I am Alraune, a plant monster.
Lately, I’ve taken up the task of raising a mandrake.
Mandrakes are the sort of creatures that let out a piercing shriek when pulled from the earth, powerful enough to knock anyone nearby unconscious. Normally, they never leave the soil on their own, but for some reason, this little one is constantly crawling out of his own accord.
He’s quiet when he’s sleeping underground, but the moment I turn my back, he starts wiggling his way to the surface to start screaming. He is quite the handful. I can't help but wonder—does he just have a terrible sleeping posture?
Just as I finished covering the roots of the mandrake in his flowerpot with fresh soil, Kiri the fairy appeared as if from thin air.
“That mandrake is way too rambunctious,” she remarked. “Or maybe just over-energetic.”
“Do you… as a fairy… really think so?” I asked.
“I definitely do! Then again, a mandrake born from an outlier like you is bound to be a bit of an outlier himself.”
It was true that this mandrake had been born from a part of my own body. However, I hadn't exactly given birth to him, so I didn't think he resembled me all that much. If he were my biological child, his flower should have been red, but his was pure white.
If anything, he reminded me of her—Hecate-sama, the woman in pure white. Though, since he was white, he also bore a resemblance to the Little Witch.
“Make sure you discipline him properly,” Kiri grumbled. “Think about the person who has to get knocked out every single time he acts up.”
“Even if you say that… I don't really know… how to raise him.”
“Well, you’re the mother for now, so why not try nursing him like a human would?”
What was this fairy talking about?!
“There’s no way… I could do that!”
“But you produce nectar, don't you?”
It was true that I produced nectar. In fact, for some reason, the mandrake occasionally craved it.
“I feed him with a spoon! I’m a plant… I don’t do things like that!”
I shot a miffed glare at the mischievous fairy, but Kiri just gave me a smirking grin. “Teasing Alraune really never gets old,” she chuckled.
Ignoring her, I decided to start organizing the pile of luggage that had been accumulating.
“Hey, Alraune, what’s with all the bags?” Kiri asked.
“These are… things that some guests… who were rude in the forest… left behind as an apology.”
Specifically, this was the gear belonging to those mercenaries Hecate-sama had egged on. There was the pack from the leader I’d given a “plant massage” to, and the belongings of the men I’d caught with my Sarracenia. Terrified of my power, they had offered these items up while pleading for their lives. It was, effectively, a nuisance fee.
They had entered the town pretending to be merchants, leaving their trade goods behind in the forest as a peace offering.
“Even if they were pretending to be merchants… it doesn’t look like… they had much of value.”
They must have been brainwashed by Hecate-sama and forced to attack me on short notice. It seemed they only carried common items they could pick up anywhere.
“Vegetables and eggs… these were definitely stolen.”
I knew because I could feel my own Aura of Light radiating from the produce. These were likely the very vegetables I had grown in my field in the forest. I wondered how those mercenaries had gotten their hands on them.
“These eggs, too… I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere…”
Come to think of it, there had been a day recently when the Little Witch came home without any eggs. She’d claimed she dropped and broke them, but I remembered thinking she seemed to be hiding something.
Surely not. Even if they were mercenaries, if they had tried to attack the Little Witch, she would have been the one beating them back. Rufe had grown into someone who truly belonged among the strong.
“By the way… where did Rufe go?”
“She went to the usual farm to get some eggs,” Kiri replied.
The day the Little Witch had been acting so strange was also after a trip to the farm. I wondered if something had happened there. Or perhaps, on her way back, she had been doing something she couldn't talk about…
Just as the thought crossed my mind, I sensed a guest approaching. It was my friend, Priest Pandia, coming for a visit.
“Good day to you, Alraune-san,” she greeted politely.
Kiri’s face soured instantly. For some reason, these two never seemed to get along. Pandia-san’s public face was that of a priest, but her true identity was an angel serving the Goddess. Perhaps forest fairies and angels simply weren't compatible.
“I shall be heading to the Royal Capital shortly. I’ve come to offer my greetings before I depart.”
“Do you have… business there?”
“As you well know, Alraune-san, the Wedding of the Lord and the Imperial Princess is to take place. I have been called to attend.”
The townspeople participating in the wedding had already left several days ago with the Lord’s carriage party. Her departure seemed a bit late if she intended to make it on time.
“I have some personal matters to attend to, so I decided to travel separately from the Lord’s group. After all, you are the only ones in this town who know my true nature.”
Pandia-san was an angel. Even a witch could fly through the sky, so an angel with wings would surely have no trouble. If she had errands to run, moving alone would be much faster.
Wait—did she just say “only you” knew?
“Does that mean… Kiri knows as well?”
“I’d figured out she wasn’t human,” Kiri said. “As for the ‘angel’ part… I only had a vague hunch.”
I was shocked. Kiri had known Pandia-san's identity all along? That meant Kiri had prior knowledge of angels. Even I hadn't recognized what she was; Kiri was surprisingly impressive.
Pandia-san turned her gaze toward the fairy. “I must admit, I never expected to find a fairy of the Goddess’s Forest in a place like this.”
The Goddess’s Forest. Kiri had mentioned it once before. If I recalled correctly, it was an ancient place where the Goddess was said to have descended, currently ruled by the Spirit Queen.
Come to think of it, Kiri had also known the name of Witch Queen Kirke. Between that and her knowledge of angels, she seemed far too well-informed for a simple fairy. Was she something more?
“Setting aside that tiny thing for a moment,” Pandia-san continued, “what in the world is in that bucket?”
“Ah, this is a mandrake. He’s… our new family member.”
I showed her the bucket where the mandrake was napping. Pandia-san’s expression immediately shifted to one of surprise.
“I sense a disturbing presence emanating from that creature.”
“A disturbing presence?”
“A power that is the polar opposite of holy light… though, I suppose such things are not unusual for a monster.”
The power she was sensing was likely the Aura of Darkness Hecate-sama had emitted. If that power belonged to the Divine Realm—if it was Divine Realm Magic—it made sense that Pandia-san could detect it.
“Where did you find this mandrake? Curiously, it also seems to carry an aura of light similar to yours, Alraune-san.”
“This little one… well, due to a certain connection… I ended up taking him in.”
Pandia-san was my friend. However, that didn't mean I could tell her everything. I had a nagging feeling that telling her the creature had transformed from a flower would be a mistake.
She was my friend, yes, but she was also an angel of the Church. I felt that I must not carelessly reveal the circumstances of the mandrake’s birth or mention the pure-white Hecate-sama to her. My instincts were screaming at me.
Hecate-sama had called herself the “ally of all monsters.” Furthermore, she had created a new monster right before my eyes. To an angel of the Church, such a suspicious existence could be nothing but an enemy. It was safer to keep this a secret.
“I sense a faint, disturbing presence from you as well, Alraune-san… As a friend, I must warn you to be cautious.”
A disturbing presence. I felt like Hecate-sama had said something very similar to me. What did that even mean?
“I’ve been sitting here listening to you,” Kiri snapped, stepping forward, “and you’ve got quite the nerve to insult my friend, even if you are an angel. Calling Alraune and the mandrake ‘disturbing’ is incredibly rude!”
Kiri was acting protectively of us, and seeing that made me feel a wave of relief.
“If I have been offensive, then I apologize,” Pandia-san said smoothly. “However, regardless of being a fairy of the Goddess’s Forest, you are ultimately just a fairy. It seems you cannot sense that person’s presence.”
“Grrr! Hey, Alraune, this woman is really ticking me off!”
While I soothed the fuming fairy, Pandia-san began her final preparations to leave. She offered one last piece of advice.
“It is highly unlikely that she would ever appear here, but… if a woman in pure white ever shows herself, you must be extremely careful.”
A woman in pure white. I already knew exactly who she meant. With Hecate-sama’s image in my mind, I decided to probe.
“Who… exactly is that person?”
“I cannot say just yet. However, if she ever appears, call for me immediately.”
I felt a pang of guilt. I’m sorry, Pandia-san. That person has already appeared!
Should I just trust her and confess everything? But she had called it a disturbing presence. If the mandrake and I were labeled enemies of the Church, we might be erased.
While I hesitated, Pandia-san gave her final farewell. “Well then, I shall be going. Stay well, Alraune-san.”
I watched her go, waving my vines. “You stay well too, Pandia-san.”
In the end, I couldn't bring myself to mention Hecate-sama. Whether this decision would lead to fortune or calamity… I would find out soon enough.
Next time: Rufe’s Abnormality.