Here be spoilers. Yar.
I have got to get better at this "daily posting" thing.
So Balsa finally tells Chagum the story of how she ended up with Jiguro as her, um, father-figure-ish person. (Jiguro didn't do fatherhood.) When she was six, her actual father decided to become a dumbass. Knowing that his stupidity would lead to the death of both himself and his daughter, he begged his BFF, the leader of the King's Spears, to take Balsa and flee Kanbal. Jiguro is all like, "WTF? Why do I have to clean up your mess?" but eventually does decide to do it.
This leads to being on the run for ten years. I'm guessing, because there are only three episodes left, that Balsa and Chagum are not going to have the same difficult time. Anyway, Jiguro is kinda an assbutt, and Balsa's kinda a brat, and they get along just fine (even if Jiguro refuses to admit it). He starts teaching Balsa how to fight, despite the fact that she's a woman and will never match up to male fighters, but takes care of all of their pursuers himself. In fact, all of the people seeking to kill them are Jiguro's former comrade-in-arms from the King's Spears. The eight lives that Balsa is trying to atone for aren't even her own kills.
After that backstory goodness, spring has come, which means that the story is headed towards the climax. Chagum looks for a good place to give birth to the egg, and Shuga leads a vast force, composed of both soldiers and his Stargazer brain, to the same place in order to protect Chagum as well. (Despite that, Balsa is doing about 300% more protecting so far. It's not clear if everyone else can't see the Nayug monsters as well, or what.)
Chagum's so adorable this volume, what with his tiny ponytail and his first sword. Tanda's speech about his feelings for Balsa was a bit of a shock, but I'm sure that's going to be resolved next volume, just like the rest of the series! I'm excited and sad. Hopefully the denouement kicks all kinds of ass.
So Balsa finally tells Chagum the story of how she ended up with Jiguro as her, um, father-figure-ish person. (Jiguro didn't do fatherhood.) When she was six, her actual father decided to become a dumbass. Knowing that his stupidity would lead to the death of both himself and his daughter, he begged his BFF, the leader of the King's Spears, to take Balsa and flee Kanbal. Jiguro is all like, "WTF? Why do I have to clean up your mess?" but eventually does decide to do it.
This leads to being on the run for ten years. I'm guessing, because there are only three episodes left, that Balsa and Chagum are not going to have the same difficult time. Anyway, Jiguro is kinda an assbutt, and Balsa's kinda a brat, and they get along just fine (even if Jiguro refuses to admit it). He starts teaching Balsa how to fight, despite the fact that she's a woman and will never match up to male fighters, but takes care of all of their pursuers himself. In fact, all of the people seeking to kill them are Jiguro's former comrade-in-arms from the King's Spears. The eight lives that Balsa is trying to atone for aren't even her own kills.
After that backstory goodness, spring has come, which means that the story is headed towards the climax. Chagum looks for a good place to give birth to the egg, and Shuga leads a vast force, composed of both soldiers and his Stargazer brain, to the same place in order to protect Chagum as well. (Despite that, Balsa is doing about 300% more protecting so far. It's not clear if everyone else can't see the Nayug monsters as well, or what.)
Chagum's so adorable this volume, what with his tiny ponytail and his first sword. Tanda's speech about his feelings for Balsa was a bit of a shock, but I'm sure that's going to be resolved next volume, just like the rest of the series! I'm excited and sad. Hopefully the denouement kicks all kinds of ass.