I’m an Alraune, a plant monster girl.
And standing before me is Fire Dragon-sama, a monster dragon who came to avenge his fallen subordinates.


Fire Dragon-sama was moments away from unleashing a breath of fire on me.
At this rate, I was going to get roasted.


Well, he did come here to avenge his comrades, so it’s only natural.

But I didn’t want to be burned.
If the choice is being killed by fire, I’d honestly rather be kept as a decorative houseplant, part dessert and part pet.

Unlike those brutish minotaurs, this Fire Dragon gave off a more intelligent impression.
We were even having a normal conversation, after all.
And despite the fact that he looked terrifying, he was surprisingly caring to his allies.

Judging from how he was just about to burn me despite liking my scent and appearance, he really seemed like the type who was gentle to his allies but merciless to his foes.


If I wanted to change Fire Dragon-sama’s mind and avoid being burned, there’s only one thing I can do.

Raise my value.

It just so happens that the Fire Dragon said he liked both my appearance and the scent of my nectar.

Maybe, just maybe, he doesn’t truly want to burn me.
I’ll have to take advantage of that small hesitation.

“I’ll turn you to ash in an instant so you won’t suffer.”

“Please… wait, Fire Dragon-sama.”

He froze the moment I spoke.

“Before that… would you perhaps… lick me just once?”

“What…did you say…?”

Aaaaah!
This is so embarrassing!!


This was the first time I’ve ever asked someone to lick my nectar.
Of course it’s embarrassing.

“With my nectar… I will definitely… satisfy you, Fire Dragon-sama.”


I bit into a vine.
Then, I gathered a thick layer of nectar over it and held it out to him.

The vine was dripping with an enormous amount of nectar.

Fire Dragon-sama’s eyes caught the glimmer of the glistening nectar, and I saw his throat bob as he swallowed.


This could work.
Looks like even dragons find this nectar utterly irresistible.


“Hm. If I burn you, I won’t ever get to taste it again. Very well. I suppose I can lick your nectar once before I finish you.”

For some reason, Fire Dragon-sama was acting all superior about it.
Well, whatever.

After all, he is superior in height and strength than me.

Fire Dragon-sama chomped down, devouring the entire nectar-covered vine.
Munching down the vines too… What a bold eater.

“W-what… is this…”

I could see the Fire Dragon’s eyes widened.
He’s hooked.


“It was too small a sample to judge fully, but this is sweeter than anything I have tasted before. Delicious.”

Hey, did you hear that?
Fire Dragon-sama just praised my nectar.

Now I just need to negotiate my way into staying alive using my nectar as bait.


“Perhaps it would not be bad to keep you near my sleeping quarters. When I wake, your beautiful form would greet my eyes, and I could enjoy your nectar for breakfast. Hmm, that might not be so bad.”

Huh?
I haven’t said anything yet, but Fire Dragon-sama had already begun planning out a daily routine.

If he likes me that much, then I suppose becoming a dragon’s ornamental dessert plant wouldn’t be the worst fate.

Honestly, hearing such mundane, everyday talk from a Fire Dragon, who looks like a terrifying kaiju, is kind of surprising.

Who would’ve thought the day would come when I’d become a morning snack for a dragon in the Demon King’s army.

Really, if I told my former saint self about this, she’d faint.

But if it keeps me alive for now, it’s fine.
It sounds like I’m going to be placed in the Fire Dragon’s bedroom, so I might even be able to poison him little by little with nectar and eventually kill him.

Well, even if poisoning him does work, I wouldn’t be able to escape afterward.
After all, I’m a plant…


“Hm? Alraune. What is that?”

The Fire Dragon stared intently at the base of my roots.

“That is a minotaur’s great axe. Could it be Dickkopf’s weapon?”

Yes, that’s right. It is indeed the eyepatch minotaur’s axe.
That’s my spoils of war, after all.


“And what of Dickkopf’s body?”

“…………I buried… him.”

No, wait.
It’s not what you think.

I didn’t eat him.
So stop glaring at me with that suspicious look.


Ugh… truth is, I really did enjoy it.
I just took a little bite.
But I was low on nutrients after the fight. I had no choice.


“You have another mouth besides the human one. That one seems very carnivorous.”

“Despite my appearance, I actually have… a very delicate appetite.”

I put on my most demure, ladylike expression to emphasize that.
I’m a delicate little flower, you see. I would never do anything so vulgar as overeating.


“Then why are even the armors of Dickkopf and the others you supposedly buried sitting right there?”

——Oh no.

The equipment was hard to digest since it was made of metal, but I kept it, thinking it might come in handy.

That’s why the stripped armors and helmets are always placed next to the great axes.
Not only that, but I’ve confiscated as much as possible of the clothes and belts that were worn under the minotaurs’ armor as well.
Maybe I got carried away collecting trophies.

“So you really did eat the minotaurs.”

Oh no.
I felt like I was going to start sweating nectar.

“To think a single alraune devoured four minotaurs and five Ereshteia cattle. Unbelievable. I’ve never seen such a gluttonous plant before.”


—Actually… Yes, I’m pretty gluttonous.

I once ate a 10-meter Papa Bear and an 8-meter Mama Bear in just a few days.


But don’t misunderstand.
two of the minotaurs were taken home by Mr. Bee.

So I actually only ate two minotaurs and five Ereshteia.
I’m not some monster who eats four whole minotaurs!

So please don’t get the wrong idea.

I just tend to get a bit hungry easily. Eating a lot wasn’t like a hobby of mine.
I do it to stay alive, that’s all.


“In that case, I cannot take you back with me after all.”

Fire Dragon-sama delivered his merciless verdict.

“I cannot be at peace until I properly avenge my subordinates’ regret. Therefore, you shall burn.”

The Fire Dragon unleashed a breath of fire.

What!?
Wait a minute!

You were just about to take me home!
Even if your subordinates were eaten by me—well, okay, I can understand why you’d be upset—but still,  don’t change your mind so suddenly.


The fiery breath hit me directly.

I immediately wrapped myself in a cocoon of vines for protection.
I also made sure to put up a double layer of vine walls around the outside of the cocoon.
But they’ll probably burn away in no time.


I lined up the minotaurs’ great-axes to make a metal shield.
If they were forged steel, then no matter how terrifying Fire Dragon-sama’s fire was, they should be able to hold.

I also strapped the minotaurs’ armor onto my body.
Full defense mode.


And I had set all the great axes and armor inside the vine walls.

At first they were hidden by the vines, and now they were concealed by the dragon’s own fiery breath, so he shouldn’t be able to see the axes and armor at all.
Which means, if Fire Dragon-sama mistakes me for having burned up and goes home, I might just survive this.


The problem was whether the axes could withstand his breath.

The scorching flames heated the great axes until they glowed crimson.
But the axes didn’t give in. They continued to divert the dragon’s breath.
Even though the breath had a slight advantage, the attack and my defense were locked in a stalemate.


Amazingly, by forming a wall of three minotaur great axes, the flames couldn’t reach me.
This might just work!

The vines around me were all blazing, but as long as a few strands remained it didn’t matter.
Since I had the chance, I extended the burning vines outward to show the Fire Dragon, “look at me, I’m burning terribly right now!”

From his view, he should see a cocoon of blazing vines.
He would never imagine that the inside wasn’t burning at all. Thanks to three great-axes and four sets of minotaur armor, I had managed to keep the flames off me.

To make it look like I had collapsed, I let the vines that hadn’t completely burnt away to sag heavily onto the ground.


The fire-breath stopped.
At the same time, I heard heavy footsteps moving away.

Surely he must’ve seen me burning and felt satisfied that he had avenged his subordinate.
It would be unthinkable for a plant monster to take that breath head-on and still be alive.

Anyway, the Fire Dragon left the scene.
This miracle was only possible because I had three minotaurs’ great axes.

Whether it was because they belonged to that eyepatch minotaur who used fire magic, or because their superior was Fire Dragon himself, but the axes and armor were unusually heat resistant.

However, having withstood continuous high heat, the axes couldn’t endure anymore.
The metal had melted and warped. They weren’t usable as weapons anymore.


I still had other blades, so it was no problem.
Using the spear and knife I took from the kingdom’s soldiers, I cut away the burning vines covering me.


And just like that, I escaped from the burning cocoon.
My view cleared, and I could see much better.
Ah… to be outside the flames—how wonderful it is.


Somehow, I survived.
Even with the axes, it felt like a miracle I hadn’t burned.

Maybe he held back a little.
The Fire Dragon had liked me once, after all.
He liked me so much he immediately decided he wanted to take me home as his own. Burning me might have given him a guilty conscience. He was surprisingly caring toward his allies too.


Anyway, now the Fire Dragon should have believed I burned.
All that was left was protecting myself from the forest fire.

First, I should dig a hole.
If I hide underground, I might be able to get through this.

It’s fine. I managed to survive a Fire Dragon’s attack, didn’t I?
So even if this turns into a massive wildfire that burns the whole forest down, I should be able to endure it too.
I’ve gotten through everything so far, so I’ll be fine this time as well.

Alright, time to dig a big hole and get to safety.



“Impressive.”


————Huh?

Suddenly, a voice called from above.
I looked up, and there was Fire Dragon-sama himself, staring straight at me.


“I never imagined that an Alraune exists in this world that even my flames cannot burn.”

You’re kidding me.

You… you didn’t leave?


Fire Dragon-sama, you’re still here!?

***

Author’s Note:

Thank you for reading.
It seems we reached 35th place in the monthly isekai reincarnation/transfer rankings. Thank you, everyone.

Next Time: Why Can’t I Be Happy Even Though It’s My First Time Receiving a Gift from a Dragon