Synopsis

The long-awaited second volume of the fantasy saga follows the journey of Makoto Misumi, an unfortunate young man carving his path in another world. After braving the perilous “End of the World,” teeming with monsters, Makoto seeks to establish himself as a merchant. His first step? Making contact with Rembrandt, a leading merchant who holds sway over the town. Yet, Makoto discovers a dark shadow looming over Rembrandt’s family—a severe curse. The trials facing the compelling, yet unfortunate, Makoto Misumi are far from concluded. Rise, residents! Additionally, this volume features an exciting special section: a martial arts tournament to crown the number one fighter in the subspace! (Source: Hanashi Media)

Makoto Pursues Dreams of Merchant-hood!

Life has a funny way of shining on Makoto. Dropped into the wasteland of another world thanks to the whims of a capricious goddess, he’s found himself coming up against unimaginable obstacles and battling powerful foes. In spite of this, Makoto has managed to make a life for himself and even found his own slice of peace in the Demiplane. Unfortunately for Makoto, life isn’t nearly done with him as the second chronicle of his Moonlit Fantasy finds new misadventures as he attempts to settle himself in the Hyumen city of Tsige.

To settle himself and his party in Tsige, Makoto’s plan in the series’ second volume sees him try and establish a merchant store within the city. A difficult task for outsiders with no knowledge of the area, he seeks to expedite this process by completing adventuring requests and a personal problem of the city’s largest business mogul, Patrick Rembrandt.

Starting off as a standard helpful NPC quest line that can be found throughout the genre, what elevates the plot and the series more widely occurs at the quest’s conclusion. While Makoto believes that he’s helped to cure the curses of the family of, at worst, a slightly shady businessman, Tomoe’s investigation after the fact reveals that there’s more to the man than meets the eye.

Family man, business tycoon, and cold-blooded murderer Rembrandt’s past and present make for an interesting and layered character. More interesting still, however, is Tomoe’s choice not to tell Makoto. More than an act of defiance from a servant, it poses questions about what Tomoe, and by extension, Mio’s goals are for Makoto long-term and the inevitable consequences that’ll come as a result.

Alongside Makoto’s escapades, this volume also features several side plots that help enhance the series’ world-building. For the first time, the author introduces us to the concept of heroes within this fantasy’s context. Summoned to two rival nations, their segments provide an interesting insight into the structure of these countries, how they differ in their approach to defeating the demon army, and how differently they treat their heroes. Additionally, the summoned heroes’ personalities, in one way or another, match the nation they’re assigned to. Undoubtedly, as the series continues, they’ll both cause Makoto trouble.

While there may have been a lull in Makoto’s hardships in this volume, Tsukimichi’s latest instalment instead brought with it a host of interesting dilemmas as the cast attempted to settle themselves within Tsige. Among its many highlights are the ever-concerning actions taken by Tomoe and Mio, as well as the new perspective brought upon the continent thanks to the newly summoned heroes. With plenty of consequences left unresolved, I’m sure there’s lots more to look forward to in the series’ future.

I Give Tsukimichi Volume 2: 8.5/10