I was Alraune, a plant monster girl.
I waited quietly on the ground for the Harpy Parca and the Little Witch to return from the sky. Only Fairy Kiri, the Wood Golem, and the Demon Maid remained behind with me.
The Demon Maid approached and called out to me.
"I can't believe a little Alraune like you managed to bring down such a massive golem. I'm truly surprised."
"I... am... the one... who... is... surprised... to... see... you... here."
The Demon Maid was supposed to be at the Demon King’s Castle. Why was she out here all alone?
"I told you why earlier. Well, I suppose a mere maid like me doesn't matter much to someone of your status."
Just as I thought, she still had me confused with the Child Alraune. It seemed like too much trouble to correct her, so I decided to let it slide for now.
"I’ll just come out and say it. I genuinely think you’re incredible. To see a maid promoted as far as you have... it gives someone like me something to dream about."
"...A dream?"
"Exactly. I used to think the highest a maid could ever hope to climb was becoming the Chief Maid of the Demon King's Castle. But you’ve achieved things I never thought possible. You should be proud of yourself."
By achievements, she likely meant my victory over my Big Sister Dryades, one of the Four Heavenly Kings. According to the Flame Dragon Lord, my sister had been planning to rebel against the Demon King's Army. It seemed the Demon Maid respected the fact that I had put a stop to it.
"When you were still at the castle, I couldn't understand why a plant that couldn't even move on its own was being treated as such a treasure. Now, I see why. This is embarrassing to admit, but... I really admire you."
──Admire.
I hadn't heard that word directed at me since my Saint Era. Or rather, for her to admire me now—as a plant—made me wonder if the Demon Maid had finally lost her mind.
"I've been wanting to say this for a long time... thank you. I was told that you were the one who broke Vergissmeinnicht-sama's brainwashing."
I never expected to receive a genuine thank-you from her. It was actually quite embarrassing. "Admire" was far too grand a word for a humble plant monster. I still hadn't quite adjusted to that kind of praise since becoming an Alraune.
To distract myself, I began retrieving the Child Alraune that had been encased in ice. As I pulled my little double from the frozen block, whispering a "Good job" for its hard work, a small dot appeared against the blue sky.
The Little Witch was back!
"Alraune, I'm home!"
"Welcome back... wait, Little Witccchhhhh!?"
H-Her back was covered in blood!
"I messed up... just a little..."
As she spoke, she began to plummet as if she had lost consciousness. I lashed out with my vines and caught her just before she hit the ground.
That was far too close! Her body was in terrible shape; the wound was deep. I had to heal her immediately.
I bit down on the tip of one of my vines, coating it in nectar. Using that Nectar Vine, I funneled the liquid into the Little Witch's mouth. It was nectar infused with my Light Recovery Magic.
Almost instantly, her body began to emit a faint glow. The nectar worked its magic, and the gash on her back sealed itself in the blink of an eye. For the moment, she was out of danger.
"I'm being saved by you again, Alraune..."
"Do, not... worry... about, it."
"I managed to catch the bird woman, but I got hurt in the process. I decided that this time it would be my turn to protect you, but it’s not going very well, is it?"
She didn't need to feel that way. After all, the Little Witch was always saving me in her own way. Just having her by my side made me incredibly happy. Honestly, if it weren't for her, I wouldn't have been able to keep my flowers blooming so vibrantly in the middle of winter.
I brushed her cheek with a vine, forming a smile to convey my feelings.
"Thank, you... for... trying... so, hard... for, me."
"...You're welcome."
The Little Witch gave me a bright smile and gently stroked my vine. She was so adorable! I would do anything to protect that smile.
Now, what was I going to do about the other one?
The Little Witch had brought back a charred Parca. The Harpy was covered in burns from head to toe. I couldn't even imagine what the Little Witch had done to her.
"I... I am... already... done for..."
I was stunned. I couldn't believe she was still conscious in that condition.
"I have... a request... Crimson Flower Princess... please... eat me..."
"Eh...?"
"I'm finished............ if I must die... then just like my brother... I want... to become one... with you, Crimson Flower Princess."
I never dreamed someone would beg me to eat them. Parca belonged to the Demon King's Army, and she had attacked me on the Prime Minister's orders. Yet, I found it impossible to truly hate her. Her devotion to me seemed genuine; she had even claimed she didn't care about her orders anymore. She had even warned me about coming to the ice castle.
Clearly, Parca hadn't wanted this fight.
Since I had to keep dealing with the Demon King's Army regardless, it was better to have as many allies as possible. It would also be a shame to lose a Harpy acquaintance who could navigate the skies so freely. And besides, I couldn't just stand by while someone I knew was dying right in front of me!
I fed Parca some of my Light Recovery Magic nectar as well.
"So this is the taste of the Crimson Flower Princess... how exquisite."
Honestly, Parca! Don't talk about my "taste"!
"I can feel you inside me, throughout my entire body. We are becoming one right now, Crimson Flower Princess."
"If... you, say... any, more... strange, things... no, more... nectar... for, you."
"Did I say something strange?"
Parca... you've been saying nothing but strange things since the moment we met.
"In any case, your nectar is miraculous. I was prepared for death, but thanks to you, I’ve been able to accept your essence into my body. You have my deepest gratitude."
Well, I had plenty I wanted to say in response, but I was just glad she was back on her feet. Still, I had to confirm one thing.
"Do... you, still... want... to, freeze... me?"
"I have no such desire. I surrender."
Parca flapped her wings like a white flag. It seemed she had lost her will to fight.
"Truthfully, I never wanted to oppose you. I don't expect you to forgive everything, but I would like to make amends. Please, tell me—is there anything you desire?"
I only had one wish: to live a quiet, peaceful life in the forest. To achieve that, I needed to understand the inner workings of the Demon King's Army better than ever. Specifically, I needed information on the Prime Minister who was targeting me. I had hoped she would give up after this failure.
"Tell, me. Will... the, Prime Minister... attack... me, again?"
"She will, without a doubt. This operation with the Frost Golem wasn't even her main plan. To His Excellency the Prime Minister, I was nothing more than a disposable pawn."
Parca continued, adding that she doubted even the Prime Minister had anticipated the Frost Golem being hijacked by me.
"His Excellency's next plan is already in motion. At this point, it’s likely too late for you to do anything."
"What... is... she... planning?"
"By now, my fellow Harpies should be scattering certain papers across the major cities of the Kingdom of Gardenia."
"Papers...?"
"I want to tell you the contents, but I am unable. Look at this."
Parca opened her mouth wide. Arcane symbols were engraved onto her tongue.
"To ensure I wouldn't leak confidential information to you, His Excellency bound me with Silence Magic."
That was why she couldn't tell me more than the absolute basics. It seemed Parca had been doing her best to provide whatever information she could without triggering the curse. I had no idea such magic existed.
The Sister Dragon was clearly very cautious. What was she plotting? Part of me wanted to storm the Demon King's Castle and give her a piece of my mind, but if I did something that reckless, I didn't know how the Flame Dragon Lord would react. Until the time for our promised meeting arrived, I wanted to avoid provoking him.
"I may not be of much use, but I promise to be your strength from now on. To me, you are more important than the Demon King's Army."
"Does... that, mean... you... choose, me... over... them?"
"Exactly. As long as I have you, I need nothing else."
"Thank, you. I... am... counting... on, you."
I had my doubts about the "needing nothing else" part, but I was happy to have her as a friend. Regardless, since I couldn't get any more information out of her, I was at a dead end. It was frustrating, but I would just have to wait for the Prime Minister's next move.
For now, I had achieved my goal of stopping the blizzard. And I had gained even more than that. Parca had become an ally, and I had a dependable new companion in the Wood Golem. I had even befriended the Demon Maid; stretching my roots all the way to the Fortress City had certainly paid off.
Thanks to our efforts, the snow had stopped. With the massive frozen bulk of the Frost Golem gone, the temperature was rising rapidly. Little by little, the thick ice was beginning to thaw.
"Oh?"
I noticed vibrant yellow-green sprouts peeking through the white ground. Spring was finally on its way.
A shiver of excitement ran through me. The season of greatest joy for a plant was returning. I couldn't just sit around here.
Little Witch, Kiri, Wood Golem—are you ready?
"Let's... go... home!"
Back to our forest!
The long winter had finally come to an end.
Next time: Newbie Apprentice Saint and the Bustling Royal Capital.