Chapter 46
Among the child sprouts, the purple one mainly stayed at the knights’ quarters, so its presence there was no surprise. It lay sprawled in a long planter, reclining like some little nirvana statue. Then Ritter came running out of the lodge like a lover late for a date, rushing over to it. …He really had grown attached to that mandragora, was he still all right in the head?
I’ve been avoiding syncing my awareness with that purple one, partly because I’m scared of seeing its memories, partly because I don’t really want to know the details of what’s going on between it and Ritter. So technically, I don’t know exactly what they do together. I’ve only told the sprouts to alert me if the knights started acting suspiciously. Since I haven’t received such a report, I’ve been leaving them alone.
「Ah, let me introduce you, this is my girlfriend, Murasaki-chan.」
(You actually became lovers…!?)
It was no surprise that Nikolaus questioned Ritter when he saw how intimate he was with the purple sprout, but hearing the reply, 「She’s my lover,」 still shocked me. Ritter had insisted before that his feelings for the purple sprout were serious, not just a whim, but to think he’d really call a knee-high plant monster his girlfriend… astonishing. And this wasn’t just any plant, it was a mandragora, one that could drain magic by touch and could kill with its scream.
(I’m not even sure the purple one has romantic feelings… maybe it just finds him useful. Well, since it doesn’t talk, I guess he could mistake that for mutual affection.)
Even though the sprouts split off from me, they were far less intelligent. They should have emotions, but even I, who still remember being human, can feel my own humanity fading. So for something born a monster from the start, it’s hard to imagine it could see a human as a romantic partner. They might simply view a caretaker as favorable. The purple one clearly didn’t dislike Ritter, at least.
「I haven’t received any report about this. Are you hiding information from me?」
Nikolaus’s reproachful tone made me freeze. Right, these knights were supposed to slay monsters. A knight being in a relationship with one was definitely problematic. Even Leonhart and the villagers had looked on with silent disbelief, pretending not to see. I’d completely forgotten how dangerous this might look if Nikolaus decided to take it seriously.
If he judged this mandragora a threat and turned that blame on me, that would be bad.
「N-no, of course not! It’s just… this is a private matter, not something that needed to be in an official report… Ah, it’s not like I forced her or anything! We’re a recognized couple, Witch-sama approves!」
(What!? I never approved that!!)
Ritter’s outrageous statement made Nikolaus turn toward me with a disbelieving look, but it was news to me too! My startled reaction, of course, was sealed behind my lips; instead, I’d instinctively smiled, which must have looked like confirmation.
(Wh-what do I do! That’s not what I meant! I didn’t think they were that far gone!)
I knew Ritter was drifting further from normal behavior, but as long as he wasn’t harming anyone, I hadn’t intervened. …Well, honestly, if I did intervene, it would probably be to stop his breathing rather than his actions, so maybe silence was safer.
「Well, fine then. If you ever want kids, I’ll help.」
「Eh…!? Magician-dono, you’re so kind! Thank you! But only after we’re married!」
(Wait, what!?)
Nikolaus’s response respected Ritter’s feelings, and at least it meant he wouldn’t be destroying anyone, which was a relief. But 「help them have children」? That part threw me completely.
(A human and a mandragora having children…? But I can reproduce alone.)
I was a hermaphroditic monster; I could create descendants whenever I wanted. The seeds I produced now served as my eyes, if I buried one, my offspring would sprout easily. The sprouts currently walking around weren’t born that way, they were made using my Split skill, which meant they were degraded clones, not true children. If I grew a new plant from one of my actual seeds, it might inherit more of my power. But a true child wouldn’t necessarily be as gentle as I was. I had no plans to create one. A new monster might not obey me; better to prevent that risk entirely. Some things simply shouldn’t exist.
「Ah, Witch-sama… and Magician-dono as well? That’s a rare pairing.」
Leonhart appeared as the discussion ended. He smiled warmly as always, though upon noticing Nikolaus he straightened up, as if realizing this must be official business. Such a serious man.
(I hope Nikolaus’s meeting doesn’t take long. I’ll relax once he’s back in the capital.)
Even if his hostility had lessened, Nikolaus was still the one I had to watch most carefully. I’d followed him here because I wanted to see him safely leave, but then his next words nearly made me faint.
「…We have to discuss the frontier defense plans. It’ll take at least one night.」
(What!? He’s not leaving!?)
And then came talk that it could last several days. My panic spiked. If he stayed in the village during that time, where would he lodge? Knowing him, he might choose to stay near my house just to monitor me.
(No, no, that’s bad…! Wait, what if I build him a place to stay first?)
If I provided him a comfortable, exclusive place, he’d have no reason to come near my home. The knights’ quarters were on the opposite edge of the village, with an open lot beside them, plenty of space to build.
(If I make it from plants, I can sense when he’s inside. …Still, maybe I should post a watcher too.)
I didn’t want to sync with the purple one, so I called another sprout to come here while I grew a large tree. Normally, it’d be hard to shape natural plants into a house, but I could order them to grow as I wished. The idea was a tree with a hollow interior, a house within a tree. I even shaped tables, chairs, and hammocks to function as furniture. It was simple, but comfortable, about as practical as a small business hotel.
(Yes, it looks nice! Nikolaus should be satisfied… )
「Hey… what exactly are you doing?」
(Eek! he’s not satisfied!?)
I’d used a fair bit of magic, but I was proud of it, it looked cozy and well-made! Yet his tone made me flinch. Maybe he didn’t realize what it was?
(It’s a lodging! A lodging…! Uhh, how do I write it…)
The grass around here was too thick to draw letters on, and I didn’t dare take his hand to write on it, just imagining that made me picture him instantly attacking in alarm. So instead, I nervously wove the vines together into wobbly shapes and crept close enough for him to see.
『I thought you might need a place to stay.』
「…You’re an idiot if you think a simple lodging needs that.」
He sounded exasperated, but not angry. In fact, when he said, 「Well, since it’s here, I’ll use it,」 and turned away, I almost wilted in relief. That was perfect. He’d stay there. The tree-house contained a faint part of my consciousness via the Split skill, so I’d know when Nikolaus was inside. And once the new sprout arrived, I could leave it near him to keep watch.
「Witch-sama, it looks like rain. You should head back soon… Shall I escort you?」
(Not yet, the sprout isn’t here…)
Leonhart’s voice was polite and concerned, but I shook my head. The child hadn’t arrived yet; I couldn’t leave without setting a watcher. Soon after, the rain began pouring down in earnest. Ritter and Nikolaus hurried inside the knights’ lodge, seeking shelter. I didn’t mind the rain, it felt nice, but humans always ran from it.
Still, if I took shelter with them, I’d be trapped in that tense space for hours. That sounded unbearable. …Well, I’m already kind of stiff, but still.
「Witch-sama, you’ll get soaked…! Please, hurry inside!」
Leonhart quickly tried to shield me with his cloak. He’d get drenched like that, and if he caught a cold because of me, it’d ruin my 「kind witch」 image. So I created a large leaf overhead, shielding us both. Raindrops drummed on it softly. Leonhart widened his eyes a little in surprise.
「Ah… Forgive me. I overstepped.」
He smiled faintly, looking both apologetic and a bit lonely. I shook my head. His human warmth reminded me of what it was like to be human myself, something I was grateful for. Having a kind human near helped me remember what empathy looked like.
And it was convenient that he’d stayed. The sprout had arrived.
Through the heavy rain, splashing as it ran on its stubby legs, the little green sprout scurried between us, slipping under the leaf umbrella. To Leonhart, it must have looked like it was seeking shelter, but it was simply following my order to appear before me.
「Oh? Even a mandragora doesn’t like this much rain?」
(Yeah, too much water isn’t ideal. Though that’s not the reason this time…)
I handed Leonhart the leaf to hold, then picked up the green sprout. Its clothes were muddy and brown from the wet ground, so I took them off and re-wove a fresh set from fibers, dressing it again in green. It curled up bashfully, though that wasn’t embarrassment; it was pretending to be cute.
Now properly clothed, it was ready. I needed Leonhart to take it to Nikolaus, but how to tell him…?
(Hmm… he’s safe to speak to.)
I motioned him closer, gesturing with my hand. Under the large leaf, I couldn’t get any nearer, so Leonhart leaned his head slightly down toward me. With the veil between us, there was no risk of accidental touch. I rose on tiptoe and whispered.
「This child… please take care of it.」
「…! …Yes. Leave it to me.」
The rain was so loud that even this close, my voice was hard to hear. No one inside the building would catch it. Still, it felt like sharing a secret. I entrusted the green sprout to him, and knowing Leonhart’s sense of responsibility, he would surely keep it near him.
(Good. Now I can watch what Nikolaus does with the knights. That’s one worry off my mind.)
After giving Leonhart the sprout, I created another leaf umbrella for myself and turned toward home. I had no more reason to linger. I’d quietly monitor through the green sprout’s senses while resting in my house.
(Yes, this is the safest plan. I really am a genius…!)
RELEASE RATE
Reincarnated as a Mandragora, Worshipped as the Flower Witch. …If They Find Out I’m a Monster, Will They Hunt Me Down?
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 80 hours
Thx for the chapter.