F: A hair ornament sale expanded Main's world some more.
F: Meanwhile, the Devouring was threatening to ravage her body.
Title Card: Ascendance of a Bookworm
Title Card: Ascendance of a Bookworm
Ep Ep Title: Chapter Ten To the Second Winter
M: A year has passed since I came to this world.
M: It's pork stocking day again.
M: Soon, my second winter here will arrive.
M: Three days, huh?
M: I haven't been bedridden for this long in a while.
M: I thought I'd been getting better lately, but here we are.
M: Stay away, Devouring Fever!
M: Stuff it in a box, shut the lid on it,
M: and we're good!
M: It's so strange.
M: A little anxiety was all it took for it to return.
Flashback,F: The Devouring won't do anything, as long as you're motivated.
M: That's right. I should distract myself with fun things.
M: Benno told me to go through this. I wonder what it's about.
All: We're home!
T: Look, Main!
M: Oh, bacon!
T: I'll make you some soup right away.
M: Thanks, Tuuli.
L: Hey, Main.
M: Lutz?
L: Tuuli told me your fever's gone down, so I stopped by to see how you're doing.
L: You missed out on pork stocking again, huh?
M: Actually, I'm rather glad I did.
L: I got worried cause your fever lasted so long this time.
M: It's gone now, so relax.
L: I don't know anything about this "devouring" thing Freida mentioned,
L: so I'm not sure I did a good job monitoring your condition.
M: Nah, you were perfect.
M: It's thanks to you that I've stopped collapsing in public.
L: Glad to hear it.
M: I can go to the store tomorrow.
M: By the way, take a look.
B: One...
sign_Slate,Sign: One: Smarten up your appearance and learn how to greet people
B: Smarten up your appearance and learn how to greet people.
B: Two...
B: Learn how to read and write all the basic words and numbers.
sign_Slate,Sign: Two: Learn how to read and write all the basic words and numbers
B: Three...
sign_Slate,Sign: Three: Learn how to use a calculator
B: Learn how to use a calculator.
M: It's the training process for new apprentices.
B: Listen up! Get this done over the winter!
L: All of this over the winter?
L: No way!
M: The biggest issue is the appearance part.
B: Is your fever gone?
M: Yes. Sorry I caused you trouble.
M: Thank you for giving me this.
M: It says to smarten up our appearance, but what exactly are you looking for?
B: For starters, you'll need work clothes and shoes.
B: Ten small silvers should get you to passable levels.
L: Ten small silvers? I don't have that kind of money!
M: Remember those silvers we deposited with the Guild?
M: We can just use those.
L: Oh, we did that for times like these?
M: And as capital for when we start making something new.
M: Remember when we were stuck needing nails?
B: Basically, you need money for anything and everything.
L: I see.
L: I always thought you should take all your earnings home,
L: so I felt guilty toward my folks.
M: It's not a bad thing to save up money you made for yourself.
L: Man, I feel better now.
L: Thanks, Main.
B: That takes care of the appearance issue.
B: Next... Lutz, you need to learn some manners.
B: You can't serve customers talking like you do now.
M: For starters,
M: it'd be nice if you could add "please" and "thank you" to your sentences.
M: If you could, please.
L: Oh, uh, I guess I can do that...
L: Please!
M: Come on, Mister Benno...
B: I don't know how much you can improve over the winter,
B: but give it your best sh*t.
B: By the way, we've run into a problem with the Simple All-In-One Shampoo.
M: What happened?
B: I'm having a workshop make it for me,
B: but they're not getting the same results despite following your instructions.
B: Would you have any idea why?
M: I mean, it's as simple as crushing the fruit and extracting the oil.
B: I can't sell it like this.
B: And that would violate the contract magic.
M: What happens when the contract magic is violated?
B: In the worst case, it could thr*aten our very lives.
M: Why didn't you tell me that?!
M: And so we made our way to the workshop at once.
M: Oh, I get it now.
B: What was it?
G: What was the problem?
M: The cloth you're using to wring the oil out.
B: The cloth?
M: You're using a nice smooth cloth here, which has tiny pores by nature.
left,Sign: Smooth
right,Sign: Rough
M: But the cheap rough cloth back home is way more porous.
M: Wringing the fruit with it leaves fruit fiber and seed pieces in the oil.
M: Those play a crucial role in removing the impurities in your hair.
G: I see. We need rougher cloth, huh?
G: That means we can't use everything we extracted so far.
M: Of course we can. Not using them would be a huge waste.
M: You just need to make them scrubs... I mean, put in abrasives.
M: If you select the ingredients carefully, you'll be able to make high quality stuff.
G: Wow, missy. You know a lot.
B: And she probably knows a lot more than she's letting on.
M: Crap! If this keeps up, it'll be the Lutz situation all over again!
B: Main.
M: I absolutely can't say any more!
M: Any more information will cost you.
M: I'm not giving it out for free.
B: Very well.
B: Mind if we borrow your meeting room?
G: S-Sure, go ahead.
M: Huh? Wai...
L: Main!
M: Hey!
B: We're just going to talk.
B: Everyone stay away.
B: Two small golds.
M: Excuse me?
B: I'll pay you two small golds.
B: Give me information: any improvements, substitute ingredients,
B: and everything else you can think of.
M: Two small golds?
M: Three small golds.
B: Three small golds?
M: "If you can make money, make as much of it whenever, wherever, and however you can."
M: Isn't that right?
B: Three small golds, was it? That's as high as I can go.
M: W-Wait a minute!
B: Just take it and save it.
B: Money is the only thing that can stave off your Devouring.
M: How did you know?
B: I always considered the possibility,
B: but the old fart confirmed it the other day.
B: He said Freida told him you had the Devouring.
B: She's survived because she's rich and has ties with nobility.
B: All I can do for you is pay for your information.
M: Mister Benno...
B: Sit down.
B: Even if you have to sell everything you know, do it and save up money
B: for when the time comes.
M: What do you mean?
B: When your fever can't be suppressed anymore.
M: I thought the fever had grown more active lately.
M: So I wasn't just imagining it.
M: It took so much to get this far...
M: I don't wanna die yet.
M: I want to...
M: No, I will survive!
M: I understand. I'll take the three small golds.
M: I sold the methods to improve the Simple All-In-One Shampoo to Benno,
M: including how salt can act as an abrasive,
M: and how citrus makes it easier to remove impurities.
B: Hmm... Did you try all of this out?
M: No, I couldn't. The ingredients are too valuable for my family.
B: You couldn't try them, and yet you know they work?
B: Just who are you?
M: That's a secret.
M: No amount of small golds will get me to talk.
M: I was ready for this when I decided to give you all that information.
M: But...
M: Will you give me the boot because you find a child like me creepy?
B: Nah. Since you're so profitable,
B: I'll try even harder to ensure nobody else gets their hands on you.
B: I'm a businessman, after all.
M: Mister Benno...
B: Oh, also, Simple All-In-One Shampoo is too long and complicated.
B: Can we call it AIO Shampoo instead?
M: Sure, but is that really the best you've got?
B: How about SimSham, then?
M: AIO Shampoo is fine.
B: We're going to make and sell loads of AIO Shampoo and hair ornaments!
M: You've got it!
Eyecatch: Ascendance of a Bookworm
Eyecatch: Ascendance of a Bookworm
T: What? More hair ornaments to make?
M: Yeah.
M: People heard about Freida's and ordered some for themselves.
T: So you're asking us to move our winter handiwork up?
E: This is such a busy time, too.
M: That's why I got us an advance!
M: Two medium bronzes for each flowery decoration.
Bo: Two medium bronzes each?!
M: I used Rush! It was super effective!
G: Do I make the hairpin part?
M: That's Lutz's job.
G: Lutz again?
M: Dad, I want to visit the gate tomorrow. Can we go together?
G: What? Of course!
O: I heard you fell sick again, Main.
M: Yeah, but I'm fine now.
O: I see.
G: We have a trombe!
M: They were saying trombe's dangerous...
M: It's been happening a lot lately.
L: We got a bunch of trombe branches.
L: I didn't expect us to be making paper again so soon.
M: Benno'd yell at us if we let this trombe go to waste.
L: Brr! So cold!
M: Makes me want some piping hot buttered potatoes.
M: We'll need butter for that.
L: You want me to enter the river in this cold?
M: Let's work with well water tomorrow.
L: Can we? Thank goodness!
M: Yeah. Just don't forget the butter.
L: Butter? What for?
M: Huh? Did I not say?
L: By the way, did the handiwork go well?
M: Yep. Dad wanted to join in, and I didn't know how to refuse.
M: How about your place?
L: No good.
L: I asked Ralph and the other guys for help, but they didn't care.
M: You just need to cast the Rush spell on them.
L: The Rush spell?
M: Here you go, Lutz.
M: That's five medium bronzes for five hairpins.
R: Five medium bronzes?
Sieg: For those sticks Lutz was making?
Sascha: Each one of those is worth one medium bronze?!
R: It doesn't have to be Lutz, right? Can we help?
C: Merchants are all con men! Why would anyone ever want to be one?
C: I don't know what to do with Lutz.
E: Well, their boss doesn't seem to be a bad guy.
E: He is paying for our handiwork.
C: I can't help but worry, though.
C: Why take such an unstable job?
Bo: We're off!
E: See you.
C: Take care out there.
M: I'm so grateful to Lutz.
M: He's always taking care of Main.
C: Really? Main seems to be doing okay lately, too.
E: Much better compared to before, yes.
E: I just hope she grows up healthy.
L: Ugh, karffel?
M: Don't you want it?
L: I'll eat it.
L: It's so good! What the heck?
M: They don't steam their food here, after all.
M: Of course you wouldn't know how yummy steamed potatoes with butter are.
day,Sign: Bark Peeling
M: We then got to work on the trombe bark.
day,Sign: Bark Drying
M: Now that that's done, we can do the rest in the spring.
L: I'm done putting the tools away.
M: We'll have more trombe paper—
M: Why? I wasn't anxious, let alone losing heart!
L: Main? What's wrong?
L: You're burning up!
L: Your fever came out of nowhere?
L: Main, you okay?
L: The fever's... gone...
L: What the heck was that?
M: The Devouring.
L: What? But there weren't any signs of your condition worsening!
L: And you said you were all right the other day!
M: It flares up suddenly these days.
M: Before, it only used to happen when I got worked up.
L: Main...
M: Man, that scared me.
L: Can't we do anything?
M: Remember what Freida said? It costs a lot of money.
M: Benno said the same thing.
L: I'll give you a ride.
L: That's about all I can do for you.
M: "That's all"? But you're doing so much for me!
L: Just hurry up and get on.
M: Okay...
M: Welp.
M: Even with all the books I've read,
M: I can't find the right words to say to him right now.
M: Lutz is just too damn nice.
M: He stands by me even when I'm such a burden,
M: and he accepted me even after finding out I wasn't Main.
M: Hey, Lutz?
M: Even if I do collapse, you don't have to feel responsible, okay?
M: Also, I'm not gonna give in.
M: I haven't finished any books yet.
B: Main, you stay here. Lutz, come with me.
L: Save Main, Master Benno.
L: I can't do it. I can't do anything.
L: I would gladly do anything I could, but...
B: Then don't make Main look out for you.
B: That lass is way more mature than she seems.
B: Even if she's in pain, she has the wherewithal to smile for you.
B: If you're a man, make sure Main doesn't have to worry about you!
B: You had the gall to say you'd make everything Main thought of,
B: so make and sell one thing after another!
B: Make as much money as you can!
B: Now that's a good look in your eyes.
M: The next time I saw him, Lutz had gone back to his usual self.
M: I was thinking we'd be lucky to make ten,
M: but we've gone and doubled that!
L: Selling this many should help a little.
L: You need money to deal with the Devouring, right?
M: Lutz...
L: Do you have any other product ideas?
L: I'll make anything and everything you can think of!
M: Thank you.
B: That completes the delivery of the hair ornaments.
M: Sure does.
B: Okay, here's your pay.
L: Do you think we could sell these as well?
L: I made one during winter handiwork last year.
B: It was you again?
B: Did every bizarre product I've encountered in the last six months come from you?
M: Uh... Sorry about that.
B: Do you have anything that'd generate more revenue than baskets?
B: Something consumable, like the AIO Shampoo.
M: Well... How about colored and scented soaps or candles?
B: Do you know how to make those?
M: I do, though it'll need some trial and error.
B: All right. Experiment all you want come spring.
M: I will.
M: We have to make more paper, too.
M: If we add candles to that, things will get busy.
B: Main!
L: Main?!
L: You okay?!
B: This is bad! Mark, ready the carriage!
Next_Chapter ,Title: Next Chapter Life-or-Death Choices and Family Meetings
L: Do something, Master Benno!
L: The guild master will know what to do, right?
B: I've already negotiated with him.
L: All hail Master Benno!
B: Apparently, he still has some of the magical items he bought for Freida.
B: A one-use magical item, for just two small golds.
L: G-Golds?!
B: Consider it an investment in you.
L: Investment? You're such a...
B: You don't have to be so grateful.
B: I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart!
M: Give me back my preview time.
01x10 - To the Second Winter
Watch/Buy Amazon Merchandise Books
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.