Chapter 77: Spirit Library
I have arrived at Thermist Island. The deep blue sea with its high transparency and the white limestone coast create a beautiful landscape, even if it isn’t a sandy beach. To the south, there are mountains, and to the north, a narrow mountain range stretches out. In the middle lies a plain.
To the south, there’s a castle on the mountain, a fortress on the eastern coast, and to the west, a temple and the king’s tomb. The fortress city in the center of the plain is round, drier than any town I’ve seen before, and it seems to receive little rain, as there aren’t many tall trees. There are probably just a few plants that people have cultivated scattered throughout the town.
This island is famous for the lace from Karare Village and the silverwork from Hashiruna City. There’s one large nation and two smaller ones, both of which are vassals of the larger nation, and it seems that peace has reigned here for a long time. I suppose the fortress on the coast is there to fend off the meddling from the countries on the mainland.
I thought about checking out the lace and silverwork, but first, I need to visit the temple. I have to secure the important books before I start spending money.
The temple designated by Rudil was crumbling. I hesitated, wondering if this was the right place, but as I approached, an old man wrapped in tattered linen emerged. He had a beard and a bald head.
“What brings you here?”
“I heard there are books here, and I wanted to see if I could take a look.”
I felt a bit anxious.
However, this was the only building at the foot of the designated mountain.
“Oh, black hair and purple eyes. Such a visage. You must be the one foretold by Lord Rudil.”
“I was told to come here.”
“You too have received Lord Rudil’s message.”
I wasn’t sure if I should call it a message, but it was true that I was told to come.
“Follow me.”
The stone walls were crumbling in places, and the path was uneven, making it easy to trip if I wasn’t careful.
Still, the room with a statue of Rudil, resembling an altar, was relatively well-kept, with light streaming in from a window in the ceiling, illuminating the statue.
“Take the Oath of Silence that what you see here will not be spoken of.”
“I swear.”
As the old man did something, a decorative panel behind the statue opened, revealing a passageway. Suddenly, a child of indeterminate gender appeared, holding a candlestick—a spirit.
The fact that it could be seen even in an invisible state suggested it was a fairly powerful spirit. With blue hair and azure eyes, its porcelain-like white skin bore a resemblance to Rudil, though the colors were different.
As it became visible, I noticed the candlestick had no candles, and a small Light Spirit was playing around it.
The child glanced back at me as if to say, “Follow me,” and began to walk. It seemed the old man was staying behind, bowing slightly to the child as he remained at the entrance.
I followed the child spirit. The light it emitted was faint, but the secret passage was thrilling!
As we moved through the dark corridor and opened another door, we entered a library with a dome-shaped ceiling and stunning mosaic flooring. Light Spirits flitted about, making the area near the ceiling bright as sunlight, though the light falling on the books was very soft.
Direct sunlight would damage the books, and the absence of candles was likely due to a dislike of fire. The area we exited from led straight into a wide corridor—perhaps it could be called a hall—where bookshelves towered far above my height on both sides.
There were passages and doors among the first-floor bookshelves, and the visible shelves were crammed with books.
I guessed this room was underground within the mountain, but the ceiling was so high that it didn’t feel cramped. The corridor ahead stretched endlessly. There were also wind attribute spirits present, and the scent of books filled the air, yet the atmosphere was not stagnant.
“Books on magic, summoning, and spirits, right?”
“Yes. But now I’m curious about the origins of this place as well.”
The child handed me a book placed on a pedestal in the center of the wide corridor, silently urging me to take it.
After receiving it, the child began walking again, prompting me to enter through a door between the bookshelves. The small room contained chairs, a desk, and a chaise lounge. The door closed behind us, indicating that the guidance ended here.
The book I received contained an overview of the library and its usage. It began with the tale of a book-obsessed emperor who, without regard for money, gathered knowledge. This was not on this island, but in an empire that now lay further south, a land where dragons flew.
Not only did he use wealth to acquire books, but he also seized them from merchants passing nearby and ships docked at ports, creating copies to return to their owners. It seemed he had quite a forceful method of expanding the library’s collection.
Then, the empire was consumed by demon beasts and dragons.
Afterward, it was Rudil who relocated the library’s collection, which was destined to decay or burn. Eventually, book spirits were born, merging to become the library spirit, much like that child. It seems to be a retainer of Rudil.
Even now, this library continues to grow its collection. The spirits play tricks on the books of the outside world, erasing letters that then appear on pristine pages of the library’s writing desks, creating copies.
…Could it be that instead of mere pranks, they are erasing letters to write different ones or symbols?
The rules here state that whether a book is precious or mundane, any book that exists in only one copy cannot be taken out. Books that have duplicates can be borrowed with permission.
Books taken out will return to the library upon the death of the borrower, so if one tries to take a book without permission, they might find themselves targeted by the spirits.
For permission to borrow and for books that cannot be found on one’s own, one must rely on the librarian—the child spirit from earlier. One should also refrain from making noise as much as possible. Eating and drinking are prohibited, but the small room allows for beverages only.
It seems that only spirits and I are present in this library. With so many spirits around, it could easily become noisy, yet here it is quiet. The spirits in this room possess attributes not just of light or wind, but of tranquility, stillness, and silence. There are spirits of gentle breezes and whispers, spirits of soft sunlight and serenity.
Rudil referred to this place as a temple, and indeed, the serene and solitary atmosphere is reminiscent of a temple.
Rudil governs the earth, silence, and magic. I wonder how long these spirits have existed? It’s certain they are older than the librarian here—wait, is Rishu even older? Huh?