Knight Rudiger’s words echoed softly through the trees, the weight of his declaration growing louder in my chest with every passing second.
Has my identity as Iris been exposed?!
I could feel the humans' collective gaze fixated on my face. Every one of them was scrutinizing my features, trying to find the truth. Nina was a mess of nerves, her eyes darting frantically back and forth between me and the party.
The one who finally broke the heavy silence was, once again, Knight Rudiger.
"I can’t believe it... It’s just like Diesel said. This Alraune has the exact same face as Saint Iris..."
Rudiger appeared to be beyond mere surprise; he stared at me as if he were in a trance. Seeing him react like that sent a jolt of shock through me as well.
In any case, who was this Diesel person? And how did he know my face was identical to Iris’s?
"Could it be... that you are Iris?" Rudiger asked, his voice trembling.
I met his gaze head-on.
Calm down, Iris!
The fact that he was asking a question meant he only saw a resemblance. He hadn't yet made the leap to realize I was her. Most people wouldn't logically conclude that a Saint had been reincarnated as an Alraune. Even Nina hadn't believed it at first.
For now, I just had to play dumb. Having abandoned my life as a human, my only dream was to live a peaceful plant life in the forest. To protect that dream, I couldn't let my true identity be discovered.
"I know... that name," I said, my voice halting. "The Lord... of the city... often calls... my face... by that name."
"The Lord?"
"Yes... I have... built a... friendly relationship... with the people... of the city."
It wasn't a lie. Everything I said was the truth. I simply had no intention of revealing that I was Iris.
"But Hoffmann called you a Man-eater Alraune... Did you... did you eat Iris and take over her body?"
He wasn't entirely wrong, but he wasn't right either. After all, I had become the Alraune. By the way, was Hoffmann the name of that Knight Commander who I turned into a flower vase? That was the first time I’d ever heard his name.
As Rudiger leveled the tip of his sword at me, Nina stepped forward to shield me.
"The Crimson Flower Princess would never eat a person! I was shocked too, but her resemblance to Lady Iris is nothing more than a coincidence!"
"It's too perfect to be a coincidence," Rudiger spat. "If she didn't consume her, then maybe Iris defected to the Demon King's Army and transformed herself into a monster!"
"That's ridiculous! There's no way!"
"Then look at the evidence. This Alraune is one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King's Army. Iris is dead, but her body might have been modified by the Demon King's Army into the creature we see now."
That confirmed it. Rudiger believed the lie that I had defected to the Demon King. No doubt that shitty junior apprentice saint had fed him those lies to manipulate him. Grrr, that girl is absolutely unforgivable.
Considering Nina hadn't known about this, it seemed the story of my "betrayal" was only known to the former Hero's party. Does that mean Vol-nii thinks I betrayed the kingdom too? The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth.
"Saint of the Yellow Wings, I heard you admired Iris," Rudiger said, stepping closer. "You're just projecting your idol onto this monster because they share a face."
Vol-nii remained silent, his eyes locked on me, while the female swordsman stayed in her battle stance. The skinhead man had slipped into the background at some point and was busy with a white cat that had appeared from nowhere.
"The white cat... That’s right! Crimson Flower Princess, this is bad!" Nina leaned in and whispered urgently, keeping her voice low so the others wouldn't hear. "That man with the cat—he's the one who captured Rufe-chan while she was in her bird transformation!"
What?! Did that mean the Little Witch had been kidnapped by that man?
"Lord Diesel should have a birdcage hidden in his clothes. Rufe-chan is inside."
Good work, Nina. I had been worried about where the Little Witch had disappeared to. I didn't know why he had captured her, but if these humans left now, I might never see her again. She might even be outed as a witch and burned at the stake.
This was my chance—my only chance—to get her back.
As if sensing my gaze, the white cat let out a sharp "meow," and its owner, the skinhead man, looked up at me. But before I could act, Rudiger lunged forward with a scream.
"Saint Iris, fallen to the Demon King's Army and turned into a monster... how pathetic. I’ll return you to the earth right now and liberate your soul!"
He thrust his sword at me, his eyes clouded with bloodlust. He had been getting on my nerves for a while now. He used to pester me back in the old days, too, and I finally hit my limit.
Rudiger, you’re in the way!
I transformed a vine into a heavy log and swung it with all my might.
"Gyaa!" With a pathetic yelp, Rudiger was sent flying into the dense thicket.
I had used the wood of a Zelkova tree for that strike. It was hard and heavy—perfect for clubbing people. He was wearing armor, so it probably wasn't fatal, but he was definitely out of the fight.
Now that the nuisance was gone, I needed to get the Little Witch back.
"Don't move, Crimson Flower Princess Alraune."
Vol-nii walked toward me, though he kept his sword sheathed.
"The Saint of the Yellow Wings claims the resemblance is a coincidence. It’s a stretch, but I suppose it's possible. However... why did you know my name?"
He was talking about when I had accidentally called him "Vol-nii" while in my Avatar Alraune form. I really should have been more careful.
"Tell me. Are you one of the Four Heavenly Kings?"
"...No... I am... not."
"Then do you have a connection to Iris?" Unlike the hot-headed Rudiger, Vol-nii’s gaze was steady and piercing. "Iris was the only one who ever called me Vol-nii. I know it sounds crazy, but the way you said it... it reminded me so much of her."
There was no doubt about it. Vol-nii suspected the truth.
"I’m sorry for the attack earlier. Just tell me. Are you Iris?"
I had just told myself I wouldn't reveal my identity to him. Yet, looking at him, my resolve began to waver.
"...If I... say... I am not... Iris... will you... attack me... because I am... a monster?"
If I told him the truth, he might cut me down as a traitor. If I denied it, he might kill me because I was a monster. Either way, as far as humans were concerned, I was the enemy.
I looked past Vol-nii to the man with the white cat. The Little Witch was right there.
That was the only thing that mattered. My priority was saving Rufe. My life as Saint Iris had ended the moment I was betrayed. I was the plant monster Alraune now.
The reason I could survive in this forest was because of the Little Witch and the others who stayed by my side. They had reached out to me when I was completely alone. I would choose my current family over Vol-nii, a ghost from my past.
"Step aside... human. I have... business... with the man... behind you."
I leveled my vines at the skinhead man.
"I have... no desire... to fight... you. My only... wish... is to... save that child. That... is all."
I would get the Little Witch back safely while keeping my secret. That was my duty.
I'm coming for you, Rufe!
Zelkova: A deciduous tree of the Ulmaceae family, Genus Zelkova. It is known for its extreme hardness and is commonly used in traditional wooden architecture and high-end furniture.
Next time: Witch's Power.