The day after I discovered the remains of a bonfire, I set out to patrol the Dryades' Forest once again. My goal was to investigate the mysterious individual who had taken up residence here. If a criminal had fled into the woods, there was no telling what kind of trouble they might stir up.
As for our upcoming trip, I had left the preparations entirely to the Little Witch. She had been so full of confidence, telling me, "It’s okay, leave it to me!" that I decided to entrust everything to her. Still, I couldn't help but wonder where that sudden surge of confidence had come from. It left me feeling a little uneasy.
I had considered making my own preparations just in case, but I quickly realized there wasn't much for me to do. I was a seasoned traveler from my days as Saint Iris, and now that I was an Alraune, I could manifest nearly every necessity on a whim.
If we needed food, I could provide it through Plant Generation. For drinks, I had my own nectar. If we had to camp out under the stars, I could use my vines to weave a tent, and I could even produce cotton from the Golden Fleece to keep us warm. Cold weather wouldn't be an issue. I could even produce shampoo, so hygiene was covered as well.
To top it off, I had memorized the entire map of the Kingdom of Gardenia during my time as a Saint, so the route to the Royal Capital was etched into my mind. Even if we somehow strayed off-path, my roots spread deep through the earth, allowing me to pinpoint our location in an instant.
"I guess I really don't have anything left to do, do I?"
Honestly, I was pretty incredible. Modesty aside, I was a high-spec Alraune who could handle just about anything. With me around, the Little Witch would have the ultimate support system. That was why I felt comfortable leaving the packing to her.
"I wonder what kind of things Rufe is getting ready. I can't wait to see."
I felt like a guardian watching a child prepare for their very first errand—or in this case, her very first journey. Perhaps I should have followed her secretly to see how she was getting along.
I continued my patrol, my heart fluttering with anticipation over what the Little Witch might be packing, when I suddenly ran into the Flashy Man. To my surprise, the Little Witch—who was supposed to be busy preparing for our departure—was right there with him.
"Rufe? Why are you out here in the forest?"
What happened to the preparations? She hadn't managed to get lost already, had she?
"And why are you with the Flashy Man? Don't tell me he talked you into something weird?"
The Little Witch didn't seem to hear me. She was sprinting through the trees with single-minded devotion. Her behavior was so bizarre that my anxiety only grew. It was the Flashy Man who finally addressed my confusion.
"Hey, don't look at me like that! The kid asked me for some travel guidance, so I'm just putting her through her paces!"
"Travel... training?"
"Yeah! When you're on the road, stamina is everything!"
I turned my gaze back to the Little Witch. She was indeed running through the forest, but she was also lugging heavy weights. Was this really considered training? And for a vacation, no less?
Ignoring my bewilderment, the Flashy Man barked out more instructions.
"Pick up the pace! Run like those weights are Alraune herself!"
"...Ugh, traveling is... so hard..." Rufe groaned.
"Listen up! A journey is a life-or-death struggle! One lapse in judgment and you're dead. If you want to survive, your own physical strength is the most reliable baggage you've got!"
"I never thought of it that way... I’ll do my best... to protect Alraune!"
"That's it, kid! That's the spirit!"
Wait, hold on. That was definitely wrong. "Travel training" didn't even make sense! Besides, how on earth had the Little Witch and the Flashy Man formed this kind of mentor-student relationship? I couldn't wrap my head around it.
"Hey, Flashy Man! Stop teaching Rufe such weird things!"
"Weird? What's weird about a little exercise?"
"Training has nothing to do with going on a trip!"
"The hell it doesn't! If you don't have the legs for it, you'll collapse before you hit the city gates. Especially a shrimp like her."
For a guy like him, he was actually making a bit of sense. Stamina was important. Even during my time as a Saint, I’d prided myself on my physical endurance. In this world, the primary mode of transportation was walking, so people generally had far more stamina than a modern Japanese person. For a child like the Little Witch, traveling a long distance would be grueling. Reaching the Royal Capital would take days, and a trek of this scale was likely a first for her.
—Well, if things got too rough, I could always just have her fly.
She could use her Bird Transformation, after all. Moving long distances alone while avoiding prying eyes was actually her specialty. Still, a little extra stamina wouldn't hurt. It would be a problem if she collapsed from exhaustion before we even left, but a bit of physical conditioning might be a good thing.
"But training instead of packing is still wrong!"
I wasn't going to budge on that. If the Little Witch tried to head out with nothing but her muscles and no actual supplies, I was going to deck the Flashy Man.
"Flashy Man, listen to me. Once the workout is over, you'd better help her with the actual preparations, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it! Leave it to me!"
I really hoped it would be okay. He was the Flame Dragon Lord's younger brother, but he wasn't nearly as reliable as his sibling. I trusted him enough to know he wasn't a bad person, but he was a total meathead. I didn't think I could trust him with the finer details of travel.
Still, since the Little Witch was so motivated, I decided to watch over them for a while. The Flashy Man had that "jock" energy, so he actually made for a decent coach. I settled in to perform some photosynthesis while I observed their progress. The Flashy Man ran alongside her, acting every bit the part of a hot-blooded gym teacher.
Eventually, I figured she’d reached her limit. The Little Witch didn't have much natural stamina. Because she was so stoic and hardworking, she tended to push herself until she literally collapsed. When we had first moved to the Dryades' Forest, she’d overextended herself and had to be nursed back to health by Lady Dryades.
"I can't... anymore..."
The Little Witch stumbled over to me and collapsed onto the grass. I began stroking her head with a vine, feeling like a team manager for a school club.
"Good work. Are you thirsty? Want some of my nectar?"
"Yes... please!"
We took a break together in the shade of the trees. It really did feel like I was managing a sports team.
"What's the matter, kid? Tuckered out already? I'm still raring to go!"
"Rufe is resting," I countered. "Why don't you go for a lap by yourself, Flashy Man?"
"Oh, good idea! I'll be back!"
With that, he dashed off into the depths of the forest. For such a flashy guy, he sure was loud and hyperactive.
Finally, the nuisance was gone, and I was alone with the Little Witch. We’d been so busy lately that we hadn't had much time to just relax together.
"It’s nice to do this every once in a while."
A nap in the forest. This was the kind of peaceful life I had always wanted. It galled me a little that I had the Flashy Man to thank for it, but I felt genuinely happy. We napped until the sun began to dip toward the horizon. The Flashy Man still hadn't returned.
"Rufe, wake up. It’s time to head back."
"...Alraune? Where's the Flashy Man?"
"Just forget about him. You can forget about that 'travel training,' too."
"That reminds me... he told me something strange. I wanted to tell you before I forgot."
I assumed he’d given her some useless advice about muscle mass or protein. Even so, I wasn't going to rain on her parade when she looked so eager to share.
"He said there's a mysterious native living in this forest."
"...Wait, what? A mysterious native?"
I couldn't hide my shock. The topic was incredibly relevant, considering I’d just found signs of a squatter the day before.
"Did he describe what this 'native' looked like?"
"Um, he said they were... all golden and glittery."
"Golden and glittery?"
"Probably like that."
The Little Witch pointed behind me. I turned around just as the Flashy Man emerged from the brush.
"Yo! I'm back!"
He was carrying something—or someone—over his shoulder. The mysterious person had hair that shimmered with a distinct golden hue.
"Check it out! I bagged us a local!"
Wait a second. He actually caught the mysterious resident?!
Next time: The person the Flashy Man caught in the forest turned out to be someone I knew.