The Sphinx, Kusukusu, was being eaten away from the inside by the magic of Hecate, the Goddess of Darkness.
To save her, I used Energy Drain to draw out the goddess’s power.
"Kusukusu-san, you're going to be fine now. Please, rest easy."
"W-What’s going on?! I thought I was a goner, but I’m completely healed!"
Kusukusu, who had been on the verge of death moments ago, sat up with a start. She seemed to have recovered her strength entirely.
Healing a patient and seeing them smile... it had been that way since my time as a Saint, but seeing a patient happy always made me feel a little joyful myself.
"I don't believe it... That medicine was supposed to grant power at the cost of one's life. To think you could actually cure it... Alraune-chan, just who are you?"
"I am... just an Alraune."
A former Saint Alraune, that is.
"No way! You're not just some Alraune! You produce that mind-blowing nectar, and you have this insane healing power... You're just like the Crimson Flower Princess of the Tower City!"
Kusukusu stared intently at my face. Well, that Crimson Flower Princess Alraune was, in fact, me.
"But you’re a different one, right? They say the Crimson Flower Princess is the size of a grown woman, but you’re just a child... Wait, huh? Alraune-chan, are you getting bigger?!"
Absorbing Hecate’s magic had triggered a change. Just like when I photosynthesized, my body underwent a rapid growth spurt. First, the bulb of my lower body expanded, and my corolla unfurled alongside lush green leaves. Simultaneously, my human half matured from a child into an adult.
My chest swelled so suddenly that I had to use my vines to readjust my constricting bodice. It had been quite some time since my body had grown like this of its own accord. I had been in a child’s form for so long lately, but here I was, an adult again.
Startled by my sudden growth, the Urn Golem detached itself, planter and all. If it had stayed fused to me, the urn probably would have shattered. That golem certainly had good crisis-management instincts.
"N-No way... You look exactly like the Crimson Flower Princess now...!"
"...It’s just your imagination."
"Like hell it is! I've never heard of an Alraune that grows that fast!"
"I’m just in the middle of a growth spurt, you see."
"That's way too fast for a growth spurt! And that adult body, that red corolla... you're a dead ringer for the Crimson Flower—wait, WHAAAAAT?!"
Kusukusu shrieked again, her eyes fixed on my waist.
"Alraune-chan! Your flower was red a second ago, but now it’s white!"
"Ah, you’re right. It’s turned... pure white."
"How?! Why?!"
As a side effect of absorbing Hecate’s power to save the Little Witch, I now turned white during the night. Since I had just absorbed even more of the goddess's magic to save Kusukusu-san, the reaction had triggered early. Even though it wasn't night yet, my corolla had lost its color. Not only that, but my hair had shifted from yellow-green to a stark, pure white.
This was my Night version, fueled by Hecate’s magic. However, my skin remained fair. Unlike the goddess herself, I hadn't turned dark-skinned. Since it wasn't truly night, the transformation was only half-complete.
"Seriously, what is going on with you?! You’re definitely not a normal Alraune!"
"...No, no. I’m just an Alraune. I simply have a constitution that turns white at night."
I had merely traded a red dress for white raiment. Since I couldn't change my clothes, I actually found the change in flower color to be a fun little way to switch up my mood.
I turned back to the flustered Kusukusu-san and spoke again.
"So... Kusukusu-san."
"Y-Yes?!"
She stiffened the moment I looked at her, reacting much like a recruit being addressed by a drill sergeant.
"You attacked the Duke’s mansion on orders from the Demon King’s Army, correct?"
"I... I did."
"If you still intend to attack this house, then I will be your opponent."
This was the home of Saint Iris—my home. If she planned to continue her rampage, I would show her no mercy.
"......I am a proud member of the Sphinx Tribe. As a demon of the Demon King’s Army, my mission is absolute."
"I see..."
It was a shame. I thought we had finally reached an understanding, but I suppose it couldn't be helped. Just as I had my reasons for protecting this mansion, she had her own circumstances. If we were to be enemies, I would have to neutralize her here.
Just as I began to extend my vines, Kusukusu continued.
"But... my boss treated me like a nuisance. He used me as a disposable pawn. He probably thinks I’m dead already, and even if I went back, he’d just throw me away and let me die again..."
A boss who would force a subordinate to take a lethal drug was not a boss worth following. If he viewed lives as so expendable, he would surely do it again. Looking at her dejected face, I was reminded of the time I was betrayed by my junior. I knew the pain of being abandoned by those you trusted.
Kusukusu-san, cast aside by her superior, was a reflection of the old Saint Iris. I couldn't bring myself to leave her like that.
The words came to me naturally. "Then... would you like to come with me?"
"Huh...?"
"Leave the Demon King’s Army and come to the forest. You’ll be free there."
"The... forest?"
Alraune’s Forest was currently looking for new residents. The Beast-ear Race had already moved in; one Sphinx wouldn't make much of a difference.
"If you live in my forest, I will protect you."
"Quitting the army... I never even considered that."
Kusukusu-san looked down, her expression turning somber and thoughtful. I didn't push her; I simply waited in silence. After a long moment, she looked up.
"I am a proud member of the Sphinx Tribe. I carried out my final mission at the risk of my life. So... I think I’ve earned a little rest."
She looked as if a curse had been lifted from her. She had made her choice.
"If I go back, my boss will just kill me anyway. Besides, you saved my life, Alraune-chan. I won't be your enemy anymore."
"In that case—!"
"But I have one condition..."
Kusukusu-san leaned in, her eyes dead serious.
"That nectar you gave me earlier... I want more."
"...My nectar?"
"Yeah! I can't get the taste out of my head! My body is craving it! If you give me that nectar, I'll go to the forest or anywhere else you want!"
I-I see. She wanted it enough to defect from the Demon King's Army... I had only given it to her to stop her from attacking the house, but maybe I’d overdone it a bit.
I coated a vine in nectar and presented it to her. She began to wag her tail back and forth like a happy dog. I suppose a Sphinx’s tail wags when they're happy, too.
And so, Kusukusu the Sphinx became a member of the forest—a defector from the Demon King’s Army. I’d have to ensure her safety, but if I kept her with the Beast-ear Race, it should be fine. There was no place safer than Alraune’s Forest, home to so many Child Alraunes.
"Ahhh~! This stuff is addictive! I’ve never had anything this good in my life!"
"I'm glad you're enjoying it..."
"I feel so happy I don't even care about attacking humans anymore! This nectar is the best! But, Alraune-chan... I’ve been wondering. Why are you siding with the humans so much?"
"What?"
"It looks like you're trying to protect this mansion from the Demon King’s Army. But you're an Alraune—a plant monster. This city shouldn't have anything to do with you."
"That’s..."
As an Alraune, I had no connection to the Edelweiss estate. But I had been born as Iris Edelweiss. I had been raised as the daughter of this city's Lord. This was my hometown, and I was finally returning after years away. Even if it was a secret, I couldn't bring myself to say I had "nothing to do with it."
"I am... not unrelated to the City of Edelweiss."
At that moment, a small gasp of "Eh...?" drifted through the courtyard. It wasn't Kusukusu’s voice. Someone had wandered in without me noticing.
I froze at the sound. It was a voice I knew all too well.
I turned around. A woman was standing at the entrance to the courtyard. She had orange hair and looked to be in her mid-twenties. She wore a silk dress, a beautiful garment befitting the master of the house. And just like the last time I had seen her, she wore those tulip earrings.
Her face bore a striking resemblance to my own—to Iris.
I knew that by coming to the Edelweiss mansion, I would eventually have to face her. But I had been so focused on Kusukusu-san that I hadn't sensed her approaching.
I whispered her name in my heart.
—Tulpe.
The Proxy for the Duke of Edelweiss, and my family from my time as a Saint. My own flesh and blood, my older sister, stood there, staring at me.
Next time: Little Witch's First Subordinate - Part 3.