I am Alraune, a plant monster.
When morning arrived, my body, which had turned into a white Alraune during the night, shifted back to its original crimson.
The color of my hair and skin returned to normal as well.
I was finally back to my usual self.
"This is the color my flowers were meant to be!"
It was no exaggeration to say that the crimson corolla was my identity as an Alraune. I had been worried about what I would do if the color didn't change back, but now I could breathe a sigh of relief.
It seemed I had gained the ability to transform into a white Alraune only during the night. As a plant, the night had always been my weakness, but that vulnerability had now completely vanished. Furthermore, while in that form, light and dark powers mixed together to turn me into a hybrid Alraune that surpassed even an angel.
"That said, it seems I can wield dark magic even in the daylight now."
Though I wasn't as powerful as I was in my white Alraune form, I had become capable of handling this new power reasonably well. Thanks to that, the roots I had been extending toward the Royal Capital were finally about to reach their destination.
"It’s finally time to go."
My initial plan was to use teleportation to infiltrate the Royal Capital, but it looked like I would have to change my approach slightly. The reason was simple: I had invited the Little Witch to come with me.
Pandia-san, the angel, was already making arrangements to head to the capital ahead of us. I had intended for it to be a private journey for just the Little Witch and me, but the situation had evolved, and our group was growing.
While I was sunbathing in the forest, Kiri the fairy flew in from out of nowhere and began to shout.
"That’s so unfair! I want to go on the trip too!"
Kiri flew around me in circles, flailing her arms and legs in a frenzy. Having discovered that the Little Witch and I were setting out on a journey, she was throwing a tantrum, insisting that she be allowed to join us.
"Do fairies even... travel?"
"Normally they don't, but I'm an extraordinary fairy, so I do! My dream is to go to the Royal Capital and help myself to food from every shop in the city!"
"For the sake of the world, I should probably make sure that dream never comes true."
That was just being a thief, plain and simple. Though, from a fairy’s perspective, they probably didn't see it as stealing.
And Kiri wasn't the only one raising a hand. One withered tree stood nearby, modestly lifting a branch. My younger sister figure, Amazoness Treant, was raising her hand with a bashful look on her face.
"Wait, Treant, do you want to go on the trip too?"
Amazoness Treant nodded vigorously. I couldn't believe it—even though she was a Treant, she was interested in traveling!
"A trip with an Alraune, a witch, a fairy, and a Treant..."
Thinking about it realistically, would this group even be allowed into the Royal Capital? Even if we managed to slip in, we would likely be caught immediately. Kiri could probably manage to hide, but a Treant was bound to stand out.
Actually, the bigger problem was that something was bound to happen before we even reached the capital. No, something would definitely happen.
"Rufe and Kiri would probably be fine traveling through human settlements, but I think it will be quite difficult for Treant and me."
"Hear that? I guess Treant has to stay behind and watch the forest," Kiri added.
Amazoness Treant was visibly crushed. She slumped over, placing her hands on the ground in utter dejection. It felt a bit pitiful to leave her all alone. I wondered if there was another way.
While I was brainstorming solutions for Treant, the Little Witch returned from her shopping trip.
"Alraune, I’m home... What are you doing?"
"Just... working on a disguise."
Amazoness Treant was on the shorter side for her kind. I decided to place myself in my potted state on top of her head and cover us both with a large cloak. From a human perspective, it looked like I was getting a shoulder ride.
And wouldn't you know it? The silhouette looked remarkably human! If Treant and I combined like this, we might actually pass as a person rather than monsters.
"If I wrap my vines around you, Treant, it'll help with the balance."
Although it meant I had to stay in my Young Girl Alraune form, the plan wasn't bad. I wondered why I hadn't thought of this sooner. If we combined our efforts, it wouldn't be impossible to walk through a city pretending to be human.
"Rufe, what do you think?"
"The body is so big, but the face is too childish. It looks a bit strange."
"Hmph..."
I suppose my face was too young for a body of Treant's size. In that case...
"How about this age?"
I shifted into my girl-type Alraune form. My physical age was now roughly the same as the Little Witch’s. It felt like a much better fit.
"If we hide the rest with the cloak, the body's lines won't show. I think it’ll work, right?"
"I guess that's okay," Rufe admitted.
It was a bit awkward, but at a glance, the shape was human enough that it shouldn't cause a scene. As long as I stayed small and rode on Treant's head, we could blend in.
"Alraune, are you serious about this? It feels a little dangerous..."
The Little Witch seemed worried, but I was confident we could make it work. In the worst-case scenario, I would just revert to my potted form and pretend to be an ordinary flower. As for Treant... I’d have her pretend to be a withered tree.
"Well then, it’s settled. The four of us—Rufe, Kiri, Treant, and I—will set out together."
Just as I concluded the meeting, a high-pitched scream erupted from the flowerpot sitting next to us.
"Ongyaaaa!"
"Mandrake, what's wrong?"
I wondered if it was hungry, but I had just given it my nectar a moment ago. As I stood there flustered, Kiri translated the Mandrake's screams for me.
"It says it wants to go along too."
"You're kidding, right!?"
I never expected the Mandrake to volunteer for the trip. More importantly, this meant the little guy completely understood what we were saying. I had thought of it as just a baby, but children really do grow up fast. I was actually a little moved.
"Alraune... you don't seriously intend to take the Mandrake, do you?"
"It would be cruel to leave it behind all alone..."
"How are we even going to carry it?"
"We could... have Treant carry it on her back?"
Everyone's gaze shifted to Treant. The sturdy Amazoness Treant struck a pose, flexing her arm as if to say, "Leave it to me."
And so, it was decided that Treant would carry the Mandrake along with its pot.
"Alright, then! Including the Mandrake, the five of us are heading out!"
Our goal was the Royal Capital!
Of course, we couldn't all actually enter the city itself because of the monster-repelling barrier. My plan was to head to a nearby town and have everyone wait there. Even if they couldn't go inside the capital, they’d likely be satisfied just sightseeing in the surrounding area.
Now then, with the traveling party decided, it was time to prepare. The Little Witch went back to town to shop, and Kiri went to Lady Dryades' place to ask her to keep an eye on the forest while we were away.
As for me...
"Since I'll be leaving the forest for a while, I should do one last patrol before we head out."
The last time I went to the Little Witch’s village, Kiri and Treant had stayed behind. But since we were all going this time, I wanted to ensure everything was safe before leaving the place vacant.
"Teleportation, activate!"
I traveled through the underground roots to Alraune's Forest. Once I confirmed the area was secure, I teleported to the next point. I repeated this process to check every corner of my home.
On my third jump, I reunited with some old friends.
"Everyone, it's been a while!"
The members of the Forest Circle were there to welcome me. Hachi-san and the butterflies, including Lady Butterfly, flocked toward me. It was time for a long-awaited tea party with the creatures who had made this forest their home. I used my vines to share some nectar, and as always, they were delighted.
"It feels... nostalgic."
Back when I had first become an Alraune, the members of the Forest Circle were my only friends. They had been my emotional support when I was living a lonely life.
"I’ll make sure to protect this forest for all of you."
Keeping this forest peaceful and habitable for the Forest Circle was my mission as its Lord. For their sake, I had to be thorough in my patrol to ensure no problems would arise in my absence.
After parting with Hachi-san and the others, I teleported to the Dryades' Forest. It was dozens of times larger than Alraune's Forest, so I decided to focus my patrol on the area near Tower City.
I jumped between several locations, checking for any threats. At one point, a massive bear attacked me, drawn by the scent of my nectar, but I easily repelled it with my vines.
In the past, when I fought Bear-papa, I couldn't have defeated him with vines alone. But with my current strength—bolstered by the power I had absorbed from the Goddess of Darkness—I could crush a Laobubear’s entire body, bones and all, just by constricting it. Even a monster of Bear-papa’s class was an easy victory now. My potential had grown significantly.
I had become quite strong compared to the old days.
"Mm, it's been a while since I've had meat. This is delicious."
As I snacked on the defeated bear, I noticed something strange.
"Wait... what is this?"
A patch of the ground had been scorched black. I reached out with a vine to inspect it and realized it was the remains of a fire.
"This is a bonfire site."
It was clearly artificial. Someone had been here.
It wasn't unusual for adventurers to enter the forest, so a bonfire wouldn't normally be out of place. However, this wasn't the edge of the woods; this was deep in the heart of the forest where humans never set foot. It was the first time I had ever seen traces of a human in a place like this.
"Who on earth would be out here?"
While I was processing the discovery of the fire, I found something even more baffling.
"Is this... a house?"
Near the bonfire stood a crude shelter made of wood and straw. It was broken and abandoned, with heavy bear claw marks raked across the walls. It had likely been destroyed by the Laobubear I just killed.
"Wait a minute. If there’s a house, that means someone was actually living here!?"
There was no sign of the mysterious occupant now, likely because the house had been destroyed, but I couldn't hide my shock. Someone had been living in a forest teeming with monsters.
I was fairly certain it wasn't an adventurer from the city. If an adventurer had taken up residence here, the people in town surely would have told me.
"Then who was it?"
I couldn't leave the forest while such an unsettling mystery remained. For the safety of everyone here, I needed to find out exactly who had been living in my woods.