So first things first, the past two chapters were characterised mostly by inactivity on Bocchan and Sebas’ side. For the greater part, the chapters dealt with RCiel and Lizzie, while our two protagonists were mainly being ‘rescued’. (Which, don’t get me wrong, is not bad at all! I think it is rather refreshing to see Sebas and Bocchan being powerless and the servants kick into action). If anything, I considered the previous two chapters (144 and 145) as some sort of ‘calm before the storm’.
SPOILERS UNDERNEATH!
What is particularly interesting about the current development is that it makes the readers wonder with which cards Bocchan is left; who is loyal to him still and who will side with RCiel?
Chapter 146 takes this tension to level 11 by re-introducing familiar characters.
First we see Sebastian suggesting to find backup at Bocchan’s own established home-base, the Funtom Company, only to find out that RCiel has in practice, already put his check on the building with Scotland Yard. This scene effectively shows:
1. That Scotland Yard has sided with RCiel
2. How far RCiel’s influence reaches
3. How possessive RCiel is by taking even the Funtom Company that is legitimately Bocchan’s (I mean, RCiel wasn’t even around when Funtom was founded!)
4. And how Bocchan now is basically publicly known as ‘the fake one’.
After finding out that even the Funtom Shop is no longer safe, Sebastian takes out his last card, and takes the gang to Pitt’s studio.
The moment they let out their first sigh of relief however, they are already ‘busted’, revealing Pitt who happily takes a picture of them, telling the fugitives just how much that picture is worth.
Soon enough it is revealed that Pitt was joking and Sebas & Co. are shown a secret escape route. At this point, I think most readers would be rather glad to see that there is at least one person in England who is still on Bocchan’s side.
Honestly, if I were Bocchan I would also have hoped that after three long years of establishing yourself as a potent person, people could deal with his understandable decision of ‘taking the elder brother’s name’? But alas, Victorians are stuck-up, that much is clear.
The moment I myself as a reader let out a sigh of relief and labelled Pitt as ‘ally’ however, THIS FRIGGING HAPPENS:
Under just a little bit of pressure, Pitt sells Sebas & Co. out, and Randall sends his constables after the fugitives.
At this point I was pretty much already biting my nails, but THEN! BAAM!
Just when Scotland Yard was about to catch up with the fugitives, the ceiling comes crashing down, effectively blocking the police’s way. Enter Lau and RanMao, and I was cheering for Sebas & Co. because I had hoped that the former had come to the rescue... But of course, I half expected myself to be wrong...
After having made their spectacular entrance, Lau reveals even more spectacularly that he wouldn’t possibly let Bocchan and Sebas run away, along with the delicious, delicious bounty on their heads.
Before when Sebas offered to pay, Pitt declined and said that he’ll help them as a favour. Now however, we see that Lau and Ranmao show up very conveniently at the perfect spot.
I know everyone is tired of conspiracy theories, BUT IS THIS PITT’S AND LAU’S CONSPIRACY?! Will Pitt and Lau share the bounty???
Lau has always been very ambiguous when it came to his ulterior motives, loyalty (if he even has one) etc. etc. With Pitt already we were given a 360. We were initially set up to believe that Pitt would betray Bocchan, then given the set-up showing his 180 to ‘clear him from suspicion’, and then shown how Pitt made another 180. This time with Lau however, it is quite hard to believe that Yana-Sensei would go for the same formula.
This chapter frustratingly ends with this scene, and for the rest of the month, we are left to ponder just how many friends Bocchan has.
Moral of the story; just make sure you have a real name, complete psychopath, dead and not around for the past 3 years or not, doesn’t matter! You’ll have friends ^w^
