I am Alraune, a plant monster young girl.
It was decided that my owner, the Little Witch, would sell my nectar.
This was all so she could buy the tools we needed for our daily lives in the city. Since we were currently penniless, we were desperate for funds.
The Little Witch finished her preparations to depart for the city.
"I’ll make sure to sell your nectar, Alraune."
"Come... back... safely."
"I’ll be careful not to let anyone realize I’m a witch, so don’t worry. If anything goes wrong, I’ll use my bird transformation to fly away and escape."
The Little Witch held a bucket filled to the brim with my nectar.
It was no exaggeration to say that this flowerpot—my new home and a literal part of my body—had now been relegated to a mere nectar container. We didn't have any other vessels to use for the sale, so we had washed out my bucket to use as a jug.
That’s right!
Finally, my days of living in a bucket were at an end.
I have officially graduated from being a "Bucket Alraune." From this day forward, I have become a true Forest Alraune!
Now that I’ve taken root directly in the ground, my hydration levels are significantly better than they ever were in the pot. Moreover, without the bucket in my way, my roots can grow freely. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before I grow from a young girl into an adult Alraune.
"Can you look after the place while I'm gone?"
The Little Witch petted my head with a gentle "there, there."
Please, don't treat me like such a child. I may look like a little girl, but on the inside, I’m a mature older sister. You have absolutely no reason to worry about me!
If anything, I was the one worried about her. I just hoped the city folk wouldn't realize she was a witch. I didn't want to end up like a loyal dog, waiting forever for a master who would never return.
"Well then, I'm off."
"Please... be... careful."
I watched the Little Witch’s small figure recede into the distance.
I was anxious about her going to the city alone, but that wasn't the only thing on my mind. My heart was in turmoil over the fact that my nectar was being turned into a commodity.
I had worked myself until my throat was parched to squeeze out enough nectar to fill that bucket. I was exhausted, but more than that, the reality of my own secretions being sold hadn't quite sunk in yet.
There aren't many people who would be happy about their own saliva being sold as a product to total strangers. At the very least, I was deeply bewildered.
However, this was all for the sake of the Little Witch’s life. For my precious owner, I was prepared to "sell myself" as a responsible older sister. Still, I never imagined it would come to this.
As a former Saint, my heart was restless. Even though I wasn't doing anything shameful, I felt like I was committing some sort of transgression. I couldn't help but imagine it—my bodily fluids being purchased by some random person in a city I’d never seen.
Thinking back, so much has happened. I’ve overcome trials that an ordinary Saint would never experience in a lifetime. I was almost pollinated by Hachi-san, and I had my face licked clean by Bear-papa. I was nearly burned to a crisp on multiple occasions, and I even had to beg for my life to the Flame Dragon Lord, asking him to keep me as a decorative houseplant that doubled as a breakfast dessert.
I’d even gone through the ordeal of self-pollination and making my belly swell. Then I had to live in a bucket as a young girl. And now, a bucketful of my nectar was being hauled off to market.
If I were still a human Saint, I wouldn't have been able to endure a single one of these things. Surely, there can't be any experiences stranger than this left for me... right?
Tears of nectar welled in my eyes as I watched my cargo depart. The moment a drop fell, Fairy-san caught it mid-air, shouting "Yay!" in triumph.
Even a single tear was targeted by a Perorist. I wondered if I would ever truly know a moment of peace.
My anxiety only grew. It wasn't just Fairy-san who wanted a taste; attracted by the scent, a swarm of forest insect monsters soon appeared. They were only small fry, though. I caught them with my poison briars and polished them off with a quick munch.
But my hunger remained. Since I had poured so much of myself into that bucket, I was severely lacking in nutrition and fluids. I looked around the area while having seconds of my stockpiled lizards.
I was alone again. Fairy-san had already flown off somewhere, likely to resume her patrols. Even though she had switched her allegiance from Lady Dryades to me, she seemed to be keeping up with her minimum duties as a fairy. My "younger sister," the Treant, hadn't returned from her exploration yet either.
Sigh. I wondered when the Little Witch would be back. Being alone was lonely, after all.
When she finally returned, I decided I would praise her extensively. Even if the nectar didn't sell, it wouldn't change the fact that she had worked hard. I would welcome her home with the grace of a newlywed. Maybe I should even prepare some fresh nectar for her dinner. I'm sure she'd be happy.
As evening fell, the Little Witch finally returned.
"Welcome... back."
"I'm home, Alraune. Were you lonely here by yourself?"
"I was fine."
After all, I am an older sister. I don't get lonely.
More importantly, I was worried about her results. I assumed the nectar hadn't sold. After all, who would buy a bucket of mysterious liquid from a random child?
"How... did it go...?" I asked tentatively.
"The nectar sold!"
The Little Witch showed me the empty bucket.
You're kidding, right?! My nectar was actually bought? Every last drop of that huge quantity was gone. Just what had happened?
"At first, nobody paid me any mind, but as I was about to give up and head back, a woman called out to me. She bought the whole lot, so it's a complete sell-out!"
To think such a thing was possible. I was stunned.
"Her eyes totally changed the moment she saw the nectar. She even gave me a lot of extra money."
The thought of my nectar in the hands of a stranger was terrifying, but as long as the Little Witch was happy, I suppose it was fine. Still, for someone to buy suspicious nectar from a child they didn't know... that person must be incredibly kind. They must be as compassionate as a Saint.
Apparently, the customer had provided her own containers, and the Little Witch had transferred the nectar into them. In return, she had received a proper payment. It wasn't a fortune, but for us who had been penniless, it was a significant sum. We were still far from being able to afford a cooking pot, but at this rate, the day we could afford basic necessities wasn't far off.
"And look, Alraune, I have a present for you."
"A... present?!"
"I bought something I thought you'd like."
I wondered what it could be. She had gone out of her way to buy something for me with our very first earnings. That alone made me incredibly happy!
"Here, it's fertilizer for you. You're happy, right?"
"Thank... you..."
The gift she bought with her first hard-earned money... was plant fertilizer.
I stood there, speechless, barely able to squeeze out a thank you. Yes, I am a plant. I grow with fertilizer. While I was happy in a sense, I felt a strange hollow sensation in my chest. Even though it was a precious gift, I couldn't help but feel a bit empty.
The Little Witch sprinkled the fertilizer around my base with a rhythmic rustle.
"Grow big and strong, okay?"
"Yeah..."
That day, I learned exactly how a plant feels when it's being fertilized.
Actually... fertilizer might be pretty good!