I’m an Alraune, a plant monster child.
And my nectar is about to be sold by my owner, the little witch.


All of this is so she can buy the tools she needs to live when she goes to town.
And for that, the two of us, completely broke, need money.


The little witch finished getting ready to leave for the city.

“I’ll make sure to sell Alraune’s nectar properly.”

“Come back… safely.”

“I’ll be careful not to let anyone realize I’m a witch. If something happens, I’ll turn into a bird and fly away, so don’t worry.”


The little witch was holding a bucket filled to the brim with nectar.
The flowerpot that was practically my second body has been turned into nothing more than a container for my nectar.

Even though we say we’re selling nectar, we didn’t have anything suitable to put it in.
So we washed my bucket and decided to use it as a nectar container instead.


That’s right!
At long last, my life as a bucket-dwelling Alraune has come to an end.

No more potted Alraune.
Starting today, I’m a forest Alraune!


Now that I’ve rooted myself directly into the ground, staying hydrated is far easier than it was back when I was potted.
And with no bucket in the way, my roots can grow freely.
At this rate, growing from a little Alraune into an adult Alraune is only a matter of time.


“Will you be okay staying here by yourself while I’m gone?”

The little witch gently pats my head.

Please don’t treat me like a child.
I may look like a little girl, but inside I’m a proper big sister.
So don’t worry about me!


If anything, I’m more worried about the little witch.
I just hope no one in town figures out that she’s a witch.
I’m not going to spend the whole time waiting for her return like some faithful dog.


“Well then, I’m off.”

“Be… careful.”

I watched as her tiny figure disappeared into the distance.
Letting her go to town alone makes me uneasy.

But that’s not all.
The fact that my nectar is being put up for sale… my heart just couldn’t stay calm about that either.

I worked until my throat was completely dry, squeezing out nectar, and somehow managed to fill an entire bucket.
As a result, I’m now utterly exhausted, but even more than that, I still can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that my own bodily fluids are going to be sold.


Very few people would be happy knowing their saliva was being sold and passed into the hands of strangers. At the very least, I’m not.

Still, this is all for the sake of the little witch’s life.
For the sake of that adorable little witch, I’m prepared, as her big sister, to sell myself if I have to.


Even so, I never imagined my own body fluids would be sold.
As a former saint, my heart is in complete turmoil.
I’ve done nothing wrong, and yet it feels like I’m doing something shameful. It’s such a strange feeling.


I imagined my nectar being purchased by people in an unfamiliar town.
My bodily fluids being bought by someone I’ve never met.


Looking back, a lot really has happened up until now.
I’ve overcome things that an ordinary saint would never experience even once in her lifetime.

I was nearly pollinated by bees and had my face licked by Papa Bear.
I was almost burned alive more times than I can count, and begged Fire Dragon-sama to spare me and let me live on as his breakfast dessert and houseplant.
I even experienced self-pollination, my belly swelling with seeds.
On top of all that, I reverted into a little girl and lived inside a bucket.

And now, a whole bucket of my nectar is heading to town to be sold.

If I were still a human saint, I wouldn’t have been able to endure any of this.
Surely there can’t be any more bizarre experiences waiting for me after this…… right?


Tears of nectar streamed from my eyes as I watched my nectar being taken away.


At that exact moment, Fairy-san caught the nectar dripping from my eyes, shouting, “Yay!”

Even a single tear is enough to attract nectar-obsessed gluttons.
Will I ever have a moment of true peace?
I can’t help but feel very uneasy.

And it wasn’t just Fairy-san who craved my nectar.
Drawn by its scent, insect monsters from the forest have begun to appear as well.


Still, it was just a swarm of small fry.
As usual, I caught the monsters with my poisonous thorns and gobbled them up in one bite.

But my hunger wasn’t satisfied.
After all, I poured out enough nectar to fill an entire bucket.
Today, I’m running low on both nutrients and water.

While taking seconds of the lizards I had in reserve, I looked around.
It seems I’m alone again.


Before I even noticed it, Fairy-san had flown off somewhere.
She’s probably out patrolling the area.
Even though she has switched allegiance from Lady Dryad to me, she still seems to keep up her duties as a fairy, at least minimally.

My little sister, the Treant, has also gone out exploring and hasn’t come back yet.

Ah… I wish my little witch would come home already.
Being alone is lonely, after all.
When she returns from town, I’ll make sure to praise her plenty.


Even if the nectar doesn’t sell, it doesn’t change the fact that she tried her best.
I’ll welcome her back like a newlywed wife would.

Maybe I’ll prepare some of my nectar for dinner.
She’ll be happy, I’m sure.



As evening came, the little witch returned.

“Welcome… home.”

“Thanks, Alraune. Did you get lonely while I was gone?”

“I’m fine.”

Of course I’m fine.
I’m a big sister, after all. There’s no way I’d admit to feeling lonely.


Though, I’m more worried about the little witch.
I have a feeling the nectar probably didn’t sell.
I can’t imagine anyone actually buying a whole bucket of nectar from just a kid.

“How… did it go?”
I asked cautiously, curious about the results of her first day.

“The nectar sold!”
She showed me the now-empty bucket.


No way!?
All of my nectar… it’s gone?

What on earth happened……?


“At first, no one paid any attention, but just as I was leaving, a woman called out to me. She bought all of it, so it sold out.”

I couldn’t believe something like that could happen. I’m stunned!


“The moment she saw the honey, her eyes lit up and she bought it. She even gave me extra money on top of the cost.”

Even though it’s a little unsettling that strangers now have my nectar, if it makes the little witch happy, then that’s enough for me.

I wonder about the kind person who bought it. To think that someone would buy suspicious honey from some unknown kid…
She must be as kind as a saint.


Apparently, the buyer even brought their own container, so my nectar was safely transferred, and the little witch got proper payment.
It wasn’t a huge amount, but for us who had nothing, it was a fortune.


We’re still a long way from being able to buy a proper pot or pan, but at this rate, the day we can gather all the things we need for daily life might not be too far off.


“And I have a present for you, Alraune.”

“A pre…sent!?”

“I bought something I thought you’d like.”

Huh? What could it be?
She actually used the money from her first sale to get me a gift.
Just knowing she did that already makes me really happy!


“Here, this is some fertilizer for you, Alraune. You like it, right?”

“Th…thank you…”

The gift for me, given with the money the little witch earned for the first time.
It was fertilizer for plants.

I was so stunned that I could barely mutter a reply.


Right, I’m just a plant.
Fertilizer makes me grow.

I should be happy… but somehow, I feel… strange.
It’s such a thoughtful gift, so why do I feel so hollow inside?

The little witch sprinkled the fertilizer around me gently.

“Grow big and strong now.”

“Yeah…”


That day, I discovered what it feels like to be a plant getting fertilizer.


Hmm… fertilizer might not be so bad after all!

***

Author’s Note:

Next Time: Letter; Remittances from an Adventurer Working Far From Home