April 29, 2013

Reimei no Arcana [Chapter 49]

[Free Talk: Summaries for chapters 46-48 can be found at Asahi’s Halftone Circle Blog.]


Nakaba calls out to Loki just as the Ajin charges at Loki. Loki turns around but suddenly got dizzy. Startled, he realizes that he cannot evade it. To Loki’s surprise, Caesar suddenly goes in between him and the Ajin attacker. Caesar got hit. While Caesar holds his injury, Loki slashes the Ajin’s face. While the Ajin is screaming over his slashed eyes, Loki gives him the final blow. While Loki sighs in relief, Nakaba goes to Caesar and asks if he is alright. Caesar tells her that it is a scratch and it would be fine, they just have to stop the bleeding. Caesar notices that Loki is looking at him. While Nakaba is bandaging Caesar, he points at Loki and shouts that he didn’t do this to protect him, he just suddenly moved and that’s all there is to it. Caesar sweatdrops and tells Nakaba not to tie it like a ribbon. Loki thinks that it isn’t a hypocrite act or based on principle, but he had instinctively helped an Ajin. Loki lets out a sigh. Then, Nakaba asks if Loki is okay. Loki says yes, and they should proceed to the concealed passage that should be there. At Belquat castle, King Guran and the others are eating. They are discussing about the battle situation with Senan after declaring war. A nobleman says that Senan’s military power is weak and they ought to immediately suppress that city. There will be no problem even if General Douglas rushed to battle. Queen Rosetta says that Senan is a poor country that it has no way of defeating Belquat. About to drink her wine, she happily says that it would be almost time to hear Caesar’s victory report. Rosetta[?] asks Louise why she look pale and unwell, and it ought to be because she is worried about Caesar. She reassures Louise that there’s nothing to worry about. Louise says that of course, she worries but only because she doesn’t like wars. The nobleman laughs and says that even if she is the general’s daughter, she is still a woman and it is very rude to talk about this topic at the dinner table. Someone suddenly also apologizes for intruding their meal. They were surprised to see Caesar, with Nakaba and Loki. After some ruckus, Guran notices the fallen soldier behind the three. He stands up and calls out to Caesar. While Rosetta is calling for his son and ask why he is here when he is suppose to be in Senan, Caesar approaches Guran and kneels down. He formally asks for a favor of his father giving up his ambition to invade other countries to expand their country. Rosetta and others are shock by what Caesar said. Ceasar says that they hope for a world wherein there are no slaves and there is peace. Rosetta exclaims what he is saying.
When Rosetta is trying to explain things to her husband, Guran calls for the beheading of Caesar. He calls for someone to behead this foolish person. Rosetta calls out to her husband and protests that it must be some sort of misunderstanding. Guran pierces the floor with a sword near where Caesar is kneeling. He tells Caesar to take the sword. Everyone look tense. Caesar takes the sword as he prepares to duel with Guran. While the father and son are fighting, Nakaba recalls younger Guran with Sara and Cain. Nakaba shouts, “King of Belquat, do you think that Sara would have wanted to see the current you!?” Guran is surprised that she suddenly mentioned Sara. Then, he notices that her pupils are turning red. Guran started laughing and says that she possesses that ominous power. Nakaba is surprised when Guran started to charge towards her. Loki immediately uses his swords to block Guran’s sword. Caesar shouts at his father and swings his sword at him. Guran evades it. Caesar tells him that he won’t let him lay his hand on her. Guran tells Caesar that girl is a monster for she possesses a power that humans shouldn’t possess. “Accursed fate.. filthy blood..” Nakaba replies, “But.. you consider golden hair as beautiful.. If what changed you into this is because of this power, then, indeed for you this is some sort of ominous power..” Guran sees Sara behind Nakaba. Caesar crosses swords with his father and shouts, “..Your Majesty!! –the changed you is not because of that power, but your weakness!” Nakaba and Loki look surprised by this. As Caesar slashes Guran, Guran thinks that he knew of this earlier on, ‘not wanting to confront this sad fate’, and ‘not wanting to admit that he’s the only one who was in despair’. Someone screams when Guran falls on the floor. Loki looks unmoved while the couple looks somewhat flustered. Guran mutters Sara. “I didn’t consider whether or not, you’ll hope for this kind of peaceful world. It’s because you are no longer here. But finally, I’ll also leave this world that has no you--..” There is a scene of Guran and Sara together. Rosetta approaches Guran and mutters, “Your Majesty..” Caesar calls out to his mother who starts chuckling. Rosetta says that now, Caesar is the king. She starts crying that until the end, the one who is in Guran’s eyes is still not her.. The three just looks on. Nakaba asks, “..is it over? Finally..” Loki calls out, “Princess Nakaba.” Nakaba looks surprised at Loki and calls out his name. Loki tells her, “Please give Senan to me.” Loki seems to somewhat smile and surprised Nakaba mutters, “..eh..?”
Comment: What an amazing cliffhanger. It got me scrambling to think of what Loki’s intention is for that request and if Nakaba would give it to him. I find it amusing that it turns out that Loki has a hidden agenda and he isn’t planning to keep on serving Nakaba and watch her lovey-dovey with Caesar. This ‘other guy’ of a love triangle has his own plans for the future. First thing would probably be make an Ajin country though I wonder if that will last for a long time since there should be some vengeful Ajins. Nevertheless if Loki is the leader of it, maybe he can keep them at bay. He has been meeting with other Ajins before so I assume that he seems to be laying down the groundwork for it. I do wonder if the intention was for him in the first place or was it for Nakaba which changed when she has fallen for Caesar. It does seem that Loki isn’t going to let Nakaba and Caesar rule over the two countries as one and the Ajin-s under them. Hm..all that is presumed that he has given up on Nakaba and he seems to have. If not, he might be the final villain and the most difficult one to deal with. It is already an established fact that Loki tends to always do something ‘behind the scenes’. He is also talking with Ahkil who is presumed to be good with strategies. Maybe he plans to help Ahkil with Lithvanel and doesn’t want to get Nakaba involved anymore but needs enough power as the rule of Senan. The idea that I’m really entertaining is that Loki has royal blood but I cannot fix on his lineage for that would be like Nakaba’s mother had two ‘lovers’, so maybe from some other royalty? Loki’s past/background and iirc, the past of Nakaba’s parents weren’t shown yet so maybe that would be later on for this last[?] arc. Anyway, this series is really going for realism. In this kind of era, if you want to seize a kingdom, one shouldn’t be queasy about doing what you have to do and that is to kill the current ruler even if it is a blood relative, especially if they cannot wait and they are the next in line for the throne. I do wonder if the nobles and those who have slaves would just do what Caesar wanted and since there are witnesses to this, they can ruin Caesar’s reputation. I think it was mention that they still have to rely on Douglas’ backing to get the military and the people[?]’s approval before. I’m not sure if that still holds now, and if Douglas would still back Caesar since the deal was to make Louise the ‘queen’. As for Guran, well, he is finally with Sara again..and well, also Cain. Lastly, I just mentioned that it seems that the only one staining one’s hands with blood is Loki, but here, Caesar also did. Now, would Nakaba do it later on, too? Scans by 红莲汉.

Quote of the day:
What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. ~ Goethe.