M: {ED}
F: Main took in two new retainers, Wilma and Rosina.
F: Soon, Rosina's reluctance to do manual work
F: left the rest of the retainers far from pleased.
F: But after witnessing Main's diligence first-hand,
F: Rosina decided to take on a new attitude.
F: That allowed Main to focus wholeheartedly on making her picture book.
Title Card: Ascendance of a Bookworm
Title Card: Ascendance of a Bookworm
Ep Title: Chapter Twenty-Two Wilma and Holy Scriptures for Kids
M: Once upon a time, there were three little pigs,
M: and the time came for them to leave home and seek their fortunes.
M: The first little pig built his house out of straw.
M: The second little pig built his house out of sticks.
M: The third little pig built his house out of bricks.
M: One night, a big bad wolf came along,
M: huffed and puffed, and blew the first little pig's straw house away.
M: The first little pig ran for his life, to the second little pig's house of sticks.
M: But the big bad wolf chased after him and again huffed and puffed.
M: The house of sticks was blown away easily, too.
M: The two little pigs then ran to the house of the bricks the third little pig built.
M: Of course, the big bad wolf followed suit.
M: And again, it huffed and puffed...
M: And so the three little pigs lived in the brick house happily ever after.
M: The end.
M: What did you think? Was it fun?
Or: I couldn't really understand it.
M: What? You couldn't?
Or: No. What's a "little pig," Lady Main?
Or: And what's a "big bad wolf"?
W: Lady are you going to make a picture book out of that story?
M: That was my plan...
W: What exactly are pigs and wolves?
W: I've never seen any, so I might have a hard time drawing them.
M: I suppose so.
M: That was very helpful. Thank you.
M: I'll come back with a different story soon.
Or: Tell us your stories again, Lady Main!
W: I shall take my leave with the kids, then.
M: Actually, there's something else I want to discuss with you.
W: What is it?
M: I heard from Rosina.
M: That, um...
R: I thought it would be best if she knew that about you.
M: So the reason you wished to continue living in the orphanage
M: was because you didn't want to go outside...
M: You didn't want to interact with men, wasn't it?
W: Yes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you.
W: But I wasn't exactly trying to hide it.
M: I understand, Wilma.
M: Anyway, I've decided to bring Rosina and not Fran every time I visit you.
M: You can rest easy.
W: So that's why she's here.
W: You've always respected my wishes, even when you were taking me in as a retainer.
W: Thank you oh so kindly.
Gi: Bring on the sprouty thing!
L: You guys are getting used to this.
L: How much more paper are we making, Main?
M: If even pigs don't work, Momotaro fighting ogres is completely out of the question.
M: And it needs to be something Wilma can draw...
L: She's not even listening.
Gi: She does tend to get lost in her own little world.
L: Gil, you're starting to really get her now.
M: The church!
L: What about the church, Main?
M: I know what to have Wilma draw!
L: You've decided?
M: Yeah. I think a kids' version of the holy scriptures will be great!
M: It'll also teach the kids the alphabet! Two birds with one stone!
M: In that case, we'll need to make one for each kid, right?
M: But there are no copiers or printers here...
M: Oh, I could use block printing! I learned how to do it in arts and crafts!
M: Yeah, I'm gonna go with woodblock printing!
B: Ink?
M: Yes. I need ink to make my picture book.
B: Oh, that thing you were talking about last time.
M: Yeah.
B: How much do you need?
B: Ink is expensive, you know? Did you take the cost into account?
M: I didn't.
B: You fool! What kind of merchant doesn't calculate the cost price first?!
M: I'm not a merchant anymore! I'm an apprentice priestess!
M: Wad hudz! Wowwy!
M: Later, we went to a carpenter's to order the block.
M: The workshop that made the flash cards was too busy to take my order,
M: but they referred me to an offshoot run by a young boss.
M: Mister Ingo, make the delivery to the Gilberta Company, please.
In: Understood.
In: I look forward to your continued patronage.
G: Ink, you say?
M: I'm looking for oil-based ink.
M: Do you have any that aren't for parchment?
G: Ink is ink. There's only one kind.
M: Will I have to make ink for myself, too?
M: What can I use? Soot?
M: Oil paint?
B: Hey, Lutz. What's she talking about?
L: Her thoughts are just leaking out her mouth.
B: When will it end? I'd like to discuss the restaurant.
L: Not until she finds her answer.
M: I'll just start making all kinds, and use the best one for the book.
M: How's that, Lutz?
L: Why me?
M: All of my ideas...
L: ...I'll bring to reality.
M: Then the first order of business is gathering soot.
F: What in the world are you planning?
M: Whatever do you mean?
F: The grey-robed priests are cleaning fireplaces and chimneys awfully early this year.
F: You put them up to it, didn't you?
M: Please don't make it sound like I'm devising a devious plot.
M: I'm only having them gather soot in order to make ink for my plant-based paper.
M: That's what my picture book will be made of, after all.
F: I see what's going on now,
F: but be careful not to go too far and draw the high priest's ire.
M: Okay.
F: Also, inform me once you've decided on the book's contents.
F: You're too unpredictable.
F: It's bad for my heart.
M: I'll have you know I've already decided.
M: I'm making a picture-book version of the holy scriptures for kids.
F: The scriptures for kids, is it?
F: It could prove helpful in teaching them how to read.
M: Yes, that's the plan.
F: Very well. You have my permission.
M: Thank you kindly!
W: Wow, a picture-book version of the scriptures for kids?
M: You shouldn't have a problem drawing that, right?
W: Right! I can handle anything related to the church perfectly fine.
M: Then please get started right away.
M: Once the sketches were done,
M: I wrote the prose in mirrored letters
M: and had Sieg, Lutz's brother, carve the whole thing into wood.
M: Mixing soot well with oil was enough to produce the ink we needed.
M: It should be fine if it's that glossy and sticky.
M: I made the disk-like baren myself.
Or: Wow! It's like a painting!
Or: The block was all black, but there are white lines!
M: I don't know...
M: It's not what I'd look for in a picture book.
L: Yeah. The text is a bit hard to read, too.
M: What now?
Or: We're back!
Or: It was amazing!
W: What was?
Or: They put ink on a board, and there it was! Your drawing!
W: My drawing?
W: I did draw a sketch on a wooden board at Lady Main's request.
W: Was that it?
Or: Yeah! It was really pretty!
Or: You should come with us next time!
W: No!
W: I'm sorry!
W: I...
W: I'm so sorry!
Eyecatch: Ascendance of a Bookworm
Eyecatch: Ascendance of a Bookworm
M: It looks good, as I thought.
M: I decided to put the picture-book scriptures on hold
M: and switched focus to the book for the baby.
M: I already knew what kind of book it'd be, so all I needed was the tools.
M: I ordered them from Johann.
Flashback,J: Oh, you're that girl from the Gilberta Company.
M: Johann is very precise with his work, and I love him for it.
Or: Lady Main...
Or: What is this?
M: A picture book for a baby.
L: Say, will this really make the baby happy?
M: It totally will!
M: Solid shapes, like triangles and rectangles, work great with infants!
L: Well, if you say so.
L: Anyway, it looks like we could use the thick paper for the scriptures, too.
M: Yeah.
W: This...
W: is what I drew?
M: Your art is so detailed, this is how it turns out with woodblock printing.
M: It completely takes away from what makes your art so great.
M: So I tried to come up with a different way to do things.
W: You drew this?
M: Yes. Using your art as reference,
M: I made a sample by paper cutting using only black and white.
M: This requires far less work than carving wood and carries the tone better.
M: It's just... I don't know if kids will like this very much.
W: I'll give this method a sh*t.
M: I would very much appreciate that.
W: I would also like to see how good I can be using a new style.
M: Wilma...
M: Please don't push yourself, okay?
W: I won't.
Or: Please wait, Lady Main.
Or: We need to tell you something.
M: Wilma's acting strange?
Or: Yes. Ever since I asked her to come with us to the studio and she refused.
Or: She's seemed down ever since.
Or: Please help her out, Lady Main.
M: You must both love Wilma very much.
Bo: We do!
M: But we'll have to wait for time to heal her wounds.
Or: Is there no other way?
M: Well...
M: If she sees you all doing your best, she might start wanting to go outside.
M: While Wilma was busy drawing,
M: I had the head priest go over the text for the picture-book version of the scriptures.
M: What? Another lecture?
F: where exactly did you receive your education?
M: I'm not sure I understand your question.
F: Your prose is too good.
F: The holy scriptures are laden with complicated phrasing,
F: and editing them into simple, concise prose that even kids can understand
F: is no mean task.
F: At least, it should be beyond the girl I read the scriptures to,
F: who at the time couldn't even grasp the terms and words used.
F: It's almost as though you were educated in a foreign land,
F: and were merely unfamiliar with the language spoken here.
M: Head Priest, I was born and raised in this very town.
F: And my investigation of you corroborated that.
F: But it still makes no sense to me.
M: I've actually been asked this before.
Flashback,Il: Say, Main. Who are you, really?
Flashback,Il: Where did you get all these recipes?
F: And how did you respond?
M: "In my dreams."
F: In your dreams?
M: Yes.
M: In a dreamlike world very different from this one, one I can never go back to.
M: That was my answer.
M: Will you believe me?
F: How very absurd,
F: but it proves my suspicions right.
F: You are terrible at lying and keeping secrets.
F: However...
F: It only confuses me all the more.
F: I'll need time to think this over.
M: Meanwhile, as I was getting the required equipment together,
M: Wilma finished her drawing.
W: Please take a look.
M: This is wonderful, Wilma!
M: I'll have it printed at once!
M: Tell Gil to get things ready.
R: Certainly.
W: Um, Lady Main?
W: May I please accompany you to the studio?
M: But aren't you...
W: Trying my hand at this new method has given me just a little bit of courage.
W: Maybe now...
W: Maybe now, I could go outside!
M: Wilma!
W: It would be very reassuring to have you by my side.
M: I'll make dead sure no man gets anywhere near you!
R: Lady
R: it's usually a retainer's job to keep men away from their master.
M: Are you all right, Wilma?
W: I am.
Or: Hey! It's Wilma!
Or: Wilma's here!
W: I came to see the printing you were all so enamored by.
Or: Wow, amazing!
M: This is truly incredible.
M: What's the matter, Wilma?
W: I'm just so happy...
W: Lady I shall get to work on the next drawing.
M: Wilma...
M: Yes, please do.
M: And each time Wilma finished a drawing, we got to work printing it.
M: Look, Turi!
M: We finished printing it!
T: Wow, that's great!
M: All that's left is to bind it!
M: Help me, Turi!
T: Who, me?
M: Yeah! I need your skills!
T: Snip it, Main.
M: It took two years...
L: Two long years.
T: You did it, Main!
M: I couldn't have done it without you two!
M: Thanks!
L: Hey, this is just the first.
L: You've gotta go on and make so many more, nobody can ever finish reading them.
L: Isn't that right, Main?
M: Right. So many that the world will need libraries to hold them.
M: It's a promise, okay, Lutz?
M: Ah, the blessed, sweet scent of ink!
Sign: Next Chapter Harvest Festivals and Staying Home
M: Whew! I'm still no match for Gutenberg.
L: Who's that?
M: The man, the god, who pulled off the greatest feat of all time.
M: And who I want to be!
L: The heck is this thing?!
M: The movable-type printing press that Gutenberg invented.
M: How I'd love to bring it over to this world!
L: Hold on. This has metal parts, doesn't it?
L: Did you calculate the cost?
M: Lutz, you're starting to sound like Benno.
02x08 - Wilma and Holy Scriptures for Kids
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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.