Chapter 2 (manga)

Turn-Up Book
Chapter 2
Japanese Name	仕掛け絵本
Romanized Name	Shikake Ehon
Volume	1 and 2
Release Date	October 26, 2010
Pages	148
Adapted from	Chapter 4 (light novel 1)
Anime counterpart	Episode 1

"Turn-Up Book" is the 2nd chapter of The Mystic Archives of Dantalian manga. It's divided into six parts, including an epilogue.

After the death of his grandfather Wesley Disward, Hugh inherits a mansion and a collection of books. He meets Dalian, a friend of the late bibilomaniac. Together, they go investigate Henry Conrad, the man that supposedly killed Wesley to get hold of a valuable book.

Summary

Part I

Hugh is at a table by himself, since Kamilla is late and Dalian vanished, leaving only a teddy bear behind with a note saying that she will be back. Meanwhile, Kamilla is discussing with a book seller. She wants to buy some books, but they were already purchased by Dalian. Kamilla runs after Dalian to ask for a book, but the latter had already disappeared. Soon after, Hugh and Kamilla meet each other. She mentions the girl that had purchased a whole bookstore. Hugh quickly deduces that Kamilla is talking about Dalian. The Biblioprincess is heard arguing with a man about the lack of pastries. Hugh puts a bag in her head to finish the quarrel. She immediately shows antipathy for Kamilla, disapproving the western attire she’s wearing. Kamilla teases Dalian, calling her a child. Kamilla manages to keep Dalian happy by giving her a candy.

Hugh tells Kamilla that he’s living at the old estate of his late grandfather Wesley Disward. Dalian nods off during the conversation. Hugh affirms that she will catch a chill sleeping in that place. Kamilla is satisfied to see Hugh doing okay, even after fighting in the Great War. Dalian wakes up when Kamilla asks Hugh if he had found the Dantalian's Bookshelf he was looking for. He tries to escape the conversation, but she insists, saying that if anyone ever had access to such a place, it would be Hugh’s grandfather.

Hugh's past is shown. He's back to London after a long time. He gives a five pence coin to a girl selling flowers. He catches the attention of two women due to his trench coat. They realize that Hugh is back from the Western Front. The letter Hugh received mentions that his grandfather’s mansion is a half day walk from the city. He reaches the place where his grandfather used to live. The place is decrepit. From the stairs going up, Dalian observes Hugh.

Hugh, Dalian and Kamilla have tea.

Dalian sees Hugh for the first time after the Great War.

Part II

Hugh starts to investigate the tower of the mansion. Dalian watches Hugh approaching through a window. He cannot find the books from his grandfather’s collection, although everything else was untouched. Hugh sits on the ground and starts to reminisce about his grandfather when it starts to rain. He remembers his childhood, when he was enjoying a pop-up book as a child. However, his grandfather took that book and gave him another one. Dalian was next to Hugh’s grandfather at that moment. Hugh is now holding the same book his grandfather gave him in the past.

Back to his senses, Hugh sees someone inside the Disward estate. He follows the person, ending up at a dead end. He finds a secret path behind an empty bookcase. He descends a dark stairway while holding his lighter. He finds a huge library with all the thousands of books from his late bibliomaniac grandfather. He lights some candles and finds Dalian sitting in an antique chair. He introduces himself, adding that, according to his grandfather’s will, Hugh should inherit the Dantalian's Bookshelf. Dalian is wary of Hugh, hiding herself behind the chair.

Hugh's memories of Dalian and his grandfather.

Hugh sees Dalian for the first time since his childhood.

Part III

Hugh has a recurrent dream, a memory from when he was a child wandering around a place filled with books. According to Dalian, that world is known as "Labyrinth Library", named by the first person that wandered the place. The dream ends before Hugh can hear its second name.

Dalian questions Hugh. According to the will, Hugh can have the mansion provided that takes care of the Dantalian's Bookshelf. Dalian affirms that there’s nothing like that in this world. Hugh wonders if he can find a hint about the whereabouts of the Dantalian's Bookshelf somewhere inside the Disward estate. Dalian affirms that he won't find any information among his grandfather's books. Hugh can't believe that Dalian had read all those volumes. However, she describes some of the books in details, for Hugh’s astonishment. She affirms that Wesley was her friend and that it was a shame that he passed away.

Hugh asks if she has seen a pet, since his grandfather’s will states that Hugh should take care of something called “Dalian”. She gets angry, affirming that someone like Hugh can't be the new “key-keeper”. Dalian hits Hugh’s face with her knee. She finally introduces herself.

Hugh as a child, inside the Labyrinth Library.

Dalian hits Hugh for thinking she is a pet.

Hugh treasures the key hanging from his neck.

They go to the kitchen, where Hugh asks if Dalian was kidnapped by his grandfather. She denies and explains that she was waiting for something. Hugh offers Dalian bread and tea. She accepts, but complains about the lack of sugar in the bread. Hugh lays down, telling Dalian to wake him up in an hour so he can escort her home before his meeting. He uses his trench coat to cover himself. She approaches him and tries to touch the key hanging from his neck. He quickly grabs her hand and tells her to not touch the key. Without the trench coat, it’s possible to see that Hugh sports a vertical gun holster. Dalian asks if he was a soldier. He answers that he was a pilot and that he isn't really serving, since the war had already ended.

He explains that he has no intention of going to university. He's thinking about living an easy life with his grandfather’s inheritance. Wesley was feared by the family due to his eccentricity, so only Hugh would come near that mansion. Once, the bibliomaniac gave half of his estate in exchange for a single book. Hugh scorns the idea that Wesley had a book that would curse and destroy its owner, as rumors say. Hugh is disappointed with Wesley’s collection. Wesley was supposed to own the Dantalian's Bookshelf, a compendium containing a vast amount of knowledge. Dalian affirms that Hugh doesn’t know anything. They are interrupted by Hugh’s escort. Hugh has been invited over by Henry Conrad.

Henry Conrad welcomes Hugh and Dalian.

Hugh is on a carriage, going to the residence of the Hotel King, Henry Conrad, Wesley’s old acquaintance and murderer. Dalian decides to accompany Hugh. She doesn’t understand why Hugh is going to visit Conrad. It's said that Conrad killed Wesley, all to get hold of a book. Hugh explains that he’s trying to find evidence of Conrad's crime. Dalian affirms that, since there’s a full moon that night, Conrad will peer into that which should not be seen. She tells Hugh that the forbidden door to the Dantalian's Bookshelf will open for him, if he possesses the qualifications to be a key-keeper. She gets mad when Hugh calls her weird.

They arrive at Conrad’s mansion, but no one appears to welcome them. One of the servants runs inside the mansion. Dalian affirms that they might be too late. She also runs inside, followed by Hugh. From the top of the mansion, an eerie clown watches them. Inside, Hugh notices the smell of blood in the air. Henry Conrad shows up to welcome them. Meanwhile, the servant finds a tiger eating the body of a woman.

Part IV

A clown appears next to the tiger. Meanwhile, Conrad calls Hugh and Dalian “key-keeper” and “Black Biblioprincess”, respectively. Conrad kneels to kiss Dalian’s hand. Hugh wonders if they know each other. Dalian ignores them, concerned only on recovering the book. Hugh notices that Conrad has disappeared. They hear the servant’s scream. Dalian jumps downstairs, followed by Hugh. They find bodies. Dalian affirms that whatever caused the unusual event is in Conrad’s study. She notices someone hiding nearby. A clown holding juggling clubs appears from inside a page lying on the floor. Blades are attached to the props. Hugh shots the clown with his revolver before he can attack them. Pages scatter across the floor where the clown once stood.

They are not yet safe, since tigers are rounding Conrad’s mansion. Hugh grabs Dalian and runs. They hide in a room, where Dalian talks about the "heaven in the pot" and how there are things in the world better off not knowing. Hugh regards the "heaven in the pot" tale as a fairy tale, making Dalian furious. They leave the room and find a trampled body. It was a work of an elephant, according to Dalian. Dalian explains that the animals and performers were released by The Harlequinade, a pop-up book. She refers to it as a Phantom Book.

More creatures start to come out of the pages scattered across the floor. Hugh learns that only the Dantalian's Bookshelf can seal the dangerous Phantom Books. Hugh affirms that he has the duty to prevent the damage caused by his grandfather's book. Hugh prepares to shoot the creatures. He asks Dalian to run away. Instead of running away, Dalian tells Hugh to take out his key. While wounded, being attacked by a tiger, Hugh recites the words inscribed in the key.

The clown and the tiger released by The Harlequinade.

Hugh and Dalian are surrounded by The Harlequinade creatures.

Part V

Dalian uses the Liber de Sylphis.

The tiger attacking Hugh disappears. Darkness comes out from the keyhole in Dalian’s pendant. Hugh supports her and uses his key, opening the Dantalian's Bookshelf. She removes the Liber de Sylphis from the hole in her chest. Dalian reads the book to get rid of the hostile animals. Her eyes are black. After an intense light takes all the castle, Hugh sees Dalian going upstairs. He goes after her.

Dalian is listening to Conrad. He was envious of Wesley, owner of a valuable library, where one can grasp all human knowledge. While Conrad is talking, Dalian takes a book from inside his study and goes away. Hugh realizes that Conrad is dead, with the upper half of his head missing. The man, lacking the knowledge to use the Phantom Books, was killed as soon as he opened The Harlequinade. The words Hugh and Dalian have heard before were only lingering regrets. While Dalian is sealing The Harlequinade, Hugh realizes that she is the “heaven in the pot”. He remembers that they have met before. Hugh got lost inside the Dantalian's Bookshelf as a child. He had met a girl called "Dalian" and received a key. Hugh also promised to become her friend and take her to the outside world. Hugh and Dalian leave Conrad's mansion and set off to find a place to get breakfast.

Epilogue

Kamilla visits the Disward estate, bringing some sweets for Dalian. The latter is in a bad mood. Kamilla realizes that Dalian's dress had been ripped when she tried to reach a high bookshelf. Kamilla puts Dalian in her lap to stitch her dress. Later, they have tea with Hugh. Kamilla and Dalian are sitting together, which is unusual. Hugh notices the stitches in Dalian’s dress when she gets up. Kamilla has also stitched a cat. Embarassed, Dalian explains that the cat is a proof of their friendship.

Kamilla stitches Dalian's dress.

Light novel-manga main differences

Light novel	Manga
Kamilla is not part of the chapter.	Hugh, Dalian and Kamilla meet at a cafe. Later, Kamilla shows up at the Disward estate.
Hugh shows up at the gates of the Disward estate after the Great War.	The adaptation shows Hugh leaving the train and walking to the Disward estate after the Great War.
-	Dalian watches Hugh exploring the Disward estate.
-	Hugh remembers his childhood, when he was examining The Harlequinade. Wesley and Dalian appear in the flashback.
Hugh finds Dalian reading in Wesley's secret basement.	Hugh follows Dalian to Wesley's secret basement.
Hugh finds hard to believe that Dalian read Wesley's entire collection, but she doesn't seem to be lying.	Dalian describes some books to prove that she read Wesley's entire collection.
Dalian kicks Hugh's shin because he mistook her name for a pet's.	Dailan knees Hugh.
Hugh and Dalian talk until Conrad's coach shows up.	Hugh plans to take a nap. He tells Dalian to wake him up when the coach appears.
-	Dalian tries to touch Hugh's key.
Hugh and Dalian never interact with Conrad.	Hugh and Dalian are welcomed by Conrad.
A clown released from The Harlequinade attacks Hugh and Dalian.	Hugh and Dalian witness the clown coming out from a page from The Harlequinade.
The dead clown turns into ashes.	The dead clown turns into pages.
Hugh shoots a tiger.	Hugh grabs Dalian and runs away from the tigers.
Hugh and Dalian are attacked by a dragon.	Hugh and Dalian are surrounded by the creatures released from The Harlequinade.

Trivia

• The book Hugh receives from his grandfather has a dragon hoarding treasure on its cover. It's a concept present in tales since Ancient Greece, at least. Originally, a dragon comes out from The Harlequinade.
• Hugh affirms that his grandfather's collection included pre-Norman material. Hugh is referring to texts written before the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by groups led by William the Conqueror. One of the most obvious effects of the Norman conquest of England was the influence on English language.
• The glove on Hugh's right hand keeps appearing and disappearing throughout the first pages of Part I.
• Since Hugh is skeptical about how much Dalian knows his grandfather's collection, she starts to describe some of the books, referencing real literature.
  • She points to the Atharvaveda, a collection of 730 hymns with about 6,000 mantras, divided into 20 books, which adresses practical issues of daily life. As she explained, the Atharvaveda includes mantras and verses for treating a variety of ailments.
  • Dalian affirms that she had just read the theory of atomic decay from Frederick Soddy, an English radiochemist. In 1902, the formulation of the radioactive decay law, by Soddy and New Zealand physicist Ernest Rutherford, discussed that radioactivity is due to the transmutation of elements. The theory is also mentioned by the wise kids in Book of Wisdom.
• The chapter ends with an illustration of the winged statue of Anteros, the god of requited love, part of the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain in London. It was erected in 1892–93 to commemorate the philanthropic works of British politician Anthony Ashley Cooper.