By Kazuma Ogiwara and CARIMARICA. Released in Japan as “Isekai Toushou no Maken Seisaku Gurashi” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Ryan Burris.

Last time I mentioned that this was a very horny series, and that’s still true, though it is perhaps a BIT less. Fortunately, the sword that tells men to get aroused and kill themselves is limited to the very start of the volume. Lutz and Claudia are still a very loving couple, but for the most part it’s limited to “and then they went and had fun” asides. But that’s fine, because even more than horny this series runs on rule of cool. Every one of the main characters feels like someone who would calmly walk away from a car just before it explodes in a fireball behind them. Which is good, as we get the equivalent of that in this volume. Lutz and Claudia just want to make some cool swords and perhaps a lot of money as well, but after the events of the last volume, I regret to tell Lutz he is now Renowned, and as such cannot avoid getting pulled into kingdom politics,

Maximillion’s katana is very nice, and he’s getting more involved in politics (and attempted assassinations as well). It turns out the kingdom has been at war with their neighbor for years, and peace talks are… complicated. The other country has a fist-sized jewel, one that the kingdom cannot possibly match… unless Lutz can make, and Gerhard can craft, a blade that will be of equal value. This they do, simply as it’s the soul of the bladesmith screaming out to them to build better and better weapons. Unfortunately, the weapon ends up starting a throne war once it heads back to the Federation, as it’s just that compelling. Fortunately, Luz and Claudia have been taken into the city and given a title, so they’re no longer quite as much at risk. Shame that can’t be said for other royalty in the country…

Last time I mentioned the horny and the ridiculous, and there’s also a lot of cool here too. But it can also get quite dark and serious. A 13-year-old princess is about to be married off to the other country even though everyone knows she’d just be an abused wife at best and a hostage at worst. The throne war ends up depressing everyone, and a seemingly useless third son who’s getting executed turns out to have other sides to him that make you wish things might have been different. Most of all, the author ends with a side story asking what would have happened if Lutz hadn’t saved Claudia. The author of Re: Zero does this “IF” side-stories for fans, and they tend to be dark. This one is very dark, even though it turns out to be a story Claudia is telling Lutz – him not saving her leads to the downfall of the entire kingdom. I prefer our current reality.

Princess Listill, alas, probably does not prefer this reality. Let’s hope things get better for her next time. Recommended for MANLY MEN.