The following contains spoilers for Episode 7 of Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3, “Delia and Dirk,” now streaming onCrunchyroll.
While Myne’s daily life at the cathedral continues, Dirk’s introduction clearly has a notable effect on Delia. This episode mostly focuses on Delia and her growing closeness to Dirk. As the only attendant of Myne’s who is not solely loyal to her, Delia is a possibly dangerous element, especially since she has ties to the high priest.
While the high priest and his co-conspirators do not appear, it is certain that they are planning something beneath the surface. As the only person connecting the two factions, Delia is the most likely person to be at the center of any possible trouble.
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“Delia And Dirk”
Continuing from last episode’s cliffhanger, Delia hurriedly reports Dirk’s strange fever to Myne. Once he was fed goat’s milk, Dirk recovered and the spots went away, but there’s a possibility of the condition returning. Myne, Delia, and the other attendants continue to keep a close watch on Dirk until he starts to show the same symptoms again. Myne suspects that Dirk has the Devouring, and asks Fran to call Lutz and set up a meeting with Ferdinand.
After asking Lutz to get some tau fruit to control Dirk’s mana, Myne reports Dirk’s strange illness to Ferdinand. He confirms that Dirk has the Devouring, and immediately suggests that he make a contract with a noble to receive magic items periodically like Myne’s friend Freida. Myne brings up the possibility of Dirk becoming a blue-robed priest like her, but Ferdinand explains that it would cost the church too much, and it would look like favoritism. Adoption is also brought up as a possibility. Myne reluctantly accepts this outcome, and asks Ferdinand to find a good person to adopt or contract with Dirk.
The next day, Ferdinand comes by to see exactly how much man Dirk has. Using a crown to measure Dirk’s mana, Ferdinand estimates that he has as much as a middle-class noble. Ferdinand tells Myne that since people are still after her, he would not look too hard for a noble to adopt Dirk. However, he also suggests that Myne might be able to contract with Dirk once she becomes a noble. Finally, Ferdinand tells Myne to verify not to let the news of Dirk’s Devouring get out, as people like the high priest would use it to their benefit. Once Ferdinand leaves, the first person to ask about Dirk is Delia, and Myne simply tells her to keep looking after Dirk normally.
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Later, Myne meets with Heidi again to discuss the results of their colored ink experimentation. They test the inks on different papers, but they have trouble retaining the inks' original colors once they dry. They try mixing the colors again, and the results are still unsatisfactory. At home, Myne discusses her problem with her family, and her mother suggests using a fixing agent. Myne decides to try making some with help from her mother, but Lutz and Gil offer to do it themselves.
While Myne is practicing harspiel with Rosina, Wilma comes by to take Dirk back to the orphanage. Delia immediately begins to worry over Dirk, and when Myne suggests that Delia simply go to the orphanage to check on Dirk, Delia is unusually reticent. Later, Myne decides to go to the orphanage herself, but Damuel does not wish for her to go without attendants, and Myne asks Delia to take her to the orphanage. Delia’s traumatic experiences with the orphanage flare up when she tries to open the doors for Myne, but she manages to power through and open the doors.
As the priests and orphans greet Myne, Dirk sees Delia and turns in his bed while trying to reach out to her. Seeing him about to fall out of his bed, Delia runs to catch him before he falls out and berates the other priests for failing to keep an eye on Dirk. As Delia storms off, Wilma asks Myne if Delia is going to be okay, but Myne believes that Dirk’s presence will have a positive effect on her. However, Delia soon hears news that Dirk is about to be put up for adoption, leading her to confront Myne and the head priest.
Having taken care of her Devouring problem all the way back in the first season, it’s been a while since Myne has had to deal with it. Once again, Dirk’s life is in danger unless he is able to take care of his excess mana, and this time,joining the church isn’t an option. Making a contract with a noble isn’t the greatest option either, as it’s not certain how the noble will treat the child. Unfortunately, Myne has no option but to acquiesce this time, as Dirk’s life is in danger.
This could put her on rocky ground with Delia, who has clearly become attached to the little baby. While Myne hoped that this would cool Delia down and ground her by giving her someone to care for, this could end up driving a wedge between the two of them. Considering that Delia is still reporting to the high priest, this could cause big problems for Myne, as she is still being targeted by a secret coven of nobles. This conflict has the potential to set off a chain reaction of events, and who knows how this will all be resolved.
