Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 2.3 - Chapter 19

Talking with the High Priest and Returning Home 

Facing both a lecture from the High Priest and finally going home again was like experiencing heaven and hell at once. On the one hand, I couldn’t wait for later in the day when Dad and Tuuli would come get me, but on the other, just thinking about the High Priest’s lecture made my stomach turn. 

“Follow me, Myne.” 

“Okay...” 

When I arrived at the High Priest’s room with Fran and Damuel, the High Priest immediately took me to the hidden room—which might as well have been a lecture room by now—just like the letter had said he would. 

I sat down on my usual bench. The High Priest picked up a pen and a wooden board resting on his table, set down a bottle of ink, and then looked at me with his legs crossed in a pristine interrogation stance. 

“I did not summon you here for a lecture. I believe I said that I had things I wanted to ask you. First, I would like to know the details of the printing press you are attempting to make.” 

He had apparently made a list of all of the things he hadn’t been able to ask me when touring the Myne Workshop, and now that we were alone he asked question after question about how many books the printing press could make and how fast it could do that. However, I didn’t have clear answers for any of his questions. 

“I haven’t finished a printing press yet, and I will need a lot more metal letter types before I can print books composed of nothing but text. Not to mention that we can’t print anything without first making the ink and paper in our own workshop. It’s impossible to know how fast and how much we’ll be able to print after finishing just a single printing press.” 

“I see,” replied the High Priest before looking back down at the board in his hands. “In that case, I would like to discuss its impact on history. When printing begins, what will happen to those who are copying books by hand? In your world, what happened to those who made a living off of copying books?” 

“Some people continued as a hobby, but in terms of employment, the waves of automation crushed them more and more over time. Indeed, it was a slow process, and they faded away entirely over the course of about two centuries. Naturally, it didn’t happen within a single decade or two.” 

The High Priest frowned while scratching away on his board. “You said that in your world all citizens of your country attended schools, and that it was normal for everyone to know how to read, but I do not imagine it was always that way. What changed in your society as a result of the proliferation of books and the increased literacy rate?” 

“Everything changed. But the specifics varied by country, and by culture. I don’t think the details will mean much to an entirely different world.” 

“What changed, for example?” asked the High Priest, and I thought about the history I remembered from my Urano days. A lot came to mind, but I wasn’t sure whether the High Priest would understand since he lacked the background knowledge I had. 

“There are many examples of working-class commoners overthrowing the ruling class and starting a government ruled by the people through sharing information and teaching each other. On the other hand, there were also manipulators printing and distributing hand-selected information to influence the populace one way or another. I know that commoners learning to read significantly changes the means through which information is communicated, but I don’t know who might exploit that and how.” 

“So the impact will be so enormous that it is impossible to say what might happen, partially due to outside influences. Very troubling indeed...” murmured the High Priest while continuing to scribble away on his board. 

“Unlike my world, this world can’t survive without mana wielders, right? It’s hard to say whether the populace will take the same courses of action even after the literacy rate rises and books spread. In fact, you could use books to spread the knowledge of just how much nobles do for commoners. Though that will have the opposite effect if nobles and priests aren’t taking their jobs seriously.” 

“What do you mean?” asked the High Priest with a confused look. 

I shrugged. “The people of the lower city don’t really know what nobles are doing. Only those in farming towns where the Spring Prayer is held see the nobles and blue priests directly supporting their livelihoods by filling chalices with mana. That’s why their faith is so strong, and why they are so much more willing to pray to the gods than those in the lower city are. I would think so, anyway.” 

“I never even considered the faith of the lower city residents, nor did I consider informing them of what we nobles do. I find your perspective fascinating; you see things from angles we never would.” 

Not only was I of common birth here, I still firmly remembered my time living as Urano on Earth. The High Priest seemed to be interested in the otherworldly perspective that gave me, both literally and figuratively. 

“Hm. In that case... I will make my decision based on what I know for certain now. Myne, do not begin printing yet.” 

“Wha? Why?” 

“It would be possible to keep control of the populace no matter how they respond, through the power of mana. But there will no doubt be nobles who express their opposition to printing.” 

According to the High Priest, those who copied books by hand earned a large and stable income. For that reason, most of those who copied books by hand were priests, shrine maidens, and students of the Royal Academy from poor families. He said that if I started flooding the market with text-only printed books, I would earn the ire of almost every laynoble in the region. 

“...So you’re saying the vested interests are nobles?” That was on an entirely different level from the vested interests we had come into conflict with before, and honestly, it was terrifying. 

As I trembled in fear, the High Priest nodded. “Up until now you’ve only printed picture books for children, and I believe you said you were restricted by your need to print with paper templates. For those reasons, I imagined the impact on nobles and priests would be limited enough that there was no reason to stall your efforts. However, what will happen when the printing press is complete?” 

I had decided to procure metal letter types to circumvent the pain and tedium of cutting out each letter of a stencil by hand. The easier it was to print books composed entirely of text, the better. And that was the exact line of thought that had led to the jobs of those who copied books by hand being stolen away back on Earth. 

“How long do you want me to hold off on printing...?” I asked, wanting to know how long I would have to endure the pain of having a printing press on hand but not being able to use it. 

His light-gold eyes steadily focused on me. “Until you are adopted by Karstedt.” 

“Bwuh?” 

“A commoner interfering with noble matters would be crushed in the blink of an eye. But if you were the daughter of an archnoble, performing business approved of by the archduke, it would not be so easy for them to crush you and your printing operation.” 

A lone commoner girl on her own would probably be like an ant to them, easily stomped on. But I would have status to my name as the adopted daughter of an archnoble, and with the archduke’s direct authorization, my printing would become government business. The laynobles who would then be earning cash on the side would be in no position to act against me. In other words, according to the High Priest, I would want to wrap laynobles into the printing business; nobody could stop us if we began printing all over the duchy at once. The scale of the discussion had gotten so large I couldn’t help but gulp. 

...But could I bear to wait two whole years to start printing, now that we had a printing press ready to use? It had only been two and a half years since I had started living as Myne. Could I survive spending that long a time doing nothing but printing picture books for children? 

As if reading the thoughts stirring through my head, the High Priest looked me straight in the eyes, his lips curving into a grin. “Well then, Myne. What would you say to becoming Karstedt’s adopted daughter now? You can begin making your books immediately.” 

He was trying to tempt me, and for a moment my heart wavered. But it really was for no more than a moment, and a second later I shook my head. 

“No. I can finally, finally go home... I won’t turn my back on them now.” 

“Do you loathe the idea of becoming Karstedt’s adopted daughter that much?” 

“Not at all. I think Lord Karstedt is a wonderful man. He is stouthearted and quite reliable, not to mention high in status. I can’t imagine a better adoptive father to have.” 

But still, I wanted to be with my family. I only had two more years left to spend with them, and I didn’t want to make that time any shorter than it already was. 

“I suppose you would miss your family after being apart from them for so long. Hm... Give this another thought after returning home and enjoying your fill of warmth and affection. Perhaps you will find that you have changed your mind,” said the High Priest with a slight, victorious grin. It was a grin that made it clear that he expected my love for books to overwhelm me, until eventually I agreed to be adopted before turning ten. 

I clenched my hands into fists on my lap and looked right back into his eyes. “My answer won’t change. I’ll stay with my family for as long as I can. You’re the one who showed me just how awful of a daughter I was when I prioritized books above everything else, and how much I need to treasure the new family I’ve been given.” 

His magic tool had thrust the past back into my face in the most realistic way possible, engraving into my heart that, once lost, one’s family could never return. I wasn’t the same person I was when I had sacrificed everything for my books. 

My reply made the High Priest’s expression turn into something a little more wistful. “Resolve that strong won’t soon break, I imagine. Very well. Enjoy your two years of printing a minuscule amount of children’s books.” 

“...I’ll try.”

“Myne, we’re here to get you,” declared Dad. 

“Did you finish your talk with the High Priest?” asked Tuuli. 

Upon leaving the High Priest’s room and returning to my chambers, I found Dad and Tuuli standing in the first floor hall, already waiting for me. 

“Dad, Tuuli!” 

The second I saw them, the knot in my stomach that had been weighing me down since my talk with the High Priest unraveled and was instantly blown away. I ran over to Dad and jumped into his arms, leaving Fran and Damuel standing in the doorway. 

“Up you go!” Dad had expected that and caught me, lifting me high into the air. After a spin, he set me down and ruffled my hair with his big hand, continuing on until it was all over the place like always. 

“Geez, Myne. Your hair’s all messed up now,” said Tuuli with a smile, having watched everything. She took out my hair stick and combed my hair with her fingers. I gripped the hair stick tightly and relished the feeling of Tuuli dressing my hair. 

“One sec, I’ll be back down after getting changed,” I said in a pleased voice while racing up to the second floor where Delia began assisting me. I stripped off my blue robes, my shirt with large, poofy sleeves that most rich young girls would wear, and pushed my arms through the sleeves of my Gilberta Company apprentice uniform for the first time in ages. It felt a little tighter on me than last time I had worn it, though maybe that was just my imagination. 

Back when I had holed up for the winter it was cold enough that I had to wear a thick coat just to survive outside, but now that I was going home it was warm enough that I didn’t need a coat at all. 

“...So, Sister Myne. Are families really that good?” Delia tilted her head in confusion while doing up the buttons of my blouse. “No matter how faithfully we serve you, Sister Myne, you always leave. Is your family that much better than us?” 

“I didn’t hate my time here over the winter. You all served me well, and I had a pleasant time. But I missed my family, and I do want to be with them if I can.” I knew that Delia and the others were serving me as best they could, but I still wanted to be with my family. I still wanted to go home. “I’m sorry, Delia.” 

“You don’t need to apologize or anything, Sister Myne. It’s just... I really don’t get it. What is a family, anyway?” asked Delia, blinking her light-blue eyes more out of curiosity over my choice than out of reproach for me abandoning them. She had been raised in the orphanage, unsure of what her parents even looked like, and since she even avoided the orphans she had been raised with, she had nothing even close to resembling a family. 

“Mmm. I think it differs depending on the person, but I suppose my family is a home for me?” 

“Your home?” 

“Yes. The place I can relax more than anywhere else,” I answered, and upon hearing that, Delia shot an envious glance toward the staircase. 

“...That definitely does sound nice.” 

Once I was done changing, I started grabbing all of the things I was taking back home with me. Rosina, seeing that, warned me that I was lacking grace and that I needed to take more care to move with elegance. 

“Your talents as a harspiel player have grown much over the winter, and you carry yourself much more gracefully than before. But you are swayed easily by your surroundings, so please do remember what you’ve learned, even after returning home.” 

Rosina, acting entirely like the High Priest, began giving me an earnest list of warnings to keep in mind after returning home. There were so many warnings that I would have liked for her to write them down; I wasn’t sure I would be able to remember half, let alone all of them. She was going way too overboard. It wasn’t like we would never see each other again. 

“Rosina, do remember that I will be returning tomorrow. Can this not wait until then?” 

“Ah, yes... You will be returning tomorrow.” Rosina put a hand over her mouth, as if she had forgotten that entirely, and then gave a light, melancholic smile. “It felt as though you would never be returning here again. Perhaps because I never saw Sister Christine again after she returned home,” she explained, wearing an expression so tragic that, if she were a statue, she could be placed right in the middle of the chapel. The wounds left by her former mistress were deeper than I had thought. 

“Rosina, I will return to the temple posthaste.” 

“Indeed. I shall be waiting.” 

There wasn’t much I needed to bring back home with me. I didn’t need fancy clothes or shoes, and my family had their own daily necessities. All I really needed to take back was the tote basket I had brought with me. 

I descended down the stairs with my basket, and both Delia and Rosina followed after me. They were seeing me off at the door. 

“Dad, Tuuli, I’m ready.” 

All my attendants were gathered on the first floor. Gil looked like he had just rushed all the way back from the workshop after being informed, and Fran was dressed as though he would be walking me home. 

“Alright, time to go. Everyone, thanks for watching after Myne all winter. It means a lot,” said Dad. 

“No need to thank us, sir. We’re her attendants, y’know. It’s what we do,” Gil replied with a grin. I smiled a little at his tone, which was a mixture of politeness and casualness, while looking over everyone. 

“Well then. I entrust my chambers to you in my absence.” 

My attendants all knelt and crossed their arms in front of their chests. “We await your safe return.” 

As my bodyguard, Damuel had to accompany me on my way home, and Fran would be joining us to teach Damuel the way there, since this was his first time. We met up with Lutz in front of the workshop and went home together. 

Upon passing through the temple gate I saw the stone paved road, now free of snow, and walked on it with heavy nostalgia. It had been a long time since I had walked through the city on my own two feet, and today I was walking while holding hands with Lutz and Tuuli. I wasn’t allowed to hold hands like this while inside the temple. Their hands were warm and cheered me up. Dad was following behind us, talking to Damuel and Fran about the city’s security and the dangers I faced. 

“Been a long time since I had to walk at your pace, Myne,” said Lutz. 

“Um, Myne. Did you, um, get slower at walking over the winter?” asked Tuuli. 

“Wait, what?! Am I walking slower?!” 

Neither Fran nor Damuel hurried me while we were in the temple, and when time was of the essence, one of them just carried me. It was possible that nobody trying to rush me had led to me falling back to the slower pace I was more comfortable with. 

“How fast did I used to walk? This fast?” I tried my best to work my legs harder, but Lutz just laughed and shook his head. 

“Give it up, Myne. You don’t need to push yourself right now. Just relax and enjoy the walk home, yeah?” 

I looked around while slowly trudging my way along, and soon enough I saw the Gilberta Company. Suddenly I remembered that the High Priest had told me to hold off on printing for a while. 

“I think we might need to go talk to Benno tomorrow...” 

“Did something happen?” 

“The High Priest told me not to print for now. I think I should tell him about that,” I said with a shrug. 

Tuuli looked at me, her blue eyes wide with surprise. “Awww, what? But why? Didn’t you really, really want to start printing?” 

“It has to do with nobles.” 

“...Oh. That’s a shame.” Tuuli used her free hand to pat my head; I shut my eyes and smiled while enjoying the feeling. 

“He didn’t tell me I could never do it. I just need to wait for two years. I’ll be fine.” 

And I made the right choice. A printing press wouldn’t pat my head or try to cheer me up when I’m sad like this. 

“Alright. I’ll come tomorrow at second bell to take you to the temple. Take care not to go outside before then,” said Damuel with a strict expression as we arrived at the plaza well. It seemed that even at home I wouldn’t be allowed to go outside without a bodyguard. 

“Understood, Sir Damuel. Fran, I imagine the journey back and forth will be taxing, but thank you.” 

“It is nothing. Please enjoy your time with your family tonight. I will be awaiting your return tomorrow,” said Fran while crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

“Thank you, Fran, Sir Damuel. I shall see you tomorrow.” 

Fran and Damuel turned around and left the plaza. I waved Lutz goodbye, and began to climb the stairs to our fifth-floor home; but before I knew it, I was gasping for air. 

“You can do it, Myne. Just a little more.” 

The fact I couldn’t even make it all the way home without Dad and Tuuli’s encouragement showed just how much stamina I had lost over the winter. I was already weak as is, and would really rather not lose what little strength I had managed to build up. 

“I’m home, Mom.” 

I opened the door to my home for the first time in what felt like forever, and was immediately hit by the aroma of cooking food. Mom was already setting the table, having likely heard us talking while climbing the stairs. I broke out into a smile as I inhaled the nostalgic scent of my mom’s cooking. 

“Welcome home, Myne.” Mom, holding her large belly, looked up after setting down a plate. Her smile filled my heart with so much happiness and nostalgia that it buried all the sadness that had built up within me. 

“It’s been so long since I walked outside. I’m starving.” 

“Put down your things and help me get ready, then.” 

“Okaaay.” 

I set down my tote basket and washed my hands, then started setting the table with Tuuli. It was kinda fun, since it had been so long since I had done any work myself. 

“So, Mom. Is it almost time?” I said, looking at her massive belly. She patted it with a loving smile. 

“It could happen any day now. Maybe the baby was waiting for you to get home, Myne.” 

If it had been, nothing would make me happier. I patted Mom’s belly and said, “Your big sister’s home now.” I felt a kick, entirely as though the baby was replying to me. “Wow! The baby kicked. It felt like it was talking to me!” I said, sending a laugh through my family. 

I ate Mom’s cooking, bathed with Tuuli while playing around, got into the bed that was so narrow I’d end up hitting Tuuli if I tried rolling over, and went to sleep with my family. 

When morning came, Mom was groaning from labor pains.