The faraway paladin vol 3 by KANATA YANAGINO

Adapted by Mutsumi Okubashi
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Williams slays a wyvern and manages to become a Paladin as a reward. Since the lord of Whitesails has no men or resources to help the people of Beast Woods, William uses his money and influence to put together a band of mercenaries and trades folk who can fight back the beasts but also establish the villages as trading outposts. William becomes an unofficial lord of Beast Woods. On one of their quests, they run into a formidable chimera who lures them into a trap and decimates the group,  even with William’s strength and skill. Will spirals into doubt and panic as he believes he is leading people into situations that are too dangerous.

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It's nice to see that, despite his impressive strength and overall intelligence, William does have some weaknesses and room to grow. I also appreciate the flashbacks and constant little reminders of his parents and where he's come from. There are plenty of adventure manga where, once the hero starts on his incredible journey, we never get to remember or see anything about their past again. This brings depth to the story and still allows William to develop as a character, which is wholly satisfying. I'm also glad that we got more depth from Menel, who is now fine with being called William's friend. There are quite a few tertiary characters introduced in this volume, so hopefully some of them get a bit more page-time and development as long-lasting characters.

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 8-12

Publisher: J-Novel Club
Publication Date: July 5, 2022
ISBN: 9781718359321 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: Middle School, Suitability: High School, Manga, Action Adventure, Fantasy, Family, J-Novel Club