Part 1 Volume 3

This is the third volume of the Ascendance of a Bookworm Part 1 light novel adaption written by Miya Kazuki and illustrated by You Shiina.

Just as Myne gets her foot in the door of making paper, she collapses due to the sickness known as the Devouring. She's getting better thanks to the help of those around her, but the Devouring remains clouded in mystery. As the world expands, so too does her passion for making books! This volume is the conclusion to Part 1 and shows a glimpse into the future of the series!


 * Prologue
 * Chapter 1: Discussing the Devouring with Freida
 * Chapter 2: Making Cake with Freida
 * Chapter 3: Taking a Bath with Freida
 * Chapter 4: Freida's Baptism
 * Chapter 5: Winter Begins
 * Chapter 6: Completion of my Outfit and Hairpin
 * Chapter 7: Lutz's Tutor
 * Chapter 8: Otto's Counseling Room
 * Chapter 9: Family Meeting
 * Chapter 10: Report to Lutz
 * Chapter 11: Back to Paper-Making
 * Chapter 12: Vested Interests
 * Chapter 13: Result of the Meeting with the Vested Interests
 * Chapter 14: Tools and Selecting a Workshop
 * Chapter 15: Preparing for Lutz's Apprenticeship
 * Chapter 16: Contract with Freida
 * Chapter 17: To The Baptism Ceremony
 * Chapter 18: A Quiet Commotion
 * Chapter 19: Gated Paradise
 * Chapter 20: Rejection and Persuasion
 * Chapter 21: Benno's Lecture
 * Chapter 22: Contract Magic and Registering the Workshop
 * Chapter 23: Strategy Meeting and the Temple
 * Chapter 24: Confrontation
 * Epilogue
 * Tuuli — Visiting Corinna
 * Leise — Confectionary Recipe
 * Benno — Pound Cake Sampling
 * Mark — The Master and I
 * The Life of an Apprentice Merchant
 * The Roots of the Guildmaster's Worries
 * Afterword

After the Guildmaster and Freida sell a magic tool to Myne to save her life, Myne recovers at Freida's house and learns about her Devouring: She has a year to live unless she signs with a noble to become a mistress. Together, with Leise's help, they bake pound cake. Afterwards, they take a bath and Myne cleans Freida's hair with rinsham while discussing Freida's future. Myne stays at the Guildmaster's house until after Freida's baptism, but realizes that she misses her family.

Winter begins at Myne's home and as her baptism is approaching, Myne's mother, Effa begins to adjust Tuuli's baptism dress for Myne. Due to Myne's techniques, it turns into a fancy upper-class dress. In addition, they make a fancy hairpin for Myne too.

Over winter, Myne teaches Lutz everything she can to prepare him for his upcoming apprenticeship. In addition, she counsels with Otto about her condition and resolves, with a heavy heart, to give up the merchant apprenticeship due to her low stamina thanks to the Devouring. She determines to tell her family what is going on and together they decide that to act in accordance with Myne decision. As Myne would rather die with her family than be separated from them as a mistress to live in the Noble's Quarter, they decide to cancel the apprenticeship in favor of something less exhausting for Myne and she agrees to become Otto's assistant.

Upon reporting her future plans of action to Lutz, his mother, Karla gets involved and it is revealed that Lutz is facing backlash from his family thanks to his decision. Karla agrees to support him after learning how serious Lutz is.

When spring comes, Myne and Lutz return to paper-making after discussing Myne's future with Benno. A problem with vested interests in paper occurs, resulting in Benno making a Plant Paper Guild and a compromise: parchment will be used for official contracts.

Benno accompanies Lutz and Myne to paper-making in order to discover what is needed to set up a workshop. Afterwards, Myne and Lutz start preparing things for Lutz's apprenticeship, like buying new clothes and change of clothes as well as ink. He also rents a room among the live-in apprentices to store his new things. After agreeing to meeting Freida at her house, Freida offers Myne a contract for the pound cake and Myne learns the starting price for normal contract rights, and thereby realizes that she's been underselling her products to Benno.

Myne's baptism proceeds and Myne enters the Temple for the first time. After registering for citizenship, Myne sits down on the carpet and waits. The High Bishop arrives with a book, which excites Myne. He then begins to read from the book to the children, covering the creation story as well as introducing her to the gods. Then, he starts to pray in a posture reminiscent of the Glico pose from Japan. Myne bites back her laughter, but eventually collapses from it and is taken to a different room to recover.

Upon recovery, she leaves the room to look for the bathroom and discovers the Book Room instead. Upon its sight, she asks to be admitted to the Temple as a shrine maiden to get her hands on books and is taken to the High Bishof's room. He advises her to speak with her parents. Upon discussion, it is decided that Myne would not enter the Temple due to its bad reputation. She goes back to inform them that she would not be joining after getting to read at the bible with the High Priest. It is discovered that she has the devouring and she is given a summons.

Benno, hearing about Myne's situation, offers advice and starts setting up failsafes, such as registering the Myne Workshop and a magic contract to secure her future, as the Temple's magic tools can insure her survival. He also explains to her that the devouring is actually just mana. Upon meeting with her parents and a strategy meeting, they depart for the Temple.

The High Bishof, upon realizing that Myne's actually a peasant commoner and not a rich girl, as had been supposed, starts ordering her about and calls in backup to restrain her parents, causing Myne to lose control of her mana. The High Priest steps in and takes over negotiations, and all of Myne's conditions for her becoming a Shrine Maiden are accepted.

Myne visits Corinna and sells her the rights to make and sell hairpins like the ones for Tuuli's and Myne's baptism. In addition, Benno and Leise, the maker of Freida's pound cakes fight for the right to Myne's recipes, pushing Benno towards making a restaurant for nobles. It is also mentioned that Benno is considering to adopt Lutz.

Characters are listed in order of appearance.


 * Japanese: 2015-06-25 (ISBN: 978-4864723978)
 * English: 2019-09-03 (ISBN: 978-1718356023)


 * Japanese Volume
 * English Volume