02x07 - New Retainers

[bunniefuu]

F: Main somehow managed to help resolve Lutz's family issues.

F: However, she starts to have concerns in her own home.

M: Are you still not feeling well, Mom? Are you really okay?

E: Main...

E: You see,

E: Mom has a baby in her belly.

E: You're going to be a big sis.

M: I'll make a picture book for the little one, okay?

E: Picture book?

M: Yeah, picture book!

Title Card: Ascendance of a Bookworm

Title Card: Ascendance of a Bookworm

Ep Title: Chapter Twenty-One New Retainers

L: Picture book?

B: Picture book?

F: What is a "picture book"?

M: This is now the third time.

M: Picture books are literally books for kids, with pictures in them.

F: Books are expensive as it is.

F: And you want to make them for babies, who can't even read?

F: What are you thinking?

M: I'm going to be a big sister.

Fr: It seems Lady Main's family is expecting a child,

Fr: so she wants to give the baby a present.

F: I see. I understand now.

M: There you have it, so please let me have Wilma.

F: Fran?

Fr: Making a picture book needs an artist,

Fr: so she has identified a gray-robed priestess who's good at drawing

Fr: and is requesting permission to make her Main's retainer.

M: Honestly, I wanted to draw it myself...

B: Your handwriting's good, but your art sucks.

M: Please, Head Priest.

F: That baby will prove to be a huge weakness for you.

M: Where did that come from?

F: You hold your family extremely dear,

F: as shown by the time you tried to take on the high priest to protect them.

F: Who knows what he'll do when he learns of this?

F: Surely you understand that this can't be laughed off

F: by saying you can't just hide your emotions.

M: I do, yes. I'll keep that in mind.

F: Take this as an opportunity to accustom yourself to noble mannerisms and culture.

M: "Culture"?

F: I mean music.

F: It is one of the nobility's favorite pastimes.

F: Do we have anyone suitable?

Fr: How about Rosina? She used to be Lady Christine's retainer.

F: if you want an artist as your retainer,

F: you will also take in one who is proficient in music.

M: One moment! You can't make the decision for me!

M: I don't even have any instruments!

F: I see.

F: Of course you can't practice without an instrument.

M: As such, I really only want Wilma to be my retainer.

W: I truly appreciate your kind offer, but...

W: There'll be nobody left to take care of them.

W: I'm the only one who does.

W: I would like to remain in the orphanage.

M: In the church, all retainers move into their master's rooms.

M: Is there any way I can make Wilma my retainer and let her live in the orphanage?

M: I decided to ask the head priest for advice.

M: And, on the day I was to have that discussion...

Fr: The head priest sends these gifts with his regards.

M: Wow.

M: I turned him down because I had no instruments, but they've found their way to me.

Fr: These are harspiel.

M: Harspiel, huh?

Fr: It seems the head priest is set on having you learn music.

M: Welcome, Head Priest. I've been expecting you.

M: Those are cookies my cooks made for you.

M: They'll be part of the menu in Gilberta Company's upcoming restaurant.

F: I didn't know you were dabbling in food, too.

M: Well, I am. So I want to experience real noble cuisine before we open.

F: I shall invite you to lunch sometime soon.

F: So...

F: You said you wanted to make Wilma your retainer, but let her stay in the orphanage?

M: Yes. She's the only one who can take care of the unbaptized kids there.

M: The young ones fall ill easily, and sometimes even develop fevers late at night.

F: If Wilma's going to stay back at the orphanage,

F: that's all the more reason to take Rosina in.

F: I even arranged for your instruments.

F: You should have no objections now.

M: But is there any need for music in the church's ceremonies?

M: Here we go again with that magical item again.

F: The reason music is essential to you is because it is a vital part of noble culture.

M: You said that the other day, too.

M: But I am not a noble.

F: You will surely be part of noble society in the future.

M: But I have no intention of leaving my family.

M: According to the priest,

M: when nobles or those with the Devouring get married,

M: their partner has to be of a comparable mana capacity or they can't have kids.

M: What's more, a child's mana is heavily influenced by its mother's.

M: With noble numbers dwindling now,

M: it's apparently easy to picture young nobles flocking to me once I come of age.

F: However, they'll only see you as a tool connecting them to high society.

M: So I'll be a convenient baby maker?

F: That's up to you.

M: Huh? Up to me how?

F: Whether or not you're only seen as a tool to produce children

F: will depend on how well you can conduct yourself as a noble.

F: You must educate yourself in their ways to protect yourself.

M: I understand.

M: I'll also make Rosina my retainer and learn as much as possible from her.

M: After that, I asked the head priest to show me the right way,

M: so he played the harspiel for me.

M: He's so good!

M: The minstrels around the East Gate can't even lace his boots!

F: From the vast blue skies

F: Come the rays of light

F: The blessings of Leidenschaft

F: So shine the leaflets

F: So sweet the wind smells

F: So burns the flame of life

F: In summer

M: That was wonderful!

M: If you were to sing love songs, you would have no shortage of women falling for you!

F: What are you saying?

M: It was a compliment, honestly.

F: Anyway, you give it a try.

M: What? Now?

F: This is the most basic note.

M: Oh, hey, that's do.

M: Re.

M: Mi.

F: This is what you call a musical scale.

F: This is a surprise.

F: I wasn't sure how much a commoner could really understand about music,

F: but it seems you'll pick it up soon enough.

M: Yikes! I went and made it harder for myself!

F: Make sure you practice playing the harspiel every day.

M: May I take time out of helping you with work for it?

F: Spend less time reading instead!

M: I will defend that time with my life!

M: In the end, we settled on reducing the time I spent helping him.

M: All right.

M: The head priest gave his permission, so I'm making you my retainer.

W: I shall do my very best to serve you, Lady Main.

M: By the way, is Rosina here?

W: I'll go get her for you.

M: Whoa.

M: Talk about a pure mademoiselle!

M: I guess this is how the head priest expects me to conduct myself.

R: Lady you wished to speak to me?

M: I'm making you my retainer at the head priest's recommendation.

M: Your main job is to teach me how to play the harspiel.

M: Aside from that, you will share the duties of my other retainers.

M: Do you have any objections?

R: How could I ever?!

R: The harspiel is my best instrument!

M: Rosina moved into the director's office as soon as she got everything ready.

R: My, look at those harspiels!

M: Could you play it for me?

R: May I?

M: Of course. Please do.

R: Please bring me my harspiel, then.

R: I can't believe I get to play again.

R: Could you get me my chair?

M: Something seems off.

M: What is it?

R: Lady I promise to serve you with all my heart.

Eyecatch: Ascendance of a Bookworm

Eyecatch: Ascendance of a Bookworm

Delia: Oh, honestly!

Delia: Lady Main!

Main: What's the matter, Delia?

Delia: Rosina's not working at all.

Rosina: Goodness! It's rather rude of you to accuse me of not working.

Delia: She doesn't do a single thing other than play that instrument of hers.

Delia: She won't even get up in the mornings.

Main: Is that true, Rosina?

Rosina: My job is to teach you the harspiel, Lady Main.

Rosina: Now, let us practice.

Main: Delia, I have to practice now. I promise I'll hear you out later.

Delia: Oh, all right.

Main: Thank you.

Rosina: Could you kindly take my harspiel, as well?

Main: She's doing it again.

Main: Rosina.

Main: Why are you giving Fran orders?

Rosina: Why?

Main: Fran is my head retainer.

Main: Don't forget that.

Rosina: What?

Main: I'm going to go help the head priest now,

Main: so I ask that you fetch some water with Delia, Rosina.

Rosina: Whatever are you saying?

Rosina: Isn't that the work of a gray-robed priestess?

Main: What?

Rosina: I may damage my fingers doing servant work like that.

Rosina: Just have the apprentices over there take care of that.

Main: Rosina, I will not allow you to talk down to my retainers.

Main: And I'm certain I asked you to perform other duties, as well.

Rosina: But Lady I'm different from other retainers.

Rosina: Why is that so hard to understand?

Rosina: It appears that you've misunderstood your position as a blue-robed apprentice priestess.

Main: I'm wrong?

Delia: You're the one who's wrong, Rosina!

Fran: Delia!

Main: I'm still not familiar with all of the ways of the church.

Main: I'm going to listen to what everyone has to say

Main: before deciding if you are right or wrong, Rosina.

Fran: Wilma and Rosina's previous master, Lady Christine,

Fran: was a blue-robed apprentice priestess who loved nothing more than art.

Fran: She favored retainers who showed talent in the arts.

Fran: Rosina was favored by her master because she excelled in music,

Fran: and the servant work was all done by the other gray-robed apprentice priest retainers.

Fran: And I believe that is why she looks down upon gray-robed priests as well as their apprentices.

Main: That's going to be a huge issue.

Ferdinand: The word of the head retainer is the word of their master.

Ferdinand: You do not need retainers who refuse to understand this, so return them to the orphanage.

Main: But then I won't be able to practice the harspiel, would I?

Ferdinand: We just need to find you someone else.

Main: Head Priest, I know I may be out of line for asking this,

Main: but may I be excused for the day?

Main: I'd like to hear what all of my retainers have to say,

Main: so I'd like some time to talk to them.

Wilma: You want my opinion?

Main: Yes. I heard that under Lady Christine,

Main: the servant work was only done by the gray-robed priests.

Main: Do you agree with that statement, Wilma?

Wilma: After Lady Christine returned to noble life and I was returned to the orphanage,

Wilma: that was when I found out my treatment had been special.

Main: So it's just Rosina...

Wilma: Lady if you could, please give Rosina time to reflect upon herself, as well.

Main: I hear you loud and clear.

Main: Thank you.

Main: And then, we had our discussion.

Gil: Her instrument is so loud, she doesn't listen to anyone, and she doesn't work!

Gil: Haven't you ever heard of, "He who does not work, neither shall he eat"?

Delia: How am I supposed to work with someone like her?

Delia: Fire her already, Lady Main!

Rosina: It's only obvious that I dedicate everything I have to my art,

Rosina: since it is my duty to teach Lady Main how to play the harspiel.

Rosina: I'd like for you to broaden your horizons for the arts a bit more, Lady Main.

Main: Rosina, I can't have you expecting the exact same treatment you had before.

Rosina: What?

Main: If you're going to be my retainer, I need you to attend to duties other than music, as well.

Main: I understand that your hands are very important when it comes to handling your instrument,

Main: so perhaps you can work on some paperwork.

Rosina: But I've never done anything of that nature.

Main: If there are things you don't know or you think you can't do,

Main: this is the perfect opportunity to learn them.

Main: When Gil and Delia first became my retainers, they weren't able to write letters,

Main: but after some hard work, they were able to learn how.

Main: But I have no use for retainers who refuse to do any work from the start.

Main: Rosina, I am not Lady Christine.

Main: You can either accept these terms or go back to the orphanage.

Main: Please make your decision by tomorrow.

Rosina: I guess I can't go back to how things used to be.

Wilma: If you work hard, Lady Main will acknowledge you.

Rosina: I would like to put in the effort to be your retainer, Lady Main.

Ferdinand: Oh?

Ferdinand: So you decided to keep her?

Main: Yes. She'll be doing paperwork.

Main: Though I'm sure that her desire to play the harspiel is what drove her to this decision.

Ferdinand: Well, that works in our favor.

Ferdinand: Because I wanted to see how your practice is going.

Main: I-In ten days?!

Main: And so began my hardcore lessons.

Main: Let us understand happiness together...

Ferdinand: Well done.

Main: It's all thanks to you, Rosina!

Rosina: No, it's because you're a quick learner, Lady Main.

Main: What?

Main: Wilma doesn't like to be around men?

Rosina: You had no idea?

Rosina: I thought that was the reason that Wilma remained at the orphanage.

Main: I wonder if there's a reason why...

Rosina: Wilma was tricked by a blue-robed priest, and forced to offer her flower to him.

Main: Huh?

Rosina: Thankfully, no other harm came to her...

Rosina: But she has been afraid of men ever since.

Sign: Next Chapter Wilma and Holy Scriptures for Kids

Main: The head priest sent me bedclothes along with my harspiel...

Main: Is this common for nobles?

Fran: I believe he sent it to you to apologize for making you faint in the detention room.

Ferdinand: Do not mention this to anyone.

Ferdinand: Because you usually only receive bedclothes

Ferdinand: from your family, betrothed, or lover.

Main: Wait, why would you do something like this that'd give people the wrong idea?!

Ferdinand: It's your fault for not having bedclothes prepared for yourself when you pass out all the time.

Main: Can I return that lecture along with this gift?