Several weeks have passed since I became the ruler of the forest.

I’m bored.


Even after becoming the forest’s ruler, I wasn’t really doing anything new.
There didn’t seem to be any enemies of the forest coming anytime soon.

I’d like to patrol if I could, but it’s frustrating that I can’t leave this spot.

After all, I’m a plant.
Isn’t it a little strange for a plant to be the ruler of the forest? It’s a bit late to be realizing that though.


Now that the Four Heavenly Kings are gone, the ecosystem of the forest must be undergoing big changes.

This area used to be Papa Bear’s territory, but in the other regions where the remaining beasts lived, different monsters are probably taking over.

Maybe a new group of Four Heavenly Kings have already formed somewhere.

It’s sad that I have no way to go and find out.

Well, if anything unusual happens in the forest, one of the animals will surely let me know.

I just have no idea what I’d do after that.

The offerings have stopped coming too.
And honestly, I don’t really want any more followers, so maybe that’s fine.



Ah, good day to you.
My knight, Ms. Bee, has come to visit.

My relationship with her hasn’t changed since before I became ruler.
In exchange for giving her honey, she brings me food.

Unlike before, there are no more monsters coming here to test their strength.
Because of that, I’ve been a bit malnourished.

That’s why I’m grateful to Miss Bee.

I’ve grown strong enough now that I don’t need my knights’ power.
This time, I’ll be the one protecting her and the bees.

Give my regards to your sisters, too. Take care.


Speaking of things that haven’t changed, that withered tree I’ve been curious about is still there.
I can still see it from here, deep within my forest.

But, you know, something about it has been bothering me.

That dead tree, was it always shaped like that?
It’s in the same place, but the angle seems a little different.

It looks withered, but maybe the branches are still growing. How mysterious.
I think it’s officially now one of the Seven Wonders of the Forest.


Oh, looks like something got caught in the trap I set near that tree.

I smeared some of my nectar around the trees near there.

Then, I used the nectar to lure wild bears, snare them with my vines, and gulp them down.

I also placed some poisoned apples nearby, so when monkeys came to eat them, they’d fall to the ground and I’d gulp those down too.

That’s how I managed to stave off hunger.


But lately, something’s been off lately.
I haven’t been seeing any animals around anymore.

It’s gotten to the point where I’m worried I might’ve eaten too many.

Even when I prepare plenty of nectar, not a single wild bear would show up anymore.

And it’s not just that.

The bees have been acting strange, too.

They’ve been asking for several times more nectar than usual.
That’s never happened before.

Because of that, I’ve been running low on both nutrients and water.
I want some water.

Yes. Water.
It hasn’t been raining much either.

It’s not as if it’s been scorching hot like that drought.
If anything, it’s gotten chillier. But still, the rain has nearly stopped. What could be happening?

Even the water I drew up from my roots seemed to be decreasing by the day.
It’s not just the lack of rain.
I sense something is changing underground too.

I also feel like the nutrients I get from photosynthesis have decreased compared to before. I still want to do more of it, of course, but somehow it doesn’t feel as nourishing as it used to.

Something is definitely wrong.

Something big is happening in this forest, something beyond my control.
But I don’t know what it is.

What’s going to happen to this place?
Thinking about it makes me uneasy.



Days have passed since then, but the weather hasn’t improved.
If anything, it’s getting worse.


And lately, it’s been cold.

Even though I’ve become a plant, I’m still a monster. And that means I can feel cold or heat, which I’m thankful to still have

But, as you can see, I’m half-naked.
Just a simple vine bra around my chest, and nothing below. I wished I had a coat or something.


With no other choice, I wrapped myself up in vines and made a vine blanket.
I feel like being a bagworm.

Ah, this warms me up nicely.

That settles it.
Starting today, I’m going to be a bagworm.


Truthfully, I really wanted to make a kotatsu table too, not just a blanket, to keep warm.

Fire and plants don’t get along, but a little bit of heat is welcomed.
I love kotatsus so much.

A kotatsu is, you see, a bewitching little table.

Back in my high school days, I relied on it all the time.

Once you crawl inside, you can never leave.

I can’t count how many times I thought, ‘I just want to sleep here forever.’
And every time, my mother would scold me for it.

I want to use a kotatsu again.


I wish someone would bring me one.
It’s not fair to leave me out just because I’m a plant.

Someone, a kotatsu.
Would you let me in your kotatsu?

Right now, I feel like the Little Match Girl.

Good sir over there, might you be so kind as to invite me to the kotatsu in your home?

As you can see, I’m but a lonely little flower, all on my own.

If you let me visit, I’ll decorate your room with beautiful flower crowns and offer you sweet nectar for dessert after dinner.

Surely, it’ll be a most wonderful evening unlike any other.

What’s that? No? How cruel.

Even though I want a kotatsu this badly, you’d still turn me away? How heartless.

Oh, I see. It’s because I’m a plant, isn’t it?

If I were human, you’d welcome me like family.
But since I’m a plant, you’d leave me out in the cold. Fine then.

I’ll find someone else.

Ah, kotatsu.
Please, someone. Won’t anyone let me inside their kotatsu?


Well, I’ve never heard anyone say flowers shouldn’t be put in a kotatsu, but then again, I’ve never seen anyone try it either.

Still, my body and heart are trembling because of the cold.

Without a kotatsu, I couldn’t survive winter.


——Wait?


Winter??


That’s it! It’s winter!

I figured it out. That’s what’s happening to the forest.

No, not just the forest.
The whole region was changing.

The reason for the strange weather is simple: winter is coming.


How did I not realize that sooner?

I should’ve realized something was off. No wonder I’ve been hungrier than usual lately.
My body’s been preparing for hibernation.

That’s why even swallowing Papa Bear and Mama Bear whole didn’t make me feel full.
Same with the offerings. I couldn’t help but eat more than usual.

Sure my growth was part of it, but it wasn’t the only reason.


The bees have been taking home more honey to prepare for hibernation.
The other animals have disappeared because they’ve started their hibernation.


For wild animals, winter is harsh.

But it’s not only hard for them.

Winter is cruel to plants too.

Winter brings dryness, reducing the moisture available from the ground, making it harder to draw water.
But that’s not all.

Many plants die from frost and freezing temperatures.

After all, we have to endure exposure to freezing air all season long.


Snow might fall too.
If there’s heavy snowfall, small plants could get buried beneath it.

Then, they wouldn’t even be able to photosynthesize.

I wonder how much snow this region gets.
If it’s an area with heavy snowfall, I might end up completely buried.

If that happens, there’s nothing I can do.
I’ll wither away.

No matter how potent my poison is, I can’t fight snow.

What kind of winters do they have here again?
This was my first time here. After all, I only came through while traveling to defeat the Demon King.
I was born and raised in the royal capital, so I don’t really know much about other regions.

Even in my party, the one skilled with geography handled all our travel routes.

I did recall hearing that the nearby mountains didn’t accumulate much snow even in winter, as it would all melt away.

If this area benefits from that, then maybe it isn’t a heavy-snow region either.
If that’s true, then no matter how much snow falls, it won’t pile up high enough to bury my bulb.

Still, I won’t know for sure until I actually live through it.

A once-in-a-decade snowfall could come anytime.

If a once-in-a-decade snowstorm hit this land, what would happen?

Without a home or roof, and half-naked as I am, I’d suffer far worse than just catching a cold.

I might not even live to see spring next year.

Well, huge snowstorms like that hardly ever happen, so it’ll probably be fine. They only come once every few decades anyway.

Still, even in a normal year, winter is harsh.

If only I had someone to share warmth with. But I don’t have any companions.

My body’s lonely, and so is my heart.
A frighteningly dangerous, solitary winter life was about to begin.

And so, I’ll be facing my very first winter as an Alraune, a plant monster girl.

***

Author’s Note:

Today again brings two updates.

Now, an announcement.
Updating twice a day has been harder than I expected.
I kept it up during Golden Week, but now that the holidays are over, my body’s reaching its limit. So starting Monday, I’ll return to one update per day.
That said, if I’m feeling good or have extra time, I might still post twice in a day. I hope you’ll understand.

If you’ve enjoyed this story or thought, “The author’s working hard,” I’d be really happy if you could support it with a bookmark or a five-star rating. Your support keeps me motivated to write.
Two updates a day was pretty rough, so even a small bit of encouragement would make me very happy!

Next Time: Autobiography; The Great Sage’s Chronicles of the Continent