I was Alraune, the plant monster girl.
After a long time apart, I had finally managed to reunite with Nina. I pulled her close with my vines, carefully checking her over to ensure she was safe. I had been worried when I saw her collapsed on the ground, but it appeared she hadn't sustained any major injuries.
Just as I was breathing a sigh of relief, Nina looked up at me with a deeply apologetic expression.
"Um... if possible, could I have one more sip of Saint Nectar?"
"Does... it still... hurt... somewhere?"
"No, I can move again thanks to you. It’s just that I’d like a little more... really, just a tiny bit would be enough..."
Nina made the request with such bashfulness that I couldn't help but be moved. My nectar possessed a healing effect, so I suspected she might still be suffering inwardly from some lingering pain. She was likely acting tough just to be considerate of me.
To think the little girl I once found crying all alone in a corner of the garden had grown into such a stout-hearted young woman—it truly touched my heart!
"Drink as much as you need until you feel better," I thought.
I popped a vine into my mouth and coated it with a generous amount of nectar. Nina vigorously gulped it down before it could even drip. As the healing properties took hold and the pain subsided, a look of pure joy spread across her face. Seeing her recover made me just as happy.
"Oh... is that feather from back then?"
I only just noticed it, but a golden feather was tucked into Nina's hair. It was undoubtedly the one I had taken from the Golden Birdman. I had given it to her as a gift, thinking it might be useful, but I never imagined she would wear it as a hair ornament.
Noticing my gaze, Nina touched the golden feather shyly.
"This is... a precious treasure I received from Iri... from Lady Crimson Flower Princess."
Come to think of it, Nina still cherished the handkerchief I had given her during my Saint Era. Knowing she had never forgotten me, even after I supposedly died as a Saint, brought a faint, gentle warmth to my chest.
I wanted to bask in that sentimentality, but our current situation wouldn't allow it. After all, we had just been under attack by fire bottles.
While Nina licked the last of the nectar, I surveyed our surroundings. A group of humans stood before us, glaring warily as if we were mortal enemies. Several already had their weapons drawn.
I could guess what had happened from the state of things: Nina had been trying to protect me. Because of that, her own comrades had turned on her, leaving her paralyzed and vulnerable. Even worse, those who were supposed to be her allies had actually thrown fire bottles at her.
Protecting a monster like me was guaranteed to get her branded as a traitor, yet she had done it anyway. Nina really was a wonderful girl. I felt like giving her even more nectar as a reward!
"The nectar is so sweet and delicious... Wait, this is no time to be drinking nectar, Lady Crimson Flower Princess!"
Nina pointed toward the humans in a panic. She was right. I needed to properly entertain the guests who had traveled so deep into my forest.
There were five of them in total.
The first was my cousin, Vol-nii. He had been a member of the Hero’s party alongside me, and to the "me" of my Saint Era, he was a reliable older brother figure. I knew he was in the area since I’d sensed him at the forest's edge, but I hadn't expected to meet him again so soon. I wondered how they had discovered my location.
As of now, he didn't seem to realize that my true identity was Saint Iris. Part of me wanted him to recognize me, but another part of me was terrified of him learning I had become a monster. These contradictory feelings swirled inside me, leaving me frustrated and restless. Since he was an old acquaintance, I truly wanted to settle this peacefully.
The second guest was the female swordsman who had been with Vol-nii earlier. I felt like she resembled someone I knew, but I couldn't quite place her.
The third was a face I remembered all too well—the Knight Commander of Tower City. He was glaring at me as if I had personally murdered his parents.
"You damn Man-eater Alraune! I'll exterminate you today for sure!" he bellowed, looking far more motivated than necessary.
I never expected to cross paths with him again. To be honest, I would have been perfectly happy never seeing him for the rest of my life.
The fourth person was a shock: Rudiger, the knight who had also been part of the Hero’s party. As the son of the Kingdom's Knight Order leader, he was a childhood acquaintance. I hadn't expected to see any members of the old party here besides Vol-nii. Unlike with my cousin, I felt a genuine dread at the thought of Rudiger discovering I was Iris.
The fifth was a skinhead man in a cloak. Since I’d never seen him before, he remained a total mystery.
They were undoubtedly here to subjugate me, but I had to confirm their intentions just in case.
"What... business... do you... have... with me?"
I called out to them and watched for a reaction. However, the skinhead man ignored me entirely and addressed Nina instead.
"Saint of the Yellow Wings, you seem quite friendly with that Alraune. What exactly is the meaning of this?"
—Saint!?
For a terrifying second, I thought my identity as the "dead" Saint Iris had been exposed. But wait... he wasn't talking to me. I had never been called the Saint of the Yellow Wings in my life. So, they didn't know I was an Alraune yet?
"This person is not an enemy," Nina replied to the man's question. "Lady Crimson Flower Princess is not an evil monster who harms people. She is our ally!"
Nina had answered to the title "Saint of the Yellow Wings." Between that and the golden feather in her hair, there was only one conclusion.
Wh-Whaaaaaat?! Nina, did you get promoted from an Apprentice Saint to an official Saint?!
"As the Saint of the Yellow Wings, I have no intention of betraying any of you. I have no desire for conflict, so please, lower your swords."
The news that Nina had become a Saint filled me with pride as her senior, but it also made me worry. Her abilities were still far below mine or those of my Shitty Junior Apprentice Saint. Without a powerful background, a commoner-born Saint would be vulnerable to exploitation or being dragged into dangerous incidents. And if she took the side of a monster like me, her position would only grow more precarious.
As if confirming my fears, the female swordsman screamed at her, "Aren't you ashamed to take a monster's side while calling yourself a Saint?!"
Ugh... forget about a Saint taking a monster's side; the person who was once a Saint and literally became a monster is standing right in front of you. So please, be a little nicer!
"I am a Saint! I’ve resolved to become a magnificent Saint, just like Lady Iris!" Nina declared, facing the verbal abuse of her comrades with her head held high. Seeing her so brave and dignified moved me to the core.
Oh, Nina... I was so touched that nectar started welling up in my eyes.
"Don't be fooled!" the Knight Commander of Tower City roared, his voice loud enough to reach his home city. "The Saint of the Yellow Wings has been close to that Man-eater Alraune since her days as an apprentice. She’s been brainwashed, just like the people in the town!"
His face was bright red. He seemed so "happy" to see me that he was practically trembling. Perhaps he was eager to have another onion flower bloom from his mouth and become a living flower vase again?
Very well. I decided the Knight Commander would be my first "customer." I would personally provide him with another lesson in the Principles of Flower Arrangement.
"Erde-Kavallerist!"
The Knight Commander manifested five magical riding bulls made of earth. I had wondered how they managed to reach the heart of the forest so quickly; they must have used these to charge through. He used to only be able to manifest one at a time, so it seemed he had improved his skills.
However, he wasn't the only one who had grown.
"Accursed Man-eater Alraune! I will take your head this day!"
The Knight Commander charged toward me atop his bulls. How uncouth. Since we were about to begin a flower arrangement lesson, I decided he should start by dismounting.
I caused Dodder roots to sprout from the ground, lashing out at the earthen bulls. Since this forest was effectively an extension of my body, I could sprout plants from anywhere.
"An Erde-Kavallerist won't be stopped by mere roots!" the Commander boasted. He seemed quite proud of his bulls.
In that case, I decided to have a little taste.
"Thank... you... for the... meal!"
As I spoke, the earthen bulls began to crumble into fine sand.
"My bulls... in an instant?! Man-eater Alraune, what did you do?!"
"For... creatures of... earth... they... tasted... like... good water."
I hadn't done anything particularly complicated. Since the bulls were made of magical earth, I simply had my roots drain every drop of moisture holding them together. Once the earth was bone-dry, it lost its form and collapsed.
I used the sticky vines of a Sundew to snatch up the agitated Knight Commander. As the vines coiled around him, they stripped away his armor, leaving him in a rather vulnerable state. But he had no reason to worry—I was going to turn him into a truly exquisite vessel!
I used a vine to force his mouth open and used Plant Generation to create chili peppers inside. As he swallowed the bright red liquid—pure chili pepper extract—his eyes turned bloodshot and he began to squirm in "delight." Since he had loved onions enough to cry last time, I figured he would enjoy these just as much.
Finally, I arranged several red chili fruits in his mouth to complete the ornamental display. Tears streamed down the Commander's face like waterfalls; he looked utterly overwhelmed by the experience. Perhaps the emotion was too much for him, as his head soon slumped and he lost consciousness.
I knew this was what he really wanted! As long as he kept calling me a man-eater, I would keep turning him into a flower vase until he learned his lesson.
"Now then, my guests. Do you understand what happens to those who try to harm me?"
I was the plant monster Alraune, and I wouldn't be brought down so easily by humans. Just as I was puffing out my chest with pride, one of the guests stepped forward.
No matter who it was, they were no match for me now that I had undergone half-spiritization. However, having grown a bit overconfident after defeating the Knight Commander, I was completely blindsided by the man's next words.
Without even glancing at the fallen Commander, Rudiger, my former comrade from the Hero’s party, spoke in a low, trembling voice.
"Hey... why does that Alraune have the same face as Iris?"