That Time a Bookworm Got Ascended in Tensura

Ch.34 Dialogue Not Found

Rozemyne's pov: 

I was standing in my garden, I was pouring magicules into the flagstone in the center of the garden. Standing next to me was Adalman, the wight had asked to observe the circuit in full operation. 

"Subarashii, you have an incredible capacity." He commented, standing there in his flowing priestly robes. They laid across his shoulder low and the collar was bent, while the waist was tied tightly around his exposed spine. As he was a skeleton, only I was comfortable around him out of everyone staying in my house. 

"Why did you want to help me with this? You offered nearly immediately after coming into Tempest." I posed the question while ceasing the stream of magicules, I had done it much more slowly this time to control the amount I used better. Though I only needed a small amount to top it off. 

For a moment he stood there awkwardly, then looked to the complex circuit of magic circles and symbols. "To prove myself to Rimuru-sama. He already has many strong subordinates. So I wanted to prove myself in a different way, I doubt I could keep up with Benimaru-dono or Diablo-dono in strength." He was scratching the back of his skull with his fingers softly while looking over every detail again and again. His eye sockets glowed just a bit with the little blue flames inside. 

Hmm. I stood up fully and walked over to the wight while grabbing onto the sleeve of his robe lightly. Then I gave an idea, "Ehrenfest has a magical barrier around the duchy, maybe you could devise one for this city. Or maybe even the whole of Jura, though that sounds far more difficult. Still, I'm sure you'd be able to make one for the city at least. Make it the best in the world, if you really wanna prove your skill." I gave him the tallest order I thought he could handle. I smiled brightly up to him, while giving a small thumbs up. 

Adalman looked down at me when I pulled on his sleeve, then seemed to get a bit of a brighter shine in his eyes as I explained. Soon he looked to the sky and seemed to drop his jaw in what seemed like an excited expression. Soon after he yelled a bit with glee. "YES! Yes, that is the perfect idea. I can make Tempest impenetrable, I'm sure of it with Veldora-sama and Rimuru-sama here to charge the barrier, though I think I want to take that a bit higher. I will make a magic circuit for the whole city!" He exclaimed at the top of his non-existent lungs. Shortly after he shot into the air as he flew off into the distance. 

"Heh." I made a smug expression while watching him fly off, then looked back to the house. I watched as the door slowly creaked open, and a head peaked out. 

"Is he gone?.." It was Benno's voice, and his head. 

I nodded and grabbed onto Benno with my magic, dragging him out of the door. "Get going, your fear of that sweet guy made you late." I made a bit of an indignant face while staring down at him. I'd kept him off the ground, but he was near it. 

"I know, I know." He put his feet on the ground while carefully standing up, he was in his nice clothes. Though he had added his nice new coat to the set. "Boy! Get out here, you'll need to come too." Benno yelled into the house after having stood up fully. 

Soon enough Lutz came running out of the house, he was holding an overflowing folder full of papers. Along with that he was wearing a nice suit of his own, a white button-up shirt with a black vest and dress pants. "Yes, sensei!" He yelled and he was soon standing file behind Benno. 

I admired the new suit for a minute, it was even fancier than his old one somehow. "Did you two go clothes shopping yesterday?" I raised an eyebrow while asking, I had not been with them so I was unsure. 

Benno nodded, "The boy needed new dress clothes, he outgrew the old ones." He huffed a bit out of irritation, but his eyes weren't exactly mad. After that he gave himself a moment to compose. 

"So, why do you need to hold an opening? You've already hired all your new employees." I commented while leaning from side to side, and balancing myself by manipulating gravity. Perhaps I relied on magic too much? No, that is preposterous. 

Benno seemed a little offended for a second. "You always need to formally open a business, otherwise you won't get a good reception early on. Without that you can't get the references you need early on." He explained with an indignant tone of his own, while shortly later realizing something. "You'll be a noble then?" He tilted his head aside, he had already been told about the plan. 

I nodded, "I suppose so. I guess it will keep me safe." I then looked away, I was thinking of going out into the town. If I wanted to I had to disguise myself, many citizens and had already had their memories of me modified by Shuna using a spell. 'Honestly the fact she can do that is scary.' I thought to myself. 

"You are absolutely not the type to behave like one." He chided me, before turning away to walk off with Lutz. Lutz seemed to puff his cheeks out a bit at what Benno said, but followed regardless. 

As I watched them leave, I could feel a disturbance. 'Rimuru? Wasn't he going to pick up his students in Engrassia? Wait. Did he get back here with teleportation? That's insane!' I was thinking while looked around, I could feel him but I couldn't nail down his coordinates. It seemed like he was all around me. 

Finally after a few moments, he finally took form outside the garden and the barrier of the protection circuit. He was giggling lightly at his own mistake. "You were right, I should not have tried to force my way through the circuit at that distance." He laughed out loud a moment later. He had been talking to himself at he was alone. 

"YOU MONSTER! I can't even use teleportation, and you just teleport half way across a continent casually!" I exclaimed while feigning a pained and defeated expression. I felt a bit more comfortable around him, wasn't sure why. Might have something to do with him having named me though. 

"Hehe. That was actually [Spatial Domination], I only need to use teleportation when I have other people involved." He smiled smugly at my joke. Then he said something more. "Florencia-san wants to meet you, so I think you should dress nice. She is Sylvester's wife, she's kinda strict." 

"When does she wanna meet?" I posed the question immediately, I was sorta excited. I also wondered if I should introduce her to my human family. I really wasn't sure. 

"Tonight. She'll be coming to Tempest with Sylvester, and their children. I'll be bringing them." Rimuru replied after a moment, then he changed into his slime form, and seemed to melt into a puddle on the ground while concealing his aura completely. 

Suddenly I saw a wild Shion appear, and look around frantically. She didn't have clearance on my protection circuit, so I was unsure if she could see my inside it. After confirming, incorrectly, that there was no Rimuru and making an annoyed face, she walked off. 

Rimuru in his puddle form flowed into the garden and then retook his standard slime shape, looking like a squishy ball that had lost a lot of air. "That was close. Anyway, yes. I will be bringing them tonight, dress nice. For your sake." After saying that, he rolled back out of the barrier and disappeared entirely. 

'What to wear?' I thought to myself before going back inside. 

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Sitting in a fancy dress alone in a room is perhaps the most uncomfortable way to spend any length of time, the awkwardness of the tight uncomfortable dress is completely unnecessary for the entire stretch of time. It is the worst thing in perhaps, all of existence. It was moments like these that made me incredibly jealous of Rimuru's pain nullification and slime body, if he is uncomfortable he could just decide not to be. "Damn you, slime-san!" I exclaimed under my breath. 

Shortly after that Shuna walked in, she was pushing a cart with snacks and tea. "Did you say something just now?" She gave me a friendly smile with her eyes half open and a shadow over her forehead. It felt like her aura was also letting loose a bit, it was terrifying. 

I shivered visibly and shouted, "NO! Nothing at all!" I leaned back and tried to look innocewnt while the shivers kept giving my guilt away. 

"Good. Your mother and siblings will be here shortly, though the oldest is a handful." Shuna had already taken to referring to them as my family. She was technically a noble herself, so I suppose that this kind of thing seems standard to her. Though to me it is still a bit uncomfortable. Shortly after she started setting out the snacks and drinks while taking extra care to ensure there was a proper arrangement to them, almost making an intricate pattern with the food and drink. 

I made a small readjustment so sitting up straight was a bit more comfortable, and started breathing intentionally. I assumed it would make young children more comfortable, at least compared to how I seemed normally. Couldn't do anything about the heartbeat, though. 

After that Shuna left the room, and did not come back. This left me sitting awkwardly while staring at food, though I wasn't able to be hungry. So there was no temptation besides one of my own volition, which granted was immense. I was able to restrain myself for the several minutes I needed to wait, while focusing on making a steady breathing pace that seemed natural. 

Finally the door opened, on its own due to the effect of a use of one of a certain slime's skill, but I didn't know which one. Shortly afterward he walked inside, in his full demon lord attire and at full height. "Come in, she's been waiting for a while." He said through the door then stepped to the side to allow a group to walk in. 

The first was a beautiful woman with very light blond hair, it seemed close to silver. She additionally had indigo eyes. The dress she was wearing was fancier than the one I was in, with an embroidered chest piece along with very slight puffs on the shoulders. It was a creamy white color while the embroidery was a peachy-gold. Her face was very fair and soft, and she carried herself in perhaps the most noble way I'd ever seen. Likely surpassing Shuna in terms of refinement. 

The next was a young boy, probably a year older than my real age in this world. He had blond hair, which was fully and thicker in color than the woman. He had deep green eyes and a confident look on his face, while he was wearing a tight fitting blue an cream suit. The shoulders being blue while the sides of the torso were cream and the center was additionally blue. Honestly it looked sorta funny. 

The next was a young girl, probably close to a year younger than my real age. Though we were around the same size, which irked me a bit. Luckily I was sure I was slightly taller.  She had the same hair and eye color as the woman, but her face was a little sharper. She was incredibly cute, almost like a doll. The dress she was wearing was similar to her mother, but more puffy and frilly. Her hair also had this characteristic, contrasting with the woman's straight hair. 

Finally there was a very young boy, he looked to be a toddler. He was in a small suit of his own, which was made of a different material to be more resistant to spills. He had blue hair and indigo eyes, and looked a lot like he could even be my sibling. 

I perked up at the entrances and made sure to sit up straight while turning to them, I was still breathing on purpose. I was a bit nervous which caused me a small jitter in the back of my neck, and there were a few little lightning spells being cast between my clasped fingers. 

"You are way too tense, anyway. You may let out your aura around them, but here just in case." He tossed me a new bracelet, as my old one had been completely destroyed. The new one had a core made of metal that had been evolved in Rimuru's aura, so hopefully it would hold up better. 

"Are you sure? How much should I release?" I asked while tucking the bracelet into my sleeve, not putting it on because of what he had said. I looked over to Rimuru and awaited a response. 

The others in the room looked just a bit irritated at having the spotlight stolen so suddenly, though they stayed calm. 

 Rimuru tapped his temple lightly before looking over at the younger boy, his expression went blank for a fraction of a second and he promptly looked back. "Go ahead and release, eh, half or so." He seemed to have a bit of a stumble with his words for a moment. Though promptly after that his own aura flashed for a moment, and promptly afterward he disappeared into the space around him. 

I nodded to the empty space that he previously occupied, and with a deep breath allowed my aura to envelope the room. I was releasing about half of the salient magicules, which were the ones that would naturally flow away from me. It made breathing a lot easier, as I felt a small release of the pressure I'd been building since my last time releasing. I looked up to the woman, and smiled cutely. "Hello, I am Rozemyne." 

The woman looked me over, with a very very slight tension in her expression the moment my aura had been release. She kept her composure, however. Shortly afterward she introduced herself, "I am Florencia, Archduchess of Ehrenfest." It was said in a really regal way. 

The children in the room looked very tense and visibly weighed down. They all struggled to move in various degrees. Though they introduced themselves regardless. The older boy first, "I am Wilfried, son of Sylvester Aub Ehrenfest." 

The girl was next, and she tried to maintain a refined tone despite the weight holding her down. "I am Charlotte, daughter of Sylvester Aub Ehrenfest." 

Finally the little one, who could not yet introduce himself properly. "Melchior." He said simply, while pointing to himself. Though he seemed to have a bit of pride in what he could accomplish, it was incredibly cute. 

I realized perhaps Rimuru's recommendation was a bit too far, and toned back my aura a bit. I toned it down enough that Melchior no longer looked weighed down, and once that was done I sat silently for a moment, I had absolutely no idea what to say. 

It did not take long at all for Florencia to pick up on this, she was quick to instruct each of the children to take a seat across from me. Afterward she took a seat in the chair next to the couch I was in, while staring at me intently still. "I've heard a lot about you, perhaps too much." She tried to make a small joke while still having a semi-serious tone. 

I nodded to the joke, like a dummy. I realized only a moment later, then looked apologetic for a slightly moment. "I can't say the same, unfortunately. I hope that isn't upsetting.." I trailed off, while trying to think desperately of something more to add. 

Florencia seemed to get a bit of a pursed expression for a moment, and took a moment to respond herself. Finally she said something to pull me out of this, "How about we just talk about them for a moment, then I'll tell you about myself." She looked over to the children across from me while saying this. 

"S-sure." I jumped on the opportunity immediately, while trying to calm myself down. I looked over to the food, for a moment as well. I very much wanted to eat something to help ease my nerves. 

Florencia followed my gaze, and asked a question. "How about we drink tea while we talk?" She asked softly while almost standing to move toward the table. 

"Alright." I nodded, and then floated several of the teacups up. "Would you like sugar?" I looked toward the sugar dish and floated a few cubes up from the tray. It was trivially easier than normal with my aura released, though I had to be careful not to shock the tea like I was my hands. 

While Florencia only looked slightly surprised, the children all looked very surprised. Melchior even leaned forward and waved his hand under the cup, trying to test for something being there or not. 

"That is cheating, you aren't even using a Schtappe!" It was Wilfried who exclaimed this, while getting a soft glare from Charlotte. 

Charlotte then looked at me somewhat seriously for a moment, though she kept her tone soft. "So you really aren't human then? I wasn't sure when I saw you at first, but then that pressure, and now this." She was polite and kept it limited, she tried not to ask many questions, aside from the initial one. 

I nodded to the question while floating a cup of tea with only a single cube of sugar toward me, I looked at the sugar cube and forced it into little particles. Then I let them fall into the cup while using wind to create a little vortex in the cup. "I haven't been for weeks now. It was pretty hard to get used to at first. Are you comfortable? I've been trying to breath to make sure I wouldn't seem too unnatural to you." I explained, then asked a question and admitted my actions. 

Both of the older kids seemed to get a little wide eyed for a moment. Charlotte seemed to soften her expression a lot, then began to talk. "So that pressure wasn't to intimidate us then. Don't go out of you way to make us comfortable, it would look weird in public. We need to look like a family, right?" 

I took a moment to stare at her, taking in the soft expression she had while thinking. 'Is she really that willing to just accept me?' I then waited another moment before speaking, while taking it in fully. "I think so, I am not really as used to this idea as you are." I kept my tone a bit soft, while letting it down. 

She nodded to my response, and then asked something. "What does the sugar do to the tea?" She seemed looked at the cubes while tilting her head a bit. 

I widened my eyes for a moment, before remembering Frieda had also been surprised by sugars qualities. "It makes the tea sweeter, more will make it even sweeter, but if you add too much it gets thick." I explained how the sugar would effect the tea while floating a few of the sugar cubes in a group, showing one, then two, then three, associated with each of the three things I said. 

Charlotte listened intently while watching my demonstration. "I'll just try one, then." 

Wilfried was quick to say something immediately afterward, "I want two." He had rushed to say it, and while he wasn't impolite he wasn't polite either. 

Melchoir was the last to respond, by holding up three of his fingers, and nodding to a teacup. 

I nodded after they all said what they wanted and set about floating three of the cups into the air, and shredding the correct number of cubes above each. Afterward I floated a cup toward each of them, but I was still careful to make sure the cup given to Melchior was properly supported even when he was holding it. While I was doing this I stopped focusing on breathing to shift my focus to the cup, and also to see if Charlotte was sure about it. 

Florencia finally spoke up herself, while standing up to take a cup of tea for herself. "I think I'll just have the tea without any sugar." Afterward she sat back down and watched me closely, no longer giving me a stare. Instead she was watching me with a soft gaze, while glancing over to the children occasionally. She seemed somehow satisfied. 

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--3501 words--

--Wilfried's EP: 50,403--

--Charlotte's EP: 45,305--

--Melchior's EP: 30,094--

--Florencia's EP: 120,404(unrestrained)-- 

(AN: Sorry this chapter took so long to release, it took longer than expected to write and I kept dragging it on. I will continue this convo in the next chapter. As always, pls comment.)