This can’t be happening. It’s too cruel.

In my past life as a high school girl, I was an otaku who’d never had a boyfriend my whole life.
Even when I became a saint, I didn’t have a boyfriend. But I did have the Hero himself as my fiancé.

I had decided my first time would be with him.
But now, after being betrayed by my junior saint-in-training and killed, here I am, on the verge of being ravaged by a swarm of bee monsters.

And to make matters worse, they’re about to smear me with the pollen of some stranger and force it into my mouth.
The pollen will then make its way toward the ovules deep inside me and pollinate me.

I’ll carry the seeds that will become my descendants.
Thus, my life as an Alraune will come to an end.

No way. I don’t want that!

Even when I was betrayed and murdered by the Hero and my apprentice, I somehow pulled through and ended up as an Alraune.
So I’ll make it through this too.

Thinking this, I gathered all my strength into my bulb, focused on casting light recovery magic.
My vines began multiplying, growing thicker and faster.
Then I wrap them tightly around myself, forming a cocoon.

My plan? Protect my life first.

Defense was my only option.
Because really, what else can I do? No matter how many vines I sprout, there’s no way I can fend off hundreds of bees charging me at once.
Maybe ten, sure. But a hundred? Forget it.

So I’ll just defend.

As expected, the swarm of Zornbiene started clinging to my vine cocoon.
I hear the sound of them gnawing away.
munch, munch, munch.

But that’s fine. I planned for this.
As long as I regrow the vines immediately after they’re bitten, the holes will seal up and the bees won’t get through.
Let’s make this a war of attrition, shall we. I won’t give up my chastity so easily.

Ugh… I’m getting thirsty.
Seems that in my Alraune body, I can’t use mana anymore. Instead, I burn through water.
Every time I regenerate vines, my thirst grows worse.
I really want some water, so please, have this end soon. 

Wait a minute. Just how long are they going to keep chewing on me for?

It feels like hours have passed.
Come on, give up already. Go home.
Your queen bee must be waiting for you. Have dinner with your hive or something!

This is really bad. I’m running out of water.
The vines are now wilting, losing their original vibrant green shade.
They look like a dying plant left to wither by its owner.

Bit by bit, my regeneration is slowing too. At this rate, the cocoon won’t hold for much longer.

What should I do?
If I fight now, I’ll lose for sure. Even one touch means it’s over for me. There’s no way to fend off all of them.

So how do I make them go away without letting them touch me?
Think, think, think…

Right. Why did they even come here in the first place?
Oh yeah. My nectar.
They were after my nectar.

Then maybe if I give them some, they’ll be satisfied and leave.

So I grabbed one of my vines, put it in my mouth, and carefully coated it in nectar using my tongue.
Then I extended the sticky vine out of the cocoon.

Wow. They bit instantly. Much faster than I expected.

I can feel the swarm shifting toward the vine coated with my nectar, moving in disciplined formation like a well-trained army.

Alright! This is working!

I kept licking my vines, smearing nectar all over them, and sending them out one by one.
Each time I do, the bees move to gather more nectar.
And I repeated this, again and again.

By the time all the moisture and nectar in my body were gone, leaving me parched and dizzy, I noticed something.
Silence.

I peeked outside, trembling, and found the sky dark.
Night must’ve fallen without me noticing.
The bees were nowhere to be seen.

I… made it…!

Against all odds, I survived.
Sure, my vines are shredded and chewed and covered in bee spit.
But my true body, the Alraune itself, is untouched. It’ll be no exaggeration to call this a splendid victory

Ahh, I’m so tired. My eyelids are heavy.
My throat feels like sandpaper.
If only it would rain…

With that thought, I closed my petals and prepared to sleep.
Perhaps because I was felt safe, I soon drifted off

But the nightmare only came after I woke up.

***

The next morning, several Zornbiene were waiting for me when I opened my bud.

Ah. Good morning, bees.
We meet again…

I didn’t expect to see them so soon.
Did they really miss me that much?
I guess my nectar left quite an impression.

Still, I’d really rather never see you guys again.
Am I really destined to surrender myself to these bees and be pollinated after all?

As a final act of resistance, I coat one of my vines with nectar and stretch it toward them.
Clasping my hands together, I silently beg for them to leave.

Then something strange happened.
The bees calmly began collecting the nectar.
After gathering it all, they hovered in front of me, facing me directly.

Then one lets out a strange cry.

“Gueeeeh!”

So you can talk, huh? I have no idea what you’re saying, though.
Maybe you’re asking for more nectar?

Sorry, but I’m exhausted.
Look, my once-proud petals are all shriveled and dull.
Even my bulbous lower half has dried up and is pouting like a sad little mouth.

Maybe they understood, because the bees quietly flew off into the forest.

Huh?
Did I just get spared?

While wondering why I hadn’t been attacked, the bees returned
Already? That was fast.
I haven’t recovered yet, and I can’t even make any more nectar.

The bees dropped something on towards me, who was staring off in resignation.
The object slammed on the ground with a thud.

This is… a boar?!

It’s a boar monster, a Van Schwein.

Did they… bring this for me?
Like… a gift?

I look at them in confusion, and they bob up and down as if nodding.
Could it be that they want me to eat this wild boar for nourishment, get well soon, and produce more nectar?

Unbelievable.
But what else could it mean?

I cautiously accept the offering and take a bite.
Chomp.
Hmm, it seems fine, there’s no issue with the food.

The bees, seeing that, buzz happily and fly off into the distance.

Come to think of it, bees and flowers coexist in nature.
Bees take nectar and pollen; flowers receive pollination.
In a way, they live in a symbiotic relationship.

Apparently, that applies to Zornbiene and Alraune too.

Seeking my nectar, the bees offered me food, not as enemies trying to take it by force, but as friends engaging in a mutual exchange.
They must have sensed my wish to not be pollinated.

Could my nectar be that irresistible?
Something strong enough to charm bee monsters into loyalty.

A few of them hover protectively around me now.
Are they… guarding me?

They look like knights.
My loyal guard, protecting their princess.
Back in high school, there was always that one girl in the club who became the “princess” because she was the only female member.
This kind of feels like that.
I never wanted to be a club princess, but a forest princess? I could live with that.

After all, I may look like this now, but I was once a duke’s daughter, a true noble lady.
So you buzzing bees, show some respect to your princess!

And so, under the condition that I share my nectar, I made peace with the bees.
I learned the true value of Alraune nectar.
And for the first time since becoming a plant, I made friends.
Even if they are bees.

***

Author’s Note
Thank you for reading.
If you spot any typos or mistakes, I’d appreciate your feedback.

There’ll be another update later today.
Next time: Alraune Forest Girls’ Academy.