"Even the radiant can be overbearing in their affection."
– A Virtuous Saint
When I returned to my room, I ignored the spirits for a moment and headed to the kitchen for a glass of water. Upon returning, I removed my shirt, which elicited a chorus of whispers and appreciative whistling. Still ignoring them, I sat on the couch, dropped the shirt beside me, and finally turned my attention to the spirits.
They had transformed the living room into a cramped bazaar of small shops: jewellery displays, clothing racks, cosmetics counters, a makeshift hair salon, and even a pedicure station. I had no idea why they were doing this, but I wished they had at least handled the clothing before I spent money outside.
They seemed to sense my mood. Without a word, they turned me into their personal dress-up doll—trying different outfits, testing jewellery, and experimenting with hairstyles.
It was quite stressful, honestly, but I could not bring myself to fight against it. Besides, the spirits reassured me that the dungeon would go well if I took it seriously. Which I fully intended to do.
They kept up the playful torment until I was thoroughly exhausted. Then they lifted me on a soft cushion of water and guided me to my bed. A gentle stream of cool water cleansed my body of sweat and grime as the faint scent of soup drifted through the air.
Before I drifted off, I drank a small bowl of soup prepared by the spirits. It tasted exactly like home—the flavours of journeys shared with old friends. I fell asleep surrounded by soft fluff, the spirits humming a gentle lullaby.
Waking up was rough. Different animals covered my face. When I finally managed to move them, snakes of various colours lay across my chest and legs. Deciding I lacked the energy for a full confrontation, I slowly sat up, causing the snakes to slide into my lap, then stood, letting the rest fall onto the bed or floor. Strangely, none woke.
I headed straight to the bathroom to clean up, but stopped, stunned. The spirits had turned my bathroom into a living aquarium. Fish of every variety swam through the water while spirits slept peacefully within it.
Regaining my senses, I massaged my temples and sidestepped the occasional spirit sleeping on the floor as I made my way to the kitchen.
There, two spirits were attempting to prepare breakfast. The quantity they were producing looked less like breakfast and more like an evening feast. Another spirit appeared from thin air and offered me a mug. I accepted and drank. It was coffee. The spirit gave me a smug look behind her veil. Not wanting to hurt her feelings, I finished it all. It was well-brewed, but I preferred tea.
I handed the mug back, but it refilled with coffee. I stared at it for a few seconds, then drank it in one go. When finished, I commented that I much preferred tea. The spirit paused; I swear I saw her eyes light up behind the veil. She took the mug and vanished into the wind.
I returned my attention to the cooking spirits. Even more food was piling up—now including several whole cooked chickens.
I sighed as the counter full of food began to float into the air. More dishes were rapidly prepared, and I noticed some meals disappearing while plates returned clean. It seemed some of the spirits were already eating.
I sat at the table. An elegant tea set appeared beside me, the tea already poured. The aroma was delightful. I picked up the cup and took a sip. The tea was well-made, with a small hint of sourness I had not expected to enjoy.
As I savoured the tea, a selection of breakfast foods materialised in front of me. Multiple spirits appeared and joined me at the table. Ignoring the silent commotion, I slowly enjoyed my meal while drinking the tea.
The spirits finished quickly and began cleaning the room, which ended rather swiftly. Soon their numbers dwindled, as many disappeared.
When I finished my meal, the plates faded away, leaving only the tea set. I carried it to the living room and sat down. There, I noticed the spirits had watched ahead in my series Water and Ice, and I could not recall which season I had last reached.
I tried to remember the last episode, but drew a blank, so I simply picked a random movie called The Janitor and started watching.
The remaining spirits joined me on the couch.
The movie was quite entertaining, though I had to wonder why the explosion at the end was necessary, especially after the peace treaty had been signed. Intimidation, perhaps?
The spirits enjoyed it a bit too much. They tried to find a sequel that did not exist, but they did discover other movies featuring the same actor.
I left the living room for my bedroom. There, I opened the bathroom door and found the aquarium had disappeared, so I attended to my needs and then accessed the arcane library to study.
Sadly, nothing particularly caught my interest, so I returned to runes—something I deeply hated. A spirit came to check on me, and I decided to ask her a couple of questions.
"Milady, I wanted to ask—what is a demigod?" I enquired.
She smiled. "Demigods are gods without official titles, though these gods sometimes possess more power or followers than the official ones. For example, the Musical Vow bears the same authority as the God of Music, but because there is already an official God of Music, the Musical Vow is considered a demigod." Her voice came as soft whispering echoes.
"This term was established many years after your imprisonment, and it was adopted here in the human realm as well. It makes categorising the gods easier," she continued, swimming gracefully around me.
"I see. Thank you. And why are humans limited to just 300 spells?" I asked.
"Hmm… I am not allowed to say, but humans were far too creative, and it nearly ended the balance of the worlds itself," she replied.
"The ruling of the fae realm and the human realm differs. The gods live among the fae, so the rules and control of the arcane have been clearly defined. Here, humans had the freedom to use the arcane as they wished, and well… it became limited to 300 spells. Though there are ways to bypass this rule," she continued.
"They are? How?" I asked.
"I am sorry, Bringer, but I am not allowed to say. But I can tell you there are unique arcane special entities within this realm that certain beings can use—and you are one of them," she said with a light laugh.
"…I have this unique arcana? How do I use it? "I asked, trying to recall if I had any knowledge of such a thing.
"Sadly, Bringer, another has claimed the right to tell you. I wish not to spoil their fun," she replied, rapidly swimming around me. "But know they will tell you in time"
During my thoughts on what she had just revealed, she gently dragged me from my seat and set me into a dance pose. We ascended into the air and drifted slowly, dancing as if we were underwater.