Leif's manga adventures, tome 2
I love each tome, but this one is my favourite for the feels, the douchebags, the intrigue and characters.
Bias bias bias
I will still rant on bust sizes even if I know that this is to make the cast prettier but seriously, on some of those pics, I actually fear for the girl's diet.
(I never read Shojo mangas before so it's all sort of new to me)
Oh and I joke a lot about Asvel and Leif's relationship in there (those pics are speaking I swear). Don't take those jokes too seriously.
Edit : I wanted to cover the three tomes for Fe-february, alas it will be the last under this tag, I'm too lazy^^. And I apologise for the size of the pics, I wanted to try something new with the scan and it resulted in this (chapter 11 is bigger than the rest).
Double Edit : I forgot to copy/paste the tome's cover! Silly me.
Fergus and his friend! is it a ship? What are you grabbing here Fergus? Has Karin rescued you on her pegasi? Where's your horse?
I swear he could break her in two with his hands, not that they are large but Karin's waist is, as usual, abnormally thin. Oh well.
Lara’s on the Chapter list. Putting Nanna to shame but at least she has an excuse, she issupposed to be a thief. So being as thin as possible is, well, a thing.
Leif is seentalking with Safy about Linoan.
Chapter 6
Cover is a nice picture of Linoan and Safy, themayor is crying and supposedly Safy is trying to comfort her. There is a nice castle in the background. And Leif seems surprised (funny because his portrait is facing the duo of crying chicks). And since this manga uses shojo traits, I should not assume any shipping between the two of them even if they are blushing. Sort of.
Safy asks help from the Prince to rescue Linoan. Then we can see her image and several people wielding lances and other weapons (is Linoan starting a rebellion?). Follows an image of Blume and then focus on Tahra’s walls, I guess she explains that Blume is going to attack soon. Leif looks surprised, says something about 5 years and then Safy adds that Lifis agreed to help her. Ronan looks doubtful, question the bandit while he is daydreaming. Supposedly he can’t be trusted or something like that. Lifis asks August to vouch for his… well, sincerity? Thing is, he got accepted in the ranks and Ronan is cheeky with him.
Back to Eyvel and her duel with Shiva. Both look tired. A wave crashes against rocks (I swear there is panel for that, to bring tension). It’s the signal! Both charge against each other, Eyvel slashes Shiva but instead of being OHKO, Shiva strikes her! Eyvel’s thrown on the ground. She wonders how he can fight with this wound, she accepts her death (what about her invincibility) but as the guy was about to end her, Leif and pals (Finn + Ronan are charging with him just lol seriously) come. Safy too. Finally Shiva sheathes his blade and goes somewhere.
In a house of some sorts (or maybe the previous fort) everyone is reunited and talks – Othin and Tanya are there – Leif looks happy but Finn doesn’t and novelty here, there is a footnote I can’t understand at all. Finn talks with August about a fort near the mountains where kiddies are being held, I guess it’s Kelves. August explains that they are being sacrificed to Lopto. Othin and Tanya are repulsed, Ronan and Safy too so Leif decides to rescue them (yay!). Othin points Lifis, who seems annoyed. I guess they know about his job as a thief so they want him to help them enter. He refuses, Safy asks, he accepts.
In the fort, we see actual children being held behind bars (one is crying T-T). Reidric talks with the boss (Lobos). The Magi group is getting on their nerves! (I spot Magi in the bubble since I’m reading the Magi manga). Meanwhile, in a city, at night, where we can spot beggars, Asvel is in a house. And who enters?
A charismatic man named Sety!
And Asvel is with friends, Machua, Lara and Brighton! They are all talking about something, maybe rescuing the children to piss off Reidric a bit more. They all agree to one of Sety’s decision and soon after Asvel is mopping looking through a window. Sety asks him what’s wrong, he mops a bit again, Asvel is in admiration faced with his idol (there is some strange background, not like the bubbly one for lovers but nearly). He stops mopping, thinks about how Sety is awesome casting spells and stares at the moon again, thinking about Leif.
(Curses the tropes of shojo manga, I think this was meant as a shipping moment for the ones who want to look at it this way, and even for the ones who don't want to).
Chapter 7
Cover picture of Nanna and a warp staff. Where did you get that Nanna? Drop it, you’ll never build enough staff rank to use it!
August leads a dirty kid wearing a cloak through the doors of the fort. Some soldiers asks who’s that. August pushes the dirty kid, he is unveiled, and he looks like Leif but with dirt on the face and with his hair hiding his right eye.
They don’t want to let him enter, August pleads, surely something about bringing a present to the Lords there by giving a child for the hunts, and they finally accept Leif in.
Follows a flashback about the actual plan.
Where Finn is obviously against the idea of sending Leif in jail, alone, without weapons. August and Eyvel tell him it’s alright, they look at a map of the dungeons/castle together (where they got it, no idea. Maybe Lifis). Finn still isn’t convinced, asks Leif if he is alright with the plan. He agrees. August looks proud, Eyvel a bit worried (in the mama sense). They exit the meeting room to meet Lifis, who was busy talking with Ronan.
Back to the present, Leif is jailed with numerous lil’kiddies. One looks oddly familiar, hey it’s Corple! Leif says he is here to save them all, while double checking that the guy supposed to guard them is still asleep (he ought to be fired).
(funny how Leif isn’t that much taller than Corple in the manga).
Leif and his new friend discuss again, sit on the floor where Leif remembers Nanna and Marita.
At the same moment, Lifis is scouting the fort’s walls from its backside (having crossed mountains to access it). There are some strange holes in a brick, Lifis gloats a bit, glances at Safy to get some motivation but Ronan finds him out. August and Finn asks if everything is going to be okay while Lifis uses different lockpicks.
The guard from Leif’s cell awakes and is alerted by some sounds (maybe the ones Lifis is making?). He leaves his post to check, while Leif, who got a lockpick too (and knows how to use it) opens the door of his cell! However, the guard comes back and pushes Leif to the ground (oh noes).
Leif remembers he is a child of Nova (I’m making this up) and spots a lance on the wall! He takes it and threatens the guard with his newly acquired weapon!
(honestly you have no lance rank why even using this? Use your fists!)
Everyone is surprised!
As expected, Leif misses his strike (that’s what you get from using a weapon you have no rank in) but the soldier trips during while dodging, falls on his back head first and well, dies. Like that. Corple congratulates Leif on his victory and they run out of the dungeons. Meanwhile, Finn and pals entered the castle and mopped the floor with the guards. Finn worries about Leif, someone wonders if Nanna and Marita are there. Finn talks with Lifis and hey, Leif’s there! Finn is overjoyed, Leif presents his new friend and Tanya seemingly talks to him. Maybe she wants to bring him back to his parents? (foolish girl, if only you knew).
Finn gives back the Light brand to his Prince and they all set up to hunt Reidric, but August notices the dead soldiers around (most likely the absence of reinforcement) and oh! Leif spots Reidric!
Double Oh! Reidric has Nanna hostage! Some soldiers appear behind him, everyone most likely realise that it was a trap. He puts a sword under her neck asking for Leif to surrender. Nanna says her lines while Finn and Eyvel watch, helpless.
Chapter 8
Leif is in the cover, wielding his light brand but follows the precedent panels, without his armor, wearing his stinky cloak and dumbfounded at Nanna’s apparition. Note that Leif still has his shiny boots, maybe no one looked at his foot and noticed that this kid wasn't a real peasant.
While Leif thinks about Nanna and the dilemma here, Finn remembers Raquesis who has a nice flowery – dreamy background. It is the only pic of Raquesis in the whole manga.
August thinks about a monument shaped like a cross but with chains (surely something relating to his previous activities as a torturer). He and Eyvel exchange a glance and Leif is ready to drop his weapon. He does so, Reidric orders his namelesses to seize them while Finn is mad at Leif for surrendering. Leif talks about Nanna while ignoring Finn, he gets angry again but Eyvel picks up the brand and… threatens Finn? She pleads something and finally Finn agrees to let them, but still he keeps the sword. Finn leads August and the Fiana pals to the exit. Meanwhile, Leif and Eyvel are taken by the soldiers, and Nanna cries.
We see the city in daylight (maybe the night passed) with random peasants entering with vegetables and stuff to sell, carts, etc (I like those seemingly useless panels, they bring realistic details to the story).
In the dungeons, the Magi group is here to free the prisoners! yay, heroes!
There is some discussion between Machua, Brighton and Lara while Sety uses his Holy Weapon to blast a part of a wall and a soldier hidden behind. Asvel spies with awe the holy weapon. He uses Grafcalibur under the eyes of his mentor to destroy soldiers coming their way. However, Sety mentions that he heard about Prince Leif being a prisoner, to which Asvel freezes.
(oh no, you shouldn’t have said that Sety!)
He remembers Leif (with a shiny background with rays of lights and all) holding out his hand, and explains to Sety something about three years (he searched him for 3 years).
Cue flashback how the two mages met, Asvel was walking/sulking in a town/ruins. A boulder was about to crush him but Sety destroyed it. Asvel knelt (without pants) and surely asked Sety to teach him the way of magic. They talk again (I am sure something important is hidden there but I can’t understand T-T) and the duo blasts random soldiers appearing, together. (dual attack of Holsety/Grafcalibur, they’re pretty much dead).
Meanwhile, Leif is sleeping/unconscious on the floor of a cell with still a cover/mantle wrapped around him.
Chapter 9
Cover of Asvel in a library. Bigger than Fiana’s. Maybe he is reading Grafcalibur? Oh, and pointless detail, in all of his apparitions, Asvel wore his usual clothes, that is his sort of very short tunic. Even in flashbacks! So it can’t be the same (he must have grown a bit in 3 years). Maybe wind mages need to practice with above mid-tight tunics to reach their true potential? (apart from the holy blooded dudes?)
Leif wakes up, afraid in his cell, but there is another inmate! An adult with a ponytail and Karin. Fergus gloats (seems to) and Karins gets angry. They argue, then Fergus goes back to sleep.
Karin presents herself, explains her backstory and how Fee is praying (we can see Fee!). I suppose she sent her to look for Sety. She explains more things (Leif might have asked her details) and we see her pegasi Hermes and a silhouette of Levin! I guess it’s like in the dialogue, Sety set out to find him and she is, in turn, searching for her Prince. I suppose she complains about Fergus because he wakes up annoyed and they argue again. Leif looks at the scene smiling and remembers his family, Nanna, Finn, Eyvel and Marita.
Fergus catches Leif sulking and tries to cheer him up, gives him a noogie while Karin berates him for acting this way. Leif finally reveals his identity and backstory (13 years ago something) while the duo is visibly shocked.
Fergus pats his head (like, seriously, he just told you he was the Prince of Lenster and you pat his head?) and they agree to help him.
Strange thing though, Fergus looks pensive in the last panel, as in pensive/planning something/finding the situation interesting.
Is it tied to the mysterious rumours about him, or has the mangaka choose to make him part of the Manster royalty? Keep in mind Fergus, because this isn’t the only instance where he appears not to be the random jerk found in prison.
Meanwhile, the Magi group free civilians. Lara opens the door of Leif&co but a soldier is about to OHKO her! No worries, Asvel blows him to smithereens.
Asvel meets Leif, Leif meets Asvel. (insert love song here)
Asvel cries on Leif, they both blush, they look at each other, the magi group is gossiping about this in a panel. We have a close up on blushing!Asvel’s face and another on blushing!Leif’s and suddenly, Fergus breaks the moment. There are times and places for this.
Fergus asks if they are the Magi group, Brighton and co answer. Asvel mentions Sety, their leader, and Karin immediately catches that the guy is her Prince. They escape and while running Leif seemingly apologises to Asvel, they’re all on good terms now. We see soldiers moving up.
And back to emotional things, Eyvel is shielding Nanna having defeated a random dude in an arena of sorts, while Reidric and Veld are watching (the big bad looks so random ^^). Eyvel asks where the hell is her daughter and the door opens to let someone enter, another fighter! Who has a waist size comparable to Nanna’s! Who holds a sword with an evil design!
Marita enters with eyes like those of a dead fish!
Nanna doesn’t see what’s wrong (is it usual for Marita to have empty eyes?) but Eyvel knows her daughter better! Indeed, Marita utters the word “kill” while Reidric is smirking. Reidric explains his douchebaggery, and how Marita tried to escape (panel where she is brought before him) and he gave her the sword. This evil looking sword with an eye on the guard. Nanna is shocked, Eyvel remembers story about this sword transforming people in crazy fighters (she imagines a person with a build of 20). Reidric laughs, Eyvel is very angry and Marita makes her move!
Chapter 10
Eyvel is tangled into bedsheet/a robe looking like bedsheets supposedly naked, without her usual hairdo. She has her eyes closed, so I thought she was asleep but… I won’t say it’s NSFW but if you’re not expecting this well. Well, she also has a size-0 in this (maybe her fighter attire makes her appear more normal).
So, Marita attacks Eyvel. Eyvel blocks, but Marita kicks her (in the face bad girl). Marita keeps attacking and Eyvel keeps blocking (lucky she isn’t using Luna). Eyvel tries to talk some sense into her by having flashbacks. Of a young Marita carrying a sheathed sword, then having her own sword (and putting Nanna to shame, damn it are you wearing size -1?). Then a warm a cosy panel, of Marita without armour hugging Eyvel without her tunic (as in they are both wearing civilian/casual clothes) in the backgarden of Fiana’s mansion.
The power of flashbacks stuns Marita! Eyvel smiles and Marita utters with difficulty the word “Mother”. While crying (daw!). Nanna notices and Eyvel urges her daughter to snap out of it.
Reidric isn’t pleased, gets worried a bit and Veld strengthens the curse (I haven’t said it before but when Marita is holding the cursed sword it looks like she has binds on her wrist). The eye in the sword shines, unleashes gas/some evil stuff surrounding the swordfighter who goes in her “Kill Kill Kill” mode. She attacks Eyvel again and breaks her mom’s sword! Eyvel looks worried but Marita collapses. She says something while smiling and having normal eyes (as in with pupils). Eyvel stabs the eye-thing of the darkness sword with what’s left of her own.
Marita snaps again in berserk mode, lifts her arm then collapses again but hey, she dropped the thing! Eyvel and Nanna worry about her, scream her name while Veld and Reidric look disappointed.
Another fighter enters with an actual well proportioned body(and a zipper. The hell? Jugdral era has zippers?) and threatens Eyvel and Nanna, stepping between them and Marita. Galzus isn’t worried nor surprised in the least when Leif and co enter the arena. Reidric is surprised though and wonder how they got here, then we have a nice panel of dead/knocked down soldiers. Nanna is so happy to see Leif while Fergus stomps on a soldier, to which Karin berates him for. He lets it go but there is a panel following where he smirks (Fergus’ oddities n°2).
Reidric orders to another division of soldiers to take care of them while Veld takes a pose, summoning a pentagram. Some lights surround Eyvel, everyone wonder what’s going on and she is brought in front of the evil duo! Veld throws a spell and Eyvel’s foot are being crystallized!
Asvel notices (or explains the Stone spell idk) while Eyvel is shaking. Reidric’s overjoyed (but why dude you haven’t done a thing). In her last moments, Eyvel thinks about Marita while talking (supposedly to Leif who is shouting). And then she is mute while Reidric laughs. Leif looks at the statue with horror while crying Eyvel’s name. Veld inspects his new masterpiece and Reidric orders people (soldiers again he has like 100 of them) to seize Leif!
Chapter 11 – last of the tome
Cover of the most beautiful statue! Eyvel has closed her eyes and I wonder,if say, someone broke a part of Eyvel’s hair, when she turns normal again would she still be missing her hair? Would the piece of rock being her hair be turned normal too, even detached from the main body?
Reidric’s happy that he will finally seize Leif. He orders Galzus something (name spot through many artwork researching again), who picks up Marita and is warped by Veld (rather Rescue? I don’t know what staff he used) while the duo rewarp away. Nanna screams her sister’s name while Asvel and Fergus glare at the now empty thrones. Everyone is surrounded, Asvel Grafaclibur’s some guys, Leif cuts a soldier and Nanna cries. She runs in front of the empty thrones and cries some more thinking about Marita and Eyvel, and how Eyvel sheltered them 3 years ago.
We have a picture of Eyvel with flowers in hand in front of her house wearing civilian clothes (it’s a flashback of course).
Leif hugs her and cries too, and they both think of Eyvel. But he stops, tries to cheer her up, surely with “what would Eyvel want us to do now?”. Nanna smiles everyone look at them, Leif asks a question and Nanna answers “Yes”, with a flowery/bubbly background, the same kind Finn had when he thought about Lachesis earlier on.
Fergus makes fun of the Prince (supposedly about he and his girlfriend) while Karin shouts at him again, Lara also seems to notice something leaving both Machua and Brighton depressed. The magi group decides to follow Leif in his quest and just when Fergus is about to do the same, dozens of soldiers appear through a door!
And soon after, dozen of soldier get wrecked by Holsety.
Asvel runs to his idol while Leif notices that this guy is Prince Sety. Both Princes talk a bit and they agree to get out of this place, but Leif looks determined while he escapes, thinking about Eyvel.
And they escape!
Meanwhile, in a Renaissance castle (No I’m joking but seriously this architecture seems way out of place when we compare with say, Fort Kelves or even later Castle Tarha) Marita is sleeping in a bed that is worth her entire village. Galzus brought her here and Cyas is seemingly tending to whatever wounds she has. He presents himself (wait Galzus you haven’t asked just trusted a random Bishop?), they talk (seemingly Cyas knows who is Galzus), Cyas asks questions, Galzus gives the “don’t bother me” glare but finally answers (I can’t understand a thing).
Cyas seems to agree to something while Galzus looks threatening, the bishop doesn’t seem to care, carries Marita (which is impossible by game mechanics but here he looks to have more build than size -1 Marita so it’s plausible enough) and rewarps.
And then the tome ends!
As with the Shiva pic in last time, here we have Marita (and damn I’ll never get along with those proportions T-T).
Like last time, teasing for the next one!
Who's that strange Leif look-alike?
RIP Dalshin, who never made any apparition T-T. And I hope I didn't forgot anyone else too.
Now, I realise that I'm focusing on bubbly/cute backgrounds when they appear, but I think it's a way for the mangaka to show her ships, Finn with Raquesis, Nanna and Leif, etc. Still for the Lifis/Safy/Shiva triangle, both guys had a bubbly background but without flowers. Maybe there isn't a choice here. Is it usual for shojo mangas? IDK.
Asvel had no flowers in his cute bubbly background with Leif so he isn't shipped with him. Too sad.
On more important things, I haven't seen Galzus pick up the Darkness sword. Or maybe he did it off-panel. And where the actual hell has he brought Marita? Is it Manster castle? I am sure Cyas and Galzus talked way more than what the game gives us, I can't be sure that Galzus threatens Cyas but from his face he does, whereas nothing in Chapter 6's script seems to indicate anything.
Just like the various talking Sety and Asvel had or even Fergus and Leif, which brings another interrogation, what's wrong with him? He treats enemies like dirt, treats Leif like a child even if he is his prince and seems to have a hidden agenda (that smirk plus his portrait in chapter 9). Maybe the manga makes him really related to the Conote family, so in a sense he and Leif are equals and that's why he pats his head. Or acts as a jerk. (he gave a Zelos Wilder impression, at least from my pov, but I know that Fergus doesn't betray so... just WTF).
The flashbacks between Eyvel and her child were filled with feels, I really appreciated it. And even when Leif and Nanna cry about her fate, we can see that they really loved her. I guess Leif is closer to her than to Ethlin and thinks of Eyvel first when we talk about his mom (or maybe Raquesis, I don't really know what was their relationship).
