By Hanako Arashi and Wan Hachipisu. Released in Japan as “Kitai no Akujo, Sandome no Jinsei de “Musai Munou” wo Tanoshimu” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Mac B. Gill.
So this volume, at long last, gives us a good long look about what happened in the past, even if actual flashbacks to the death of Beljeanne, while there, don’t give the entire story either. One thing that has come up from those who know the real story is why, after Beljeanne’s death, the ones who benefited the most from it and ended up stronger than ever are the ones who hated her the most. Basically, Beljeanne’s plan did not differentiate between her allies and enemies. Towards the end of this book, while talking with one of the antagonists, Laviange makes it perfectly clear: Beljeanne grew up not knowing love, and so why did everyone expect that she would feel it towards other people? I called Laviange a sociopath and got some disagreement, though I think if I say “comedic sociopath” it would be accurate. Beljeanne, though, is the real deal.
Laviange is hanging out in some of the damaged lands that her class is trying to come up with ways to heal, with her sacred beast/puppy by her side. She is then interrupted by two new people: a priest who is trying to essentially get her on the side of the church at the behest of the pope, and a noble who she vaguely recognizes as Mirandalinda, Heinz’s ex-fiancee who desperately wants to get back together with him despite that now being pretty impossible. More importantly, though, Mirandalinda is also interested in looking at the pretty boys around her and imagining them in BL situations, so Laviange takes a shine to her right away, though Mirandalinda’s crippling shyness may not be helping. That said, it turns out that the reason the pope wants Laviange to come to the church is for a different reason. Something a bit more… evil.
I talked before about Laviange’s current life and her past life, but of course there was another life in between those, the one she lived in Japan, where she married, had kinds and grandkids, and died at a ripe old age. It’s very important, because while what little we’ve heard of her Japanese life suggests that she was eccentric, it also shows her capable of love and caring, something Laviange accepts as she thinks back upon that life… but something that she’s struggling with now that she’s back in her original world. This book is, in many ways, a broad comedy about a young woman who has no desire to deal with serious matters seriously – honestly, the book is really freaking weird in ways I can’t begin to describe – but at its core it’s about those who remember the broken woman she used to be and trying to get her to grow and change and learn to open her heart. And if I’m being honest, they’re still struggling.
Now that we have a major subplot, if not dealt with, at least expounded on, what’s next for Laviange? Whatever it is, she will likely be very silly at it.
