TL’s Note:

Dark magic -> Black magic

I’m changing the term for the magic the little witch uses back as there’s a more fitting contender for the name Dark magic. Prior chapters will be changed too.

***

I’m an Alraune, a plant monster girl.
And while the fairy Kiri and I were chatting together, a figure in a top hat suddenly appeared from the forest underbrush.


The moment I saw the unexpected visitor, my eyes widened in shock.
Because this guest was completely beyond anything I imagined.

What is that creature in the top hat?
H-He’s so cuteeee!


Out from the forest came a teddy bear wearing a monocle.
He was incredibly stylish, dressed in gentleman’s clothes and wearing a top hat.

No matter how you looked at him, he was a teddy bear.
A human-sized teddy bear was approaching us with a sharp, dignified expression.

Seeing him, Kiri immediately raised her voice in caution.


“What, it’s just a human. So there were still some left.”


──Eh, a human?

Kiri, what are you talking about?
That’s obviously a stuffed bear.


“Kiri, does he look human to you?”

“What are you talking about, Lady Alraune? He’s clearly a middle-aged man.”


To Kiri, the teddy bear looked human.
But since he doesn’t look that way at all to me, it means he has to be disguising his appearance somehow.

I see now.
This teddy bear must be using illusion magic.


Illusion magic, a type of dark magic, can distort one’s appearance and mislead the perceptions of others.

He’s probably disguising himself as a human.
Dark magic is weak against light magic, so high-level users of light magic can see through illusions. Which means what I’m seeing is his true form.


Only demons can use dark magic.
So this teddy bear must be a member of the Demon King’s army.


I’d been watched by a demon from the Demon King’s army.
Thinking about it that way, maybe it was actually fortunate that Nina lost consciousness earlier.

If Nina and I had continued chatting happily, she might’ve openly acknowledged that I was Saint Iris.
And if that happened, the Demon King’s army might have learned about it too.

Explosion, good work!


The top-hatted teddy bear glanced back and forth between me and Kiri before slowly opening his mouth.


“So there was a fairy accompanying the Alraune as well. A flower inhabited by a fairy is proof of a fine plant.”


W-Wait a second.

H-His voice is so deep and suave!


What is this!?
That adorable teddy bear has the voice of a sophisticated older gentleman!


The contrast is just too charming. My heart has been utterly pierced by those fluffy teddy bear arms.

How wonderful…!
From now on, I shall respectfully refer to him as Uncle Teddy.


“The fairy is in the way. Let her sleep for a while. Forced Sleep—Zwangschlafen.”


The moment Kiri heard Uncle Teddy’s deep, suave voice, she collapsed to the ground with a thud.
It wasn’t because she’d been captivated by his dashing voice. Instead, it seemed the dark magic had put her to sleep.


“As expected, sleep magic has no effect on plants. It would have made my work much easier if you had fallen asleep as well.”

“Who… are you?”

“I am merely a butler. I have come to escort you.”

“Me……?”

“Well, perhaps ‘harvest’ would be the more accurate term. You may think of me as a plant hunter.”


Plant hunter? That sounds awfully dangerous.
Since he said harvest, it seems this Uncle Teddy is after my body.


I don’t know what his goal is, but I’m not some delicate flower that can be plucked so easily.


“If you insist… on fighting… then I shall… oblige.”


Good day, Uncle Teddy.

Allow me to invite you, a most wonderful gentleman, to a tea party in the forest.

However, please do not mistake me, the guard of the Forest of Dryades and president of the Forest Club, for some ordinary plant.
For you see, I’ve even repelled a Heavenly Stalker before.

No matter how battle-hardened you may be, I am still a lady of the forest. I will not so easily expose my roots to a gentleman.
So do prepare yourself properly before attending this tea party.


“Judging from your earlier battle, confronting you head-on would be rather troublesome. Therefore, let’s use the usual method for harvesting violent plants.”

“I won’t… be defeated… so easily.”

“Will you now? I find it difficult to believe that a mere plant like yourself can endure this.”

“Then… try it… and see!”


A preemptive strike.
Let’s shake hands—with my thorn whip!

The instant I extended my thorn-covered invitation, Uncle Teddy began chanting dark magic.


“Curtains Fall for Night the Bell Tolls—Zeitglocke Nacht.”


A deep, heavy bell-like reverberation rang out from Uncle Teddy.

Then, centered around him, a sphere of pitch-black shadow appeared
In an instant, the entire surrounding area, including me, was swallowed by a darkness like the dead of night.
This is probably some kind of dark magic that transformed everything within a certain radius into darkness.


It really felt like nighttime.
But a little dimness isn’t enough to stop me.

After all, I already know where Uncle Teddy is through the vines spread across the ground.


“It would seem night has fallen.”


Dodging my thorns, Uncle Teddy spoke to me.
His voice echoed in my ears as though it carried a hypnotic enchantment.

But I won’t be fooled.
It only became night because he cast a spell that darkened the surroundings.

It’s still around noon, so nighttime shouldn’t be coming for a while now!


“…………Huh?”


It feels like my thorns are moving more sluggishly.
More importantly, my vision has been getting blurry for a while now.

And for some reason… I’m sleepy.

I mean, if it’s this dark, then maybe it really is nighttime already.


────Ah, I see.

So it is night now.

Even though my mind understood perfectly well that it couldn’t possibly be true, my body refused to obey me.


Just as flowers would instinctively close their petals at night, my crown slowly folded shut.

Come to think of it, I had recently eaten a morning glory and oxalis.
Both are plants that close their flowers into buds once night falls.

Maybe because I’d eaten those two flowers so recently, I still hadn’t fully brought their traits under control.

And now, because of that, my instincts as a flower were trying to close my petals.

Even though this is the worst possible time to fall asleep.

Come on, me, hang in there!
You can do it!


“Good… night…”


No good…
I’ve reached my limit.

Having been afflicted by sleep magic specialized against plants, my bud closed completely.



Zzz… zzz…

So sleepy………… huh!?


Where am I?


When I opened my eyes, I was flying through the sky.

W-Wait a second.
Why is the ground so far below me……!?


“So the Alraune has woken up. Please remain quiet, or I shall have to put you back to sleep.”


A deep, suave voice came from above me.
Turning my gaze upward, I saw a dragon.

Uncle Teddy was riding atop a flying dragon.

On the dragon’s stomach was an emblem resembling two black wings.
That emblem was proof of allegiance to the Demon King’s army.
Which means Uncle Teddy really was part of the Demon King’s army after all.


I took a moment to assess my situation.
From the looks of it, I had been replanted into a giant flowerpot.

And now the dragon was carrying the flowerpot I was planted in while flying through the sky.
It seemed I was being forcibly transported somewhere.



“What… are you… planning to do… with me?”

“Why, I shall naturally be taking you home with me. After all, I harvested you myself.”


Could he maybe not say “harvested” like I’m some kind of crop he collected from a farm?
Still, seeing myself replanted in a flowerpot like this is honestly a little embarrassing.

I’m a plant, so I guess I don’t really have human rights…


Which means…
Wait, could it be…?


I’ve been kidnapped!

***

Author’s Note:

Morning Glory: An annual plant belonging to the bindweed family (Convolvulaceae). Surprisingly enough, it belongs to the same genus as the sweet potato (Ipomoae).
Oxalis: A member of the wood sorrel family (Oxalidaceae). Since its leaves resemble clovers, many people have probably seen it before without realizing what it was.

Next Time: I’ve Been Kidnapped


TL’s Note:

An annual plant completes its life cycle in a year (one growing cycle), from sprouting to dying. In contrast, a biennial plant has a lifespan of two years (two growing cycles), while a perennial plant lives for more than two years across multiple growing cycles.


Also, to clarify, the magic used by witches (previously dark magic) will now be called black magic. The dark magic mentioned in this chapter is something else and will now be taking the name.