A few days had passed since I repelled Beast King Marticoras.
Peace had returned to the forest, and we settled back into our leisurely routine. Now that things had calmed down, I decided it was time to invite some friends over from the Dryades' Forest.
That’s right—the whole Forest Circle!
I tasked Fairy Kiri and my honorary little sister, Amazoness Treant, with guiding Hachi-san—my loyal lady knight—along with Madam Butterfly and the rest of the Tefutefu to my new home. I was certain that once they tasted my nectar, they’d never want to leave.
My wish must have reached them, because the forest soon gained a whole new group of residents. As a housewarming gift, I offered them my nectar for the first time in ages and shared a waltz with Hachi-san and Madam Butterfly, using my vines as partners.
It was time for a Welcoming Ball!
"Come now, Kiri, Little Witch—dance with us! You should try to keep up with that Amazoness Treant over there; look how sharp her moves are."
The Forest Circle settled into their own corner of my woods. With Fairy Kiri acting as a guide, the transition was seamless. They even seemed to accept the Little Witch as part of my family. I felt a wave of relief knowing the worst-case scenario—the Little Witch being attacked by Hachi-san—was likely off the table.
While I was busy enjoying our new life in the forest, Nina approached me alone. Kiri and Amazoness Treant were both away, busy transporting vegetables from the Hatake-raune’s plot to the city.
Accompanied only by the Little Witch, I went to greet the apprentice saint.
"Good day, Nina. I’m so happy to see you again."
I offered her a smile, but Nina returned the greeting with a heavy, somber expression. Something was clearly wrong. She cast a fleeting glance at the Little Witch before looking back at me with a look of utmost seriousness.
"I would like to speak with the Crimson Flower Princess in private."
Alone?
I glanced at the Little Witch, then back at Nina. Before I could say a word, the Little Witch spoke up.
"What business does the Saintly Big Sister have with my Alraune?"
She shot Nina a piercing, protective look. The atmosphere grew tense.
"...Actually, a messenger arrived from the Royal Capital," Nina explained. "I have to leave Tower City tomorrow to head back."
Nina was going to the Capital? I wondered why. If she wanted to discuss this without the Little Witch present, did that mean she wanted to speak to me as Saint Iris?
"It’s alright, Little Witch. Would you mind if we spoke alone for just a few minutes?"
"............If that's what you want, Alraune. But if she tries anything strange, call me immediately!"
With that, the Little Witch took flight, disappearing into the depths of the forest—likely to practice her black magic.
"Lady Iris, I’ve been meaning to ask... why are you living with a witch child?"
"A lot has happened, Nina."
Truly, a great deal had happened. We had been together since the days when I was just an ordinary plant monster and she was a tiny white bird.
"For a witch, she doesn't seem particularly hostile toward humans, but she glares at me every time we meet. I fear she might hate me."
The Little Witch did hate humans, generally speaking. There wasn't much I could do about that.
"So, about this messenger from the Capital...?"
"Yes. We already sent word to the Royal Capital that Tower City was attacked by one of the Four Heavenly Kings. It seems I’ve been summoned to give a formal report."
According to Nina, they had sent a fast horse to the Capital as soon as the attack began. However, because I had defeated Big Sister Dryades so quickly, they had followed up with a second message stating the threat had been neutralized. As a result, the Capital hadn't been briefed on the specifics—neither which of the Four Heavenly Kings had attacked, nor how they had been repelled.
"The Lord has also sent his own reports, so they may already know something, but..." Nina trailed off, looking at me with a hint of hesitation.
There was a chance the Lord had already told the Capital about my existence. I made a mental note to ask him about that the next time we met.
"In any case," Nina continued, "with the Tower of the Goddess destroyed and the church priest dying after being manipulated by the Demon King's Army, there is a mountain of things to report."
"Are you... not going to mention that the other Four Heavenly Kings were also defeated?"
"Lady Iris? What do you mean by 'other' Four Heavenly Kings...?"
To my astonishment, Nina had no idea that other members of the Four Heavenly Kings had trespassed into the Dryades' Forest. If she didn't know, it was likely the Lord didn't either. I filled her in on the Golden Birdman—Garudafresvelgr of the Light Crown—and Beast King Marticoras.
Nina sat there, jaw agape, struggling to process the fact that I had single-handedly taken down three of the Four Heavenly Kings.
"By the way... is it the Royal Capital Church that summoned you?"
"It is."
That meant the report would reach the Saint Cathedral. There was no doubt that my shitty junior, who was now the kingdom's only official saint, would hear every word of Nina's testimony. While that thought was unpleasant, it was also an opportunity. It was the perfect chance to gather intelligence on the Capital through Nina.
"Nina, I have a request."
"I’ll do anything you ask, Lady Iris. Just name it."
"When you reach the Capital... please look into the Hero and the Saint of the Royal Capital."
"Ah, I see how it is~!" Nina teased, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Even after all this, you’re still worried about your fiancé!"
She was wrong. I couldn't even manage a smile when I thought about the Hero anymore.
"I’m sure the Hero will be overjoyed to learn you're alive. The Saint of the Lamp, too... oh, but those two are..."
Suddenly, Nina’s expression faltered, and she looked down awkwardly. She chewed on her lip as if swallowing back a secret.
"Nina? What is it?"
"...No, it’s nothing."
Her face remained clouded. I could tell she was hiding something from me regarding the Hero and that shitty junior.
"The Saint of the Lamp... she supposedly wept bitter tears when she heard of your passing," Nina murmured.
The "Saint of the Lamp" was likely the saintly epithet my junior had taken for herself. After stealing my fiancé and murdering me with a grin on her face, I had to wonder what exactly she found so "heartbreaking." Her acting was revoltingly good; I almost wanted to ask her how she managed those crocodile tears.
"I’m sure they’ll both be so surprised they'll jump for joy when they hear you survived," Nina continued. "The Hero often spoke of how much he loved you, and the Saint of the Lamp even gave a public address about how much she adored you."
Oh, I was certain they would be surprised enough to jump. It was only natural, considering the woman they thought they had killed was still breathing.
"Don’t you worry, Lady Iris. You may have become an Alraune, but you’re still the same person inside. I’ll do my best to persuade the higher-ups so you can live as a human in the Capital again!"
I wondered if such a future was even possible. The people of Tower City had accepted me, but only as an Alraune living in the woods. Moving into a human city was a different matter entirely. No one truly wants to live next door to a monster that might eat them.
Besides, if the Hero and that shitty junior found out I was still alive, they wouldn't just sit idly by. They would send assassins to finish what they started.
"If you don't mind me asking... how did you become an Alraune, exactly? I was told you fell in battle against the Demon King's Army..."
So that was the official story.
"Neither the Hero nor the Saint of the Lamp will talk about the specifics of your death. What really happened that day?"
I had been betrayed and murdered by the man I was supposed to marry and the junior I had mentored. If I told Nina the truth, I was sure she would believe me—but knowing the truth would put her life in grave danger.
"Nina... whatever you do, please don’t report to the Capital that I’m still alive."
"Wait, but why...?"
"You must never tell them. Not a word."
I couldn't let her say anything. If that secret got out, I would never know a moment of peace again.
Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the warm words of celebration the other day. I apologize for not being able to reply to everyone yet, but I plan to respond to each of you individually.
I also have a small announcement regarding the update frequency. I will be shifting from a biennial (every two days) schedule to something a bit different. This is because the work for the light novel publication has been more demanding than expected, and my personal life has changed, leaving me with less free time.
I’ve been pushing through on very little sleep, but I’m reaching my physical limit and need to take a short breather. At the same time, I’ve been writing this story without much time to plan the overall structure, so I want to use this time to think deeply about future developments to make the work even better.
Until things settle down, I will be updating once every four days instead of every two. I hope you understand. I’ll keep working hard to make this a story you all enjoy!
The next update is scheduled for December 9th. Thank you for your continued support! m( )m
Next time: My Secret.