I’m an Alraune, a plant monster girl.
And after being kidnapped, I somehow ended up transplanted into a botanical garden under the Demon King’s castle.


As I stood there in shock, Barometz spoke to me with a worried look on her face.


“You may be startled after being brought somewhere like this so suddenly, but please don’t worry. You’ll get used to it soon enough.”


This girl with sheep horns, Barometz, was another plant monster just like me.
She looked as though she were wearing a coat of golden fluff, and her lower body was formed from golden cotton bolls.


When it comes to plant monsters, my first thought would be those social circle-crashing man-eaters.
Compared to them, this Barometz seems like quite the nice plant.


But no matter how nice a plant monster Barometz is, I still want to go back to the Forest of Dryades.

I want to see the little witch’s face again soon.
She’s probably worried sick by now, wondering where I disappeared to.
If the fairy Kiri was left behind at the scene, then they’ve probably realized I was abducted. But still, there’s no way they could learn where I was taken.

Which means I’ll have to escape from here on my own.
But since I can’t walk, escaping is basically impossible.
What am I supposed to do?


That’s right—this is the Demon King’s army’s botanical garden.
If that’s the case, then demons should come here too.

If I take one of those demons hostage, maybe I can negotiate my way back to the Forest of Dryades somehow.
Yes, that’s the only plan I can think of.
Alright, I’ll do my best!


—BANG!

Suddenly, the doors of the botanical garden swung open.
And from beyond those doors, a terrifying creature appeared.


A gigantic nine-headed serpent slithered into the botanical garden.


Hold on.
That serpent is a hydra, isn’t it!?


In some ways, hydras are more troublesome demons than dragons.

They possess terrifying regenerative abilities. Even if one of their heads is cut off, they instantly regrow from the wound. Not only that, rumors say that one of their nine heads is completely immortal.


It wouldn’t be strange at all if such a powerhouse were one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King’s army.
Actually, I get the feeling it might even be stronger than the golden birdman, the Heavenly Stalker.


So why would such a terrifyingly powerful hydra come to the botanical garden?
Don’t tell me it came to defeat me after I defeated one of the Four Heavenly Kings……?


As if blowing away all my worries, Barometz casually greeted the hydra.


“Oh, hello Mr. Caretaker.”


—Eh?

Mr. Caretaker?


“Allow me to introduce him. This is the caretaker of the botanical garden.”


Barometz beckoned the hydra closer.


“So you’re the new Alraune. To think such a beautiful flower would come here… this’ll make watering the garden worthwhile.”

“N-Nice… to meet… you……”

“The only plant here that can talk is that Barometz over there. Make sure you get along with her.”

“……Um… what about the… gentleman in the top hat who… brought me here?”

“Looks like he’s gone off to gather more plants again. He probably won’t be back until around the end of summer. Forget about him. I’ve got work to do.”


The caretaker hydra sprayed water from all nine of his mouths at once.
A shower of water rained down over the plants throughout the garden.
Looks like he was watering them.


I never would’ve imagined that a hydra would be the caretaker of a botanical garden, let alone be the one watering the plants.

What’s going on with this place!?

Even if this is the botanical garden of the Demon King’s castle, I never would’ve expected someone this powerful to show up just to water the plants!


Against a hydra, any battle would definitely be a fight for my life.
After all, it’s not an opponent I could easily defeat.


──Yep. Let’s put the hostage plan on hold for now.


Completely unaware of my dejection, Barometz cheerfully spoke to me.


“Plant monsters that can speak are rare. Just as Mr. Caretaker said, only you and I can talk here. So I am really happy you came here, Alraune.”


Barometz bounced her stem up and down, expressing her excitement with her whole body.
Seeing her react so openly, a smile formed on my face.


“Oh my, swaying my stem around has made me hungry.”


As she said that, Barometz molded hands out of her cotton fluff.
Using those cotton hands, she tore out a large patch of grass growing to her right.

Lifting it right in front of her face, she took a huge bite.
Barometz munched away happily on the grass.
Come to think of it, she does have sheep horns, so maybe she’s herbivorous just like a sheep.


However, it seemed Barometz wasn’t satisfied with that one patch of grass as she started uprooting all the surrounding plants one after another.
She then proceeded to devour every last one of them, munching away like a competitive eater.


U-Um, Barometz?
Is it really okay to eat so many of the plants in the botanical garden like that!?

All the surrounding plants are gone now, you know!?


“I am terribly sorry. I may be herbivorous, but I have a huge appetite…… Before I realize it, all the grass around me always ends up disappearing.”

“I-I see…”


After a while, the caretaker hydra returned from watering the plants.
Letting out a large sigh, he scolded Barometz.


“I understand eating grass is unavoidable, Barometz, but no matter how hungry you get, don’t eat that Alraune. She’s an extremely rare and unique monster.”

“I understand. Personally, I can’t see Alraune as something to be eaten either.”

“And I’ve also been ordered to make sure you don’t eat the other flowers in the garden. Honestly, if you’re going to eat anything, I’d prefer it if you stuck to the edible grass planted around your area.”

“I shall do my best.”


Stealing a glance at Barometz, who was laughing with an elegant “Ohohoho,” I turned to the caretaker with a question that had been bothering me.


“You’re… allowed… to eat plants?”

“Ahh. That’s only tolerated because she’s a Barometz. A Barometz capable of producing golden wool exists nowhere else on the continent. Which means there’s nothing in this botanical garden more valuable than the Golden Fleece Barometz.”


Produces golden wool…
I see now. Barometz wasn’t brought here as a decorative plant. She was brought here so they could harvest her golden wool.


“Barometzes are a voracious species, so I’ve already given up trying to stop her. But Alraune, if you start eating the plants here too, you’ll immediately be punished.”

“…Specifically?”

“You’ll be fed to the Barometz.”


No wayyyyyyyyyyyy!!


Ugh, there are so many rare plants here too. I really wanted to try eating all kinds of them.
But I definitely don’t want to get eaten myself, so I guess I’ll have to resist.

──Though, if I secretly eat them when the caretaker isn’t looking, surely he wouldn’t notice, right?

As I quietly nurtured the flames of my secret ambition in my heart, the caretaker left the botanical garden.
After confirming he was gone, Barometz cleared her throat politely.


“I deeply apologize for startling you earlier. I simply adore food, and once I begin eating, I tend to lose all restraint.”

“I don’t… mind.”


If anything, I’m a pretty big eater myself.
I totally understand what it feels like to give in to your appetite and eat too much.
And besides, vines grow back easily, so losing one or two isn’t really a problem.


“But please… don’t eat me.”

“Of course I won’t. I promise.”


……Can I trust that?

I’m still a little worried.


“So then, Alraune. There’s one favor I would like to ask of you.”


She’s not about to say “I want to eat you,” right?
As long as it’s anything other than a request to eat me, I might be willing to hear her out.


This is the first time I’ve ever spoken so much with another plant monster.
If possible, I’d really like for us to become friends.


“What… is your… request?”

“Well, you see…”


Barometz fidgeted shyly, rubbing her fluffy cotton together.

After taking a deep breath, she raised her voice with the earnest expression of someone trying to gather their courage.


“Would you… please be my friend?”

***

Author’s Note:

Thank you for reading.

Next Time: The Golden Fleece Barometz