I was Alraune, a plant monster in the form of a young girl.
Big Sister Dryades, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, had just invited me to join her. I decided to ask her about the one thing that was weighing on my mind.
"What... will you... do with... the humans?"
"You are a princess of the plants," she replied. "What is the use in worrying about humans?"
"That is..."
"A newborn princess like you probably wouldn't know, but I heard your mother was hunted relentlessly by humans who branded her a monster. Humans are savage creatures who try to kill us without question simply because we are plant monsters. Why on earth are you trying to protect them?"
When she put it that way, I was left speechless.
I had been nearly killed by humans countless times—so many times I could no longer keep track. They never listened to a word I said. It was only recently that a subjugation squad had been formed to hunt me, screaming that I was a "man-eater Alraune" while they tried to burn me alive. They shouted for the death of all monsters.
"Don't you feel any hatred toward the humans who do such things?"
I certainly hated the people who had tried to kill me back in Tower City. But there were others I hated even more.
There was Hero-sama, my former fiancé who had abandoned me and sought my death. And then there was that Shitty Junior apprentice saint who had not only stolen him away but had personally tried to finish me off. The only reason I, once a Saint, had been turned into a plant monster was because of those two.
During my survival life in the forest and my communal life with the little witches, there wasn't a single day I forgot what they did. I hadn't been able to launch an attack of my own because I couldn't risk involving the little witches, but if I teamed up with this Dryades of the Four Heavenly Kings, my dream of getting revenge might actually become a reality.
When I looked at it from that perspective, it wasn't a bad offer.
"I hate humans too," she continued. "In particular, I want to kill anyone who carries the title of 'Hero,' no matter what."
According to Lady Dryades—the younger sister—this Big Sister Dryades had supposedly killed the Hero who was her lover fifty years ago. This seemed like a perfect opportunity to learn the details of that incident.
"Did... something... happen?" I asked.
"There was a time when I believed in humans, too. But I was betrayed by the Hero, and then I was even betrayed by my own sister. That is why I joined the Demon King's Army—to take revenge on humanity and my sister alike."
The Hero and her sister had betrayed her? Lady Dryades had claimed she didn't know the specifics of what happened fifty years ago, so to hear this was a shock. For some reason, I couldn't view her situation as someone else's problem. I felt a strange sense of kinship with her.
Still, I wondered what she meant by her sister's betrayal. Their testimonies didn't match at all. Was one of them lying, or was there some massive misunderstanding between them?
"I wonder what those humans will think when they are slaughtered by the very plants they used to trample underfoot like weeds," she mused.
"Will you... kill... every... human?"
"Well, I suppose I could keep a few of them alive to serve as plant seedbeds."
I took a moment to imagine Hero-sama and the Shitty Junior as plant seedbeds. It was actually a rather pleasant thought. They would become part of the plants, just like me.
But then, I imagined the little witches or Nina, the apprentice saint, being encroached upon by vines and turned into seedbeds. I saw them in my mind's eye, their skin turning sallow and their eyes rolling back as their nutrients were siphoned away through their roots.
That was a horrific thought.
Even if they belonged to the same species, not every human deserved to be hated. There were humans I could walk beside, however few they might be. The little witches, of course, and I felt like I could truly get along with Nina the next time we met. I had even been on the verge of building a good relationship with Corporal-san.
"I feel like... living... with... humans... isn't... so bad."
"Let me offer a warning to a princess who doesn't know the ways of the world," she said coldly. "Creatures called humans will always betray us. In the end, the only thing that matters to a human is another human."
The little witches, betraying me? No, that was impossible. They were the little witches! They hated other humans and had told me they only opened their hearts to me because I was a plant monster. They would never betray me.
"Humans cannot be trusted. That is why it is better to turn them all into seedbeds. They can serve as fertilizer for our plant paradise, working for us even as their lives are drained away."
I finally understood. This Big Sister Dryades had no intention of sparing a single soul. She might create an ideal world for plants, but there would be no place for the little witches in it.
I didn't care what happened to the humans I hated, but I couldn't accept the slaughter of humans who were friendly toward me. I certainly wanted to spend my plant life in peace, performing photosynthesis, but I wanted my family and my human companions to be there with me.
The Big Sister Dryades' ideal plant paradise and my ideal plant life were fundamentally incompatible.
"Now, this is the last time I will ask. Will you become my ally?"
If I took her hand, I would be making all of humanity my enemy. As a former Saint, I would be turning my back on them completely. Since becoming an Alraune, I had encountered plenty of reasons to dislike humans, but I couldn't bring myself to hate all of them. I wanted to remain friends with the ones who were kind.
The fact that I still felt this way was likely because a faint ego as a human still remained within me. And that spark only remained because of the little witches. If they hadn't been there for me, I might have truly broken away from humanity and bared my fangs as a monster.
"I... cannot... join... you."
"............Are you serious?"
"Yes... besides... I am... the maid... of Glühschwanz-sama. It would be... unwise... to interfere... with his... property."
"..................I see. If that is your choice, Princess, I won't ask again."
Dryades withdrew her hand. She turned her land tortoise away from me, her back to me now.
"I shall simply carry out my revenge on the humans alone. As a prelude, I will destroy the forest and the city along with the sister who murdered Oin."
When she mentioned Oin, she was referring to the poison fairy who had tried to wither me. The last time I had met Big Sister Dryades, she had claimed Oin was merely "missing," but it seemed she had finally realized the fairy was dead.
If that was the case, the Dryades' Forest was in immediate danger. The little witches were there, and their lives were now in greater peril than ever.
"Our guest is leaving," the Fallen Spirit Princess announced, clapping her hands.
The doors opened, and a maid arrived to retrieve me.
"Alraune princess, do take care of your health," Vergissmeinnicht said.
"I... thank you."
"Farewell."
Her final words felt loaded with a hidden meaning. As she looked back at me, her gaze felt like that of a predator watching its prey. It left a chilling impression.
As the maid carried me away, I reflected on what Big Sister Dryades—Vergissmeinnicht—had said. She intended to slaughter everyone to create her plant paradise. That included the people of Tower City. Now that she knew the truth about the poison fairy Oin, she would head straight for the Dryades' Forest and the city.
The Kingdom of Gardenia was her assigned conquest zone, and it was also where her hated sister resided. I couldn't afford to waste any time. Between the Witch's Village trying to kidnap the little witches and this new threat to the forest, I had to return to everyone as soon as possible. After all, I was the forest bodyguard.
Since I couldn't use Vergissmeinnicht's help, there was only one way left to get back to the forest. I had to escape this Demon King's Castle through plant predation. To do that, I had to reach the botanical garden and find the specific plant I was looking for.
However, I faced one major hurdle: I couldn't move on my own. I had to convince someone to carry me there. Since I was currently the Flame Dragon Lord's maid, I wouldn't even be allowed to leave the room without his permission.
That meant I had to plead with the Flame Dragon Lord. I thought about using my nectar as a bargaining chip, but he would likely dismiss it as part of my regular duties.
If that was the case, I would have to use the standard tactics for an Alraune. I hadn't had an opportunity to use them yet and hadn't really wanted to, but with time running out, I couldn't afford to be picky.
I steeled my resolve. I would use my Alraune's allure to beguile the Flame Dragon Lord.
I was going to make him fall for me!
Whether I could actually win the Flame Dragon Lord's approval remained to be seen.
Next time: Young Girl Alraune's Seduction Strategy.