“Good morning, Alraune.”

When my bud opened, I saw the little witch’s face right in front of me.

Looks like morning had come.


I found myself wondering how long it’s been since I last woke up to the sound of someone else’s voice. Until now, every morning I woke up alone. Spending an early morning together with someone like this made me realize again how nice it was.


The fact that the little witch was right in front of me meant that I was still alive.

Thank goodness! I hadn’t withered up yet!

“Good morning,” I replied.

Then, the little witch looked down at me with a puzzled expression.

“I’m just wondering… were Alraune’s leaves always this pale?”


Huh? My leaves?

I looked down.
Beneath my red flower crown were my green leaves.
And those leaves seemed a little droopy… shriveled, even.

It was like the color had faded just a little…………


Wh-wh-wh-what should I do?
I’m wilting!!

I thought I’d been watered in my dream, but it was just that—a dream.
In reality, I’m still suffering from a lack of water.

My desperate wish for water, even if only in a dream, must have made it come to me.


This is an emergency.
I need water immediately!!


“I want water.”

I desperately begged the little witch to water me before I withered away.

“Got it. I’m hungry too, so let’s look for a river.”

The little witch transformed into White Bird-san and flew, carrying me with her feet.

Thank goodness she didn’t ask for nectar for breakfast.
I had absolutely no energy. There was no way I could spare any nectar.

Maybe she was being considerate.

Little witch.
Please look after the potted Alraune sprout. I’m barely hanging in there.


Gliding between the trees, White Bird-san gradually ascended.
Voices of various creatures echoed throughout the forest. Birdsong, animal cries, all blending together as she continued to rise.


We’ve reached the sky.
Let’s take a look around.

The Tower City we saw before entering the forest now looked tiny, like a model.
Since we landed far from the city, the distance between the forest and the tower was quite large.

Somehow, the forest near the city looked brighter than the trees around here.
Maybe it was just my imagination.

“Alraune, look over there.”

The little witch calls out.

In the forest opposite the tower city, I saw something that looked like a large pond.

Yes! Water!

“Water. Quick.”

“I’m heading there, so don’t panic.”

Little witch.
There’s no way I could stay calm!

I mean, it’s a pond!
You can drink as much water as you want!

I had been an Alraune for over a year, but I had never seen a large body of water. Aside from the water from the bucket the little witch had given me, the largest mass of water I had seen was the rainwater pooled on my petals.

So, a pond? Of course I’m excited!


Before long, we landed at the edge of the pond.

It was quite large.
It looks like it was connected to a river nearby.
I could see water flowing downstream.

The little witch shifted back into human form.

“I’m thirsty too.”

Saying that, she tried to scoop water with her hands.
But as her hands neared the surface, she suddenly stopped.

“This water doesn’t look very clean.”

Just like the little witch said, the pond water seemed murky.
I couldn’t see the bottom at all… maybe it was dirty.

“I don’t think I can drink this……”

She seemed to have given up.
For humans, this water might not be suitable

But me, as a plant? This kind of water didn’t bother me at all..
From a plant’s perspective, it wasn’t that dirty. After all, we didn’t drink with our mouths—we absorbed water through our roots.

So please hurry and water me.

“I want water.”

At my urging, the little witch reluctantly dipped both hands into the pond.


Still, why was it so murky when there’s a river nearby
Even though we’re surrounded by a lush forest…

As I scanned around, something strange caught my eyes.

Large animal bones were embedded along the shore.

Not just one.
There were many bones from animals and monsters scattered everywhere.


Why were there so many bones?

When I turned my gaze back toward the little witch, ripples were spreading out from near the water’s edge.

Squinting to get a better look, I saw something large moving underwater.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something like a tail sticking out of the pond.
A massive creature in the water was slowly making its way toward the little witch.


Hard scales, and two ferocious looking eyes rose up from the pond.
Could that really be… a crocodile!?

What should I do?
A crocodile was targeting the little witch!


“Run!”

At the same moment I shouted, the crocodile lunged toward her with its jaws wide open.

The crocodile burst from the muddy water with a huge splash.

Thanks to my warning, the little witch managed to rise into the air just a fraction faster. She must have instinctively used dark magic to levitate.


By a hair’s breadth, she managed to escape the crocodile’s jaws.

As expected of the little witch.
No wonder she kept getting away from my vine traps time and time again!

But on the other hand, it looks like she got splashed with muddy water.

Her face was covered in mud.
It must’ve even gotten in her eyes, because she was flailing around in midair.

I turned my attention to the crocodile.
It was a crocodile-type monster, a Guru Krokodile.

It was a massive crocodile, about the size of a large truck.

I’m sure the animal bones scattered along the shore were its victims.
If a crocodile this big attacked, most creatures—not just the little witch—would be sent straight to the afterlife in one bite.


I was muttering to myself, “That crocodile is scary…” when, for some reason, my body started to tilt.

Why?
Before I could process it, my body was dragged into the pond.


When the giant crocodile burst out of the water, it created a massive wave.
That wave must’ve reached me, and the receding current carried my bucket away.

Whaaaaaat!?
H-hold on a second!


As I screamed internally, I was swept further and further toward the center of the pond.
Before I realized it, I was floating on the water.
And somehow, a huge gathering of crocodiles had formed around me.
They must have come from all over the pond, drawn here by the little witch as their prey.


What should I do?
Being surrounded by crocodiles is terrifying.

What’s more, this bucket feels like it’s starting to sink.
It’s a wooden bucket, so it’s floating a little, but at this rate, it might end up submerged.


Though, I’ll probably be eaten before that happens……

Little wiiiiiiiitch!!
Help meeeeeeee!!


Meanwhile, the little witch was crying out, “My eyes hurt… Alraune, where are you?” while rubbing her eyes.
It seems her vision hasn’t recovered yet.


And right in front of me, a large crocodile swimmed closer, as if to greet me.

Good day, Mr. Crocodile.
Lovely weather we are having.

This might be sudden, but I have something important to tell you, Mr. Crocodile.

I’m not an animal.
I’m a plant.

I’ve heard that crocodiles are fond of meat.
So even if you were to eat me, Mr. Crocodile, I’m sure I wouldn’t taste very good.
So please, close that big mouth of yours and wait for the other animals to come drink instead.


H-hold on, Mr. Crocodile. Wait.
Why are you charging straight at me?
Actually… It looks like the other crocodiles over there might be about to lunge at me, too.


Could it be… you guys are vegetarians…?
I’ve never heard of vegetarian crocodiles!
I have no meat at all!
This must be a misunderstanding!


My desperate pleas fell on deaf ears as two crocodiles leaped toward me.
Another huge wave crashed over me.

D-don’t eat me!

Summoning the last of my strength, I scattered toxic pollen.
Thanks to that, the crocodiles abruptly turned away, and for now I avoided being swallowed whole.

But instead, I started drowning.


────Glub glub glub.

The currents stirred by the crocodiles pull me underwater.


Huh? What’s happening!?

Isn’t the water full of crocodiles?
Seriously, I’m totally separated from the witch now.

Even in the middle of such a desperate situation, there was one thing that made me happy though.

I was inside the pond.
At last, I’d been freed from my water shortage.

Ah, I felt like I was about to die, but I managed to come back to life just a little.

Water is so good…!!

As I sank toward the edge of death, I was reminded all over again just how great water was
At the same time, my will to live reignited.

There’s no way I’m drowning to death in a place like this.
I didn’t survive that massive fire just to end up getting eaten by a crocodile!

I’m getting out of here. No matter what.


With that vow, I sank—gurgling—down toward the bottom of the pond, burning the sight of the massive crocodiles circling above into my memory.

***

Author’s Note:

Thank you very much for reading.

Next Time: Alraune Adrift