Summary: Major Connery learns of Paul’s embezzlement and deploys Section I 4th Axe. At the ball, Leonir decides to teach Alice how to dance. As they dance, Leonir notices how Alice looks past and above him, figuring she’s thinking of a giant man (Oland). She ponders this for a moment, then confesses this man is a giant, but he’s a gentle giant and not a strong one.

Meanwhile, back near the food distribution point, Oland is not quite down for the count and attempts to flee the two civilians attacking him when one puts an ax in his back. He’s rescued by Oreld and falls unconscious. He has a nightmare, seeing the corpses of those he’s killed in war and waking up, he finds himself being cared for by Stekkin. Oreld is looking over the papers from the two civilians now his prisoner and learns of the embezzlement scandal. It is soon after that Oland remembers the attack on the ball that the other civilians planned.

Leaving Stekkin behind along with the two prisoners, Oreld, Oland, and Machs race their military vehicle to the ball while troops from Section I mobilize. At the ball, Alice and Leonir continue to talk when Alice gets that feeling and orders everyone away from the windows. Very shortly afterward, a large group of peasant civilians come crashing through, their plan to kill Paul first, then some other nobles.

Back in the military vehicle, Oreld has stitched up Oland’s head wound and when Oland confesses to being confused and scared when the two peasant civilians attacked, Oreld states this is normal and tells a story of a younger Alice and the tough time she’s had trying to bring war relief to the population.

At the ball, Alice confronts one of the peasants who plans to kill Paul, attempting to get him to change his mind. Alice’s sisters attempt to get Alice to flee, but Alice will have none of it, which causes a measure of respect in the eyes of Leonir. The guys from Section III come crashing through and Oland takes a bullet meant for Alice. Oreld also has proof of Paul’s crimes but Paul’s bodyguards call Oreld’s bluff since Section III has no power to arrest anyone. Things are getting out of hand as the peasants are ready to take it out on the rich people when Alice steps in and challenges Paul to a duel.

Thoughts: The story is still interesting to me, but I’m starting to think that there will be a lot of unresolved things in this anime. Since it is based on a manga that I believe is still ongoing (I’ll have to double check that), I won’t complain if that happens since the anime writers will be leaving things open for a sequel. As for the feelings between Alice and Oland, that was pretty sweet, even if small. I don’t think there’s enough time to develop a romance story, but Del Rey is releasing the manga this year so maybe in a few years, I’ll get to see if the manga-ka did anything with that (somehow, I’m not sure there will be a sequel anime).