This continues the story from the perspective of the magic swordsman in the Four Heavenly Kings Subjugation Party.
My name is Wolfgang.
I am the magic swordsman who leads the Four Heavenly Kings Subjugation Party.
Suspecting that the mysterious white bird emerging from the Saint of the Yellow Wings' room might be a spy for the Demon King’s Army, I sprinted through the city, keeping the creature in my sights.
Presently, the white bird was perched in front of the local branch of the Adventurer Guild.
Now that I thought about it, the mercenary Diesel had mentioned he was going to the guild to gather information. I wondered if he was already inside.
As I watched the white bird, its behavior only became more baffling.
Just as I caught it peering through the guild’s window from the outside, it hopped right into the building. It was chased back out almost immediately, but for some reason, it now held a slip of paper in its beak.
Judging by the look of it, that was a monster’s Wanted Poster.
Why would a bird steal a Wanted Poster?
This was the same breed of bird as the ungrateful creature that had made off with my wallet. Perhaps the species simply had an affinity for human belongings.
However, what if this bird possessed human-level intelligence and was being manipulated?
If it had stolen my wallet, it was because its master had ordered it to do so. And if it had gone out of its way to steal that poster, it was because its master was unable to set foot inside the Adventurer Guild themselves. That led me to one conclusion: the master was likely a member of the Demon Race.
The white bird tucked the poster into a thicket as if hiding it, then took to the skies once more.
I reached into the bushes to retrieve the stolen document.
"The Wanted Poster of the Crimson Flower Princess Alraune..."
Could the bird's master be the Crimson Flower Princess herself?
She was using it to scout the city. Her target, without a doubt, was our subjugation party. The fact that the bird had been hovering around the Saint of the Yellow Wings was the ultimate proof.
I couldn't let that bird escape the city.
I resumed my tailing. When the bird finally stopped to rest on a branch on the outskirts of town, I steeled my resolve.
I would eliminate it.
Now was my chance!
But the moment I drew my sword, something dropped from the canopy above, straight toward the bird.
A cat.
A white cat pounced on the bird, pinning it down. Both animals tumbled to the forest floor.
As I moved to approach them, a voice called out. "Well now, if it isn't Mister Wolfgang."
"Diesel... what are you doing here?"
The bald mercenary, Diesel, stepped out from behind a tree.
I hadn't sensed his presence in the slightest. He was clearly more skilled than he let on.
"I was just taking Aie for a little stroll, see."
Aie was the name of Diesel’s beloved cat.
The white bird, held firmly in the cat's jaws, had stopped moving as if it were asleep.
"Is the bird... dead?"
"Perish the thought. It’s just sleeping, see. Just between us, the truth is I’m an Animal Tamer. This bird here is my pet—got away from me earlier, I’m embarrassed to say."
If the white bird had stolen the poster for its master, Diesel, then the logic held up. We were here to subjugate the Crimson Flower Princess Alraune, after all, so it made sense for him to want the poster.
Had I been too quick to jump to the conclusion that the bird was a henchman for the Alraune?
"I’ve always had a soft spot for white creatures, see," Diesel continued. "I think a natural white is a sacred thing—something that doesn't quite belong to this world."
"When I think of 'sacred,' I tend to picture gold," I replied. "It’s easier to visualize the Goddess of Light that way."
"I suppose you would, Mister. Just between us, I’m not exactly a follower of the Church, see. The colors of the Goddess don't really move my heart."
Cradling the bird delicately, the mercenary Diesel gave a casual wave. "Well then, I’ll be heading back to the inn." He disappeared into the distance with his cat.
I had heard that mercenaries were often eccentrics, and it seemed the rumors were true.
In the end, the bird belonged to Diesel. If that was the case, there was no reason for me to pry any further.
I returned to the inn for the day to recover my strength. Tomorrow, we would finally infiltrate the Forest Dungeon. Tonight would be my last chance for a peaceful night's sleep.
The following morning.
I arrived at the entrance to the forest ahead of the others. I wanted to scout the area first to ensure there were no immediate threats. I had instructed the Saint of the Yellow Wings and the rest of the party to follow later.
However, I wasn't alone.
A young girl with two magic swords—heirlooms from her grandfather, the Great Sage—strapped to her waist had followed me of her own accord.
"Anna, why are you here? It’s far too early for the rendezvous."
"I was worried about my Dog-ear Leader," Anna replied, huffing and turning her head away. "No telling what you'd get up to on your own. I can't leave you unsupervised."
Throughout our journey, she had refused to leave my side. Every time I tried to head out alone, she would secretly trail me. My suspicion that she would do the same today had proven correct.
"Well, since you're already here, I suppose there's no helping it. You might as well come along."
"You bet!"
Together with Anna, I ventured into the forest.
Our reconnaissance was meant to be limited to the area around the entrance. According to the locals, monsters didn't usually appear this close to the edge. Still, there were rumors of treants and other mobile plant monsters deeper in the woods. If the enemies could move, I couldn't afford to be optimistic.
I cleared away branches and stepped over tangled roots, carving a path through the brush. I felt no hostile presence, nor did I feel like we were being watched. This area seemed safe.
Or so I thought, until it happened.
"Leader, look!"
Anna pointed to a patch of dirt right in front of us.
A plant shoot suddenly erupted from the earth. It was almost like magic.
The plant grew at a staggering rate, swelling into a massive, bulbous shape. The speed of its growth was so unnatural I wondered if I was experiencing a hallucination. Green leaves sprouted from the top of the Bulb, and from between those leaves, a large red Bud emerged.
In that moment, I recalled the description on the Wanted Poster of the Crimson Flower Princess Alraune.
If memory served, wasn't the Alraune of the Four Heavenly Kings a monster with red petals?
I drew my sword at the exact moment the Bud burst into bloom.
Amidst a shower of luminous motes, a small girl was born from the center of the flower.
She was beautiful, with long, yellowish-green hair. She wore no clothes, which was only natural—her upper body was human, but from the waist down, she was fused to the plant.
There was no mistake. It was an Alraune.
But why was an Alraune here? She was supposed to be in the forest near Tower City. Furthermore, unlike the illustration on the poster, she looked like a child.
No, I had to stay calm. The Knight Commander of Tower City had mentioned that the Alraune could take the form of a Young Girl and appear in the woods near the city. This was the neighboring town, but it was likely well within her territory. If I panicked now, I would be walking right into a trap.
I kept my guard up as I observed the small Alraune.
However, my shock was so great that I couldn't stop my thoughts from leaking out.
"That's impossible..."
I recognized the face of this Alraune.
When I had seen the Wanted Poster, I figured the resemblance was just a coincidence of the artist's style, but seeing her in person, it was undeniable.
The hair color was different, but the features were identical. This Alraune had the exact same face as Iris when she was a child.
Between the sudden appearance of the enemy and her uncanny resemblance to Iris, I was stunned into silence. I found myself locking eyes with the Alraune, who seemed just as surprised to see me.
She moved her vines like limbs and rubbed her eyes as if she were half-asleep. Then, she spoke.
"Why... are you... here...?"
The Alraune talked. I knew the Crimson Flower Princess was a Unique Monster capable of speech. That settled it; this was definitely our target.
I never imagined the very monster we were sent to kill would simply appear before us. I didn't know why she was here, but I had to capitalize on this. This was the perfect moment to strike, while she was still dazed.
My rational mind knew that, yet my hands refused to move.
It was because she had the face of Iris.
Get a grip, Wolfgang.
No matter how much she looked like Iris did in her youth, she wasn't the same person. It was just a fluke of nature. This Alraune was not my cousin. She was a plant monster. An enemy!
I began to imbue my sword with magic, preparing to thrust. Just as I finally forced my body to move, I froze again.
The Alraune had said something impossible.
"Might you be... Vol-nii?"
Vol-nii.
I only knew one girl who had ever called me that.
The Saint who had died as a traitor five years ago.
Only Iris ever called me Vol-nii.
And so ends the tale of Wolf-ear Wolfgang. It seems the two have finally reunited in the forest.
Regarding the next update, I would like to post it on June 16th to commemorate the official book release. Thank you for your continued support!
Next time: I was found by my cousin.