#the field of conflict

[ahb-writes]

Book Review: 'Reincarnated Aristocrat' #2

As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I'll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World #2 by MiraijinA, Jimmy, Tristan K Hill

castle politics

fantasy

isekai

political science

social commentary

war

My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Off to war!

Sort of.

Ars Louvent, leader of a tiny barony and otherwise small fry in a metastasizing civil war in the Duchy of Missian, makes purposeful strides toward maturing in his role as a civil leader of the people. Readers may query why a 12-year-old boy and his group of retainers, awkward and outcast though they may be, feel destined to contribute to several war councils. Regardless, REINCARNATED ARISTOCRAT v2 makes good on the author's promise to complicate the politics of Missian as much as possible, if only to expose Ars to new, fun, and strange scenarios that push his plucky little appraisal skill to its limits.

Conflict is on the horizon, and Lord Couran Salemakhia is calling upon his allies to position him for steady progress toward eventual victory. Ars somewhat comically complains that he is of little use for much of the novel. But in truth, the young man fills in many of Lord Couran's numerous and often unobvious gaps in strategy and organization.

Need an ambitious advisor or two for the war council? Ars attends the meeting with Rrietz, Rosell, and Mireille Grunzeon in tow. Mirelle is his newest retainer: an exiled, warmongering alcoholic with ties to Salemakhia's brother. She's a petty woman, but her eye for detail is second to none. Quite a find.

Need a stealthy way to overtake nearby land and county while marching toward the final battlefield? Ars hires the delightfully surreptitious Pham, the cross-dressing spy master, to pull off a handful of clever clandestine scenarios.

REINCARNATED ARISTOCRAT v2 reads like a bridge between daily life as Ars knew it (as seen in the first volume) and the eventual and strident chaos that awaits the duchy as civil war festers in earnest (likely occurring in the next volume). The current book leans more heavily into equitably merging statecraft and battle strategy — an interesting and far more attractive narrative turn than either in isolation. For example, a good portion of the novel is dedicated to conducting cross-border negotiations with the Duchy of Paradille (to acquire supplemental infantry forces). Can Ars overcome Duke Mahkfa Sarcassia's blind allegiance to the empire? Or sidestep the uncanny brilliance of the duke's smarmy retainer, a "genuine, hardcore edgelord"?

The war council debates are fun, albeit brief, and the story's assorted ambassadorial negotiations provide crucial insight into the necessity of rounding out Ars's skill set (along with Licia and Rossell's). One thing this book does extremely well lies in its portrayal of how Ars becomes increasingly integral to Missian's future through his accidentally brave political intrepidness.

And when Ars is presented with the truth of a bloody battlefield? What happens then? Interestingly, he becomes frightfully aware that using his appraisal skill to spare the life of an enemy soldier, mage, or strategist invariably means condemning all others to death:

"I believed that averting my eyes from the consequences of my actions was unconscionable for a person of my status [..] They were dying because I hadn't picked them out as being talented, so I felt I had an obligation to see this through to the end [..] Taking part in the battle meant putting your life on the line, and I knew they'd accepted the possibility of their deaths, but I still couldn't help but grieve for the futures that had been denied to them" (pages 223, 234-235).

To wit, the novel retains much of the minutiae of intrastate governance. The previous volume was full of it. And readers will still need a notepad to keep track of all of the names of people, places, castles, vassals, retainers, and more. At this point, one is resigned to the fact that these unnecessary details are but a woeful affectation on the part of the author. Further, when Lord Couran orders the County of Canarre to march into battle, Ars and his crew tread through several smaller counties and take to the field of conflict on multiple occasions. The good news is that Mireille, the new strategist, while being snarky and lazy at all hours of the day, becomes a bear once the swords are raised. The bad news is that readers still don't have a map of any kind, and the book's growing breadth of terminology only complicates the theater of the mind.

But the book is another surprisingly entertaining read. AS A REINCARNATED ARISTOCRAT, I'LL USE MY APPRAISAL SKILL TO RISE IN THE WORLD v2 illuminates the relationship between duchies, clarifies the dynamics and alliances of the civil war, and introduces new characters and retainers whose detriments compete more earnestly with their skills.

The light novel's diversity of personality is probably it's most significant contribution thus far. Licia's obsessiveness. Rietz's anxiety. Charlotte's ego. Mireille is a fun character, and one hopes her role will increase as the war effort comes into greater focus. Another new character, Shin Seimallo, is an annoying engineer with an eye for airship design. Shin is likely a plant for a future adventure.

And the protagonist, Ars, is cleverly designed such that he never knows as much about himself as he knows about others. When the young man engages Lord Couran about such things, he merely shrugs his shoulders:

"I'd more or less surmised that my Valor and Intelligence were less than exceptional, but I had yet to pin down my Leadership or Politics scores, even in a broad sense [..] I didn't believe I was talented, in any case, but I didn't see anything wrong with indulging in the fantasy every once in a while" (pages 112-113).

❯ ❯ Light-Novel Reviews || ahb writes on Good Reads

[brainlessbaguette]

March update! March update! Get hyped, tomorrow we find out what the dragon man looks like!

A first attempt at drawing March. I know everyone draws him, but it was fitting + this is the man I intend on romancing in the later updates, I do want to doodle everyone else tho... especially Dozy a few dozen more times. I really love Dozy.

[theprissythumbelina]

I can't tell if my dragon worldbuilding has gone too far when I start reading scientific papers on bat wig morphology and comparing them to bird morphology.

[ww2yaoi]

can I say something

this corpsman was really hot (corpsman stern no first name apparently based on "red" from leckie's memoir) like look at his cunty little glasses and his hat (paging dr. fashionista hellooooo) and his dynamic with leckie was really funny where leckie would refuse his help until absolutely necessary and be really begrudging about the whole thing while stern was very kind and gentle with him... they should've had a whirlwind affair I'm not even joking

[mayopocket]

PINK GIRL SPORTS DAY

[aroaceleovaldez]

recurring minor characters not being in s2 of the show does mean that TLO is absolutely doomed now if they ever do get to it, because the weight and impact of characters like Silena and Beckendorf are entirely based on how long they've been around in the books and their longstanding connection to events in the story and particularly Percy (not to mention Beckendorf's importance in SoM specifically but i digress)

HOWEVER. on the bright side: this means they are spared from being in the show for now. so.

[sweetestflow3rs]

what if we kissed next to the pixel fleshlight

[addicted-to-the-knife]

he's so important to me

[ghostlypawn]

honestly think saying wicked is a ‘story about friendship’ does a disservice to the show when at its crux its a story about discrimination and corrupt governments

[sisaloofafump]

(The sizes are based on common international dimensions, but some vary a lot between locations)

After you vote, the answer is below:

An exy court is the exact same dimensions as a field hockey court (it even uses the same dividing lines)!

100 yds x 60 yds (91m x 55x), and is 10 yds (9m) tall.

[knockknockitsnickels]

I'm hoping the next Fields of Mistria update gives the other characters a chance to shine more. I feel like March is in almost every event - Hayden's 2 heart event felt like it was more about him then it was about Hayden.

[makorragal-312]

Gotta admit, after last night's episode, I was completely lost as to what the conflict was gonna be between Buck and Tommy that was gonna lead to them eventually breaking up.

But now that I think about it, I think Tommy is going to finally make his feelings known (most likely without meaning to) that he's envious of the family dynamic within the current 118 and that he wants to experience it.

This will lead to Buck questioning how he never experienced it or made any strong connections with anyone if he was in the 118 through both Gerrard AND Bobby. And that's gonna lead to Buck finding out about Tommy's past behavior under Gerrard and how he treated Chim and Hen and then it's gonna make Buck confront Tommy about longing for that connection when he could've had it had he not been a bigot.

The two are gonna fight and then BOOM, breakup.

[meadowsofmay]

i genuinely enjoy the amount of respect and love and care the circle has for cosmo. i can't possibly know if it will ever backfire given the circumstances they are in but that's not even what's so important right now. what will happen is what will happen but the beginning, the starting point that is actually a starting point only for us. for them? it's one of many that dotted the path of their relationship, their connection to cosmo.

i suppose it is so nice to see because there is an image of an old, obnoxious, know-it-all figures in media that are presented from the perspective — having knowledge is a grant of respect. but cosmo, at least from what we hear others speak of him, is not that. he is an old man that his grandson relative? father? wants to protect because that's how it should be and not the other way around. he is an old friend to madam glask, and he is the closest and hence the dearest, which means she will step over her fear and lost trust of elsie and follow their mission through. he is an associate, a roommate that elsie trusts to keep her safe and keep others safe from her. he is a professor that has earned his respect from rajan.

and he sees them as his children, he cares for them as he would care for his own and yet, not in a belittling way. they are like children to him but they are not children. they are grown and established in life adults that achieved their status in society and that cosmo respects, while caring for them like he would for his children. and it's almost as if they care and love him the same way in response. his human being does not consists only of work and his studies and they can love him like children would love their elderly parent. and they do.

and surely, we don't know what had happened in cosmo's past 'till it'd be revealed or what will happen in the future 'till it will happen next episode. but i just enjoy how likable cosmo is while being a knowledgeable and important part of the candela and the circle. i like how it's easy for the circle to like him and stick with him even when the circle bends.

and you know, that is the epitome of an actual respect, to have such an influence on people.

[petz5]

they're in a highlight on instagram but throwing these here too just so i don't lose em

[br1ghtestlight]

my ranking of which ii contestants i think would be most likely to forgive mephone

[presdestigatto]

the 455 v others division is painfully funny to watch