Ascendance of a Bookworm

Motosu Urano, a college student and a bookworm of the highest order, loses her life in an avalanche of books and wakes up in another world as a sickly girl named Main. Nevertheless confident that she can deal with any situation as long as she has books to read, she looks all over her new home for one, but doesn't find any. To make matters worse, she couldn't see any writing in town when out...

Having learned how expensive books are in this world, Main resolves to make books of her own. However, she soon finds out just how frail her new body is when she and her elder sister, Turi, decide to go to the gate to deliver something their father forgot—she can hardly take a few steps before running out of breath. But that's when Lutz, a neighborhood kid the same age as Main, offers his help....

While everyone is snowed in by the harsh winter, Main has a plan: a plan to craft pseudo-papyrus as the first step towards making a book. Meanwhile, Eva teaches Turi a bunch of skills in order to prepare her for her upcoming baptism in the summer. Main is told to think about where she wants to apprentice, but as always, books are the only thing on her mind. As winter rolls on, however, the...

Spring has arrived, and Main is raring to go make clay tablets in the forest. But first, she must convince her family that she can handle the journey.

Summer arrives and brings with it the day of Turi's baptism. The focus then shifts to what Main wants to do after her own baptism next year. Meanwhile, Lutz asks her for a favor ahead of his own.

Lutz and Main prepare for the meeting with Otto. But Otto brings someone with him, turning a casual meeting into an interview that will decide both Lutz and Main's futures.

With the paper-making process about to begin, Main can't hide her excitement as she and Lutz go to meet Benno as per his invitation. He reveals that he is willing to arrange for all the equipment and materials they need to make the paper, but the ensuing conversation makes Lutz see Main in a very different light.

As Main and Lutz begin making their paper for real, Main's excitement gets the better of her, and Lutz's suspicions come to a head. He resolves to talk about it after the paper is finished.

Benno looks to have Main and Lutz registered with the Merchant Guild, but the guild master proves to be an obstacle. This results in them making plans to meet Frieda, his granddaughter.

Main learns from Frieda that the illness she has is called the Devouring, and that it will flare up if she ever feels anxiety or loses hope. Almost on cue, her fever starts acting up...

With Main collapses, everyone she knows comes together in a bid to save her life. But soon, she is faced with a life-or-death decision, one that she must discuss with her family.

The day of Main and Lutz's baptism has arrived. Wearing a fancy dress and a new hair ornament, Main appears a clear standout from the rest of the kids, but soon she loses her way and finds herself in what she sees as heaven on earth.

When Main brings up wanting to become an apprentice priestess to her family, she learns the truth about the role and what it entails, and soon comes to realize that she is in for the fight of her life.

Main, Gunther, and Eva head to the cathedral for their fateful meeting, knowing that Main's life is riding on a successful negotiation. But will things really go so smoothly for them?