I really enjoy getting to talk to other people about quality content that I am also consuming, which at the moment would include other light novels, manga, and anime. Ideally, from my point of view, there would be some new comments to read and engage with every day. The scope of the exact subject matter for the server is not that important to me personally if the comments are interesting.

I realize it adds to the drama, but this tradition where people placed in different duchies basically are no longer able to interact, even if they are family, seems like something that Aubs Alexandria and Eherenfest could agree to drop. Hopefully they will continue to be close allies.

It's great to see Sylvester acknowledge what a favor Rozemyne has done for him, taking the Aherensbach threat off his plate. And I'm still a little misty and interested in the way that Sylvester earlier specifically thanked Rozemyne for taking care of his little brother, perhaps acknowledging his failures in doing so. His relationship with her is so interesting and I hope eventually we do get a side story from his point of view, tying up how he sees her progression from this problematic commoner to his adopted daughter to his peer.

I also really want to see Ferdinand ask Rozemyne more about her past as Urano and maybe better understand her life their. He had to shy away from that to avoid being overwhelmed by her emotions but they can afford that now.

I assume the last part will include the Archduke conference and then it must include a reunification with her family. Even bare bones I hardly see how there's room for just that.

What a great story this has been and I look forward to Hannelore's story and hopefully more side stories even if the main thread ends here.

We are spending so much time in relatively mundane interactions that I can't even see how there's only one more part left. And I guess no side stories?

I'm going to so miss having Bookworm releases as part of my Mondays.

I loved her description of the necklace that Ferdinand made, and wonder how he possibly had the time. He must have been planning/thinking about it for a little while, but everything is so very busy! It did leave me wondering if he also made one for the feystone he received. And I was reminded of the first time she was gifted a necklace, by Sylvester.

I kind of melted at the scene where he makes the teleportation circle in her new hidden room. Both that he embraces her, and that she insists that he come to her first meeting with her family. And the way he resists but melts. Awww. Though, I don't blame him for being a little afraid to face Gunther!

I am super curious about Ferdinand's plans for purging troublesome nobles of Ahrensbach...

I appreciated that Wilfried is squicked by her being engaged to Ferdinand after all. From his point of view, he absolutely should be, and it's funny to see him kind of wrestling with the former fiancee that he totally didn't want... going to someone else.

Surely with all this teasing we are getting a Damuel and Philine side story.

Another great part. How can we be so close to the end though?

Her library city. After everyone telling her it was impossible.

My mistake. It wasn't the smile he wears when dumping work on others--it was his revenge smile. 😂

The Zent gives her a final exam of destroying some medals, perfectly logical and normal, of course.

But man - this feystone exchange. It was a delight to see each of them react with such heartfelt feeling, and both messages basically "I will watch over you and protect you and the things you care about." The image for this part is just spectacular too.

I was quite struck by Eglantine saying she owed Ferdinand and Rozemyne an apology, that there were things she hadn't realized before becoming Zent. WHAT THINGS? You can't drop a nugget like that and do nothing with it. 😂 Hoping it comes out in a side story then.

And then Rozemyne CAN WE STOP TALKING ABOUT WINTER PLEASE? Genius of Kazuki to make that her euphemism.

I think he wants her to have his namestone for a couple of reasons.

First, I think it's sentimental, it makes him feel needed and closer to her. And probably having it returned when his father was dying is not the best memory.

Second, I think it's intentional to give her power over him. It neutralizes the imbalance that began their relationship, when he had life and death power over her, not to mention the mentor-student power. He is always seen (and probably knows himself to be) manipulative and dangerous and he wants very much not to hurt her, to give her absolute power to stop him should she choose.

Schutzaria's shield of wind prevents anyone from entering who means harm to those inside. He's giving her that, to ensure that he cannot harm her, at least not until she comes of age. He doesn't fully trust himself.

For a relationship with an underage fiancee, it does seem very appropriate.

Watching Ferdinand aggressively challenge the gods themselves is flat amazing.

I'm so looking forward to the establishment of Alexandria, but also so sad that the next one is the last volume.

I hope Adolphine gets a future that works for her. Rozemyne didn't seem to be able to figure out how much Adolphine dislikes Sigiswald and she's clearly not on anyone's mind. Glad she was finally able to speak up, and I hope she gets the divorce she wants and a better situation.

Apparently the Gervasio chapter is fairly long and the next part will contain the conclusion, so his POV doesn't stop there!

Somehow in my head I have to fix that Giebe Gerlach is now a wholly different person and not Grausam. There were a couple of times where I got confused about who was doing what to whom until I realized there was a new person in that office.

Thank you for posting this - what an interesting interview!

Since I cannot read the source material, I am now curious about how many light novels that I experience as weak or trite are actually higher quality in Japanese and then butchered by machine translations versus just being pulpy in the original. I have been having this reaction more and more lately but didn't realize this was a possible reason.

It's not just text that needs translation for literal meaning, but metaphor. A good translation carries the intent of the author which includes handling some phrases in a non-literal way.

In the short term, if the reading public has no way to know the translator, then yes, speed will win. But in the longer term, as I start more series and find them unsatisfying, will that end up hurting sales across the whole genre?

Quof, if you're reading this, or if any other decisionmaker is, I disagree that the story alone is why I read. Bookworm is by far the best light novel series I've read in English and I directly attribute that to the synergy of Kazuki + Quof. Once really invested in the characters, there's motivation to find out what happens, but that's only present because of the strong writing I enjoyed back in the beginning. So thank you.