn't know about those powers; I’d have to unravel the mysteries bit by bit.
"Mama, morning—"
"Good, morning. From today, you are, the Alraune, in charge of the field. From now on, for everyone's sake, please make, many vegetables, and fruits."
"Got it!"
Calling her "the Alraune in charge of the field" every time was a bit of a mouthful. For now, I decided to call her Hatake-raune for short.
"Your, name, from today, is Hatake-raune."
"A name! I'm so happy! Mama, leave it to me!"
Yes, yes, she was full of motivation. That was good to see. I decided to have Kiri look after her for the time being.
"Kiri, please, look after, this child."
"Of course! I’ll stay by her side until the harvest stabilizes, so don't you worry."
Kiri and the Treant carried Hatake-raune away in her bucket. She was going to move her residence to the outskirts of the forest to focus on her farming. If she lived in a spot closer to the city, it would be easier for the humans to transport the produce back to town.
Alright, now that I didn't have to worry about the vegetables, I could focus entirely on expanding the forest. I set to work growing new trees from my root system, pushing my borders further and further out!
After a while, I discovered a plant within my territory that wasn't connected to my network. I wondered if I’d encountered a wild tree, like that half-withered grove from before.
I intended to bring every single plant in this forest under my absolute control. Otherwise, there would be a hole in my Forest Fortification Project.
I used the Christmas Tree's "scissor" ability to snip the roots of the intruder. At that moment, the plant's roots squirmed. As if resisting, countless roots lashed out at mine.
What is this thing?!
This was the first time I’d ever been counterattacked. I had to bring this dangerous specimen under my control immediately for the safety of everyone in the forest. Judging by the thickness of its roots, it didn't seem particularly large. In that case, I would simply overwhelm it with sheer numbers and size!
Unable to withstand my onslaught, the naughty plant quickly gave up. Seeing my chance, I thrust my Parasitic Root into the severed end of its root. With that, I effectively held the rebellious plant’s life in my hands.
I was a little curious about what kind of plant it actually was. I wanted to go see it, but I couldn't move. I was just a plant, after all.
If I could use the "Teleportation" skill the Dryades used, I’d be able to move there in an instant, but I hadn't been able to make it work before. According to the trick Lady Dryades had taught me, it was supposed to be possible if I imagined projecting only my spirit.
Since I had a moment, I decided to give it another shot. I didn't think it would work so easily, but—
"……Eh?"
At that moment, something mysterious happened. In the blink of an eye, the scenery changed.
I should have been in the heart of the forest, but I was suddenly in an open clearing. Vegetables of every variety were growing out of the ground all around me. It looked like a farm.
Fairy Kiri and the Amazoness Treant were walking around nearby, acting as sentries. I wondered when they had come back. They’d said they would be staying with Hatake-raune for a while, so they were back surprisingly early.
Then, I noticed my perspective had shifted. I was very close to the ground, almost as if I’d reverted to my young girl form. Even the corolla at my waist had shrunk. Or rather, my entire body had become a toddler's physique...
As I froze in shock, Kiri flew over with a worried expression.
"Did something happen?"
"My body... has become... small!"
"You were just born, so of course you're small! If you do the farming work Lady Alraune ordered, you'll grow bigger as you go."
—Wait, what?
Did Kiri just say something strange? Did she say I was "just born" and that I should be "doing the farming"?
I’d left the farming to the clone, Hatake-raune. It wasn't my job anymore. Had Kiri already forgotten?
"Let's work hard together so you can be useful to Lady Alraune, Hatake-raune!"
"Is Hatake-raune... here?"
"What are you talking about? You are Hatake-raune."
Hearing Kiri's words, the truth clicked. This wasn't the center of the forest. This was the farm on the outskirts.
And this body, strictly speaking, wasn't my original one. It appeared that I had possessed the body of the farming clone without even realizing it. My spirit had undergone Teleportation into Hatake-raune.
I had finally achieved movement on my own!