He may be suspicious, but at least he’s a dedicated servant.
While Jarvis could use this to his advantage and control Taro from behind the throne he may consider him to dangerous and stupid to be of use and will just arrest him for regicide accordingly. I favor the latter.
Nah, they can’t change the country’s name again so soon. They’ve gotta keep Taro as a figurehead for a while to justify the cost of all the new signs and uniforms and flags that they made.
Personally I, too think that Ardaic and Jarvis will stay with Taro’s version of that incident.
That questioning at the end: Just making things clear for the heir of the throne.
Yes, you will rule.
No, we won’t tell anybody.
But we know what you did just now.
And now you know that we know.
About that ‘we’: It is kinda hard to picture Ardaic and Jarvis acting separately or not in unison.
Well, there went that patience you were JUST boasting to your now-dead dad. Thank you, Ardaic, for not being criminally stupid in this situation!
Also, hard working, jaded, or legitimately assassin-in-disguise servant? His employer and most of the family he served is dead in the other room, but that thing is still getting some serious dusting!
Iwatani *was* the legal king, though. At the start of chapter 42, the entire ruling council all signed the documents making it so (though one or two of them did so somewhat grudgingly).
In fact, what I find most interesting about that incident was how Caneghem waved Taro into the room at the end, almost as if he was encouraging him. Perhaps Caneghem anticipated this end, or at least hoped for it.
I don’t know what Gastonia/Iwatania’s laws are regarding child criminals, but yeah you’re probably right, it’s more severe then that. If he even gets prosecuted.
Maybe 15-20 days until your execution…But not 15-20 years in prison. In a society like Gastonia, the law is as mutable as the mood of those who rule.
O.o
Probably part of their recruitement drill. “How comfortable are you dealing with sudden death and the gruesome task of secretely removing the remains of ennemies that oddly happened to die over a visit ? Oh, you have experience ? You’re hired !”
wow, it’s almost like a reputation for being a murderous sociopath can make you suspicious or something. So this is falling apart for him a bit faster than I thought it would.
1) I feel that if Taro is exposed, with the lack of a “popular” leader, this would cause a lot of problems in the country. Who would become the new leader? Would everything return to the old system? I am not sure how would people react to the fact that their political system keeps hopping back and forth. Would it also not cause internal strife, some people believing that the Heads of Houses WANTED to get rid of the Iwatanis, only leaving one survivor and male heir as the scapegoat.
We all know how much of a brick Taro is, but is that ALSO the opinion among the people of the country? If not they might consider Taro to be as great as his recently murdered father.
2) If the Heads decide to control Taro… it’s a bit hard to control a venomous snake that enjoys lashing out at everybody, at random, without a good plan. You can try to put it in a cage, and try to teach it tricks, but it’s still very, very dangerous, and in fact might end up killing itself when it mistakes its own tail for somebody’s finger.
The way Gastonia works, it seems what people most want is safety and stability. The remaining council and their machinations probably would be perfectly sufficient to fill that void, at least in the short term. I doubt the common folk really care who wields the power, as long as someone uses it to protect them.
Also, the members of the council are experienced politicians, while Taro is just a spoiled brat with no real understanding, let alone any patience. When push comes to shove, Taro’s best possible outcome is probably to become to become a pawn of one or more of the remaining houses, to be disposed of when he is no longer needed.
The real question is, will the remaining houses immediately start squabbling among themselves to see who replaces Iwatani? Or will they put that off long enough to keep it behind closed doors? The first could possibly work to Taro’s advantage (if only by accident; he’s not savvy enough to actually make good use of it), but the second would almost certainly doom him to a very short life.
That’s not an alibi, is it? I think of an alibi as being an excuse why it couldn’t have been you that did it, which just an accusation that it was someone else who did it isn’t.
I have the opposite reaction to this as most of the comments here:
I’m worried Ardaic is next on Taro’s hit list / is about to be accused of the murders. :-( Isn’t he playing his hand too quickly?
Of course: If it were nice to the badger, you wouldn’t have an angry badger, and the badger being angry is necessary for the success of this operation.
The gnome servant will be tagged retroactively when his name is revealed, I believe?
As for Ardaic, I only hope he won’t be the next in Taro’s victim list.
What *I* want to know is, what does Ardaic have in his hand in panel 3? It looks like he might’ve collected something from the body in the previous panel.
I was wondering that, too, actually! I was writing a comment a few pages back and didn’t know what to call him when mentioning him several times to make it shorter, so I just kept call him Taro’s dad or something along those lines.
Impatient, obvious and transparent like glass. Did the apple land far from the tree here! I hate to say it but Iwatani should have sold him off to the cultists when he had the chance.
Am I the only who sees that Ardaic only has suspicions. While I am sure Ardaic may not need much proof per say, I’m not certain he actually KNOWS Taro did it. As far as this page goes he has just as much reason to suspect Taro did it as those that Taro accused.
Unless he plans to say Taro did it whether or not he is 100% certain on that. However I kinda pegged Ardaic as an all too willing servant to the more ambitious folk, but not one we saw much ambition from.
Ardaic’s no fool. Question is where he’s going with this.
He may be suspicious, but at least he’s a dedicated servant.
While Jarvis could use this to his advantage and control Taro from behind the throne he may consider him to dangerous and stupid to be of use and will just arrest him for regicide accordingly. I favor the latter.
Nah, they can’t change the country’s name again so soon. They’ve gotta keep Taro as a figurehead for a while to justify the cost of all the new signs and uniforms and flags that they made.
Ardiac should kill the kid AND that oily guy… then take over the world! The kid had it coming and the oil on that guy is too oily.
He’s too oily, so grease him?
Personally I, too think that Ardaic and Jarvis will stay with Taro’s version of that incident.
That questioning at the end: Just making things clear for the heir of the throne.
Yes, you will rule.
No, we won’t tell anybody.
But we know what you did just now.
And now you know that we know.
About that ‘we’: It is kinda hard to picture Ardaic and Jarvis acting separately or not in unison.
Well, there went that patience you were JUST boasting to your now-dead dad. Thank you, Ardaic, for not being criminally stupid in this situation!
Also, hard working, jaded, or legitimately assassin-in-disguise servant? His employer and most of the family he served is dead in the other room, but that thing is still getting some serious dusting!
Or maybe just keeping himself busy in hopes that no one will bother him.
Neither.
He’s one of Bandit’s agents.
Ardaic is a lot of things. Stupid isn’t one of them.
Don’t worry Taro, you’ve got about 15-20 years in a secure environment to learn the right way to act after murdering someone.
Pretty sure treason doesn’t simply land you 15-20.
Certainly not in a world that still has death penalties for lesser crimes…
And regicide tends to be, if anything, harsher than simple treason… unless you were on the winning side of a revolution.
It’s only regicide if you kill a king. And, whereas Iwatani had delusions of grandeur far beyond his station, he was a simple head of house.
Now, patricide does apply…
Well, they DID just rename the country after this house, so I think Regicide is closer to the truth than not.
Iwatani *was* the legal king, though. At the start of chapter 42, the entire ruling council all signed the documents making it so (though one or two of them did so somewhat grudgingly).
In fact, what I find most interesting about that incident was how Caneghem waved Taro into the room at the end, almost as if he was encouraging him. Perhaps Caneghem anticipated this end, or at least hoped for it.
I don’t know what Gastonia/Iwatania’s laws are regarding child criminals, but yeah you’re probably right, it’s more severe then that. If he even gets prosecuted.
Maybe 15-20 days until your execution…But not 15-20 years in prison. In a society like Gastonia, the law is as mutable as the mood of those who rule.
O.o
That guy’s as oily as an olive orgy yet he’s not the one who’s slipped.
Probably slip right through the story arc.
That guy is Peter Dinklage.
The god of tits and wine.
THAT’s who he reminds me of. Thanks!
Look at that servant who could not give a shit. Like it is completely routine. Which… maybe it is.
Probably part of their recruitement drill. “How comfortable are you dealing with sudden death and the gruesome task of secretely removing the remains of ennemies that oddly happened to die over a visit ? Oh, you have experience ? You’re hired !”
Wait, isn’t Bored Servant Guy Lyrrion Tanister? From Bandit’s gang?
I think you’re right. If not, they are awfully similar.
Definitely him. Good eye. http://guildedage.net/comic/chapter-42-page-12/
Thanx 4 the link.
Ditto, nice catch, thanks for finding that for the rest of us!
How would you NOT have been able to tell? I mean, I was immediately going to say that he looked like Tyrrion Lanister, so…
Well, not everyone might remember a character who showed up once, six months ago, as a silent, secondary character in a scene.
If it is, Taro probably had him hired on. Maybe as an “undercover protective detail.”
As I recall, Reynolds hired Bandit’s crew to spy on the other heads of houses, so that’s probably why he’s there.
Well he couldn’t have done it since Tyrion’s weapon of choice was a crossbow.
Tyrion is always blamed when some one is poisoned.
I immediately recognised Tyrion – didn’t kniw he had a spinoff in-universe though.
ahaha you’re going to prison you little shit
Ardaic is supressing a hadouken in panel 3. Amazing self-control.
wow, it’s almost like a reputation for being a murderous sociopath can make you suspicious or something. So this is falling apart for him a bit faster than I thought it would.
He’s acting oily, because he’s polishing the wooden furniture. Linseed!
I am wondering what is better in this situation.
1) I feel that if Taro is exposed, with the lack of a “popular” leader, this would cause a lot of problems in the country. Who would become the new leader? Would everything return to the old system? I am not sure how would people react to the fact that their political system keeps hopping back and forth. Would it also not cause internal strife, some people believing that the Heads of Houses WANTED to get rid of the Iwatanis, only leaving one survivor and male heir as the scapegoat.
We all know how much of a brick Taro is, but is that ALSO the opinion among the people of the country? If not they might consider Taro to be as great as his recently murdered father.
2) If the Heads decide to control Taro… it’s a bit hard to control a venomous snake that enjoys lashing out at everybody, at random, without a good plan. You can try to put it in a cage, and try to teach it tricks, but it’s still very, very dangerous, and in fact might end up killing itself when it mistakes its own tail for somebody’s finger.
The way Gastonia works, it seems what people most want is safety and stability. The remaining council and their machinations probably would be perfectly sufficient to fill that void, at least in the short term. I doubt the common folk really care who wields the power, as long as someone uses it to protect them.
Also, the members of the council are experienced politicians, while Taro is just a spoiled brat with no real understanding, let alone any patience. When push comes to shove, Taro’s best possible outcome is probably to become to become a pawn of one or more of the remaining houses, to be disposed of when he is no longer needed.
The real question is, will the remaining houses immediately start squabbling among themselves to see who replaces Iwatani? Or will they put that off long enough to keep it behind closed doors? The first could possibly work to Taro’s advantage (if only by accident; he’s not savvy enough to actually make good use of it), but the second would almost certainly doom him to a very short life.
That’s not an alibi, is it? I think of an alibi as being an excuse why it couldn’t have been you that did it, which just an accusation that it was someone else who did it isn’t.
I was wondering the same thing. But maybe Ardiac will clarify what he’s talking about on the next page.
I was thinking he must have stated his alibi earlier, it just wasn’t shown.
You know what? You’re right.
That word did not mean what I thought it meant.
I have the opposite reaction to this as most of the comments here:
I’m worried Ardaic is next on Taro’s hit list / is about to be accused of the murders. :-( Isn’t he playing his hand too quickly?
I’m SO glad Ardaic doesn’t believe him!
Whoa! Tyrion from GoT is the maid?
NOW can he get tied in a sack with an angry badger and a large rock and thrown in the river?
That would be cruel to the badger.
And the rock.
And the river.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot the sack.
And the twine to tie the sack closed.
Of course: If it were nice to the badger, you wouldn’t have an angry badger, and the badger being angry is necessary for the success of this operation.
Just remember to get yout water upstream henceforth…
The gnome servant will be tagged retroactively when his name is revealed, I believe?
As for Ardaic, I only hope he won’t be the next in Taro’s victim list.
What *I* want to know is, what does Ardaic have in his hand in panel 3? It looks like he might’ve collected something from the body in the previous panel.
Piece of paper with “The Murderer is T” written on it?
I wouldn’t say Mr. Campbell is blameless, but he hardly acted alone.
At the very least, Mr. Waltrip (or possibly Mr. Waltrip) would’ve had to be in on it. And I doubt they would be able to sneak it past Mr. Kahn…
This conspiracy runs deep. o_o
*tries to blend into the shadows*
So, our main Clue is T (perhaps corroborating with Mr. W), in the Dining Room with the Lead Pipe (for the poison). Okay, let’s check the cards.
That’s snot an alibi.
Pleeeeaaasssseeee let the little shit get what’s coming! MAKE HIM SUFFERRRR! *cough* Sorry.
I don’t remember if I’ve forgiven Ardaic for his blind obedience to his superiors, but if I haven’t, I forgive him now.
Also, when is Gameofthronesreference McGnomepants going to get a name? Is it a secret name? Will there be a dramatic reveal? Is it…
*gasp*
Could it be that his name actually is Gameofthronesreference McGnomepants? :3
He’s Tyrone Lonestar, lovable wine-guzzling scamp of gnometown.
He’s the God of Brassieres and Mead.
His Grace Iwatani isn’t even tagged. That’s harsh.
Did His Grace Iwatani ever get a first name?
I was wondering that, too, actually! I was writing a comment a few pages back and didn’t know what to call him when mentioning him several times to make it shorter, so I just kept call him Taro’s dad or something along those lines.
Oily guy is part of Bandit’s crew, http://guildedage.net/comic/chapter-42-page-12/
Bleh, no second big plot twist…..soo unimaginative.
BUSTED!!!!! He isn’t as smart as he thinks he is.
So, Plan B. Poor Ardaic.
Impatient, obvious and transparent like glass. Did the apple land far from the tree here! I hate to say it but Iwatani should have sold him off to the cultists when he had the chance.
One would think that he’d have thought this through a bit further, but after all, it IS his first patricide…
Am I the only who sees that Ardaic only has suspicions. While I am sure Ardaic may not need much proof per say, I’m not certain he actually KNOWS Taro did it. As far as this page goes he has just as much reason to suspect Taro did it as those that Taro accused.
Unless he plans to say Taro did it whether or not he is 100% certain on that. However I kinda pegged Ardaic as an all too willing servant to the more ambitious folk, but not one we saw much ambition from.