Welcome to volume 4 of From Far Away, or as I affectionately call it Izark, the Blushing Sky Demon.
When we last left our dear friends, Noriko had met the mercenary Agol and his Seer daughter Geena Haas. Gaya witnessed Izark's imprisonment, and Lord Rachef was calmly sipping tea while pondering who Izark was. Rachef often engages in this behavior, and I'm certain it holds no significance.
It appears that Izark has become the new fighting toy of the usurper ruler, Lord Nada. After refusing to fight Barago, Nada drugged and kidnapped Izark, gloating about making him grovel. Meanwhile, Izark is more concerned about the grave error he made in leaving Noriko with Gaya, as it seems Gaya has involved her in the region's politics.
All of this gets resolved to the extent that Izark and his Merry Men end up on the road to a monster-ridden forest of beautiful trees. Noriko continues her campaign to be the most pragmatic shoujo heroine ever, while Izark dons the brooding hero's "why do I miss her" mask. Lord Rachef is so preoccupied with thoughts of Izark that he barely speaks during a representative meeting. However, his power is such that no one dares oppose him when he does speak. Also, no one is permitted in his quarters. Keimos is also dreaming of his wedding day next fight with Izark, which makes me sad because he would be the prettiest homicidal murderer at the ball.
Honestly, people spend as much time contemplating Izark as they do Noriko.