I stood there blinking, utterly stunned by the sudden appearance of this fanatic Sister.
I wasn’t the only one who was taken aback. Even the Knight Commander, who had been on the verge of attacking me, froze in place—likely overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of the Sister’s entrance.
The Sister, seemingly relieved that my safety was no longer in question, did something even more unexpected. She dropped to her knees right in front of me and began to pray.
"Oh, Crimson Flower Princess! It is an honor to meet you-u!"
Wh-What is with this girl?!
And why is she praying to me? I’m an Alraune now, not Saint Iris!
"I heard everything from Lady Nina!" the Sister continued fervently. "She told me that when the Demon King's Army turned me into a Troll, it was the Crimson Flower Princess's Saint Nectar that saved me!"
It seemed the Sister had been one of the victims when the Big Sister Dryades attacked the city. I had apparently saved her life without even realizing it.
"To be restored to humanity from such a monstrous state... it is truly a miracle of the gods! I will never forget this debt of gratitude as long as I live!"
"It... it was nothing, really," I managed to say.
If she had been saved, I was happy for her. That was enough for me.
"No, that simply will not do! In fact, I wish to devote myself to your care, even if you are a plant... and so, I have one humble request. In exchange for my service, please, grant me your holy nectar!"
The Sister cupped her hands together like a bowl and held them out toward me.
I never expected to be begged for nectar in a situation like this! W-What was I supposed to do? Was she really asking me to produce nectar in front of all these people?
The thought alone was mortifying. I didn't want to perform a Public Nectar Release!
Producing nectar was essentially like drooling, after all. Who would want to show off a look like that to a crowd?
Someone... anyone! Please stop this Sister!
"Hey now, what’s all the noise? The monsters are gone, but we still have defensive barriers to finish, don’t we?"
A large man carrying a saw over his shoulder approached from the rear of the fortifications. It was the Master Carpenter. He had built the Little Witch's tree house in the forest recently, but today he seemed to be helping with the city's defenses.
When he spotted me, he addressed me with surprising politeness.
"Well now, if it isn't the Crimson Flower Princess. Don't tell me you're looking to build a house outside the forest this time?"
Good grief, the number of people naturally calling me "Lady" or "Princess" was growing by the minute.
I wasn't the only one confused by the Master Carpenter's arrival. The Knight Commander looked like he was witnessing something impossible.
"A Church Sister and a city carpenter both showing reverence to an Alraune? Have you all lost your minds? This creature is an evil monster that preys on humans!"
"Now hold on there, Knight Commander. I can't let that one slide," the Master Carpenter barked back. "The Crimson Flower Princess might look like an Alraune, but her true identity is a Dryades. I can just tell."
Wait, Master Carpenter, that’s actually a misunderstanding. Please don’t spread that around here!
Before I could correct him, the Knight Commander let out a roar.
"An Alraune is a Dryades?! What does that even mean? Are you saying she’s an ally of that Spirit Princess Vergissmeinnicht from the Demon King's Army after all?!"
That name triggered a response from the Sister.
"The Crimson Flower Princess is a Holy Alraune! There is no way she belongs to the Demon King's Army!"
The Master Carpenter immediately jumped back in.
"Sister, you've got it wrong. She isn't a Holy Alraune; she's a holy Lady Dryades!"
Before I knew it, the three of them were locked in a heated argument: the Sister who saw me as holy, the Master Carpenter who praised me as a forest spirit, and the Knight Commander who was determined to slay me.
Stop! Don't fight over me!
I had always wanted to say that line once, but this definitely wasn't how I imagined the situation.
"Have you all forgotten?!" the Knight Commander shouted, gesturing wildly. "The plants of that Four Heavenly Kings Dryades manipulated our people and turned them into Trolls!"
He continued his impassioned speech, clearly playing to the crowd.
"I have learned my lesson! If you underestimate them because they are plants, you will pay the price. They are more cunning and dangerous than any human. Just look at that Alraune's ominous mouth! I'm certain she's plotting right now, thinking of the best way to devour us all!"
"The Crimson Flower Princess saved this city from the Demon King's Army! She is a kind-hearted plant, just like a Goddess," the Sister countered. "She would never think such things. Besides, how could a beautiful creature that produces holy nectar ever eat a human?"
"Sister, you are being deceived! This plant is a man-eating monster. The only proper solution is to sever its roots and burn it to ash!"
"Knight Commander, if you wish to strike the Crimson Flower Princess, you'll have to go through me first! But before that... Crimson Flower Princess, please, the Saint Nectar...!"
Sister, this is really not the time to be asking for a drink!
The Knight Commander was fuming. He looked like he was about to slash through the Sister just to get to me. This wasn't going to end well.
And besides, it was a bit late to realize this, but the secret was out. Everyone in the city knew I was the source of the nectar. This was beyond embarrassing!
When the Little Witch was selling it, nobody was supposed to know it came from me. Who on earth leaked the truth to the public?!
Step forward and apologize this instant!
"What is all this shouting about? Has the monster threat not been dealt with?"
Drawn by the commotion, a man dressed in fine silk appeared from the direction of the city, followed by his attendants. It was Manfred, the Lord of Tower City.
Today was certainly a day for unexpected reunions.
"I came to survey the battlefield, but it seems we’ve secured a landslide victory. Hmm? Wait, is that small monster... an Alraune?!"
Manfred’s jaw dropped as he stared at me. Come to think of it, this was the first time he had seen me in this child-like form.
"That appearance... she looks exactly like the childhood portrait of Saint Iris. There is no doubt—it's the Crimson Flower Princess Alraune! But what is she doing here?"
Lord Manfred... you actually own a portrait of me as a child? I knew you were a fan, but that’s honestly a little creepy.
"Greetings, Lord," I said. "I simply... extended my roots... this far."
"To be able to do such a thing! Performing the impossible with such ease... she truly is an Alraune worthy of Saint Iris’s likeness. Even her behavior is remarkably similar."
At the Lord’s appearance, the crowd, including the Knight Commander, knelt down. The explosive tension finally seemed to dissipate thanks to his presence.
Manfred turned his gaze toward the people gathered around me.
"I overheard mention of Saint Nectar. Do you all share a love for it as well? The Alraune's Saint Nectar is truly exquisite. I make sure to consume it five times a day myself."
Lord, that is way too much. You’re overeating.
...Wait, I figured it out.
The one who told the whole city that the nectar came from me was you, wasn't it, Lord Manfred?
The Knight Commander, apparently horrified by the exchange, began to tremble.
"Not just the Sister and the carpenter, but even the Lord is enamored with the Alraune... Could it be? Is he being manipulated, just as we were by the Spirit Princess?"
Convinced of his theory, the Knight Commander raised his sword again.
"I see it now! You've all been bewitched by that Alraune! What a foul, treacherous plant... This is exactly why I despise monsters!"
"Erde-Kavallerist!" he bellowed, conjuring a bull made of earth magic. He vaulted onto its back and charged straight at me, sword extended.
"Justice for the Man-eater Alraune!"
"I told you, it’s a misunderstanding!"
I lashed out with my vines like tentacles, ensnaring the stone bull. Simultaneously, I deployed my sticky sundew to gum up and neutralize his sword.
"I am not... manipulating... anyone!"
Seriously, I wasn't! I might have gained the ability to use the blue flowers the Big Sister Dryades used when I became a Half-Spirit, but I hadn't used that power even once.
Stunned by his easy defeat, the Knight Commander scrambled backward.
The Lord spoke to him in a voice as cold as ice. "Knight Commander, why do you attack her? This Alraune is the hero who saved our city."
"A monster? A hero?! Preposterous! It’s just like before—everyone is under the plant's control!"
Frenzied, the Knight Commander summoned another stone bull. He leaped onto it and raced off in the opposite direction.
"I won’t stay in a city this dangerous! I’m leaving!"
He galloped away toward the east. Manfred immediately ordered his men to bring him back, but the deep snow made it impossible for the infantry or even the cavalry to keep up with a magical construct. Even if they did catch him, I doubted he would come back quietly.
As the Knight Commander vanished, the Corporal and his group finally arrived from the forest. The Little Witch trotted over to me, tilting her head curiously. "Did something happen?"
"Yeah... quite a lot," I sighed.
It was too much to explain there, so I promised to tell her later. I informed the group that the battle was over and mentioned that the attackers looked like the West Forest Monsters.
Fairy Kiri’s eyes went wide with shock. "West Forest Monsters?! You mean remnants of Vergissmeinnicht attacked the city?"
"Is it... that surprising?" I asked.
"Well, yes! Those monsters were only acting as subordinates because Vergissmeinnicht was forcibly manipulating them. With her gone, they should have reverted to their wild, solitary states."
"Maybe they... ran out of food... because of the snow?"
"If that were the case, they would have started eating each other," Kiri explained. "Monsters from the Demon King's Army might work together, but wild monsters of different species forming a coordinated pack to raid a city... something must have happened in the forest."
Kiri looked toward the Dryades' Forest. "We need to speak with Lady Dryades to find out what’s going on."
If something was happening in the forest, we had to investigate. And Lady Dryades was our best source of information.
"Understood," I said. "Let us... go to... Lady Dryades."
I had business there anyway. I had been wanting to check on Fair-chan, the sapling Dryades. I wondered if she was doing well. It had been a while, so I was looking forward to seeing her.
The Little Witch, Kiri, my "little sister" Amazoness Treant, and I said our goodbyes to the humans and headed toward the forest.
And so, after a long absence, I finally set my roots down in the Dryades' Forest once again.
(The Sister had heard quite a lot from Nina, making her something of an Alraune expert compared to the other townspeople.)
Next time: Reunited with Fair-chan.