Taro’s testing Ardaic in panel 1. The renaming of “Gastonia” to “Iwatania” can’t be sitting well with Ardaic. He told himself it was just a rebranding, but…that’s just the latest thing he’s been turning a blind eye to.

Taro’s right and wrong about the poison’s origin getting him off the hook. It probably is of Savage origin, and Taro probably learned this when watching his father poison his “uncle.” But the Iwatanis are a well-connected family: acquiring a dwarven poison is a trivial matter, given time. And others know this. It’s hardly an airtight defense. But as the last few years have amply demonstrated, evidence matters less than the political will to prosecute.

Taro’s last argument was much stronger than this one, really. Ardaic has spent enough time on the front to know that losing the war is a real possibility. Could they win without Iwatani’s notes? Could Iwatani’s shorthand, the low-tech equivalent of a proprietary OS, be deciphered in time? Perhaps to both, but he can’t chance it. To protect the nation and the people he loves, Ardaic would gladly sacrifice the status that Taro’s trying to motivate him by threatening. But to protect those people, he will also call Taro “Your Grace” if he decides that’s what’s necessary.

Today’s page came out on a day we threw a lot of effort into selling our merchandise, which explains the direction we took the Facebook ad…

FB: On this Black Friday full of national anxiety, say “bye-bye” to the Gastonian Republic…

…And “BUY! BUY!” TO THESE GREAT DEALS!!!!!!!1!!eleventy!!!11!!