Chapter 77

Fantasy and Reality (仮想と現, Kasō to Gen) is the 77th chapter of the Fumetsu no Anata e manga.

Summary
After being in prison for so long, Bonchien finally cleans up and cuts his hair short and shaves his beard off. His mother compliments his new look and tells him he can't be part of their family anymore but they'll be lonely without him.

Kahaku meets Bonchien outside his room and tells him that Todo and the others are having tea downstairs. Bonchien asks him if he thinks anyone will recognize him. Kahaku replies no and that he should stop walking so pigeon-toed. Bonchien asks Kahaku what he's going to do now. Kahaku explains that since the Church of Bennett has so many followers and that Bonchien is now labelled as a heretic, the Guardians can't operate so openly anymore so they will disband. The two of them approach a group of men look down from the balcony. Kahaku tells him that Todo and the others are down below and to be careful since they seem to have attracted a lot of attention. The men are gawking and Bonchien asks the men what they're doing. They explain that Pocoa's friends are visiting and Bonchien spots Todo, now skinnier and unrecognizable compared to before, eating with Pocoa and Fushi, as Rean.

Bonchien tries to make his way down but is stopped by another man who tells him the area is off limits. The man zones in on Bonchien's face and says he looks familiar. Pocoa calls out to Bonchien as her brother but quickly corrects herself to say her big brother's friend. She quickly steps in and defends Bonchien as her big brother's friend Baron Springroll. Pocoa takes Bonchien to the tea table and introduces him as Baron Springroll. She then introduces Iris (Todo) and Joaan (Fushi in Rean's form) to him. Iris shyly tells Bonchien that Chabo left to explore the kitchen and that he should go see him. Bonchien awkwardly stares at Iris and asks her to show him what she was making with the thread. Iris tries to feign ignorance but Fushi says that Bonchien is talking about the handkerchief to Iris's annoyance. Iris reluctantly brings out the handkerchief and reveals its sword embroidery to Bonchien. Everyone compliments her work and then Bonchien asks her to see the one he carried before. She pulls it out and shows its embroidery of irises. Bonchien says that she's really good at this and then suddenly gets up and starts walking away with the handkerchiefs while laughing. Pocoa asks him where he's going and he says that he's going to go rest for a bit.

Bonchien laughs his way back to his room and plops down in his bed. Chabo arrives with a tray of pies and tells him to eat them as it'll make him feel better. Fushi arrives and tells "Baron Springroll" that he's in Bonchien's room and that he shouldn't use it. Bonchien pouts and says that if he were Prince Bonchien he would allow it so it's fine. He then asks Fushi what's going on. Iris arrives next and asks Bonchien if she's done something rude to him. Bonchien gets up and asks her if he could ask her something. She says yes. Bonchien asks her if they met when they were younger and she confirms it. He then asks her what she was here for back then and she explains that she was helping her father who was a tailor. Except her father got fired shortly after because Iris broke the castle's rule that outside girls aren't allowed to speak to the Prince. Bonchien then figures that's when Iris gave him the handkerchief. He then asks how she snuck in. Iris excitedly explains that she looked up routes that guards couldn't see and scaled the wall. Bonchien then asks how she put on all that weight afterwards and she explains that a delicious sweet shop opened on her street. He ends by asking her why she came back to the castle. She says that she was so happy that he found her all those years ago but she is quickly cut off by Bonchien who yells at her to stop making things up as the girl he met back then would've never done any of those things. This shocks Iris and Fushi and Iris runs crying out of the room. Bonchien asks what just happened and Chabo says what he just did was almost as bad as Prince Bonchien's selfishness. Iris runs back to the tea table and starts stuffing her face down with pastries as Pocoa asks her what she's doing. Bonchien grabs her hand and stops her telling her not to forget that the brave warrior Todo is dead. And if the Prince were still alive, he's sure he would thank the gallant man for saving his life.

Fireworks launch in the background as Torta explains that tomorrow they'll be holding a "farewell and thank you Prince Bon" parade, so the fireworks are for the eve of that. Fushi asks Bonchien and Iris to go somewhere where they can see the fireworks better and they go to the top of the castle's tower. On top of the tower, they bump into Iris's father. Iris and her father hug as he thought she had died. Bonchien asks Fushi if he called her father and Fushi says yes. Bonchien then asks Iris if she's going to go home. Chabo appears and asks Bonchien if he's gonna end up alone. Both Bonchien and Iris quickly kneel down and tell him he won't be alone since they'll look after him. Chabo says that makes them sound like a family. Iris says they can't be a family since Bonchien hates her and Bonchien tries to defend himself saying that's not what he meant. And then the two start bickering as Bonchien's family, Fen and Nixon, and Chabo's mother join them. Bonchien apologizes for saying mean things to Iris and tells her he wants her to stay in the castle forever. Iris is surprised but says "okay!"

Chapter Notes

 * Bonchien gets a new look and name (Baron Springroll) now that "Prince Bonchien" is dead.
 * Bonchien finally understands that Todo is Iris and Iris was the girl he met when he was younger.
 * Bonchien and Iris decide to look after Chabo together.
 * The Guardians disband.