01x12 - Baptism and Divine Paradises

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M: {ED}

F: Main managed to survive, thanks to one of Freida's magical items.

F: However...

Flashback,Fr: A year, at most.

F: Having been told that her only way to live was to make an agreement with a noble,

F: she holds a family meeting.

Flashback,M: Can I stay right here with my family?

F: She chooses to die with her family,

F: and vows to make the most of the year she has remaining.

Title Card: Ascendance of a Bookworm

Title Card: Ascendance of a Bookworm

Ep Ep Title: Chapter Twelve Baptisms and Divine Paradises

L: Oh, so you decided not to work for Master Benno.

M: Yeah. When I spoke to Otto, he said...

Flashback,O: Since you'll bring massive profits to the store,

Flashback,O: you may be paid more than people who've worked there for more than a dozen years.

Flashback,O: It'll cause all sorts of issues, I'm sure.

M: And I can only go to work when I'm feeling good, too.

M: He said that'd cause a lot of friction.

L: That's true, yeah.

M: Sorry I can't work with you, Lutz.

L: I think it's better that way.

C: If Main isn't joining, that means you don't have to either, Lutz.

C: It's not too late to find a craftsman—

L: Stop it, Mom!

L: I want to be a merchant!

L: And I'm gonna be one, with or without Main!

C: Lutz, you...

C: Do you really think you can do it when your father and I are against it?

L: I'm ready to be a live-in apprentice, if it comes down to it.

M: You have to live in an attic, in atrocious conditions,

M: and you'll practically work for free until you become a pro.

M: That's how live-in apprenticeships work.

C: There's no way you're capable of that!

L: I am! And I've already started preparing for it, too!

C: Why do you hate the idea of becoming a craftsman so much?

L: I mean, things will stay the same forever, if I do that.

C: What do you mean?

L: My brothers will take everything,

L: leaving me nothing to call my own.

L: But if I become a merchant,

L: I'll be able to savor the fruits of my hard work.

L: I wanna see what I'm capable of!

C: If you've given it that much thought, go on and give it your best shot.

L: Really?

L: Thanks, Mom!

M: And so, by the time spring rolled in,

M: Lutz and I had our plans set in stone.

Ma: Blessed be the melting of the snow.

Ma: May the Goddess of Spring’s boundless magnanimity grace you both.

M: Uh, what was that?

Ma: A celebratory spring greeting among merchants.

Bo: Blessed be the melting of the snow.

M: May the Goddess of Spring’s boundless... what?

L: May the Goddess of Spring’s boundless magnanimity grace you.

B: For your first attempt, that was perfect.

M: Thank you.

B: I mean Lutz.

M: It was time to break the news to Benno.

B: Very well. I'll cancel your apprenticeship, Main.

M: I'm sorry.

M: What do we do about this?

B: Keep it.

B: Sign an exclusive contract with us,

B: and you can conduct your business the same as before.

M: That marked the beginning of some very hectic days.

M: The workshop we'd been using officially became the Main Studio,

M: I sold the paper-making process to Benno,

M: and the Parchment Guild butted in on our business.

vested,Sign: Vested Interest

L: Our paper's made from trees, so does that really apply?

M: If our plant-based paper took all the customers,

M: the parchment business would plummet, and they can't have that.

B: I applied to start a guild for plant-based paper to prevent any complaints,

B: but that old fart's just not approving it.

M: If we say official contracts have to be signed on parchment,

M: they won't complain since it'll secure their revenue some, right?

vested,Sign: Compromise

M: Good thing the guild master gave his approval, huh?

B: Yeah. Now we can build a new factory.

M: Oh, Dad.

B: I'm Benno, from the Gilberta Company.

G: Oh, so it's you!

G: Thank you for helping my daughter out.

M: Mister Otto?

O: Benno looks like such a dad with you two in tow!

B: I'm single!

G: Main's my daughter!

B: Let's go.

M: I didn't know you were a bachelor.

B: Is that a problem?

M: Well, it's just, you run a big business,

M: so I was thinking you must be under a lot of pressure to marry.

B: Back when I wanted to marry, I had my hands full taking care of Corinna.

B: And by the time she got married and I was a free man,

B: the woman I wanted to marry was dead and gone.

B: I'm not getting married because I haven't found a woman better than her.

B: That's it, really.

B: What are you doing?

M: Just felt like it.

M: And while I taught Benno how to make paper,

M: got the Main Studio up and running,

M: and made preparations for Lutz's apprenticeship,

M: the seasons warmed up to summer.

I: Welcome, Main.

I: I baked some pound cake for you.

M: Thank you, Miss Liese.

I: Let me know what you think.

M: The pound cake was already way more delicious than before,

M: but I traded information on how to improve it for a bag of sugar anyway.

I: Felsine peel, right?

I: Gotcha. I'll try it out.

F: With that out of the way...

F: Long time no see, Main.

M: I was so surprised when I saw you working at the Merchant Guild.

F: I'll be on my own when I open my store in the nobles' quarter,

F: so I've been apprenticing there to learn how everything works.

M: It's amazing how you think so long term.

F: You need to be thinking long term, too.

F: Common sense dictates that you should forget about Benno and join us.

M: Otto... Someone I know said the same thing,

M: that I should work for the guild master if I want to forge ties with nobility.

F: Then why aren't you?

F: I've been waiting for you!

F: Summer is almost here!

F: What are you planning to do?

M: You see, Freida...

M: I've chosen to perish by my family's side.

F: I don't believe it.

F: Why?

M: Because I can't make magical items, I guess?

M: "If I need it, I'll just make it."

M: That's how I've always gotten anything I wanted.

M: But I can't make magical items, right?

F: Right. That's why you need an agreement...

M: But I don't want to make an agreement with a noble.

F: Aren't you scared of dying?

M: I didn't choose to die.

M: I just chose to be with my family.

M: I've made them worry so much for so long.

M: So I want to make and leave them lots of money before I go.

F: Then I'll buy the recipe for pound cake from you.

F: You will let me do that for you, won't you?

M: Thank you, Freida.

M: I sold the exclusive rights to sell pound cake for a year to Freida.

F: A year, correct?

M: Yep. Once that year is passed, I'll make the recipe public.

M: That'll make a delicious sweet available everywhere.

M: Oh, I guess I'll have to still be alive then, huh?

M: If I'm not,

M: I'll leave the decision to you.

F: If you don't want me monopolizing it,

F: you'd best make it public yourself in a year.

Eyecatch: Ascendance of a Bookworm

Eyecatch: Ascendance of a Bookworm

E: You really do look like a rich girl.

E: And it seems you've grown a little.

E: The skirt is looking the perfect length now.

M: People keep calling me tiny, but I guess I have been growing.

T: Your swaying hair ornament is really pretty, too.

M: Thanks for helping me make it, Tuuli.

G: Main will be the prettiest girl at today's ceremonies!

M: Dad, you said the same thing for Tuuli's baptism.

G: Of course!

G: My daughters are the cutest in the world!

M: Lutz.

M: What's wrong?

L: No, uh...

C: My! You look like you belong to a wealthy family, Main.

M: Thank you, Missus Karla.

G: Okay, time to go.

O: Main! Lutz!

O: Congratulations!

B: A new hair ornament?!

G: Parents aren't allowed past this point.

G: Take care of Main for me, Lutz.

L: Sure, you got it.

L: Hey, Main.

L: That outfit and the hair ornament look really good on you.

L: You're so cute, it left me speechless.

M: Wh-Where did that come from?!

L: Let's go.

W: How cute.

W: It's like we're watching a little wedding.

G: No, Main!

L: Oh, they're doing the thing you hate.

L: Everyone's signing with their blood.

M: Ugh, you're right.

L: Looks like we're being registered for something.

M: Oh, citizenship!

F: Next.

F: Come this way.

F: Hold out your hand with your palm facing upward.

M: O-Okay.

F: Press your fingertip on that medallion.

F: You're all set.

L: Main!

L: Over here!

M: Yeah.

M: Coming.

G: The High Priest is here.

M: Lutz, a book!

M: I see a book!

B: That's a book?

B: It looks nothing like what you were making.

B: It seems really expensive.

M: It's a book...

HP: Let me tell you about the gods that created this world.

HP: The lonesome God of Darkness met the Goddess of Light...

N: The lonesome God of Darkness met the Goddess of Light,

N: and the two gave birth to the Goddess of Water,

N: the God of Fire,

N: the Goddess of Wind,

N: and the Goddess of Earth,

N: thus creating our world.

N: Later, the God of Life fell in love at first sight with the Goddess of Earth,

N: and the two of them married.

N: However, he stole her power and sealed her in ice and snow,

N: thus bringing winter.

N: The Goddess of Light thawed the ice,

N: and the Goddess of Water swept the ice and snow away along with the God of Life,

N: thus allowing offspring to bud in the spring.

N: The God of Fire helps the budding lives flourish in the summer.

N: While the Goddess of Wind keeps the God of Life at bay,

N: harvests are completed in the fall.

N: And then returns winter, the season of the God of Life.

HP: And then returns winter, the season of the God of Life.

HP: The God of Fire rules over summer,

HP: and bestows his divine protection through development and guidance.

M: I so wanna read this myself!

HP: We shall now demonstrate the right way to worship.

HP: Watch carefully.

HP: We offer the Gods our prayers!

M: It's the Glico running man pose! Why that pose?

M: Into a kowtow?!

M: Oh god, that's hilarious.

HP: Now, stand up and join us.

HP: We offer the Gods our prayers!

All: We offer the Gods our prayers!

M: No way! I can't!

L: Main? Why didn't you say you weren't feeling good?

L: Are you okay?

M: It's not that.

M: I-I'm fine.

G: What's the matter?

L: She seems to be feeling unwell. She suddenly collapsed.

G: We'll have her rest at once.

M: This is clearly a room meant for rich folk.

M: I bet my outfit is the cause.

M: I can't stay here forever.

M: I'll miss the ceremony.

M: Huh? I don't remember seeing this place before...

M: No, this isn't the right way.

M: Excuse me. I seem to be lost.

W: I see.

W: Please wait here. I'll take you to the prayer hall.

M: I will. Thank you very much.

M: So many books...

M: Part of it's like a chained library, too.

M: It's an actual library.

M: I offer the Gods my prayers!

M: I offer the Gods my thanks!

M: Now, then.

M: Pardon me...

M: Ugh!

M: Ow!

M: What is this?

M: An invisible wall?

M: But the books are right there...

M: No!

M: Hey, let me in!

M: I want in!

W: I can't.

M: I wanna read, but I can't get in!

W: Only cathedral staff have permission to enter.

M: You mean I can read these if I become cathedral staff?

M: I'll do it! I want to!

M: How do I join?!

HP: Could you tell me why you want to be an apprentice priestess?

M: Because this place has a library!

HP: A library?

HP: You seem to be misunderstanding something.

HP: The cathedral is a place of worship,

HP: and priests and priestesses are servants of the Gods.

HP: Besides,

HP: if a child from a family like yours wishes to work here,

HP: a sizable donation would be a good indicator of your passion.

M: A donation?

M: I guess they think I'm rich.

M: One large gold is the most I can offer.

W: L...

HP: A large gold coin?

M: Is that too much?

M: It's how much I'm free to spend.

HP: Uh... Have your parents agreed to your working here?

M: I'll have to talk to them now.

HP: If they object, come see me at once.

HP: I'll help you out.

M: Thank you.

HP: Also, you can read the scriptures stored here,

HP: so feel free to drop by anytime.

M: Really? Yay!

M: I offer the Gods my prayers!

M: I got too worked up...

Next_Chapter ,Title: Next Chapter The Choice to be an Apprentice Priestess

M: You finally got screen time!

F: My screen time doesn't matter.

F: I can't believe you charged headfirst into the cathedral's library.

F: Can't you be a bit more rational?

M: Impossible! I mean, it's a library!

M: A god-given paradise on earth!

M: How could I not get excited?!

F: Settle down. It's not certain that you'll be able to join yet.