The forest party ended in a resounding success.
Various unexpected incidents occurred along the way, but I think it’s safe to say everything concluded peacefully. The guests seemed more than satisfied; some even went so far as to ask when the next one would be held. Perhaps hosting a multi-racial festival like this every once in a while wasn't such a bad idea.
Today, the Lord, Manfred-san, and Imperial Princess Freundliche departed for the Royal Capital. Since this was to be the official wedding between a noble of the Kingdom of Gardenia and a princess of the Glanz Empire, His Majesty the King had commanded that the ceremony be held in the capital itself.
Now, I could only pray that their wedding would conclude without further incident. As for me, I stayed behind to watch over the forest. I truly wanted to sneak a peek at the festivities, but as a monster, I could not pass through the Royal Capital’s Holy Magic Barrier (Dämonenwand). Besides, being a plant made long-distance travel difficult. Under normal circumstances, a casual trip would have been impossible.
──Yes, under normal circumstances!
“Teleportation, activate!”
I teleported from the forest to Tower City. By sprouting a clone, I could move freely anywhere my roots reached. I watched the Lord’s procession from atop a hill. Even from a distance, the number of carriages and guarding soldiers was staggering. They had grown into quite a large host, likely to guard against potential assassins from the Glanz Empire. To prepare for any eventuality, they even seemed to have hired extra guards from the Adventurer Guild. Even Merk, the S-rank Adventurer, had been called away for escort duty.
“Hmm... Wait, was that Yasmin?”
Mixed into the Lord’s group was a figure with a stature remarkably like Yasmin’s. But Yasmin was a receptionist; surely she wouldn't be hired as a guard? It must have been someone else. If Yasmin—who was actually a demon—tried to enter the Royal Capital, the Holy Magic Barrier (Dämonenwand) would obliterate her. It had to be a mistake.
Speaking of which, my roots were nearly at the capital. It wouldn't be long before I could lay eyes on those nostalgic outer walls again.
While some departed the city, new people were flocking to it. Taking advantage of the fact that so many soldiers had left, various lawless elements had slipped into town. It all began when a grim-faced Franz-san came to visit me in the forest.
“Franz-san, good, morning. Is this, about, work?”
“It is work, in a sense... but there are some strange characters in the city.”
These days, Franz-san helped me with the sales side of my Nectar Business. He acted as the representative for new merchants arriving from other cities. I was so grateful for his help that I had been feeling quite indebted to him lately.
“Yesterday, a peddler from far away came to see me,” he explained.
“Another, new, customer, then. Do they, want, Saint Nectar, and, Saint Hair Tonic, as usual?”
“That’s just it—it wasn’t Saint Nectar. They asked if I could sell them a single stalk of you, Miss Alraune.”
A stalk of me? What did that even mean...?
“I don’t know where they dug it up, but they seemed to know about your clones.”
“Does that, mean, they want, to buy, my clones!?”
I wondered where that information had leaked from. It wasn't exactly a state secret, so I suppose it was only a matter of time before outside merchants caught wind of it. However, my clones were like my own children. There was absolutely no way I would hand my children over to strangers.
“I told them the clones weren't for sale, obviously. But those guys were off... they didn't feel like merchants to me.”
“Do you, mean, those people, were, pretending, to be, merchants?”
“Likely so. At best, they looked like wandering adventurers. At worst, they were mercenaries.”
Why would mercenaries pretend to be merchants? And why on earth would they want my clones?
“Anyway, they were suspicious as hell, so I came to warn you.”
“I see... Franz-san, thank, you, for, telling, me.”
Around noon that same day, the intruders appeared in the forest.
I felt the vibrations of several people walking through the woods transmitted through my roots. A group of about a dozen individuals was moving near the area where the Nectar Production Squad lived. If it had been one or two people, I might have thought they were just lost, but given the timing, they were undeniably suspicious.
I couldn't let the Little Witch be put in any danger. I decided to handle this myself.
──Teleportation, activate!
I warped directly in front of the intruders. A row of rough-looking men clutching weapons stood before me.
“Good day. It seems, I have, some rather, dangerous, guests.”
They didn't look like merchants in the slightest. They radiated a violent aura, as if they were moments away from launching a raid. My sudden appearance made them jump.
“Look! An Alraune just popped out of the ground!”
“Finally found where the clones are.”
“There’s only one of 'em, though.”
“Who cares? Look at her—she’s a real beauty.”
“Almost a waste to leave her as a monster.”
──Ugh.
I felt some incredibly repulsive gazes directed my way. Furthermore, they were treating me like a common wild monster. It had been quite a while since I’d dealt with guests like this.
“You, all, what is, your business, in my, forest?”
“‘What’s your business,’ she says!”
“Don’t get cocky for a damn weed.”
“There’s only one reason to be in a forest like this.”
“We’re here for some Alraune Hunting.”
“Alraunes that produce Saint Nectar are a gold mine. We’re gonna harvest you right now.”
As I suspected, they were after my clones. I knew this would happen eventually once Saint Nectar became famous. It isn't just the virtuous who come seeking a taste of something sweet. These were clearly the fake merchants Franz-san had mentioned. They looked less like mercenaries and more like common bandits.
“In the end, an Alraune is just a trash-tier monster. Let’s bag her quick, and then we can find out if that human body is just for decoration!”
The man who seemed to be the Leader shouted, “Get her, boys!”
The mercenaries lunged at me with their weapons. But I didn't panic. I wasn't about to lose to the likes of them. As I stood my ground, I offered a final warning.
“That, spot, is dangerous, you know.”
The charging mercenaries suddenly vanished. Only their bewildered shouts and screams remained. The leader, left standing alone, panicked. “What happened!?”
It seemed he didn't understand. Very well, I would show him.
“Please, look, at, your feet.”
“My feet...? Wh-what are those green things sticking out of the ground!?”
“Those, are, Sarracenia.”
I had grown Sarracenia underground to create pitfalls. This was a vital sanctuary for the Nectar Production Alraune; of course I had set traps. Every single mercenary who had rushed me was now stuck in a Sarracenia Pitfall.
“Sarracenia!? You're telling me those giant things are plants?”
“Of course, they are, plants. And, Insectivorous Plants, at that.”
Sarracenia are plants with tube-shaped leaves used to trap insects. Once prey falls into the tube, the structure makes it impossible to climb back out, and a liquid inside dissolves the victim. I didn't actually intend to turn humans into fertilizer, so I had filled these with Paralytic Fluid instead of Digestive Fluid. Every man who had fallen into the pits was now completely incapacitated.
“How, does it, feel, to be, wiped out, by a mere, Alraune?”
“Th-this isn't what we were told!”
The leader tried to abandon his men and flee, but I snared him with a Sundew Vine. Insectivorous plants are masters of the hunt; these intruders weren't going anywhere.
“Damn it! Let me go! No one said an Alraune would be this strong!”
“Oh? And, who, told you, that, I wonder?”
“Like I’d tell a monster!”
It didn't look like I would be getting a straight answer through words alone. He was likely just tense from being one-on-one with me. How shy. In that case, I would help him relax so he could open his mouth more easily.
It was time for a Plant Massage!
First, I used the Sundew to coat the leader’s body in slime. This didn't just reduce skin friction; it protected the skin from dryness and locked in moisture. Next came the actual treatment. I wrapped several vines around his body, kneading and loosening his muscles. To me—a Spirit-level Plant Monster—even a muscular human was as fragile as a twig. I had to be careful not to tighten the vines too much.
Perhaps my technique was too effective, because the leader began to scream. “Aaaagh! Stop! My arm... it’s going to break!”
It seemed he had finally loosened up.
“Next, I shall, give you, a Briar Massage.”
I brandished the thorny Briar before his eyes. It was time for some Acupuncture. If he didn't want to end up full of holes, he needed to start talking.
“I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything! Just stop!”
Defeated, the leader’s face slumped in resignation. I was glad he enjoyed my Plant Massage so much.
“It was a woman! A woman white from head to toe! She told us about this forest!”
──A white woman?
This woman had sent these mercenaries to find me? If it were just a white-haired woman, I would have suspected the Witch Queen, but she had been missing since leaving the Kingdom of Myrte Holy Light. Who could this be?
“Did, that person, order you, to steal, my clones?”
“Stealing the clones was just our payment. The woman... she asked us for a favor.”
“What, favor...?”
The leader swallowed hard. His voice trembled as he spoke.
“She threatened us... told us to go and give the Alraune her regards.”
Sarracenia: Sarraceniaceae family. A perennial herb native to North America, known in Japanese as heishisou. The surface of its tube-shaped leaves contains nectar glands used to lure insects.
Next time: The Woman Who Gives Birth to the Dark Night.