- Mangaka : Toma, Rei
- Publisher : VIZ
- Genre : Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Shoujo
- Published : July 2012
Reimei no Arcana (Dawn of the Arcana) Manga Vol. 4 Introduction
Despite Akhil’s persistence, Nakaba decides to remain in Belquat and use the Arcana of Time to try to keep another war from breaking out. Instead, she’s given a vision of a beautiful girl being run through with the same types of swords she and Caesar found in the secret tunnels. Caesar recruits his father’s advisor, Bellinus, to help him foil the king’s plans to test the new weapons on an innocent village which he hopes will at least set back the plans for war. With Loki and Bellinus in tow, Nakaba and Caesar set out under the pretense of taking a honeymoon near the place where the king plans to launch his first attack but a surprise stowaway interrupts their plans.
Contains Spoilers
Discussion Time
In this volume, we meet Bellinus’ little sister, Lemiria. She does and says whatever she wants, from telling princess Nakaba off to stowing away on their secret mission trip. It’s likely she’s never been punished for anything in her life, but her confidence and love for her brother are admirable traits. Her character does a lot for this volume by being the catalyst for Nakaba learning to better utilize and focus her Arcana as well as being Nakaba’s first proper female friend. It’s really cute seeing Nakaba warming up to a new friend and doing normal things like shopping and eating together.
Caesar is less than thrilled with the addition of a new member because he was very much hoping to also get some private time with his wife. You feel a little bad for him when his date plans are ruined but, at the same time, seeing him pout is pretty funny. It’s nice, at least, that Nakaba bought Caesar a pair of earrings, proving that though she may not be as aggressive as Caesar in the sexual department, she does cherish her husband.
While Loki, Rito, Bellinus, and Nakaba know of the King’s plans to test his weapons on a small Ajin village, they keep this a secret from Lemiria. However, Lemiria proves to have an extraordinary perception of people’s feelings and intentions. The way she describes Loki is as if she’s looking into his heart which he hasn’t opened to anyone but Nakaba. This makes us wonder if there may be more to her than just being a busy-body girl despite her whimsical façade.
Nakaba enjoys time with her new friend but finds it hard to relax having played Lemiria’s death over and over in her mind. She vows to protect her, but a new danger faces Lemiria; one that Nakaba did not foresee. Bellinus betrays the party in order to keep his sister from facing the king’s wrath and lies to Lemiria by telling her the others simply went off into the woods without her. She knows something is amiss and goes to find them. In reality, Bellinus has drugged and jailed the others to keep them from stopping the massacre. When a snowstorm begins, Bellinus fears the worst and confides in the others that Lemiria has gone missing. Nakaba demands to be released so she can find her and somehow convinces Bellinus to let her go. She’s determined to keep her vision from coming true and losing her new friend.
After stumbling around in the snowstorm for awhile, Nakaba cuts her arm in hopes that the sight of blood will trigger the Arcana. Luckily, it does and shows her Lemiria’s location. She manages to bring back the wayward sister before collapsing herself. Bellinus, having seen Nakaba’s bloody arm and her determination to save someone else so dear to him, has a change of heart. All he really knows from palace life is how to obey to avoid pain, but seeing Nakaba run full force towards suffering to help someone makes him feel hope for the future which he’s never felt before.
The volume ends with Caesar and Nakaba sharing a private moment before beginning their mission again. Caesar teases her for not caring about her own life as the reason she acts so recklessly. He asks her if she still feels like living in Belquat only changes where she will die. Nakaba tells him that her feelings have changed and that it’s the place she wants to live. Caesar smiles, knowing that it means ‘It’s where I met you’.
1. There’s Another Female Character that Doesn’t Suck
The other women we’ve met in the palace, such as the Queen and Princess Louise, are bitter and nasty people who delight in hurting others they consider lesser than themselves. Lemiria doesn’t care who you are, you just better stay away from her brother! She seems to easily get along with others, though, and isn’t fazed by much. Even when Nakaba screams at her to leave (only wishing to keep her safe), Lemiria simply says ‘well I never’ before simply insisting it’s in Nakaba’s best interests to have another girl along. Nakaba can’t even appear before the Queen or Louise without them trying to throw her in a dungeon or hurt her.
Why You Should Skip Reimei no Arcana Vol. 4
2. You Want to Get Right Down to the Battle
While there’s a great buildup to our heroes trying to stop the massacre of the Ajin village to the north, nothing happens in volume 4 in that regard. All we learn is that Bellinus planned to betray Caesar to keep the king from harming Lemiria, but we don’t see any of the bloodshed hinted at in the beginning of volume 4. If you’re wanting more action and less character-building, you may find this volume a little slow-paced.
Final Thoughts
Loki begins to make moves with the Ajin they come across, which we know will have some big effect later as per his plans mentioned in volume 2. It’s also revealed that the young Ajin Rito is Loki’s spy. This reminds us that Loki is serious about instigating an Ajin rebellion and is willing to risk other people’s lives to make it happen. However, as he clings to Nakaba, begging her to keep the Arcana a secret so he won’t have to lose someone else, we see it’s not because Loki doesn’t care. He is just fed up with seeing his people suffer and knows that nothing will be changed without sacrifice. We can anticipate there are storms on the horizon and as Belquat’s army draws nearer to their destination, it’s unlikely everyone will remain unscathed.
Author: May
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