[Chingaruna517]

Sorry for the late post, folks. It looks like my own laptop was now rendered unusable because of of I had a new computer, plus I need to update that series' wikia as well because...well, the site needs a great overhaul, if you know what I mean.

Anyways, these are the official illustrations for Volume 22 and we're entering a new arc and it is getting so challenging that even the ever cunning Hiroto is having a dilemma because of 2 things.

Spoiler for Hiroto's problems in Volume 22:

1. Not everyone at Agnica agreed with the proposal he made that lead to the peace between Agnica and Gassel. People in Port Sarika remains dissatisfied by the treaty from the last book in regards of the taxation policies. As such,
2. Nobles in Hybride are trying to no cooperate with Leonidas again by passing through their resolution in against the war taxation, mainly because Leonidas listening to only Hiroto's suggestion and both Univestel and Panopticus specifically warns him to stop relying on Hiroto

Spoiler for Volume 22 plotline based on the illustrations and plot.:

1. Excelis doesn't feel so well because one incident that gave Hiroto trouble. Yes, really. More on that later...
2. Speaking of which, here are Hiroto and his girls are playing the game that is taking place at the casino, of which taking place. Unfortunately, before Hiroto can even play the game, Excelis play the game under her drunken state and lose the game. With 6000 Cross. Naturally, Golgint mocks Hiroto and even worse, the casino staff refuse to help him. That is until Mimia is next to challenge him into that game and surprisingly win the game, meaning that Hiroto .
   1. As the result of that casino incident, Excelis is heavily reprimanded by Alvy for disgracing the elf's name . Luckily for her, Hiroto forgives her
   2. As for Golgint, he is still angry by his humiliating defeat by Mimia the "peasant" that let Hiroto got away from it, so much so that he even wanting to get his hands on him but unable to because Valkyria was there (remember that Phyllis and Noblesia made that terrible mistake once, as well as Magia where), though this doesn't stops him from tempting to make Hiroto's life miserable (Bourgault and Hydran tried their attempts twice and guess how the consequences bit them back)-even if it means cutting off the alum stones supplies to Hybride by sinking a Hybridian ship that delivers said supplies back to that kingdom.
3. Curele calling Soichirowith her tears on her eyes while holding the book. Don't tell me that Golgint did something terrible to him?!
4. Meet Sibyl , a Gasselian merchant who arrives at Port Sarika for a fruit that is looks like a durian but, as the stories goes on, she becomes irritated because the Agnica merchant makes a ridiculous price with a jerkish behavior and her complains only gets her dismissed and she vows to let Metis know about this incident so she can destroy the port. Not long afterwards, she got killed by the river pirates, courtesy to Golgint's orders.
5. For a very long time, Hiroto and Metis is seen reunite again and they seemly talking about the game they played recently. I supposed that this is for the
6. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Calicula the first human loli in this series who happens to be a sister to the late Sibyl and goes to Sarika in order to find out her sister's murder and bring it too justice. Sadly, she doesn't get any answer because Sarika residents still treats her terribly just because she is an Gasselian, courtesy to Golgint who not only making sure that she will not get what she wants, he also want that girl join her sister in the afterlife too. Fortunately for her, she spots a Hybridan ship where Slara and Luluk and her new husband are taking back to Salabria.
   1. Calicula doesn't go to Sarika alone, though. She is accompanied by 2 knights who really aren't as useful as it seemed. She once ordered to kick the Agnician merchant's ass for denying her appeal but they didn't.
   2. They also urged Calicula do not report to Metis afterwards which easily annoys Calicula for a good reason.
7. Hiroto and Leonidas are here to discuss not just about the casino incident, but also a meeting between nobles who just passed their protest against war taxation, giving Hiroto a sober reminder that the nobles in Hybride still despise him no matter how good his eloquence is. Things are not looking good on Leonidas too, however, because he is constantly being reminded by both Univestel and Panopticus specifically advise the king to stop relying too much on Hiroto while readily to listen to others because, you guess it, many nobles in the kingdom are repulsed by Leonidas's favoritism , of which garnered Leonidas's annoyance due to his trust for Hiroto. (I mean, these two should know by now that Hiroto's orthodox thinking was the reason why Hybride survive from it's enemies-a feat that not even veteran nobles can matched.)
8. Hiroto and Calicula finally meets for the first time and the latter asking him to help her to avenge her sister's death. Unfortunately, as angry and frustrated as he feels for Sibyl's death, Hiroto is having a dilemma because this means waging a war against Agnica and the nobles just passing through the anti-war taxation resolution not too long ago. The preview chapter ends with a cliffhanger where Calicula cries and plea Hiroto to help her because Sibyl has been taken care of her after the death of her late mom.

Basically, some people at Agnica still acting jerkish despite the treaty between Agnica and Gassel that supposed to bring peace between both kingdoms from the last book, and things are only to get ugly when a new character is introduced and unfortunately for our heroes,

Spoiler for The antagonists in Volume 22:

• Count Golgint of Port Sarika at Agnica is the main antagonist in this book and his rivalry with Hiroto is the new arc's main spotlight. He is one of Gudrun's major supporter and one of 5 most influential aristocrat in the kingdom but he thinks that he himself is the law in the town he is ruling. He meets Hiroto at the casino and, as always, he belittles our MC and then mocking him when Excelis losing the game. While his feud against Hiroto is as typical as the other villains in the series, with his hatred against Hiroto isn't any different than any of Hiroto's enemies what's make Golginteven more dangerous is that he isn't a sloppy guy in what he does and he will make sure he see it through. Sibyl becomes the victim of his dirty deed because he hated Gassel merchant so much that he orders some of his men, who themselves disguise as river pirates, to "make her disappear". That makes him much like a hypocrite because he did mocks Hiroto for being a "coward" for fleeing away or depending his harem to do his game while he himself doesn't want to to get rid of anyone who escape his port before they can report to Metis about it.
• Unsurprisingly, Hybrdian nobles also making their appearance again but this time, and they are against the war taxation and the only way to get them comply is restoring Hydran's honor, making Hiroto's work even more difficult. Finnath and Gollard and Lemaire are the ones who lead this who attended that meeting, only Rasmus, Limbeld and Margus did not attend said meeting because of their health conditions.

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P.S.: Sorry for the late update because of real life shenanigans lately...