"Re-Ascendance of a Bookworm, Part 1" is the first of two recap episodes aired with Season 3 of the Ascendance of a Bookworm anime series. This episode covers events from the first season of the anime, which was adapted from Part 1 Volume 1 to Part 1 Volume 3 of the light novel series.
Summary
The recap begins with Myne's first meeting with Lutz in the lower city. As the episode's narrator, Lutz introduces himself and describes how the two of them set out to make books. After highlighting the many inventions and recipes Myne created, he talks about her mysterious illness and their meeting with the merchants Otto and Benno.
As Lutz and Myne work to create paper and train as merchant apprentices, Lutz becomes suspicious of Myne's unusual behavior. He confronts her and demands to know if she's really Myne, and she admits the truth about her memories from a past life. However, they ultimately reconcile and renew their friendship.
The two learn more about Myne's Devouring illness from Freida. When Myne collapses, Freida gives her a magic item to save her life, but the solution is temporary. Myne decides to accept her death and stay with her family rather than to pursue a servitude contract with a noble. However, during her baptism, she draws the attention of the church by offering an enormous donation in exchange for getting to visit the cathedral library. Once the Head Priest and High Priest learn that she also has mana, Benno warns her that she will be forced to become a priestess whether she wants to or not.
Myne and her family go to the cathedral to negotiate, and the High Priest immediately dismisses them when he realizes that they are poor. He attempts to take Myne by force and a fight breaks out, which ends when Myne loses control of her mana and crushes the High Priest. The Head Priest intervenes and agrees to Myne's terms, allowing her to enter the church as a blue-robed apprentice priestess. Afterward, Myne and her parents happily reunite with Lutz and Tuuli.