I, Alraune, was a plant monster.
Once, I had been known as a Saint, beloved by the entire kingdom.
Now, that same girl was currently smothering her own hometown, the City of Edelweiss, in a dense forest.
"Well, things have certainly escalated..."
To halt the hundred Urn Golems rampaging through the streets, I had invoked my Dominion of the Great Forest—the Herrschaft Pflanze—to force massive trees to erupt from the earth all at once.
Gajumaru trees, infamously known as "Strangler Trees," began their relentless crawl from the Duke’s Mansion toward the heart of the city.
The Gajumaru is a member of the Moraceae family, typically found in subtropical to tropical climates. They are famous for their unique silhouettes, created by aerial roots that dangle from branches and trunks to form a complex, tangled lattice. As a Gajumaru grows, it eventually envelops other trees entirely, which is why they are often called "Strangler Trees" for the way they transform their surroundings into a literal jungle.
In the blink of an eye, those aerial roots coiled around the stone buildings of Edelweiss, swallowing them whole.
The city was transformed into a colossal forest in an instant.
Looking out from the distant gardens of the mansion, even I could see the scale of it.
Maybe I went a little too far...!
Tulpe, the Duke’s Proxy, stared in stunned silence before finally finding her voice.
"The City of Edelweiss... it's turning into a forest?! Is this... is this really part of the plan?!"
"...Of course it is. Everything is proceeding exactly as I intended, so please, do not worry."
My sister’s gaze was stinging.
She definitely didn't believe me.
The sensation took me back to my childhood as Iris. Whenever I had pushed myself to heal every sick person in the territory as the Saint, Tulpe would look at me with that exact expression of concern.
Because I had been so young, I’d often end up collapsing afterward from a combination of overusing light magic and sleep deprivation.
Back then, Tulpe would puff out her cheeks and scold me, saying, "I knew this would happen!" Remembering it now brought a bittersweet warmth to my chest.
My sister had always looked out for me.
That was why I felt that even if she knew I—the Alraune—was actually her sister Iris, she would likely welcome me back with open arms.
Still, considering I was currently turning her city into a forest in front of her very eyes, it was a bit of an awkward time to bring it up. It was probably for the best if I kept my true identity a secret for a while longer.
"The operation is going exactly as planned. I’m heading into the city now."
"To the city?! But you can't walk... how could you possibly...?"
"I can grow new bodies in different locations via the root system."
It certainly wasn't the kind of thing a Saint would say, but after living as a plant for so long, it felt perfectly natural to me. Though, admittedly, there was still a lingering sense of hesitation about saying such things in front of my former family.
But there was no time for reservations.
I had to protect Edelweiss!
"Well then, I'm off."
I watched my sister's face as I began to close my bud.
I wondered how many years it had been since I’d last said those words to Tulpe.
Back then, I never got the chance to say, "I'm home."
But it would be different this time. I would finish the job and come back here, no matter what.
I manifested an Avatar Alraune from the Gajumaru roots stretching into the city.
Just as I was about to teleport my consciousness—I heard my sister’s voice from outside the bud.
"Safe travels... and make sure you come back to me."
"............Mm."
──Teleportation.
When I opened my eyes, I was standing in the central district of Edelweiss, now entirely carpeted in Gajumaru.
Up close, the transformation was even more radical than it had appeared from the mansion.
Seriously, who did this?
Was it really me? I’d only meant to stretch the trees out a little, but it seemed my powers had evolved further than I realized.
Now that I thought about it, I had absorbed the power of the Goddess of Darkness, Hecate, and become a White Alraune. With the goddess’s power flowing through me, my output had spiked to a ridiculous degree. This was definitely a problem.
But it’s fine. Forests are good for the soul. Greenery is easy on the eyes and quite lovely, really.
If anything, Edelweiss had been lacking in greenery. I was simply providing a single drop of nature to the landscape. A "Greening Project," if you will.
I was sure the citizens were thrilled to have so much more nature in their lives...
"The city's turned into a forest! What the hell is happening?!"
"The trees are moving! Is it some kind of new monster?!"
"No, my house! It's being swallowed by the wood!"
"Run! The outskirts are still safe!"
"The Duke’s Mansion looks like a jungle... The whole city’s going to end up like that!"
"There are rampaging urns on the next street! What is wrong with this town?!"
"It's a cataclysm... Goddess Selene, save us...!"
Hmm. It seemed this had become a much bigger deal than I’d expected.
If this were the Tower City, no one would have even blinked. The people there were used to my antics.
But the people of Edelweiss didn't need to worry. Gajumaru trees don't attack humans!
In fact, I was certain not a single person had been injured by the trees themselves. The only "damage" was a slight change in scenery... a very, very minor change.
"First, I need to deal with those Urn Golems."
I sprouted another Avatar Alraune on the adjacent street and teleported again.
When I opened my eyes, several Urn Golems were in the process of lunging at a group of citizens.
"Everyone, stay down!"
I lashed out with Gajumaru vines at the golems, constricting them until they shattered. As one of them prepared to self-destruct, I conjured a Gajumaru Wall in front of the nearby people to shield them. Once they were safe, I used the trees to crush the remaining golems into dust.
Phew. That was one problem solved.
Next, I had to check on the man who’d been knocked down by one of the constructs.
"Are you... alright?"
"Ow... Yeah, I think so... Wait, what?! There’s a person growing out of the tree!"
At the moment, I was only manifesting my human upper half from the Gajumaru trunk.
Because I had spread the forest throughout the city, I could create these avatars without needing to sprout a full body from the ground. It was much more efficient to just use my upper half for the time being.
Plus, without the bulbous lower half, I didn't seem to be scaring people quite as much as usual. My "lower mouth" can be a bit intimidating, after all.
"Your head is bleeding. Please, drink this."
"That sweet scent... that color... Is that Saint Nectar?!"
"Yes. Now, open wide... Say 'ahh'."
I used a vine to gently pry the man’s mouth open, then slid in another vine heavily coated in nectar.
I heard him gulp as he swallowed the liquid. Within seconds, the wound on his head vanished, leaving his skin perfectly smooth.
"There. You're all better now."
"The wound... it's gone?! It’s so sweet... so delicious! I feel like I'm melting... Please, more... I need more nectar..."
I gave the dazed man a warm smile.
Perhaps it was the influence of being back in Edelweiss, but I found myself treating him with the same gentle bedside manner I’d used during my days as Saint Iris.
"That face... wait, could you be...?"
Just as the man spoke, I felt a vibration through the Gajumaru network. My roots were sensing more Urn Golems rampaging in another part of town.
This area was secure. I teleported to the next location.
──Teleportation.
"What are those things?! Urns with arms and legs?!"
"The Knights can't even scratch them!"
"Look! A woman just grew out of that tree!"
"First golems, and now a half-naked woman in the wood?! What is going on?!"
"Wait... I know that face..."
"Look at that! The tree just crushed the urn!"
"Is that woman with the flower on her head controlling the forest?"
"She’s so strong... and beautiful."
"She’s helping the wounded Knights... She's on our side!"
"Is she a Dryad from the forest?"
"Forget that... look at her face. Doesn't she look like...?"
──Teleportation.
I continued the cycle: teleport to a new location, destroy the Urn Golems, and treat the injured.
As I moved from one scene to the next, the reactions of the townspeople began to shift.
The fear of a woman growing out of the trees was replaced by looks of awe and reverence.
By my fifteenth teleportation, I was treating a victim of an explosion.
If I hadn't arrived, they wouldn't have survived. But as long as I was there, they had nothing to fear.
I fed the patient my nectar, and their severed limbs underwent a total regeneration. I was glad I’d hurried over the moment I heard the blast.
As I finished my work, I realized dozens of people had gathered around me.
"Amazing... those injuries are completely healed!"
"I was sure he was a goner..."
"So the rumors were true. A woman is growing from the trees to save the wounded."
"I haven't seen anything this miraculous since her time..."
"Wait... look at her face..."
I felt the weight of their collective gaze.
Everyone stood frozen, staring at me in stunned silence.
Then, a single voice whispered.
"Could it be............ the Saint?"
Gajumaru can also be kept as houseplants. They have a plump, charming look that I personally find quite adorable.
Next time: The Saint of Edelweiss - Part 2.