「Ah, the Blood Blossom Alraune. It’s been quite some time since I last saw one.」
Ji Liz, who had flown over, looked at Mint playing in the courtyard with Chocola and expressed great admiration.
It was still early in the morning.
Mint was born, grew legs, learned to speak despite her stutter, and even managed to fill father’s grave with flowers. Even Mother, the 「Heavenly Bell Witch」 had given up understanding her with her own knowledge.
Now, there was no choice but to rely on the ancient dragon, who had lived for a long time. After all, it was probably thanks to Ji Liz’s blood spilled at that dissection site that everything began (or so it seemed). He had an obligation to explain what he knew.
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…And so, I apologize for having you come all the way to our house so early in the morning.
「First of all, what exactly is an Alraune? We humans have very little information. All we have are vague legends, things of uncertain truth.」
Mother asked, looking anxious.
Naturally, she would be concerned. Mint was cute, intelligent, and had inherited the magical abilities of the entire family. But precisely because of that, we needed to understand the abnormality of her abilities and her true nature.
Perhaps mother was considering the painful future and was driving us, Karen and I, to avoid the worst-case scenario. She was enduring it as a parent in our place.
Ji Liz seemed to sense mother’s emotions and immediately gave his conclusion.
「Fear not, Heavenly Bell-dono. Alraunes are benevolent beings. Especially that child, she would never harm you.」
「…I see.」
And.
Mother let out a deep breath.
「That’s a relief.」
Her words were filled with mixed emotions.
With a nod, Ji Liz resumed his explanation.
「First, let’s discuss the story of the man-eating plant, the Mandrake. Heavenly Bell-dono… No, as people commonly know, the conditions for its growth are straightforward. It is a monster plant that sprouts from the flesh and blood of living creatures, transforming through the absorption of the land’s magic. However, there seems to be a common misconception. It is believed that the Mandrake possesses the upper body of a human and the lower body of a plant… but in reality, it is not necessarily humanoid. It merely mimics a form based on the absorbed magic, without inherently fixed features.」
「…So there are Mandrakes that take non-humanoid forms?」
「Exactly. But consider the conditions for its origin. What constitutes a place ‘filled with flesh and blood’? For instance, in the natural order of things, it is rare for blood and flesh to overflow in the mountains and fields where creatures prey on each other. Beasts consume insects, which in turn become bones and decay… So when does an abundance of flesh and blood saturate the earth?」
Ah, I see.
「During wars or situations like ours, where we dispose of prey’s entrails and blood in one place… In other words, environments conducive to Mandrake birth often involve human involvement.」
That’s why these monster plants absorb both the land and human magic.
And precisely because they absorb human magic, they take on human forms—.
Ji Liz nodded and continued, casting a glance at Mint.
「Now, here’s the thing. In truth, there is no fundamental difference between the Blood Blossom Alraune and the man-eating Mandrake as monsters. Their conditions of origin remain unchanged. The difference lies in their environment—the flesh that serves as their nursery and the absorbed magic power.」
「Your blood, Ji Liz. And the land… our family’s magic.」
「Well, I hadn’t exactly anticipated this outcome. At that time, I never imagined that the seed of a monster plant lay in the soil, nor did I expect an Alraune to be born.」
The dragon’s intuition.
When I first saw it, I was utterly surprised—more like repulsed, honestly. But if it weren’t for that, Mint might not have been born like this. Perhaps mother was considering the worst-case scenario.
This land, you see, originates from an otherworldly Earth where magic power is exceptionally potent.
Not only the house but also the courtyard and the surrounding soil are of Earthly origin, likely harboring magic power far beyond what this world can compare to—perhaps even the remnants of father’s hair magic power were astonishing.
「That child wields earth magic at an astounding level. Despite having a plant-like body, she created legs through magic. Even now, she runs around without roots. And as an extra touch… she created that flowerbed around father’s grave.」
The colorful flowers blooming around father’s tombstone evoke warmth.
It feels as if Mint’s sentiments toward father—and by extension, our family—are being conveyed.
Ji Liz narrowed his eyes and spoke.
「That’s how absurdly potent the magic in this land is. While I’ve certainly encountered Alraunes before, none quite like her. To stumble upon such a miraculous being—likely a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me.」
「But surely, the quantity of magic isn’t the sole condition for Alraune birth, is it? Your blood played a role in distinguishing her, and that seems slightly different. At least, it’s not the reason she was born as an Alraune instead of a Mandrake.」
Acknowledging Mother’s speculation, Ji Liz nodded.
「Indeed. Mandrakes attack humans. They mimic humans and consume them. But on the other hand, Alraunes, born through the same process, are the opposite in every way except for their ability to ‘mimic humans’. They love humans and strive to live alongside them. Their mimicry isn’t meant to deceive but rather to be loved.」
Mandrakes and Alraunes, despite their reversed orientations, may simply be following survival strategies as living beings.
To deceive for sustenance or to take on an endearing form to be protected. To mimic human appearance for deception or to assume a cute form to be cherished.
In the end, it’s about using the innate abilities to survive.
But I didn’t want to think of Mint that way.
After all, that child—no, perhaps Alraunes as monsters—…
「So that’s what you mean by unusual.」
「You noticed, Sui. Your speculation was spot-on.」
Ji Liz smirked.
「The conditions for Alraune birth are remarkably simple. Just feed the monster plant, which sprouts from flesh and blood, with benevolent magic power. That’s all there is to it. My blood merely assisted in that process.」
「…But it seems contradictory. It shouldn’t happen naturally.」
「Exactly. In places where flesh and blood are scattered and discarded, there are usually malevolent magic users. Especially in soil tainted by decaying flesh, magic inevitably stagnates and becomes impure. Fulfilling those conditions is rare. Yet you managed to meet them—consuming enough flesh, as well as your kindness toward each other. Still, I did lend a hand, so perhaps you can feel grateful?」
「No, I truly appreciate it. …As a token of gratitude, I’ll give you some large meat.」
「You sure? I’ll take it then.」
Ji Liz chuckled. For a long-lived species, he was quite opportunistic.
「The last time I saw an Alraune was about two hundred years ago… It was near the mountain where a hermit lived in seclusion. The hermit accidentally cultivated it.」
「There shouldn’t be any documented cases like that. First, it’s essential to be far from human settlements; otherwise, malevolent magic power might mix in.」
「Indeed. If malevolent magic power seeps in, it becomes a man-eating Mandrake.」
I wonder if that hermit enjoyed a pleasant life with the Alraune.
I hope so.
「Sui! Look!」
Mint waved her hands excitedly.
「High! So high!」
She giggled while riding on Pochi’s back.
「It’s really high! …Are you okay? Can you get down safely?」
「Down!」
Mint dove casually to the ground.
「Bark!」
Chocola’s back gently caught her. In sync with the dive, Chocola leaped and skillfully softened the landing.
「Wasn’t that amazing just now?」
「Shocola, one! One more!」
「Bark!」
While nudging Mint, who was attempting to climb back onto Pochi, Chocola wagged his tail. Karen, who had been closely watching the scene, raised her thumb in my direction. It seems she secretly supported her acrobatics with wind magic.
「As you can see, Heavenly Bell-dono, I understand the spirit and anxiety of a parent. But rest assured.」
Ji Liz said so, smiling at Mother.
He, too, had a family. Surely, there were shared feelings and understanding.
Mother’s cautiousness. The need to prepare for the worst-case scenario, even while fearing the unknown.
「Once again, I’ll say it, that child is a benevolent being. And because you are benevolent, she was born—a precious addition to your family. Take good care of her… I’m sure Kazuteru-dono would have said the same.」
「I’m not thrilled about you speaking on his behalf… But yes, you’re right.」
Mother muttered under her breath, assuming I couldn’t hear her.
So I pretended not to hear—well, I didn’t want to pretend anymore—and ran toward Mint and the others.
Father, surely you couldn’t have foreseen this?
Your family has grown by one more child.
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AN: The settings for Alraunes and Mandrakes (Mandragoras) in this story are unique to this work. There are no such legends in reality, so please keep that in mind.
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