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orii-blogs-stuff · 2 months

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“Absolutely not.”

“But Ferdinand~” The new Aub Alexandria said, “Aren’t you curious about what could be inside it?”

It had been just another Fruitday for Rozemayne, waking up next to Ferdinand, sharing a gyu, having breakfast, doing paperwork until tea time and having tea.

However, unlike most Fruitday’s where they would have tea time in the drawing room, Rozemyne decided to exploit the perfect weather and have tea time outside in the gardens (Ferdinand could really use some sunlight, he was starting to look like a [vampire] staying inside for so long!).

Which had lead them to their current predicament as while getting ready to walk towards the garden in her new regency-inspired wrapper dress, a frantic Ordoschnelli from Philine made its way to her.

“Lady Rozemyne, there… There is a strange door in the middle of the garden with a wooden katze carved into it. I am unsure what to make of it.”

Ferdinand, upon hearing this, sent for Justus and Ekhart and had the knights on standby. Currently, they were trying to figure out what to do, Damule had sensed summoning magic had brought the door to the gardens, but who would do that? Why would they bring this random door into the gardens? Was it a trap, sent by a foe?

“Might I suggest I, myself examine the door and where it leads to?” Justus said, “I may be able to deduce how someone could have moved the door inside the castle parameter without alerting Lord Ferdinand’s wards.”

“Be careful…” Rozemyne said, “Who ever managed to get through Ferdinand’s defences… That too with none of us noticing… They must be very powerful and very skilled.” Nothing of such sort was described in the Book of Magic, not in hers nor Ferdinand’s, they were dealing with something new entirely.

“I will, My Lady.” Justus said as he opened the door.

As the door opened, Rozemyne saw the inside was bathed in a soft orange glow and… Sniff sniff… Was that… Sniff sniff… Miso?! Without thinking Rozemyne ran towards the door.

“ROZEMYNE!” “MY LADY!”

“LADY ROZEMYNE!”

Inside looked to be the interior of a typical [Izakaya], how?!

“Hello and welcome~!” A server with dark hair and dark skin said, “Please! Have a seat.”

“Rozemyne!” Ferdinand started to scold her as Eckhart pulled out his sword and pointed it at the severs and the customers, Angelica and the other knights doing the same, “Stand back! These people are dangerous!”

“I’m fine!” Rozemyne argued, but Ferdinand was not having any of it.

“Not until we have done an in-depth background check on everyone here!” Ferdinand said.

Just then, the chef came out from the kitchen, “Hello there.” The man said, “And welcome, I intend no offence Sirs and Ma’ams, but please put away your blades, you are scaring the servers and the customers.”

“Who are you?” Eckhart said, though it sounded more of a statement than a question, not that Rozemyne was paying attention, the only thing she could smell was the heavenly miso! “And what is this place?”

“This is Nekoya.” The chef said, “We’re a humble restaurant serving western food, mostly.”

“A restaurant?” Ferdinand said, his voice was even but Rozemyne knew Ferdinand did not believe a word the man had just said, “Very well then, explain how your… restaurant had an entrance laying in our garden without any of us knowing.”

The chef just shrugged, something considered obscene amongst the nobility, “The details aren’t clear with me either, it just happens really. According to an elderly regular, it distorts space-time and multiple doors appear in many locations, all leading to this very restaurant which is in another world.” Another world? Rozemyne felt hope well inside her, were they in Japan?! “Please, have a seat, order whatever you like.”

Rozemyne pulled on Ferdinands hand, “Come on Ferdinand! You’ll love it! Everyone come as well!” Trust me! Rozemyne tried to say with her eyes.

Rozemyne could see the conflicted look on Ferdinand’s face, on one hand, he did not want to cause a scene, on the other, his survival instincts were telling him to take everyone hostage and look through their memories to see if they truly had no bad intentions, “Very well then.” Ferdinand said, “If Chaocipher hides within Gebordnung however, the consequences will be… Severe…”

“Excellent.” The chef said, “Riya, could you please hand out the menus? Oh and uh.” He looked at them, “Can you read the [Eastern Continent’s] Language?”

Rozemyne shook her head, “I do not know of this Eastern continent you speak about.” Ferdinand simply narrowed his eyes and Justus and the other retainers kept looking at everything, soaking up every piece of information about this place.

“I think they’re from that new place, Sir.” The server named Riya said, “That one where the other patron is from is from… Yurgenschmidt?”

“We are.” Rozemyne nodded, Ferdinand looked like he could pinch her cheeks for telling them such vital information.

“Ah well.” The chef said, “We have menus written in Yurgen as well.”

Riya showed them to their seats, because they were a large party, a few chairs and tables had to be pushed together closer. “Here’s the menu~!” She said, “I’ll come back in a [minute] to get your orders-”

“-Wait!” Rozemyne was acting unladylike, but she had to know, “This restaurant… He said this is a restaurant from another world… Is that world-”

“-Rozemyne-”

Rozemyne ignored Ferdinand, she needed to know, “-Is the original place, Japan by any chance?”

“Yes.” The server said, “How did you know?”

“We would like to have a few moments to discuss what we would like for tea.” Ferdinand said with a noble smile.

The server looked taken aback, “Oh- uh- Ok then, call me when you’re ready~! One more thing. I would recommend the melon soda, it’s a [fan favourite]!” With that, she left.

Ferdinand dropped his act, “What were you thinking?” He said in a low voice, “They could be enemies!”

“They know what Japan is!” Urano’s home country… How she missed it…

“Let us order something.” Justus said, “Keep our intentions under Verbergen’s shroud until Chaocipher comes out to play.”

Rozemyne looked through the menu, it was mostly western food such as spaghetti and pizza, but there were also japanese food such as chicken curry~ But what Rozemyne wanted was one thing and one thing only, “Excuse me?” She asked the server, “Do you have anything with [miso]?”

“All our set meals come with a bowl of miso soup.” The server said, “Are you [vegetarian]?”

Oh, the server must think she was looking for vegetarian options, “No, I just like soybeans.” Rozemyne said.

“Well, in that case we do serve [tofu] and [natto].”

They had tofu and natto?! “I would like natto with rice please!”

“Very well then.” The server started to write it down, “Would anyone else like to order?”

In the end, their table ordered:

1 natto with rice

1 chicken curry set meal

1 beef stew

3 chef specials

2 omurice

It took a while for the food to arrive, until then, they conversed amongst themselves.

“I believe they are telling the truth.” Justus said, “I sense no ill intent from any of them.”

“Keep your wits sharp.” Ferdinand grumbled.

“Ofcourse, My Lord.” Justus said, “I do find it odd however, they said they had another patron from Yurgenscmidht, I wonder who they are…”

When the food arrived, Rozemyne could cry tears of joy, but being a Lady (Aub no less!) She could not show weakness, instead, she slowly started eating, savouring the taste of every bite. Ferdinand, on the other hand, looked confused when the server did not taste test the food, “Don’t worry, everyone.” She said, “This is normal.”

“We must make sure this is not poisoned-”

Rozemyne stopped him right there, “It’s not poisoned.‘ She insisted, “If it was, they wouldn’t have been able to stay in business.”

Ferdinand just stared at her, Rozemyne stared back, “Let’s not make the servers work anymore difficult than it already is.” She said, pointing to the servers who were working in a flurry, between greeting new customers and taking orders and giving food and collecting the money, the three servers barely had time to breathe.

“I shall take the first bite.” Eckhart said as he used his knife and fork to cut into the pizza, he took a bite and slowly chewed at, after a few minutes he finally said, “I do not taste a hint of poison.”

The rest of the table sighed in relief, finally eating the food, their eyes lighting up in wonder, “The food is befitting to be served to the Zent!” Leonore said.

“Indeed~” Angelica said.

“Despite the rustic atmosphere, the food is sublime…” Hartmut said, “But the food Lady Rozemyne had created is better!”

“I agree!” Clarrissa said.

OOO

Riya was unsure what to do with the small gold coin, the food all together was seven large silvers but the newest patrons told her to keep it as a ‘tip’. ‘I’ll just add it to their tab’ Riya thought, Mako paid her more than enough, because he was paying her the salary of a Japanese server in Tokyo and Kolkata was cheaper and she was still living with her parents. She had so much money she didn’t need any extra money, the money she made was enough to buy at least 30 family packets of oreos each day. “Please come again next time!” She said to the group.

“We will!” The (maybe) twenty-year-old with dark blue hair and bright yellow eyes said. “We had a lovely time.”

“Please remember! The door only shows up once every seven days.” Riya said.

“Oh…” The lady looked heart broken for a split second but her demeanour became bright again, “We shall come next Fruitday again then!”

“Rozemyne.” The guy with the light blue hair said as he turned to look at Riya. “ We shall think about gracing this restaurant with our patronage. It seems Dregarnuhr the Goddess of Time has woven today's threads with exceptional speed and grace.” He said as he and the rest of the group left.

… What a weird way of saying goodbye… Riya didn’t have time to think about that as another customer entered, “Hello and welcome~! Oh it’s you, Shuu!” It was Shuu~! “I haven’t seen you in two weeks!”

“My manager kept wanting me to attend the Saturday meetings.” Shuu said with a sad sigh, “I managed to convince him to have those meetings on Friday, however.”

Shuu was a v-tuber, which one Riya didn’t know but she was pretty sure he was Akuma-Akuma (he won’t say however, that goes against his contract so Riya just has fun guessing). He lived near to the location of the actual Nekoya but after finding a door in his local library that lead to Nekoya one day, he also started coming every Saturday (Atleast, the ones he could manage to come). “Will it be the usual?” Riya asked.

Shuu nodded, “And today’s special.”

Riya gave him a thumbs up, “One melon soda float and one today’s special coming right up!”

#my writing #ascendance of a bookworm #a restaurant in another world #Rozemyne and Shuu missing eachother just by a few seconds is peak comedy to me #Shuu's life went down hill for a bit after his best friend died and now he's a v-tuber #should I put this up on my ao3?#Join Us For A Bite au #Here I am starting a new wip instead of working on my fic~#What was not shown: The nobles being scandalised over the short dresses #They were a bit too busy trying to figure out if they should capture everyone at the resturant to read their memories (Ferdinand)#or try to eat in peace and stop the others from capturing everyone in the resturant and reading their memories (Rozemyne)

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yuyuisabookworm · 8 months

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Oh my god it's happening

Rozemynes finally being confronted about her (from a nobles perspective) unusually close relationship with Ferdinand despite both being engaged and I'm losing my mind because I know she has never really given it any thought till now- but now??? She's going to have to start deciding what's more important to her; how nobles view her or her concern for Ferdinands wellbeing.

And we all know there's no way her concern for him doesn't come out on-top because well, she said it to him herself- royals and country be damned, whatever it takes, she'd help him in a heartbeat if he asked her because... he's family to her.

To add on to all of this, the fact that she is now forced to consider this situation means she will inevitably be revaluating her relationship to Ferdinand and what it means that he is her closest most trusted noble ally, even if she in Rozemyne fashion does not see it in a romantic sense, everyone else around her will and that makes me a little worried for Ferdinands wellbeing now because rumours spread in unexpected ways...

#ascendance of a bookworm #honzuki no gekokujou #♢Nova rambles #♢Spoilers: Part 5 #♦rozemyne #♦ferdinand #//Im quaking because on one hand Im terrified for Ferdinand #//and on the other Im so ready to see Rozemyne throw everything to the wall to go and rescue him #//yk when shit inevitably hits the fan because it definitely will

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the-alexel-lucas · 9 months

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Looks like it’s AoB essay time, might as well join in. I want to focus on the conflict of the story as well as Myne’s noble persona. This will be getting into end of series stuff so if you don’t like that…don’t look.

So, what is the conflict? Well the easy answer is that it varies, P1 is Myne’s devouring and her struggle to survive, P2 is her struggles in the temple and the inevitability of being adopted, P3 is her adjusting to being a noble and trying to gather the ingredients for her jureve, P4 is struggles of Ahrensbach affecting Ehrenfest, and P5 is the Lanzenave invasion and potential collapse of the country. But that’s looking at the story in it’s individual parts, not as a whole. What I believe to be the true conflict of the story is Myne trying to make her way back to her family.

It is often said that P1 and 2 are the prologue (sometimes this is extended to P3 and occasionally even P4) and this is what I am basing my argument off of. In P1 we are introduced to Myne’s family, Gunther a hard working well meaning father, Effa a caring but stern mother, and Tuuli a supportive and gentle older sister. Initially Myne has little to no interest in them outside of survival but over time she grows more and more close to them, to the point that she would choose death over leaving them even if it could mean having books. This is reiterated and doubled down on in P2 where we and Myne see how poorly she treated her mother as Urano and while she understands that she has to leave them for everyone’s safety she wants to drag that out as long as physically possible, and then that time is cut short. Now bound by magic contract they cannot interact as a family and as time goes on more and more connections to that life are taken from her and it hurts Myne deeply. She is forced to wear a mask at all times, she must be the noble Rozemyne for everyone everywhere, that image cannot slip. However when she is in absolute private with those in the know who are not her family she can drop the act, but her engagement means she cannot use the hidden room where she could be Myne with Lutz, Benno, and Mark, Ferdinand’s engagement takes from Ehrenfest entirely and takes not only her mentor but the only noble who truly knows her. And then once again she must prepare to leave everyone she knows and loves, even if it is just momentarily, to protect them.

Her love for her family runs so deep that when Mestionora takes over her body she must block those memories to keep her occupied. At this point she is no longer Myne, she has become the mask and is fully Rozemyne. When Ferdinand restores her memories he offers to fake her death so she can return to her family and live her happy life but at this point she is much more aware of who she is and what options are available to her, but a concession can be made. And that is where the story ends, with the resolution of the conflict, with Myne returning to her commoner family and putting her hair up like she did in P1V1, because while Rozemyne is 14 Myne has come of age. And is home.

#ascendance of a bookworm #honzuki no gekokujou #I came up with this in the shower

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ehrenfest · 8 months

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Fanbook Four's Short Story

Is about Judithe developing mana sensing. This is just a summary of it made with the help of machine translation, so take everything with a grain of salt.

~~*~~

Judithe is studying with other apprentice knights in the dormitory common room when all of a sudden it happens. She describes it as feeling noisy around her, or like a strange gaze is on her. She is suddenly very aware that some of the people around her have a strong presence and others a very weak one. It’s so uncomfortable it gives her goosebumps.

It hits her that this is mana sensing. Feeling shocked and embarrassed, she abruptly stands up and leaves without a word to anyone.

Being confused she tries to talk to her adult attendant, Frederika. Though she's unable to get the words out, when Frederika touches her the older woman realizes what’s happened and congratulates her.

Mana sensing is a secondary sexual characteristic for nobles that manifests sometime between the ages of 10 and 15. It allows you to sense who is within range for you to have children. But it also allows others to sense you, and creates the impression that you are ready to start looking for a marriage partner.

Judithe expresses her discomfort, “It feels like everyone is watching me, and I can’t calm down.”

Her attendant says she’ll get used to it soon. But if she really can’t stand it, going into her hidden room will block out the presence of others. Although, if you stay in there you’ll never adjust.

Frederika seems happy as she talks about informing Judithe’s parents and how she’ll have to seriously consider her marriage partner now.

Making up an excuse, Judithe leaves, since she doesn’t feel like she can show how bothered she really is in front of her attendant.

Leonore spots her in the hallway. She went looking for her after Judithe left the common room so suddenly. The younger girl is relieved that she can’t sense Leonore’s mana, and awkwardly explains that she developed mana sensing.

Leonore immediately understands, it’s very unsettling until you get used to it. She asks if Judithe wants to go to Rozemyne’s retainer room for a consultation? Since their master isn't here, and only female retainers can enter, that should be a more comfortable place for her.

She sends Judithe on ahead, while she explains things to the knight apprentices and calls the others girls to come.

Brunhilde, Leonore, Lieseleta and Philine all arrive shortly.

Judithe is particularly worried about how long it will be before she gets used to it. Brunhilde says it takes around ten days to adjust to mana sensing. Although Leonore mentions she got comfortable with it after only five. Lieseleta lets her know that for the first three days or so other people won’t be able to sense her mana, so she doesn’t have to be so self-conscious. The mana she emits is still unstable, meaning unless others are close enough to touch her they won’t sense anything.

They confirm that even though she can sense Lieseleta, Lieseleta can’t feel her, except when she touches her.

Normally your mother would teach you these things, but since she’s currently at the Royal Academy it’s hard to talk to her. Brunhilde says that, though she could go home for a bit once she finishes her classes, it might be safer not to. If your parents find out, they’ll hold a big celebration, inviting a bunch of gentlemen over to potentially choose a marriage partner from among the candidates. As Judithe is still so uncomfortable, it would be better if she waited until she was more mentally prepared to go back.

That’s what happened to Brunhilde when she developed mana sensing. Leonore confirms that something similar happened to her. Although, because she’s not an heiress like Brunhilde, it wasn’t quite as excessive.

Judithe hopes this celebration is only something archnobles do, but Lieseleta confirms that she will also have to go through one as soon as she returns home. They are usually held during the winter socializing season, when it’s easiest to reach out to relatives and acquaintances.

Judithe hates the very idea and wants to refuse, but is told it’s a rite of passage, necessary for your parents to find a marriage partner for you. And anyway, if her attendant has already contacted her parents they've probably already started preparing.

She asks for details on what exactly happens at this celebration. Turns out, it's a place for a woman who has developed mana sensing to meet unmarried men who have a similar amount of mana. All of those present who have already gone through it found the event uncomfortable, but apparently the men who are invited are just as uncomfortable, so it’s a mutual feeling.

Judithe is exasperated that Philine can just calmly drink tea as though this is someone else’s problem, she'll have to do it soon enough as well!

But Philine points out that she cut off contact with her father, and Rozemyne is currently her guardian. So she doesn’t think she’ll have to go through that kind of celebration.

Judithe immediately considers cutting off ties with her father to avoid the awkwardness. The older girls tell her that even though it’s embarrassing, the celebration means she’s being treated as a family member and a daughter. If the family isn’t planning to marry their daughter officially, or can’t prepare a dowry, etc, then no celebration will be held.

Now Judithe starts worrying about Philine instead, and feels terrible for complaining about having a good position in her family. Philine assures her she’s fine.

One of the other girls mentions that if Judithe’s father already has an engagement candidate in mind, instead of the celebration already mentioned, she’ll have a colour matching and engagement announcement party instead. Does she know if there are any likely candidates?

Judithe hasn’t heard of anyone. The reality of marriage has approached so suddenly as soon as she developed mana sensing, it’s left her in a daze. She tries asking Leonore, who’s soon to be engaged, what exactly are the conditions for deciding on a fiancée, how do you choose?

Leonore can only say that, in her case, the goddess of marriage, Liebeskhilfe, did a good job. She liked Cornelius and their mana levels, status, and faction happened to coincide.

Judithe asks if it’s really just chance? But Lieseleta says that there isn't really a better answer Leonore could have given her. Marriage conditions are different for each class and depend on the circumstances of each family.

So, Judithe looks to Lieseleta, hoping to find more useful info from a fellow mednoble, only to be told that she’s not a good reference either, as she’s the heir to her house. But since Judithe is from a family that isn't particularly associated with any one faction—meaning there aren’t any real restrictions on who she can marry—and she has younger brothers and sisters, so she’d be expected to get married early and leave home, unless her parents are very strange they’ll probably be fine with anyone as long as their mana and status coincide.

Lieseleta needs someone to marry into her family, she also wants a partner who can support the archducal couple alongside her, in the same way her parents do. Brunhilde and Leonore mention that as Leisegangs they would absolutely not be allowed to marry any of Wilfried’s retainers or members of the former Veronica faction. As they talk about hopefully closing the distance between factions in the future, Judithe thinks that maybe it’s because Kirnberger is out of step with factions, but she’s never really been conscious of them growing up. And since Veronica lost power and relationships have improved, not to mention Rozemyne's minimal awareness of factions, Judithe has just continued to be ignorant of them.

Worried that maybe this makes her unqualified to serve a member of the archducal family, she quickly tries to convince herself that it’s not that she's totally unaware of the tension between factions, it’s just that she doesn’t have the sharpened sense of it like Brunhilde and the others.

Philine asks Brunhilde if she also has to take into consideration her father’s intentions just like Lieseleta, since she’s an heir too, right? Brunhilde smiles vaguely saying, “Well, for an heir, their parent’s intentions are important.” She continues on that the most important quality in a marriage partner for her is that they're good for Groschel. So she can’t choose someone based on feelings alone.

Judithe thinks about how heavy the responsibilities are for a Giebe’s daughter and an heir. She appreciates how easy and free of responsibility her position is by comparison. Saying something to that effect to Philine, she expects to get agreement.

However Philine mentions instead that she also intends to take over her house in the future. With Konrad in the orphanage, she’s the only one who can. At least, she has no intention to hand over her mother’s inheritance to her father and Jonsara. So, while her parent’s intentions are irrelevant, she does need a spouse willing to marry into her house.

Judithe is shocked that the younger Philine, who can’t even sense mana yet, is already thinking about her marriage prospects. She's devastated at her own carefree attitude.

The other girls, knowing Philine’s feelings, begin to tease her. Bringing up how Damuel, a second son who is out of the line of inheritance, seems like a perfect match for her, so long as she works hard to raise her mana to match his.

Philine blushes but says, “Even if it’s convenient for me, I don’t think Damuel will take notice of a child like me… So I want to start sensing mana as soon as possible.”

Judithe can’t believe she wants to put herself in such an embarrassing and unsettling situation. But Philine is firm that it is what she wants. Once she can sense mana she’ll be aware whether or not she’s within Damuel’s range. And maybe he’ll be a little more conscious of her as a woman. Developing mana sensing will change things, but she wants those things to change.

Everyone else is thinking about their futures, and Judithe is depressed that she’s the only one who’s thoughtless. The girls continue talking about Philine’s future partner until, embarrassed, she reminds them they're supposed to be talking about Judithe right now.

So everyone starts asking Judithe questions instead. What does she want out of a marriage partner? Will she return to Kirnberger after marriage? Does she want to go back to serving Rozemyne after raising children? It might be better to marry someone in the Nobles Quarter in that case.

Embarrassed by the attention, and not having considered these before, Judithe can’t give any answers. But as an aide to Rozemyne she doesn’t want to just say, “I haven’t thought about it.”

While drinking tea to stall for time and trying to figure out how to dodge the questions, an ordonnaz for Leonore flies in. It's from Cornelius, asking her to come help teach the knight apprentices, as there’s some class work for next year he doesn’t get. Leonore asks if Judithe is ready to go back to the common room with her.

She found her escape, but at a cost. Instead she's half-forced to spend an uneasy time in the common room. But maybe because of that, she adjusted to mana sensing quite quickly. After only three days.

#ascendance of a bookworm #honzuki no gekokujou #summary

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tada-no-honzuki · 7 months

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Ascendance of a Bookworm (29) Part 5 Volume 8 Chapter 1

This translation is not supposed to replace the official releases of the light novel series and is purely made for my own entertainment. Please purchase the official light novel when it becomes available!

Joining forces

After finishing my discussion with Dunkelfelger and discussing the treatment of Justus and Eckhart with Sylvester, I left Sylvester's office and joined Cornelius, Hartmut, and Lieseletta. Since I wasn’t feeling confident yet that I would be able to walk swiftly with the elegance expected of a young lady, I formed my highbeast and got in. We were in a hurry.

"I have secured Dunkelfelger's assistance. We are leaving tonight.” I declared, before asking, “Oh, and before I forget, do you know what became of the archducal family meeting?"

Cornelius nodded and quickly explained, “Florencia required all the attendants and knights in attendance to sign a magic contract that prohibits them from further spreading the confidential information you accidentally spilled in the spur of the moment. As people were signing the contract, we received an ordonnanz from Aub Ehrenfest relaying that you secured Dunkelfelger’s assistance and would be leaving for Kirnberger at midnight and that he would be leaving for the Royal Academy at once. I presume something else happened on your end?”

I nodded, "I shall explain the details later, but it's not bad news."

It would be foolish to discuss the arrival of Justus and Eckhart right here in the hallway. After skillfully preventing Cornelius from making any further inquiries with a smile, I turned my gaze to Hartmut, who was walking on my other side.

“Hartmut, please inform my guard knights to gather in my room at once.”

“I presume you wish to hold a strategy meeting?” Hartmut asked with a calm and collected face. “I have already contacted everyone. I informed them time is of the essence, so even those who were stationed at the temple should be arriving about now. I told Roderick and Philine to stay as they are.”

Somewhat taken aback by his efficiency, I involuntarily did a double take at Hartmut.

"...w-well done."

“I am glad to be of use to you, Lady Rozemyne.”

As Hartmut had predicted, everyone was already there when I returned to my room. However, it did not escape my eye that the knights who had rushed over from the temple still seemed slightly out of breath.

“Um, Lady Rozemyne. Hartmut informed us there was some kind of emergency…”

"Yes,” I said. “I know this comes rather suddenly, but I'm going to attack Ahrensbach’s foundation tonight.

"……excuse me?"

The situation had changed considerably since this morning. It was not something I could have predicted either, so their reaction was to be expected. I quickly explained the current situation to those who hadn’t attended today’s meeting. That Ferdinand lay collapsed in Ahrensbach’s replenishing hall, that Georgine would likely use this opportunity to invade Ehrenfest, that I would be going to Ahrensbach tonight to rescue Ferdinand, that I secured Dunkelfelger’s assistance with the help of Sylvester, and that Justus and Eckhart had arrived at the Royal Academy and would join us later.

There was no denying it, this was an emergency. As everyone's face tightened, I started giving instructions. There was little time until departure.

"First of all, for my attendants, I ask that Lieseletta and Gretia accompany me to my Library. Ottilie and Bertilde, please stay here and pack my highbeast-riding clothes, shoes, and any feystones and magic tools in this room I might need. Also, since I shall be taking dinner and a nap at my library, please arrange to move my personal chefs as well.”

“Lady Rozemyne, how many people shall be having dinner at the library tonight?” Ottilie asked. “I believe it would be wise to prepare extra ingredients as well……”

As I looked around and started counting, Lieseletta quickly stepped in.

“Ottilie, please pack as many ingredients as possible. I shall check with the chefs at the library. If it turns out we don’t have enough, I shall contact Lady Elvira. It seems Lord Eckhart shall be returning, so I’m certain she will be happy to cooperate."

Ottilie and Lieseletta had quickly divided the work between them. So, I moved on.

"When you are done, I would like you to assist Florencia, Charlotte, and Brunhilde to collect information and prepare for Georgine’s invasion.”

"Understood," Ottilie smiled. “Better not waste any time then”, and immediately got to work. Bertilde, yet unaccustomed to my reckless behavior, hurried after Otillie in a fluster.

“Then, Lady Rozemyne,” Lieseletta asked. “Would you like Gretia and me to go to the library and assist Lasfam with the preparations to receive our guests?”

"Yes, indeed,” I replied. “You are very perceptive, Lieseletta. Eckhart and Justus shall be having dinner with us and taking a nap as well. I will leave the preparations to you."

"Understood. Since there is little time, we shall go ahead,” Lieseletta said, then added, “Oh, and please don’t accidentally send all your retainers off on errands. Be sure to keep a guard knight to accompany you to the library.” before leaving the room with Gretia.

"Hartmut and Clarissa, I would like you to distribute the magic tools and rejuvenation potions you have made so far, and after that..." I began, but I was interrupted by Clarissa.

"Please rest assured!” she enthusiastically declared. “We have prepared enough magic tools and rejuvenation potions to last us. So, we can leave at any time. Once we have distributed everything, Hartmut and I shall take turns to take a nap."

Setting aside Clarissa, a scholar of the sword from Dunkelfelger, it surprised me that she thought Hartmut would be included as a member of our invading party as a matter of course.

“It will be difficult for you to manage the magic tools and potions loaded inside your highbeast by yourself,” Hartmut pointed out. “Even more so if you wish to distribute them to Dunkelfelger as well. So, please allow me to tag along, so you may focus on rescuing Lord Ferdinand."

"...I appreciate the offer,” I replied. “But I do not believe this battlefield is a place for scholars to go." As I folded my arms and slightly tilted my head, contemplating whether he would do all right on the battlefield despite lacking any ditter experience, a smile appeared on Hartmut’s lips.

“Oh, do you truly believe that to be the case, Lady Rozemyne?” he asked in an amused tone. “Aren’t you an archduke candidate and a scholar apprentice yourself?”

"Ugh... Time is of the essence, if you slow us down, I will leave you behind!” I declared in frustration, unable to argue with him.

Hartmut smiled calmly in response, “That won’t be a problem since I will be riding inside your highbeast, Lady Rozemyne, to manage the magic tools.”

"Just leave it to us!” Clarissa proclaimed. “…I suppose it’s time to fully demonstrate my true strength. I have traveled from Dunkelfelger to Ehrenfest without rest once before!"

……NOOOO! That’s not something to be proud of!

Since I wanted to increase our stock of antidotes as much as possible before departure, I decided to let Hartmut and Clarissa do as they wanted and sent them off to the library. Then, I looked around at the knights who would be accompanying me to Ahrensbach.

"Laurenz, since you are still a minor, you have a choice,” I said. “Would you prefer to come with me or stay here?"

“I have given my name to you, Lady Rozemyne,” he stated with a bitter smile. “Please do not leave me behind.”

As if on cue, Judith’s hand shot into the air, "I don't want to be left behind either!"

However, as things were, I could not give her permission to accompany me. Knight apprentices were not allowed to work outside the noble’s quarter to begin with. For my sake, Sylvester had made an exception and included the temple to be within their scope of action. He had also given permission to bring them along should I be visiting their birthplaces for work. However, invading another duchy was most definitely not on the list of allowances given.

"Judith, since this is an emergency situation, you will need your father's permission. I cannot bring a minor to fight a battle in another duchy without their parent’s approval.”

"Why! ... I will send him an ordonnanz at once, to get his permission!" Judith exclaimed with teary eyes, before rushing out of the room.

I took this opportunity to give orders to my guard knights.

“I would like all of you to take turns going to the knight’s dormitory to have dinner, take a nap, and prepare for departure. Damuel will be the only adult knight to remain in Ehrenfest.”

My guard knights gave Damuel a surprised look, then gathered to discuss their rotation schedule. Damuel was left to stand on his own. I softly tugged on his cape and handed him a sound-blocking magic tool.

"I want you to stay here, because there is something only you can do."

“Lady Rozemyne?” Damuel asked cautiously.

“Please protect my family,” I said. “They are more important to me than anything else in Ehrenfest. Georgine and her lackeys kept contact with the former high bishop. So, there is a chance she knows about my family and their whereabouts in the lower city. She may have realized they are my greatest weakness.”

If one carefully studied the circumstances surrounding my entering the temple, Charlotte’s rescue, my connections in the lower city, my choice of exclusive craftspeople, and my trends, it would be abundantly clear who were the most important people in my life. Considering that Georgine was planning to sneak into the temple and seize the foundation, as the high bishop, I was probably the biggest obstacle in her way. Objectively speaking, taking my family and the Gutenburgs hostage would be the most effective way to block any resistance on my side.

"Damuel, I cannot ask this of anyone else. You are the only one who knows. Please."

“Understood.” Damuel sighed. “… I made the same promise to Lord Ferdinand after all.”

"To Lord Ferdinand?"

As the question left my lips, Damuel gazed into the distance, presumably in Ahrensbach’s direction.

“Before he left for Ahrensbach, he told me I would become the only one who directly knew you from your shrine maiden days.”

Both Sylvester and Karstedt knew that I was a commoner as well, but when I was still an apprentice blue shrine maiden, we had only met face-to-face a few times, not daily. Even though Ferdinand had given them reports on my life in the temple, they likely did not fully understand how much I cared about my family.

“Therefore, he ordered me to protect your heart, Lady Rozemyne,” Damuel continued. “He also told me to keep tabs on Hartmut’s information-gathering activities, to keep him from stepping out of line. A truly unreasonable request, if you ask me."

Damuel looked down at me with a bitter smile. I suddenly realized his face was a lot closer than it used to be. Back in my shrine maiden days, our eye levels had been completely different.

......when we first met, I only reached up to Damuel’s stomach. I couldn’t look him in the eye unless he kneeled.

As the thought crossed my mind, Damuel kneeled before me. Rather than making eye contact, however, I could only see his brown hair.

"I suppose that as your guard knight, I should advise you that staying here in Ehrenfest is the safest option…" Damuel paused for a moment. Then he raised his head and looked me in the eyes. “Take care, Lady Rozemyne. Stay true to your desires and be sure to save Lord Ferdinand. May you have the blessing of the gods.”

"Thank you, Damuel. You are truly a knight of the finest sort."

As Damuel returned the sound-blocking tool and left the room, Cornelius gave me a curious look.

"Where is Damuel off to?"

“He is off to protect my most important things. Damuel is a guard knight too, after all,” I smiled. “Have you decided in what order you will take your naps?”

After confirming the knights' rotation, I headed to the library.

“Lady Rozemyne, I have been waiting for your return. I heard about Lord Ferdinand…”

As soon as Lasfam finished his greeting, he quickly came over to inquire after Ferdinand. He must have heard about it from my retainers who had arrived earlier. Anyone would get anxious upon hearing that their Lord was on the verge of death far away in another duchy, let alone a name-sworn retainer. Until now, I had rarely seen anything but a smile on his face, but today Lasfam’s expression was stiff, his green eyes betraying his inner turmoil.

“I understand your concern, Lasfam. However, I have obtained permission from Aub Ehrenfest to invade Ahrensbach to rescue him, and secured assistance from Dunkelfelger. I also expect Justus and Eckhart to arrive here by sixth bell."

As we walked toward my room, I inquired Lasfam about the status of the preparations.

“Are the guest rooms for Justus and Eckhart ready? The number of people eating dinner here has increased significantly, are there enough ingredients? Have the chefs arrived yet?”

As I rattled off my list of questions, Lasfam assured me the preparations were proceeding smoothly.

"I was hoping to have everything ready before they arrive,” I said, then added, “And if I inquire after the situation in Ahrensbach over dinner, that should leave sufficient time to prepare any additional things we may need.”

"Understood. I will have everything ready by sixth bell."

I noticed the tinge of unease had disappeared from Lasfam's voice. So, I added another task to the list.

“Also, if possible, please contact Eckhart and Justus’ family homes to see if any of their clothes are still left in Ehrenfest. I presume they did not have the chance to bring any.”

Lasfam nodded, “In that case, I shall prepare a change of clothes for Lord Ferdinand as well. He may need it.”

As I entered my room, Lasfam energetically walked off, his mind focused on what needed to be done. Since my retainers were all busy taking care of preparations, I knew I would only get in their way if I started wandering around. So, I decided to do what I could while staying in my room.

First of all, I sent an ordonnnanz to Brigitte in Illgner to inform her that it was highly likely that Ahrensbach would use Ferdinand’s incapacitation to invade Ehrenfest, and that Georgine was likely to operate in the shadow. I also told her about the silver cloth, requested she gather information from the commoners in their province, and reminded her to stay in close contact with the other Giebe.

“Grandfather is ready to provide backup at any moment. If you notice any irregularities at the border, contact us at once.”

Brigitte immediately sent a reply, “We received an ordonnanz from Lady Florencia earlier, but she didn’t relay nearly as many details. I would like to thank you for the additional and valuable information. We shall keep in contact with the other Giebe and ask our citizens to keep an eye out.”

Realizing that the Giebe’s of the border provinces hadn't received much information, I sent an ordonnanz to Florencia telling her, “Please share more details with the border provinces, and request Giebe Gerlach and Giebe Gardun to have their knights tighten their defenses.”

With the ordonnanzes taken care of, I entered my hidden room and searched the book of Mestionora for a map of Ahrensbach. I hoped to learn the location of the border gate and the temple. My efforts were rewarded, as I found a map of the duchy and the blueprint that was used to build the temple, thus learning everything I wished to know.

……it went through hell to get it, but I'm glad I did. It's amazingly useful! Thanks be to the Gods!

I copy-pasted the map and blueprint each onto a sheet of magic paper that Clarissa had prepared, thoroughly pleased with the results of my search. Understanding maps wasn’t exactly my forte. I always had trouble figuring out my current position and the location of my destination, but I was sure that at least one of my knights would be able to read it.

With high hopes, I searched for a blueprint of the castle too, so I might determine the location of its replenishing hall, but unfortunately, nothing popped up. Since a castle’s floor plan would rarely be revised, about the only opportunity to see a blueprint of the entire castle was when Entwickeln was performed. Maybe it was in the part of the book that Ferdinand had?

“Seriously, why am I missing the most crucial information!?” I grumbled to myself.

There was no point in crying over it. Besides, Justus and Eckhart probably knew its location, so it didn’t really matter. So instead, I decided to copy-paste some magic circles that might come in handy.

After a while, the summoning tool glowed, indicating someone outside wished to speak with me. As I exited my hidden room, Judith reported, “I was told to stay in Ehrenfest.” with a disappointed face. Considering a parent’s feelings, I hadn’t expected anything else.

"If you think that accompanying me to Ahrensbach is the only job expected of my guard knights, you are mistaken. It is also their job to protect the people important to me who I cannot bring with me."

"That's true, but..." Judith’s voice trailed.

Invading another duchy probably seemed like a spectacular job to a knight. The difference in mindset between Damuel, who was working hard on a humble job, and Judith could not be clearer.

“To allow me peace of mind, Damuel has promised to stay behind and guard my loved ones,” I said. “Judith, I want you to work with Damuel to protect the temple and the lower city. My Gutenburgs will be essential if I ever hope to expand the printing industry. They are indispensable to me. Tell yourself, “I shall not allow Georgine in.” Do not compromise on that determination as you protect the temple and Ehrenfest.”

Judith had good eyesight and specialized in ranged attacks. Stationing her at the temple, and having her attack with bug bombs, should give even a noble-born lady like Georgine a good scare. That silver cloth would not protect her.

"Understood,” Judith acceded. “I shall guard the temple.”

As I continued preparing as I saw fit, sixth bell rang. Soon after, Justus and Eckhart arrived. I immediately left my room to welcome them.

“Justus, Eckhart!”

"...L-Lady Rozemyne?"

Seeing me all grown up, Justus froze in place, left at a loss for words. Apparently, Sylvester had not informed them. However, unlike Justus, Eckhart quietly turned his blue eyes to me and softly murmured, “Rozemyne, is that you?” Then, immediately moved on and questioned me on the current state of our preparations.

……Eckhart certainly cares more about whether we can save Ferdinand and how far our preparations have progressed, than my sudden growth. No surprise there.

His lack of reaction was refreshing and reassuring.

“We have already prepared everything you just mentioned,” I told him. “I also acquired Dunkelfelger’s assistance, and we shall leave to rescue Lord Ferdinand tonight.”

“Just as I would expect from my little sister,” Eckhart replied. “It’s clear you were educated by Lord Ferdinand."

Hearing the honest praise and seeing the sparkle of hope in his eyes made me very happy. Eckhart only ever praised me whenever I was exceedingly useful to Ferdinand. In short, I was doing an amazingly good job right now.

"...Aub Ehrenfest said you have some kind of plan. Is that true?"

"Yes, brother,” I answered. “I do have a plan. And with you and Justus here, the odds of success have significantly increased."

My biggest worry was that I didn't know the location of the replenishing hall, but with their help, I should be able to get there without getting lost. Eckhart nodded in reply, “Good.”

“Eckhart, how can you completely ignore how much Lady Rozemyne has changed?” Justus asked, exasperated.

“I do not care how much she changes on the outside,” Eckhart answered. “As long as she still cares about Lord Ferdinand on the inside, I am good.” Showing no interest in the situation whatsoever, he walked over to Lasfam. In his hand, he held a metal cage containing a single name-swearing stone. I guessed it was probably Lasfam’s.

"Even then, doesn’t it intrigue you?"

Unlike Eckhart, it seemed Justus wanted to hear more details about my rapid growth. His brown eyes were gleaming with curiosity, and he started squirming in place. He clearly wanted to know more, but was unsure how to broach the subject in our current state of emergency.

"Lady Rozemyne, what happened to your body?” Justus eventually asked. “I have never heard of anyone growing that much in such a short period of time, and into such a beautiful young lady not to mention."

As Justus slowly approached me, Hartmut slipped between us, saying, "I am glad you asked." His orange eyes were gleaming with anticipation, sending a shiver down my spine.

"I doubt anyone other than Lady Rozemyne shall ever be bestowed the privilege of a miracle like this. It proves beyond a doubt how truly blessed she is by the gods. This was a miracle granted by Anwachs, the god of growth! Please allow me to explain in great detail the workings of this wonderful miracle."

“Certainly, but do stop when Justus gets tired of listening," I said.

I expected even Justus would soon get tired of Hartmut. He was in the habit of looping same-sounding compliments and overreferencing the gods, making his explanations hard to understand. In fact, my closest retainers kept dismissing him, saying, "No thanks, you already told me that before.”

……unfortunately, their evasions only motivate him to come up with new ways to express his excitement, infinitely increasing the number of unnecessary compliments.

#Ascendance of a Bookworm #P5V8 #Translation

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ahb-writes · 4 months

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Book Review: 'Ascendance of a Bookworm' #17 (4.5)

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Vol. 17 (Part 4, Volume 5) by Miya Kazuki

adventure

fantasy

magic

library science

librarian

royal academy

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An intriguing pattern has emerged in terms of Lady Rozemyne's tendency to demand change, as well as of the authority of those who recognize the significance of the change she demands. Notably, the individuals who attune themselves to Rozemyne's wild ideas, and rightfully discern her curiosity as worth revering, are usually two or three degrees removed from positions of high authority. Meanwhile, most people who scoff, disregard, or glance askew whenever the young woman's ideas come to the fore are usually those with the power to make change happen.

ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM v17 completes the remainder of seasons in-between Rozemyne's first and second years at the Royal Academy. She visits the northern region of Groschel, to further establish the paper-making industry, and she tends to myriad events at the castle, including the welcoming of two ladies of Ahrensbach, whom have now married into the family. But Rozemyne's standards for industry growth are high, and her tendency to forget her directives and chat up suspected enemies on tangential topics gives everyone an ulcer. In short, the usual.

The current volume is another collection of awkward and interwoven castle affairs. Naturally, many such events threaten to spiral out of control but never do, which speaks well of the author's sprawling network of subplots, but doesn't do much for readers interested in some decent drama.

For example, when Rozemyne goes to Groschel, she leans on her attendant, Brunhilde, who is native to the area. But their visit is replete with problems: the lower city is deeply impoverished, the nobility is stiff and uncompromising, and the local water supply is polluted. Will the paper-making industry forsake setting down roots in an area with so little social progress? Brunhilde doesn't see much of a problem with simply ordering the commoners to do the tasks and then blaming them when things go wrong. But Rozemyne, careful not to offend but conscientious of the need to be truthful, sets the young woman straight: The people are responsible for the work, true, but the nobility is responsible for the people and their environment; it's all connected.

ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM v17 reinforces the novel series' most essential emerging theme: egalitarianism. Quintessentially Japanese though not without other cultural precedence, the equal delegation of opportunity, the equal expectation of good work, and the shared consequences of failure are fundamental convictions of this novel series.

Counter-navigating an ambush during a wedding ceremony? Appeasing the anxiety of a newlywed woman who once felt trapped in her own home? Staying mindful of the watchful gazes of the surrounding duchies once the new school year begins? In each of these scenarios, Rozemyne must rely on her own wits, as well as the untested virtue of individuals who do not always have the station or authority to make a change. When Lady Aurelia of Ahrensbach marries into the family, will she be bitter and ambitions, or will she be uncertain of her position? When Adolphine of the Duchy of Dunkelfelger keys on Rozemyne at the Royal Academy, is it because she's upholding a promise to the now-graduated Lady Eglantine, or is it because she spies value in the tiny blue-haired girl that no one else sees?

The number of scenes that lend one the impression of foreshadowing are high, but the number of scenes with legitimate action or drama are minimal. Readers may have to wait another volume to see if Philine's brief military training comes in handy, or if Ferdinand's warning about the conflict between the old factions' children usurping their parents ever comes to pass, or if Lady Adolphine's role swerves from pleasant nuisance to legitimate knave.

❯ ❯ Light-Novel Reviews || ahb writes on Good Reads

#writeblr #light novel #review #ascendance of a bookworm #honzuki no gekokujou #miya kazuki #myne #lady rozemyne #本好きの下剋上 #3 of 5 stars #goodreads #quof #adolphine #philine #brunhilde #awkward and interwoven castle affairs #equal delegation of opportunity #dunkelfelger

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ming-sik · 13 hours

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was about to make a very accusatory and hateful post about people misreading my complaints about rozemyne being overpowered in the sense that now that her disability is cured she doesn't have to come up with interesting solutions to problems she previously had to because while she doesn't want power for power's sake or political power she does want the power to make books and protect her family so if she has so much of the second thing the narrative tension gets pretty limp but. it turns out the post i was mad about was vagueing someone else so nevermind.

anyway just to reiterate I completely understand and actually like that rozemyne doesn't want political power, i just don't want to read an entire volume of rozemyne and co. instantly winning battles with no effort because i think that's boring, and i don't like her disability being cured. i hope she doesnt become zent specifically to further subvert the isekai overpowered protagonist formula. so I'm glad everyone understood that and i don't have to pick fights in a community of 50 people. crisis averted.

#im being facetious. i realized when i got a comment about it that i wasn't clear enough #seems the aob tag has a repeat problem of ppl coming in and dropping really weird bad hate essays. ive seen excerpts of the omegaverse one #unfortunately i am deranged and my job is mad boring so i will probably continue to be part of the problem

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narcisocacoplex · 3 years

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Ascendance of a Bookworm and the Multiversal Marketplace of Ideas

Something that fucking stuns me about contemporary isekai as a genre is the way that it handles cultural transmission from one world to another. There’s a very consistent formula (as with all things in standard-issue isekai), and it all hinges on this fascinating system for deciding what gets to filter in from Earth through the protagonist and what is handily discarded when it would become an obstruction.

Consumer goods and services penetrate through the protagonist into the fantasy setting most easily. The single most consistent thing that isekai heroes reinvent in their otherworlds is cuisine. Almost universally contemporary Earth cooking, whether it’s Japanese, Chinese, or Italian (it is very rarely anything else), outperforms anything the locals produce, if only out of sheer novelty.

This sort of thing often forms the basis for the isekai protagonist’s horizontal monopoly—I’ve lost track of how many of these books I’ve read where an overwhelming portion of the plot is dedicated to the hero managing human and material resources as their multiple intersecting businesses proliferate like a cancer across the setting. It turns out that more than being a world savior, isekai readers fantasize most about being an entrepreneur living for the grind—albeit freed from the trouble of having to come up with your own ideas, as you can just re-hash the achievements of thousands of years of human endeavor instead and take the credit. Call it the McFly approach.

What’s peculiar is that less tangible and/or economically exploitable things don’t penetrate or are actively stripped away in the transition from life on Earth to life in the fantasy world. The most obvious point that comes to mind has to do with basic political and ethical conceits like the right to the most basic forms of self-determination. Isekai protagonists are indescribably quick to roll over for and get cozy with flavors of aristocracy and totalitarian power that the global public has been consistently taught not to trust.

Consider, for example, Ascendance of a Bookworm. I’ve lost track of how many people I’ve seen argue that Bookworm’s one of the standout isekai titles, and I can see why: it’s extremely committed to realizing an in-depth fantasy setting that’s not neatly explained with Dragon Quest allusions; the protagonist has an interesting array of flaws and limitations; in spite of the level of power on which the characters operate, it consistently creates convincing scenes of tension and peril in multiple dimensions; and the story is driven by a legitimate interest in something larger than the narratives the author has already consumed. This much is all great.

But the thing that strikes me about Ascendance of a Bookworm—the thing that keeps me from liking it at all—is that all of this craft and effort is sunk into a narrative about how there is no escape from serfdom. Myne starts at the absolute bottom rung of society, and through a conjunction of hideous self-neglect, total accident, cosmological convergence, and internecine political infighting, arrives at a position of frighteningly far-reaching authority. As Rozemyne, the archduke’s adopted daughter, she makes decisions every damn page about how her vast entourage will spend their lives in service to her agendas. Huge swathes of these books are just characters talking about how they’re going to move around various subordinates and, critically, which subordinates can be put in positions where lives won’t be at risk because of a failure to communicate across inviolable class boundaries.

While Rozemyne frequently shoots herself in the foot because she still takes as a given from time to time that people deserve to be treated like human beings and not disposable chattel, it’s never really up for consideration whether any of the societal structures that create this profound alienation should, perhaps, be changed.

And it’s not like dramatic social change isn’t a subject the story explores! Rozemyne’s whole objective in this story is to establish a thriving printing industry and universal literacy so she can go back to the standard of living she was used to as a Japanese bibliophile. She’s radically altering the cultural and industrial landscape of this other reality; it’s just that she’s not interested in changing the parts where, if you’re an aristocrat, people will act weird if you don’t murder peasants that look at you funny.

It ends up feeling kind of sinister, like the narrative is trying to convince you in slow, small steps that hey, maybe the problem here really is with Rozemyne not being willing to walk all over people as much as she could given the latitude afforded her (it’s worth noting that in many regards it’s the only latitude she’s got; the nobility are just as bound by bizarre, self-destructive social contracts as every other social class—it’s just that they can take it out on the people beneath them), and she’s already buying orphans in bulk from the church to staff her printing operation.

This is not helped by the most persistent fantasy elements of the setting. “Mana” in Bookworm is, on its face, a fantastical gloss made to legitimize the divine right of kings and the great chain of being. People have limited but varying capacity for mana, which is both trainable and heritable; the people bred for high mana capacity rule the country because their expanded mana reserves let them pump blessings into the surrounding environment, improving crop yields. Literally every noble is a miniature Fisher King, and when nobles withdraw their support from whatever fiefdom’s getting shafted, it withers and the people who live there suffer. This may be cruel, Rozemyne opines, but It Must Be Done to remind people how order is kept, however much she may not like it. Human survival in this setting hinges on the nobility’s generosity with their mana, and if there’s another option, it’s not really up for consideration.

I think periodically about how, as dense and thoroughly realized as this setting is, there’s really only one “nation” that I’ve seen so far in this series. There are rival fiefdoms, internal struggles, and cultural variations from region to region, but nobody’s really “foreign.” Everyone speaks the same language and follows the same broad set of customs. I wonder, when these thoughts come to me, how someone from a different nation in the same world might think of the culture represented in Ascendance of a Bookworm, and the thing I keep circling back to is “oh, those are the people who can’t do without owning other people.”

Part of the thematic messaging of this series, however inadvertent it may be, is how quickly a contemporary Japanese person adjusts to these expectations, even if they might make an effort to be as lenient as possible in most cases.

But pasta and hardbound books—those our hero will fight tooth and nail to introduce to this world.

#long post #meta #close reading #isekai #light novels #lit crit #minors dni

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stardustizuku · 7 months

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I find so interesting Rozemyne’s love for Ferdinand.

Because every time someone’s called out how weird her affection is, she always replies with “he’s just family to me”

And while some may just chug it off as Rozemyne being an unreliable narrator and unable to pintpoint her feelings as romantic.

But here’s the thing - when it comes to admitting who she cares for, she’s never been shy. If anyone here is able to be in tune to who she loves and who she doesn’t, it’s her.

The only question here is wether those feelings are the romantic type, to what her answer is: Does it matter?

She does not care for what the type of love she feels, just how big it is. For example, Charlotte and Tuli are her sisters, one by blood and one by title, but she views them both as family. They’re both of similar importance to her. She doesn’t focus on the what type, but in how much.

And Yes, it doesn’t seem like she understands what romantic love is. She only understands caring and loving for someone regardless of circumstances. And that’s not necessarily romantic love.

It feels like she fundamentally just loves him, cares for him, but not in a way that’s romantic.

This is all to say that I think she and Ferdinand are AroAce

There’s this uncomfortable narrative that permeates rships with aroace individuals of how “love” only comes in two ways “familial” and “romantic”, which I hate. Rozemyne views all her love as “familial”

So when Ferdinand comes along, someone who she loves in a particularly different way, one she’s not interested in exploring - people write it off as romantic

And it’s sorta frustrating to see everyone insists “it is romantic” when she keeps saying “no, it’s not like that”

#ascendance of a bookworm #honzuki no gekokujou

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recentanimenews · 3 years

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Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll Do Anything to Become a Librarian!, Part 4: Founder of the Royal Academy’s So-Called Library Committee, Vol. 2

By Miya Kazuki and You Shiina. Released in Japan as “Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen” by TO Books. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by quof.

If the plot of all nine of the books in this arc is 75% “Rozemyne goes to the magical academy and fun things happen” and the other 25% is “Sylvester and Ferdinand stare in horror, mouths agape as Rozemyne tells them what she did”, I will be a happy clam. Yes, once again she’s breaking rules she didn’t know existed, or breaking rules simply because she’s too deep inside a book to really pay attention to anything around her. Everyone in this book is constantly talking to her about sociability lessons and etiquette, etc. That said, they really should remember what she used to be like, as should the reader… we have come a LONG, LONG way from the Myne of the first three books. There are a grand total of zero temper tantrums here, even when you’d expect her to have them. – Benno doesn’t even noogie her! That said, one sad note for older readers, as her path back to Lutz and her old family is getting fainter and fainter.

The cover art shows Rozemyne and her attendants engaged in what seems to be a sporting match… indeed, I was a kid once, so I’ll buy the author’s explanation that she based the game played here on her daughter’s invented dodgeball variation. That said, the author is also correct that anyone who is reading the description of the match will be thinking of some other fantasy series. The match itself comes about because it turns out that the two rabbit familiars Rozemyne powered up last time are not only highly intelligent and powerful but also wanted by most of the other student cliques, and just getting them to her dorm so they can be measured for new clothes is an adventure. Getting them back is even more of one, and leads to the game of “ditter” we see on the cover, which our heroes only win because they have Rozemyne’s bag of tricks – they’re clearly outclassed in every other way.

In other news, much as she would like to try to stay out of everyone’s way and read books, that’s not going to happen, and much of it is Rozemyne’s own fault. Sure, she cannot turn down a prince when he arrives at a tea party she’s going to, but at the same time, she did not have to bluntly play matchmaker for him and tell him how far he has to go to be prime boyfriend material. She is fortunate that the advice works really well, or else disaster might have occurred. Then there’s the issue of her attendant Traugott, Rihyarda’s grandson. He’s a hothead who thinks you can get what you want through charging ahead, but unlike the other rock-stupid attendant we know and love (and Angelica is wonderful throughout, she’s my favorite after Rozemyne), he does not actually listen to or care about Rozemyne. As such… bye-bye. Mama don’t allow no mana-compression leeches in here.

I’m not sure what else to say, except that everyone should be reading this. Despite its length (each book is easily the size of two normal light novels), you’ll want to plow through it the moment you pick it up.

By: Sean Gaffney

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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stardustizuku · 9 months

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Part 3: A Criticism on Wilfred

Okay, Wilfred is an interesting character. I would go as far as to call him “a deconstruction on the paragon of a fantasy hero”.

He’s the heir to this duchy, who by the evil doing of others has been stripped away from the right of succession.

Despite it all, he’s hardworking and with natural talent, capable of overcoming all hurdles through putting his all into it. He’s nice, he’s kind, and has a positive outlook on life that makes him great to lead big teams and unite them under him. People around him look up to him, and believe in him. In fact, when he arrives at the Academy he realizes that, despite his duchy’s position, he’s able to fight side by side with powerful Greater Duchies. In any other story, he would be the hero.

But Ascendance of a Bookworm is not his story. And while he (and his retainers) sees him as this amazing heir that’s faced nothing but problems since a young age - everyone else sees him for what he truly is.

A spoiled kid, who never learned to become an archduke.

But this is only hinted at in Part3, and doesn’t implode on itself until (again) Part5.

You see, in Part 3, Rozemyne serves as a buffer to paint him in a much better light. She applies a lot of the logic we have from our world. “He’s a kid, he shouldn’t be dealing with so much work”, “he may be lazy but he’s well meaning and wants to become a better person”, “it’s unfair to compare him to me, an adult”, and “I would make the same mistakes he has, so his situation is unfortunate”.

Because of Rozemyne’s coddling, we see Wilfred as this kid who is trying. Who deserves the position because, for one, Rozemyne would be even worse than him at it, and he really, really wants it.

But this changes in Part 4, when we meet way more nobles around their ages, and critically: We know about Charlotte.

Charlotte is so important. People who justify and try to make excuses for Wilfred, have either not read in depth Charlotte’s chapters (which granted, the most powerful one of them “A New Step Forward” comes from the Side Story Collection), or have swallowed Rozemyne’s Kool-Aid when it comes to why Wilfred is being treated unfairly.

The truth is, from another noble’s perspective, we realize that Wilfred being given his title of heir is pretty much the definition of getting spoiled rotten. In any other duchy, HELL, even Ehrenfest before Sylvester, such a thing wouldn’t fly. The succession is a competition. If you think of it that way, and see how Wilfred is behaving - you realize how badly he’s losing. There’s no way that, as he was before Rozemyne, he could have become a decent archduke.

This could have changed, if at any point, Wilfred stopped perceiving himself as the legitimate heir who had his title stolen. Because that’s not what happened. He was meant to fight with his siblings for it. But because of pure luck, he was given it without even having to prove himself. When the people around him failed to train him, that title was temporarily removed. (Emphasis on temporarily because Sylvester had every Goddamn intention to keep Wilfred as the heir)

And we don’t really see him, ever, acknowledging his siblings as any sort of threat. While on paper, he has been stripped from the title, he never has to truly internalize it. It's shameful, yes. But Melchior is straight up too young. He knows Rozemyne won’t be given the title of archduchess, that Sylvester won’t ever allow it.

And something to note about: We know why: She’s a commoner.Sylvester will never let her be Aub for that simple fact - BUT

Wilfred does not know that. He should know that Rozemyne is the “best” candidate, from early on. That’s just a fact. But Sylvester purposely shields him from that harsh truth.

Objectively, Wilfred should know that it is only through luck and Sylvester BLATANT favoritism that Rozemyne isn’t a threat. But because he does not register until FUCKING PART 5, that he is fact, inferior to Rozemyne, he gets baited by Lestilaut. He almost loses Rozemyne, because of his own ego.

And with Charlotte, my poor girl, he doesn’t even registers her as a threat. When Charlotte straight up tells him “I would have beaten you, had I been granted the same privilege you have” aka, being born a man - Wilfred never understands this as a warning or even taunt. He still thinks he’s better than Charlotte. He still thinks that, were things leveled, he would have beaten her. And that couldn’t be further from the truth.

If you haven’t caught up on it yet, Wilfred is a blatant criticism of sexism and the patriarchy.

He has a privilege he does not recognize, and because of it, he acts he’s entitled to a position in power - that anywhere else, it would be UNTHINKABLE for him to have.

He’s literally surrounded by women three or four times more competent than him, yet for the simple fact that he’s a man, and Sylvester likes him more, those women will NEVER come to have the power they deserve.

AND, when he does come the realization that, perhaps, Rozemyne truly is a better suited candidate: he lashes out.

When Lestilaut points out she would be a better archduchess than him, his first instinct is to lash out (and quite aggressively I must add) at the heir of a GREATER duchy, who he does not even get along with! Again, Hannalore and Rozemyne are close friends but Lestilaut and Wilfred are NOT.

This is the society that constantly berated Rozemyne for showing a hint of emotion. She held back even as Royalty itself threatened her most beloved Ferdinand - and Wilfred cannot even handle taunts.

He only calms down when she straight up declines. Stating that she wants to be a first wife. Lesitalut retorts that she could very much be a Dunkelferg first wife.

This sort of snaps Wilfred out of a trance. But interestingly enough, the idea confronted is no longer “Rozemyne is better than me”, but “Rozemyne may actually be a good wife candidate”. Again, the fight isn’t centered, at that point, in who’s better suited to be archduke - because Rozemyne herself smashes apart that idea.

It gets shifted to Lestilaut informing Wilfred that Rozemyne is a coveted first wife candidate, that he’s not using properly. Which is a much easier truth to swallow.

He does not come to terms with “Rozemyne is better than me”, which she objectively is, but with “she’s actually a valuable fiance”.

Sylvester, on the other hand, was very quick to realize that Rozemyne was a valuable asset. Someone who he couldn’t let go of, and adopted because of how vital she was to improving the duchy. Again, while he does care for her, he’s aware that regardless of that - she’s worth it. If she causes him headaches, it’s worth it. If she causes a problem, it’s worth it. She’s running the temple, she’s running their new main export and economy, she is rising their ranks like nowhen before.

It took Wilfred, Lestilaut literally shouting it to his face, for him to realize this. To start seeing Rozemyne as valuable, instead of troublesome. And the moment he realizes, oh, maybe she’s more than competent enough - he’s forced to confront the truth: She’s a better candidate than him. And his current title is only uphold because he’s married to her.

His lashing out in Part 5 Volume 4 is a direct result of him having to confront that he’s a nepo-baby that was only given this position because he’s a man. And instead of owning it, or making sure that despite it all he’s still deserving of the position - he throws a tantrum.

When Charlotte realized that the odds were stacked against her favor, she cried, yes. But she had to maintain appearances. She continued to smile, she continued to support her brother, and worry for the other members of the family. She even had to support Sylvester, despite the fact his obvious favoritism was constantly hurting her.

When Wilfred realized that someone else was better than him, namely Rozemyne, he lashed out. I’m mostly keping up with the Translation Light Novels, so most of his internal turmoil isn’t being shown as of yet. We see it through Charlotte, Sylvester, Rozemyne and other retainers. But suffice to say, that while Rozemyne finds it simply a teenager being a teenager - everyone point out how incredibly damaging his little outburst is.

Unlike other kids, Wilfred is set to become the Aub, and while it’s been promised to him, he still has to work for it. And unlike other kids, such a tremendous amount of power, is not something to wield freely. He is not like any other kid, and cannot be measured in those terms - precisely because of the title he’s set to have. With great power comes great responsibility. If he were to be a commoner, yeah, he wouldn’t have to deal with this. He would be allowed to be just a kid. But if he’s set to become Aub, which he WANTS, he has to play the part. Act like a noble, respect the rules. Just like Rozemyne was forced to do, just like Charlotte trained all her life to do.

He has to learn to manage his emotions, his workload, etc, just like his sisters have. Neglecting to do so, is putting the brunt of his emotional labor unto them.

Here’s where PART 5 does its job wonderfully - because by this point, we’ve seen that the kids of greater duchies, have to work their asses off to support their duchy. Things like feelings, and desires are thrown out. You do not decide who you’ll marry, you do not decide if you become aub or not, you do not decide basically anything in your life. There’s a sacrifice to be made if you want power. You have a role to play, and you either stick to it to perfection, or you get the short end of the stick.

Charlotte has grown with this mentality, she understands it. She plays her role, and does her best to support her duchy.

Wilfred, does not.

He expects everyone to want him as an Aub because, thanks to Veronica, that’s everything he’s ever been promised.

Patriarchy is poisonous because it promises men power. And when capitalism tells them they can’t have it, their first instinct is to blame women.

Much like Wilfred has done, by blaming Rozemyne. For “not being a good enough fiancé” or “for trying to steal his rightful position”.

Wilfred is, unfortunately enough, an antithesis of one of Rozemyne’s core values. Meritocracy. He’s the definition of nepotism.

And if Wilfred represent the corruption of Meritocracy, Veronica represents the corruption of Family.

Veronica corrupts it in a very interesting way that almost parallels Rozemyne.

Veronica was the daughter of a first wife, who loved her husband. Said husband, however, only loved his second wife. This caused her mother great anguish, something she had to witness. She lost her older brother, then lost her mom during childbirth. Finally, her only baby brother was taken to the temple by the second wife she hated. This leaves her with an obsession to keep her blood related family safe, and a disdain for second wives.

In a way, having her family torn from her, and wanting to protect them even from afar, to the point or bending and breaking rules to do so - is very much a Rozemyne thing.

But while Veronica did it by ignoring most of Noble's ways and via corruption, Rozemyne is constantly kept in check from doing as much.

Wilfred is a direct result of the generation trauma Gabrielle imparted. Veronica grew obsessed with making sure her bloodline was better off - at the cost of the suffering of anyone who wasn’t.

She saw everyone as an enemy, someone to subdue. Because if she let them fester, maybe they would take her baby brother away. Maybe they would hurt her kids. Maybe she would lose her mother again.

Ironically, it was this unwillingness to let them grow that eventually rotted them. If she hadn’t let Bezewanst do whatever he wanted, Sylvester wouldn’t have told Ferdinand to get rid of him. If Wilfred had grown with the proper education, he wouldn’t have been as easily tricked.

Veronica and Wilfred also serve as a reminder to Rozemyne of what, even well intentioned, toxic love can do. It’s better presented when she refuses to meet Kamil, even when she absolutely could, because it isn’t safe to do as much.

To add, Rozemyne sees family entirely different from her, and Wilfred for this matter.

Family to Rozemyne isn’t something bound by blood. Her family doesn’t begin and end with that of the lower city. Her retainers from the temple, Cornellius, Charlotte, and most importantly, Ferdinand, are family to her. They deserve her unconditional protection. She cares and loves them.

Contrast it with Veronica who saw Florencia and Ferdinand as threats to her family. And said view of the world is translated to Wilfred.

He sees Detline as family. And after Ferdinand get married, he stops fully perceiving him as such. This is again, likely due to Veronica and her faction. We saw that during Rozemyne’s two year slumber he grows really close and reliant on Ferdinand.

But when the issue of worrying for either Detline or Ferdinand came up - he chose Detline.

Someone he knew almost nothing about, but has his blood and Veronica’s looks. Instead of Ferdinand, someone who supported him for more than three years.

What’s more, he stopped seeing Rozemyne as an ally in Part 5 Volume 4. He could never fully trust her because, again, she’s adopted. Yet, he did go to Charlotte for help, expecting her to help. Likely, because he sees her as actual family, and therefore in his side.

Rozemyne isn’t blood family. Therefore, expendable.

Veronica’s corruption reached him. He tainted one more of Rozemyne’s core values.

All this said, he’s not an irredeemable monster. If anything, the LNs make it clear that despite all this, he’s still a good kid, who given the time and training could become a good archduke.

(Again though, Charlotte wasn’t even offered “time and training”, she was dismissed from the title despite her qualifications for much less)

It’s actually made quite clear that he could be great. Instances of Part 4 shows just how he’s a really nice kid, capable of propping others up, conscious of his actions, asking for help when needed and a natural leader. In this case, his environment has corrupted him - yet he’s not beyond salvation.

He is not an irredeemable monster, since he’s had time to grow, change and better himself. I’m looking forward to how exactly they’ll handle his character in coming novels.

The same, however, cannot be said of Sisgwald.

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#ascendance of a bookworm #honzuki no gekokujou #essay #AoB analysis #character analysis #analysis #AoB essay #short essay #couldn’t really find a paragon hero with blond hair from an anime #i think they’re way more common in light novel format bcs I swear I’ve seen them before

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