I was Alraune, a plant monster.
I was about to infiltrate the beast-ear race village. The Little Witch and I were going to charge in together.
Incidentally, we left the carriage waiting outside the forest, with the Amazoness Treant staying behind to keep watch. We had a large supply of Saint Nectar loaded on board, and it would have been a disaster if anyone stole it.
"So, Alraune. What’s the plan? Should we fly in?"
"No, let’s stick to the forest floor."
I manipulated the briars forming the barricade, forcing them aside to clear a path. Every plant in this forest was connected to me. By using the roots of the Christmas Tree I had extended underground, I could command the thorns as I pleased.
Once the path was clear, the Little Witch carried me in my bucket as we moved deeper into the woods. Eventually, we reached our destination—the beast-ear race village!
"It feels a bit small for a village," the Little Witch noted.
"You're right. It looks more like a campsite than a proper village."
We crouched in the bushes to observe the settlement. I had expected to see wooden huts, but all I saw were crude tents. Perhaps the beast-ear race was nomadic, or maybe they just preferred living under canvas.
While the tents near the entrance were tattered and full of holes, I spotted a few luxurious ones at the far end of the camp. They were much larger and grander than the rest, standing apart from the main cluster. I wondered if a Village Chief lived back there.
"What now? Should I blast the tents with lightning?"
The Little Witch truly had no hesitation. She generally showed zero interest in anyone outside our group, and she clearly didn't care what happened to these beast-ears.
"If the lightning starts a fire, Kiri and the Mandrake might get hurt. Let’s hold off on that for now."
"Fine. Should we look for that cat burglar from earlier?"
"That’s an option, but first, let’s figure out what’s actually going on here."
I hadn't realized a group of beast-ears had settled on the edge of my forest. Gathering information was the first priority.
"But how?"
"I have a good idea."
When dealing with cat-ears, there was one weapon that never failed. I extended a vine toward the entrance of a nearby tent and grew a specific fruit at the tip.
"Wait, Alraune. Is that the same plant you used on the Beast King?"
"Exactly. It’s Silver Vine!"
When it came to cats, Silver Vine was essential. I had used it against Mr. Beast King Marticoras of the Four Heavenly Kings, and the results had been spectacular. This particular batch was even more potent, as I had infused it with my own nectar. Its effectiveness had already been proven on the Beast King himself.
Sure enough...
"I smell something wonderful-nyan..."
A girl emerged! Luckily, she was one of the duo we had seen earlier—the one who had stayed hidden while the other was caught by the adventurers. The lop-eared cat-ear girl reached out to grab the Silver Vine, but I wouldn't make it that easy. I retracted the vine slowly, luring her toward us like a fish on a hook.
Despite the obvious suspiciousness of the moving plant, the girl followed it blindly, muttering "Wait-nyan" under her breath. I couldn't tell if the Silver Vine was just that powerful or if the beast-ear race was simply incredibly gullible.
Once she was close enough to our bush, I used a Venus Flytrap to snap her up. Success!
"U-nyan?! You're the ones from before!"
"Shhh. Stay quiet."
I stuffed the Silver Vine into her mouth. Instantly, her expression melted into a daze, as if she were profoundly intoxicated.
"U-nyan?! This is incredible-nyan... wha... whazzis-nyan..."
She seemed entirely preoccupied with gnawing on the fruit. I pulled the Silver Vine just out of reach to begin negotiations.
"If you want more, you have to answer my questions."
"Nya-nya... You think you can bait me-nyan? A proud member of the beast-ear race wouldn't fall for—"
"If you talk, I'll give you as much as you want."
I made a dozen Silver Vine flowers bloom along the vine. The girl’s eyes practically turned into hearts.
"Nya! I'll tell you anything-nyan! Just give me that-nyan!"
"Then tell me. Where are Kiri and the Mandrake—the two you stole from us?"
"Two? We kidnapped a spirit, sure, but we only stole a Mandrake besides her. That's only one person-nyan."
Apparently, the beast-ear race didn't count Mandrakes as people. That was a logical enough conclusion for most, but since I was a plant myself, it felt a bit strange. Besides, I had given birth to that Mandrake. To me, it definitely counted as a person.
"Fine. Where are the spirit and the Mandrake? I want them back."
"The spirit was offered as a tribute to Lord Beast Ogre-nyan. You can't have her back."
"Lord Beast Ogre?"
The name sounded familiar. I felt like I had heard it somewhere back in my Saint Era.
"The Mandrake is with the Princess—Lady Katze. She was the one with me earlier-nyan."
"Princess? That girl is the princess of this village?"
"Lady Katze is a princess, but this isn't really a village-nyan. We were just brought here-nyan."
"Brought here? By whom?"
"By Lord Beast Ogre-nyan."
Suddenly, a scream echoed from the direction of the tents. I looked over and saw several beast-ears stumbling along, all of them covered in injuries and looking exhausted. Behind them stood a tall, imposing figure.
"Don't you dare slack off! Do you think you can call yourselves warriors with that pathetic performance?!"
The figure whipped the beast-ears as he shouted. Seeing him jogged my memory.
"Oh, he's a beastman."
What was a member of the demon race doing here? The beastman looked like a bipedal, humanoid wolf. He was massive compared to the petite beast-ears, and he kicked one of them as he continued his tirade.
"The war starts soon! If you're collapsing during basic training, you'll be useless to Lord Beast Ogre!"
"Hiee!"
"We're sorry!"
"Please, stop hitting us..."
The power dynamic was painfully obvious. It dawned on me then: this wasn't a village. It was a forced labor camp.
"Tell me," I said, turning back to the girl. "What are you all doing here?"
"Lord Beast Ogre captured us. We’re being forced to fight alongside the Demon King's Army-nyan."
"Fight who?"
"The humans-nyan."
I felt a phantom throb in my non-existent heart. The girl’s words were a massive shock.
"You're here to attack humans? Are you targeting the Tower City?"
"No-nyan. I heard we're going to attack the Royal Capital-nyan."
"The Royal Capital?!"
I remembered Priest Pandia's warning that the Demon King's Army was planning a strike on the capital. On top of that, Hecate—the Goddess of Darkness who had possessed the Little Witch—was aiming for the capital to reclaim the Witch Queen. The situation was much more dire than I had imagined.
The whole reason I was traveling to the Royal Capital was to protect it. It was my birthplace, and I wanted to ensure Lord Manfred and Princess Freundliche’s wedding went off without a hitch. I hadn't expected the enemy to be so close already.
The beast-ear race was supposed to be neutral, yet they had been rounded up and conscripted into the Demon King's Army's war.
"Who is your leader?"
"Our leader is Princess Katze-nyan. But she can't stand up to Lord Beast Ogre..."
"So you're all just being threatened into this?"
"Y-yes... we have no choice but to obey them-nyan!"
So the beast-ears were victims of the demon race. They might have stolen Kiri and the Mandrake, but I was starting to feel sorry for them. I didn't dislike their kind, and I wanted to help if I could. If they were only helping the demons because they were being bullied, then the solution was simple.
"If I take care of this Beast Ogre, will you give Kiri and the others back?"
"I-it’s impossible-nyan! No one can defeat Lord Beast Ogre-nyan!"
The girl trembled with fear. Was he really that powerful?
"I've been wondering, who exactly is this Beast Ogre?"
"He's an executive in the Demon King's Army-nyan! And not just any executive—he’s the twin brother of Beast King Marticoras, one of the Four Heavenly Kings-nyan!"
Beast King Marticoras. A legendary demon who had sat on the throne of the Four Heavenly Kings for centuries, infamous for destroying a great western nation two hundred years ago.
He was also the guy I had defeated and eaten.
"No one can win against Lord Beast Ogre! He's just as strong as a member of the Four Heavenly Kings-nyan!"
Well, I felt a little bad. I had already taken out the brother who was supposedly his equal. In fact, I’d gobbled him right up. Now his older brother was right here.
It would be rude not to go say hello. Besides, as the Alraune of this forest, I really needed to have a word with the person in charge of this illegal settlement.
Hang on, Mr. Beast Ogre. I’m coming to pay my respects!
Silver Vine: A climbing plant of the Actinidiaceae family. It has a dramatic effect on cats, reportedly due to a substance called "Matatabilactone."
Next time: You've got some nerve, kidnapping a fairy.