Everyone present turned their eyes towards the sanctuary door.
The one who came out from the sanctuary was the older Dryad sister.

With one hand resting on her hip, she slowly swept her gaze across each of our faces.


“My, my… you all look like you’ve seen a ghost. Whatever’s the matter?”

“Why… are you… here?”

“Asking me ‘why?’ Don’t you think that’s a little cold? I’m just so happy to see you again, Princess Alraune.”


Her sticky, lingering gaze settled on me.
It made my skin crawl.


“You defeated one of my subordinates in the Demon King’s castle, and now you’ve even brought down the dragon, the strongest of my Three Spirit Beasts. I knew my faith in you wasn’t misplaced, princess.”

“You seem… awfully calm… for someone… whose subordinate… was just defeated.”

“I can always make another Spirit Beast. So long as I’m alive, I can culture them again and create more artificial spirits.”


The older Dryad sister held no affection for her own clones
Even though my baby Alraunes are all so adorable. Does she just not understand that feeling?


“More importantly, I want you, princess. I’ve never seen a plant monster quite like you. If it’s you, joining my side is possible.”

“I’m… honored by… your praise.”

“That aside, how exactly did you get all the way here? Surely Lord Grüschwanz didn’t personally escort you?”

“I flew… here… myself.”

“There are plants that can fly, but I never imagined you had such a trick up your sleeve, princess. And you’ve grown so much. You look exactly like your late mother. Or perhaps it’s only natural, since you’re both Alraunes.”

“…What do you… mean… by that?”

“Did you really think I hadn’t noticed? A plant monster that can turn into a seed and transfer itself into a new body—I’ve never seen anything like it before. Even spirits can’t do something like that.”


I was stunned.
The older Dryad sister had known all along that the little Alraune who sprouted from the seed was me.


“Since… when?”

“From the moment I invited you into my room at the castle. You might’ve fooled those other dimwits, princess, but tricks like that don’t work on a plant spirit.”


She had even gone so far as to deliberately pretend to not know the truth, all to recruit me to her side.


“I had a feeling you’d chase me all the way back to the forest. But to think you really came for me… I’m such a lucky woman.”


The bewitching smile on the older Dryad sister’s face sent my body shivering.
Her gaze was that of a predator staring down its prey. It was frankly a little scary.

At that moment, Kiri interrupted our conversation.


“How did you get inside the sanctuary in the first place?”

“It’s been a while, Kiri. Have you been doing well?”

“But Lady Esche Frau shouldn’t have been able to enter the sanctuary…”

“I abandoned that name long ago… Now I am Feagismeinnicht. Though… since it’s thanks to you, Kiri, that I got inside so easily, perhaps I’ll tell you.”


The older Dryad sister clapped her hands twice.
Immediately, dozens of fairies poured out through the sanctuary door.
Fairies swirled around her in a vibrant circle.


“While you, the leader of the forest fairies, were away, I took the liberty of brainwashing all these little fairies.”

“I-It can’t be…”


Kiri stuttered, having frozen in disbelief.
It wasn’t hard to see why.
After all, a blue flower was visible inside each fairy’s mouth as they cackled with laughter.


“I manipulated these fairies to make my little sister open the sanctuary from the inside. Then I had them plant the flower inside her and brainwash her as well. Which means this forest already belongs to me.”



A green Dryad materialized from one of the trees next to the older Dryad sister.
It was Lady Dryad, the younger sister.
She, too, appeared to be under the blue flower’s control.

The older Dryad sister gently reached out and slowly caressed her younger sister’s face.


“Even my dear little sister, who I despise so much, is in the palm of my hands. Now, how should I kill her, I wonder?”


The sight of the brainwashed Dryad of the eastern forest caused Kiri to sink to the ground, muttering, “How could this…” as despair enveloped her.

The sanctuary had already fallen.
We were too late…



“I’ve been monitoring everything you princesses have been doing from inside the sanctuary. My Spirit Beast has served well enough as bait, having gathered all the nuisances together. I’d say it’s about time to clean house.”


The very next moment, countless breathing sounds could be heard from deep within the forest.
A sea of eyes was staring at us.


Without us noticing, a horde of trolls had surrounded us.
There had to be around three hundred of them.
I couldn’t believe such a massive force had crept this close without any of us realizing it.


“With my spirit magic, concealing their presence isn’t even an inconvenience. Even you won’t be able to save every human with that nectar of yours with this many trolls around.”

“So… you saw… the nectar?”

“Of course. Even now, I can hardly believe my own eyes after seeing trolls return to humans. Which is why I’ve made up my mind, princess. First I’ll dissect you and examine every last inch of your body. Then I’ll breed you and fuse you with one of my clones. Once that’s done, I’ll have a modified plant that surpasses even the Three Spirit Beasts!”


──Ugh. Just thinking about it was terrifying.

The thought of being bred and turned into one of the older Dryad sister’s test subjects was too horrifying to bear.
I absolutely can’t let myself get captured!


As I wrapped my vines tightly around my own body, a human stepped out from the horde of trolls.
He was a man wearing a priest’s robes.


“Lady Feagismeinnicht, as ordered, I have assembled the trolls.”

“Good work. You’re the last of the Three Spirit Beasts. Don’t disappoint me.”


Nina quickly explained, “The priest was already killed, and the Dryad is controlling his body!”
So the last of the Three Spirit Beasts was a human. How unexpected


A troll, a dragon, and now a human. They were certainly a diverse bunch
Of them all, the priest who looked the weakest, possessed by the Spirit Beast, shouted to the trolls.


“Now then, you trolls! Devour those humans!!”


The massive swarm of trolls charged straight at us.
One of the human adventurers let out a terrified scream.
We were hopelessly outnumbered.

While the little witch and Kiri could at least escape by flying away, Nina and the others had no such option.


I created a squirting cucumber machine gun, intending to bombard the trolls with seeds filled with nectar.
But before I could shoot, green vines wrapped around my own vines, preventing me from taking aim.


Still being brainwashed, Lady Dryad attacked me with her vines.
The older Dryad sister, Feagismeinnicht, called out to me with a relaxed smile.


“My little sister and I will be your opponent, princess. There’s no way I’d leave someone as dangerous as you unattended, not after you’ve defeated not only Oin, but even Garuda Hræsvelgr, one of the Four Heavenly Kings.”


So she found out that I had beaten that stalker too.
And unlike my previous enemies, it seemed she wasn’t going to underestimate me.
In a way, it was oddly flattering.


“Princess, If you surrender now, I’ll spare that saint apprentice over there and your white-haired human friend. But of course, though, those two will spend the rest of their lives as living seedbeds for my plants.”


The little witch flinched.
The older Dryad sister’s words had clearly scared her
Her hands began trembling, and she looked ready to burst into tears at any moment.


“While we’re at it, perhaps I should use those two as seedbeds, then fuse them with you once I’ve bred you. Doesn’t that sound interesting? You all seem so close. Wouldn’t your bonds be even stronger if you shared your very lives as well?”


Like hell.
I care about both the little witch and Nina. But I have absolutely no intention of turning either of them into my nourishment.


“I… won’t… surrender!”

“Is that so? Then be a good girl and become my puppet instead!”


Following the older Dryad sister’s declaration, a scream rang out from behind me.
The horde of trolls had reached Nina and the others.


I spun around just in time to see someone being sent flying by a troll’s club.


A heavy thud resonated through the ground and up my roots.

***

Author’s Note:

At last, the showdown against Feagismeinnicht, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, has begun. This marks the first plant-versus-plant fight since the man-eater.

Next Time: The Battle of the Forest of Dryades