"I want to read books."
For the girl who began a new life as Main in another world—
a world where books and paper are prohibitively expensive—
that was her biggest wish.
If she couldn't get any, she'd have to make them herself.
Having come to that resolution,
she took the first step toward making her own paper...
Ascendance of a Bookworm
Chapter Three The Events of Winter
Two months after I became Main,
Winter with a capital W took over the town I live in.
Why is it so dark in the middle of the day?
What do you expect? There's a blizzard outside.
As getting snowed in is very common, people work at home over the winter.
Mainly handiwork.
Turi makes baskets,
while Mom stitches clothes.
Main, you should stop goofing off and make some baskets, too.
Show her how to do it, Turi.
Sure.
Sorry, I already know what I'm making.
I'm gonna make pseudo-papyrus with this.
Before it started snowing,
I had Turi and the other kids gather a thick-stemmed plant for me.
Ancient Egypt is dead! Long live Ancient Egypt!
How do I extract the fiber, though?
Wow. Turi, how do you make this?
You skin it, wash it in running water, and then let it dry.
I see.
Thanks!
Okay!
Turi...
Try peeling along the fiber now.
Turi...
All done!
What's wrong, Turi?
And so, the table was set.
Now if I just weave these together, I should have my pseudo-papyrus!
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
You've been at it for three days.
What are you trying to make?
Main?
Forget it!
I give up! You win this war, Ancient Egypt!
Keep it down.
And make some baskets instead of playing with that grass.
'Kay...
I'll teach you how to do it.
It's okay. I know how.
Back when I was Urano,
my mom made me help make baskets out of newspaper leaflets.
That's impressive, Main!
Why are you so much better at it?
I'm supposed to be the big sis...
N-No, this is, uh...
You want to be an apprentice seamstress, right?
Then you'll need to learn how to weave before your baptism.
Come, I'll teach you.
Yay!
Nice save, Mom!
Turi turns seven in the summer.
In this world, once a kid turns seven and is baptized,
they begin life as an apprentice.
To become an apprentice, you need an adult's referral.
As such, most people end up in the same line of work as their parents.
You should learn how to weave too, Main.
I'll pass.
No, you won't.
You need to know how to make attractive yet practical clothes for your family.
Or else, you won't be a refined lady.
"Refined"?
Right. A refined lady must know how to cook and sew.
It's not like I want to be a seamstress.
Do you wanna be an apprentice craftsman?
You do make a mean basket, after all.
No, no!
What will you do, then?
Of course...
I'll make books!
Ancient Egypt didn't help.
Then, naturally,
I'll turn to Mesopotamia next!
Okay, I'm making clay tablets in the spring.
Morning.
Good morning, Main.
Huh? Where are Dad and Turi?
They went to pick parues.
Parues?
Turi, you okay?
Yeah. I think I'm almost done.
We're back!
So this is the parue fruit?
Main, hold the bowl for me.
'Kay.
Wow, that's a sweet scent!
Wanna drink some?
Yeah!
It's like rich coconut milk!
Such a blissful taste!
That was amazing.
Turi, why are your hands all red?
It always happens when you pick parues.
You can't do it unless you warm up the branches with your hands.
With your bare hands? In this cold?
You'd catch a cold right away.
Can't you do it in the afternoon?
Wouldn't that make them easier to thaw?
Absolutely not.
Parue fruits can only be picked in the morning.
When exposed to sunlight, the tree grows rapidly,
sends its fruit flying far away, and disappears.
It disappears?
Sounds like one bizarre tree.
Once Dad finished separating the parues' flesh, oil, and pulp,
he left for his night shift at work.
Looks like soy pulp.
No, Main! That's bird feed!
This is actually pretty edible!
Good evening!
Could you spare us some parue pulp in exchange for eggs?
We're running low on bird feed.
Sure. Hang on.
There are a bunch of boys in my family, so food is starting to be a problem.
If you're hungry, do you wanna try this?
Huh? Who'd eat bird feed?!
It's good.
There's a way to make it taste even better.
You flip it once bubbles form on the surface.
Man, I can't watch. Let me do it.
One, two...
Ta-dah!
Your simple paruecake is ready to eat!
This is great.
Good! So good!
This is fantastic, Main.
Where did you learn to make this?
Well, you got your hands all red to get these for us.
And this way, we can eat all of it.
Yeah! Thanks, Main!
Damn, you're cool.
These are easy to make, and filling.
I'll be there for you next time you need anything.
You're weak and frail, so let me help you,
as thanks for the paruecake.
Ascendance of a Bookworm
Wow, Main made these?
They're paruecakes, apparently.
Let's have a bite.
Yummy!
Hard to believe they're made from the pulp, right?
But first the Simple All-In-One Shampoo, and now this...
Where did she learn to make all this?
She did make a really elaborate basket all by herself, too.
Hasn't she been really strange lately?
Who cares if she's acting strange?
She kept having fevers and could've died anytime, you know?
I'm happy just seeing how active she is now.
You're right.
Yeah.
My slate pencil is gone!
Oh, big deal.
It is a big deal!
Dad, take me to the gate!
Why the gate?
I need to get more slate pencils from Mister Otto.
And I'll have him teach me some more letters while I'm at it.
Do you like Otto that much?
Yeah! I love him!
Not until the spring.
Not until the spring!
You'll catch a fever if you go outside!
You're not taking one step out of the house until the spring! Got that?!
Dad...
What am I going to do with him?
Stupid overbearing dad!
However, the very next day had perfect parue-picking weather,
so Mom and Turi headed out to the forest,
and Dad had to take me to the gate anyway.
We're in Snow Country.
Main.
What is it, Dad?
Otto's a married man, okay?
Urk.
Uh... What about it?
That guy's mind is filled with nothing but his wife.
So you're saying he's a devoted, loving husband,
and an all-round great guy?
No.
He's such a pain!
Main!
It's been a while.
Long time no see, Mister Otto.
Eva will come pick her up once she's done picking parues.
Take care of Main until then.
But, uh, I...
You get it, don't you?
Don't you dare let her catch a cold like last time.
Welp.
I was about to do the accounts and draw up next term's budget.
He started sulking when I spoke highly of you.
Yikes.
But still, I'm happy to see you again.
After that, Otto gave me a fresh slate pencil
and taught me some more letters.
I think I've learned a fair few now.
Mister Otto.
This part is incorrect.
So is this.
You can do calculations?
But you can't read, right?
I don't know the alphabet,
but Mom taught me the numbers before.
Mom! What's that on that plank?
Oh, it shows the price, so you know how much you can buy something for.
Main, I'm going to swallow my pride and ask.
Could you help me out here?
Sure thing!
I'll do it if you supply slate pencils for me and teach me the alphabet.
I'm not the kind of girl who works for no compensation.
You're so amusing.
Do you really only want slate pencils, though?
It runs out in no time.
I see. In that case,
we have a deal.
Can I ask you to get right to working on these calculations?
Here's your calculator.
I don't need it. I don't know how to use it, anyway.
How will you do it, then?
All I need is the slate.
Wow.
I can't believe you did such complicated calculations without using a calculator.
Crap. Did I do too much?
I'm glad to be of help.
You really were. Thank you.
Main!
Time to go home!
Oh, Turi! Mom!
And then came one snowy day after another.
Okay, all done!
That's what you'll wear to your baptism. Isn't it pretty?
Yeah!
Thank you, Mom!
Oh, so we use the free time over the winter to prepare for summer.
Turi, what about your hair?
I'll pick some flowers and use them as a hair ornament.
That's not enough!
I'll make you look way prettier than that!
If we don't have hair accessories, I can just make some!
I'll show off the lacework skills I got from all those hours at mommy crafting classes!
Wait, this world doesn't have the crochet hook yet!
That means...
Dad.
What do you want?
Yikes. He's still sulking.
You see, I need a favor from you.
A favor?
Yeah.
Can you make me a needle with a hook to stitch thread?
Pretty please?
I'll give it a shot!
You're the best, Dad!
Will this do?
Can you make it thinner?
Of course. You got it.
Dad's in a better mood now.
Yeah. That's great.
How's this?
I love you, Dad!
Victory is mine, Otto.
Mom, can I have some waste thread?
Sure, but what will you do with it?
There!
Isn't it too small?
I'll make a bunch of these and put them together.
Let me try.
Wow. A refined seamstress in action.
Then I had Dad make the hairpin part too,
and the hair ornament was complete!
It's done.
That looks great.
You're so pretty, Turi.
I do?
This really is great!
I wanted to repay you for helping me extract the fiber from the grass.
Thanks, Main.
This makes me really happy.
Dad's really happy, too!
Main's a kind girl who cares for her sister.
And Turi's grown into a lovely big sis, too!
You girls are my pride and joy!
Next Chapter Forests and Clay Tablets
You have a very nice and caring father.
Yeah, but he's way too clingy.
By the way, when are you going to start making paper?
You haven't done anything you said you'd do.
Hey, I did make pseudo-papyrus.
Though it was a dead end.
I'm gonna make clay tablets for sure next!
Clay is hardly paper.
Illustration by Namino Ryo