Will the inhabitants of the Mud Whale ever find peace? Once the Mud Whale has finally arrived at Amonlogia, they are at first greatly with a warm welcome, however, their hosts quickly turn volatile, pressing the inhabitants of the Mud Whale between a rock and a hard place. It seems as though there is something sinister not only within the Mud Whale, but also within the King of Amonlogia. He seems to both abhor and crave the mysterious island, calling it beautiful and evil all the same. Even his own sons and his closest cohorts find him acting strangely in the scope of this new island. Could the Mud Whale be influencing this King’s mind? Or is he hiding something? Most importantly, how many inhabitants of the Mud Whale will be lost to Amonlogia before they can find their next beacon of hope?
The author’s note at the back of this volume really makes me think about how sometimes, your work really becomes you for a time. It’s interesting to think about. Something else interesting in this volume (besides the character and plot developments) is that Umeda-sensei addresses how feminine Suoh is, how unnaturally so and how used to it the inhabitants of the Mud Whale are… when he’s mistaken for a woman by one of Rochalizo’s brothers. It was very entertaining to me and quite funny. A nice bit of comedy before this story took yet another dark turn.
What could be the matter with the king? And what dark demon lord are those sand sea creatures following? I doubt that it’s Lykos, because that answer is far too obvious. Perhaps the Mud Whale only so happens to be going in the same direction as this dark demon lord, just as these sea sand creatures are, and they’ve become a sort of traveling companion. Or, just as likely, this Mud Whale island itself is a dark demon lord, which, wouldn’t that crown Ouni as its prince, and Aíma and Neri as its princesses?
Furthermore, can the inhabitants of the Mud Whale ever catch a break? It seems as though there’s a dark cloud looming over them, causing their suffering to be never-ending, with only brief reprieves partitioning the pain and anguish.