02x08 - Wilma and Holy Scriptures for Kids

[bunniefuu]

M: {ED}

F: Main took in two new retainers, Wilma and Rosina.

F: Soon, Rosina's reluctance to do manual work

F: left the rest of the retainers far from pleased.

F: But after witnessing Main's diligence first-hand,

F: Rosina decided to take on a new attitude.

F: That allowed Main to focus wholeheartedly on making her picture book.

Title Card: Ascendance of a Bookworm

Title Card: Ascendance of a Bookworm

Ep Title: Chapter Twenty-Two Wilma and Holy Scriptures for Kids

M: Once upon a time, there were three little pigs,

M: and the time came for them to leave home and seek their fortunes.

M: The first little pig built his house out of straw.

M: The second little pig built his house out of sticks.

M: The third little pig built his house out of bricks.

M: One night, a big bad wolf came along,

M: huffed and puffed, and blew the first little pig's straw house away.

M: The first little pig ran for his life, to the second little pig's house of sticks.

M: But the big bad wolf chased after him and again huffed and puffed.

M: The house of sticks was blown away easily, too.

M: The two little pigs then ran to the house of the bricks the third little pig built.

M: Of course, the big bad wolf followed suit.

M: And again, it huffed and puffed...

M: And so the three little pigs lived in the brick house happily ever after.

M: The end.

M: What did you think? Was it fun?

Or: I couldn't really understand it.

M: What? You couldn't?

Or: No. What's a "little pig," Lady Main?

Or: And what's a "big bad wolf"?

W: Lady are you going to make a picture book out of that story?

M: That was my plan...

W: What exactly are pigs and wolves?

W: I've never seen any, so I might have a hard time drawing them.

M: I suppose so.

M: That was very helpful. Thank you.

M: I'll come back with a different story soon.

Or: Tell us your stories again, Lady Main!

W: I shall take my leave with the kids, then.

M: Actually, there's something else I want to discuss with you.

W: What is it?

M: I heard from Rosina.

M: That, um...

R: I thought it would be best if she knew that about you.

M: So the reason you wished to continue living in the orphanage

M: was because you didn't want to go outside...

M: You didn't want to interact with men, wasn't it?

W: Yes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you.

W: But I wasn't exactly trying to hide it.

M: I understand, Wilma.

M: Anyway, I've decided to bring Rosina and not Fran every time I visit you.

M: You can rest easy.

W: So that's why she's here.

W: You've always respected my wishes, even when you were taking me in as a retainer.

W: Thank you oh so kindly.

Gi: Bring on the sprouty thing!

L: You guys are getting used to this.

L: How much more paper are we making, Main?

M: If even pigs don't work, Momotaro fighting ogres is completely out of the question.

M: And it needs to be something Wilma can draw...

L: She's not even listening.

Gi: She does tend to get lost in her own little world.

L: Gil, you're starting to really get her now.

M: The church!

L: What about the church, Main?

M: I know what to have Wilma draw!

L: You've decided?

M: Yeah. I think a kids' version of the holy scriptures will be great!

M: It'll also teach the kids the alphabet! Two birds with one stone!

M: In that case, we'll need to make one for each kid, right?

M: But there are no copiers or printers here...

M: Oh, I could use block printing! I learned how to do it in arts and crafts!

M: Yeah, I'm gonna go with woodblock printing!

B: Ink?

M: Yes. I need ink to make my picture book.

B: Oh, that thing you were talking about last time.

M: Yeah.

B: How much do you need?

B: Ink is expensive, you know? Did you take the cost into account?

M: I didn't.

B: You fool! What kind of merchant doesn't calculate the cost price first?!

M: I'm not a merchant anymore! I'm an apprentice priestess!

M: Wad hudz! Wowwy!

M: Later, we went to a carpenter's to order the block.

M: The workshop that made the flash cards was too busy to take my order,

M: but they referred me to an offshoot run by a young boss.

M: Mister Ingo, make the delivery to the Gilberta Company, please.

In: Understood.

In: I look forward to your continued patronage.

G: Ink, you say?

M: I'm looking for oil-based ink.

M: Do you have any that aren't for parchment?

G: Ink is ink. There's only one kind.

M: Will I have to make ink for myself, too?

M: What can I use? Soot?

M: Oil paint?

B: Hey, Lutz. What's she talking about?

L: Her thoughts are just leaking out her mouth.

B: When will it end? I'd like to discuss the restaurant.

L: Not until she finds her answer.

M: I'll just start making all kinds, and use the best one for the book.

M: How's that, Lutz?

L: Why me?

M: All of my ideas...

L: ...I'll bring to reality.

M: Then the first order of business is gathering soot.

F: What in the world are you planning?

M: Whatever do you mean?

F: The grey-robed priests are cleaning fireplaces and chimneys awfully early this year.

F: You put them up to it, didn't you?

M: Please don't make it sound like I'm devising a devious plot.

M: I'm only having them gather soot in order to make ink for my plant-based paper.

M: That's what my picture book will be made of, after all.

F: I see what's going on now,

F: but be careful not to go too far and draw the high priest's ire.

M: Okay.

F: Also, inform me once you've decided on the book's contents.

F: You're too unpredictable.

F: It's bad for my heart.

M: I'll have you know I've already decided.

M: I'm making a picture-book version of the holy scriptures for kids.

F: The scriptures for kids, is it?

F: It could prove helpful in teaching them how to read.

M: Yes, that's the plan.

F: Very well. You have my permission.

M: Thank you kindly!

W: Wow, a picture-book version of the scriptures for kids?

M: You shouldn't have a problem drawing that, right?

W: Right! I can handle anything related to the church perfectly fine.

M: Then please get started right away.

M: Once the sketches were done,

M: I wrote the prose in mirrored letters

M: and had Sieg, Lutz's brother, carve the whole thing into wood.

M: Mixing soot well with oil was enough to produce the ink we needed.

M: It should be fine if it's that glossy and sticky.

M: I made the disk-like baren myself.

Or: Wow! It's like a painting!

Or: The block was all black, but there are white lines!

M: I don't know...

M: It's not what I'd look for in a picture book.

L: Yeah. The text is a bit hard to read, too.

M: What now?

Or: We're back!

Or: It was amazing!

W: What was?

Or: They put ink on a board, and there it was! Your drawing!

W: My drawing?

W: I did draw a sketch on a wooden board at Lady Main's request.

W: Was that it?

Or: Yeah! It was really pretty!

Or: You should come with us next time!

W: No!

W: I'm sorry!

W: I...

W: I'm so sorry!

Eyecatch: Ascendance of a Bookworm

Eyecatch: Ascendance of a Bookworm

M: It looks good, as I thought.

M: I decided to put the picture-book scriptures on hold

M: and switched focus to the book for the baby.

M: I already knew what kind of book it'd be, so all I needed was the tools.

M: I ordered them from Johann.

Flashback,J: Oh, you're that girl from the Gilberta Company.

M: Johann is very precise with his work, and I love him for it.

Or: Lady Main...

Or: What is this?

M: A picture book for a baby.

L: Say, will this really make the baby happy?

M: It totally will!

M: Solid shapes, like triangles and rectangles, work great with infants!

L: Well, if you say so.

L: Anyway, it looks like we could use the thick paper for the scriptures, too.

M: Yeah.

W: This...

W: is what I drew?

M: Your art is so detailed, this is how it turns out with woodblock printing.

M: It completely takes away from what makes your art so great.

M: So I tried to come up with a different way to do things.

W: You drew this?

M: Yes. Using your art as reference,

M: I made a sample by paper cutting using only black and white.

M: This requires far less work than carving wood and carries the tone better.

M: It's just... I don't know if kids will like this very much.

W: I'll give this method a shot.

M: I would very much appreciate that.

W: I would also like to see how good I can be using a new style.

M: Wilma...

M: Please don't push yourself, okay?

W: I won't.

Or: Please wait, Lady Main.

Or: We need to tell you something.

M: Wilma's acting strange?

Or: Yes. Ever since I asked her to come with us to the studio and she refused.

Or: She's seemed down ever since.

Or: Please help her out, Lady Main.

M: You must both love Wilma very much.

Bo: We do!

M: But we'll have to wait for time to heal her wounds.

Or: Is there no other way?

M: Well...

M: If she sees you all doing your best, she might start wanting to go outside.

M: While Wilma was busy drawing,

M: I had the head priest go over the text for the picture-book version of the scriptures.

M: What? Another lecture?

F: where exactly did you receive your education?

M: I'm not sure I understand your question.

F: Your prose is too good.

F: The holy scriptures are laden with complicated phrasing,

F: and editing them into simple, concise prose that even kids can understand

F: is no mean task.

F: At least, it should be beyond the girl I read the scriptures to,

F: who at the time couldn't even grasp the terms and words used.

F: It's almost as though you were educated in a foreign land,

F: and were merely unfamiliar with the language spoken here.

M: Head Priest, I was born and raised in this very town.

F: And my investigation of you corroborated that.

F: But it still makes no sense to me.

M: I've actually been asked this before.

Flashback,Il: Say, Main. Who are you, really?

Flashback,Il: Where did you get all these recipes?

F: And how did you respond?

M: "In my dreams."

F: In your dreams?

M: Yes.

M: In a dreamlike world very different from this one, one I can never go back to.

M: That was my answer.

M: Will you believe me?

F: How very absurd,

F: but it proves my suspicions right.

F: You are terrible at lying and keeping secrets.

F: However...

F: It only confuses me all the more.

F: I'll need time to think this over.

M: Meanwhile, as I was getting the required equipment together,

M: Wilma finished her drawing.

W: Please take a look.

M: This is wonderful, Wilma!

M: I'll have it printed at once!

M: Tell Gil to get things ready.

R: Certainly.

W: Um, Lady Main?

W: May I please accompany you to the studio?

M: But aren't you...

W: Trying my hand at this new method has given me just a little bit of courage.

W: Maybe now...

W: Maybe now, I could go outside!

M: Wilma!

W: It would be very reassuring to have you by my side.

M: I'll make dead sure no man gets anywhere near you!

R: Lady

R: it's usually a retainer's job to keep men away from their master.

M: Are you all right, Wilma?

W: I am.

Or: Hey! It's Wilma!

Or: Wilma's here!

W: I came to see the printing you were all so enamored by.

Or: Wow, amazing!

M: This is truly incredible.

M: What's the matter, Wilma?

W: I'm just so happy...

W: Lady I shall get to work on the next drawing.

M: Wilma...

M: Yes, please do.

M: And each time Wilma finished a drawing, we got to work printing it.

M: Look, Turi!

M: We finished printing it!

T: Wow, that's great!

M: All that's left is to bind it!

M: Help me, Turi!

T: Who, me?

M: Yeah! I need your skills!

T: Snip it, Main.

M: It took two years...

L: Two long years.

T: You did it, Main!

M: I couldn't have done it without you two!

M: Thanks!

L: Hey, this is just the first.

L: You've gotta go on and make so many more, nobody can ever finish reading them.

L: Isn't that right, Main?

M: Right. So many that the world will need libraries to hold them.

M: It's a promise, okay, Lutz?

M: Ah, the blessed, sweet scent of ink!

Sign: Next Chapter Harvest Festivals and Staying Home

M: Whew! I'm still no match for Gutenberg.

L: Who's that?

M: The man, the god, who pulled off the greatest feat of all time.

M: And who I want to be!

L: The heck is this thing?!

M: The movable-type printing press that Gutenberg invented.

M: How I'd love to bring it over to this world!

L: Hold on. This has metal parts, doesn't it?

L: Did you calculate the cost?

M: Lutz, you're starting to sound like Benno.