M: {ED}
F: The staff at the cathedral learn that Main has the Devouring.
Flashback,F: Main, we would like to speak to your parents.
F: Benno suggests using contract magic to protect her from the nobles,
F: and Main makes up her mind to join the church.
Title Card: Ascendance of a Bookworm
Title Card: Ascendance of a Bookworm
Ep Ep Title: Chapter Fourteen Conclusions
M: I'm home.
G: Main!
G: So, what happened at the cathedral?
M: Well, I asked the high priest to forget about my apprenticeship,
M: but once they found out I had the Devouring,
M: they said they wanted to talk to you
M: and gave me this invitation for you.
M: They want to meet at the third bell two days from now.
G: What the hell did you do, Main?
M: They made me touch a grail.
M: And when it shone, they asked to see you.
M: After that, I went to see Benno,
M: and he told me a bunch of things about nobles and the Devouring.
M: Apparently, the Devouring's fever is actually just mana.
G: Mana?
M: He said that since the shining grail proved that I possessed mana,
M: I can no longer run from the church or the nobility.
E: No!
M: But the church has magical items, so I can live on if I join.
G: Is that true?
T: But you won't be able to see us if you join, right?
M: If things stay the same, yes.
G: I don't want to give you up to the church.
G: If I sent you there alone...
M: Hey, Dad. Do you know what's been going on in the capital?
M: Have you heard that there was a purge that drastically changed the situation with nobles?
G: What does that have to do with anything?
M: Actually, since the nobles have dwindled in number,
M: it seems the church is in desperate need of mana.
M: That's why they want me.
G: From what I've seen and heard at the gate,
G: the nobles certainly are scattering in all directions.
M: What Benno said was true.
M: Then this may work out.
E: What do you mean, Main?
M: He said I was in luck.
M: That with careful negotiating,
M: I could secure treatment close to that of a noble.
G: Tell me more.
Flashback,B: First, envision the ideal result for yourself.
Flashback,B: What concessions do you need from them to achieve it?
Flashback,B: What can you offer them?
Flashback,B: What do they want?
Flashback,B: Figure all that out.
Flashback,M: What I want...
Flashback,M: is permission to enter the library and read the books there.
Flashback,B: It's almost impressive that you can be so single-minded now.
Flashback,M: I-It's just the ideal result!
Flashback,M: If I'm being greedy, you know?
Flashback,M: What I can offer them is mana and money.
Flashback,B: That's right.
Flashback,B: As long as you don't sell those short, you can secure better conditions.
Flashback,B: If things go well, you could get accepted as a blue-robed apprentice priestess.
Flashback,B: To ensure this, register the Main Studio and secure a revenue stream.
Flashback,M: By the way,
Flashback,M: I've heard that you can't join the church if you're registered with the Guild.
Flashback,M: Can I actually register myself as studio head?
Flashback,M: The high priest said he'd negotiate with the guild master...
Flashback,B: Don't leave your fate in someone else's hands!
Flashback,B: If you can't get them to accept that you're already registered,
Flashback,B: throw some money around and get them to allow your studio business!
Flashback,B: You will be the only one in the church who can deal with the Guild!
Flashback,M: Right!
Flashback,B: If needed, say you want to use the Main Studio to provide work for the orphans,
Flashback,B: provide them a better environment, or some bull crap like that,
Flashback,B: and get them to accept your ownership!
Flashback,B: Also, sell the fact that you're physically frail,
Flashback,B: and try to secure the best treatment possible.
Flashback,B: Don't care about how it looks! Fight to live!
Flashback,M: I understand. I'll try.
M: There you have it.
G: So there's room to negotiate.
M: I think so.
M: That's why Benno told me to fight to live.
G: "Fight to live," huh?
G: You could say there's hope for us, right?
M: Right.
M: What we can offer is mana and money.
M: And then we have to emphasize my frailty
M: and get me treated almost like a noble.
M: We also have to get them to allow me to run my studio,
M: and continue to live at home.
M: If they agree to these three demands, I think it's safe to say we have won.
G: I'll give it a sh*t.
G: I became a soldier to protect my family!
E: What's wrong, Tuuli? Can't sleep?
E: What's the matter?
T: Can you really negotiate with nobility?
T: Don't they k*ll people just for talking back to them?
T: If anything happened to you, I'd...
E: Tuuli!
T: Mom!
T: Please come back home with Dad!
M: Two days later, it was time for the negotiations at the cathedral.
M: Dad, fight for me, okay?
G: You got it.
HP: This must be the will of the gods.
Gu: Main and her parents are here.
M: Hello, High Priest.
HP: Oh, Main. Welcome.
HP: Who are these two, Main?
M: My parents.
HP: What? Your parents?
HP: What work do they do?
M: My father's a soldier, and my mother's at a textile workshop.
HP: A soldier?
HP: Ah... I never thought they'd be poor.
HP: What a waste of time.
G: Please take your seats.
HP: No need! They can stand!
M: What's with his sudden change in attitude?
HP: Let's just get this over with.
HP: I believe you're aware that Main wants to be an apprentice priestess,
HP: and that you're against it?
G: That's right.
G: I don't feel like giving my daughter up to live like an orphan.
HP: But she has the Devouring.
HP: She can't live on without access to magical items.
HP: The church is graciously taking her in to save her life.
G: Main's body is too frail to survive if she's forced to live like an orphan.
G: I would like you not to put her to work as a gray-robed priestess.
E: That's right!
E: She's a very frail girl even without the Devouring!
E: She can't survive at the cathedral!
E: Please... Please let her live at home.
HP: Insolent knaves!
HP: You dare complain about our compassionate offer?!
HP: Shut up and hand over your daughter!
M: What? This is a noble?
G: I must refuse.
G: I will never throw my child into an orphanage.
E: That's right! Please, have a heart!
HP: How dare you!
HP: Hold these insolent parents down and lock Main up!
Eyecatch: Ascendance of a Bookworm
Eyecatch: Ascendance of a Bookworm
HP: Hold these insolent parents down and lock Main up!
G: Stand back.
HP: Oh? You want to resist?
HP: If you dare raise a hand against a priest,
HP: I'll have you ex*cuted in the name of the gods!
G: I was ready to die the moment I decided to fight for Main!
HP: Curses! Get Main!
G: Let's hold the man down first.
HP: Why, you!
HP: You could take down a couple,
HP: but how long will you last against so many?
HP: A mere commoner thinks he can defy the church?
HP: To the guillotine with you!
HP: You will die a dog's death.
HP: Get him!
M: Enough.
E: Main?
M: Don't you dare lay a hand on my mom and dad.
M: You invited us here to have a discussion.
M: Is this what you call a discussion?
HP: H-Help!
F: Main! Your mana's leaking out!
F: Control your emotions!
M: How am I supposed to?
F: Like... I'm sure... you always do.
M: How am I supposed to quell my rage toward a man who wants to execute my father?
HP: S-Stay away!
F: Hold it! If you keep going, you'll crush his heart!
M: He was ready to k*ll a person.
M: I'm sure he was ready to risk his own life, too.
F: Main!
M: Move.
F: Calm down! Let's talk things out!
M: "Talk things out"?
M: Using force? Or...
M: Using mana?
F: You mustn't k*ll him.
F: If you k*ll the high priest,
F: your parents will be accessories to the m*rder of a noble.
F: I know you wouldn't want that.
M: Even my family will get hurt because of me?
F: I see you've returned to your senses.
F: Let's have the exact discussion you came to have.
M: You mean you'll accept all our demands?
F: Yes.
F: But before that, you must get your raging mana under control.
F: Can you do that?
M: I have to trap it inside, like I always do.
E: Main!
G: Are you okay?
M: I'm fine.
M: I'm used to it, and I'm in control of myself now.
G: You're used to it? You mean it's happened before?
M: Not to that extent, no,
M: but it used to happen pretty often.
G: I didn't know.
M: Um, are you okay, Head Priest?
F: This is my punishment.
F: I had this coming for not stopping the high priest from antagonizing you.
F: I didn't expect your commoner parents to defy a noble's orders.
G: Main's my daughter. I've said so countless times.
F: Main.
F: I envy you for having such loving parents.
F: Be they orphans or nobles,
F: everyone in the church was cast aside by their parents.
M: After that, we moved to the head priest's room to talk things out.
G: What was that thing Main did earlier?
F: Do you mean the Crushing?
G: It's called the Crushing?
G: Main's eyes turned rainbowy,
G: and her body was emanating some kind of aura.
M: What the heck? I didn't know I'd turned into some kind of oddity!
F: It happens when one with the Devouring lets their emotions go out of control.
F: Their mana activates, courses through their body,
F: and "crushes" their enemy.
F: It happens often to kids since they can't control their emotions.
F: Haven't you seen it before?
E: I did notice her eye color change a bunch of times.
E: It always happened during tantrums, but it'd go away soon.
G: Oh yeah, now that you mention it...
M: Really?!
M: I'm amazed they raised such a bizarre girl with so much love.
F: I'd heard that those with the Devouring have lots of mana,
F: but I never foresaw that you could push the high priest to the brink of death.
F: This might be a strange question,
F: but how are you even still alive?
F: The stronger your mana, the stronger your will needs to be to control it.
F: It makes no sense that you're still alive given how much mana you possess.
M: I should already be dead, actually.
M: But some kind people let me use a dying magical item.
F: Didn't you try to form an agreement with a noble through them?
M: Living life chained to a noble would be pointless.
M: I wanted to stay with my family.
M: I wanted to make my books.
M: If I can't live my life the way I want, then there's no point to living.
F: I fail to comprehend that mindset.
F: Main, I want you to join the church.
F: This is a request, not an order.
F: I'm the one in charge of the daily affairs around here.
F: I'll provide you the best environment possible.
F: Of course, the events of today will be forgotten as well.
M: The head priest kept his word and accepted all of our demands,
M: and I was to become a blue-robed apprentice priestess.
G: It's over.
M: Yeah.
M: Dad, Mom. Thanks for fighting for me.
G: Hey, you're the one who saved our lives with that Crushing thing.
M: My fever just went out of control because I was so angry.
M: Honestly, I don't remember much of what happened.
G: But the real battle has yet to come.
M: Yeah.
E: Still, I'm a little relieved now.
E: So long as the head priest is there, I think you'll be just fine at the cathedral.
M: The head priest? Why?
E: I mean, he stopped you, remember?
E: It's important that you have someone to stop and scold you when you lose control.
M: Yikes! I get the feeling he'll be scolding me a lot!
L: Main will definitely be fine.
L: She's got your dad and mom with her.
T: Yeah...
M: Tuuli!
M: Tuuli!
T: You guys!
L: Main!
T: Main... Welcome back.
M: I'm home...
M: Tuuli!
Title: Next Chapter Apprentice Priestess
M: Woohoo!
wood,M: Part One Complete
M: We've hit the grand finale of Part One!
M: The negotiations were a great success, and I can keep living with my family!
M: Head Priest, you'll be seeing me at the cathedral soon!
M: I can finally read some books! Yahoo!
M: The way you're celebrating only makes me worry.
F: You seem to be thinking of nothing but books.
sfx,F: Nag Nag
F: Do you realize you're joining the church as an apprentice priestess?
F: You'll have so much to do and learn.
sfx ,: Poke Poke
F: Also, you've been made a blue robe despitebeingacommoner...
M: No! It's too soon for all this!
01x14 - Conclusions
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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.