Narrator: Main tries to create various colored inks with the daughter of the ink workshop foreman, Heidi.
Narrator: Meanwhile at the cathedral, they take in an abandoned child
Narrator: and name him Dirk.
Delia: Ugh! Why do I have to do this, too?
Main: Of course, you should look after him.
Main: You're going to be this child's older sister.
Delia: O-Older sister?
Main: Yes. I would like for you to care for this child like he's your own flesh and blood.
Delia: Did you see that? Dirk smiled at me!
Narrator: However...
Delia: What are these spots?
Delia: He feels so hot...
Delia: What a terrible fever... but why?
Delia: Dirk...
Title Card: Ascendance of a Bookworm
Title Card: Ascendance of a Bookworm
Ep Sign: Chapter Thirty-Three Delia and Dirk
Main: Dirk's cheeks had bumps on them?
Delia: Yes. They went away immediately when I gave him goat's milk.
Fran: I saw them on him this morning.
Delia: Is this common with babies?
Main: He seems to be okay right now.
Delia: He really had bumps on his face!
Main: I can't really determine anything unless I see them myself.
Main: Let's see what happens the next time you give him milk.
Fran: I believe he's getting hungry.
Delia: I'm sorry, Dirk. We'll give you some milk in a little bit.
Main: A fever?
Delia: Yes, Lady Main. He's burning up.
Main: This is...
Delia: Please look.
Delia: He has bumps on his cheeks.
Main: Yes, I see that. Delia, go ahead and give him some milk.
Delia: All right.
Delia: Here you go, Dirk.
Rosina: The bumps disappeared.
Fran: What could this mean?
Main: Fran, could you fetch Lutz for me?
Main: Could you also request a meeting with the head priest?
Main: As soon as possible.
Fran: As you wish.
Delia: Lady did you figure something out?
Main: I cannot say yet.
Lutz: Fran said you wanted to talk to me.
Lutz: What's the matter, Main?
Main: Yes, well...
Main: I was wondering if you'd go to the forest and get me some tau fruit.
Lutz: Tau fruit?
Main: Yes. Please, Lutz.
Lutz: All right.
Main: If we have tau fruits, we can keep Dirk's mana from going berserk and k*lling him.
Ferdinand: What is it now?
Main: The baby I told you about yesterday...
Main: Are we safe talking about this here?
Ferdinand: So this must be important if you're worried about who might be watching or listening.
Main: Yes.
Ferdinand: Did something happen to this baby?
Main: I believe the baby has the Devouring.
Main: When crying from hunger,
Main: the baby develops a fever and breaks out in a rash.
Main: But after taking milk, the fever goes away and the baby returns to normal.
Ferdinand: If the child is showing that many signs as an infant,
Ferdinand: an abundance of mana must be present.
Main: I knew it.
Ferdinand: The infant definitely has the Devouring.
Main: He's thinking about something.
Ferdinand: It might be best if we have the child form a contract with a noble immediately.
Main: Huh? A contract?
Ferdinand: The baby will not survive otherwise.
Main: What it means to form a contract with noble is
Main: in exchange for the noble giving the other magic items to survive,
Main: they become the noble's subordinate,
Main: have their mana drained away,
Main: and will live that life of confinement until they literally die.
Main: Head Priest, is there any way we can have Dirk
Main: offer up mana and become a blue-robed priest like me?
Ferdinand: Raising a child as a blue-robed priest costs money.
Ferdinand: Who, exactly, would pay for that?
Main: Well...
Ferdinand: Even if you could pay,
Ferdinand: wouldn't you be favoring one child over the others as the head of the orphanage?
Ferdinand: Without magic items, those with the Devouring will die.
Ferdinand: Forming a contract with a noble is absolutely necessary.
Main: Right...
Ferdinand: Mostly, those who form contracts with Devouring children
Ferdinand: are nobles who feel like their mana is lacking.
Ferdinand: They don't usually want others to know they've made this contact,
Ferdinand: so they often have them become concubines or attendants.
Main: Just like Freida...
Ferdinand: But it's different when it comes to adopting them.
Ferdinand: Then, they need permission from the parents.
Ferdinand: It's not as though they can form these contracts with anyone.
Main: Then what about me?
Ferdinand: In your case, because of your abundance of mana,
Ferdinand: the fact that you are smart enough to make your own money,
Ferdinand: and know how to use your own talents,
Ferdinand: we decided it'd be best if you were adopted by an upper-class noble.
Main: I see...
Main: Head Priest,
Main: please make sure you find Dirk a good candidate.
Ferdinand: is this infant a girl?
Main: He's a boy.
Ferdinand: Him being a boy makes this more difficult.
Ferdinand: If he was a girl, he might've had a better chance of being adopted.
Main: You mean as a pawn in a marriage of convenience.
Ferdinand: Whatever the outcome may be, we need to find out how much mana this infant has first.
Main: The head priest is going to find out how much mana you have tomorrow.
Fran: Good morning, Head Priest.
Ferdinand: Where is this child?
Fran: Right this way.
Main: Thank you kindly for coming to see us.
Ferdinand: see everyone else out of the room.
Main: Understood.
Main: I need all of you to leave for now.
Main: Oh, the color is changing.
Ferdinand: Hm... He's about equal to a stronger middle-class noble.
Ferdinand: If a noble is lacking mana right now, they may want to adopt him.
Ferdinand: But if we think about your safety,
Ferdinand: it's unwise to probe around too much for possible interest.
Ferdinand: If you're that worried, then once you're adopted by Karstedt,
Ferdinand: you should be the one to form a contract with this child.
Main: Me?
Ferdinand: You'd be a noble, so it would be possible.
Main: Thank you kindly!
Ferdinand: how many know that this child has the Devouring?
Main: Just me.
Ferdinand: In that case, continue to stay quiet about that and take care of him.
Ferdinand: The high priest will take advantage of this if he finds out about it.
Ferdinand: Between you, who can be rather disobedient, and this child who cannot think for himself yet,
Ferdinand: it's clear which one the high priest would choose.
Ferdinand: If you want to protect him, make sure he is not found out.
Ferdinand: Whether or not you are able to protect this infant
Ferdinand: may greatly change your position and your surroundings.
Ferdinand: Always keep that in mind.
Main: Yes.
Delia: Lady what did the head priest say?
Delia: Is Dirk ill?
Main: No, he is fine.
Main: He just said to continue to look after Dirk at the orphanage.
Delia: I see...
Delia: Oh, thank goodness.
Eyecatch: Ascendance of a Bookworm
Eyecatch: Ascendance of a Bookworm
Heidi: Morning, miss. I've been waiting for you.
Main: Good morning, Heidi.
Main: We wrote down the results from all of our experiments.
Heidi: Nah, it's okay. I can't really read anyway.
Heidi: More importantly, how'd the results turn out?
Main: We found out that linseed produced blues, mische produced greens,
Main: and that eise produces yellows.
Heidi: Well done, Miss!
Main: Today, let's start using the ink we've made on vorlin paper and trombe paper.
Lutz: The colors pretty much end up as-is on the trombe paper.
Main: They end up a bit darker on the vorlin paper.
Heidi: Hopefully they stay like this even after they dry.
Main: No way...
Lutz: They darkened way more after they dried.
Main: It would be great for drawing blood, though!
Lutz: No one needs a specific ink just for that.
Heidi: Now I know why art workshops keep how paint is made a secret.
Main: Apparently paint is made very specifically by certain workshops,
Main: but the methods they use are kept a secret.
Main: You basically won't find any paint available where I live.
Main: Paints for nobles are made by the workshop they ordered them from,
Main: and delivered right to them.
Heidi: Miss! Let's find out why the inks change color!
Main: All that matters is the result!
Main: Okay, next, let's try combining the colors, Gil.
Gil: Okay, Lady Main.
Tuuli: I guess it's not great that all the colors turned black when you combined them.
Main: Seriously, what should I do?
Effa: You're not using a fixing agent?
Main: Fixing agent?
Effa: It's a liquid used to make sure the color stays.
Effa: When you're dying fabrics, you use it to make sure the color doesn't change any more.
Main: Thanks, Mom! I'll give that a try.
Lutz: So there's something called a fixing agent, huh?
Lutz: I guess we would've never figured that out if Missus Effa
Lutz: didn't work at a fabric dying workshop.
Main: Once we gather all the ingredients, I'm going to try to make some.
Main: My mom told me how to make it.
Lutz: You just need to tell us how to make it.
Gil: We'll make it for you!
Gil: You're not allowed to, Lady Main.
Lutz: Oh, also... Could you get some parchment from Wilma?
Lutz: I'll get things ready at the workshop, so we can print.
Main: So as you can see, I'm being left out,
Main: and Gil and Lutz are off making the fixing agent somewhere.
Main: Isn't that mean?
Rosina: Oh, Lady Main.
Rosina: A fixing agent is absolutely necessary when drawing or painting.
Rosina: Wilma always mentions it's impossible to paint or draw without it.
Main: Huh?
Rosina: You always seem to know the most surprising things,
Rosina: but you had no idea about fixing agents.
Delia: Just a little more, Dirk. Don't give up!
Main: Dirk can already flip over?
Delia: No, not yet.
Delia: He's almost got it though.
Main: That's quite fast. My little Kamil's nowhere near that.
Delia: Well done, my little brother. You're quite talented.
Main: What's with that adorable smile?!
Main: I've never seen that before!
Rosina: Lady Main.
Rosina: Leave Dirk to Delia and let us start this harspiel lesson.
Wilma: Good morning, Lady Main. I've come to take Dirk.
Main: Good morning, Wilma. Thank you again.
Wilma: How was last night, Delia?
Delia: The same as usual, Wilma.
Wilma: I'll go ahead and take Dirk.
Delia: When Dirk leaves, I get so lonely.
Delia: Okay, off you go.
Delia: Lady do you think Dirk feels lonely or is crying?
Main: He's surrounded by other children, so I'm sure he's not lonely.
Main: Even if he may not be able to sleep because it's too loud.
Delia: But that's not fair to Dirk.
Main: Well, Wilma will look after him.
Delia: How do we know that, though?
Delia: Ugh! Are you even listening to me, Lady Main?
Main: Well, if you're that worried, why don't you see for yourself?
Delia: I don't want to go to the orphanage!
Main: Make sure you two get plenty of rest.
Fran: Please excuse us.
Rosina: Excuse us.
Main: Sir Damuel.
Main: I'm going to head to the orphanage.
Damuel: Hey, Apprentice Priestess.
Damuel: Where are your attendants?
Main: Huh?
Damuel: Why are you trying to leave without a single escort?
Damuel: Perfect timing.
Damuel: You, attendant. Go with Lady Main to the orphanage.
Delia: Huh?
Main: Just to the entrance of the orphanage will do.
Main: Do you think you'll be able to?
Delia: As you wish.
Delia: Now, if you'll excuse me.
Damuel: Hey.
Damuel: Are you implying that the apprentice priestess, your master, should open the door?
Damuel: Open the door.
Main: Good work, you two.
Delia: Lady I'm going to head back.
Main: All right. Sorry to push you like this.
Main: Thank you, Delia.
Delia: It's all right.
Delia: Dirk!
Delia: Seriously! What if Dirk got hurt?!
Delia: You need to keep a better eye on him!
Wilma: Lady do you think Delia will be all right?
Wilma: I heard that she didn't like coming to the orphanage.
Main: I'm not sure.
Main: But I'm hoping she'll let Dirk's cuteness get to her little by little.
Main: This isn't the same place you came from anymore, Delia.
Delia: Ugh, what's that supposed to mean?!
Wilma: That's Delia's voice.
Main: I wonder what happened.
Damuel: Let's hurry back, Apprentice Priestess.
Delia: The head priest can't be trusted!
Fran: He can be trusted.
Main: Fran, Delia.
Main: What's this all about?
Delia: Lady is it true that Dirk is supposed to be adopted?
Caption: Next Chapter Ominous Developments
Main: Head Priest, I thought that Dirk actually had more mana than I do.
Ferdinand: At the time of your births, Dirk's would probably measure higher.
Ferdinand: This doesn't apply to the original
Ferdinand: but after you took over her consciousness and your mana condensed,
Ferdinand: your mana capacity vastly increased.
Main: This must be it.
mana,Sign: Mana
Main: When you compress mana,
Main: it creates empty space for your body's mana to fill, so you compress it tighter,
Main: and then you get even more space.
Ferdinand: Yes. This is a method of controlling mana that you learn at the royal academy.
Main: What? Really?
Main: Here I was barely surviving.
Ferdinand: I'm sure some harm may come from this.
Main: Wh-What do you mean by harm?
Ferdinand: I'll tell you if you go to the royal academy.
Main: What?
Main: Tell me now, Head Priest!
03x07 - Delia and Dirk
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Anime series based on a light novel and manga series written by Miya Kazuki and illustrated by Yō Shiina.
Anime series based on a light novel and manga series written by Miya Kazuki and illustrated by Yō Shiina.