Radiant - Vol. 19 Ch. 148 - De-Escalation

[MangaDex]

 

[NameTheFamed]

What a volume!! This chapter has crazy implications. For those wondering what comes next, this is what we know about the future releases: Fabula Fantasia should be releasing in 4 months, Cyfandir Chronicles some time in summer, and Radiant should be releasing in 2025. Likely in the second half of 2025. Hopefully we'll see you there!

 

[Shibakita]

thanks for the scans! see yall in a few months

 

[hikarikyll]

Thanks!

 

[Jstar338]

Kinda lame to do this. Torque being this one-dimensional of a villain is such a letdown

 

[alacaelum]

Torque is a literal nazi, he and his little band of zealots... I feel bad for the people that will and are getting caught in the crossfire of his madness... but I can't stop finding it funny how he screwed himself.

At least a part of the other generals aren't crazy fuckers like him.

But that last page... I have no words for it, it shut me up really quickly.

 

[Frostisss]

I’m still kinda confused cuz I always got the idea that infected being jailed throughout most of the world was the default. Now it’s considered an extremism within an already extreme group.

Did I miss something? Is bome actually relatively more pro infected than most other places despite being hosting the HQ of the inquisition?

 

[alacaelum]

Kinda lame to do this. Torque being this one-dimensional of a villain is such a letdown

"One-dimensional" seems a little too strong a term to describe him, and... he kinda always was a "simple" villain.

He has been shown to be a fanatic and someone for which violence is the only tool.

He never was an infallible commander, everything he has done has failed in a way, but it carried consequences still despite that because of his position, but he clearly has been stretching that.

 

[Jstar338]

I’m still kinda confused cuz I always got the idea that infected being jailed throughout most of the world was the default. Now it’s considered an extremism within an already extreme group.

Did I miss something? Is bome actually relatively more pro infected than most other places despite being hosting the HQ of the inquisition?

Using a single organization as a metaphor for multiple different real world things stops working at some point.

I think we're reaching the point where some things start contradicting

 

[Saishy]

Using a single organization as a metaphor for multiple different real world things stops working at some point.

I think we're reaching the point where some things start contradicting

We had a somewhat recent dictatorship in our country, and there was a famous quote that someone said to the president (dictator) at the time that roughly translates as this:

“No, I'm not afraid of anything that comes from the honored hands of the president, I'm afraid of the random officer on the street.”
This translates exactly to what is happening, even extremists people could make a disgusting show of what they think is"civilized", like treating the infected as third rate citizens, but still citizens as they need to protect.

But as you go farther from the central, each officer starts taking on their own hands their idea of punishment, control, or whatever sick thing passes through their mind.

Edit: Every time I see a media displays things exactly as they happened in reality somewhere, there is someone to complain how "unrealistic" it is, like nobody wants to face the fact that sometimes things are as stupid as they sounds.

 

[NameTheFamed]

I’m still kinda confused cuz I always got the idea that infected being jailed throughout most of the world was the default. Now it’s considered an extremism within an already extreme group.

Did I miss something? Is bome actually relatively more pro infected than most other places despite being hosting the HQ of the inquisition?

Think about the setting: Radiant is a story that meshes present day events vs days long gone. Radiant's story is a twist on the witch hunts that took place in medieval Europe as a shounen. In real life, you don't go from nothing to everything all the sudden. The hunts gradually evolved to the point they got to.

The infected, to this point, have not been arrested/enslaved just for the fact that they are infected. Like when Seth and Doc first run into Dragunov, he askes for their "documents", meaning their work is regulated to some certain extent. And look at the Cyfandir war: Their whole excuse for the war was that Caislean Merlin was harboring a known terrorist.

The reason the infected try to stay away from the inquisition is because a lot of the soldiers are indoctrinated to be extremists. Radiant is highlighting this faulty reasoning while also comparing it to modern day politics, like how everything racist/bigotted that Konrad said was something that a prevalent (at the time) French politician said.

This recent development is not a "contradiction" nor is it a plot-hole. It works perfectly fine with what's been set up before.
I also want to note that this is a natural development for the story and it's not just happening because he wants to say something about current events. There have been countless crusades throughout history. Radiant has the perfect setting to contrast and compare those events to those of today. It probably would have gotten to this point eventually, but sure, current events likely inspired Tony.

(edit): It's also worth noting that countries' cultures can drastically vary. So this could be much more radical than it seems as well

 

[NameTheFamed]

I also just remembered what happened at the start of the chapter... Innina and Rini were both talking about how they have Sorcerers in the inquisition. It's a sore topic, but like Raidon said: The infected are still considered people and under their protection. At least in name.

 

[NameTheFamed]

Kinda lame to do this. Torque being this one-dimensional of a villain is such a letdown

I heavily disagree. And how is this the chapter that you draw this conclusion? The series has been focusing on his perspective of events. You get told what he gets told. You see what he sees. It's been set up in a way where you can understand how this might lead him to this. Day after day HE. KEEPS. FAILING. and I find his character fascinating.

Of course we will explore his character more but I think the set up is brilliant. Now we just wait for the execution. This happens all the time in Radiant where we learn something and previous events make much more sense. Like with how Grimm was terrified of Torque in Rumble Town OR like how Torque was furious when he found out Dragunov helped Seth. Which is something that we can appreciate more in retrospect now BECAUSE he has depth.
Like, this chapter literally alluded to him being betrayed by some infected person/group

 

[NameTheFamed]

This scene gives us that info:

This makes this scene MUCH more interesting. 116 was already one of my favorite chapters but Torque is emphasizing him helping Seth. NOT him killing Konrad. Very interesting detail.

 

[NameTheFamed]

I also just found this connection: The domitors had an insider that basically made it so the king/marshal would be in the back of the line. So they could kill them, while also fooling Torque into playing into their hand. With Torque as the defacto leader he would be able to make these radical decisions that would play into the plot twist in 148. That's why the Domitors wanted Herkles/Bellarmin dead. I think this is proof this was planned before some certain real world current events

 

[Yuyu_yusha]

Holy shit, dude. I sign up for simple adventure of Seth uncovering the mystery of fantasia and the infected and along the way uncovering his origin. I don't sign up for heavily political story like this. Yeah, well, time to turn on the Ole Brain.