I’m Alraune, a plant monster.
I had come here to rescue the kidnapped Fairy Kiri and the Mandrake, but I ended up running straight into an executive of the Demon King's Army.
The executive ruling over and subjugating the Beast-ear Race was named Beast Ogre Mantiger. Apparently, he was the older brother of Beast King Marticoras—the former member of the Four Heavenly Kings whom I had previously defeated.
Furthermore, it seemed Beast Ogre Mantiger intended to launch an attack on the Royal Capital.
I turned to the cat-ear girl I had just captured and questioned her.
"If you're planning to attack the Royal Capital, why are you all still out here in a place like this?"
"We were gathering Saint Nectar and fairies, nyan. Beast Ogre-sama’s goal is to present them to the higher-ups of the Demon King's Army. He wants to rack up achievements at the Royal Capital and take a seat among the Four Heavenly Kings, nyan!"
"I see... the Four Heavenly Kings..."
Beast Ogre Mantiger’s younger brother had held that rank. It was only natural that the older brother would desire the same status. Since the Four Heavenly Kings were the top brass of the Demon King's Army, I could certainly understand his thirst for a promotion.
Now that I had managed to extract a decent amount of information, I decided to learn a bit more about this cat-ear girl.
"Tell me, what is your name?"
"Nya is Siam, nyan!"
The girl, Siam, had white hair streaked with black mesh. She bore a striking resemblance to a Siamese cat. She had been skilled enough to kidnap Kiri and the Mandrake without either the Little Witch or me noticing her presence. Her talents were undoubtedly the real deal.
"I have a request for you, Siam. Please take me to Beast Ogre Mantiger."
"N-No way, nyan! That guy is a monster! He’s so crazy he’ll cannibalize his own kind if they rub him the wrong way, nyan!"
Siam rejected the idea, trembling like a leaf. It seemed this demon known as the Beast Ogre was truly a terrifying figure. If I had genuinely scared her, then I felt a bit bad.
Here, have this flower; it’ll cheer you up.
"If you do what I ask, I’ll give you as much of this Silver Vine as you want."
"Nya-nya-nya-nyannn!?"
It looked as if actual heart marks were floating in Siam’s eyes as she practically melted with delight. She reached out with both hands like cat paws, trying to snatch the Silver Vine from me. I used a vine to dangle it just out of her reach and asked her once more.
"Well, Siam? What will it be? I suppose I could just ask one of the other beast-ears instead..."
"Nya will do it, nyan! I'll do whatever you say, nyan!"
Her previous terror vanished as if it had been a total lie. I was just happy to see her regain her energy.
Watching the exchange, the Little Witch whispered to me.
"Alraune... are you going to keep that cat?"
"I’m not keeping her!"
Siam wasn't a literal cat; she was a demi-human of the Beast-ear Race. I wouldn't dream of making her a pet. Besides, the Little Witch was wearing a very displeased expression.
"Do you not like cats, Rufe?"
"She reminds me of the Witch Queen, so it’s a little scary..."
I had suspected as much when we saw the Beast-ear Race on the road, but it seemed cat ears had become a genuine source of trauma for her because of the Witch Queen's cat-ear hat. It was a shame, considering how cute cats were.
"Don't worry, Rufe. I won't keep her."
"...Fine. But if you're going to feed her, do it in moderation. It’ll be a pain if she gets too attached."
It certainly would be a problem if she started following me everywhere. Still, there was nothing wrong with being friendly with the Beast-ear Race. If I could get them to follow my orders just by handing out Silver Vine, wasn't that actually quite convenient?
While I was pondering the local ecology, the Little Witch looked toward the largest tent in the camp.
"So, Alraune? Are we just going to storm the Beast Ogre's place?"
"Hmm, let's see."
The enemy hadn't noticed us yet. Since I was already in my Potted Alraune form, it seemed safer to go the stealthy route—like a spy.
"Let's go with the 'Present Strategy'."
"A present? Like giving him Silver Vine?"
"Not Silver Vine. The present... is me!"
Since Kiri was already being treated as a tribute, it wouldn't be strange for a Potted Alraune to be offered as well. Besides, if I tried to take Kiri back by force and Mantiger used her as a hostage, it would be a headache. It would be much safer to infiltrate his inner sanctum, assess the situation, and then seize the perfect moment to rescue them.
After all, Kiri might call herself a Great Fairy, but she was still just a fairy. Her actual combat ability was nothing to write home about. When I first met her, she was on the verge of being eaten by a frog.
I thought it was a flawless plan, but the Little Witch gave me a look of pure exasperation. Like a parent dealing with a stubborn child, she sighed in resignation.
"...Fine. Do whatever you want, Alraune."
I had received her seal of approval! Now, I just needed Siam to carry my potted form to the tent.
"All right, I'm off. It’s dangerous, Rufe, so wait here for me."
"...I’m not waiting. I’m going with you."
Wait, she was coming too? I could play off being a plant, but the Little Witch would stand out way too much to be a tribute. I wondered if she planned to pretend to be a human captive, but she just pointed at Siam.
"I’ll take that cat's place."
"You mean Siam's?"
Did she intend to masquerade as one of the Beast-ear Race? Even with her disguise skills, I thought it would be a stretch to pass as someone with cat ears and a tail.
"Rufe, are you sure? If you hide your head with a hood, it'll just look suspicious."
This was a beast-ear settlement. They took pride in their ears and rarely hid them without a very good reason. A hood might be natural in a human city, but here, it would be a dead giveaway.
To dispel my worries, the Little Witch pulled back her hood. Her snow-white hair flowed into my vision.
"It’s okay, Alraune. I have an idea."
In that moment, her body seemed to distort. It was a sight I hadn't seen in a while—the same phenomenon that occurred when she used her transformation magic to turn into a bird. However, she didn't shrink this time. Only two things changed.
From the top of her head, two fluffy cat ears sprouted forth.
"Cat ears just grew out of your head!?"
"I grew them with transformation magic. Well? Do they suit me?"
Tilting her head slightly, the cat-eared Little Witch gave me a coy look.
It was... beyond adorable!
What was this? Cat-ear Rufe was the absolute cutest!
The white ears perfectly matched her snowy hair. She had even mimicked Siam’s style, adding black mesh into her white locks. Her transformation magic was far too convenient. I knew she had learned to do partial transformations like growing wings, but I never imagined she’d use it to grow cat ears.
If I’d known she could do this, I would have asked her to do it ages ago. My heart was practically pierced by the sheer cuteness of the girl I doted on like a younger sister. Well, as a plant, I didn't actually have a heart anymore, but the sentiment remained.
Oh, how I regretted the lack of photography in this world. Once we met Manfred, the Lord of Tower City, I would have to ask him to paint a portrait of her.
My pot shook with excitement as I used my vines to form a heart shape.
"Rufe, they suit you perfectly!"
"I'm glad, then."
This was truly "The Case of My Younger Sister Being Too Cute"! I was honestly worried some villain might try to kidnap her. However, something was still missing. Real beast-ears had tails, too.
"Wait, Rufe. If we’re going for a full disguise, you need a tail."
"A tail... okay."
Her body distorted again, and a cat tail extended from beneath her skirt. Now, she was the spitting image of a beast-ear girl. No one would ever suspect she was a witch—or even human.
Despite the perfect disguise, she looked a little uncomfortable.
"What’s wrong, Rufe?"
"...The tail feels really weird."
Her tail swayed back and forth. It seemed that growing a completely new limb was a disorienting sensation. I could relate; when I first became an Alraune, my vines and roots felt incredibly alien to me.
"Maybe I should make it go away?"
"Please, just bear with it."
"......Okay."
And so, Cat-ear Rufe was born. All that was left was to infiltrate Beast Ogre Mantiger's tent. I thought we were ready, but she whispered to me once more with an anxious look.
"Hey, Alraune. I look the part now, but... do you think I should change the way I talk to sound more like a cat, nyan?"
".................."
I silently gave her a "thumbs up" gesture with my vines.
Next time: The Case of My Younger Sister Growing Cat Ears.