I’m an Alraune, a plant monster girl.
And I’ve finally brought peace back to the forest after driving off that Heavenly Stalker.


A lot happened, but the most important thing is that everyone made it out safe.
And just like that, my quiet life with the little witch has returned.


That little witch, though, seemed to still be thinking about what Lady Dryad had said, even the next day.


“Why did the Hero give a flower to his lover?”


She was talking about the story we heard from Lady Dryad, about the Hero and the fallen Dryad from fifty years ago.
I can explain it to her, but I’ll have to be careful not to reveal I used to be human.


“Maybe… it’s a custom… to give flowers… to someone you like?”

“I see…”


Come to think of it, I once received a bouquet from my fiancé, who was the Hero.

I was so happy back then.
He gave me yellow roses, saying they suited my golden hair.


From what I remember as a high school girl, yellow roses symbolize things like “jealousy,” “fading love,” and “separation.”
Not exactly something you’d give to your lover, but there’s no way the Hero knew that.

Even so, back then, I was just happy to have received flowers from someone I liked.
How nostalgic…


──Huh?

Hold on a second.


Back then, things between me and the Hero weren’t bad at all.
And yet afterward… everything turned out exactly like the meaning of those yellow roses.


No way.
Seriously…?


I don’t think he knew the meaning behind them, but in the end, I really was abandoned by him.
Just like what yellow roses are supposed to signify, it all came true.


Jealousy.
Fading love.
Separation.


All of it came crashing down on me, along with the betrayal called death.

How awful…………
What if… everything went wrong because I accepted those yellow roses that day?


Ugh.
If I could go back, I’d return to that day and whisper in the Hero’s ear to give me any flower except yellow roses.


Just as I was sinking into sorrow, it was the little witch’s innocent voice that pulled me back out.


“If I gave you a flower… how would you feel, Alraune?”


W-Wait… does that mean the little witch wants to give me a flower?
Then there’s only one possible answer!


“I’d be… really happy.”

“I see…”


She answered curtly, but her expression looked excited.

As her older sister, I’ll pretend I didn’t notice anything.


But still… no yellow roses, okay?
Those things are cursed.

Something bad might happen again.


Last time I died, so maybe I’ll die again this time…


“Well then, Alraune, I’m off.”

“Be… careful.”



As I watched the little witch, the nectar-selling girl, leave, my gaze drifted to the golden birdman I left nearby.


That’s right, Garuda Hræsvelgr of the Radiant Crown, one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

His feathers had all been plucked out by the fairy Kiri, leaving him in a rather pitiful state.
It feels a bit cruel to just leave him like this.
I’ll hide him away now.


Chomp.

Munch munch.

Thanks for the meal.


Now then, what should I do with the golden feathers we collected?
They’d probably sell for a good amount of money, but if we put them on the market now, there’s a chance the Demon King’s army would realize it was us who defeated one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
So let’s wait a bit before selling it.

Besides, they’re infused with light magic, so there might be other uses for them too.
Maybe I could even use them as a substitute for photosynthesis to nourish myself.


“Store it all… somewhere safe.”

“Understood, Lady Alraune!”


After I gave the order, Fairy Kiri flew off somewhere.


That leaves just me here.
My little junior, the Treant, is running around the forest as usual.


Since I’ve got nothing to do on my own, I decided to scatter some seeds nearby.

Because of Garuda Hræsvelgr’s large-scale light magic, the area around me has become barren, with no grass, no trees, just desolation.
So I figured I’d replant some and bring the greenery back.


I generated various flowers along my vines and pollinated them one by one.
Then I scattered the seeds using my squirting cucumber machine gun.

Phew…
That should do it for now.

I hope they sprout soon.

It’s lonely being the only plant around here.
I want to make it lively again and fill this place with beautiful flowers.



When evening came, the little witch returned.


Today’s honey sales were pretty decent.

Apparently, she sold to the usual regular woman, three of that woman’s friends, and one other man.

That’s four times the sales compared to last time.

As expected of my little sister.
She really can do it when she tries!


“And, um… I have a present for you, Alraune…”


The little witch fidgeted, twisting her body shyly.
It was obvious from a glance that she was hiding something behind her back.


“Here… this is for you.”


Blushing, she handed me a single white flower.
I already knew what it meant, but feeling a bit mischievous, I asked anyway.


“Why?”

“You defeated one of the Demon King’s Four Heavenly Kings, right? They’re really tough enemies. So… it’s your reward.”


So this is my reward from her.
All that effort defeating a Heavenly King really paid off.


“And also… it’s a custom to give flowers to someone you like, right?”

“Someone you… like…”


The little witch must have gone into the forest and searched for this flower herself.
That’s why she came back so late today.

She went out of her way to search the forest until it got dark, just for me.
I’m so happy…


“Why… a white flower?”

“I couldn’t decide whether to pick a red flower to match your red petals, or a green one to match your green hair…”


According to Lady Dryad’s story, fifty years ago, the Hero gave a blue flower based on his partner’s hair color.

My hair is green.
And yet, instead of green like my hair, red like my petals, or even gold like my eyes, the little witch chose a white flower.

I wonder why?


“Because you’re already a flower, Alraune. I realized it’d be kind of strange to give you a flower that matches you.”


That’s true…
Even though the idea is to give a flower that suits the other person’s hair, it’s kind of funny when that person is a flower to begin with.


“Here’s a beautiful flower that suits you!”

“I’m an Alraune… so I am a… flower. Are you saying this… flower is prettier… than me?”


Yeah… I can totally imagine a couple breaking up over that misunderstanding.
Though it’s probably not a situation that would ever come up between normal humans.



“I thought no flower could suit you more than you already do. So instead… I picked one to take my place, hoping you would treasure it as if it were me…”


Little witch…

That’s… incredibly sweet.
So this white flower is her.
She’s giving herself to me, in a way.
When I think about it like that, it’s a little embarrassing.


Well then, I’ll gratefully accept it.
No older sister would fail to cherish a flower given by her little sister.


“I’ll… treasure it.”

“Yeah!”


Chomp.

Munch munch.

Thanks for the meal.


“…No way.”


The little witch’s voice trembled.


“You… ate it…”


The little witch stared at me like she’d just witnessed something unbelievable.
Muttering to herself, she even said that since Alraunes are plants after all, they can’t understand human feelings.


That’s not it, little witch.

Look!


I made a single white flower bloom from my vine.


“If I do this… I can make it bloom… forever.”

“…And you’re okay with that, Alraune?”

“I’m… really… really happy.”


Because now, I can make the flower you gave me bloom anytime.
The truth is, I can’t absorb a withered flower and add it to my abilities.
So I wanted to take it into my body while it was still beautiful.


And this white flower, the first gift the little witch ever gave me.
Do you know what kind of flower it is?


It’s called a lily.

A white lily.


The meanings of white lilies are “dignity,” “sweetness,” and “purity.”

A perfect flower for both me, a former saint, and the innocent, pure little witch.


Though, I’ve technically already pollinated once as an Alraune through my own pistil, but that doesn’t count.
That was a different body.
So right now, I’m completely pure and spotless.

And just to be clear, pollinating flowers I grow on my vines doesn’t count either.


There’s no way the little witch, who doesn’t even know what photosynthesis is, would know the meanings of flowers or what lilies symbolize.

Even so, this white lily looks just like her white hair, and just looking at it makes me think of her.


From this day on, this white flower will symbolize the little witch to me.


One after another, lilies bloomed along my vines.

Soon, my entire body had turned into a field of lilies.


“It’s like you’re wearing a dress made of white flowers. It matches your red petals perfectly. It’s so beautiful.”


Blushing slightly, the little witch gently plucked one of the lilies blooming on me.
With a vine covered in lilies, I softly clasped her hand in return.


“Thank you… for… the flower.”

“…You’re welcome.”


The little witch’s cheeks flushed red.
And so, I gently wrapped her in the pure white blossoms.

Her white hair and my lily-covered vines blended together, becoming one.
The two shades of white, now intertwined, stood as if about to bloom into a single, large white flower.


The lilies have bloomed.

***

Author’s Note:

Thank you for reading.

Next Time: Travelogue; The Lone Wolf Magic Swordsman Sets Out on a Second Journey