A giant frog was waiting for me as I emerged, quite unnaturally, from the river.
I had been saved many times before by a White Bird. The true identity of that bird had been a witch. Perhaps this frog wasn't an ordinary one either. In fact, there was a distinct possibility that it was a Frog Prince—someone a magic spell had transformed from a human into an amphibian.
I decided to ask him. "Did you... save... me?"
In response, the frog let out a loud "Croak!"
It wasn't a clumsy imitation like the one the White Bird used to make. It was a perfect croak—one that could only come from a genuine frog. Without a second glance, the frog hopped away into the depths of the forest, croaking as he went.
Well, no matter how I looked at it, he seemed like nothing more than an ordinary monster. I couldn't entirely rule out the possibility of a person in disguise, but I had no way of knowing. If my intuition was correct, I didn't think that frog was the one who had saved me. The atmosphere was different from when I was with the White Bird. He just looked like a wild animal passing by.
If that was the case, what had happened to me? If someone had saved me, where had they gone? I didn't have the slightest clue. But it didn't matter. I was safe, and that was the most important thing. Surviving through a mystery was infinitely better than dying for some absurd reason. Having survived so many life-threatening crises, I knew that staying alive was the priority. I could worry about the details later.
If that frog really was a prince, I was sure we would meet again.
At any rate, the water from the pond and the river had fully rehydrated me. I had made a complete recovery! Between the water and the live fish I’d managed to snack on in the river, my nutrition was perfect. The only problem now was how to reunite with the Little Witch. I had a feeling she was still scouring the Crocodile Pond for me.
I knew just what to do.
I extended my vines high toward the sky. I used to use this method to summon my subordinate, the Lady Knight—also known as Hachi-san. Seeing these vines was also how the White Bird had first discovered me. If the Little Witch saw them, she was bound to realize where I was.
Some time passed as I kept my vines stretched upward. Just as I was starting to find the effort of reaching toward the heavens exhausting, I heard something in the bushes. I looked over, hoping it was the Little Witch, only to lock eyes with a tiger. It was a tiger-type monster—a Kriegtiger. It was the same war-loving species I had defeated once before in the former forest, though this one was larger. It had the imposing presence of a Tiger Boss, and it looked incredibly strong.
Had it seen my vines and come to investigate?
I readied my vines to tell the uninvited guest to leave, but then I heard another sound from the undergrowth. This time, it was the boar-type monster, Waldschwein. The guests kept coming. Even Hellwolf appeared—the Wolf of Hell himself.
I began to panic. It felt like a reunion for all the carnivorous monsters I had eaten in the past. Then, I heard a splash from the river. The snake monster Wahnschlange leaped from the water. I’d forgotten that with its moist skin, that snake was perfectly capable of living in the water as well.
Before I knew it, a ball was about to begin, and I was at the center of it. A Ball of Death where every predator in the area had gathered! Wait, what was going on? Why was I being surrounded? I’d raised my vines to call the Little Witch, but I’d summoned a grand assembly of the Four Heavenly Kings instead! Just how many predators were prowling this forest? And all of them were larger than the ones I’d encountered before. As expected of the Ancient Forest.
Actually, this was no time to be impressed! W-w-w-what was I going to do? Maybe they’d overlook me because I was a plant? I didn't think I was a favorite food for carnivores. Mr. Omnivorous Boar, please, feel free to sit this one out.
Despite my hopes, the monsters closed in, step by step. I’d hoped they might start fighting each other, but for some reason, they only had eyes for me. Why couldn't they have started a dispute like the crocodiles?
I had no choice but to fight. But in my current state, I was a young sprout. Unlike my adult form, my combat ability was significantly lower. Taking on this entire lineup at once was a burden I couldn't carry. To be honest, I was at my wit's end. I found myself hoping the Frog Prince would come to my rescue after all.
But that didn't happen. And it shouldn't have, because my prince had already been decided. For me, my prince would always be that Swan Prince.
The moment the monsters lunged, a single tree came hurtling from nowhere. It crashed down between me and the predators like a shield. Another tree slammed into the river where the snake lurked.
Could it be? I looked up with hope in my heart and saw a white-haired girl floating in the sky. The Little Witch had saved me by hurling the trees themselves. I was amazed to see she could apply her levitation magic like that.
"Alraune, I finally found you!"
The Little Witch flew toward me, reaching out her right hand. Understanding the gesture, I extended my vines toward her. But the monsters were already leaping over the fallen trees, closing in. The Wolf of Hell was the fastest. Hellwolf’s claws were inches from my face.
Just as I thought he would reach me, my body was jerked into the air. The Little Witch had grabbed my vine!
Safe from the wolf's attack, I dangled from her hand like a swing as we soared away. Below us, the carnivorous monsters watched me go with looks of pure regret. That was a close call. If she had been even a second later, I might have been finished.
"Thank... you... for saving... me."
When I managed to convey my gratitude, her cheeks turned red. "It's only natural," she replied. "I'm your owner."
As I thought, she really was a Swan Prince to me. She was a very reliable owner. I was so relieved we’d reunited so quickly.
After our emotional reunion, we left the area immediately. However, I still had some business with the river. Once we were a safe distance away, we landed further upstream. After confirming there was no danger, the Little Witch decided to bathe. She had been covered in mud at the pond and wanted to wash both herself and her clothes. She was also quite thirsty.
While she rinsed herself off, I kept watch. My gaze happened to fall on her as she entered the water. She was in her natural state, and I noted with a bit of relief that her chest hadn't grown much yet—just like mine. We were comrades in that regard.
But then, I noticed something else. On her beautiful white skin, there was something artificial. On her left shoulder, I caught sight of a strange emblem. It looked exactly like a tattoo. It was clearly some kind of mark, though I had no idea what it meant. She had told me she turned from a human into a witch when she was six. Perhaps this had something to do with that transformation.
However, now was not the time to pry. It was only our second day traveling together. The fact that she hadn't explained it meant she wasn't ready to talk about it yet. Everyone has a secret or two they want to keep hidden—especially a witch. I quietly turned my gaze back to the scenery and waited for her to finish her bath.
The sun was beginning to set by the time she was done. We searched for a place to camp and eventually decided on a hollow in the trunk of a massive tree.
"Alraune, I'm hungry."
Come to think of it, she hadn't eaten a thing all day. I used my plant generation to create some apples. When that didn't seem like enough, I gave her plenty of nectar as well.
I realized then that for the past two days, she’d lived on nothing but my nectar and fruit. For a growing child, that was a horribly unbalanced diet. If this continued, she might collapse. I had to do something. For the sake of a girl so unaccustomed to survival, I would have to work my hardest starting tomorrow!
Once we settled in, darkness enveloped the forest.
"Alraune, it's cold..."
The Little Witch began to shiver. Her body was still chilled from the bath, and her clothes were soaking wet. She would catch a cold if I didn't act. First, I had to deal with the wet clothes. I used my vines to help her undress and hung her clothes on a nearby branch to dry. That left her naked, and she didn't have any spares.
But it was fine. I would take care of her. Leave it to your big sister!
I gently wrapped my vines around her body. I wound them round and round until the "Little Witch Bagworm" was complete! This would keep her much warmer.
However, there was a slight problem. My vines also serve as my sense of touch. I could feel the texture of her skin through them. She didn't seem to realize, but I was a little embarrassed. It was as if I could feel every inch of her. As I mapped out the silhouette of her body with my vines, I noticed just how thin she was. She had lived at the village chief's house as a dependent, so she probably hadn't been fed well. Combined with her days in captivity and our meager meals lately, she was skin and bones. Starting tomorrow, I would catch plenty of prey and make sure she had extravagant meals.
"Alraune, come here."
The Little Witch held out her hands. I extended a vine, and she pulled me close, curling around my body.
"I'm lonely by myself. Let's sleep together."
As she held me, it hit me. There was no way a ten-year-old girl wouldn't be terrified camping in the dark woods. I had grown so used to sleeping alone in the forest that I had forgotten something so simple. She was still trembling. Was it the cold, or the loneliness?
I couldn't fix her heart just yet, but I could at least fix the temperature. I used the trait of the skunk cabbage to generate heat. I became the perfect substitute for a hot water bottle.
"Alraune, you're so warm..." she whispered, drifting off to sleep.
She hugged me even tighter. I had spent the last year sleeping all alone. But sleeping with someone else like this was wonderful. Even on a chilly night in the heart of the darkness, we could stay warm if we were together.
"Good night."
I hugged her back with my vines and closed my bud for the night. From now on, we would sleep like this every night. It was so much warmer than being alone. That's why from now on, we'll be together forever.