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"The Black Protective Charm" (黒いお守り, Kuroi Omamori) is the thirty-fifth episode of the Ascendance of a Bookworm anime series, and the ninth episode of Season 3. It originally aired on June 06, 2022.
This episode was adapted from Part 2 Volume 4 of the light novel series (Chapter 10: The Shadow Falls - Chapter 12: The Black Charm).
Summary
Gunther, who rushed to the cathedral to check on Myne after learning that a foreign noble entered the city, is informed by Fran that she has already departed for home. He hurries back and runs into Otto and Damuel just as they begin chasing after Myne and Tuuli's kidnappers. He takes down the kidnapper holding Myne, but the one carrying Tuuli takes her hostage with a knife to her throat. The stalemate is broken when Myne crushes the kidnapper with her mana and Gunther throws a knife at him, allowing Tuuli to get free.
A third kidnapper is revealed to be a Devouring soldier when he funnels mana into his ring and fires a mana blast at Gunther. However, Damuel steps in and summons magical shield to protect them both, then holds off the attackers as the others flee. Before they leave, Lutz points out that Myne is bleeding, which makes her remember the magic charm Sylvester gave her. After deciding that it really is an emergency, she stamps her blood on the necklace, which glows a faint golden light.
Back at the cathedral, Fran goes to report Gunther's warning to the Head Priest. However, he is met at the door by Arno, who informs him that the Head Priest is away at the moment. Delia then approaches Fran to ask if Myne is present, since the noble who is adopting Dirk wishes to have a word with her; he replies that she is absent.
After dropping off Tuuli, Lutz and Otto at the Gilberta Company, Gunther and Gil rush back to the cathedral with Myne. They meet Fran in her chambers, who explains that the Head Priest is absent and an unfamiliar noble is visiting, making the cathedral a dangerous place to be at the moment. Damuel arrives, having dealt with the remaining Devouring soldiers and is dismayed to learn that the Head Priest is absent. He says that the Knight's Order has not been in contact and that his ordonnanz to the Head Priest received no response. They decide to go speak with Arno one more time. Before they leave, Damuel gives Myne a magic ring he recovered from one of the fallen attackers, so she'll have a means of protecting herself.
In the High Priest's chambers, Delia stamps Dirk's blood onto a magic contract, and Count Bindewald gives the baby a magic ring. As they depart, they run into Myne's group on their way to the Head Priest's office. Delia eagerly suggests that the count should adopt Myne too. However, Bindewald dismisses the idea as absurd and reveals that Dirk's supposed adoption contract was actually a concealed Devouring servitude contract.
Battle breaks out as Bindewald's Devouring soldiers use magic to enhance their strength and Gunther and Damuel draw their weapons. A third Devouring soldier fires mana blasts, but Damuel knocks them aside, revealing himself as a noble. Determined to end the fight quickly before the Knight's Order gets involved, Bindewald also fires mana at Damuel. Myne intercepts it and uses her magic ring to knock it back with a mana blast of her own. They begin volleying mana back and forth. As they battle, Bindewald realizes that Myne is wearing not a normal magic ring, but a ring of servitude from one of his own Devouring soldiers.
Meanwhile, the High Priest snatches Dirk from Delia and drains his mana to fire a mana blast at Myne. The baby is exhausted from just one attack, but the High Priest then uses him as a human shield, preventing Myne from Crushing him. As Myne hesitates, Jenni sneaks up behind her and seizes her, holding her in place as Bindewald prepares to stamp her blood on the servitude contract.
Gunther shoves Jenni aside and kicks the High Priest in the face to rescue Myne, but is seriously injured by a blast of mana from Bindewald. Losing control of her mana in anger, Myne shatters the Devouring ring on her finger and begins to crush the High Priest. Although he uses the black magic stone given to him by Viscount Gerlach to absorb her mana, it ultimately cracks and shatters under her power. Bindewald launches another attack that injures Damuel, and Myne prepares to face him alone.
Just then, the Head Priest emerges from his office to see the battle-torn hallway, having been in the cathedral all along. He demands to know what's happening, and the High Priest orders him to help punish Myne for attacking a noble. When Myne asks if she really will be charged with a crime, the Head Priest confirms regretfully that not only she, but also her family and attendants, will be punished. Myne laments that Sylvester's necklace wasn't enough to protect her after all, catching the Head Priest's attention. When he sees the necklace, he says that Myne may have a way to save her family if she has the resolve to be adopted by Sylvester instead of Karstedt and leave her family immediately. Although Gunther begs her not to agree, Myne is resolved to protect her family by whatever means necessary.
Smiling, the Head Priest turns on their opponents and binds the High Priest with magic rope. Bindewald demands to know why a priest carries a schtappe, and the Head Priest explains that he is a noble who graduated from the Royal Academy. As the episode ends, Myne summons a protective shield of wind, and the Head Priest and Bindewald fire powerful bursts of magic at each other.
Characters by Appearance
Translation Notes
- In the Japanese anime and light novel, Damuel tells Gunther to "return to the cathedral"/"get back to the temple." However, in the English dub he specifically says to "get Tuuli to the cathedral," resulting in a confusing sequence of events when they drop Tuuli off at the Gilberta Company instead.
- In the Crunchyroll sub and dub, the Head Priest says that Myne, her family, and her attendants will be "charged with a crime" for attacking a noble. In light novel, he says explicitly that they will be executed.