I’m an Alraune, a plant monster girl.
And when Fire Dragon-sama told me, “I want your nectar,” I was so surprised that I froze in place.


I’d been all alone ever since I became an Alraune.
Maybe that’s why I couldn’t help but feel happy whenever someone wanted something from me.
Something about those words really touched my heart.


Come to think of it, back when I worked as Fire Dragon-sama’s maid at the Demon King’s castle, I served him my nectar as dessert three times a day.
Could he be missing the taste of my nectar?


“Is giving you… my nectar… really enough?”

“That will suffice. Your nectar is delicious.”


──Ehehe. He said my nectar is delicious.

Aside from the little witch, hardly anyone ever had complimented the taste of my nectar before.
So I couldn’t help get a little carried away.

And if Fire Dragon-sama liked it that much, who was I to refuse?
I’d gladly give him all the nectar he wants!
Especially since him bringing the little witch back for me was as ideal as it could get.


“I accept… the deal.”


Well then, why don’t I give him some nectar as a down payment?
I bit down on one of my vines.
After generously coating it with nectar inside my mouth, I held the nectar-covered vine out towards Fire Dragon-sama.


As though he had anticipated this, Uncle Teddy handed Fire Dragon-sama a spoon.


“Lord Grüsch, please use this.”


Fire Dragon-sama caught the nectar dripping from my vine with the spoon and calmly brought it to his mouth.
Even the way he eats is elegant. As expected of Fire Dragon-sama!


“How… is it?”

“As I thought, your nectar has a wonderfully rich flavor.”


Fire Dragon-sama didn’t show it on his face, but he seemed satisfied.


“I was already surprised by how beautifully you’ve grown, but your nectar seems to have developed an even richer flavor as well.”

“Thank you… very much.”


Yes! He complimented me again!
Still, I thought Fire Dragon-sama and the witches were allies. Why is he willing to help me against them?


“Is it really… all right… to take the little witch… from the Witch Queen?”

“Do not worry. That woman owes me several favors. I’m sure she’ll agree to settle matters this way.”

“Why are you… doing so much… for me?”

“Because I value you.”


Fire Dragon-sama actually values me quite a bit.
I’m very grateful for that, but there’s one little problem. He also wants me dead.
If he ever finds out that I’m the same Alraune who killed his subordinates, he’ll burn me again.
Fortunately, he still believes that I’d died back then, so I have to keep up this act somehow…!


“If you become my subordinate, I can also promise to protect you and your companions from the Witch Queen from now on.”


That’s an extremely tempting offer.
But—


“I’m sorry… but—”

“It’s fine. I never expected to be able to sway you with a single offer. In fact, this is precisely what makes you so interesting.”


Why is Fire Dragon-sama smiling even though I turned him down?
What if he’s thinking of something terrifying? I was suddenly very nervous about what might happen from now on.


After that, Fire Dragon-sama, Uncle Teddy, and I worked out the details of our agreement.

Fire Dragon-sama would bring the little witch back.
In exchange, I would regularly provide Fire Dragon-sama with my nectar from now on.

To be honest, I had no way of getting the little witch back myself.
I didn’t even know where the Witches’ Village was.
So even if it meant having to keep supplying Fire Dragon-sama with my nectar indefinitely, I really had no choice but to accept his offer.
If anything, I was already lucky that Fire Dragon-sama hadn’t burned me on the spot as punishment for defeating one of the Four Heavenly Kings.


“Once our deal is made, see to it that you never break your promise.”


Fire Dragon-sama is a dragon who keeps his promises.
If I ever refused to give him my nectar, I’d probably end up paying for it with my life.


“Of course. In return… please bring back… the little witch.”

“You have my word. Leave it to me.”


Fire Dragon-sama and Uncle Teddy mounted the transport dragon.
Then, as though suddenly remembering something, Fire Dragon-sama asked me a question.


“Alraune, who is that small Dryad over there? She seems to resemble Feagismeinnicht.”


Fire Dragon-sama shot a sharp glare at Fea-chan, the young Dryad.


What do I do?
If he finds out that she’s actually the older Dryad sister reincarnated, he might try to punish her.
But she doesn’t have any memories of being the older Dryad sister. She’s been reborn into an entirely new life.
I don’t want her to be killed for the sins of her previous life.


“Mother?” Fea-chan said, tugging on one of my vines.


Don’t worry—I’ll make sure nothing happens to you!


“This child… is my daughter.”

“…What?”


Fire Dragon-sama stared at me in utter disbelief.
It really is embarrassing when he stares at me like this.


“If I recall correctly, you are only a few dozen days old yourself…?”

“Even so… I gave birth to… her.”

“And the father?”

“……Me.”

“You just said you gave birth to her.”

“I’m also… the mother.”

“…………What?”


Fire Dragon-sama and I exchanged a silent look.
It seemed he was rather shocked by plant biology.

I’m a female flower, but with Plant Generation I can grow male flowers too. Besides, self-pollination is perfectly normal in the plant kingdom.
But dragons need both a male and a female to have children, so I suppose it was understandable why this would come as a shock to him.


“I had forgotten that you are a plant monster. You’ve also grown considerably since your time at the castle. Perhaps such a thing is possible.”


Fire Dragon-sama accepted my explanation.
I’ve managed to successfully divert his attention.


“It is the natural order of things for a plant to bear seeds. It does not concern me.”


The transport dragon began flapping its wings.
Giving me one farewell message before departing, Fire Dragon-sama spoke again.


“Therefore, do not forget that I want you.”


The dragon carrying Fire Dragon-sama and Uncle Teddy took to the air.


“Well then, let us head for the Witches’ Village,” said Fire Dragon-sama. And with his signal, they flew off beyond the forest.


Fire Dragon-sama said that he wanted me.
That must be because he’s after my nectar.
At the very least, as long as I still have this nectar, I should be able to maintain a good relationship with him.



As I watched Fire Dragon-sama and Uncle Teddy disappear into the distance, Lady Dryad, who had quietly been watching over me this whole time, spoke up.


“Alraune, how do you know that dragon?”


Something seemed strange about Lady Dryad.
Was it just me, or had her face gone pale.


“I’ve heard that the Demon King’s army has a pair of dragon siblings who possess unimaginable power.”


That’s right, Fire Dragon-sama did say he had an older sister.
Back when I was at the Demon King’s castle, I heard him refer to someone as “elder sister,” so I’m pretty sure that’s true.


“I’ve also heard that every dragon in the Demon King’s army is under their command. Because of that, they are also known as the Dragon Kings.”


Fire Dragon-sama is a Dragon King.
That title certainly suits him.


“To think you could speak so casually with one of the Dragon Kings… Alraune, how in the world did you get so close to him?”

“A lot happened… when I was kidnapped… and taken to the Demon King’s castle.”


Rather than being close friends, our relationship was more like that of a maid and her master.
And come to think of it, I was also Fire Dragon-sama’s dessert.


“I feel as though I would start trembling if I were to just stand face-to-face with that Dragon King.”


Even Lady Dryad is afraid of Fire Dragon-sama.
I was scared out of my wits when I first met him too, but once you get used to him, he’s actually a surprisingly nice person, you know?
He complimented me whenever I gave him nectar, and more importantly, he treated me kindly.
Despite how he looks, Fire Dragon-sama is a good dragon.



While I was talking with Lady Dryad, Kiri, who had flown off somewhere, landed on top of my head.


“Lady Alraune, the humans look like they’re about to wake up!”


The humans?

Oh, right! Nina and the others were still asleep because of the older Dryad sister’s spirit magic.
They hadn’t moved this entire time, so I was starting to get a little worried.


My little junior, the Amazon Treant, carried Nina and the others over on her back.
She gently laid the humans down beside me.


“Nina?”


I called out softly.
Then Nina, the saint apprentice, slowly opened her eyes.

***

Author’s Note:

The friendly relationship the Alraune built with Fire Dragon-sama at the Demon King’s castle ended up leading to this equivalent exchange.
You never know where the connections you make with others might lead.

Next time: A Conversation with the Humans at Last