Hecate.
That was the name of the mysterious woman, pure white from head to toe.
There was something about her aura that felt strikingly similar to the Witch Queen and the Little Witch. Based on our conversation, there was no doubt she was connected to the Witch Queen in some way.
Not only that, but Hecate-sama had actually brought a monster into existence. Even though I had witnessed it with my own eyes, I still found it hard to believe.
She had arrived like a gale and departed just as swiftly, leaving only a "parting gift" in her wake. She had commanded me to address her with the honorific "-sama," and I got the impression she was quite accustomed to being served. Furthermore, my instincts as a monster seemed to scream at me to use a respectful title whenever I spoke of her.
I wondered who on earth she really was.
While I had many theories I wanted to explore, I decided to put Hecate-sama out of my mind for the moment. I simply didn't have the luxury of time.
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
I had to deal with the new monster Hecate-sama had created. I had to do something about this Mandrake!
"Little Witch, stay with me!"
"………………"
It was said that those who heard a Mandrake's scream would lose consciousness—or worse, their lives. The Little Witch had taken that cry head-on. She was still breathing, but there was no sign of her waking up.
First, I needed to get her to a safe place.
Before long, Treant returned after carrying the unconscious Kiri a safe distance away. I entrusted the Little Witch to him and asked him to move her to the Wood House.
"With this, the Little Witch, should be, alright, I think..."
I desperately wanted to believe her life wasn't in danger. Even with Treant looking after them, I felt a lingering anxiety over whether the two of them would wake up safely. Still, I had to trust him. Since Treant was so reliable, I knew he would call for me immediately if anything changed.
"Now, I just, have to, deal, with this little one."
I shifted my gaze to the Mandrake I was cradling in my vines. A tiny white flower bloomed atop its head, looking remarkably like Hecate-sama.
"There, there, come on, stop crying..."
Ugh, it showed no sign of calming down. I had no experience with infants, so this wasn't exactly my forte. I had spent my entire life as a Saint; beyond healing wounds and slaying monsters, I was a total novice.
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Perhaps because I was a fellow Plant Monster, its paralyzing scream had no effect on me. However, if this continued, living together would be impossible. Whether it was because it was newborn or not, the Mandrake kept wailing incessantly, as if searching for its mother.
I was the only one who could handle it right now. I had to do something!
What was one supposed to do when a baby was screaming its lungs out? I tried rocking it back and forth in my vines, but it didn't seem to help. Was it hungry? But Mandrakes performed photosynthesis, didn't they? It did have a mouth on its root, but I didn't think it was carnivorous like me. Usually, babies needed milk, but I doubted a Plant Monster would drink that.
As I racked my brain, an idea crossed my mind. At the same time, something caught my eye.
...No, that was out of the question. If it was a matter of whether it was possible or not, it might have been—but I certainly wasn't going to go that far.
Instead, I decided to try my own method.
"It's finished. This, should, work..."
Taking my time, I carefully crafted a specialized Nectar Ball. Instead of the usual hard candy shape, I had modified it into the shape of a pacifier. It was a gamble, but I had to try everything I could.
Holding the Nectar Ball between my fingers, I slowly moved it toward the Mandrake. I wasn't sure if it could even see me, but it reacted ever so slightly to the pacifier.
"Gyaaa...?"
—Chomp.
The Mandrake latched onto the pacifier! It began to suckle rhythmically, and the earsplitting wails that had been ringing out until a moment ago stopped instantly.
It appeared I had succeeded.
"To think, a pacifier, would actually, work, on a Mandrake."
Since I had only made it as a makeshift solution, I probably needed to craft a proper one. I wondered if I should ask the Little Witch to place an order with a craftsman in the city.
Next, I had to make a home for the Mandrake while it was still quiet. I pulled out my nostalgic former partner—the bucket—and began filling it with soft soil. Mandrakes didn't scream while buried, so I figured the dirt was the place where it would feel most at ease.
I gently planted the Mandrake into the bucket. Almost immediately, it began to snore. It seemed that as long as it was in the soil, it would sleep soundly.
"I managed, to handle it...!"
I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. I was exhausted. Ever since Hecate-sama's arrival, I hadn't had a single moment to rest. Between her and my friends fainting, it had been a total disaster.
As for the future, I suppose I would just have to raise this Mandrake properly. We were fellow plants, after all. I would take responsibility for it.
"There, there."
I held the bucket in my vines and rocked it gently. Looking at it closely, the little thing was actually quite cute. I could feel emotions welling up that were entirely different from how I felt about Mandrakes when I was human.
I decided not to think too deeply about why that was.
As evening approached, Kiri returned. It seemed she had woken up before the Little Witch.
"Alraune-sama, is that...!"
Kiri pointed a trembling finger at the bucket. Since the Mandrake wasn't completely buried, anyone would be able to tell what it was at a glance. She had noticed the new resident immediately.
"As expected of Kiri, you caught on quickly. This little one is—"
"I knew it! That’s your baby, isn't it, Alraune-sama!"
"Yes, yes, it’s mine... Wait, WHAT!?"
My baby!? A Mandrake!?
"It's the first time I've seen you give birth to something other than another Alraune! Did you eat a Mandrake a long time ago?"
"N-No, I didn't! I've never, even met, one before!"
I had encountered them during my Saint Era, but this was the first time since I had become an Alraune. I certainly couldn't produce one through Plant Generation like I did with the Child Alraune.
"Does that mean... Alraune-sama, did you undergo pollination?"
"Wait... what?"
"Well, look at that! Congratulations!"
For some reason, Kiri was showering me with blessings. This was a massive misunderstanding. New Plant Monsters didn't just pop up in the forest out of nowhere, so it was only natural to assume it had been born from the resident Plant Monster. From an objective perspective, it looked exactly like I had given birth to it.
As a former Saint, I felt extremely conflicted.
"So, who's the father?"
"T-There is, no father!"
"Wait, you did it all by yourself? As expected of a plant, that's impressive!"
N-No, you've got it all wrong! This isn't my child—it's Hecate-sama's!
However, I had no idea how to even begin explaining who she was. While we were arguing, the Little Witch and Treant returned. The moment the Little Witch saw me cradling the tiny Mandrake, she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.
"Alraune... you gave birth to a child that isn't an Alraune...!"
Not you too! It’s a misunderstanding! I'm telling you, I didn't give birth to it!!
Next time: Who is the Mandrake's Parent?