The forest party had finally begun!
Manfred, the Lord of the region, and Princess Freundliche had arrived. As the guests of honor, they were guided through the festivities by me, currently tucked inside my flowerpot.
While I handled the introductions, my clone—serving as the Master of Ceremonies—was in charge of keeping the party moving along.
Manfred asked if I would model for a painting as a wedding gift, and Frie was overjoyed to be reunited with Barometz-san. Both seemed to be having a wonderful time. They even praised the food, which was a huge relief.
I had put a lot of effort into the Wild Vegetable Tempura, thinking it perfectly captured the essence of spring, and it seemed to have become a favorite of Manfred’s. All that hard work had certainly paid off!
Once the first part of the party settled down, the couple began mingling with the guests. I was surprised to see Manfred approach the Flame Dragon Lord, but for some reason, the two of them hit it off immediately. The Flame Dragon Lord was a rare demon who didn’t harbor a reflexive hatred for humans; he really was an impressive individual.
I considered going over to speak with the bride, Frie, but she was still deep in conversation with Barometz-san. Both of them were wearing smiles brighter than any I had seen before. It would have been rude to interrupt such a long-awaited reunion, so I decided to leave them be for the moment.
"Human weddings are certainly unusual, aren’t they? Inviting people who aren't even family..."
Yasmin, who was helping out as part of the serving staff, spoke up as she approached. Since the party had reached a lull, I figured it was okay to chat for a bit.
"How do... the Demon Race... handle weddings?"
"Demons were originally organized by species. Even if we're all lumped together as 'demons' now, we come from different backgrounds, right? That’s why we usually only hold weddings with our own kind, surrounded by close relatives."
I hadn't thought deeply about the term 'Demon Race' before, but it seemed it was a collective label for a variety of different species. Apparently, they had originally lived apart as separate tribes until the Demon King unified them to form the Demon King's Army. As a vestige of those older times, it was still standard for weddings to be held within one's own species.
"Speaking of marriage... how are things between you and... Drink Bar-san, Yasmin?"
"Well... the other day, I had him sign that."
What was that? Was she talking about a marriage registration to be submitted to the Church? Had Yasmin... gotten married without me even noticing?!
"Take a look at this," she said, showing me a sheet of parchment.
On it were the words: Dating Contract.
"I told you before that I decided to go out with him. We made a contract for it, and the terms are so wonderful I could just stare at them all day."
Wait, they weren't even engaged yet? They were just dating and they already had paperwork? For that matter, what in the world was a 'Dating Contract'?
"You sign a contract... just to date?"
"Of course! Starting anything only after a contract is signed is common sense for us demons!"
Come to think of it, Yasmin was a demon. I had heard they were sticklers for contracts, but I never imagined it went quite this far.
"Everyone in my family does this. If you apply Contract Magic, you can feel at ease, because once that's done, you can do whatever you want."
Apparently, it was a form of Dark Magic unique to demons. Once a contract was signed, that was it; if it was broken, the offender would lose their life.
Honestly, it was terrifying. Poor Drink Bar-san had no way out now.
I turned my gaze toward Drink Bar-san, who was chatting amicably with Franz. Good luck... get along well with your demon, Drink Bar-san.
"Now that I think about it, I haven't signed a friendship contract with you yet, Alraune."
"...Do friends... need contracts, too?"
"Well, doesn't it just feel better that way?"
I really didn't understand demons. Tribal differences were clearly quite difficult to fully grasp. I had just personally experienced the reason why their weddings remained segregated by species.
Then again, I had become a plant myself, so I couldn't really judge. In the plant world, pollination was handled by intermediaries like Hachi-san. You didn't even have to meet your partner face-to-face. It was a harrowing existence where a bee’s whim determined when you’d conceive. Heck, you could even just self-pollinate and have children alone. If I explained the standard for plants to anyone else, they’d probably just stare at me in shock.
"Never mind about me. Don't you have someone you like, Alraune? Is it a flower after all?"
Even I had no intention of marrying a flower. Although I was fully immersed in my life as a plant, my human memories and logic still remained. Or rather, since I was reincarnated as an Alraune after being betrayed by my fiancé and murdered, I wasn't exactly ready for romance again. I had a family now in Little Witch, and I was happy just maintaining the status quo.
While I was talking with Yasmin, I noticed Priest Pandia peeking out from behind a curtain. She seemed to be searching for someone, craning her neck to get a better view. Then, her gaze became fixed on a single spot.
Oh no! Priest Pandia was looking right at the Flame Dragon Lord!
Had she realized he was a demon? To be fair, there were plenty of other demons at the venue. There was Uncle Teddy the butler, the Flashy Man, and Yasmin's entire family. Priest Pandia was a high-ranking official of the Church, and the Church viewed demons as the enemy.
I prayed that nothing would happen. However, just as I had feared, an incident occurred. It happened just after the cake cutting had finished and the guests had finished their dessert.
The Flame Dragon Lord, accompanied by Uncle Teddy, was heading toward the exit. He said something to Yasmin's Dad at the entrance—likely a message for me, explaining that he was leaving early.
Despite it being such a casual scene, the atmosphere suddenly shifted.
The harp's melody... had changed!
The elegant tune transformed into a gentle, soothing lullaby. And then, the world went quiet.
"Manfred-san?!"
Manfred had fallen asleep. But it wasn't just him. Frie, Fairy Kiri, Merk the Elf, Barometz-san, Yasmin, and even the Amazoness Treant carrying me had all succumbed to slumber.
"Everyone in the venue... fell asleep all at once. Why?"
I had seen a similar sight once before. It was during the battle with one of the Four Heavenly Kings, my 'sister' Dryades, also known as Vergissmeinnicht. The moment she had grown into the massive Divine Tree and activated The Fragrance of the Death-Flower of Proclamation (Waldschmerz Blume), everyone except me had lost consciousness.
That ability used the scent of the Divine Tree's buds to strip away the consciousness of any living thing nearby. This was exactly like that.
But why was I the only one awake? Back then, it was because I was a plant, just like her. But my sister was gone. So who was responsible for this?
"I am truly sorry for casting a dampener on such a celebratory gathering."
"Priest... Pandia?!"
The curtain fell silently, revealing Priest Pandia at the harp.
"I have done a terrible thing to you, Alraune-san. However, I simply cannot allow that individual to remain at large."
I realized immediately who she meant. There were only three people left awake in the entire clearing: me, Priest Pandia, and the Flame Dragon Lord. Everyone else was sleeping soundly.
"Priest Pandia, what on earth... is the meaning... of this?!"
There was no doubt she was the one who had put everyone to sleep. Even though she had stepped away from the instrument, the harp continued to play automatically. It was a type of magic I had never seen before, but it was clearly the source of the sleep.
"Alraune-san, are you aware of that man's true identity?"
Priest Pandia and I both turned our gazes toward the Flame Dragon Lord. The person she had been tracking earlier was indeed him.
"Alraune-san, you are being deceived."
What? I’m being deceived? By who?!
"That man over there wears the form of a human, but his true identity is a wicked demon."
"T-That's..."
I felt a pang of guilt. I'm sorry, Priest Pandia... I knew he was a demon a long time ago!
"His name is Glühschwanz. He is the loathsome Evil Dragon who once brought the Kingdom of Myrte Holy Light and our Selene Church to the brink of destruction."
"The Flame Dragon Lord... is an Evil Dragon?"
From the Church's perspective, I could understand why they called him that. After all, the Flame Dragon Lord was incredibly strong. I wasn't surprised that the Church's leadership knew of his existence.
"Whether he is after your Saint Nectar or after you yourself, I do not know. But as long as that Evil Dragon is lurking here, he is undoubtedly plotting something nefarious."
"U-Um..."
It was hard to say, but I really didn't think the Flame Dragon Lord was plotting anything. He just wanted to attend my party. And as for the Saint Nectar, I'd been giving it to him for over a year.
"He likely intended to disguise himself as a guest and kidnap you. After all, Alraune-san, you are now being watched by important figures all over the world."
"I-Is that so?!"
Come to think of it, Nina's letter had mentioned that the Lady Shrine Maiden of the Goddess had learned about me. Even the Flame Dragon Lord had warned me before the party that someone powerful had taken an interest in my existence. As my Saint Nectar and Saint Hair Tonic spread across the globe, my fame had grown right along with them.
"If the demons capture you, Alraune-san, you will undoubtedly be turned into an experimental subject used solely to produce Saint Nectar. I cannot allow my friend to suffer such a fate."
Priest Pandia's usually expressionless face was tight with tension. She was terrified.
"I cannot afford to die here, but for the sake of my friend, I am prepared to give my life to stop him."
"Wait... you mean...?"
"Do not worry, I will protect you. I shall drive away the Evil Dragon at once and then we can resume our delightful party."
Priest Pandia glared at the Flame Dragon Lord. An aura of Light Magic began to overflow from her body.
"This Evil Dragon is a monster that far surpasses your imagination. Therefore, I likely will not escape this encounter unharmed... Though our time together was brief, I was happy to have become your friend, Alraune-san."
She spoke with an air of finality, as if saying her final farewell to the world.
"I never thought the day would come when I would choose a friend over my mission. I wonder if this is what it feels like to have human emotions."
"W-Wait, just a moment, please!"
I finally understood. The reason Priest Pandia had disrupted the party and risked everything was for me. She believed I was being tricked, and as a member of the Church, that was a perfectly logical assumption. No one would expect me to be on good terms with a high-ranking official of the Demon King's Army.
And yet, even knowing how strong the Flame Dragon Lord was, she was standing up to him. She could have looked the other way—which would have been much safer for everyone—but she chose to find the courage to fight. She was willing to die for me simply because we were friends.
I had always suspected she was hiding something, but I never imagined she had such a deeply human side. I couldn't blame her for ruining the party mood now. If anything, I was the one at fault for keeping her in the dark.
"Please wait! I... I already know!"
If Priest Pandia attacked, this place would become a war zone. Knowing the Flame Dragon Lord, he would probably try to move the fight away from the guests, but there was no guarantee he would let a Church official walk away alive. At this rate, one of them was going to die. I had to stop her before a pointless battle started!
"I'm well aware... that he is... a Dragon!"
Truthfully, I hadn't wanted Priest Pandia to know about my connection to the Demon King's Army. Ideally, everyone would have just gone home peacefully, but reality wasn't being that kind. Priest Pandia had acted out of genuine concern for my life, risking her own for the sake of our friendship. That fact touched me so deeply that I couldn't keep lying to her.
I decided to tell her the truth.
"Actually... I've known the Flame Dragon Lord... for years. In fact, we're... in a cooperative relationship. So, he's... not an enemy!"
It's been two weeks since Volume 5 of the manga was released. Thank you all so much for the purchase reports; they make me very happy! (´∇｀) Once again, thank you for your continued support!
Next time: Priest Pandia's true identity.