The Empire was invading.
This was a crisis of the highest order.
The Glanz Empire and the Kingdom of Gardenia were supposed to be allies. I had heard they fought wars in the distant past, but that was ancient history. Relations between the two nations had been excellent lately, so I couldn't fathom why this was happening now.
From a quick scan, I estimated there were roughly four thousand Imperial soldiers. That was far too many for a mere diplomatic escort or a noble's guard. Their objective was clear: invasion. Furthermore, Tower City lay directly in the Imperial Army’s path.
If this had happened back when I first became an Alraune—when I was a monster shut away in the forest—I might have been able to feign ignorance. But the current me had chosen to interact with people again. I couldn't just stand by and watch.
That said, I was currently just an Alraune. Even if a forest monster appeared before the Imperial Army, they weren’t likely to halt their march. If I were still Saint Iris, I would have had the confidence to make them listen, but now...
"For now... I must tell... Lord Manfred."
I teleported from the edge of the forest back to Tower City. My destination was the Lord’s manor. Manfred’s house actually featured a flowerbed specifically prepared as my dedicated teleportation spot. My Avatar Alraune was always rooted there; usually, it stayed in a bud state, but the mechanism allowed me to bloom and appear before people whenever I teleported in.
"Please... call the Lord... immediately!" I urged the guard who came to investigate my voice.
From the spot where I spotted the army to Tower City, it was about a day's walk. Considering all the preparations that needed to be made, we had very little time left. There wasn't a moment to lose! And yet—
"He's slow..."
Manfred was taking his sweet time. I knew a Lord’s work was never done, but this was excessive. Beyond that, the manor felt restless. I could sense the servants and staff panicking. Perhaps something had already happened here.
"Lady Alraune, my apologies for the wait!"
Lord Manfred finally appeared before me after I had waited several hours. He was so late I had almost drifted off into a nap. After a brief greeting, I got straight to the point.
"Please... don't be surprised. A large army... from the Glanz Empire... is heading for this city."
To my surprise, Manfred didn't seem shocked at all. Instead, he gave a heavy nod of understanding.
"I feared as much! To be honest, an Imperial Envoy arrived in the city just moments ago."
So that was why the manor was so hectic; they had been receiving an envoy. I never imagined the Empire’s messenger would reach the city before the army did.
"What business... did the Envoy... have?"
"The trouble is, they brought a preposterous accusation, demanding we surrender the 'stolen' Barometz of the Golden Fleece."
The Barometz of the Golden Fleece—he was talking about my friend back in the Demon King's Army Botanical Garden. This city hadn't stolen her; it was a total misunderstanding. The real culprit was the Demon King’s Army! Of course, since I had never told Manfred about Barometz, this must have come as a complete shock to him.
"When I told them there was no Barometz in our city, the Envoy flew into a rage. He claimed they would seize the city by force to take it, then stormed out."
Wait, why? There was no reason for the Empire to attack Tower City. Barometz wasn't here, and the Empire should have been able to verify that with a simple investigation. Why on earth were they so convinced she was here?
"The reason, apparently... is because we have been exporting Golden Cotton."
"But... we didn't... steal anything."
My friend Barometz had let me eat her Golden Cotton. As a result, I could now produce the exact same material. Thanks to that, Golden Cotton had become a primary export for Tower City, generating massive sales.
The original Barometz had been kidnapped from the Empire. The Demon King's Army was the thief, but the Empire didn't seem to know that. From their perspective, the only clue they had was that Barometz’s signature Golden Cotton—which should have been missing—was suddenly being sold in huge quantities by Tower City.
I see. Looking at it from the outside, it really did look like Tower City was hiding her.
"But... why did the Empire... only notice the cotton... now?"
We had been selling it for a while. Why was it only becoming a problem today?
"The cause is the Alraune Brand Saint Hair Tonic. An Imperial Merchant to the Imperial Household heard the rumors and bought some Golden Cotton along with the hair tonic to take home. That's how the existence of the cotton reached the Imperial Upper Echelon."
"No way..."
They say when the wind blows, the tub-makers prosper, but I never imagined that selling shampoo would trigger an imperial invasion. Which meant... this was all my fault!
Because I had made the hair tonic, the Golden Cotton had found its way into the Empire. Until now, the cotton had only been sold locally or to surrounding villages, so it stayed under the radar. It might have reached the Royal Capital of Gardenia along with the Saint Nectar, but that was still within our borders. By creating a popular product that attracted international trade, I had sparked this disaster.
"The Imperials are convinced your golden cotton belongs to the Barometz of the Golden Fleece. I explained over and over that it was produced by the Alraune, the spirit of our city, but the Envoy refused to believe me. He accused me of trying to deceive him and grew even more incensed."
Well, I couldn't blame him. If you thought about it logically, an Alraune producing cotton was unheard of. If I were still human, I wouldn't have believed it either.
"But what I cannot forgive," Manfred continued, "is that the Envoy mocked you, Lady Alraune. He asked if I intended to blame everything on a 'monster.' To call the savior of our city a monster is an insult beyond measure!"
Actually... I was a monster now. No matter how you looked at it, I wasn't human. And technically, this whole mess was my fault...
"To call Lady Alraune—who bears the holy countenance of Saint Iris herself—a monster is the same as calling Saint Iris a monster! It is unthinkable! That is why I told the Envoy to wash his neck and wait!"
Oh, no. Manfred was absolutely livid. He was so offended by the false accusations and the perceived slight against me that he had lost his cool. While it made me a little happy to be defended like that, I really needed him to calm down.
"I... have nothing to do... with Saint Iris... you know?"
Calling me a monster didn't mean they were calling Saint Iris one, did it? Manfred, please, get a grip!
"Do you... really intend... to go to war?"
"We cannot yield to foreign aggression. My family has guarded Gardenia’s borders for generations. My ancestors faced far worse than this!"
The Glanz Empire sat on our southern border. Despite being a relatively young nation, it was a power on par with Gardenia and Myrte. It was arguably the largest nation in the southern continent. While our countries had fought many wars in the past, the mountain range between us and the shared threat of the Demon King’s Army had kept us at peace for years.
In fact, during my time as Saint Iris, I had visited the Empire. If I recalled correctly, the current Emperor was a devoted family man and not a warmonger. Was he really so desperate to get Barometz back that he’d invade? Or was the cotton just a pretext, and he actually wanted the mysterious Saint Hair Tonic...?
Either way, I had to reap what I had sown. As a former Saint, I couldn't let two nations go to war over something I started. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if the city was destroyed because I made shampoo.
"Don't worry. I... will handle this."
It was nearly dusk. The Imperial Army would be preparing to make camp. They wouldn't reach Tower City until tomorrow, so I could still make it in time!
"If the Great Spirit of the Forest and our Guardian Deity will assist us, then the city is safe!"
"I'm... not a Great Spirit... or a Guardian Deity..."
"You are too modest. We intend to deploy our own troops tomorrow, so please do not overexert yourself alone. By the way, how many Imperial soldiers did you see?"
"About... four thousand."
"Truly? That seems like a small number for a serious siege..." Manfred muttered suspiciously.
The army was drawing closer while we talked, so I decided it was time to leave.
"I'll... go on ahead."
"I doubt anything could threaten you, Lady Alraune, but please, be careful!"
I teleported from the manor to the edge of the forest where the army was marching. By sensing the vibrations through my roots, I knew their exact position. There were indeed about four thousand of them.
To be honest, that wasn't enough to take Tower City. Manfred was a high-ranking noble tasked with guarding the border. If he mobilized his full strength, he could match those numbers easily. Plus, this was the front line against the Demon King; the nearby Fort was always garrisoned. Defending against four thousand men was well within Manfred's capability.
"If they know that... why... did they invade?"
Perhaps they had an elite warrior among them who could turn the tide. Regardless, I needed to buy some time. I decided to introduce myself.
"Good day... everyone."
I teleported directly in front of the advancing vanguard. The Imperial soldiers screeched to a halt, their mouths hanging open in shock. Maybe they were just stunned by how beautiful my flower was?
"Nice to meet you. Would you... like to have... a friendly chat?"
Since they weren't coming any closer, I gave them a little wave with my vines. I’m just an ordinary forest girl. Nothing to be afraid of!
"A monster!" "What is that thing?" "Terrifying..." "Wait, she's actually a beauty." "She’s kind of cute if you look closely." "Don't be fooled! If those vines catch you, you're food!" "Friendly chat? She's going to turn us into fertilizer!" "I don't want to die! I don't want to be eaten by a monster!" "It’s just a plant! Burn it!" "Wait, is that an Alraune?" "An Alraune? Like the one the General mentioned?"
The soldiers were in an uproar. They hadn't attacked yet, but they were clearly on edge. Why? I was smiling and waving! I had been getting along so well with the people of Tower City that I’d forgotten—I have a habit of being misunderstood by people who meet me for the first time.
It had been a while since I was treated like a monster. But unlike before, I now had many people who accepted me for who I was. I wasn't sad anymore.
"...Wait. That man... have I seen him... somewhere?"
An officer stepped forward from the ranks of armed soldiers. He wasn't wearing a helmet, which made his massive afro stand out. One of the soldiers shouted after him.
"General, it's dangerous!"
"It's fine, I tell ya. You lot stay put."
I recognized that face. But I didn't know anyone with an afro. I mean, hair that fluffy is the kind of thing you never forget!
"It's been a while, hasn't it? You're certainly quick to spot us, I tell ya."
I recognized that voice and that way of speaking, too. I’d heard it back when I was with Nina...
"Surely you haven't forgotten me?"
The man forced his helmet on over his hair. It looked incredibly cramped and uncomfortable, but it allowed me to focus on his facial features.
"Ah! The mercenary... who was with... the Witch Queen!"
I remembered! This afro-wearing general was the skinhead mercenary who had served the Witch Queen.
"I don't believe I introduced myself last time. The name's Diesel. I look forward to our continued acquaintance."
Wait, what? What was going on? Why did he have an afro now?! He was completely bald just a few months ago!
Confronted with an unexpected person in an unexpected place with a very unexpected hairstyle, I stood there with my mouth wide open, just as stunned as the Imperial soldiers.