The staff at the cathedral learn that Main has the Devouring.
Main, we would like to speak to your parents.
Benno suggests using contract magic to protect her from the nobles,
and Main makes up her mind to join the church.
Ascendance of a Bookworm
Chapter Fourteen Conclusions
I'm home.
Main!
So, what happened at the cathedral?
Well, I asked the high priest to forget about my apprenticeship,
but once they found out I had the Devouring,
they said they wanted to talk to you
and gave me this invitation for you.
They want to meet at the third bell two days from now.
What the hell did you do, Main?
They made me touch a grail.
And when it shone, they asked to see you.
After that, I went to see Benno,
and he told me a bunch of things about nobles and the Devouring.
Apparently, the Devouring's fever is actually just mana.
Mana?
He said that since the shining grail proved that I possessed mana,
I can no longer run from the church or the nobility.
No!
But the church has magical items, so I can live on if I join.
Is that true?
But you won't be able to see us if you join, right?
If things stay the same, yes.
I don't want to give you up to the church.
If I sent you there alone...
Hey, Dad. Do you know what's been going on in the capital?
Have you heard that there was a purge that drastically changed the situation with nobles?
What does that have to do with anything?
Actually, since the nobles have dwindled in number,
it seems the church is in desperate need of mana.
That's why they want me.
From what I've seen and heard at the gate,
the nobles certainly are scattering in all directions.
What Benno said was true.
Then this may work out.
What do you mean, Main?
He said I was in luck.
That with careful negotiating,
I could secure treatment close to that of a noble.
Tell me more.
First, envision the ideal result for yourself.
What concessions do you need from them to achieve it?
What can you offer them?
What do they want?
Figure all that out.
What I want...
is permission to enter the library and read the books there.
It's almost impressive that you can be so single-minded now.
I-It's just the ideal result!
If I'm being greedy, you know?
What I can offer them is mana and money.
That's right.
As long as you don't sell those short, you can secure better conditions.
If things go well, you could get accepted as a blue-robed apprentice priestess.
To ensure this, register the Main Studio and secure a revenue stream.
By the way,
I've heard that you can't join the church if you're registered with the Guild.
Can I actually register myself as studio head?
The high priest said he'd negotiate with the guild master...
Don't leave your fate in someone else's hands!
If you can't get them to accept that you're already registered,
throw some money around and get them to allow your studio business!
You will be the only one in the church who can deal with the Guild!
Right!
If needed, say you want to use the Main Studio to provide work for the orphans,
provide them a better environment, or some bull crap like that,
and get them to accept your ownership!
Also, sell the fact that you're physically frail,
and try to secure the best treatment possible.
Don't care about how it looks! Fight to live!
I understand. I'll try.
There you have it.
So there's room to negotiate.
I think so.
That's why Benno told me to fight to live.
"Fight to live," huh?
You could say there's hope for us, right?
Right.
What we can offer is mana and money.
And then we have to emphasize my frailty
and get me treated almost like a noble.
We also have to get them to allow me to run my studio,
and continue to live at home.
If they agree to these three demands, I think it's safe to say we have won.
I'll give it a shot.
I became a soldier to protect my family!
What's wrong, Turi? Can't sleep?
What's the matter?
Can you really negotiate with nobility?
Don't they kill people just for talking back to them?
If anything happened to you, I'd...
Turi!
Mom!
Please come back home with Dad!
Two days later, it was time for the negotiations at the cathedral.
Dad, fight for me, okay?
You got it.
This must be the will of the gods.
Main and her parents are here.
Hello, High Priest.
Oh, Main. Welcome.
Who are these two, Main?
My parents.
What? Your parents?
What work do they do?
My father's a soldier, and my mother's at a textile workshop.
A soldier?
Ah... I never thought they'd be poor.
What a waste of time.
Please take your seats.
No need! They can stand!
What's with his sudden change in attitude?
Let's just get this over with.
I believe you're aware that Main wants to be an apprentice priestess,
and that you're against it?
That's right.
I don't feel like giving my daughter up to live like an orphan.
But she has the Devouring.
She can't live on without access to magical items.
The church is graciously taking her in to save her life.
Main's body is too frail to survive if she's forced to live like an orphan.
I would like you not to put her to work as a gray-robed priestess.
That's right!
She's a very frail girl even without the Devouring!
She can't survive at the cathedral!
Please... Please let her live at home.
Insolent knaves!
You dare complain about our compassionate offer?!
Shut up and hand over your daughter!
What? This is a noble?
I must refuse.
I will never throw my child into an orphanage.
That's right! Please, have a heart!
How dare you!
Hold these insolent parents down and lock Main up!
Ascendance of a Bookworm
Hold these insolent parents down and lock Main up!
Stand back.
Oh? You want to resist?
If you dare raise a hand against a priest,
I'll have you executed in the name of the gods!
I was ready to die the moment I decided to fight for Main!
Curses! Get Main!
Let's hold the man down first.
Why, you!
You could take down a couple,
but how long will you last against so many?
A mere commoner thinks he can defy the church?
To the guillotine with you!
You will die a dog's death.
Get him!
Enough.
Main?
Don't you dare lay a hand on my mom and dad.
You invited us here to have a discussion.
Is this what you call a discussion?
H-Help!
Main! Your mana's leaking out!
Control your emotions!
How am I supposed to?
Like... I'm sure... you always do.
How am I supposed to quell my rage toward a man who wants to execute my father?
S-Stay away!
Hold it! If you keep going, you'll crush his heart!
He was ready to kill a person.
I'm sure he was ready to risk his own life, too.
Main!
Move.
Calm down! Let's talk things out!
"Talk things out"?
Using force? Or...
Using mana?
You mustn't kill him.
If you kill the high priest,
your parents will be accessories to the murder of a noble.
I know you wouldn't want that.
Even my family will get hurt because of me?
I see you've returned to your senses.
Let's have the exact discussion you came to have.
You mean you'll accept all our demands?
Yes.
But before that, you must get your raging mana under control.
Can you do that?
I have to trap it inside, like I always do.
Main!
Are you okay?
I'm fine.
I'm used to it, and I'm in control of myself now.
You're used to it? You mean it's happened before?
Not to that extent, no,
but it used to happen pretty often.
I didn't know.
Um, are you okay, Head Priest?
This is my punishment.
I had this coming for not stopping the high priest from antagonizing you.
I didn't expect your commoner parents to defy a noble's orders.
Main's my daughter. I've said so countless times.
Main.
I envy you for having such loving parents.
Be they orphans or nobles,
everyone in the church was cast aside by their parents.
After that, we moved to the head priest's room to talk things out.
What was that thing Main did earlier?
Do you mean the Crushing?
It's called the Crushing?
Main's eyes turned rainbowy,
and her body was emanating some kind of aura.
What the heck? I didn't know I'd turned into some kind of oddity!
It happens when one with the Devouring lets their emotions go out of control.
Their mana activates, courses through their body,
and "crushes" their enemy.
It happens often to kids since they can't control their emotions.
Haven't you seen it before?
I did notice her eye color change a bunch of times.
It always happened during tantrums, but it'd go away soon.
Oh yeah, now that you mention it...
Really?!
I'm amazed they raised such a bizarre girl with so much love.
I'd heard that those with the Devouring have lots of mana,
but I never foresaw that you could push the high priest to the brink of death.
This might be a strange question,
but how are you even still alive?
The stronger your mana, the stronger your will needs to be to control it.
It makes no sense that you're still alive given how much mana you possess.
I should already be dead, actually.
But some kind people let me use a dying magical item.
Didn't you try to form an agreement with a noble through them?
Living life chained to a noble would be pointless.
I wanted to stay with my family.
I wanted to make my books.
If I can't live my life the way I want, then there's no point to living.
I fail to comprehend that mindset.
Main, I want you to join the church.
This is a request, not an order.
I'm the one in charge of the daily affairs around here.
I'll provide you the best environment possible.
Of course, the events of today will be forgotten as well.
The head priest kept his word and accepted all of our demands,
and I was to become a blue-robed apprentice priestess.
It's over.
Yeah.
Dad, Mom. Thanks for fighting for me.
Hey, you're the one who saved our lives with that Crushing thing.
My fever just went out of control because I was so angry.
Honestly, I don't remember much of what happened.
But the real battle has yet to come.
Yeah.
Still, I'm a little relieved now.
So long as the head priest is there, I think you'll be just fine at the cathedral.
The head priest? Why?
I mean, he stopped you, remember?
It's important that you have someone to stop and scold you when you lose control.
Yikes! I get the feeling he'll be scolding me a lot!
Main will definitely be fine.
She's got your dad and mom with her.
Yeah...
Turi!
You guys!
Main!
Main... Welcome back.
I'm home...
Turi!
Next Chapter Apprentice Priestess
Woohoo!
Part One Complete
We've hit the grand finale of Part One!
The negotiations were a great success, and I can keep living with my family!
Head Priest, you'll be seeing me at the cathedral soon!
I can finally read some books! Yahoo!
The way you're celebrating only makes me worry.
You seem to be thinking of nothing but books.
Nag Nag
Do you realize you're joining the church as an apprentice priestess?
You'll have so much to do and learn.
Poke Poke
Also, you've been made a blue robe despitebeingacommoner...
No! It's too soon for all this!
Illustration by Tobe Sunaho