“Blessing”
What They Say:
Avid bookworm and college student Motosu Urano ends up dying in an unforeseen accident. This came right after the news that she would finally be able to work as a librarian like she had always dreamed of. When she regains consciousness. She was reborn as Myne, the daughter of a poor soldier. She was in the town of Ehrenfest, which has a harsh class system. But as long as she had books, she really didn’t need anything else. However, books were scarce and belonged only to the nobles. But that doesn’t stop her, so she makes a decision … “If there aren’t any books, I’ll just create some.”
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
As Ferdinand and Count Bindewald face off in a ferocious battle with splinters of mana scarring everything within range, Myne dutifully protects her father and friends from the resulting bombardment of explosive energies, but as the conflict reaches a fevered pitch, everyone does not notice as the side door opens allowing Lord Karstedt and a dapperly dressed Sylvester enter without any hesitation. It is at that moment when the Head Priest ends the contest via a massive burst of power to throw the foreign noble against the far wall, with the former blue robed priest praising the victor and telling him it is enough, then commanding the apprentice priestess to lower her shield. But as Myne is confused to see her mentor now bowing before these visitors, it is the High Priest breaks the strange silence as the blue haired walks over to him and demands an explanation, only then addressing the rotund individual as Uncle. However as the stunned aristocrat questions who this person might be, it is Karstedt who announces the man as Aub Ehrenfest, and while Bindewald is astonished by this response and Gunther along with everyone else now show their respect, it is then when her father tells the confused girl this is the lord of the city.
After being told to raise their heads, Sylvester now asks the visiting noble to clarify what has happened, and Bindewald wastes no time in asking for the dangerous commoner to be punished since she used mana against a noble, but as the lord patiently listens, he scornfully corrects the man of his mistake by stating Myne is his adoptive daughter, proving this claim by showing the black charm which is actually a magical item that finalizes a contract once blood is used as a seal upon it, elaborating that he has attacked a relative of the lord of the domain. Dumbfounded by this revelation, the stunned man is then told of other charges against him, including illegal entry into the country, attacking the lord’s child and her knight bodyguard, which means he will be seized and taken into custody, but when this foolish man tries to run away, it takes no effort to bind him in an appropriate manner. Now turning his attention toward his Uncle, Bezewanst calmly tries to deny any knowledge in this foul escapade, boldly placing all of the blame upon the foreign visitor and suggesting he was only doing what he was told, to which Sylvester doubtfully questions the truth of these excuses, with the High Priest demanding that the cur release him at once. While he does not show any change in expression, the Lord does not appreciate slander coming from this elder, tranquilly correcting his relative that the man in question is his little brother, but this only escalates the anger from Bezewanst by proclaiming Ferdinand is nothing more than the child from a mistress. As this angered man further lengthens his foul tirade by stating the Head Priest was probably the one who coaxed him into adopting Myne, demanding that the contract be nullified as a warning from his uncle, Sylvester is unmoved even as fake tears begin to stream from his eyes, boldly stating any relation to the guilty will not sway his decision, declaring the latest commotion he has cause is worthy of the death penalty.
In Summary:
While we might have recognized how this episode would end, it does not make it any less painful, with myself willfully admitting I cried through most of the scenes, knowing Myne will have to be separated from her cherished family in order to save them, even as her parents were willing to sacrifice themselves in order to protect their daughter when the High Priest demanded her surrender at the end of the first season. Although is was immensely satisfying to see Bezewanst fittingly sentenced for all of his abuses of power, it is a depressing surprise by how early Myne is ripped away from everyone she loves, not giving anyone a chance to let the misery fully set in before she begins a new life. It is the forced brevity which makes the closing of one chapter so crushing, and though I would have liked to see Gunther take Lutz along with them when they said goodbye, this hopeful opening for Gilberta Company to continue printing opens new possibilities, even if we may have wished to see more of this delightful tale from a loving family.
Grade: A+
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
