02x09 - Harvest Festivals and Staying Home

[bunniefuu]

F: {ED}

F: With the help of the people around her,

F: Main finally finished a book—the picture-book version of the scriptures.

M: I couldn't have done it without you two!

M: Thanks!

F: Meanwhile...

HP: Listen, leave that little devil out from the Harvest Festival.

HP: She'll eat into our share.

HP: She makes enough from her studio, anyway.

P: Indeed. Let's put that cheeky plebeian in her place once and for all.

Title Card: Ascendance of a Bookworm

Title Card: Ascendance of a Bookworm

Ep Title: Chapter Twenty-Three Harvest Festivals and Staying Home

M: It's been a while since we've visited the library, huh, Fran?

Fr: Indeed. You've been busy with the picture book lately.

M: I want to read to my heart's content today.

M: Carriages?

M: What's going on?

Fr: They're for taking blue robes to the Harvest Festival.

M: What's the "Harvest Festival"?

Fr: A ritual held in the domain's farming settlements.

P: I see our resident plebeian is quite ignorant.

P: You seem to know your place rather well already.

P: Perhaps I shouldn't have bothered after all.

Fr: Lady there was no need for you to kneel before him.

M: Well...

M: While we may both be blue robes, I'm a commoner and he's of higher status.

M: If I can avoid needless squabbling this way, it's a small price to pay.

Fr: If you've thought this through, I shall say no more.

Fr: However, you mustn't be a pushover.

M: I understand.

M: Anyway, let's hurry on to the library.

Fr: After you, Lady Main.

M: Wh-What happened here?

M: Who could have...

Flashback,P: Perhaps I shouldn't have bothered after all.

M: That accursed blue stooge!

M: I know who did this!

M: It's not too late to get him!

Fr: Lady Main!

Fr: You should report this to the head priest and ask for advice!

M: But he'll get away if we waste time...

M: Hey, Fran!

Fr: We're going to the head priest's office.

M: Put me down! Now!

F: What in the world happened?

Fr: We found the library all messed up.

Fr: Lady Main figured out who did it and wanted to go catch them.

Fr: I brought her here instead.

F: Very good. A wise decision.

F: to the hidden room.

F: Tell me how you found the library.

M: Sure. Both big bookshelves were empty.

M: Their contents were all over the floor. You can't even set foot in there.

F: And who did it?

M: I don't know his name, but the blue-robed priest I met earlier said,

M: "Perhaps I shouldn't have bothered after all."

M: There's no doubt! He did it!

F: And so what if he did?

M: I shall hold a bloody carnival right here in town.

M: A bloody carnival where I'll paint the town red in more ways than one!

M: Raiding the library is an obvious declaration of w*r!

M: The culprit deserves the guillotine!

F: Stop right there.

M: What? Why?

F: You seem to be having some rather unsavory thoughts.

F: It's written all over your face.

F: Also, the blue-robed priests have already departed for the Harvest Festival.

F: They won't be back for another ten days.

M: Ten whole days?

F: The church sends priests to hold the ritual in settlements all over.

F: While they're there, they collect taxes and produce as tribute to the gods.

F: It's likely that the library was attacked as a way of keeping you from the harvest.

M: They damaged the books for that?

M: Very well. Challenge accepted.

M: I'll clean up the library myself!

F: Everything in there was ordered by date of acquisition.

F: You can't handle it.

M: Then I'll sort them my own way!

M: That's it!

M: I can take this chance to arrange everything my way!

M: It'll be a library by me, for me!

M: I'm a genius!

dream,Sign: Every Bookworm's Dream

personal,Sign: A Personal Library

M: But wait just a damn second.

M: Can I really arrange the books entirely haphazardly, by my whim alone?

M: I know what this calls for.

NDC,M: N

M: The Nippon Decimal Classification.

NDC,M: N D

NDC,M: N D C

NDC ,: Nippon

NDC ,: Nippon Decimal

NDC ,: Nippon Decimal Classifi-

NDC ,: Nippon Decimal Classifi- cation

M: That's the system I'll classify the books under.

M: Now, allow me to introduce to you the nine major divisions of the NDC!

M: Come on!

Class,Sign: . General

M: General.

Class,Sign: . Philosophy

M: Philosophy.

Class,Sign: . History

M: History.

Class,Sign: . Social Sciences

M: Social Sciences.

Class,Sign: . Natural Sciences

M: Natural Sciences.

Class,Sign: . Technology / Engineering

M: Technology.

Class,Sign: . Industry / Commerce

M: Commerce.

M: Arts.

Class,Sign: . Arts

M: Language.

Class,Sign: . Language

Class,Sign: . Literature

M: Literature.

M: Eek!

M: Love you, Natural Sciences!

M: Lead me, General!

M: I'll take a quick glance at the books strewn about

M: and start sorting them into these ten divisions.

M: Then I'll place them in their appropriate shelves, thus completing the first step.

class ,M: . General

class ,M: . General . Philosophy

class ,M: . General . Philosophy . History

class ,M: . General . Philosophy . History . Social Sciences

class ,M: . General . Philosophy . History . Social Sciences . Natural Sciences

class ,M: . Technology / Engineering

class ,M: . Technology / Engineering . Industry / Commerce

class ,M: . Technology / Engineering . Industry / Commerce . Arts

class ,M: . Technology / Engineering . Industry / Commerce . Arts . Language

class ,M: . Technology / Engineering . Industry / Commerce . Arts . Language . Literature

class ,Sign: Literature

Class ,Sign: For Example...

M: The second step will need a closer look,

class ,Sign: Literature Japanese Literature

M: classifying the books into several sub-categories, but...

class ,Sign: Literature Japanese Literature Novels & Fiction

class ,Sign: Literature

Class ,Sign: However...

M: The sub-categories will require heavy adaptation to this world.

class ,Sign: Literature From Unknown World

class ,Sign: Literature From Unknown World Of Unknown Genre

M: Which means I'll have to create a whole new classification system!

M: You know, it feels like...

M: I'm a real librarian or something!

M: Please leave the library to me.

F: It's quite unsettling how your mood suddenly changed for the better,

F: but very well. You can handle the cleanup.

M: Thank you!

F: This is a list of the books I donated to the library.

F: Use it if you need to.

M: Thank you kindly.

M: He donated so many books?

M: Just who is he, really?

D: What in the world happened here?

D: I can't believe anyone would have the heart to do this!

Gi: If Lady Main sees this, she's sure to blow her lid...

M: I need you all to clean up the library today.

Gi: Uh, why do you seem to be in a good mood?

M: Because I am delighted.

M: I want to offer the culprit my thanks, and the gods my prayers.

M: I get to sort the books in the library as I please.

M: Nothing could bring me more joy!

M: Yahoo!

M: Now, let's get right to work!

M: First, separate them all into paper- and tablet-based.

M: After that, we'll place them in the appropriate shelves depending on their content.

M: Those go under Social Sciences, so place them by the " " marker.

Fr: Understood.

M: Let's see what this one has to say, then.

D: A moment, Lady Main.

D: Could you save your reading for after we clean this mess up?

M: Oh, sorry. I got drawn in.

M: Gil.

M: That book goes in the shelf above, not there.

G: Oh, I'm sorry.

M: I already know which books will go there.

M: I saw in the head priest's catalog books that can only exist in a fantasy world.

M: That's the shelf for magic books!

M: I wonder what they're like.

M: I can't wait to read them!

M: Where are the books on magic?

M: But as the cleanup went along...

Fr: Is that all?

D: That didn't take too long, huh?

Fr: What's the matter, Lady Main?

M: The books on magic that the head priest donated are missing.

F: Are you finished with the cleanup?

M: Head Priest...

Eyecatch: Ascendance of a Bookworm

Eyecatch: Ascendance of a Bookworm

M: Head Priest, I don't see these books around.

F: They're in my quarters, so it isn't a problem.

M: Oh, is that so?

F: Yes. Still, I'm surprised you figured out they weren't in the library.

M: We classified the books by genre and placed them accordingly,

M: but the shelf I set aside for these ended up empty.

F: You... classified the books?

M: Yes.

F: Tell me more. To my room, now.

M: There's a system of library classification

M: called the Nippon Decimal Classification, based off Melvil Dewey's Decimal System.

F: Melvil... Dewey?

M: Dewey is a name etched forever in the history of libraries.

M: Time for a history lesson!

M: Melvil Dewey was an American librarian, educator,

M: and inventor of the Dewey Decimal System,

M: which influenced libraries across the world!

M: He's a man who left his mark on culture as we know it!

M: I went by the Nippon Decimal Classification,

M: and sorted books into General, Philosophy, History, Social Sciences,

M: Natural Sciences, Technology, Commerce, Arts,

M: Language, and Literature, and put them in their respective shelves.

M: I couldn't decide whether to classify magic books as Natural Sciences or Technology.

M: So I'd like to read them before making the call.

M: By the way, how would you classify them?

F: Hmm...

F: You could say the basics of magic are all about observing and understanding nature.

M: Okay, and?

F: But magical items are a different story altogether.

M: Ah, is that so?

M: Okay, so what will you do?

F: I'm highly curious about these "classification systems,"

F: but classifying books on magic isn't a matter you need to concern yourself with.

M: Why, Head Priest?!

F: Because these books won't ever line the shelves of the church's libraries.

M: What?

F: Magic is the exclusive domain of the nobility.

F: Blue robes have no right to peruse these books as they please.

M: But aren't blue robes nobles?

F: Technically, blue robes are of noble birth and possess mana.

F: But nobles aren't recognized as such unless they graduate the Nobles' Academy.

M: "The Nobles' Academy"?

F: It's a school for noble children.

M: You mean nobody's a noble unless they complete their education there?

M: That's a harsher criteria than I was expecting.

F: Nobles are allowed to channel the great power of magic.

F: Thus, peerage isn't granted to those who haven't learned

F: the right way to control or use it.

F: So I have no intention of letting you see these books...

M: Head Priest!

M: Let me read them!

M: Please!

F: No means no.

M: Pretty please!

Fr: What's wrong, Lady Main?

M: I couldn't get him to let me read the books on magic.

M: Lutz and Turi are visiting the orphanage today.

M: They're teaching the kids how to bind books.

L: Nice, looking good.

L: Then you push the needle through the hoop and pull it out the other side.

Or: Like this?

L: Yeah, that's the way.

T: Then you put the leftover thread into the hoop and cover it up.

Or: Wow! I did it!

T: Good job!

Or: Will this do?

Or: Teach me how to do this.

Or: Hey, Turi!

M: Hmm... I don't have any specific complaints, but just do it better.

Or: Uh... How, exactly?

M: You'll get better with practice!

Or: R-Right...

L: These kids have never even used needles before.

L: Looks like we'll only get through half of what we planned.

T: I wanna teach them how to sew sometime.

T: That'll help them patch up their own clothing.

M: Yeah, it'd be a great help if you could teach them.

L: Anyway, here. Copies for the people who helped us.

M: Thanks!

M: Lutz, let's go give Benno one tomorrow.

L: Sure.

M: Ta-dah!

M: The picture-book version of the scriptures for kids is complete!

B: Oh?

B: It's rare to see a book without a leather cover.

B: A flower watermark, eh?

B: Is this bound with thread alone?

B: You haven't used glue?

M: That's right.

B: This art is amazing.

M: Wilma really outdid herself.

B: Very good.

B: You did a great job.

M: Thank you!

B: So, how much are you going to sell these for?

M: Huh? I'm not selling them.

M: I'm going to use them as textbooks in the orphanage.

B: What? You're not selling them?!

B: What are you thinking?!

M: And what are you saying?!

M: These books are going to be textbooks for kids!

B: Good products ought to be sold!

M: Hell no!

Ma: Have you two calmed down?

M: I'm going to make a bunch of similar picture books for the time being.

M: My artist doesn't leave the cathedral, so she can't draw what's considered common.

L: But I don't know about making book after book about the gods.

B: Lutz is right.

L: Aren't you going to make any books that customers would want to buy and read?

M: Of course I'm going to make some for the general public eventually!

M: And also books with no pictures, only prose!

L: Do it now, not eventually!

L: This isn't a game!

M: I don't need you to tell me!

M: But to do that, I'll need to get my hands on some other stuff first.

B: Like what?

M: Stencil paper for the mimeo.

mimeo,Sign: Mimeo = Mimeograph Machine

stencil,Sign: Stencil Paper

M: Either that, or...

M: Types for a letterpress.

letterpress,Sign: Letterpress Printing

type,Sign: Type

B: Stencil... types?

M: Yes. With those, I can mass-produce books efficiently.

M: However, I can't make either without lots of capital.

B: Why don't you just pull another product idea out of your hat?

M: How about playing cards?

B: What're those?

M: A plaything much like those flash cards I made.

M: Even adults can play with them.

B: Nobles are sure to love 'em, huh?

B: Can you visit Corinna before you head back?

M: For what?

B: She wants to get you fitted for your ceremonial garb, it seems.

M: And so I got fitted for my ceremonial outfit,

M: and we dove headlong into winter prep.

T: You visited Missus Corinna?

M: Yeah. Her belly's all big now.

M: The baby's going to be born over the winter.

E: I think we'll have to wait for spring.

T: Will it be a boy or a girl?

M: Which would you like, Dad?

G: Hmm...

G: A boy would make me happy, since I'd finally have company at home.

G: But a girl would also make me happy, since she'd be the cutest little thing!

M: Same here! I'd love them either way!

T: I can't wait!

M: I'll help you lots around the house over the winter, Mom.

E: I'd very much appreciate that, but...

T: Don't work too hard and fall sick, okay?

G: Ah... You'll get to stay right at home through the winter, huh?

M: Yep!

Flashback,F: What?

Flashback,F: What do you mean, you finished copies of this book in such short order?

Flashback,M: We inked cut paper and printed several copies.

Flashback,F: Printed?

Flashback,M: Right!

Flashback,M: My goal is to make a ton of cheap books that everyone can read.

F: I had no idea she was capable of this.

F: She's going to turn society on its head.

Fr: Head Priest, I've brought Lady Main.

F: Good.

M: Head Priest, I have a request.

M: While processing pig meat for winter,

M: I would also like permission to make glue and candles at the orphanage.

M: The stench will be terrible, you see...

F: So long as you finish before the other blue robes return, you have my permission.

M: Understood.

F: Also, you stand out too much in whatever you do.

M: Believe me, I'm trying not to.

F: You lose yourself when books are involved.

M: I'll take more care from now on.

M: I never want the library to be attacked like that again.

F: You fool!

F: Petty harassment like that is not the problem.

F: Anyway, the more pressing issue now is your winter work.

M: Uh, I was planning on doing it at home.

F: You're not aware, then?

F: The Dedication Ceremony happens over the winter.

F: It's where all of the divine objects in the cathedral are replenished,

F: which calls for a vast amount of mana.

F: Your participation is mandatory,

F: and we must avoid a situation where a blizzard keeps you away.

F: As such, you will live here over the winter.

Sign: Next Chapter Knight Orders and Requests

M: Head Priest, what do you think of Cinderella for my next picture book?

F: Oh? What's it about?

M: I'll tell you all about it!

M: A long time ago, there lived a truly kind and pretty girl.

white,Sign: Fast Forward

M: And so, Cinderella lived happily ever after.

M: What do you think, Head Priest? A great story, isn't it?

F: How truly absurd.

F: Your story involves a poor commoner girl marrying the prince.

F: Do you seriously think that that's possible?

F: Don't ignore their difference in status.

F: And if it does go through, the prince will be stripped of his royal status,

F: and his younger brother will be named successor to the throne.

F: As such, I find it hard to believe Cinderella truly achieves happiness...

M: You're far too cynical, Head Priest!