I was Alraune, a plant monster in the form of a young girl.
At that very moment, several of my vines were ablaze.
Would I be scorched by the flames and reduced to ash? Or would I undergo self-pollination, turn into a seed, and make an emergency escape using the Banksia ability? After weighing my options, I discovered a third path.
It lay in the pebble the Fairy-san had thrown.
The object was actually a plant that used mimicry to look like a stone. I remembered seeing it in a plant encyclopedia during my high school days in my previous life. This thing, which looked like a round stone no matter how one viewed it, was a succulent called a Lithops. Because it looked like nothing but a rock, it was also known as "Pebble Grass." If I recalled correctly, they were native to the Southern Hemisphere, found in places like South Africa and Australia.
Lithops hid from predators by mimicking pebbles, but that wasn't their only interesting trait. Surprisingly, despite being plants, Lithops performed molting. Much like a cicada larva breaking its shell to emerge, new leaves grew from between the two old ones.
I extended a vine to the cheek of the Little Witch, who was still clinging to me. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and she looked back at me with a face full of dread.
"I... won't... die... so... please... don't worry."
"Alraune, really?"
"It's... okay. We'll... always... be... together."
To reassure her, I patted her head with a vine. Honestly, having such a crybaby for a little sister was quite a handful for an older sister. I was too anxious about leaving her all alone; I couldn't even burn in peace with her looking like that.
I consumed the Lithops using my lower mouth. With this, I should have been able to perform a molt.
However, I suspected that Lithops’ molting alone might not be enough to escape the fire. Fortunately, I had another plant power I had recently acquired: the Eucalyptus ability!
The concept of molting had reminded me that the Eucalyptus tree could do something similar. Because their leaves were so flammable, Eucalyptus trees were frequently caught in forest fires, and they had evolved a specific response manual for the heat. While the inner part of their bark was fire-resistant, the outer layer was highly flammable. When a tree caught fire, the outer bark was designed to peel away, preventing the flames from spreading to the core.
If I combined the Lithops' molting with the characteristics of the Eucalyptus bark, I might successfully escape the flames.
Fortunately, only my vines were currently burning. If I adjusted the molting to shed the flaming tips and leave only the sections close to my bulb, I might survive. Once the decision was made, it was time to act.
With a sensation like a long, deep stretch, I thrust my head upward. Normally, as the pistil, I wouldn't molt. However, I was both a plant and a monster. I knew I could perform a full-body molt—vines and all—starting from my human form.
Visualizing the Lithops' molting and the peeling of Eucalyptus bark, I activated the ability.
My head broke through a thin, membrane-like skin. The old casing on my head split into two and peeled away. The separation continued in sequence: my cheeks, chest, stomach, waist, corolla, leaves, and bulb. Then, glistening new vines emerged from within the old ones.
I succeeded in discarding the burning tips, leaving behind only the short, fresh sections. The flaming remains were cast off and fell to the ground, where they continued to roar with fire.
I had successfully protected myself from the flames. I did it!
Against the fire that had threatened my life so many times, I had finally obtained a means of defense. I no longer had to be afraid of fire like I was before. Plus, perhaps because I had just shed my old skin, my new complexion felt fantastic.
"Alrauneee!"
The Little Witch lunged at me. She was still such a child, getting all worked up like this. She rubbed her face against my cheek, whispering about how glad she was that I was alive. For a long while, I held her close with my vines.
Once the relief of survival had passed, I turned my gaze toward the burning remnants of my skin. The crisis was over; now, I just needed to make the fire larger. I gathered dried leaves and withered branches from nearby and piled them onto the embers. Gradually, the fire grew until it was a respectable bonfire.
Fire-making was officially complete.
"Alraune, thank you!"
As if her previous panic had been a dream, the Little Witch spoke to me with a calm demeanor.
"I'm so happy that you started a fire for me, even though you're a plant."
She patted my head, murmuring "there, there." Ah, it felt like a moment of pure bliss. Being praised and petted after finishing a hard job really touched my heart. It felt so good that nectar almost leaked from my mouth.
"Since Alraune worked so hard to start the fire, I have to do my best too, as your big sister."
Wait... what?
Did she still not see me as the older sister? I was the one who had just been comforting her while she cried! Why was this happening?
Receiving my bewildered gaze, the Little Witch rubbed my head even more gently. I felt a warm, "big sister" gaze directed toward me, as if I were a small child who had tried her very best.
Inside my heart, a conflict broke out. One side of me felt safe and wanted to lean into her affection like a pampered child, while the other side—my mental "big sister" identity—insisted I should act more like an adult.
The winner was decided instantly. Having lived a lonely life in the forest for a year, I was weak to human contact. I clung to the Little Witch with my vines, fully committing to a "young girl move."
My Big Sister Activity was on hiatus for the day. D-Don't get the wrong idea! I was actually the older one; I was just playing along and pretending to be the little sister for her sake! Please, do not misunderstand.
The Little Witch, her Big Sister Power now fully charged, suddenly took on a resolute expression. She took a deep breath, looking at me as if she had made a grand decision.
"I've decided. I'm going to the city to go shopping."
Shopping in the city? What brought this on?
"Now that we can make fire, we can cook if we have a pot. If we can cook, I'm sure meals will be much more fun."
She began to roast some dried meat over the bonfire. Taking a large bite of the lightly toasted meat, she looked satisfied. Now that fire was an option, she clearly wanted to make the most of it. As a former Duke's Daughter, I didn't know the first thing about cooking, though I had a little experience from my high school days. Then again, as an insectivorous plant, I usually just swallowed my prey whole, so I wouldn't be eating cooked dishes anyway.
"Aside from cooking tools, there are a few other things I want for our daily life."
"But... humans... live... there, you know?"
"I hate humans. But for me to live in the forest, I need their tools."
It was true that the only thing we owned was a bucket. It was probably time we obtained some proper equipment. I was ready to cooperate with whatever she wanted, but there was one problem.
Even if we went to the city, we had no money. How did she plan to buy a pot?
"To go shopping, you need money. For that, I have to work."
I wondered if a ten-year-old girl could really find work in a strange city. Being a former noble, I wasn't well-versed in the labor market for children.
"It's okay, I have a great idea."
Suddenly, the Little Witch thrust her finger into my mouth. W-What was she doing!? It happened so fast I couldn't even react.
"Alraune's Nectar is incredibly delicious. I honestly want to keep it all for myself, but sharing what's mine with others isn't a bad feeling either."
I was happy to be told I was delicious, but nothing good ever came from my nectar. It had already created several "nectar-crazed perorists."
"Alraune is mine. That means Alraune's Nectar is also mine, right?"
I did recall us making that deal at the very beginning. Which meant... surely she didn't mean...!
"I'm going to sell Alraune's Nectar."
I was so shocked by her words that I stood there in a daze, nectar dripping from my slack jaw.
Apparently, my nectar was going to be sold.