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Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.3 - Chapter Aft




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Afterword

Hello again, it’s Miya Kazuki. Thank you very much for reading Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 4 Volume 3.

Rozemyne has been spending so much time in the Royal Academy that it’s been quite some time since a volume started with daily life in the temple. Brigitte used to accompany her there, but now Angelica has taken up that position, and that’s not the only change.

Despite Angelica being a noble, she does nothing more than guard the door while all the other retainers do paperwork. There isn’t a shred of nobility to that, but thanks to her easygoing personality, the attendants there view her in quite a positive light.

One may have thought that socializing in the Royal Academy would calm down with Rozemyne’s return, but Ehrenfest continues to receive invitation after invitation to tea parties from girls who want to know more about the duchy’s trends. Wilfried ends up in quite a pickle, since he isn’t able to refuse duchies of a higher rank. In the end, Rozemyne has to return to the Royal Academy to hold a tea party for all the duchies.

Although Rozemyne doesn’t end up attending herself, the Royal Academy’s graduation ceremony takes place. Angelica graduates without issue—something her parents are no doubt extremely relieved about. Eglantine’s and Angelica’s performances are featured in the color illustration. Please behold their beauty.

In the midst of all this, Rozemyne’s connection to the lower city becomes weaker and weaker. The contracts between Myne and Lutz are nullified, and the hidden room is sealed off to them. But even so, thanks to Lutz scolding her, and thanks to his assertion that they can maintain their connection by working toward all their promises to one another, Rozemyne manages to face forward without collapsing entirely.

This volume’s short stories are told from Lutz’s and Eglantine’s perspectives.

For Lutz’s story, I wrote about how he handled the abrupt goodbye from Rozemyne, and how he dealt with the emotions swirling about within himself. It was a moment where his friendship with Gil deepened further, even outside of when he went on trips as a Gutenberg. I hope you could also feel how her lower city family is changing through Tuuli’s reaction to the situation.


For Eglantine’s story, I wrote about what the dormitories of other duchies are like and her experience when the blessing fell during the graduation ceremony. Here you can see a dorm supervisor actually being present in the dormitory, serving the archducal family when they visit, and gathering information across the Royal Academy for the benefit of their home duchy. Please keep in mind that this is normal; Ehrenfest is a strange exception.

One thing I focused on more than I had initially expected was the description of Eglantine’s past. It’s the source of her trauma and what instilled in her a dislike of war so strong that she would even enter the temple to avoid it.

This volume finally has an illustration of Hannelore, which web novel readers have been waiting ever so long for. There’s also Philine’s younger brother, Konrad, and the cross-dressing Justus-slash-Gudrun, a character who boasts immense popularity among a certain subset of readers. Also included is Zahm, the temple attendant. You might notice that Eglantine’s and Angelica’s hairstyles have changed now that they’ve come of age, although they haven’t changed at all on the inside. (Haha.)

Moving on—somehow, there are four Bookworm releases being published in a row: Part 4 Volume 4 in September, Royal Academy Stories: First Year in October, the third fanbook in November, and Part 4 Volume 5 in December! Considering that the seventh volume of the manga adaptation is going to be released in August, that’s five straight months of Bookworm-related material. Wowzers!

Royal Academy Stories: First Year exists for the Wilfried and Hannelore short stories that are currently on the short story dumping ground of my Narou page, but since there aren’t enough to fill a whole volume, about two-thirds of the volume will be original content. This book is going to show the lives of retainers and nobles from other duchies one generally wouldn’t get to see from Rozemyne’s perspective. Expect to see stories told from the perspectives of Judithe and Angelica, as well as a whole bunch from the perspectives of characters I’ve never had as narrators before.

Well, that’s the plan, at least, but at the moment of my writing this afterword, I haven’t actually finished the script. I’m working my brain at full capacity to think up the stories while the deadline approaches all too quickly.

The third fanbook is going to be similar in style to the first one and will be packed with illustrations from Shiina You-sama. Also inside are a new short story from me, as well as another Q&A. We’re also planning to include original manga from Suzuka-san and Namino-san, plus a map that was handed out at a printing museum last year. Please look forward to it.

This volume’s cover art focuses on the lower city characters. Rozemyne’s expression really tugs on my heartstrings. In contrast, the color illustration focuses on the nobles. There’s the apprentice scholars, Eglantine and Angelica’s graduation ceremony, the tea party attendees, and even that scene with Ferdinand and Rozemyne! Shiina You-sama, thank you so much.

And finally, I offer up my highest thanks to everyone who read this book. May we meet again in Part 4 Volume 4.

April 2018, Miya Kazuki

 



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