That Time a Bookworm Got Ascended in Tensura

Ch.58 A Demon Lord's Folly

Tuuli's pov:

"Yes. Yes. The correct way, that is why we are here." She commented while slowly fluttering up along the path of light to the summit of the crystal pillar and beckoning me to follow, though I did still need some time to adjust to the beauty of the room. 

I followed slowly, and tried to absorb as much of the space as I could while doing so, it would serve as great inspirations for patterns on embroideries and hairpins. I'd be quite satisfied with any of these patterns, but it felt wrong to take more than small pieces of them, and make new patterns with those small pieces. Once I stepped onto the platform, I felt light and invited. It relieved the pain of the magicules inside me, that I had not even realized was there. As if my whole body was reeling from the pain of the energy inside me at all times, unbeknownst to myself. 

"Hm, that is good." Ramiris commented while examining me carefully, she seemed to float around me in a spiral and closely look at me. I wondered if she was using some enhanced version of [Magic Sense] to inspect me more closely. 

I needed an answer to a question before I could allow her to continue, so I gently placed a hand out. "Where is this place? It is so beautiful." I stretched lightly after doing this, feeling the relief of standing here more thoroughly. 

Ramiris seemed to sort of glare for a moment before a little shock came onto to face, and she nodded her head. "I did not say before, this is the dwelling of spirits. I believe the reason you are so accustomed to it is because the magicules inside you are mostly from Rozemyne, and you've started producing your on based on hers." Ramiris commented gingerly while finally landing on the platform herself, and I could feel and see the large amount of magicules react to her presence. 

It surprised me for a moment, seeing this, and I commented once again. "So you really are the queen of spirits?" I thought about this for a moment before carefully sitting with crossed legs in front of her, to keep eye contact without looking straight down at her. That seemed rude to do. 

This time the annoyed glare stuck on her face and she berated me, "Of course, shame on you for doubting me! Now, stand still." While saying this, a small bright glow erupted around her like she was a small sun in her own right. A large faint ball of light formed around her like an aura would appear if it was spread out high in the sky, it seemed as if it could naturally pass through the crystal. 

I stared with a bit of a baffled expression for a moment at the showing of Ramiris'  power, I could barely understand the fairy actually showing this much competence from the small bit I had seen of her. A new respect for her grew in this time, and I waited patiently while watching her. 

A small golden glow erupted in Ramiris' eyes and I could see she was prepared, as she beckoned me to speak. "State your goal, why do you wish the power of enlightenment? Why do you seek the power of the spirits?" Her tone nearly completely changed from it's normal tone, and she seemed to gain a certain serenity and authority to it. 

A small bit of stuttering bubbled up in my throat and I felt out of place for a moment, sitting here in front of someone so important. I tried to compose myself for a moment, then stated my desire. "I wish to stand by my sister for all time, to prevent her from ever succumbing to danger again. To protect her, even if it means sacrificing my own body to do so." I finally replied, sort of softly. I could state it, directly and confidently, but it was under my breath. I could not do much more than this, so I decided to keep it short. 

"Very well, then to fulfill these selfless acts will serve as your cost. Us spirits may be impartial, but for this to be granted requires a cost." Once she said this she glowed more brightly for a moment, and this spread unto myself. I felt even lighter for a moment being surrounded by these magicules and some other kind of particle, which I was not sure of the exact nature of. 

I stayed silent hearing the cost, but I was satisfied with it. It fed into my goals, and felt fair to me. "Thank you, Ramiris-sama..." My voice trailed off and I felt a small retention of the feeling of relief for a moment before it faded away, and I watched as Ramiris returned to her normal self as well. 

"There, it is done! You won't notice anything right away, it is like, a thing you need to build up. Like a nest you need to build, but you don't have a heroes egg like some of those kids yet, you'll need to work for that." Ramiris explained this all in far too casual a tone once again as she slowly flew up into the air, looking slightly exhausted for a moment before putting her hands on her hips. "Now! Give me that chunk of metal!" 

"Shame on you, trying to extort her when you probably would have done this anyway." The voice came from next to us, and soon enough drew my attention, it was another fairy it seemed. A much larger one than Ramiris, though still not much larger than a child. However the proportions were much more child-like that Ramiris. They had blonde hair and blue eyes, along with a pair of white pants of some kind with a blue skirt and a yellow belt, along with this were white gloves with long sleeves that came back to the armpits and a bare chest. They were child like, but appeared masculine, and despite the shrillness, the voice was masculine as well. They were transparent, and appeared to be more of a projection than actually there. 

I sat there baffled for a moment staring at, him? I had been stung for assuming before, with Rimuru so I generally tried to avoid doing this with monsters now. 

"You! Again! I knew it! What are you doing here?" Ramiris got a scowl and a flustered look again, while buzzing up and forcing the other spirit away with a surge of magicules. 

"Well, you gave me more work by blessing her. Are you trying to get revenge on me for sending Leon-chan your way?" The spirit teased before simply passing through Ramiris and presenting themself in front of me. "You have a heavy affinity for the light attribute, so I believe you deserve my blessing. I am supposed to bless heroes with that one, but we don't really work together anymore." He was bubbly and confident, while seeming to have a hidden power that was far beyond what was immediately apparently. Additionally he had some large amount of magicules, and amount that dwarfed Ramiris, and I could not see the end of. 

"W-what are you talking about?.." I questioned while staring at the spirit with my eyes still wide, I was at least somewhat frightened being in front of a creature that could kill me, even as a projection. 

"Oh, sorry. I did not introduce myself, I am the Great Spirit of Light. Currently my host would be Kenya Misaki, which is why I am here as a projection. As I said before, I am offering you my blessing. It is the second part of the one Ramiris just gave you." Before even waiting for my consent, the projection glowed and the glow enveloped me. I once again got a light feeling, however it felt a bit different and it felt more as if the impulse to protect grew stronger. "Sorry I can't stay long, projecting myself like this is very costly, that's all I needed to do. Cya, try to berate that one for me." With this said the projection faded away. 

I was left in a daze with what had just occurred, but didn't feel any different whatso-ever. I was a bit confused, as a result. I carefully pulled out the piece of metal and carefully handed it to Ramiris, before feeling my head and my body up and down to feel for any differences. It felt far too simple, "Is that it?" I questioned to myself out loud while once again looking around the space. 

"Didn't I say before it is something you gotta earn? It doesn't work like demons, the cost has to be from yourself, not stolen from someone else." While saying this she with some level of effort lifted the chunk of metal into the air and examined it more carefully before seeming to fly away with it, and then pop back up near me once again. 

"I suppose you did, sorry for the misunderstanding, Ramiris-sama." With that being said I stood up and looked around the room once again, taking a special amount of care in examining all the patterns in the stone and the crystals of the roof of the space. 

Along with Ramiris now, I also noticed the other spirits buzzing around the space now. I  did not see them before, however now I could easily. I assumed before they had been hiding their presence, most of them manifest as little balls of light of various colors, however some of them were separated from the others and represented small balls of darkness which seemed to absorb the light around them, partially. 

"Wait, he said Kenya Masaki, right? Isn't that one of Rimuru's students?" I questioned while thinking to myself about the spirit and his goals, specifically questioning why he had just popped up and left just as suddenly. 

Ramiris bonked her head a few times before nodding and saying, "Yeah, yeah. I think the one he inhabited the last time he was here was called Kenya. Anyway, stay here as long as you want. I'll be going and working on the Labyrinth now." With this said I watched as Ramiris drifted off, and away from me. 

I carefully descended from the platform to get closer to the stone walls of the space, once I was at the bottom I re-examined the floors and walls. I wished to myself that I had some way to record some of ideas I had come up with, while examining all the patterns. Carefully resting my hand on the hilt of Nahenlicht and carefully spreading out my aura, making sure it was safe for the spirits around me. It felt relieving to do this and allowed me to think a bit as a result. 

I thought on Myne's attempts to create clay tablets, and make patterns in baskets which could be read. I did not understand it at the time, but those attempts may be useful in this moment. I thought on something I could use as thread or reeds to make the basket patterns with, and couldn't really think of anything I had on me. Though likely the best think to use would be thread, if I had some way to hold it in place. I could not really think of any way I could get thread, as I did not have any one me, though I did tentatively think back to how silk had been explained to me. Apparently it was actually initially just a sticky liquid, which then dried into the thread I had seen. 

I sat on the ground and thought about what that kind of liquid would be like, it had to be very different than water. I assumed it'd just naturally stick together, making small balls of light in front of me, I tried to make them melt like water. It actually wasn't very hard, then I tried to push them together so they'd stick, which also seemed to be possible.  "I wonder." Taking out the tip of Nahenlicht, I carefully poked into the mass of light, and pulled on it lightly, watching as a small string came out, in a way similar to how I imagined silk working. I was a bit surprised with it for a moment and my surprise made me lose focus, causing the mass of light to disappear. 

I cursed lightly under my breath and carefully maneuvered Nahenlicht back into it's sheath before standing. I felt a small surge of magicules in the space, and a small chill work it's way up my spine as I looked around and saw all the spirits hide themselves again. "What is wrong?"

Soon a felt a hand softly grip my shoulder, and I got a small bit of shock which made me jump. "Wahahaha!" The girl with bright pink hair laughed down at me now being on the ground before lifting me to my feet and holding onto my shoulders while staring directly at my face. It was Milim. "So, did it go like I thought? She gave you her blessing, right? Please tell me yes-noda!" She seemed excited and like she was not quite sure, I supposed she may not be able to see inside this space without being in it.

I took a moment to regain my composure, feeling relieved for a moment I was right as well. "Yes, yes. I did, may I ask though why that is what you wanted, Milim-sama?" I questioned her while looking around to see if Ramiris had popped back up as well, it appeared to me that she had not. 

"Oh-noda! I wanted you to work for me, I was listening in on your conversation with Hinata-chan." With this said Milim stepped back a bit and spread out her own aura a bit, showing off a bit in front of me. "I came up with a way you could get the power you wanted, cause I need a fourth person to make my own group like the one Rimuru has!" She exclaimed while tugging on my shoulder a bit. 

I was not just shocked, but dumbfounded by this. Why would she want me, and she would go so far as to engineer something so complicated as tricking Ramiris through me? I felt indebted to her even moreso than before, now. She had not only saved my sister, but she had also brought a way for me to achieve the power I needed. However, "I.. I do not think I am willing to leave Rozemyne's service.. Milim-sama, I am deeply sorry.." I was a quite torn and did not know how to deal with this situation to the fullest extent I could, I stepped back a bit.

However her grip on my shoulders got tighter, and her aura got a little more toxic. "You have a lot of time to decide, not like you are a hero, yet. I expect you to be strong though!" With the biting tone of the first part, and returning to her more friendly tone at the second part of the statements. She smiled brightly while doing all of this and I could see quite a lot of hope in her eyes. 

"May I go? I believe I'd like to return to Rozemyne's side, I am deeply grateful to you, though." Saying this, I felt as a small bit of tension formed in my throat, I had lightly lied, however I hoped she would not become angry at this. I wished to return home, now, as I couldn't think of any other place to go. I was sure Rozemyne would understand, and she was with the others, so she should be safe at the moment. 

Milim lightly chuckled and once again restrained her aura before patting me softly and pulling herself away from me, "Yes, you may return home. I know you aren't going back to her right now, she is with the others, right?" She smiled a bit devilishly while staring me down with her pupils now being in the form of small slits like that of some of the beast in the forest around Ehrenfest, or the catfolk I had seen. 

"Y-yes, I'll be going..." I managed to get out a parting phrase before quickly walking away from Milim, and toward the only door I could see to the space. Quickly finding myself on the first floor of the Labyrinth, which I was able to navigate to the door from with some effort. 

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--2760 words-- 

(AN: The pacing of this chapter was intended to feel very fast and sudden, giving Tuuli a lot of information to absorb and contend with to think about. Plus I got a question for ya'll.)

(AQ: If I released an original work I have been working on would you all be willing to give it a try after reading my writing for so long? I will not end this when I start that, and in fact have a companion series and a sequel planned for this already. If you do plan to read my original work as well, please follow me, as I will likely start posting some starter material on it soon enough!)