With the Wood Golem transformed into the Wood Horse Golem, our preparations for the journey were finally complete.
Just as we finished loading the covered wagon and were ready to set off, the Little Witch made a sudden request.
"I want to try riding the horse."
For a split second, I imagined a child playing on a rocking horse, but I quickly realized Rufe wasn't talking about a toy. She wanted to ride the Wood Horse Golem.
"But this horse is quite large. It might be dangerous, don't you think?"
"Don't treat me like a child. I'm an adult now."
She puffed out her chest with such confidence, yet she looked like a child no matter how one viewed her. When I was her age, I’m fairly certain I was at least a bit taller. As her "older sister," I couldn't help but worry about her growth.
Still, as I turned my gaze back to her, her eyes were sparkling like a child standing before a long-awaited birthday present.
"Ever since I saw that red-haired man arrive on a dragon, I’ve wanted to try it myself. That's why I want to ride."
"The red-haired man—ah, you mean the Flame Dragon Lord."
It was a common sight whenever we had a gathering in the forest; the Flame Dragon Lord always arrived mounted upon a dragon. He was a massive dragon himself, of course, but since he usually maintained a human form, he preferred to travel that way. It seemed seeing him perched atop such a creature had made quite an impression on her.
Being a witch, Rufe could fly through the sky on her own. Perhaps because of that, she harbored a certain longing for the experience of being carried by something else.
"The way he looked on that dragon was so cool. I want to do that too."
"This isn't a dragon, though. It’s just a wooden horse. Is that really alright?"
"It’s fine. Is it... not allowed?"
"...Of course it’s allowed!"
My Little Witch was simply too cute! When she looked up at me with those pleading eyes, there was absolutely no way I could refuse her.
And so, Rufe’s first horse-riding experience began.
The Wood Horse Golem wasn't a living animal, so it should have been perfectly safe. Nevertheless, I didn't neglect any safety precautions. I used my vines to craft a sturdy saddle and stirrups upon its back. Since the golem was already made of timber, draping it in vines resulted in a wooden horse that was positively overflowing with wood-attribute energy, but I decided not to let that bother me.
"Alright, Rufe. Everything is ready, so it's safe to get on!"
"Yeah... but this horse really is huge."
The child-sized Little Witch stood beside the towering Wood Horse Golem. The scale was so lopsided that Rufe looked like a tiny doll in comparison. Even a grown man would have struggled to climb onto this thing.
"If you can't reach, why don't you just fly up to the saddle?"
"It wouldn't feel like riding if I did that... Alraune." Rufe stared intently into my eyes and held out her arms. "Lift me up."
"...With pleasure!"
I immediately used my vines to hoist her onto the wooden horse. Our little princess certainly knew how to be pampered. Still, acting the part of the Older Sister of the Little Witch gave me a strange sense of satisfaction.
"Rufe, do you think you can manage?"
"I think so. But it's higher up than I expected."
Perched atop the Wood Horse Golem, Rufe was finally at the same height as my line of sight. As an Alraune, I was actually quite tall—roughly three meters, in fact—which meant I spent most of my time looking down on others. During my Bucket Alraune days, I had always looked up at her, but we had never truly been eye-to-eye until now. Seeing her face level with mine was a rare treat.
"If I ride the horse, I can be at the same height as Alraune without even flying."
It seemed she was thinking the exact same thing. The thought was so endearing that we shared a synchronized smile.
"That's the spirit, Rufe!"
The Wood Horse Golem began to trot forward, its feet making a rhythmic sound against the earth. She held the vine reins firmly, and though I doubted she would fall, I still felt a prickle of worry. If the golem had been pony-sized, it would have been a charming, heartwarming scene. But because it was so massive, the contrast with Rufe's tiny frame was staggering.
"Since I'm already up here, I want to try running. What do I do?"
"For now, why don't you try pulling the reins?"
"...Like this?"
It happened in the blink of an eye.
With a loud neigh, the Wood Horse Golem suddenly bolted. It galloped through the woods with the ferocity of a horse-type monster, its speed incredible. Before I could even react, the golem—and Rufe's fading scream—had vanished from my sight.
"R-Rufe!?"
It had taken off like a shot! Even though it had been a simple humanoid golem until just the other day, I never imagined it would behave so much like a real horse simply because I changed its shape.
"Wait, I don't have time to stand around!"
I had to give chase immediately. This forest was effectively my own body; through my roots, I could pinpoint the golem's location instantly.
"There!"
I teleported directly into the Wood Horse Golem's path.
Back when I had first become an Alraune, I had frequently "danced the waltz" with four-legged monsters. I looked back fondly on those days, remembering my fateful encounters with the charging boar-type monster Waldschwein and the battle-hungry tiger-type monster Kriegtiger. Back then, once my partners grew tired of dancing with me, they would usually collapse as if they’d been poisoned. I would then give my exhausted dance partners a quick "gulp" and help them fall into a permanent slumber.
Because of those experiences, I was quite adept at stopping charging targets.
I braced myself as the giant wooden horse thundered toward me. I could see Rufe clinging to the reins for dear life, looking as if she were about to be bucked off at any second.
"Alraune, get out of the way!"
"Don't worry, leave it to me!"
Using Plant Generation, I transformed my vines into sundews and wove them into a massive net. I caught the charging Wood Horse Golem head-on. No matter how much horsepower the golem possessed, I was no ordinary Alraune. Digging my roots deep into the earth for leverage, I wrapped the sundews around the golem, binding it tight.
And just like that, the wooden horse became the latest prey for my giant insectivorous plant.
"...Alraune, this stuff is sticky."
"Ah... did I catch you too, Rufe?"
Tangled within the mesh of sundews was the Little Witch, looking very much like a fish caught in a trawler's net. Well, at least she hadn't been thrown into a tree. That was a relief!
As I set about rescuing the gooey Little Witch from the trap, she spoke in a voice tinged with nostalgia.
"I feel like this has happened before."
"Now that you mention it, it has, hasn't it?"
"I never thought I'd get caught in sticky vines twice."
"And I never imagined I'd end up drenching you in mucilage for a second time, either."
It brought back memories of when I was still a Bucket Alraune in Dryades' Forest. We had been attacked by a frog monster, and during the struggle, the mucilage from my sundew’s glandular hairs had coated her from head to toe. We shared another laugh as I carefully untangled her from the mess.
After losing my life as Saint Iris and being reborn as an Alraune, I had been utterly alone. But since meeting this Little Witch, we had been inseparable. I knew that one day, today's mishap with the Wood Horse Golem would become just another fond memory, much like the first time she got covered in slime.
This forest was filled with our memories. And now, we were finally leaving this place behind to begin our true journey.
"Come, Rufe. Let's go home."
"...Okay."
I extended a vine and squeezed her hand. Since I had teleported, my consciousness was currently in the body of the Child Alraune. While teleporting again would have been the fastest way back, I chose to stay like this for a while.
In my Child Alraune form, I pulled myself from the soil and let Rufe scoop me up into her arms. Together, we rode the Wood Horse Golem back to our house at a much more leisurely pace.
I realized later that the Wood Horse Golem would have stopped instantly if I had simply commanded it to "stop." Even though its shape had changed, it was still a golem under my absolute control.
And so, Rufe’s horse-riding adventure ended safely.
Tomorrow was the day of our departure. Tonight was our final night in the forest. I wanted to spend every moment of it with her. Returning to my Bucket Alraune form for the first time in a while, I fell asleep in the Little Witch's embrace.
I had a feeling I’d have a very good dream tonight.
Sundew: A perennial plant of the Droseraceae family. The leaf surfaces are covered in glandular hairs that secrete a sticky mucilage; a single leaf can have as many as 200 of these hairs. When prey, such as an insect, touches the mucilage, they become stuck and unable to escape.
Next time: The journey begins.