Henkyou no Roukishi - Bard Loen

[riflow]

Oh man I love this. The art is gorgeous and the characters are so damn likeable.

 

[Ada]

Another great manga, the art is great and so is the story?

 

[grom]

Looked at the raw, cant wait to have them translated atm 18 chapters.

Spoiler

The feel on some chapters............. :'(

 

[Ironclad]

Araki really could have given him his own spin off series.

 

[Griff]

Great series, but could do without all the obtuse Translators Notes.

 

[elephantNo5]

Given the recent change to Loen I feel a bit weird suggesting it... but isn't Rowan a pretty good name for our dashing dandy?

 

[Lynia]

@elephantNo5 I guess it is but it really was Roen or Loen... Rowan is a nice name but still a bit too far from the exact translation.

 

[LysandersTreason]

Phonetically, Roen and Rowan are identical... the Japanese are often really terribad at English-sounding names, should be OK to give it a better one.

The thing I don't get about this manga, while nice, is what exactly Bard did for like, two decades after Aidra came back... why didn't he marry her? She never formally married the guy in the other kingdom, and she came back after just a few years, and it's pretty obvious they love each other, right?

Dude cockblocked himself for 20 years why? Is he an old man virgin at this point, because the story has never shown him getting close to any other woman.

 

[GreatGonzales]

@LysandersTreason I was under the impression that Bard and Aidra had closer to a Father-Daughter or at best Brother-Much Younger Sister relationship as opposed to anything that could grow into lovers. She seemed to have a bit of a crush on him, so I instinctively wanted to see some romance there as well, but I don't think their actual relationship would have allowed for that

 

[LysandersTreason]

@GreatGonzales I feel like she absolutely was in love with him ever since he saved her life. To me it seems like a mutual but unrequited love between the two of them, but I guess what bugs me is I don't know why -- I mean, even Knights are allowed to marry and have families, and after having sent the princess to another country, where she comes back with a child, it's not like she could really be married off again. So what's the point in both of them spending the best years of their lives alone, even though they're both right there together? Imo the author needed to show why that wasn't a thing.

 

[elephantNo5]

LysandersTreason pretty much said what I wanted. The "row" of Rowan has the long o that is in the katakana, and I also pronounce the "an" in Rowan like the katakana "エン". I'm an opponent of katakana soup and romaji transliterations. But I'll only bother enforcing it in my own translations. I gave a suggestion, and it was at least considered, and thats good nuff for me. @Lynia (I suck at checking for notifications, which is why we have the late reply)
And also, (https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Professor_Rowan) ;p

 

[RC1138Boss]

This series is great! Thanks NANI? Scans for doing it! ???

 

[Maou-Sama]

Amazing!

 

[Vmpslushie]

I'm calling it right now. Joulran is Bard's son. He and Aidra probably had an affair right before she was sent to marry Kaldus. Her affair was exposed when Joulran was born but in order to save face, both she and Kaldus kept it a secret and she was sent back without an explanation.

 

[Ironclad]

@Vmpslushie No that makes no sense. They would realize something like that couldn't be hidden by a very obvious lack of maidenhead, and there's no reason to believe an actual relationship between the princess and the most well regarded knight in the land would need to be illict. While they are in different standings so a relationship unlikely, if they had the courage to go forward it would have worked out. They not so subtley implied Aida was forced into marriage, raped, and returned to instigate war. Bard missed his chance, and there might not be a culture of divorce so marriage without her being widowed may be considered disgraceful.

Would you really rather that kind of soap opera twist with no return? It would only make the distance between Aidra and Bard make less sense.

There's a running theme of an old man who hesitated too many times and acted too late. It's a juxtaposition of the image of an acclaimed and wizened old knight to the reality of just a soldier who outlived his peers. This is a swan song.

 

[Ayreos]

@ironclad
They could have sent Aidra back because she gave birth to a son that wasn't her husband's. After all, when messengers were sent to investigate they were killed. Instead of a political subterfuge that looks like an anger response. Being sent an already pregnant wife would be the epitome of a political and personal insult. The actions of the Coendra family also seem hellbent on taking control no matter what it takes, again somewhat too aggressively to be just political... but regardless of what it "looks" like, the author will clearly portray the development he pleases.

 

[sobeman]

must see the next chapter!

 

[Ironclad]

@Ayreos They look nothing alike. What leads you to think Bard and Aidra were ever intimate? Because they were close when she was a child? It's showm they grew apart when her tomboy phase ended after that near-death experience. It's been established the Coendra were aggressively expanding their domain even before the engagement, so I don't think it was due to infidelity. I will admit the Coendra have been moustache-twirling evil so far, so you'd think there will be revelation justifying their actions somewhat.

 

[FireFish5000]

He did her and threw her away. Nothing left to think about. Poor girl decided to abondon her ambitions to become the perfect princess, is used for politics, basicly raped, and disposed of. The story somehow glosses over it like it was the result of her growing up, but it's a terrible experience no matter how I picture it.

 

[Drifter]

Normally I avoid melancholy stories but this is something special.