@karasutengu to give him credit - despite all the bad things about his intelligence, dignity, lack of family and so on - he might be actually the smartest of the slum kids for taking Allen as role model.

Allen might just trigger the Rosenthal effect, but it would not be possible if Benza was not already a goodhearted guy to the core.

@Gyre My sincerest condolences to you.

@karasutengu said in EXP Is Golden Vol. 4 Discussion!:

@ilno-0 said in EXP Is Golden Vol. 4 Discussion!:

It's just, I live in a country that sits exactly at the world equator so the timezone never changes much lmfao

There are millions of us in the states that envy you. Changing hours back and forth twice a year is the pits and we hate it. Most of the states have been trying to get rid of DST for 20 years, but the government (Congress) won't do it (the evil bastards)...

Congress is too useless to do anything other than pass bills increasing their own wages/benefits at this point.

How is the kingdom ever gonna survive if the Pallas family defects, or worse, turns against the kingdom?

It feels a bit like they are the unknown shadow government, with Rothshild, the now improving slum and saint reputation, their indescribable relationship with the island empire and not to mention the shinobi power in the slum kid(s).

Makes you wonder how it was before the Rothshilds took over the economics of Pallas and made them that rich. The kingdom seems basically finished without them.

Budget "Tanaka family" is back baby!

I read this in a single gulp, and I really like it! The story feels like an old-school, classic fairy tale with classic fairy tale elements: princess, dragon, "hero", witches, promise made to a powerful other, etc. The only thing missing is somebody throwing a comb or seeds on the ground to escape something. The resolution also feels like a fairy tale ending. Not the slay-the-dragon kind but the trickery-and-wordplay kind.

I also like how the witch city feels lived-in. Some stories revolve so much around the main cast that the world feels paused off screen. I like that things happen in Witch city (the naming) outside the narrative POV and the main characters are pulled in.

The only thing I didn't like is personal preference. Throughout the volume, the mental image that kept running through my head is "bust a deal, face the wheel". While I appreciate fairy tale ending, I would be more satisfied see more of a comeuppance for the king and queen. Maybe the king loses all his hair, or all the chairs have 1 weakened leg or something. They seem to be terrible people.

@Hylebos said in In Another World with Household Spells Vol. 3 Discussion!:

This series is going to somehow end up with Patience thinking "If only I could be in multiple places at the same time" and her magic activates and then there are like five Patiences.

She has to know about Shadow Clone jutsu.

@Village-Idiot awesome then! Hopefully we get it soon then. Thanks for the anwser!

@zwabbit Only big ticket item is the advanced bike he got. Replacement gear sponsorships have already been negotiated by Hikaru, as there's already literally a line of home town companies wanting to sponsor Akira. I very much doubt hospital stay cost is going to amount to much in the grand scheme of things.

Plus they'll have the profits from the convoy defense and all the stuff Akira killed there which should be pretty good.

@Leon_97 said in Zilbagias the Demon Prince Vol. 6 Discussion!:

@karasutengu said in Zilbagias the Demon Prince Vol. 6 Discussion!:

@Zeteni said in Zilbagias the Demon Prince Vol. 6 Discussion!:

Look at that cute girl on the cover! Nothing tragic and distressing about it at all...

I assume that's Claire in better times...

With how young Claire was when the village was attacked, I don't think the image could've been from before the attack.

I too would rather think it is Claire.

Plus, considering how six years old are depicted...

Anyroads, the intro made me go starting reading the web novel just to find out it is a light novel thing.

I could not stop reading though and continued and was blown away by how satisfying the next volumes are to be. Not knowing how many volumes made it into light novel, though.

Incredible interesting characters and the momentum the story gets left me stunning.

That bombshell opening was sure something. I cannot wait to see what other light novel exclusive content are to come.

You think she could shock the hangover right outta him?

"No deal, you're fired, gimme back my Elixir."

@HarmlessDave said in Isekai Walking Vol. 5 Discussion!:

Maybe they realized it would be hard to sell owner-slave romances to many readers?

Spoiler for other series info...

spoiler

@endoftheline Hmmmm. Probably my adult expectations reading too much into what Eri said, but I got the impressions that:

She knew Eugene (her lover, at the very least) was clueless how to help Sumire survive her mana intoxication and was willing to help him. Yeah, she"a the Demon Queen, but she doesn't want Eugene to get hurt needlessly. Eri told Eugene to "Do what we do." (quotes mine). Sounds to me like "Boink her!" was the most expeditious way to get her mana back under control. Not practical when your on camera, to say nothing of being non-consentual sex. The fact that a (passionate?) kiss was sufficient to do the trick probably says a lot about their mutual attraction. Yeah, their public truce (Eri knows it's just an act.) just went up in Ifriri flames. Sara is almost guaranteed to respond in kind, much to Eri's delight. I mean, her Demon Queen side probably does want to corrupt Eugene a bit even if she wants him to stay with her, so I'm really expecting an equally bold move from her. Those two girls might have set the stage and showed her the path, but seducing and imprinting Eugene was all her doing. Eri is going to be impressed. After all, she just about raped Eugene to make him hers. I am looking forward to the next time Eugene goes to see Eri. "Princess Childhood Friend" is almost 100% showing up now, in a panic because she's number 3, at best. I'm betting Sara's going to pounce on Eugene rather quickly.

Coming unto this as a cold read as I hadn't read any of the contest entries during the various contests.

I hope the author can keep this up.
It's inspired.
Quite the madlad.

@xdbx
I think he's fiddling the books. She saw the real books, but he'll show the Duke different ones where the servants are decently paid and pocket the difference. They are from far away to make it unreasonably difficult for them to realize how they should be paid, even if they do realize at some point they'll be too far to get redress.

I just looked through the first chapter of the manga on the publishers site.
They chose a good mangaka, as even without understanding Japanese the story came through clear as could be...OK, so I'd read this far in the LN, and the first chapter of the manga goes through the restaurant section.

So the manga looks like a hoot.

This...
If the manga is the "Good Parts" version of S. Morgenstern's immortal work, The Princess Bride, well, this might be the source, yes.
It's not horrible.
But it seems like it doesn't quite know whether it's a comedy or not.
Or it is a comedy veiled within a setting crying to be more serious.
The MC doesn't see it as a comedy; he's struggling to overturn fate and survive.
At the same time the author certainly sees places to pull out all the comedic stops.
To drag in a wide variety of tropes and run with them.
It's a tricky balancing act, and I'm not sure they can pull it off.

But I'm hoping they can...or that JNC licenses the manga. Because the manga looks glorious.

@T-Fontana said in Repeated Vice: I Refuse to Be Important Enough to Die Vol. 1 Discussion!:

@Travis-Butler said in Repeated Vice: I Refuse to Be Important Enough to Die Vol. 1 Discussion!:

Heh. Bets that Fol is the blonde sailor woman from the prologue?

And that she might be headed for a slap-slap-kiss relationship with the MC after he defeats Sea Monster Strafe? ^^;;

I’ll take that bet. My prediction is that the kidnapped girl from part 1 is Fol’s childhood friend.

Oh, I think the kidnapped girl was Fol’s childhood friend.

I just don’t think the kidnapped girl was the blonde sailor woman. I think the blonde sailor woman was pushed into action by the trauma of her childhood friend. It fits Fol’s stated behavior in the second part you quoted, to a ‘T’.