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The Light Novel series is the source material for the adaptation of the Anime and Manga series. The information and terminology on the article will be based on the source material rather than the adaptions. |
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Yurgenschmidt (ユルゲンシュミット, yurugenshumitto) is the country in which almost all of Ascendance of a Bookworm takes place.
Current Map of Yurgenschmidt
Country Information
Yurgenschmidt is a magical country home to mana-wielding nobles. The country is ruled by an absolute ruler called the Zent. Located at the center of Yurgenschmidt is the Sovereignty, the seat of royal power and the home of the Zent.[1] The rest of the land is divided into duchies, each governed by a ruling Aub.
For the position of Zent, there is technically a selection process that would allow archduke candidates not related to the current ruler to win the title, but this practice has been out of use for so long that most nobles in the modern day aren't even aware of this anymore.[2] Both men and women can become Zent, however, due to the nature of mana and the peculiarities of noble pregnancies, men are generally preferred for the position. The same holds true for the position of Aub, the archdukes and archduchesses who rule over the duchies.
The country is shaped like a circle and bordered by a magical wall, which can only be passed through using country gates. Likewise, each duchy is defined by a magical border around its territory. The barriers between duchies allow free passage to animals and people, but will alert most forms of magic and instantly inform the archduke of a duchy if a person or feycreature above a certain mana-threshold passes through in any place other than a border gate.
The country of Yurgenschmidt does not count their years in a single continuous system like Anno Domini on most parts of Earth, but instead uses a system that splits time into eras based on the rule of the kings, similar to how Japan measures their time by the eras of their Emperors.[3]
According to former God Erwaermen, Yurgenschmidt was founded as a sanctuary for those persecuted by Ewigeliebe, and indicated that this meant all mana-wielders from "various outside worlds."[4]
Like the duchies, the country itself also has a Foundation Magic. It's entrance is in the Royal Academy, behind the Mestionora statue on the second level of the Royal Academy Library. Unlike the duchies however, the keyhole does not accept just a single key, but can be opened by any High Bishop's Bible key.[5]
Geography
Map of Yurgenschmidt
Post Civil-War
Current Map of Yurgenschmidt
Before the recent civil war, Yurgenschmidt was comprised of 25 duchies (領地, Ryōchi). However, those on the losing side of the political conflict became defunct, and the land was reorganized into 20 duchies.
Once the Lanzanave invasion was defeated and Eglantine is crowned the new Zent of Yurgenschmidt[6], three new duchies were created: Blumenfeld will be ruled by Trauerqual, Korinthsdaum ruled by Sigiswald, and Alexandria ruled by Rozemyne.[7] Eglantine along with Rozemyne redrew the duchy borders, officially altering them for the first time post-Civil war.[8] The total number of duchies increases to 22.
Dunkelfelger acquired its portion of Old Werkestock its been managing since the end of the civil war. Klassenberg does the same with Old Zausengas. Blumenfeld is lands formerly a part of the Sovereignty and Old Ahrensbach's portion of Old Werkestock. Korinthsdaum is lands formerly part of the Sovereignty and Old Trostwerk. As a part of the Divorce agreement between Adolphine and Sigiswald, Drewanchel gains a small portion of former Sovereign lands as well. The Sovereignty shrinks down to only the Royal Academy grounds as the its outer lands were redrawn into the newly established duchies.
Travel Realities
- See Travel Realities
Sovereignty
The center of the country is called the Sovereignty, and houses, among other things, the Royal Palace and Royal Academy. Since it is the seat of the Zent and under the direct control of the royal family. It is always considered higher than even the highest-ranking duchy and thus is not included in the duchy rankings.
The official colour of the Sovereignty was black. Royals wore Black capes, and Royal Academy Students wear Black uniforms. Sovereign nobles and professors wore black capes on the outside and their home duchy colour on the inside.[9] After the Lanzenave invasion was defeated and the rise of Zent Eglantine, the official colour for the Sovereignty changes to White.[10][11]
Duchies
A duchy is separated land supported by a duchy foundation and ruled under the leadership of an Aub, whether that is an archduke or archduchess. Children of Aubs are named Archduke Candidates and are educated to potentially become the next Aub or married to support other archducal families for political purposes.
Duchies have a hierarchal system. The designation of greater, middle or lesser duchy depends on a combination of the duchy's size, population, history and value to the Sovereignty. In the past, when smaller wars were more common, victories in such conflicts also played a role.[12]
The higher the rank a duchy holds, the more power and influence it wields. Lower-ranking duchies (下位領地, Kai Ryōchi) must show deference to those above them, and all must defer to the Sovereignty and the royal family.
Duchies have internal provinces, which are ruled by land-governing nobles called Giebes. Giebes also have a hierarchal structure title based on their noble rank. Count for archnoble Giebes, Viscount for mednobles Giebes, and Baron for laynoble Giebes.
List of current Duchies
| Duchy | Name | Status | Colour | Crest Animal/Symbol | Details |
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Spear[13] |
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Chalice[13] |
A rocky duchy that spends more than half of each year encased in ice and snow with extensive feystone mines and massive underground cities.[13] | |||
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Defunct Duchies
Duchies Defunct due to the Civil War
| Duchy | Name | Status | Colour | Defunct Reason |
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Other Defunct Duchies
- Eisenreich - Former greater duchy, abolished for treason against the king. Part of its territory was given to its neighbors, like Klassenberg, and what remained - now reduced to a middle duchy - was given to the Ehrenfest family.[18]
- Unknown Duchy - This former greater duchy was disbanded and its territory split into the lesser duchies of Kirschnereit, Berschmann, Lindenthal, Ossvault and Quandtreeb as punishment for treason against the crown.[13]
- Ahrensbach - A former greater duchy, deeply involved with an invasion by the neighboring country of Lanzenave. During the counter-push, Lady Rozemyne of Ehrenfest stole their foundation and after the end of the conflict, Ahrensbach was remade into Alexandria, under her rule[7].
Duchy Rankings
Each annual Archduke Conference, every duchy is ranked and assessed on various factors. These are determined by its population, economy, political influence, scientific and magical research, new trends or fashions, and the performance of students at the Royal Academy. In Year 1, there are four greater, nine middle and seven lesser duchies.[1] In Year 5, there are five greater, ten middle, and seven lesser duchies.
- See Historical Duchy Rankings for the complete list of Rankings throughout each Royal Academy Year.
Current Duchy Rankings
The current Duchy Rankings as of Hannelore's Fifth Year at the Royal Academy.
| Current Rank | Name | Status | Colour | Key Crest Component | Aub |
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Blue[13] |
Spear[13] |
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Ash gray[13] |
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Red[13] |
Chalice[13] |
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Emerald green[13] |
Snakes[13] |
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Navy Blue[21] |
Magic tool shumils God of Darkness' Cloak[21] |
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Purple[13] |
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Ocher[13] |
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Brown[13] |
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Dark Brown[13] |
See Historical Duchy Rankings or Duchies for other duchies last known ranks.
* Blumenfeld and Korinthsdaum were temporary given ranks Second and Third as their Aubs are former royals who have a close relationship to the new Zent Eglantine. During the next Archduke Conference, those two duchies will be evaluated accordingly to regular standards. Most nobles in Yurgenschmidt expects them to drop.[20]
Foreign Relations
Yurgenschmidt retains good relations with its southern neighbor Lanzenave, and the two countries maintain flourishing trade. Among other goods, Lanzenave is Yurgenschmidt's primary source of sugar.[24] Furthermore, the countries have an arrangement in which a princess of Lanzenave will move to Yurgenschmidt to give birth to the future kings, so they can attend the Royal Academy to obtain a schtappe and be educated in magic.[25]
After their invasion and collusion with Georgine and Detlinde, the country gate was permanently closed and will either remain this way, or be connected to a different country, thus cutting of Lanzenave from Yurgenschmidt for good. Due to the Goddes of Wisdom Mestionora personally forbidding any further killings, King Gervasio and the other Lanzenavians who invaded Yurgenschmidt, are instead sentences to imprisonment and having their mana drained regularly for the rest of their lives.
Bosgeiz
Bossgeiz is a country to Yurgenschmidt's east and a former trading partner. In the distant past a Zent created a country gate that functions as a teleportation circle, so that travelers wouldn't have to traverse the desert separating the countries. Apart from the highly coveted feystones, the Bosgeiz also imported large amounts of metal from the border duchy of Eisenreich.
A bit over 200 years ago, the Bosgeiz government managed to convince Aub Eisenreich to attempt to usurp the crown. This caused the Zent to close the country gate, and it has remained shut ever since.[26]
Religion
Religion in Yurgenschmidt is based on worship and prayers to a pantheon of gods and goddesses.
- Gods and Subordinate Gods are the deities worshipped by the people of Yurgenschmidt.
- The Temple is the primary religious institution.
- Priests and Shrine Maidens comprise the hierarchical clergy.
- Religious Ceremonies form the cornerstone of Yurgenschmidt's calendar and mark milestones of life such as baptism and marriage.
- Blessings are a form of prayer and magic used by nobles.
- The Bible is the central religious text, and the original bible traditionally held by the king or queen is called Grutrissheit.
Despite the faith's many mythological and fantastical elements, the gods and goddesses of Yurgenschmidt have a concrete, measurable impact on everyday life and the natural world. Prayer and blessings are shown to influence not only magic, but also agriculture, governance, and strength in combat. As a result, while some are more or less devout, the people of Yurgenschmidt do not generally question the existence of the gods.
Religion is closely associated with the practice of magic by the nobility, since gods are invoked in magic circles, blessings, and spells. Mana also plays a key role in many religious ceremonies, such as Spring Prayer and the Dedication Ritual.
History
Story
Trivia
- As a result of Ehrenfest overtaking Immerdink, Rozemyne noticed that the dark green capes that used to gather in front of them were behind them during their second term.[27]
- The culture of Yurgenschmidt is rather conservative by earth's current standard, even for creative works.
- Deformed cute style drawings are frowned upon.
- Even fictional stories have to be realistic, creative liberties such as anthropomorphism or relationship transcending vast rank differences are not well received.
- Direct description of story characters being lovey-dovey is considered obscene, and the writer of love stories are expected to censor them using euphemisms.
Etymology
| Name | Japanese | Romaji | Assumed Etymology |
Assumed Translation |
Comment |
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| Ahrensbach | アーレンスバッハ | Aarensubahha |
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| Blumenfeld |
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| Dunkelfelger | ダンケルフェルガー | Dankeruferugaa |
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| Ehrenfest | エーレンフェスト | Eerenfesuto |
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| Hauchletzte |
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| Immerdink |
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| Jossbrenner |
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| Kirschnereit |
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| Klassenberg | クラッセンブルク |
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While the duchy is consistently translated as Klassenberg in the English novels, the katakana actually resembles Klassenburg more, with Burg being the German word for Castle. | ||
| Lehmbruck |
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Bruck comes from the Mittelniederdeutsch (one of the precursers to modern German) brōk or brūk, which meant a lowlying wooded area, broken through by water[28] | ||
| Lindenthal |
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| Neuhausen |
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Neuhausen is the name or part of the name of many villages and cities in Germany, as well as a few in Austria and the Swiss | |||
| Yurgenschmidt | ユルゲンシュミット | Yurugenshumitto |
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 4 Volume 1. Chapter 2: Moving to the Castle
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 5 Volume 3. Chapter 15: A Discussion with Eglantine
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 4 Volume 6. Chapter 1: The Beginning of Classes
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 5 Volume 10. Chapter 12: The Race to Become Zent
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 5 Volume 11. Chapter 7: Eglantine’s Name-Swearing
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 5 Volume 11. Chapter 8: Blessings from the Gods
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 5 Volume 12. Chapter 18: The Inauguration Ceremony
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Ascendance of a Bookworm. Light Novel. Part 5 Volume 11. Chapter 9: The Blessings Influence
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 5 Volume 5. An Unwanted Marriage
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 5 Volume 11. Chapter 12: Expending Mana Through Spring Prayer
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 Ascendance of a Bookworm. Light Novel. Hannelore's Fifth Year at the Royal Academy. Chapter 3: The Advancement Ceremony and Fellowship Gathering
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm. Fanbook 5. Q&A with Miya Kazuki
- ↑ 13.00 13.01 13.02 13.03 13.04 13.05 13.06 13.07 13.08 13.09 13.10 13.11 13.12 13.13 13.14 13.15 13.16 13.17 13.18 13.19 13.20 13.21 13.22 13.23 13.24 13.25 13.26 13.27 13.28 13.29 13.30 13.31 13.32 13.33 13.34 13.35 13.36 13.37 13.38 13.39 13.40 13.41 13.42 13.43 13.44 13.45 13.46 13.47 13.48 13.49 13.50 13.51 13.52 13.53 13.54 13.55 13.56 13.57 13.58 13.59 13.60 13.61 13.62 13.63 13.64 13.65 13.66 13.67 13.68 13.69 13.70 13.71 13.72 Ascendance of a Bookworm. Fanbook 3. Illustration
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 4 Volume 2. Chapter 8: The Battle for Schwartz and Weiss
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 4 Volume 7. Chapter 7: The Ternisbefallen Inquiry
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 4 Volume 7. Chapter 15: Hartmut's Marriage Partner
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 4 Volume 7. Chapter 16: Unforseen Consequences
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 4 Volume 3. The Blessing at the Graduation Ceremony
- ↑ Miya Kazuki Twitter. Korinthsdaum's Colour. Second Image. Source Tweet.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Ascendance of a Bookworm. Hannelore's Fifth Year at the Royal Academy Prologue
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 5 Volume 12. Chapter 18: The Inauguration Ceremony
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 5 Volume 7. Chapter 3: The Fellowship Gatherings (Fourth Year)
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm. Hannelore's Fifth Year at the Royal Academy. Chapter 8: Tea Party Consultation
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 4 Volume 8. Epilogue
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 4 Volume 8. Chapter 14: Decisions
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 5 Volume 4. Chapter 16: Kirnberger’s Country Gate
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm Light Novel. Part 4 Volume 5. Chapter 17: Hirschur's Visit and the Advancement Ceremony
- ↑ Namensforschung.net - Bruck


























