I was an Alraune—a plant monster girl and a former Saint.
I was already on edge, constantly worrying that my true identity might be exposed by my elven friend from my Saint Era.
As it turned out, that elf, Merk, was the very same person Anna-san had been commissioned to find. It seemed Anna-san’s true objective was to deliver a letter she had received from her own employer to Merk. With that business concluded, Merk decided to return to the city with us.
Even though one search request had been resolved, our work as adventurers wasn't over. We still had to conduct a survey of the forest and investigate whether any Imperial Army Remnants were lurking in the shadows. There was also the matter of searching for a blond-haired gentle man, but that was strictly a secondary concern—a "lucky if we find him" kind of task.
A few days passed after we began our temporary life in the Village of Rufe.
Yasmin and her group had detected signs of a human presence in the forest, so they headed out again today, staying alert. I wondered if that presence belonged to the blond-haired gentle man or the Imperial remnants. If soldiers were indeed hiding nearby, we couldn't rule out the worst-case scenario. To protect everyone, I knew I had to remain cautious.
The trio of Yasmin, Chara-o, and Anna-san handled the forest survey. Meanwhile, the four of us—myself, the Little Witch, Armin, and Merk—stayed behind to watch the shack. The Little Witch didn't seem to want to go outside, so I chose to stay with her.
She still seemed troubled by the village. Perhaps staying here for a few days had caused repressed memories to surface.
"Alraune, there’s somewhere I want to go."
Despite her earlier hesitation, the Little Witch eventually led me outside. She headed straight toward the remains of the village. I had assumed she wanted to avoid the place entirely, so I was surprised by her change of heart.
When we reached the ruins, she cast her gaze downward. Even though the village was now nothing more than a ghost town, she clearly found it difficult to look at. It spoke volumes about the cruel treatment she must have suffered at the hands of the villagers.
Her feet led her toward the edge of the village without hesitation. We soon arrived at what appeared to be her destination.
"Little Witch, what is this place?"
"The grave of my father and mother."
Two simple stone markers sat upon the ground. These were the graves of her parents, who had been killed by monkey monsters. I wondered what the Little Witch had been thinking as she built these, left all alone in the world. Just imagining it made my heart ache.
I pressed my vines together in front of the markers. May you rest in peace.
"I built this grave with the Village Head," the Little Witch began, her voice soft and slow. "The Village Head took me into his home when I became an orphan. He said he would make me his daughter. But... as soon as he realized I was a witch, he started beating me with his cane."
Her hands trembled as she clutched her own head. That was likely the day her witch hunt had truly begun.
"I still hate the Village Head and the others. I resent them. But I’m grateful for one thing—that he helped me build a grave for my father and mother."
She began to wipe the dirt from the stones with her bare hands. Then, she whispered a solitary thought.
"But in the end... I still hate humans."
She cleaned the stones with single-minded focus. Then, as if purging a secret, she continued.
"I hate it when people gather. It feels like my place to belong is being taken away."
For the past few days, we had been traveling with five companions. For the Little Witch, this was likely the first time she had ever lived with so many people. Now that I thought about it, she rarely spoke during dinner. she would just stay silent, clutching me tightly.
After she finished cleaning the grave, she pulled my bucket close as if it were the most precious thing in the world.
"I only have Alraune. But Alraune... you get along so well with the other children, too."
I had thought she was just shy, but I was wrong. She was terrified. She feared that her place by my side would be stolen by someone else. She likely felt threatened by Armin. He had known me before she did, and she must have mistakenly feared that his return meant she was no longer needed.
As if such a thing were possible.
"There is no replacement for you, Rufe."
I wrapped my vines around her slender body. She felt so fragile, as if she might break if I squeezed too hard. She had put on a little weight since we first met, but she was still far too thin. She was at a growing age; I worried she wasn't eating enough.
"Because to me, Rufe, you are my most precious family."
"Family..."
We stood there, embracing in silence. It felt like it had been forever since we’d done this. When we first started living together, we had held each other like this every night. But once I grew from a small potted plant to my adult size, these moments had become rare.
"Sniff... Alraune..."
It was alright, Rufe. You could cry as much as you needed to here. I let her rest peacefully against me.
I’m not sure how long we stayed like that, but I eventually snapped back to my senses when I felt eyes on us. I looked up to see Armin and Merk watching. They must have come looking for us after we slipped away.
The Little Witch wiped her tears and stood tall as Armin stepped forward.
"Hey! You! Fight me!"
"Where did this come from...?" she replied, baffled.
"It’s not fair that you’re always with Big Sister! What are you to her, anyway?!"
"I am... Alraune’s sister..."
"Then share a little! I’ve waited three years! We’re going to fight for the right to stand by Big Sister's side!"
It seemed he wanted to settle who was more worthy of the Alraune. I was about to tell them there was no need for such a thing, but I swallowed my words when I saw the fire igniting in the Little Witch’s eyes.
"Alraune belongs to me. I accept your challenge...!"
The two of them locked eyes, glaring. Then, the Little Witch threw a blunt, uncharacteristic remark his way.
"I hate you, Armin."
"Yeah? Well, I hate you too!"
They were bickering like children. Well, technically, they were children.
I sighed in exasperation as Merk picked me up, bucket and all.
"Aren't they adorable? I suppose this is what they call youth," Merk remarked.
I wondered exactly how many centuries ago Merk’s own "youth" had been. I didn't know her exact age, but she had to be at least five hundred years old. She was my friend, but from my perspective, she was practically an ancient grandmother.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, she asked a question that made me wonder if she could read my thoughts.
"By the way, Alraune-san, how old are you?"
"I-I'm three..."
Merk’s gaze was suddenly terrifying. I hoped my internal monologue hadn't leaked out. Under her scrutinizing eyes, I watched the battle begin.
"I won't lose to you, Armin."
"I've been training every single day. I’m not losing to some brat!"
Please stop! Don't fight over me! I thought, recalling those classic lines. Still, as far as childhood squabbles went, this was almost cute. Clashing with someone her own age was probably a good experience for the Little Witch, considering how isolated she had been. I decided to let them have their match.
Armin made the first move.
"Wind Three-Birds (Sturmvogel)!"
Three avian constructs of wind lunged at her. The Little Witch used Levitation to weave through them gracefully.
"That's cheating! How can you fly?!" Armin shouted. He didn't know she was a witch, so this was clearly a shock to him. "Doesn't matter! I’ve dealt with flying opponents before thanks to Gramps!"
As the magical birds zipped through the air, they left a trail of wind that coalesced into chains.
"Wind Chain (Sturmkette)!"
Just as the chains were about to snag her, angel-like wings sprouted from the Little Witch’s back.
"You can't catch me with magic like that."
She had already won an aerial duel against Parca the Harpy. Rufe could fly faster than any human, and certainly faster than any ordinary witch.
"My turn. Take this!"
She unleashed her Storm Magic, "Ice Rain (Graupel)." Shards of ice pelted down toward Armin, but he managed to deflect them by raising a wall of wind.
They were both quite impressive. Neither moved like a typical twelve-year-old.
"Why won't you just go down? Disappear from our lives!" the Little Witch shouted. Armin’s magic control was good enough to genuinely frustrate her, but she still hadn't used her trump card. She knew that if she did, she might actually kill him.
She began throwing a bit of a tantrum, yelling that Armin was getting in the way of her having me all to herself. Since she was still holding back her deadliest magic, I figured her reason was still intact. I kept watching.
However, as the back-and-forth struggle continued, the ground suddenly began to tremble.
Thump. Thump. Something massive was approaching. A giant shadow emerged from beyond the withered trees.
It was a Laobubear.
The horned, ursine monster loomed over us. Standing nearly ten meters tall, it looked exactly like the Bear-papa I remembered. It was salivating, clearly looking for a meal. Strangely, though, its body was covered in wounds. It looked as if it had been driven here or was fleeing from something. Or perhaps it had simply smelled a delicious scent and come running.
Ahem.
Are you by any chance Bear-papa’s brother? Ah, the younger brother. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I actually shared a dance with your brother once. So, why are you here? I see. You were hibernating, but you smelled a sweet scent and had to come see. The forest fire left you short on food, and you’re starving.
In other words, the brother bear wanted my nectar. I understood the situation perfectly.
This bear was after me!
—GRRRRRRAAAAAA!!
The brother bear charged. But something was off. I expected him to come straight for me, but he veered toward Armin instead.
I see! It’s Armin’s Nectar Ball!
The bear had caught the faint, rich aroma of the nectar ball inside Armin’s body. He had targeted the closest source of the scent first.
"Whoa! What's with this bear?!" Armin froze, paralyzed by the sight of the ferocious beast.
The brother bear didn't miss that opening. With the agility expected of a Lord of the Forest, he delivered a powerful bear punch. But just as his claws were about to tear into Armin, the boy vanished. The Little Witch had glided down from the sky and pulled him to safety.
"You... why did you save me?"
"Don't get the wrong idea. If you die, Alraune will be sad."
The Little Witch had saved a human. And she had done it of her own volition! This was a first.
"Besides, this bear... tried to eat Alraune before."
Three years ago, Bear-papa had licked me all over. The Little Witch, who had been a white bird at the time, must have seen that humiliating sight.
"I hate bears, too. Disappear!"
The Little Witch raised her arm, and black clouds swirled above. Amidst the ominous rumbling, a bolt of divine judgment struck the bear’s horn. It was her Storm Magic, "Heavenly Thunder (Blitz)"!
—GRAAAAAAAAGGHHH!!
Her trump card landed a direct hit on Bear-papa’s brother. The bear let out an enraged roar. Proving his lineage, he didn't go down even after being struck by lightning. Bleeding from his head, he lunged at the Little Witch. Even with her flying, the bear was so massive that he could almost reach her with a simple hop. It was a terrifying display of a cornered beast's tenacity.
"L-Little Witch!"
I was currently in my shrunken form; I couldn't reach her in time.
"Wind Three-Birdcage (Sturmkäfig)!"
Armin, still being held by the Little Witch, activated a massive cage of wind magic. It restrained the brother bear for just a moment before exploding.
"Now! Wind Blade Explosion (Sturmlung)!"
It was the wind magic combo Armin had shown me before. The bear’s horn, already charred by lightning, snapped off under the force of the wind blades. Carved by the magic, the brother bear finally collapsed with a thunderous thud.
We did it! The Little Witch and Armin had defeated a Laobubear!
The two descended to the ground, their faces clear and refreshed, as if they had entirely forgotten their quarrel. Armin held out his hand to her.
"You're... pretty strong."
"...You aren't bad for a kid, either."
"Also, sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have called you a brat."
"I said too much to you, too... I'm sorry."
They gripped each other’s hands firmly. It was a handshake of reconciliation. Having fought side-by-side against a formidable foe, they had clearly found a mutual respect.
"And my name is Rufe. Not 'you'."
"Rufe. Got it." Armin looked away, slightly embarrassed. "Anyway, I’m glad you’re with Big Sister now."
"What do you mean?"
"Back in the forest, Big Sister always looked so lonely. But you’ve been with her this whole time, haven't you? If she has you, then she isn't lonely anymore. That's a relief."
"You're relieved... that I’m with her?"
"She looks happy when she’s with you. I knew it the moment I saw her face."
Armin had met me three years ago, back when I was truly alone, before I met my little white bird. Compared to those days, I was truly happy now. Because the Little Witch was always by my side.
Rufe walked over to me and looked into my eyes.
"Alraune, are you happy being with me?"
"I am. After all, we're family now, aren't we?"
"...That's right."
She always called me her sister, but as an only child, she might not have fully grasped the weight of that word.
"I have a family now."
She turned her gaze toward the two grave markers, as if reporting to her parents. "Father, Mother... it’s okay for me to have another family besides you, right?"
She stared at the markers for a long time. Then, she turned back to me. "Alraune, you won't leave me, will you?"
"I won't go anywhere. We are family."
I had no intention of leaving her for Armin or Merk. The day she saved me, I decided we would be together forever. We weren't related by blood, nor were we even the same species, but we were family. Families come in many shapes. It was perfectly fine for a human and a plant monster to be one.
Rufe looked at Armin. "I'll give you the answer to your question from before."
"Yeah?"
"My relationship with Alraune... we’re family! That’s why Alraune is my little sister!"
Well, technically I was the older one, but I decided to let her have the title for now. Her expression in that moment was that of a true big sister.
With that, the Little Witch’s eventful visit to the grave came to an end. Or so I thought.
But adventures always have their share of accidents. Merk the Elf was the first to notice.
"This isn't good," she said, her voice calm but serious. "We’re surrounded."
Before we knew it, figures in military uniforms had closed in on us. I recognized those clothes immediately. These were Imperial Soldiers! I was stunned; the remnants mentioned in the request were actually lurking here.
A Lady Knight in golden armor stepped forward from the ranks. I noticed a specific crest engraved on her armor—a mark I recognized instantly.
Why is that crest here?!
That emblem was permitted only to the Imperial Family. This Lady Knight, like Imperial Princess Freundliche, was a member of the royal bloodline.
Next time: The secret of Crown Princess Malai Glanzweisheit.