Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 5

The fifth installment of *Ascendance of a Bookworm* finds Ehrenfest enduring its first winter without Ferdinand—a season that proves harsher and more stifling than any before. An unforeseen betrayal from within the former Veronica faction intensifies the urgency of the ongoing purge, while those aware of Georgine’s ruinous ambitions have begun likening her to the Goddess of Chaos herself. At the Royal Academy, Rozemyne plunges into her third year, desperately seeking distraction from the loneliness that gnaws at her. She strives to win over the students of the old Veronica faction in a bid to spare their lives, and crosses paths with a new archnoble librarian dispatched from the Sovereignty. She also attends her inaugural session of the archduke candidate curriculum—though her personal aspirations drive her to enroll in the scholar track as well. Amidst this delicate juggling act, Rozemyne discovers yet again that her surroundings have shifted beyond recognition.