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The seed found everything in the world fascinating.

Even as the winds whipped violently, just a few steps away, the air warmed up.

Some places were a riot of colors, while others were filled with lush green grass and trees.

The stone wall felt stifling, yet somehow bearable.

Overhead, there was a sky heavy with dark, gloomy clouds, in stark contrast to the distinct environments of the sharply divided locations below.

“This is an unexpected situation, to say the least.”

“Poo-ron?”

And upon opening my eyes, there stood a gigantic crow right in front of me.

Instinctively, the seed realized that this massive crow had nurtured and raised it.

If that were the case, then the giant crow was like a mother.

Of course, the crow, Corvus, was biologically male, but after it had dressed the seed and fed it, the seed was convinced that Corvus was its mother.

Through Corvus, the seed learned and remembered much, becoming Flora.

Flora opened her eyes deep within the greenhouse, having been entrusted to grow by a boy named Karem when she was just a seed. Thus, she was born from the bud that grew from her.

Naturally, those who came to realize Flora’s birth were cautious.

After all, a mysterious woman appeared from a plant bud in a restricted area; there was no guarantee she wasn’t a monster.

However, that caution didn’t last long.

“Wow, it’s green!”

“Poo-ron?”

“Green! What is green’s name?”

“Poo-ro-lo-ron?”

“Poo-ro-lo-ron? Is that a name? No?”

As was often the case, while Baroness Poppins briefly stepped away, Alicia, escaping the confinement of servants, discovered Flora.

Flora, just by existing, stimulated Alicia’s heart.

From the tips of her head to the very ends of her, she was a light green, sprouting flowers she had never seen before in her hair. Even her face was as pretty as Mama’s.

Of course, the two did not understand each other.

Basically, conversation begins with understanding the other party’s opinions, but one was constantly saying “Poo-ron” while the other was asking questions and speaking unilaterally; surprisingly, they managed to communicate.

That alone was enough for a six-year-old girl filled with goodwill and curiosity, and a seed-turned-adult to become friends or soul partners.

“…Since Alicia likes it so much, let’s just leave it be.”

“But my lord, that? A girl? Anyway, she could be some kind of monster-”

“If it were a monster, there would have been a ruckus long ago, right? The greenhouse is under heavy guard.”

“Isn’t that constantly breached by the princess?”

“Regardless.”

Alfred vaguely knew of the existence through Karem and Catherine. So he calmly reassured his worried subjects. After all, a gift of the gods born would be unlikely to cause a problem; he recognized it was somewhat irresponsible to think this way.

Moreover, he also held a hope that Alicia’s activity might decrease.

It was like the logic of tiring out a dog until it calmed down.

Alfred cherished Alicia, but honestly, that overwhelming vitality was hard to handle.

Be that as it may, Flora’s daily life, born from a gift of the gods, was incredibly simple compared to the worries of the servants.

She roamed freely in the greenhouse, helping with Corvus’s work, playing with various plants and animals, or sharing snacks brought by Alicia, rolling on the floor, or climbing trees. That was all.

Of course, Flora was also curious about the world outside the greenhouse.

As she pondered going out, the sky suddenly began to pour down heavy snow—

“Alright, Flora! This is the-”

“Kwaaaaaa-!!!!!!”

The usual soft chirping of Flora turned into a wild shriek as a wild boar fled from a ferocious beast for the first time.

Startled by the unexpected escape plan, Flora, with the servants’ spirits deflated, decided to hunker down in the greenhouse. After all, the outside world was dangerous.

And during this time, apart from saving the life of a small boy being assisted by two gigantic beings, there was nothing special about her daily life.

Rolling in the grass, climbing trees, playing with plants and animals, she helped with Corvus’s work or felt the vitality of the greenhouse buried underground.

“Poo-ro-lo-ron~♬”

“Flora! Alicia has come!”

Flora, who had buried herself with just her head sticking out, welcomed Alicia, who was tapping her forehead.

“Flora. Flora. I brought guests.”

“Poo-ron~?”

“Kitty and Karem! Mary said she’d come later, and Gordon is here too!”

Flora tilted her head just above ground. She had seen Kitty and Karem before. She vaguely knew Mary from what Alicia said. But who was Gordon?

“Poo-ron~”

“Oh, here they come. That one on the far right is Gordon.”

Following Alicia’s finger, Flora turned her head.

As she said, three people were walking along the path.

‘I’m glad both are alright.’

Flora sighed in relief and nodded upon seeing Catherine and Karem, whose condition had not been good during their first encounter.

Catherine, with her overwhelming presence and magic in disarray, clearly showed signs of fatigue, while Karem had come close to death, despite her pouring vitality into him.

But at least now, they seemed okay. Naturally, her gaze shifted to Karem again.

“Ugh-”

“Uh? Flora?”

Flora, who had been peeking out from the ground, opened her mouth wide. Before her, a sword was approaching.

‘Wow, that power, that vitality…’

Instinctively, Flora sensed the sword’s body and the power it held. The intense vitality and magical energy surging within made her heart race unintentionally.

“Poo, Poo-ron???”

“That way? Yes, that’s Gordon.”

“Poo-ro-lo-ron~?”

“Umm, he’s a Swordmaster, which means he’s a master of swords, as Papa said.”

A master of swords. It was enough to make Flora’s heart skip a beat once more. Was that why he felt like a single sword?

Flora could perceive other sword-like presences in the greenhouse and its surroundings, but none held as much strength as Gordon.

Though she sometimes sensed beings comparable to him.

But they were all either weak or held less power.

Yet Gordon was different.

Vitality? Magic?

What she instinctively collected from the greenhouse was but a flickering candle’s flame.

The power that resided within her?

Among those she had sensed outside the greenhouse until now, very few were comparable.

Gordon was the only one who embodied both. Even his neatly trimmed beard, just visible beneath, was to her taste.

“Poo-ro-lo-ron! Poo-ro-lo-ron~♬”

“You want support? Flora, what does that even—”

“Poo-ro-lo-ron-”

“Whoa!”

With a sudden burst, Flora emerged from the ground, as though pulling a radish from the soil. Lightly waving her hand, roots gathered around her to fill in the ugly hole and mound of earth just as it had been originally.

Flora completed her cleanup and dashed along the path.

Her target was Gordon, who walked along that way.

Flora chirped cheerfully and leaped towards Gordon.

“Uh? Oh no, what is this-!?”

“Poo-ro-lo-ron~♪”

Let’s make a seed together!

*

*

*

Mary had visited the greenhouse a few times before. Naturally, that was only when she entered with Catherine for work, and she had never come in privately.

“So, that is the situation.”

Mary gently and naturally sent Alicia, who was clingy and passionately sniffing around, toward Gordon and Flora.

“What is even going on there?”

“Were you asking me?”

The targeted Karem shook his head in exasperation. Honestly, he didn’t understand what was happening.

“Poo-ro-lo-ron~♪”

“Wait a minute, who on earth is this girl!?”

“Poo-ro-lo-ron-!”

“She insists on being called by her proper name.”

“No, wait, she wants you to properly call her name..”

“Poo-ron~♬”

A girl with green skin and countless autumn leaves sprouting from her body clung to Gordon, who was both surprised and perplexed, while Alicia translated her words as best she could.

“She’s not someone we’ve seen in Winterhome or the greenhouse.”

“She supposedly sprouted from a seed left in the greenhouse while I was on a business trip to Highland.”

“A seed, you say?”

“Yeah, the place called Fungusbee Village.”

“Ah.”

Watching Flora cling to Gordon, Mary nodded.

“I indeed recall hearing about that.”

I didn’t mention it before. Did Catherine say it? Karem thought as he looked at Flora, firmly gripping Gordon’s body.

A fleeting thought crossed his mind about how a pretty face could get away with anything, but honestly, seeing what she was doing to Gordon made him feel it wasn’t the case.

Nevertheless, it seemed that Gordon, while startled, did not appear to mind being stuck to a beauty.

Then suddenly, he noticed the leaves growing in Flora’s swaying hair and the sprouts from the top of her head.

‘But what exactly is her race?’

Karem felt a curious inclination and softly hummed. Come to think of it, he realized there was someone he could ask about it.

“Sir Atanitas, what race is Flora?”

“What race, you ask? To be honest, I have no clue.”

That was yet another unexpected answer.

“Is it you speaking, Sir Atanitas?”

“Yes. As far as I know, there’s no such race in Europa right now. Initially, I thought she might be a high elf due to her abundant vitality, but that’s not possible. Plus, judging from those sprouts and the flowers and leaves I saw earlier, it’s definitely not.”

“You don’t mean to say she’s a plant-type monster, do you?”

“Seeing her, I certainly can’t see her as a monster.”

It was a rare occasion for Katherine, who promptly answered any questions. Yet, judging by her tone, it seemed she wasn’t completely in the dark about it either.

“Well, do you have any races you can guess?”

“Yes. No, it’s just that my memory is a bit hazy. I feel like I read something about a race with those characteristics a long time ago.”

Katherine spun the ends of her hair as she gazed at Flora.

“Hmm, this unknown relative’s power and vitality. The visible traits…”

“Um? A distant relative? Perhaps you mean a fairy?”

“Indeed. And first, I’ll take care of that robe.”

Mary affirmed as she snatched Catherine’s robe from Karem’s hands.

“I’ve only heard about it a few times when I was young.”

“But hey, Mary. If she’s your relative, isn’t that a bit broad, covering everything from fairies that turned into monsters to lake fairies?”

“However, narrowing it down with the vitality in those sprouts and leaves, only one remains.”

With an assertive nuance, Katherine focused on Mary, and Karem followed suit, watching her closely.

“Dryad.”

“Ah, yes. It was a Dryad.”

So what’s a Dryad? Of course, Karem knew what a Dryad was. But that was knowledge from a past life.

He read mythological comic books so much as a child that there was no way he wouldn’t know. But the Dryad from back then and the Dryad now might not be the same. In fact, that one from his past life was merely a local deity named fairy.

“It had slipped my mind for over a hundred years. Dryad. The fairy of the trees.”

“Hmm, that sounds similar.”

“You mean the little one from your past life?”

“Yes. And just for the record, I’m not a little one anymore.”

Don’t mess with me. Ignoring Katherine’s words, Karem decided to give up and observed Flora, who was tightly clinging to Gordon and looked away alternately at Mary.

“…I guess the image is quite different.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing. Anyway, Dryads.”

During his stay at the Wizard’s Tower and conversations with Mary, Karem learned about many fairies.

Fairies that were treated as monsters and hunted.

House fairies like Mary, who were obsessed with work.

Free-spirited troublemaker wind fairies known as Sylphs.

Sea fairies, the eternal idols of sailors known as Nereids, and so on.

“But thinking about it, this is my first time hearing of a Dryad.”

“That’s normal. They were obliterated, so there’s no reason to mention them.”

“Obliterated? The whole race you mean? By whom?”

Karem, wondering if he had misheard, asked for clarification. It isn’t like modern times ran a slaughterhouse, after all—how could that happen?

“The Demon Lord.”

Katherine’s calm statement was affirmed by Mary.

“I heard they vanished when the Palatino Empire was destroyed by the Demon Lord’s army.”

“But how do you know about that?”

“My mother told me. It’s a story passed down through generations.”

So she might know. Katherine kept quiet.

 

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