“Uooooooo!? Let go of me, you damn perverted monster!!”

Writhing and squirming, countless thick vines crawled in a disgusting mass, and several of them had me completely restrained.

This was a plant-type monster called Vinesarte.

It isn’t the type that directly kills its prey, but instead captures humans or animals to use them as a nutrient source.

Its main body is like a floating log with a single eye, located at the base of all those vines, but the sheer number of vines makes it extremely difficult to reach the core with an attack.

…And right now, I’m caught by that monster, with it squirming around and groping my butt, and as for how this ended up happening―

* * *

“Hey, Seti, do me a favor and come with me to the southern forest for a bit.”

The one who said that while clasping her hands together was Kühel, one of my fellow Hero party members and an “Appraiser”.

She’s a sharp, business-minded woman with a straightforward personality, good at making money, and handles the party’s finances.

“The south? Why there?”

“Well, according to information I picked up in this town, there’s a rare fiber plant in the southern forest. Haven’t you heard of it somewhere, Seti? It’s called Lamelaruha grass.”

I do read a lot of books, and I did recognize the name this time, but relying on my knowledge that much is a bit much.

“Lamelaruha… that’s the one used to make Lameroff woven fabric, right? If I remember correctly, it only grows in limited environments, hasn’t been successfully cultivated, and is rarely found, so it’s extremely expensive―”

“Exactly! That Lamelaruha grass. If the info’s true, it’ll make us a nice profit, and Lameroff fabric would benefit Aleid and everyone too, right? Yeah? Yeah?”

Kühel is also one of the ones who’s into Aleid, bringing up his name first.

Apparently, she used to be a money-obsessed type who clawed her way up from being an orphan, believing “money is everything”.

But after meeting Aleid, her personality changed completely.

Now she works behind the scenes supporting the Hero party’s finances and supplies.

By the way, before becoming an “Appraiser”, she was a “Peddler”, and before that a “Light Armed” warrior.

Having gone through three jobs like that is pretty rare in this world.

* * *

‘And so, I came along with her to the forest entrance, but then Kühel just ran off ahead, monsters showed up, and now this mess!’

Kühel is a hardworking member for the sake of the party, but she has one flaw.

Once her focus locks onto something, she loses sight of everything else and rushes ahead.

Thanks to her experience as a former “Light Armed” warrior, she can still handle combat decently.

But since she understands her own flaw, that’s probably why she asked me to come along…

‘Just because she spotted something valuable in the distance, she just leaves her companion behind? If you know your flaw, at least check if your teammate is following you!!’

Sploosh.

“Ugh!? Hey, don’t… go in… nyaa!? Ah, ah, stop… ooooh!”

My butt feels cold… no, hot?

Vinesarte sends its vines into the prey’s body, reaching the internal organs, breaking everything down, and absorbing it as nutrients.

So of course, it’s entering all my sensitive openings.

“Ugh… you damn thing… haa haa, don’t think you can just take me by force!”

I kick my legs.

I’m just barely unable to reach its main body.

White Mage magic is mostly for healing and support, with very few combat spells.

Once I’m caught like this, I’m practically helpless.

The vines crawling deeper and deeper feel disgusting.

It’s not like they rush in all at once, but more like a slow, wriggling invasion that sends chills down my spine.

* * *

“Haah… haah… this thing… it’s definitely attacked humans before. It’s way too… experienced with those vines…”

Vinesarte normally doesn’t appear near forest entrances.

It prefers deeper forest areas with more prey.

But occasionally, one that has tasted humans will come out of its natural habitat and start targeting people again.

“Don’t underestimate a White Mage… ngh… not again… haa haa… doing whatever you want… I won’t let you enjoy this!”

Honestly, I’ve already been messed with so much that my words sound like nothing but empty bravado.

But I do have a way to escape this situation—and defeat Vinesarte alone.

‘I’d rather not use it… and it would’ve been best if Kühel noticed and came to help, but that woman just charged into the forest and hasn’t come back at all… seriously…’

I didn’t just let the monster do whatever it wanted.

My plan required the monster’s core to get as close as possible to me.

Honestly, this is a trump card that consumes most of my magic power, so I don’t want to use it.

It has to succeed when used, and if I mess up, I’m completely finished.

“Haa… haa… haa… damn―I’m about to… but being made to climax by a monster repeatedly… ugh, screw it―you damn perverted vine bastard, disappear already. <Mega Shiny Burn>!!!”

Flash!

My entire body suddenly emitted an intense light.

This is actually a secret original spell I developed, prepared for situations where I’m in danger alone.

‘Originally, I wanted it to affect a radius of 10 meters, but―’

Fwoooosh!!

‘―it works perfectly anyway☆’

The Vinesarte melted and burned away.

No surprise there.

Even if only for an instant, the light carries heat far stronger than fire magic.

It’s an ultra-high-temperature flash emitted in all directions from about 20 cm away from my body, ensuring I’m not harmed.

That’s <Mega Shiny Burn 'provisional'>.

Originally, I was aiming for something like a famous dragon JRPG’s blazing heat spell… but for some reason it comes out from my whole body instead of my hands, the flashy part is mostly just light, it consumes ridiculous amounts of mana, and the heat only extends about 1–2 meters.

Unless the enemy is basically touching me, it has almost no offensive capability.

Honestly, even though I named it, it’s a terribly incomplete spell.

If a renowned mage saw it, they’d probably say, “No, that’s just a failed prototype.”

But hey, it worked, so it’s fine!

‘The light reaches like 200 meters though… haah, finally I can move… take this.’

I stomp on the charred remains of the core.

It crumbles into ash, completely defeated.

“Phew… what a mess―”

“―Sure was, Seti. Those vine scraps sticking out from under your skirt… don’t tell me they’re still inside?”

“…Don’t just show up like nothing happened and act normal, Kühel!!”

This is exactly what annoys me about her.

Thwack thwack thwack

“Hahaha, sorry, really my bad. But when you started glowing, that’s when I realized. I seriously messed up, I’ll make it up to you, I swear, so please forgive me!”

She crouches down and starts removing the vine remnants still tangled around my body, tossing them aside.

Plop, plop… pull… pop

“Ugh!! Hey, be gentler… haa… haa…”

“Ah… um, now that I think about it, Seti… was that your first time?? If so, I seriously wouldn’t even complain if you killed me…”

That’s the thing about Kühel.

She actually reflects properly when she realizes she messed up.

Which somehow makes it even more irritating.

If she acts all apologetic like that, I can’t even stay mad.

“Sigh… it’s fine. I’ve already lost it before… but that doesn’t change the fact I got violated by a monster. So I’m not letting you off. Be ready to make it up to me.”

“Wait, you’ve already had experience?! No way, you don’t look like it at all! I totally thought you hadn’t yet… who was it? When? Don’t tell me you got attacked back when you were a ‘Nun’? C’mon, tell me, that’d make a great story to sell!”

“Rejected! Who do you think you’re selling that to? It’s way too obvious!”

While talking like that, with my mana completely drained, I was carried back to town on Kühel’s back.

And apparently, she had successfully obtained the plant.

I’m definitely making her treat me to something expensive next time.

* * *

―That night, at the inn, in Frick’s room.

“So, these are the video crystals you wanted.”

Ten thumb-sized crystals, gleaming faintly, were lined up on the table.

“Oh, so these are them. The contents are properly recorded, I assume?”

“Of course. I set up ten magic recording cameras around the area where I left Seti behind. No mistake about it.”

Frick’s glasses gleamed at that.

This world has magical tools that can record video.

They require special crystals and recording devices, and aren’t sold publicly.

Even nobles usually only have cheaper versions for entertainment.

But as the Hero party, we had permission from the king to carry and use high-quality ones…

“So this should more than cover the cost of the Lamelaruha information, right?”

“Yes, yes, of course. I’d even be willing to give you extra―”

“―Oh really? Then hand all of that over to me, including the extra. Right now.”

In the dim room, lit only by a lantern near them, my smiling face appeared behind the two, illuminated from below.

“W—”

“Eh!? Seti!? Weren’t you knocked out in your room from running out of mana!?”

“Oh, I was. But then I thought something seemed off… so I kept an eye on Kühel just in case, and wouldn’t you know it, she went straight into Frick’s room. Suspicious, right? And I’m glad to see my suspicions were absolutely correct, you worthless pair.”

When people get angry, they sometimes revert to their hometown dialect.

In my case, maybe it’s because I was raised as a noble lady.

The refined speech drilled into me in childhood comes out instead.

Since I really was out of mana, I used a prototype paralysis drug I had developed for use against the Demon King’s army and sprayed it on both of them without mercy.

* * *

As a result, the Hero party’s rest period was extended by two days.

During those two days, Frick and Kühel, both completely numb, were thoroughly scolded by Aleid and the older members.

The recording cameras managed by Kühel, along with the video crystals containing my embarrassing footage, were successfully confiscated from that pervert Frick before he could use them.