Ascendance of a Bookworm (2019) s01e10 Episode Script

1
A hair ornament sale expanded
Main's world some more.
Meanwhile, the Devouring was
threatening to ravage her body.
Ascendance of a Bookworm
Ascendance of a Bookworm
Chapter Ten
To the Second Winter
A year has passed since
I came to this world.
It's pork stocking day again.
Soon, my second winter here will arrive.
Three days, huh?
I haven't been bedridden
for this long in a while.
I thought I'd been getting better
lately, but here we are.
Stay away, Devouring Fever!
Stuff it in a box, shut the lid on it,
and we're good!
It's so strange.
A little anxiety was all
it took for it to return.
The Devouring won't do anything,
as long as you're motivated.
That's right. I should distract
myself with fun things.
Benno told me to go through
this. I wonder what it's about.
We're home!
Look, Main!
Oh, bacon!
I'll make you some soup right away.
Thanks, Tuuli.
Hey, Main.
Lutz?
Tuuli told me your fever's gone down,
so I stopped by to see how you're doing.
You missed out on pork stocking again, huh?
Actually, I'm rather glad I did.
I got worried cause your fever
lasted so long this time.
It's gone now, so relax.
I don't know anything about this
"devouring" thing Freida mentioned,
so I'm not sure I did a good job
monitoring your condition.
Nah, you were perfect.
It's thanks to you that I've
stopped collapsing in public.
Glad to hear it.
I can go to the store tomorrow.
By the way, take a look.
One
One: Smarten up your appearance
and learn how to greet people
Smarten up your appearance and
learn how to greet people.
Two
Learn how to read and write all
the basic words and numbers.
Two: Learn how to read and write
all the basic words and numbers
Three
Three: Learn how to use a calculator
Learn how to use a calculator.
It's the training process
for new apprentices.
Listen up! Get this done over the winter!
All of this over the winter?
No way!
The biggest issue is the appearance part.
Is your fever gone?
Yes. Sorry I caused you trouble.
Thank you for giving me this.
It says to smarten up our appearance,
but what exactly are you looking for?
For starters, you'll need
work clothes and shoes.
Ten small silvers should get
you to passable levels.
Ten small silvers? I don't
have that kind of money!
Remember those silvers we
deposited with the Guild?
We can just use those.
Oh, we did that for times like these?
And as capital for when we
start making something new.
Remember when we were stuck needing nails?
Basically, you need money for
anything and everything.
I see.
I always thought you should
take all your earnings home,
so I felt guilty toward my folks.
It's not a bad thing to save up
money you made for yourself.
Man, I feel better now.
Thanks, Main.
That takes care of the appearance issue.
Next Lutz, you need
to learn some manners.
You can't serve customers
talking like you do now.
For starters,
it'd be nice if you could add "please"
and "thank you" to your sentences.
If you could, please.
Oh, uh, I guess I can do that
Please!
Come on, Mister Benno
I don't know how much you can
improve over the winter,
but give it your best shot.
By the way, we've run into a problem
with the Simple All-In-One Shampoo.
What happened?
I'm having a workshop make it for me,
but they're not getting the same results
despite following your instructions.
Would you have any idea why?
I mean, it's as simple as crushing
the fruit and extracting the oil.
I can't sell it like this.
And that would violate the contract magic.
What happens when the
contract magic is violated?
In the worst case, it could
threaten our very lives.
Why didn't you tell me that?!
And so we made our way to
the workshop at once.
Oh, I get it now.
What was it?
What was the problem?
The cloth you're using to wring the oil out.
The cloth?
You're using a nice smooth cloth
here, which has tiny pores by nature.
Smooth
Rough
But the cheap rough cloth
back home is way more porous.
Wringing the fruit with it leaves fruit
fiber and seed pieces in the oil.
Those play a crucial role in removing
the impurities in your hair.
I see. We need rougher cloth, huh?
That means we can't use everything
we extracted so far.
Of course we can. Not using
them would be a huge waste.
You just need to make them scrubs
I mean, put in abrasives.
If you select the ingredients carefully,
you'll be able to make high quality stuff.
Wow, missy. You know a lot.
And she probably knows a lot
more than she's letting on.
Crap! If this keeps up, it'll be the
Lutz situation all over again!
Main.
I absolutely can't say any more!
Any more information will cost you.
I'm not giving it out for free.
Very well.
Mind if we borrow your meeting room?
S-Sure, go ahead.
Huh? Wai
Main!
Hey!
We're just going to talk.
Everyone stay away.
Two small golds.
Excuse me?
I'll pay you two small golds.
Give me information: any improvements,
substitute ingredients,
and everything else you can think of.
Two small golds?
Three small golds.
Three small golds?
"If you can make money, make as much of it
whenever, wherever, and however you can."
Isn't that right?
Three small golds, was it?
That's as high as I can go.
W-Wait a minute!
Just take it and save it.
Money is the only thing that can
stave off your Devouring.
How did you know?
I always considered the possibility,
but the old fart confirmed it the other day.
He said Freida told him
you had the Devouring.
She's survived because she's rich
and has ties with nobility.
All I can do for you is
pay for your information.
Mister Benno
Sit down.
Even if you have to sell everything
you know, do it and save up money
for when the time comes.
What do you mean?
When your fever can't be suppressed anymore.
I thought the fever had
grown more active lately.
So I wasn't just imagining it.
It took so much to get this far
I don't wanna die yet.
I want to
No, I will survive!
I understand. I'll take
the three small golds.
I sold the methods to improve the
Simple All-In-One Shampoo to Benno,
including how salt can act as an abrasive,
and how citrus makes it easier
to remove impurities.
Hmm Did you try all of this out?
No, I couldn't. The ingredients
are too valuable for my family.
You couldn't try them,
and yet you know they work?
Just who are you?
That's a secret.
No amount of small golds
will get me to talk.
I was ready for this when I decided
to give you all that information.
But
Will you give me the boot because
you find a child like me creepy?
Nah. Since you're so profitable,
I'll try even harder to ensure nobody
else gets their hands on you.
I'm a businessman, after all.
Mister Benno
Oh, also, Simple All-In-One Shampoo
is too long and complicated.
Can we call it AIO Shampoo instead?
Sure, but is that really
the best you've got?
How about SimSham, then?
AIO Shampoo is fine.
We're going to make and sell loads
of AIO Shampoo and hair ornaments!
You've got it!
Ascendance of a
Bookworm
Ascendance of a
Bookworm
What? More hair ornaments to make?
Yeah.
People heard about Freida's and
ordered some for themselves.
So you're asking us to move
our winter handiwork up?
This is such a busy time, too.
That's why I got us an advance!
Two medium bronzes for
each flowery decoration.
Two medium bronzes each?!
I used Rush! It was super effective!
Do I make the hairpin part?
That's Lutz's job.
Lutz again?
Dad, I want to visit the gate
tomorrow. Can we go together?
What? Of course!
I heard you fell sick again, Main.
Yeah, but I'm fine now.
I see.
We have a trombe!
They were saying trombe's dangerous
It's been happening a lot lately.
We got a bunch of trombe branches.
I didn't expect us to be
making paper again so soon.
Benno'd yell at us if we let
this trombe go to waste.
Brr! So cold!
Makes me want some piping
hot buttered potatoes.
We'll need butter for that.
You want me to enter the river in this cold?
Let's work with well water tomorrow.
Can we? Thank goodness!
Yeah. Just don't forget the butter.
Butter? What for?
Huh? Did I not say?
By the way, did the handiwork go well?
Yep. Dad wanted to join in,
and I didn't know how to refuse.
How about your place?
No good.
I asked Ralph and the other guys
for help, but they didn't care.
You just need to cast the Rush spell on them.
The Rush spell?
Here you go, Lutz.
That's five medium bronzes for five hairpins.
Five medium bronzes?
For those sticks Lutz was making?
Each one of those is
worth one medium bronze?!
It doesn't have to be
Lutz, right? Can we help?
Merchants are all con men! Why
would anyone ever want to be one?
I don't know what to do with Lutz.
Well, their boss doesn't
seem to be a bad guy.
He is paying for our handiwork.
I can't help but worry, though.
Why take such an unstable job?
We're off!
See you.
Take care out there.
I'm so grateful to Lutz.
He's always taking care of Main.
Really? Main seems to be
doing okay lately, too.
Much better compared to before, yes.
I just hope she grows up healthy.
Ugh, karffel?
Don't you want it?
I'll eat it.
It's so good! What the heck?
They don't steam their food here, after all.
Of course you wouldn't know how yummy
steamed potatoes with butter are.
Bark Peeling
We then got to work on the trombe bark.
Bark Drying
Now that that's done, we can
do the rest in the spring.
I'm done putting the tools away.
We'll have more trombe paper—
Why? I wasn't anxious,
let alone losing heart!
Main? What's wrong?
You're burning up!
Your fever came out of nowhere?
Main, you okay?
The fever's gone
What the heck was that?
The Devouring.
What? But there weren't any signs
of your condition worsening!
And you said you were all right the other day!
It flares up suddenly these days.
Before, it only used to
happen when I got worked up.
Main
Man, that scared me.
Can't we do anything?
Remember what Freida said?
It costs a lot of money.
Benno said the same thing.
I'll give you a ride.
That's about all I can do for you.
"That's all"? But you're
doing so much for me!
Just hurry up and get on.
Okay
Welp.
Even with all the books I've read,
I can't find the right words
to say to him right now.
Lutz is just too damn nice.
He stands by me even when I'm such a burden,
and he accepted me even after
finding out I wasn't Main.
Hey, Lutz?
Even if I do collapse, you don't
have to feel responsible, okay?
Also, I'm not gonna give in.
I haven't finished any books yet.
Main, you stay here.
Lutz, come with me.
Save Main, Master Benno.
I can't do it. I can't do anything.
I would gladly do anything I could, but
Then don't make Main look out for you.
That lass is way more mature than she seems.
Even if she's in pain, she has
the wherewithal to smile for you.
If you're a man, make sure Main
doesn't have to worry about you!
You had the gall to say you'd
make everything Main thought of,
so make and sell one thing after another!
Make as much money as you can!
Now that's a good look in your eyes.
The next time I saw him, Lutz
had gone back to his usual self.
I was thinking we'd be lucky to make ten,
but we've gone and doubled that!
Selling this many should help a little.
You need money to deal
with the Devouring, right?
Lutz
Do you have any other product ideas?
I'll make anything and
everything you can think of!
Thank you.
That completes the delivery
of the hair ornaments.
Sure does.
Okay, here's your pay.
Do you think we could sell these as well?
I made one during winter handiwork last year.
It was you again?
Did every bizarre product I've encountered
in the last six months come from you?
Uh Sorry about that.
Do you have anything that'd generate
more revenue than baskets?
Something consumable, like the AIO Shampoo.
Well How about colored and
scented soaps or candles?
Do you know how to make those?
I do, though it'll need some trial and error.
All right. Experiment all
you want come spring.
I will.
We have to make more paper, too.
If we add candles to that,
things will get busy.
Main!
Main?!
You okay?!
This is bad! Mark, ready the carriage!
Next Chapter
Life-or-Death Choices and Family Meetings
Do something, Master Benno!
The guild master will know what to do, right?
I've already negotiated with him.
All hail Master Benno!
Apparently, he still has some of the
magical items he bought for Freida.
A one-use magical item,
for just two small golds.
G-Golds?!
Consider it an investment in you.
Investment? You're such a
You don't have to be so grateful.
I'm doing this out of the
goodness of my heart!
Give me back my preview time.
Illustration by Waon