Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.8 - Chapter Aft

Afterword

Hello again, it’s Miya Kazuki. Thank you very much for reading Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 4 Volume 8.

Rozemyne’s second year at the Royal Academy has concluded, and we’re back in Ehrenfest.

In this volume, Rozemyne’s new younger brother Melchior finally took the stage. He was only two when Veronica was detained and Rozemyne was adopted, so he doesn’t have any memories of being insulted by Veronica like Charlotte does, and he isn’t being compared to Wilfried in a way that would push them apart, so he gets along well with all of his siblings. He grew up without anyone demanding that he aim to become the next archduke, and he had plenty of toys from Rozemyne, which helped him develop an interest in picture-book bibles and biblical stories. He’s quite good at being sweet.

Rozemyne had fun looking for younger retainers, dismantling fish, and listening to tales from her grandfather’s youth... but these good times came to an abrupt end when Ferdinand received a royal decree to marry. Why has Aub Ahrensbach sought this marriage with Ehrenfest when the two duchies are hardly on good terms? What are Georgine and the others in Ahrensbach thinking as they support him? And what does Ferdinand decide to do...?

In any case, this volume’s prologue was written from Melchior’s perspective. Just what did he hear about Rozemyne from Wilfried and Charlotte before formally meeting her? I hope it was enjoyable to see the relationship between the son of an archduke and his parents.

The epilogue is told from Detlinde’s perspective. Like Ferdinand, she was forced into an engagement by the king’s sudden order, but what does she think about the situation and the man she’s to marry? She ended up having to return to Ahrensbach after an abrupt summons, and it seems her mother Georgine was planning something on the road back... This certainly isn’t something that you’d see from Rozemyne’s or her associates’ perspectives.

The short stories are written from Heisshitze’s and Eckhart’s perspectives. Both strive to improve Ferdinand’s situation and standing as much as they can, but they’re each mired with immense bias—one from not having met his dear friend in over a decade, and the other from having served him tirelessly as a guard knight for ten years straight.

In Heisshitze’s chapter, I aimed to show how people from other duchies view Ferdinand’s situation. They really were desperate to help him in any way they could. It’s just unfortunate how that ended up turning out for him...

Similarly, in Eckhart’s chapter, I wrote about how those close to Ferdinand view this engagement. Ferdinand wasn’t the only one who had to prepare to move to Ahrensbach; what did his name-sworn attendants think of what was going on, and what does it mean for Eckhart’s engagement to Angelica?

Several characters received designs for this volume: Melchior, Bertilde, Theodore, and Giebe Gerlach (also known as Grausam). Talk about a lot of cute kids. Don’t you think their designs really show their resemblances to their older siblings? Of course, there’s an evil face lurking among the cute ones, and it matches Grausam perfectly.

This volume’s cover art is focused on Ferdinand and Rozemyne’s meeting in the hidden room. Ferdinand is deep in thought about the engagement, while Rozemyne watches on with worry. Doesn’t your heart ache when you realize this might be their last time together in their High Priest and High Bishop outfits? Mine sure does. (And I like it.)

As for the color illustration, I asked for the hug scene from the “Decisions” chapter. I really, really, really wanted this one. Rozemyne’s expression is to die for.

Shiina-sama, thank you.

And finally, I offer up my highest thanks to everyone who read this book. May we meet again in Part 4 Volume 9.

July 2019, Miya Kazuki