It seemed my nectar was a demonic substance, capable of enslaving anyone who tasted it.
It was unusually sweet—so delicious it felt almost wrong. No wonder a whole army of Perorists was being mass-produced.
The Little Witch moved. She was trying to take more of my nectar by force.
Wait, you can't!
I couldn’t afford to give her any more. I was still nutrient-deficient; as a sprout that had only just germinated, I didn’t have much to spare. Besides, if I let her consume any more, something irreversible might happen. What would I do if the Little Witch fully awakened as a Perorist?
To prevent that, I had to divert her attention. Changing the subject was my best bet.
"Nectar... later. Instead... tell me... things!"
The Little Witch blinked, snapping back to her senses as if suddenly remembering herself.
Thank goodness. It looked like I’d successfully prevented her from transforming into a Honey-loving Perverted Licking Girl. Since she was only showing the initial symptoms of the nectar, it wasn't too late. I breathed a sigh of relief; she had been seeking it with such addict-like intensity that I’d been worried for a moment.
Since I had her attention, I decided to ask the question that had been weighing on me.
"Next... what... do?"
Were we going to keep living here in the ruins of the forest? Based on our earlier conversation, I suspected she lived in a nearby village.
"Of course we're moving," she replied. "We can't stay here. The Demon King's Army knows about this place, and besides, the village was burned down."
"Demon King's Army?"
Come to think of it, that Minotaur had been carrying a drawing of the Little Witch. Even the terrifying Flame Dragon Lord had muttered something about searching for someone. Could he have been looking for her?
"For some reason, the Demon King's Army is targeting me."
A witch hunted by the Demon King's Army. That was unexpected. I wondered if it was because she was a Stray Witch. Considering the Minotaur had been carrying a sleeping potion, their goal likely wasn't to kill her. They probably wanted to kidnap her and force her to join them.
Everything started to click. The person the Flame Dragon had been searching for was this Little Witch. And the person the Kingdom's Army had been hunting was also this Little Witch. From the humans' perspective, she was a target of the Witch Hunt.
The Kingdom's Army and the Flame Dragon must have crossed paths by accident, leading to that massive skirmish. That was likely the cause of the fire.
Regardless, I was glad she had escaped the Witch Hunt. If she’d been caught, she wouldn’t have kept her life. A witch and a monster—as fellow enemies of humanity, I felt like the Little Witch and I could truly get along.
It didn’t matter if the Demon King's Army was after her. If it came down to it, I would repel her enemies myself. I would protect her, my precious Swan Prince!
...Of course, that didn't apply if the opponent was the Flame Dragon Lord. If a giant monster like that showed up, the ironclad rule was to run away. But while the Little Witch could flee, I’d just be left behind. Because, well, I was a plant.
"Everything was lost in the fire, and this land is finished. I'm thinking we should move to a nearby forest."
A forest, huh? I was all for it, but I wondered if it was really okay for her. She was technically human, so I felt she might be better off in a Human Settlement.
"I have a Talking Flower with me, and more importantly, I hate humans. Even if I lived in a town, if they found out I was a witch, they’d just start another Witch Hunt like this one..."
A Witch Hunt... yeah, that sounded awful. In that case, the forest was the right choice. But there was one problem: I couldn't walk. I wondered how she intended to move me.
"I... cannot walk. Move... impossible."
"Then we'll just use this."
The Little Witch pulled out a bucket.
It was just a bucket. I didn't see how a bucket was going to sprout legs for me. Was she going to do something with the Witch's Black Magic? I let myself feel a tiny spark of hope.
With great anticipation, I watched her. For some reason, she suddenly began digging a hole in the ground. She busily shoveled the dirt with both hands, piling it up like a small mountain.
What was she doing? Was the soil a component for her black magic?
When she finished digging, she spread a layer of the soil across the bottom of the bucket. Then, with a blooming smile, she acted as if the job was done.
Apparently, her goal hadn't been the hole, but the dirt itself. What was she planning to do with a bucket full of soil? I still didn't see a vision of myself walking.
"This... is?" I asked.
"This is the Talking Flower's new home."
Wait, this was my home?! Wh-wh-what did she mean?
"It's okay. Once we get to the new forest, I'll plant you properly in the ground."
...Oh no. I finally understood what the bucket was for.
"I'm going to transplant you into this bucket now."
The Little Witch stared at me with a dead-serious gaze. She wasn't joking.
"It's a bit plain for a flowerpot, but the size should be just right."
Just as I feared! It was a substitute flowerpot!
You have to be kidding me. I was going into a bucket? I was going to have my roots buried in bucket-dirt? I imagined the sight of a Child Alraune Growing from a Bucket. How embarrassing!
"You see, a flowerpot is..."
The Little Witch began to patiently explain the concept of a flowerpot to me. She really was kind. Assuming she saw me as a wild Alraune from the forest, she wouldn't be this gentle if she only viewed me as a tool. I felt like she truly thought of me as family.
Perhaps because I was a plant with the appearance of a young girl, she was overflowing with motivation, as if she were determined to be the best big sister ever. Watching her try so hard to fulfill her unfamiliar Big Sister Duty, I couldn't bring myself to refuse.
The White Bird had been so good to me; I couldn't just reject her goodwill. So, I steeled my resolve. I would live in that bucket.
The Little Witch delivered the final word. "Okay, Talking Flower. Time to transplant you."
"Yes..."
For some reason, the joy of finally leaving this wasteland was nowhere to be found. I was about to be stuffed into a bucket. My roots would be hidden under a layer of dirt, and a Potted Alraune would be born.
Ah... as my spirit started to drift away, the faces of my family from my past life as a Duke's Daughter floated into my mind.
—Dear Father and Mother,
The mild spring weather continues. I hope this letter finds you both in good health and high spirits.
I have become a plant, but I am doing my best to bloom energetically today as well. I wonder what sort of daughter I was in your eyes? I became a Saint and grew into someone respectable. As a Duke's Daughter, I am confident I became a woman you could be proud of.
That said, I have a report to make. I am moving to a new home.
Please, don't be shocked. My new home is a bucket. Yes, a bucket.
After becoming a Saint, I ignored your protests and went off to defeat the Demon King. I apologize for failing to be the obedient, sheltered daughter you always wanted. Therefore, in this new life, I have decided to become that sheltered daughter.
Though instead of being sheltered in a house, I am sheltered in a bucket.
If you could see your only daughter growing out of a bucket, would you be happy? My heart is so full that nectar is streaming from my eyes. I am certain that you two, unlike me, would be shedding tears with a much higher salt concentration.
But please, do not worry. My nectar is very sweet. I am sure a Nectar-colored Sweet Comfortable Life awaits me in this Potted Life.
I shall live my life within this bucket. Please take care of yourselves as the seasons change.
—Sincerely.
"Talking Flower, I'm picking you up now."
My spirit, which had wandered off to some far-off place, was jerked back to reality. The Little Witch lifted my roots from the earth. Cradled like a small child, I was carried to my new residence.
Ah... this bucket was a perfect fit for my size.
I was officially transplanted into a bucket. And in that moment, I realized something. Without the Little Witch's help, I would never be able to leave this bucket again. I couldn't even absorb water from the ground on my own. If I were left like this, I would undoubtedly wither and die.
So this was how a cultivated plant felt. The world seemed to turn white before my eyes.
I couldn't run away anymore. I had been rendered unable to survive without her.
"The potted Alraune look is cute on you. It suits you."
"Uu..."
And so, my Potted Life began.