The following contains spoilers for Episode 3 of Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3, "The Dedication Ceremony And Spring Arrives," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
After the tense and emotional second episode, this third episode gives viewers a bit of a breather as Myne works diligently to perform the duties expected of her. Fans learn a lot of lore in this episode as more is revealed about the Dedication Ceremony and other aspects of the world the series takes place in.
At the same time, things are moving behind the scenes that push the story along. The high priest is back with ill intentions, and the problem surrounding Myne's possible kidnapping remains unresolved. In addition, Myne must confront the fact that one day, she'll have to leave her family behind for their own safety, whether she wants to or not. Time continues to flow in this third episode of Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3.
"The Dedication Ceremony And Spring Arrives"
Myne introduces Damuel to her attendants as her bodyguard. As Damuel gets acquainted with Myne's friends and family, Myne comes to grips with the possibility of having to become a noble herself. Damuel accompanies Myne on many of her tasks, including going to town in order to see Benno and Lutz. Aside from the addition of Damuel, Myne's life at the church continues fairly peacefully, and soon she prepares to perform the Dedication Ceremony. Delia, who is still working for the high priest, attempts to inform him about Myne's new bodyguard, but she is not even allowed to enter the room.
The time for the Dedication Ceremony arrives, and Ferdinand explains to Myne the process; she must fill a large number of grails with her mana in order to ensure a good harvest. The two must perform the ceremony alone, as there are no other blue-robed priests that can keep up with Myne's mana capacity. The Ceremony is performed over a period of several days as Ferdinand and Myne slowly fill up the grails with mana. On one such day, the high priest interrupts and requests Myne to also fill up a number of grails he had brought himself, as an order from the lord. Ferdinand suspects that the high priest's order is illegitimate, but tells Myne to follow the order while he investigates the high priest's intentions.
Time goes on, and Myne takes Fran and Damuel to meet Benno and Johann, who has finished the metal letter types she had asked for. Myne finds the types satisfactory, to the point where she grants him the title Gutenberg, after the real-life inventor Johannes Gutenberg. The invention marks a great amount of progress in Myne's desire to mass-produce books, and she later discusses plans to develop a printing press.
With spring nearing and the weather warming up, Myne asks Ferdinand for permission to return home to see her family. Ferdinand refuses, later explaining in his secret workshop that the Ink Guild master Wolf has been found dead, most likely for his failure to find and kidnap Myne. Ferdinand summons Myne's parents to the cathedral and explains that he wishes to keep Myne at the cathedral until the Spring Prayer. When her parents object, Ferdinand explains that Myne's life remains in danger and that while measures have been taken to limit the movements of nobles, there is only so much they can do. Ferdinand then broaches the subject of Myne's adoption, telling Myne's parents that Myne's only real options are either adoption at the age of ten or execution. Reluctantly, Myne's parents agree to the adoption.
An Inevitable Farewell
A big part of the episode is dedicated to the subject of Myne's adoption. While it's possible that a third solution might be found down the line, it seems likely that Myne will one day have to bid farewell to the family she loves so much. The danger surrounding her is mounting, and while the Ink Guild may no longer be a threat, the ones who hired them remain both unknown and unseen. The high priest also seems to be scheming something behind the scenes, and being adopted by a noble may be Myne's only hope of survival.
At the same time, this episode serves as Damuel's introduction to the main cast. So far, he seems to be fitting in well, though his habits as a noble are quite obvious, such as when he found the smell of downtown unbearable. In addition, while Damuel seems repentant for what happened to Myne, Ferdinand notes that he wasn't punished for not following orders, but for not being diligent in his duties. Ferdinand claims that were Myne a princess or a noble, Damuel would have been more diligent in his duty to protect her. Damuel swears to do better to protect Myne, and hopefully future episodes will see him commit to that.
All in all, this third episode sets up a lot of plot points that could go in a lot of different places. Myne is making progress towards her dream of bookmaking, but the forces hoping to kidnap Myne remain unknown, and events are hinting at more trouble to come. Finally, the coming of the Spring Prayer comes with the introduction of a strange blue-haired man with quite a brusque personality. Who is this new character? Is he an enemy or an ally? The only way to find out is to watch the next episode of Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 3.