Part 2 Volume 4

This is the seventh volume of Ascendance of a Bookworm light novel.

Synopsis
The long winter comes to an end and vibrant spring returns to Ehrenfest. The temple swirls busily, as attempts to control Myne's future escalate and the High Bishop, fueled by hate, shrouds the city in the darkness of his nefarious plots. But Myne just wants everything to stay the same. Her little brother has been born, she's making new books thanks to her progress making ink, and she wants nothing more than to just keep spending more heart-warming time with her family and friends. The world, however, forces her to make a cruel and unbearable decision. To protect those she loves, she must begin walking a new road.

Characters
Characters are listed in order of appearance.


 * Bezewanst
 * Giebe Glaz
 * Count Bindewald

Contents

 * Prologue
 * Chapter 1: Caring for Kamil
 * Chapter 2: The Abandoned Child
 * Chapter 3: What to do About Dirk
 * Chapter 4: The Ink Guild and Succession
 * Chapter 5: Researching Color-Making
 * Chapter 6: Challenging Wax Stencils
 * Chapter 7: Delia's Progress
 * Chapter 8: Both Sides of the Story
 * Chapter 9: The Two who Left
 * Chapter 10: The Shadow Falls
 * Chapter 11: The Noble from Another Duchy
 * Chapter 12: The Black Charm
 * Chapter 13: The Source of Strife
 * Chapter 14: The New Me
 * Chapter 15: Ripped Apart
 * Epilogue
 * Freida - A Visit to the Noble's Quarter
 * Sylvester - Cleaning up the Mess
 * Arno - Fran and I
 * Benno - Maybe Lessen the Workload
 * Fran - To Serve as the High Bishop's Attendant
 * Effa - Facing the Future
 * Josef - Beruf Certification
 * Leon - Sylvester Undercover
 * Afterword
 * Coming Out of Nowhere to Celebrate the Conclusion of Part 2, It's the First Ever... End of Volume Bonuses!

Summary
The High Bishop, Bezewanst departs to Baron Glaz's manor to speak with other nobles who wish to get their hands on Myne. Most interested among them is Count Bindewald.

With Kamil's birth, Effa is unable to work, meaning that Myne and Tuuli have to fill in for her as best as they are able – which they do with pleasure. Meanwhile, a baby is dropped off at the Orphanage and no one knows how to handle it. Everyone is burdened by this new event, and Myne, seeing Delia's curiosity, tells her that Delia is now the new child's older sister and has to take care of him. The child is named Dirk.

It is discovered that Dirk has the Devouring. Upon being measured by the High Priest, Myne is informed that he has mednoble levels of mana. In addition, the High Priest promises to look for a reliable path for Dirk's adoption.

Myne's work continues. She meets with the new head of the Ink Guild, Bierce, who asks for Benno's assistance with selling the ink, as Wolf was the only one among them with contact with the nobility. Myne agrees to help them convince Benno in exchange for help designing colored ink. Heidi, Bierce's daughter jumps at the chance. They depart for Heidi's shop to begin research. Upon their success, Myne awards them the title of Gutenberg.

Myne wants to improve mimeograph printing, so she heads to a wax workshop for wax and Johann's place for tools.

Myne makes a few baby toys for Kamil and Dirk and delivers them to the Orphanage. Delia visits with her for necessity, but leaves quickly again due to her trauma from the Orphanage. On the way back, she hears from Arno that the High Priest's attempt to find an adoptive parent for Dirk was unsuccessful, and Delia goes on a rampage, though Myne calms her down.

After visiting Johann's shop to make bells for another child's toy for Kamil, Damuel sees the red light, grabs Myne, brings her home, and then heads off to meet the Knight's Order. Myne makes Kamil a small white rabbit with bells while grounded at home due to the red alert; a Noble had wanted entry into the City of Ehrenfest without a permit.

When Myne returns to the Temple she finds that Delia had abandoned her for the High Bishop and taken Dirk with her. Dirk had been adopted by a noble from an outside duchy. With Delia gone, new attendants are needed. Myne hires Nicola and Monika.

Tuuli comes by to pick her up, but is scolded by Myne because Damuel would focus on protecting her and not Tuuli if something should happen, putting her in danger. On the way back, they meet Otto who tells them that a noble carriage had been let through. Gunther, Myne's father arrives just as Myne and Tuuli are being kidnapped. Myne is freed, and her mana overflows, freeing Tuuli. Seeing the danger, Myne is returned to the Temple, though not before Myne, who is bleeding, drops her blood on the amulet that Sylvester gave her. She picks up a ring from the Devouring soldiers that attacked her to defend herself.

The High Priest is absent and Damuel returns. Having no better option, they head to the High Priest's rooms. On they way they pass by Count Bindewald and the High Bishop. They confront before the High Priest's door. It is revealed that Dirk was not adopted, but forced into a submission contract. In addition, Count Bindewald intends to force her into one too. Myne refuses, but when Count Bindewald begins attacking her, she sees no escape but to use her mana to block the count's repeated attacks.

Using Dirk as a distraction and as leverage, the High Bishop hopes to force her hand as Jenni, his attendant sneaks up on her to grab her. Gunther kicks her away, but is then attacked with mana. Myne loses control of her emotions and attacks them with her crushing. They hide behind a back feystlone, which absorbs Myne's mana, but the stone crumbles to ash. Injuries assemble on both sides, leaving only Myne and the count unharmed.

The High Priest opens the door from his room. He is accosted by the High Bishop and is forced to capture Myne due to her having attacked a noble through her rampaging mana. But seeing the charm that Myne wears, he gives her a ring for mana use instead and tells her to make a shield. He takes out his Schtappe and confronts Count Bindewald with mana. Myne gathers her allies and people who do not wish her harm, such as Dirk and Delia behind a shield of Schutzaria. Sylvester arrives just as the High Priest unleashes his mana.

It is revealed that Sylvester is, in fact, the Archduke, and that the black charm Myne had signed with her blood is an adoption contract. Myne is now the adopted daughter of the Archduke. Myne reports what happened, as well as asking for Delia's punishment to be lessened. Delia is to be confined to the Orphanage for the rest of her days.

Sylvester and the High Priest inform her that she would now have to become a noble to protect herself and her family. They invent a backstory for her, and give her a new name, Rozemyne. She is to be baptized again as a noble in Karstedt's family and to continue her work at the Temple as the High Bishop, replacing Bezewanst. Myne says her final goodbyes to her family, gives all she loves a final blessing using the names of all the gods, and is then proclaimed dead. A contract is signed that limits all interactions with her former family to business relations only.

Sylvester, knowing of Myne's illness, tells Ferdinand to conduct a medical examination. The High Priest informs everyone of the changes. Rosina is bought as a personal musician. The High Priest helps Rozemyne open a hidden room with her new ring, a gift from her father, Karstedt. Benno panics as his workload increases due to Rozemyne and decides to pull the Guildmaster of the Merchant's Guild into the situation to secure cooperation. Fran helps clear Bezewanst's chambers to prepare them for the new High Bishop, Rozemyne.

Adaptation Notes
Differences from the original web novels: