Mirza Aaqib Beg
In the sixth episode of ‘Ascendance of a Bookworm’ season 3, titled ‘The Abandoned Child of the Cathedral and Making Colors,’ the show follows Myne, who cannot contain her excitement after the birth of her brother. Meanwhile, she also discusses new changes to the printing technology with Benno. A woman abandons her child at the Cathedral, leaving him under the care of Myne and her friends.
Myne Works on New Printing Technology
After failing to kidnap Myne during the spring festival, Viscount Gerlach and his accomplices have a secret meeting to discuss their future course of action. Viscount Daldorf confesses that she planned not just to abduct the apprentice blue shrine maiden but also to inflict as much pain as possible on Ferdinand. Unfortunately, she not only failed to achieve her goals but also lost her son Sir Schicicoza in the ensuing battle.
Furthermore, all the devouring soldiers provided by Bindewald, who fought for Gerlach and his forces, also died. In order for Gerlach to pay for the loss, Bindewald asks him to sell Myne to her as soon as they manage to abduct her. He has always been interested in devouring commoners, so adding Myne to his forces will naturally help him increase his influence.
Meanwhile, Myne shares her excitement about being a big sister with Benno. In the light of Ferdinand’s issue with the new printing machine, she tells him to shift everything to picture book production for a while. She also proposes the idea of developing colored inks and improving stamp printing technology. Myne plans to continue making more books even though she may not be as free to do so as she was previously.
Later at the Cathedral, Wilma informs Myne and others about an abandoned baby, unable to figure out what to do with him. However, since there is no grey shrine maiden at the Cathedral with experience in raising a child, Myne informs Ferdinand about the situation. He suggests hiring a wet nurse to help them but does not hide the fact that finding one will be a tough task. Later, Myne manages to convince Delia that they will look after him on their own by taking turns. They also agree to name the boy Dirk.
The following day, Myne and Benno have a meeting with the ink maker Bierce and his daughter Heidi. Myne reiterates her plans of developing colored inks and improving stamp printing technology in front of the father and daughter duo. Heidi tells Myne that she is impressed by the techniques she has used to make the ink but goes on claim that the same process can be used to make colored inks as well- which immediately lights up Myne’s eyes. The two do not hide their excitement to work together.
Later, Heidi, along with her husband Josef, tries to make different colors in the presence of Myne, Lutz, and Gil. Unfortunately, most of their experiments didn’t yield the desired result, which worried Myne. Meanwhile, Delia informs the High Bishop about the birth of Myne’s brother and the abandoned child at the Cathedral but fails to keep him interested. When she later takes food for Dirk, she finds him with a very high fever and strange red spots all over his body.
What is the Devouring?
Devouring is a strange illness that afflicts commoner children with mana comparable to at least a low-ranking noble. Although these kids are gifted in one way, they also have to bear the negative impact that includes a shorter life expectancy, stunted growth, and persistent health issues, including fever. Since the illness can be life-threatening, the children suffering from it have to ensure that the excess mana does not hurt them and the people around them.
Therefore, they often have to use feystones or specialized magic tools at regular intervals to drain their mana. However, there are other ways that exist by which Devouring can be kept in control and stopped from having the worst impacts on a commoner’s life. While using magical tools is a common practice, there are different noble contracts as well that can ensure a longer life for people with excess mana. One of these includes legally becoming a servant of a noble.
Furthermore, a commoner-born blue priestess can even become a wife of a noble, while if someone manages to trick a commoner into a submission contract, they may even end up becoming a slave. In all of these scenarios, the excess mana is controlled using innovative means or exploited by a power-hungry individual for their twisted ends. However, the commoner manages to extend his/her life expectancy as an end result.
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