I don’t know much about it - it’s a free-to-play RPG mobile phone game, there’s a little more information about it here. I only heard about it when I saw that it features some Arslan Senki characters. I’m not really sure how that works, but it seems to be some sort of special event! I remember there was another collab before between Arslan Senki and another game called Summons Board, maybe it’s common for a popular franchise to be featured in these games.
For now, the game doesn’t have an English-language release so I haven’t even looked into playing it (plus the Warriors game is taking up all my time, so it’s probably a good idea not to add anything else to the mix).
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I read this chapter at 7am and I WAS ALMOST JUMPING FROM MY BED WITH THAT FIRST HALF Like-- I was already loving to see that one general thinking poor about the obnoxious one, and the villager thinking "who is Guiscard?" but the moment it's said that the girl is blind and Hilmes do that face I HAD TO TAKE A MOMENT TO BREATHE and when Hilmes remembers of the other girl I WAS ALMOST IN TEARS! I love how Arakawa is doing her work, adding original content and surprising even more the fans :,D
I loved those little details too, where you realise that neither side is all bad (and there are quite a few moments like this in Arslan Senki) and that the village is so remote that they don’t really have any idea of what the political situation in the capital is. That actually worked really well to see Hilmes aware in a way of the harm his actions have caused; that it’s spread so far that even people so distant from Ecbatana are suffering in the aftermath of Atropatene and the fall of the capital.
I mean, he’s not going to stop pursuing revenge, but it’s interesting to at last see him have some insight that he needs to bear some responsibility for being the cause of all this. I’m sure he still views it as necessary, but I think this is the first time we’ve seen him directly acknowledge his role in it? Ah, it’s so nice to get some of his thoughts, even if he makes me so sad.
…and yeah, I think I made some sort of weird noise in the back of my throat when he started remembering… I can’t wait for her to be introduced properly!
Thanks to this chapter I'm almost sure that Arakawa ships Hilmes and Zandeh THAT LITTLE TAP HILMES GAVE ON ZANDEH SAID SO MUCH ABOUT THEM I'M SCREAMING
YES OH MY GOSH I MEAN I HAD HOPED FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS BUT IT EXCEEDED EVERYTHING I WAS EXPECTING. WHEN I SAW THAT TOUCH I ALMOST DIED. I was shipping them even before Zandeh was introduced in the manga and now there’s this chapter and THIS DAMN SHIP IS BURNING UP MY HEART.
At the very least it’s clear that Hiromu Arakawa likes Zandeh (and wants her readers to start having some positive feelings towards him!) and that makes me so damn happy because so few people liked him in the anime. I’m also getting a renewed appreciation of the degree of effort and skill that goes into portraying such a nuanced and complex character as Hermes this well - especially since it’s an adaptation from novels. The manga is fantastic, it really is.
No, no, thank YOU for doing that fabulous Merlane fanart! That boy needs more love and recognition in the fandom, haha! But, back to your question:
To give a bit of context, if you have read until book 4 (summary available here), you’ll know that after splitting up with Kubard, Merlane promises to accompany and protect Princess Eleanor of Maryam on her quest to search for her childhood sweetheart Hirmiz.
SPOILERS below this point.
They finally reach Ecbatana but Merlane gets separated from Eleanor inside the palace (I’ve got to re-read that whole bit to remember how that happened, so uh, just bear with me for now) and is now trying to avoid Lusitanian soldiers’ pursuit. Estelle, at this point, is also being chased around by royal guards after provoking Guiscard earlier on. They run into each other and they’re suspicious of the other person’s intentions, though they both know that they’re sort of on the same side – both are unwanted strangers straying in the palace.
Here are some snippets of their exchange in Book 6, Chapter 4:
‘Why am I always protecting women these days? How did it end up like this?’ Merlane of the Zott’s clan can’t help but ask himself. Under the pursuit of the Lusitanian soldiers, he manages to climb past the palace’s walls, runs through the street in the darkness, and crosses the capital’s gates at long last. Estelle follows closely behind.
[…] To successfully escape is a good sign, but why is he forced to cooperate with the girl disguised as a boy?
This is also Estelle’s last resort. Not only was she unable to rescue the king, but she was almost capture herself, and so she could only escape in the chaos. Just as she was getting away, she ran into this unidentified, young Parsian. That young Parsian man stops to lightly adjust his breathing, then glares at Estelle impatiently.
“Girls nowadays are quite daring, are they not? It seems like Alfreed is not the only one who’s frivolous.”
The name passing through the young man’s mouth surprises Estelle for a moment.
“Who’s this Alfreed?”
“My younger sister.”
After his simple and quick reply, Merlane gauges for the young woman’s expression.
“Why do you sound so surprised?”
After identifying Merlane as Alfreed’s elder brother, the two exchange information. Merlane decides to head towards to where Arslan is, though he’s surprised that his sister is part of the crowned prince’s entourage.
It seems like he’ll soon meet up with his sister. After he’s made this decision, Merlane quickens his steps, and Estelle also speeds up behind him.
Turning around, Merlane brusquely says, “Why are you following me? There’s nothing else that concerns you, is there?”
“Between you and me, there’s nothing more that concerns me. I’m just on my way to see Prince Arslan.”
“Don’t imitate me!”
“Who’s imitating you? You’re the one who’s imitating me, aren’t you?”
So basically, for ten days they travelled together and they fought off a lot of bandits that are roaming in the countryside on the way (not much description from the book for these scenes) until they’re half-day’s journey away from Gilan, where they are surrounded by a big group of bandits and are rescued by Gieve and Farangis. On a side note, ever since he’s witnessed Gieve and Farangis’ archery skills, Merlane has somewhat become a fanboy demoted himself as the third best archer in Pars. Estelle and Merlane don’t interact much for the rest of the story, from what I remember.
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