本好きの下剋上: Volume 2, Week 2 discussion

Japanese Language Book Clubs
1

Join the Advanced Book Club here!

本好きの下剋上 Home Thread

Week 12

image
Start Date: October 31st
Previous week: Week 11
Next week: Week 13

Reading:

Chapters 3-4 (ベンノの呼び出し, 契約魔術) (30 pages/ 8%)

Discussion Rules

  • Please use spoiler tags for major events in the current chapter(s) and any content in future chapters.
  • When asking for help, please mention the chapter and page number. Also mention what version of the book you are reading.
  • Don’t be afraid of asking questions, even if they seem embarrassing at first. All of us are here to learn.
  • To you lurkers out there: Join the conversation, it’s fun! :books:

Participants

Mark your participation status by voting in this poll.

  • I’m reading along
  • I have finished this part
  • I’m still reading the book but haven’t reached that part yet
  • I’m skipping this book

0 voters

2 Likes
2

This week we had lots of new information.

This week spoiler

Beno was not happy but I understand Mayne. Me too I thought that they were supposed to do it alone. I did found the magic binding contract cool. I just think that the fact it burns and you can’t consult it is kinda bad. If you have lots of contracts how can you remember them all? Especially the tiny character. Well, they don’t need to bring it to court because they die if they broke it but still. I just thought about something. If you make for example a slave market and you make them sign a super constraining contract. Isn’t that pure evil? Do you need consent to make it worth you can exploit people with it? At least you only die, in some anime the magic force you to comply with the contract even in death. So I guess the slave market is maybe not as possible as expected but still. You can prob exploit people with it. I do wonder if you can cancel a contract like that. So many questions but no magic lawyer to answer them. Maybe it could be a nice job in that world.

Anyway, coming back to the story, Yellow(Lutz) is getting sus of blue(Maine).(Yes it’s an among us reference) I still ship them for the futur thought. They are such a nice pair.

2 Likes
3

I know the future and that comment makes me scream inside.

Otherwise, I remember being super suspicious of that development. ベンノ has no proof that they will succeed and yet is fine spending a bunch of money. Sure, オットー said she will do it in the previous volume, but I’d really want something a bit more tangible.

5 Likes
4

This is why you should not read in advance. It’s better to follow and to discover together thank taking the lead and not being able to say anything. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

4 Likes
5
Chapter 4, plot question / thoughts

From what I understand so far, it seems like only nobles can get to use those magic tools because they’re expensive, but I assume that does not necessarily mean they’re the only ones with magical ability (like マイン for instance :eyes: ). Does all the nobles have magic ability? Does everyone, including non-nobles, have an inherent aptitude for magic?

To me, it seemed like only a few individuals possessed magic powers.

…After thinking about it some more, so far マイン didn’t know about magic because it has not been a part of her everyday life. She hasn’t encountered it at all in her local community. I wonder how widespread the knowledge of magic is at her “level/class” in society. Like, is it considered something only the nobles are capable of? Do they know about magic at all??

Agh, so many questions xD I hope it’s not that I just missed something from the story :crazy_face:

2 Likes
6

From the one bonus chapter in book 1, the kids seem to be aware at least of magical beasts, so that’s something.

3 Likes
7
Some extra thoughts

I’m 99.9% sure I did not spoil anything.

In the epilogue of volume 1, ベンノ explains what the 身喰い is (getting overcome by one’s magic power and eventually passing away). So one would assume that kids who are not nobles born with magical abilities would not make it to adulthood…

Well, in general, one would expect the number of nobles to be very small compared to the general population. I think it was in the ballpark of 1% in France? So, whether all nobles have magic or not (a fact that will become clear in further volumes, so I’m not going to spoil it), that would still be a small number of people.

Also the パルゥ tree is obviously magical. I guess マイン didn’t realise it because she didn’t think magic existed.
Other than that, though, as マルク said

普段は目にしませんから、我々にはよくわからない力ですけれど

2 Likes
9

I’m not exactly sure what has been explain where you are but basically Beno already having a company and clients is giving his influence so that the product can sell. To put it int today’s term. Mayne is the making the product, Lutz is selling it to shops then shops(Beno) sells it. Beno take a margin for that. He give the infrastructure and the marketing while Mayne and Lutz give the product. Is it more clear? Edit: Lutz does not have the distrubition right but the selling right. Beno is the one distributing

2 Likes
10

The problem was that they initially they only got a share of the profit on top of their salary. If they get fired, it’s game over, they don’t have anything anymore.
Instead, マイン ask for production right (so only her can make that kind of paper) and distribution rights for ルッツ (so a sell can only happen if he says yes). ベンノ fixes the prices and margins.
Since he cannot produce nor sell without their consent, it’s impossible for him to just backstab them and throw them out once he knows how to make the paper himself.

2 Likes
12

Didn’t they agree on some percentage of profit or something like that? Benno is setting the market prices, so they’re selling it to him a whatever price he specifies such that they get the agreed upon percentage. Unless I’m just completely misremembering.

15

I’d have to go back and read the actual wording of the contract to know for sure. If you haven’t gotten to that, keep reading. But here’s how I think it worked from memory. I think after they come of age they’d get paid for being employees, so they wouldn’t get additional profit. But before then is a different matter. I don’t remember exactly when all this is discussed, and admittedly I’m still a little fuzzy on how their business dealings work, but I think it does become a little clearer.

1 Like
16

《マインは簡易ちゃんリンシャンに関する権利を全てベンノに譲ること。代わりに、洗礼式までの間、マインとルッツが作る紙の制作にかかる費用は全てベンノが出すこと。紙を作る相手を決める権利をマインが、紙を売る権利をルッツが持つこと。しかし、値段や利益に関する権利は二人とも有しないこと》?
it doesn’t clarify anything :frowning:

17

Not sure I understand the question but if I remember correctly Beno pay for the paper but sell it higher to make profits. Mayne and Lutz wanted to keep their right so that’s what they agreed on. He also takes a part because he is the one paying for the raw materials. That is for the paper. They have more than one agreement though. Is it clearer? I’m not sure what you want to know

1 Like
19

Yeah that’s pretty much it.

2 Likes
20

They are selling the paper wholesale to Benno. They are making a profit because their costs are near zero.

1 Like
21

ahh yes child labor(anime spoiler so maybe book 5?)

2 Likes
22

I think volume 4, but I’m not sure anymore.
Anyway, even without that (it’s not like マイン can see it coming), their cost is still almost 0 once they have the tools, which ベンノ is paying for.

1 Like