A last Bakiraka nearly incinerates the party with a tunnel explosion before Pippin breaks an escape hole in the ceiling. Back at the palace, the king pretends to grant Charlotte mercy while secretly loosing the savage Black Dog Knights on Griffith.
Summary
Casca has Judeau relight the lantern, but Pippin stops him the instant the group notices a strange odor. Down the passage, the female Bakiraka, wearing only brass bracelets and pouches of powder, strikes a spark to ignite the air and turn the tunnel into a fireball. The party sprints as the flames rush in, until Griffith glances up at a thin shaft of daylight in the ceiling. His movement alerts Pippin, who smashes a wide hole through to the surface, and the blast is drawn up and out into the open, sparing them as they hurry toward the graveyard exit.
Afterward the king executes the female Bakiraka for failing to kill Griffith and letting Charlotte be hurt. He suspects Anna of aiding the escape, but Charlotte insists she forced her handmaid into it and begs forgiveness for her. The king's patient manner cracks when Charlotte further asks him to let Griffith go free, arguing he has suffered enough in a year of captivity. After a silence the king relents, and she is escorted into the palace.
Neither Charlotte nor Anna knows the king never intended to spare Griffith or the rest of the band. He commands his guards to set the Black Dog Knights loose upon them. The soldiers find the unit's leader, the brutish Wyald, in the middle of bedding a woman. He waves off the order until told that Griffith is the mark, at which point he accepts, killing the woman, since the White Falcon is the very quarry he has been waiting for.
Key Events
The party survives the female Bakiraka's tunnel explosion thanks to Pippin breaking through the ceiling. The king executes the failed assassin, publicly grants Charlotte's plea to free Griffith, then secretly orders the Black Dog Knights to hunt the band. Their leader Wyald eagerly takes the mission once he learns Griffith is the target.
Notes
The fifty-eighth chapter of the Golden Age Arc runs twenty-one pages and debuted in Young Animal issue ten on May 12, 1995. It introduces Wyald and the Black Dog Knights, the penal unit that replaces the Bakiraka as the pursuers, and exposes the king's duplicity toward his own daughter.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the party escape the female Bakiraka's tunnel explosion?
Griffith spots a thin shaft of daylight through the tunnel ceiling, alerting Pippin, who smashes a wide hole through to the surface so the blast is drawn up and out, sparing the group as they hurry toward the graveyard exit.
What happens to the female Bakiraka after the escape?
The king executes the female Bakiraka for failing to kill Griffith and for letting Charlotte be hurt.
Does the king really let Griffith go free?
No, though the king publicly grants Charlotte's plea to free Griffith and forgives Anna, he secretly commands his guards to loose the Black Dog Knights on the band regardless.
Who leads the Black Dog Knights?
The Black Dog Knights are led by the brutish Wyald, whom the guards find in the middle of bedding a woman before he accepts the mission and kills her once told that Griffith, the White Falcon, is the target.
Why does Charlotte ask the king to spare Griffith?
Charlotte argues that Griffith has already suffered enough during a year of captivity and begs the king to let him go free, and he relents after a silence.
Sources & Information
Looking for more on Episode 58: Flower of the Royal Palace of Stone? The Berserk Wiki on Fandom has a dedicated page with community notes.
View on FandomThis content is original writing by Daddy Jim Anime based on the Berserk anime series, manga, and official materials. Berserk was created by Kentaro Miura, published by Hakusensha, and animated by OLM. All rights to Berserk and its characters belong to their respective owners. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.
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- Created byKentaro Miura
- Published byHakusensha
- Animated byOLM
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