E6 - Meeting
Source: Crunchyroll
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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names. This is handled on a best-effort basis depending on how the subtitle file was created so they may be incomplete or inaccurate. Dialogue is left as is.)
[00:00] Benno
[00:00] Ferdinand
One failure after another throws
Main into despair and illness.
[00:06] Main
The fever in my body is smaller now?
[00:10] Ferdinand
While bewildered by her strange fevers,
[00:12] Ferdinand
she looks to walk down a
new path all the same.
SIGN Ascendance of a Bookworm
SIGN Ascendance of a Bookworm
SIGN Chapter Six Meeting
[02:04] Main
Lutz, you will do as I say.
I won't hear any objections.
[02:08] Lutz
Wh-What's gotten into you?
[02:11] Lutz
Stop! Don't do this!
[02:15] Lutz
You could've just said you
were gonna wash my hair.
[02:17] Main
If I had, you would've ran away.
[02:20] Lutz
Urk.
[02:22] Lutz
What brought this on, anyway?
[02:24] Main
First impressions are important.
[02:27] Main
So you'd better dress
your best tomorrow, too.
[02:31] Lutz
I don't think it'd change much, honestly.
[02:34] Main
You should still do everything you can.
[02:37] Lutz
Ah, that felt good.
[02:44] Main
Say...
[02:45] Main
What do you wanna achieve by
becoming a traveling trader?
[02:50] Lutz
Where did that come from?
[02:52] Main
Your parents can't get you a referral here,
so you should really think about it.
[02:58] Main
Unless you have a goal in mind,
you won't land an apprentice gig.
[03:06] Lutz
Do you have a goal in mind?
[03:09] Lutz
You wanna be a merchant yourself, don't you?
[03:12] Main
As my second option, but yes.
[03:14] Main
And I do know what I wanna do
as an apprentice merchant.
[03:19] Lutz
What's that?
[03:20] Main
I wanna sell paper.
[03:22] Lutz
Paper? Not books?
[03:24] Main
I don't think there's much
demand for books here.
[03:28] Main
But paper is a different story.
[03:37] Lutz
Hey...
[03:38] Lutz
He said the third bell, right?
Aren't we here too early?
[03:41] Main
Better too early than late.
[03:50] Main
Oh, there he is.
[03:53] Main
Remember your greetings.
[03:55] Lutz
Y-Yeah.
[04:07] Main
He brought someone with him?
[04:12] Otto
Heya, Main.
[04:14] Main
Good day, Mister Otto.
[04:21] Main
Thank you very much for taking
the time to meet with us today.
[04:26] Main
This is Lutz, my friend.
[04:36] Lutz
Hello, I'm Lutz!
[04:38] Lutz
It's a pleasure to meet you!
[04:40] Otto
This is Main. The captain's
daughter, and my assistant.
[04:46] Benno
An unbaptized child is your assistant?
[04:49] Otto
I'm grooming her for the role by
teaching her how to read and write.
[04:53] Benno
Huh...
[04:58] Otto
This is Benno, an old buddy of mine
from my days as a traveling trader.
[05:02] Otto
He may have a foul mouth, but
he's a nice guy deep down.
[05:05] Main
Hello. I'm Main.
[05:08] Main
It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance.
[05:10] Benno
Oh, how very polite of you.
[05:13] Benno
My name is Benno.
[05:15] Benno
The pleasure is all mine.
[05:19] Benno
If you don't mind me asking,
what is that on your head?
[05:30] Main
A hair stick. I use it to tie up my hair.
[05:38] Benno
Just a piece of wood, I see.
[05:42] Main
Indeed.
[05:43] Main
It is just a piece of shaved wood.
[05:47] Benno
Wow.
[05:49] Benno
Tell me, lass.
[05:51] Benno
What did you do to make your hair so shiny?
[05:54] Main
I made a mix of surprisingly common items.
[05:57] Main
The details are confidential.
[06:01] Benno
Your hair looks just as splendid, lad.
[06:04] Lutz
Main washed it for me.
[06:06] Benno
Tch. I see.
[06:08] Main
Too bad!
[06:09] Main
I have no intention of putting my
golden goose into play just yet.
[06:15] Otto
So...
[06:17] Otto
Lutz, you want to join the
traveling trade, I hear?
[06:20] Lutz
Oh, yes.
[06:23] Lutz
I...
[06:24] Otto
Forget about it.
[06:26] Otto
Only a fool would relinquish
his citizenship.
[06:30] Main
"Citizenship"?
[06:32] Otto
The right to reside in any given city.
[06:35] Main
Then if you don't have one...
[06:37] Benno
Without it, you'll have no proof of identity.
[06:41] Benno
You won't be able to get a job,
rent a home, get married,
[06:45] Benno
or anything else.
[06:47] Otto
You know how children get
baptized at age seven?
[06:50] Both
Yeah...
[06:51] Otto
That's when you get your citizenship.
[06:54] Otto
If an outsider wants to obtain one,
[06:56] Otto
he has to cough up an absurd sum of money.
[06:58] Lutz
But...
[07:00] Otto
Besides,
[07:00] Otto
the life of a nomad is
nothing like city life.
[07:03] Otto
For example, what do you
do when you need water?
[07:07] Lutz
Draw it from a well?
[07:09] Otto
Right. But you won't necessarily have
access to a well on your travels.
[07:13] Otto
You'll have to find a
watering hole yourself.
[07:16] Lutz
Couldn't I just go to the river?
[07:18] Main
And how would you know where it is?
[07:21] Main
You won't be traveling
along one the entire way.
[07:24] Lutz
Oh...
[07:25] Otto
Main's right.
[07:27] Otto
That's why a family's routes are passed
down through generations in this trade.
[07:33] Otto
Those routes are too valuable
to share with outsiders.
[07:37] Otto
And the most important issue
here is the finish line.
[07:42] Otto
Do you know what a traveling
trader's ultimate goal is?
[07:49] Otto
Citizenship.
[07:51] Otto
They save up money so they can
leave their rough travels behind
[07:55] Otto
and live in peace in the city one day.
[07:57] Otto
That's every traveling trader's dream.
[08:02] Lutz
But that's...
[08:03] Otto
Do you really think they'd accept you
after you cast your citizenship away?
[08:11] Otto
That is the reality. Give up on
joining the traveling trade.
[08:21] Otto
That said, Main did a propose an idea.
[08:25] Otto
Is becoming an apprentice
merchant not good enough?
[08:29] Lutz
Main?
[08:30] Main
I figured you should hear from
someone who has lived that life.
[08:35] Main
But now that I've heard all that, even
I think the traveling trade's a bad idea.
[08:47] Lutz
So you've been looking out for me, huh?
[08:53] Main
But hey, apparently apprentice merchants
get to go out of town to stock up.
[08:58] Lutz
Apprentice merchant, huh?
[09:02] Benno
Do you want to be a merchant?
[09:11] Lutz
Yes, sir!
[09:12] Benno
I see.
[09:14] Benno
And what can you sell?
[09:16] Benno
What do you want to sell
when you're a merchant?
[09:25] Lutz
Well...
[09:31] Benno
If you can't answer that, we're done here.
[09:43] Main
Do you want to make my paper for me?
[09:56] Lutz
I do have a goal, sir!
[10:00] Lutz
I'll bring all of Main's ideas to reality!
[10:10] Benno
So the lass will think of creations,
and you'll make and sell them?
[10:14] Benno
Do you want to be a merchant too, lass?
[10:17] Main
As my second option, but yes.
[10:19] Otto
Is handling paperwork
at the gate your first?
[10:22] Main
My first option is to be a book
seller, or a librarian, even.
[10:26] Benno
Say what? "Librarian"?
[10:29] Main
Uh... A caretaker of sorts for books.
[10:33] Benno
That's a job for nobility.
[10:35] Main
Tch! Darn those lucky nobles!
[10:38] Benno
So, do you have any ideas right now?
[10:41] Main
Yes.
[10:43] Main
I want to produce and sell paper
that's not made from animal skin.
[10:47] Benno
Paper that isn't made from animal skin?
[10:50] Main
That's right.
[10:51] Main
I'll produce paper using plants.
[10:54] Benno
Did you just say "plants"?
[10:56] Main
I did. It'll be cheaper to
produce than parchment,
[11:00] Main
so I'm sure it'll make for some
very profitable merchandise.
[11:02] Benno
I see.
[11:04] Benno
So, how exactly will you produce it?
[11:06] Main
The details are confidential!
[11:10] Benno
I'd like to see this paper. Do you have it?
[11:13] Main
Not yet.
[11:15] Main
We'll have a prototype by the
time of our baptism next summer.
[11:20] Main
You can decide whether
it's usable or not then.
[11:30] Benno
Very interesting. That's fine by me.
[11:33] Lutz
Yes!
[11:34] Main
We did it, Lutz!
[11:40] Main
Let's do our best!
[11:41] ---
Yeah!
[11:44] Main
Mister Otto, thank you very much for today.
[11:47] Otto
It certainly was a fun day off.
[11:52] Benno
Be it her conduct or her speech,
[11:55] Benno
nothing about her indicates an
unbaptized child of a soldier.
[12:00] Otto
Her family is perfectly ordinary.
[12:02] Otto
She's the odd one out.
[12:04] Benno
Plant-based paper, eh?
[12:07] Benno
If they succeed, it will turn
the market on its head.
[12:10] Otto
Wait just one moment! Are you thinking
of making her your apprentice?
[12:13] Benno
Of course I am.
[12:14] Benno
She's already thought of hair
sticks, a way to make hair shine,
[12:17] Benno
and plant-based paper.
[12:19] Benno
She's sure to have all kinds
of other ideas up her sleeve.
[12:21] Benno
I'm going to have both of them join me.
[12:25] Otto
Absolutely not! She's my assistant!
[12:30] Lutz
I know you're pleased,
[12:32] Lutz
but don't get too worked up or
you'll develop another fever.
[12:35] Main
But we're gonna make paper!
That's one step away from books!
[12:39] Main
Yahoo!
[12:42] Lutz
Okay, sure, but how are we gonna make it?
[12:47] Main
Uh-oh...
[12:50] Main
We don't have the tools.
SIGN Ascendance of a
Bookworm
SIGN Ascendance of a
Bookworm
[13:02] Tuuli
How'd Main's meeting go?
[13:04] Eva
Looks like she and Lutz have been
accepted as apprentice merchants.
[13:08] Tuuli
What? Really?
[13:11] Tuuli
I was sure she had no chance.
[13:14] Eva
It's conditional, though.
[13:17] Main
We need a steamer, a deckle, and...
[13:23] Main
Paper making happens in two steps:
extracting the fiber, and molding it.
[13:28] Main
First, you chop wood,
[13:29] Main
steam it,
[13:31] Main
and then skin it.
[13:32] Main
When that's done,
SIGN When
SIGN When that's
SIGN When that's done
SIGN When that's done!
[13:34] Main
once you've separated the useful
fiber from everything else,
[13:37] Main
you beat it down and unravel it.
[13:39] Main
And after that,
SIGN And
SIGN And after
SIGN And after that
SIGN And after that!
[13:41] Main
you screen a mix of the fiber,
water, and starch with the deckle.
[13:45] Main
You then couch the paper
and press the water out.
[13:48] Main
And once you dry it, you're done!
[13:51] Main
If we don't have the tools, we
just have to make those, too!
[13:55] Main
I'll ask Lutz tomorrow if we
can make all this equipment.
[14:00] Gunther
I'm home.
[14:01] Tuuli
Welcome back, Dad!
[14:04] Gunther
I'm home.
[14:06] Main
Oh, welcome back, Dad.
[14:09] Gunther
Don't feel too bad, Main.
[14:12] Gunther
You can find someone else to apprentice with.
[14:17] Main
Why did all three of you
just assume I had no chance?
[14:23] Main
I'll have you know I was accepted.
[14:25] Tuuli
It's conditional, though.
[14:33] Lutz
A tree that'll provide the raw material?
[14:36] Main
Yeah. I want you to find a soft, young-ish
tree with long and sturdy fibers.
[14:41] Lutz
Hmm...
[14:44] Lutz
I'll try asking someone who knows
a lot of about trees and wood.
[14:46] Main
Thanks.
[14:47] Main
Also...
[14:49] Main
Could you make these tools, Lutz?
[14:54] Lutz
Do you have nails?
[14:57] Main
Nails?
[14:58] Lutz
Yeah. I can't make anything without them.
[15:02] Main
So yeah, we don't have the equipment
to make the equipment we need.
[15:08] Otto
I guess you'll have to make the nails first.
[15:10] Main
It's no laughing matter!
[15:13] Main
By the way, what made you
want to become a soldier?
[15:18] Main
Didn't you say citizenship was expensive?
[15:24] Otto
I did it so I could marry Corinna.
[15:27] Otto
It was not long after I turned
fifteen and became an adult.
[15:31] Otto
I came to this town and met The One.
[15:35] Otto
I was shot through the heart
the moment I laid eyes on her.
[15:38] Main
Long story short,
[15:39] Main
he fell for Corinna at first
sight, bought his citizenship,
[15:43] Main
and became a soldier.
[15:45] Otto
Oh! Do you want to make a deal, Main?
[15:49] Main
A deal?
[15:50] Otto
Yeah. If you tell me how to make hair shiny,
[15:55] Otto
I'll pay for your nails.
[15:57] Main
Really?!
[15:59] Main
But why would he care about the
Simple All-In-One Shampoo?
[16:04] Main
Who actually wants it?
[16:06] Main
The wife?
[16:08] Main
It's the wife, isn't it?
[16:11] Main
I can't teach you how to make it, but
I don't mind trading some for nails.
[16:16] Otto
Bartering, eh?
[16:19] Otto
Very well.
[16:20] Otto
We have a deal!
[16:24] Main
And so, I was invited to visit
Otto's home on the next day off.
[16:34] Main
Wow.
[16:35] Main
This place hardly feels
like the same town anymore.
[16:39] Otto
Is this your first time
coming to the north side?
[16:42] Main
Yeah.
[16:43] Main
Soldiers aren't very rich, so most
of them live in the south, right?
[16:48] Main
How come you get to live here?
[16:52] Otto
My brother-in-law didn't want to
be separated from his dear sister,
[16:55] Otto
so he told us to live
upstairs in the family home.
[16:57] Main
Huh...
[16:59] Otto
Here we are.
[17:01] Main
What? This is your home?!
[17:06] Otto
We live on the third floor here.
[17:08] Main
I'm amazed he got the green light
to marry such a rich girl.
[17:13] Corinna
Welcome! I'm so happy you came!
[17:16] Corinna
I'm Corinna, Otto's wife.
[17:20] Main
Hello, Missus Corinna. I'm Main.
[17:23] Main
I've been looking forward to seeing you!
[17:28] Corinna
You really are a polite young lady.
[17:33] Corinna
Also...
[17:35] Corinna
Your hair is so pretty!
[17:38] Corinna
Forgive me.
[17:40] Corinna
Let me show you inside.
[17:43] Main
Corinna may be young, but she's already
part of the top brass at the Seamstress Guild.
[17:48] Main
Tuuli was greener than her hair with envy
that I was getting to meet her idol.
[17:53] Corinna
I'm ready, Main.
[17:56] Main
Okay.
[18:03] Corinna
My hair is so smooth now...
[18:06] Main
I hope you like it.
[18:09] Corinna
I very much do!
[18:12] Corinna
Thank you, Main.
[18:18] Corinna
Say, may I ask you something?
[18:22] Main
Yes?
[18:24] Corinna
How is Otto at work?
[18:28] Corinna
I'm worried because he had to give
up his merchant's life for me.
[18:34] Main
I don't think you have
anything to worry about.
[18:37] Main
He's still very much a merchant at work.
[18:40] Main
He always haggles with people
that come on deliveries,
[18:43] Main
with his merchant's spirit burning bright.
[18:46] Corinna
I see. His merchant's spirit...
[18:53] Corinna
I feel like a great weight has
been lifted off my shoulders.
[19:01] Corinna
How do I look, Otto?
[19:06] Otto
M-M-Main! Don't you have something to do?!
[19:11] Main
I might remember something
once I have my nails.
[19:18] Main
Score!
[19:23] Main
We decided to use the nails
to make a deckle right away.
[19:37] Main
Can you make them to exact measure to
avoid any gaps when they're stacked?
[19:42] Lutz
Exact measure?
[19:43] Lutz
I don't have the tools for that
unless I ask my dad or brothers.
[19:47] Main
Do you think they'll let you borrow them?
[19:50] Lutz
Hmm...
[19:52] Lutz
I dunno.
(Flashback) [19:54] Deid
Merchants are cold, heartless monsters
that only have money on their minds!
(Flashback) [19:58] Karla
Forget becoming an apprentice merchant
(Flashback) [20:00] Karla
and become a craftsman like
your father and brothers, Lutz.
[20:08] Main
Lutz, will you be all right?
[20:11] Lutz
Don't worry! I'll work things out!
[20:13] Lutz
Oh, I went around asking
lumberers about the tree.
[20:17] Main
Really?
[20:18] Lutz
Really. They told me about soft trees like...
[20:22] Otto
Main, Lutz.
[20:24] Otto
For you.
[20:27] Otto
An invitation for you two.
[20:29] Lutz
What's it say?
[20:31] Main
Mister Benno wants to see you and me.
(Flashback) [20:37] Benno
I'm going to have both of them join me.
(Flashback) [20:40] Otto
Absolutely not! She's my assistant!
(Flashback) [20:43] Main
Mister Otto.
(Flashback) [20:45] Otto
What's the matter, Main?
(Flashback) [20:48] Main
I wanted to ask you something.
(Flashback) [20:51] Main
Do you know of any illnesses where your
fever suddenly grows or shrinks?
(Flashback) [20:58] Main
It always feels like the
fever's eating into me.
(Flashback) [21:01] Otto
Never heard of anything like it, sorry.
(Flashback) [21:05] Benno
No idea.
(Flashback) [21:06] Main
I see.
(Flashback) [21:08] Main
Thank you.
(Flashback) [21:13] Otto
She's unbelievably frail.
(Flashback) [21:17] Otto
There's no way she can work for you.
(Flashback) [21:20] Benno
It may be the Devouring.
(Flashback) [21:24] Benno
If it is the Devouring,
(Flashback) [21:26] Benno
she'll die very soon.
SIGN Next Chapter
Seeds of Suspicion
[23:06] Ferdinand
It seems you've taken a step closer
to making plant-based paper.
[23:10] Ferdinand
That's exactly right!
[23:12] Main
Anyway, Head Priest,
[23:13] Main
what did he mean, I'll die very
soon if it's the Devouring?
[23:17] Ferdinand
Exactly that, but what do you want to know?
[23:21] Ferdinand
How someone with the Devouring dies?
[23:23] Ferdinand
Terrifyingly, a person on the
brink of death due to it...
[23:27] Main
Eek! Not another word!
[23:29] Main
I can't stand pain or scary things!
[23:32] Ferdinand
As you wish.
SIGN Illustration by Kitora Con