"Will you... tell me... everything?"
In response to my question, Crown Princess Malai and the demon, Nebiros-san, both maintained their silence.
Naturally, I kept them both restrained. The Crown Princess was bound by my Dodder, while the demon was held fast by Devil’s Claw. Both kept their heads bowed, refusing to speak.
Still, I’d been worried for a moment when that demon emerged from the Princess’s right eye, but I’d somehow managed to defeat him.
His Dark Magic, the Spirit Hand, was a formidable spell capable of crushing an opponent’s heart. However, it moved far too slowly, and because it was weak against a Saint’s Light Magic, I was able to neutralize it immediately.
Besides, I don’t even have a heart. As a plant, a heart-crushing attack is useless against me.
"If you’re... captured... you can’t... use... that magic hand... right?"
Since they weren't talking, I decided to try a different topic. It seemed that as long as I kept the demon’s arms restrained, he couldn't manifest that ghostly hand. Just to be safe, I had wrapped him tightly in Vines imbued with Light Magic. Even if he tried to use the spell, it shouldn't work.
As Nebiros-san continued his stubborn silence, the Little Witch approached him. For some reason, she was carrying a wooden stick.
"No sexually harassing Alraune!"
Whack!
"Eh!?"
The Little Witch had just smacked the demon with that stick! What was she thinking? It was dangerous to get so close to a demon. More importantly, how did she even know he had tried to reach for me with his Spirit Hand? I thought those hands were supposed to be invisible to everyone else.
"Is it possible this white-haired child is a Witch? Is that why she could see my 'Gloria Hunt'?" the demon muttered.
Apparently, the magic hand could be seen by Witches as well as Saints. As long as it was visible, avoiding those sluggish movements was easy. That realization brought me a bit of relief.
"'Gloria Hunt' is visible to human Saints, Witches, and the Demon Race," Nebiros explained. "Therefore, just like Saints, Witches are my natural enemy... Now that it has come to this, I have no choice but to surrender."
The demon's seemingly invincible hand turned out to have quite a few limitations. Furthermore, even if one couldn't see it, there were other ways to detect it. Merk, the elf, chimed in, "I couldn't see it, but I could still perceive it."
It seemed that even without sight, she could sense the Spirit Hand by using the Elves' White Magic to borrow Spirit Power. In short, his magic was specialized for use against ordinary humans.
Realizing escape was impossible, the demon slumped his shoulders and began to plead.
"There. I have revealed all my secrets. I have no more will to fight. So please, whatever you do, just don't eat me..."
He was trembling while staring at my lower body. There was no need to be that frightened. I'm just a lovely flower. Honestly, it was a bit rude.
"I thought that if I kept racking up military achievements, I could dream of becoming one of the Four Heavenly Kings, not just a General," he lamented. "I never imagined I would end up being dissolved in an Alraune's stomach."
"If you... don't want... to be eaten... then please... tell us... everything."
Nebiros-san looked up at my words. It seemed he was finally ready to talk about their plans. The Little Witch, Merk, and I all waited with bated breath for him to speak.
Perhaps we were all too focused on the demon. None of us noticed that our other prisoner had started to move.
"You all seem quite preoccupied with the demon. Since you no longer have any use for me, I shall take my leave."
By the time I realized what was happening, Crown Princess Malai was floating in the air. My Dodder was melting!
Somehow, the parts of the vine binding her had vanished. Only the sections piercing her body had dissolved away. How was that even possible?
"You were a bit careless, Alraune. I am a Crown Princess who successfully infiltrated enemy territory. You shouldn't have assumed the demon was my only trump card."
She was planning to escape using a Witch’s Levitation Magic. But I wasn't about to let her go. I sprouted a massive Venus Flytrap from the earth. No matter how freely a Witch could fly, she wouldn't escape my grasp.
However, the moment the Venus Flytrap closed in on her, the Princess did something horrifying.
"Oh, how clumsy of me. I've accidentally dropped my right eye."
To my disbelief, she thrust her finger into her own eye socket. After gouging the eye out, she unhesitatingly threw it toward the Venus Flytrap. The discarded eye immediately swelled into a mass of flesh, serving as a decoy to take the brunt of the plant's attack.
Having evaded my pursuit, Malai flew off into the distance.
"Damn it, she got away!"
I wasn't the only one complaining; the demon was shouting too.
"Hey, you Imperial woman! How dare you run away and leave me behind!"
"Oh, my apologies. I'd forgotten all about the demon," she called back. "It seems I am quite the scatterbrain. Please, do forgive me."
"That woman! She's more of a demon than I am!" Nebiros wailed.
He was almost pitiable. The Princess, who was clearly not being "clumsy" about abandoning him, disappeared into the horizon.
Even I couldn't reach an enemy that far away. After all, I am a plant. I excel at ground combat and can dominate the airspace immediately around me, but the open sky is beyond my reach.
Just as I was about to give up, Merk stepped forward and drew her bow.
"It's my turn now."
It seemed Merk was going to handle this. It had been years since I last saw her archery.
Merk took aim. Back in the Hero's party, the Elf Mercurée was the one who could strike the most distant foes. No member of the Demon Race had ever escaped her.
"O spirits dwelling in this land, lend me your strength to exorcise this evil," she intoned.
In that instant, I felt a change in my body. Strength was draining out of me... as if my very life force was being siphoned away.
"Incredible... it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to gather this much power."
A white, aura-like magical energy gathered at Merk’s bow. To my surprise, that white light was coming from me!
White, glowing orbs drifted out of my body and coalesced around her arrow. It wasn't just me, either; life force was being drawn from every plant in the vicinity.
Merk released the string. It was her ultimate White Magic technique: the White Arrow (Byakuya).
I recalled Merk telling me that Elven White Magic involved borrowing power from nature, spirits, and Ancient Trees. In other words, those white orbs were my Spirit Power. I never imagined I’d end up acting as a battery for Merk’s magic, but considering I was now essentially a spirit-plant hybrid, I suppose it made sense.
The white arrow streaked across the sky like a comet—no, a meteor. A direct hit would have erased any normal human from existence.
The Crown Princess tried to twist her body in mid-air to dodge the projectile.
"A cute attempt, but futile," Merk smirked.
Countless white hands sprouted from the arrow as it passed her. They reached out, grabbing hold of the Princess’s body.
"I was able to borrow such an immense amount of Spirit Power. You won't escape my arrow that easily."
The massive white hands enveloped the Princess entirely. Then, they exploded in a burst of brilliant white light.
The Crown Princess's armor shattered and fell toward the earth. Her body plummeted alongside it, looking as though she had lost consciousness.
That arrow had the power to destroy armor with ease and featured a two-stage trap to ensure the kill. Merk was as terrifyingly strong as ever. If she started firing those at me from a distance, even I would have a hard time.
Still, she’d defeated the Princess. She truly was my best friend!
But just as I was celebrating, Merk whispered with a trembling voice.
"What... what is that armor!?"
The Golden Armor that had fallen to the ground had suddenly turned into a viscous liquid. The golden fluid wrapped itself around the Princess's body and began to shift its shape. It transformed into a bird-like form and began to flap its wings, carrying the Princess away.
"What on earth is that?" Merk asked, bewildered.
I, however, knew exactly what that liquid was. It was a Slime.
The shimmering golden liquid flew into the sky to protect the Princess. At that moment, I realized it was this same Slime that had secretly melted my Dodder.
Merk muttered that she had never seen such a thing. That was understandable; I had been shocked the first time I saw it, too. This was the Golden Slime, a magical creation of the Golden Tiger Prince.
Very few people knew that the Empire's strongest man was actually a Slime User. His Slime was a "cheat" that broke all the rules. I wasn't surprised it could mimic armor and then turn into a bird to facilitate an escape.
This confirmed that Crown Princess Malai's husband was indeed the Golden Tiger Prince. It also made one thing very clear: the Empire's Crown Prince knew his wife was a Witch. He was undoubtedly the one who had implanted the demon in her eye.
"I don't know what it is, but you're not getting away!"
Merk fired a second arrow—another special White Magic projectile. The white comet roared toward the Slime. However, the moment it struck, the Golden Slime simply swallowed it whole.
"I don't believe it..."
Merk’s White Magic was completely absorbed. Then, as if reflecting the attack, the Slime fired a white arrow back at us!
The Slime had actually reflected her shot. If that arrow hit our position, it would leave a crater the size of a meteorite impact. I could probably regenerate from that, but the others wouldn't be so lucky.
Merk frantically tried to fire a third arrow to intercept the reflection, but she wouldn't be fast enough.
"Dominion of the Great Forest!"
I hurriedly forced a dense thicket of trees to sprout in front of us. As my wooden shield took the hit, I pushed my Spirit Power to its absolute limit.
"That white... magic... was mine... to begin with!"
The arrow was only so strong because it contained my energy. I was taking it back!
"Energy Drain!"
This was the Spirit Magic Lady Dryades had used against me. It was a technique to drain an opponent’s spirit and magical energy. With my current power, I could use the Dryades’ techniques with ease.
The reflected White Arrow lost its potency as I siphoned away its power, turning back into a mundane projectile. It thudded harmlessly into my wooden shield.
"Even in that form, you're incredible..."
Merk stared at me, astonished that I had blocked the attack. Her eyes were sparkling as if she were looking at a goddess.
"Right now, you look just like the Spirit Queen. Not even those Dryades twins could have pulled that off."
No, no, even if you praise me that much, nothing's coming out. Besides, the Big Sister Dryades of the Four Heavenly Kings was a true monster. A single attack like this wouldn't have been enough to kill her.
Unfortunately, the Crown Princess had escaped. However, we hadn't come up entirely empty-handed.
I dragged the still-restrained demon over to me. Abandoned by the Princess, Nebiros looked at me with tearful eyes. He was quite muscular and looked firm—more importantly, his internal mana was immense. He would probably be very nutritious.
"Hiee! This Alraune... she really is going to... Please, save me!"
Hmm, what should I do with him? Would it really be okay to eat him? I had just grown quite a bit, and I was feeling hungry. A little snack wouldn't hurt, right?
"I-I don't want to die yet! I have a daughter back home! Please, have mercy!"
"Is that... the truth?"
His appearance was pathetic for someone titled a General. His dignity had clearly been thrown to the wind. I wondered if he was telling the truth or just lying to save his skin. Still, when someone begs for their life this hard, it's difficult to just go ahead and munch on them. I'm not that much of a monster.
I was just about to give up on using him for fertilizer when Yasmin and the others returned from their scout of the forest. Yasmin was a demon, too—the same race as this man. I figured she might know something about him.
As I was pondering this, Nebiros-san spotted my returning companions and let out a shocked cry.
"Is that my beloved daughter, Yasmin!? S-Save me!"
"Ugh! Papa!? What are you doing here!?"
"Papa!?"
Wait, "Papa" means "Father," right?
So, if I'm following this correctly... this demon is Yasmin’s dad!
Next time: Good day, Demon Papa-san. I'm a friend of your daughter's!