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"Spring Prayer" (祈念式, Kinenshiki) is the thirtieth episode of the Ascendance of a Bookworm anime series, and the fourth episode of Season 3. It originally aired on May 2, 2022.
This episode was adapted from Part 2 Volume 3 of the Light Novel series (Chapter 14: Spring Prayer - Chapter 16: Ambush).
Summary
Sylvester teases Myne after stealing her hairpin.
After poking Myne's cheek, the new blue priest Sylvester steals her hairpin and teases her until she begins to lose control of her temper and her mana. However, the Head Priest and Karstedt scold Sylvester, telling him to go bother a reluctant Damuel instead.
The blue priests pour the liquid mana into the farmers' buckets.
The group embarks on Spring Prayer, flying on their highbeasts while their attendants travel ahead by carriage. They arrive in their first farming town, where commoners are gathered outside in a public square. Sylvester dives from the Head Priest's highbeast and strikes a dramatic pose, delighting the the gathered farmers. During the ceremony, Myne pours mana into the sacred chalice while reciting a prayer, which turns the color of its contents from red to green. Afterward, Sylvester and the Head Priest pour the green liquid into buckets held by each of the town chiefs, which will be distributed across the countryside to make the land fertile for the coming year.
Sylvester asks to trade chefs with Myne.
That evening, they arrive at the estate of Baron Blon and meet for dinner. Wearing a new hairpin and dress, Myne attends dinner with the Head Priest, Sylvester, Karstedt and Damuel. Sylvester compliments the smell of her food, and Myne reluctantly agrees that he can have half of it. Although he eagerly requests to trade chefs with her, she turns him down, pointing out that the chefs are employed by Benno for his planned Italian Restaurant and are not hers to trade. After dinner, Myne and the Head Priest perform harspiel for the dinner guests, while Karstedt, Damuel and Sylvester perform sword dances.
Myne dons a cloak to hide her face from Viscount Gerlach.
The next day, the Head Priest gives Baron Blon a small chalice of mana with which to bless his land, and the group continues on their journey. As they approach the region of Gerlach, the Head Priest gives Myne a cloak to wear to hide her face, warning her that Viscount Gerlach seems suspiciously interested in her. However, the visit ends successfully, and they continue on to the nearby Leisegang estate.
Myne rests peacefully, but in the morning, the Head Priest summons her for an urgent meeting. He, Karstedt and Sylvester explain that the estate was attacked last night, and that although they attempted to take the assailants captive, they self-destructed rather than be taken alive.
Myne rushes into battle.
Shortly after departing from Leisegang, an emergency flare is sent up from the carriages where the attendants are traveling. As the priests rush to investigate, they realize that the carriages are trapped in a God of Darkness blessing and are being attacked by armed commoners. Although Myne nearly loses control of her mana in her rush to protect Fran and Rosina, the Head Priest intervenes and persuades her to channel her mana into a protective blessing from the Goddess of Wind, Schutzaria.
Myne and the Head Priest pray for a battle blessing.
Myne's shield protects the carriages from the commoners' attack, and Sylvester leaps to Damuel's highbeast before throwing Myne through the air to Ferdinand. Together, Sylvester, Karstedt and Damuel go to apprehend the attackers, while Myne and the Head Priest pray for a blessing from Angriff, the God of War. However, their blessing proves too strong, and Karstedt unintentionally obliterates the entire forest clearing in one blow (although the attendants in the carriage are kept safe by Myne's shield).
With the battle concluded, Myne collapses from mana exhaustion. She wakes in a tent, where Rosina is tending to her, and reluctantly accepts the foul-tasting medicine given to her by the Head Priest.
Translation Notes
In the Crunchyroll sub and dub, Ferdinand states for Myne to "Keep going so the god of darkness barrier continues to devour your mana." The correct translation is “Myne! Form the shield over the God of Darkness barrier, so that your mana isn’t consumed!” (this is directly from the light novel)