Boy, rules like that would have turned laid back, fly-under-the-radar me into a raving, Bolshevik anarchist back in high school. Thank god I went to college in the 70s when there were basically no rules.
Miyako is Prosecution Exhibit A regarding the cause of Japan's declining birthrate. And Miyakonojou is the Messiah bringing the message of how to return to the Promised Land (while also supplying the necessary tools to survive wandering in the desert for a few years).
As @Hox said, I see Appius's brief cameo as a nod to the Cannae survivors being part of Scipio's army of vengeance. As a historical manga, this author has been remarkably steadfast in his adherence to factual details with only a few slips here and there (though there was a noticeable one...
Calm your sunglasses down, @bigtiddyoneesan. If MC doesn't catch a cold, we'll never get Tanaka-san making a home visit to clumsily nurse him back to health (is what my cliche-ridden mind has rattling around in the grey matter).
I was just thinking about this series a few days ago and wondering if it had been consigned to the outer darkness of dropped scanlations, BUT LO AND BEHOLD - AN UPDATE! And this chapter continues the brilliant writing I've come to love about this manga.
The call from a 'Why at this time kind of...
@Jaegrqualm @DrWhoCares Thanks to you both for the explanation, especially the extended details. I did understand that Oofune meant big boat (though I completely missed the connection to Funatsugi - duh, me). Like I said before, all the names work for me in grounding these Vagrants in this...
Indirect Chion - yeah, no kidding, she's barely even in this chapter. Gotta say, Hiruma is being seriously cute here and it seems that Gen is picking up on that little fact.