More than two years had passed since my life as Saint Iris came to an end and my new existence as an Alraune began.
When I first transformed, I had no way to take revenge on the Hero and my shitty junior, even if I had wanted to. I was desperate just to survive each day, and more importantly, I was rooted to the spot, unable to move at all.
But now? As long as I could take root, I could become a part of the forest and shift my position. With so many human allies now, I could even become a Potted Alraune and sneak into the Royal Capital by hiding among the Saint Nectar Transporter's cargo. I was no longer the same girl who could do nothing but weep while being licked by Bear-papa.
I, too, had grown!
That said, I couldn't exactly charge into the capital just yet. Gathering information was the first priority; it wouldn't be too late to decide on my next move after that. Besides, for the current me, revenge wasn't at the top of my list. Spending quiet days with everyone in this forest was more important than anything else.
"I’ve told you the accomplice's name. So, you'll let me go, won't you?"
"Only... this once. If you... meddle with us... again... consider the seeds... inside your body. They will... sprout... and you will... become a living... human vase."
As long as the seeds I had embedded in her body weren't removed, I could attack Witch Queen Kirke remotely whenever I wished. At the very least, the seed that had entered through her right eye and into her head would likely never be removed. Well, she might die from blood loss before she could do anything about it, but she was the Witch Queen—she’d probably manage somehow.
"Furthermore... there are... conditions... for your... release."
The Witch Queen had utility value. Therefore, I decided to make her pay me back a little for all the trouble she had caused.
"First... do not... be hostile... toward us. Second... give up... on Rufe."
"Since things have turned out like this, it looks like I have no choice but to give up on Rufe-chan~. So, what else?"
"Third... a massive supply... of lime. And fourth... you will feed... me information."
It wasn't an exaggeration to say the Witch Queen, a master of transformation, was a professional spy. Combined with the fact that she had lived for centuries, I suspected there wasn't a secret in the world she couldn't uncover.
"How strange of you to want lime. Fine, then. If there’s anything the Crimson Flower Princess-chan wants to know, I’ll tell you everything!"
"Then... gather information... on the Demon King's Army... the Kingdom... the Hero... and the Saint."
There were other things I wanted to know as well. As I was drawing basic information out of her, someone approached the clearing with a rustle of leaves.
"Alraune-sama, are you okay!?"
A single withered tree ran toward us with impressive speed. It was my "little sister" figure, Amazoness Treant, with Fairy Kiri clinging to its branches, looking worried. They had come for me. The thought made me happy.
"A lot of salt water started falling on the forest, so I thought things were looking bad and came rushing over!"
It seemed Kiri knew about the lethal relationship between plants and salt. As expected of a fairy serving directly under Lady Dryades.
"Thank you... for worrying. I... appreciate it."
The sentiment alone was enough. Reaffirming that I was no longer alone warmed my heart.
"So, look! I brought this for you, Alraune-sama!"
At Kiri’s word, Amazoness Treant held out a certain plant with its branches. The leaves were covered in tiny, glistening grains—a plant I recognized from my previous life.
Wait, this was an Ice Plant!
"Where... did you... find this?"
I certainly hadn't seen any in this forest before.
"An adventurer calling herself a botanist came to the city. When I mentioned I wanted a plant that could withstand salt, she let me have it."
──A botanist.
Hearing that title, the face of a single friend came to mind. As Saint Iris, I had been raised from a young age in a way that prevented me from making friends I could trust from the bottom of my heart. She was one of the few exceptions. I recalled that she used to introduce herself to others with that exact title.
Could she be in this city?
──No, I couldn't imagine her coming down to a human settlement without a very good reason. It was likely someone else.
Expressing my gratitude to Kiri and Amazoness Treant, I took the Ice Plant with my vines. The Ice Plant is a "halophyte," a category of plants resistant to salt damage. It uses "bladder cells" on the leaf surfaces to separate water from salt. Those round, glistening grains were the bladder cells themselves. They store salt within them, making the leaves look as if they are covered in ice—hence the name.
I took a bite.
With that, I obtained the Ice Plant’s bladder cells. I had been wondering how to clean up the salt damage, so the timing was perfect. I began forming the same structures on the surface of my own leaves, separating the salt from my system.
"What is this!? Strange round things are forming all over the tree!?"
Ignoring the Witch Queen’s flustered voice, I expanded the Ice Plant’s ability throughout the forest. Since I was currently connected to every plant in the woods, I could use the entire forest to perform a massive desalination.
"Could it be... you're saying you can absorb the power of the plants you eat!?"
Witnessing the power of my Plant Generation, the Witch Queen let out a voice of genuine admiration.
"This is beyond the realm of an Alraune... At this rate, it's just like the Goddess's Forest."
"The Goddess's Forest?"
What was that? It was the first time I had heard the term. As I tilted my head, Kiri stepped in to explain.
"It refers to the Great Forest where the Goddess is said to have descended in ancient times. It’s located in the deepest part of the continent and is currently ruled by the Spirit Queen."
Come to think of it, I felt like I had read something about that in the secret texts available only to the Saint.
"Are there... plants... with powers... like mine... in that forest?"
"A long time ago, during a famine when the Demon King's Army was rampaging across the continent, many humans fled to that forest. The Spirit Queen supposedly turned a single vegetable into tens of thousands in a single night to save them. Kirke was likely referring to that legend."
It sounded exactly like my Plant Generation. I had never known a being like a Spirit Queen existed; I wondered what she was like. I’d love to meet her someday.
On another note, how did Kiri know the Witch Queen’s name? I was shocked that she knew Kirke's name so casually—a name that no one in the long history of the Kingdom of Gardenia had ever discovered. I had thought she was just a nectar-loving fairy, but she was surprisingly well-informed.
As I continued the desalination, Nina, Vol-nii, and the female swordsman returned. Both were battered from their battles, so I shared my nectar with them. Nina licked it up with sparkling eyes, shouting, "It's Saint Nectar!!" Meanwhile, I asked Vol-nii what had happened.
"I traded blows with that witch and the mercenary, but we didn't reach a conclusion. That mercenary is a lot more capable than I thought."
Apparently, Nina and the female swordsman had been fighting the Witch Queen's Assistant, Groa, while Vol-nii took on the skinhead mercenary. If Vol-nii couldn't overwhelm him, the man was clearly more than a mere animal tamer.
Soon after, the skinhead mercenary, Diesel, swept the Witch Queen up in a princess carry. Using Groa’s levitation magic, the three of them departed the forest together.
"Nyahaha... You seem like a kind little flower, Crimson Flower Princess-chan. I hope you don't regret sparing my life one day."
The Witch Queen left those parting words behind. It almost made me reconsider turning her into a living flower vase right then and there. She had lost her right eye, her mana was being drained by my spirit power, and she was currently suffering from the poison of my Sandbox Tree seeds. She might not even survive, but I didn't offer her any nectar. After all the trouble she had caused, I wanted her to suffer at least a little bit.
If she truly gets desperate, she'll probably come crawling back for help. Maybe I'll give her some nectar then. I might be called naive for sparing her, but I was once a Saint. I want to hold on to my human emotions if I can...
Provided she doesn't defy me. If she does, I'll make a flower bloom inside her skull. I hope she doesn't forget that.
In any case, the enemies had been wiped out. The opponent who had tormented me for so long was finally gone. Now I could finally live in peace!
"Alraune!"
Witch-ko dropped down from the sky. With the Witch Queen’s departure, the battle with the witches in Tower City had also come to an end.
"Rufe!"
I caught Witch-ko with my vines and immediately performed a full-body check. No injuries. That was a relief.
"Alraune, that tickles!"
I ignored her embarrassment and patted her with my vines. Apparently, she had defeated several of the witches rampaging in the city. Rufe was already stronger than the average witch. She had really grown.
"Good girl... good girl."
"Alraune... stop treating me like a child. I'm an adult now."
Even though she was only twelve, she insisted on being an adult. Her attempt to act grown-up was adorable. Actually, I felt like she had gotten a bit taller since we first met. Children grow so fast; I'm almost jealous. I patted her even more.
While we played, Witch-ko whispered anxiously.
"...What happened to the Witch Queen?"
Rufe had been kidnapped by Kirke once before. The very reason she had become a witch was because of her. She must have been terrified.
"You don't... need to worry... anymore."
"...Really?"
I pulled her close with my vines and embraced her with my human arms.
"You won't... be targeted... anymore."
"...Thank you."
When I first met Witch-ko, she was being hunted by the Demon King's Army. I eventually learned it was because they were working with the Witch Queen. Now that Kirke had given up on her, the girl was finally free. The threats on her life would surely dwindle.
──It had been a long road.
The Golden Birdman, the Poison Fairy, Vergissmeinnicht of the Four Heavenly Kings, Beast King Marticoras, the Frost Golem that brought the Great Cold Wave, and finally, Witch Queen Kirke. I had kicked every one of them aside, and my enemies were finally gone. The Demon King's Army was still out there, which was a concern, but I had established a "honeymoon" relationship with the Flame Dragon Lord by providing him with Saint Nectar. It would probably be fine!
I had thought this a few times before, but this time, I was sure. The brutal winter was over; our spring had finally arrived. From now on, I could live in the forest to my heart’s content!
──Probably.
Ice Plant: A halophyte of the Aizoaceae family, native to the Namib Desert in South Africa. It is a succulent similar to a cactus. In France, it is called ficoïde glaciale and is sometimes used in French cuisine.
Next time: A Lost Demon Maid’s Receptionist Friendship Chronicle.