Thoughts&Observations | Mangá Vol.35 Part 4/4 (The Village of Kul Elna)

Now on the last part of Memory World Volume 4, next up is volume 5, looking forward to...

I'm liking this pace I'm going with this project, well I have been trying hard to keep the pace despite the inconvenient situation, I will try my best to keep up...
I have bad news, the hard disk of my pc has broken :(, but the files necessary for this project until the end are saved :), I will continue writting the blog but in my mother's portable PC (I hate portables, I'm a desktop PC person for sure 😠) can be limiting and some small problems for the time being, I hope my pc is on repairable state...

Plot Summary:

Dark Yugi wakes up, while he regains consciousness, he sees in front of him a mysterious masked man, the masked shaped like the head of a sarcophagus with some millenium items marks over his body claiming he watches over all the memories, the pharaoh says he can walk and asks to wait while the mysterious masked man advises the pharaoh to rest since he is still gravely wounded and leaves, Dark Yugi tries to follow him and the entrance and sees is still night...when Dark Yugi decides to follow his advice and wonders how many days he has been unconscious and if the palace is safe, the day arrives after some rest, gets up and still has some difficulties to walk, when he arrives the entrance this time he spots priest Isis's spirit Ka, Spiria and in return spotted by priest Isis using Millenium Tauk with her Ka...

Priest Isis reports to have found the pharaoh and in result is reported to all the priests, most have similar reactions and only one with a very negative reaction that they have found the pharaoh is alive (I wonder who am referring to... 😒), as Priest Shada relieved the pharaoh is alive when meeting up with the pharaoh, he advises him to go back to the palace, however Dark Yugi worried about the citizens safety if the final battle be in the city and the palace so he decides to be in the village of Kul Elna where the guards have found out the thief Bakura's hideout recently...

The pharaoh and priest Shada reach the village of Kul Elna, they sense is a ghost town and can't help what happened to it to be in this state...the guards find a secret entrance underground taking to where thief Bakura is...one of them dies once he reached the hall of the hideout because of the ghosts while trying warn the pharaoh not to come down, the moment thief Bakura hears "pharaoh", he is surprised he survived the fall while at the same time delighted somehow...

When priest Shada and pharaoh arrive the underground, the ghosts start to attack them straight and more strongly but due to the priest Shada's and pharaoh's heka (magic power), they're more resistant but they still struggle withstanding their attacks, while they struggle, thief Bakura reveals the truth about the millenium items about how they were created while conveniently omitting the real culprit...and while Dark Yugi struggle to keep his faith in his father, Mahado shows up as whole spirit in form of Black Magician protecting the pharaoh, so there is a fight more equal ground about outsmarting each other...

Key Points:

 

Before I start writing the following panels, the panels ensemble on the left is nighttime after the masked man advise Dark Yugi to rest since he was badly wounded and the one on the right is daylight...

Panel Ensemble Left....when Dark Yugi asks who is this masked man, he doesn't say his name but simply claims what his role is for the time being...someone who watches all memories, is it truly or is this particular memory merged with the other? And as his marks in his body suggests, he has a powerful connection to the millenium items and according to his claim, he might be related or is the person who created or prepared the world of memory for Dark Yugi... (If you have watched Dark Side of Dimensions, you get the connection straight away), by the way I think is really interesting to see Dark Yugi being so stubborn, despite not being in no conditions to walk properly...it's such a side to him we don't usually see.

Panel Ensemble on the left...Dark Yugi can't help but wonder who is the masked man but by this time he must be suspecting the masked man is connected to creation of the dimension of the world of memory, when Dark Yugi wonders how many days passed since thief Bakura took his millenium puzzle...I would say two or three days to be exact, but I think it was two, since he spent two nights inside this cavern, the night he fallen to the chasm and the night when masked man show up after he just woke up, I wonder how he got inside this cavern, if you go look at the panels when gives evidence the panel ensemble on the left is night time (It's right the moment after Dark Yugi wakes up and being the same night Kisara was brought to the underground), the cavern is on a hill path to the cavern...and inside the cavern to begin with, I think it's possible it might have been the masked man, since he was already badly wounded and almost dizzy before falling anyway, if he had truly fallen to the ground, he would be in worse state, but his wounds he must have hit somewhere before being saved, because look at his clothes and wounds before falling and here after, he gained new wounds and he is covered in dirt and is hurt almost everywhere, I would bet he still tried to hang in there a few times during the fall and roll over a few times and eventually got a concussion then losing conscioness when hit the ground (since he could have slow down the fall, trying to hold on cliffs and hills paths or similar) or by a stone as he tried to prevent himself reach the floor during the fall, I think he might have been saved just in the nick of time by the masked man or the masked man brought him to the cavern when found the pharaoh unconscious, but Dark Yugi understood the masked man is trying to help him.


if you wish to continue reading this post, click "read more below:

 

Now he can walk and standing up, I find amusing is that Dark Yugi is someone who can't stand stay still, specially for a certain period of time (well priest Seto and the pharaoh being cousins, it's a shared similar trait), when we think about it, he is mostly like that, when he took over Yugi's to help him, but seeing his train of thought when comes to him not standing staying still and prefers taking action while he becomes very worried about the millenium items...

 

Gorgeously drawn panels, I can't help admire how Takahashi-sensei draws him in this arc, it has also improved a good deal in general too (specially the horses, I can't forget the horses), he is definitely one of my fave artists.

On the subject of the scene itself, I find it pretty cool what the millenium tauk power can give with her flying spirit Ka, Spiria, it's kinda of a cool transition and display of millenium tauk other abilities it can have...

Priest Seto creeply watching her sleep again, thinking...

"The White Dragon resides in Kisara...but the dragon is her Ba...the soul that gives life to her body. If I remove it, she will die..."

The way priest Seto perceives the white dragon, he understood very well who Kisara is as an entity that she is the white dragon and not possessed by the white dragon, when we look to what I have said, the body is more or less the shell or the vessel or cage of the soul that one day dies, while the soul continues existing even if the body dies and a body without a soul can be considered mostly dead...that what this thought of his means...if they remove her soul from her body...she dies.

 

Expect a lot of text in this one...priest Seto lost in his thoughts about the strange recent Akhenaden behaviour, the only one who noticed...and his suggestion about priest Seto becoming the next pharaoh...

"Akhenaden told me to kill her so I could take the god...! and become the next pharaoh...!"

This thought alone is mixed with understanding his reasoning and shock with his suggestion in becoming the next pharaoh, this is when we get to know in this scene lost in thoughts if priest Seto wants the throne to begin with...

"I don't understand...Lord Akhenaden is the highest of the priests, he always showed mercy, even to the worst sinners...but then I saw...those hate-filled eyes..."

It's understandable that he doesn't get it because what he have known and see him talk and actions seems to be a good man, but for us readers, we know very well where it comes from, he did something even more terrible...conspiracy behind the pharaoh's back (not to take the throne but to protect the kingdom from invaders and the power of the millennium items) and made a huge massacre on a village for the sake of using them as sacrifices to create the powerful magical items for their power and to protect his country, in other words, it's his guilty conscience, yet he isn't feeling guilty at all to take the throne of his nephew/his brother's son to give to his son...hmph!

"Why? When I ascended to the priesthood, I was just a child. You were the one to teach me morality......the philosophy...the eternal order, the law of Ma'at..."

You can tell the tone of disappointment in Akhenaden is feeling about his recent behaviour from priest Seto even questioning to himself Akhenaden's recent behaviour, what I find curious is that it says he ascended to priesthood when he was child, how is that even possible? they are usually adults and young adults, I suspect he became one of the six priests in similar time as Mahado or he was a recent addition, but is possible that priest Seto studied to become a priest when he was a child, but to be a priest of the royal court might have been recent or in similar time as Mahado or a bit after the former king died...

"Mehehe...pharaoh...!I'm just an orphan whose father died on the battlefield, my duty is to protect the pharaoh, the true heir to the throne...and that's why...I want to be the heir to the one who protects the throne and the palace...I want to be your heir, Akhenaden..."

You can tell for priest Seto becoming the pharaoh is an amusing suggestion, strictly speaking, he isn't interested, he wants to be the heir in protecting the throne (the current and the next in line (prince) and the palace, as I have mentioned before, priest Seto has much stronger unwavering loyalty towards the pharaoh than his own father to the point he is not even interested to be a pharaoh, it's true he desires power and sent someone to research using the prisoners in what makes a stronger Ka behind pharaoh's back and authorised torture (but not exactly killing) while Akhenaden involved innocents, a whole village used as sacrifice to create powerful magical items, even though their "crimes/conspiracy" are similar but one is worse than the other.

If I have to say so myself, he must have wanted to be a vizier, "the right hand man" of the pharaoh (which is why he seemed to have had a problem with priest Mahado, who seemed most likely to become the vizier after Siamun and was pharaoh's childhood friend) or the left-hand man as Akhenaden.

Also, I think he even admires, has huge respect for and likes the previous former king and current king, because it shows that he acknowledged them as good leaders and represent very well their position as rulers.

 

I'll say the guard's reaction to priest Seto's reaction about the news of the pharaoh being found and alive, it's quite hilarious, I laugh everytime, you can tell priest Seto is quite happy he is alive to the point of laughing (very amusing 😆), not just for loyalty to the pharaoh and follow the path he wishes but also for other reasons...after he had his laugh, he calms down while flapping his cape (pfft) and says...

"Move the woman to another room at once. Don't tell anyone her location, except me!"

He became protective of her in a more possessive and selfishly sense to the point that only him is allowed to know which room she will be moved, he is trying to take no risks in not leting her escape and neither for Akhenaden to use her later in forcing him to become pharaoh (it shows he sensed Akhenaden was being forceful and acting strange from the person he knew), just not to take any chances, he wants her to be alive and yet "imprisoned" *long sigh*, let's say he is infatuated and in love with Kisara, more or less...it's kinda creepy (but he didn't do anything yet and I don't think he would anyway, the "imprisoned" part is what I don't agree, but would be best she stays hidden for now but he is using this reason for her safety and himself...like I stated...kinda creepy).

...Honestly why so angry about finding your nephew, the pharaoh you serve is alive? I hate him, do you see the panel on the left focusing his eyes, specially the millennium eye, it looks a lot like how Yami Marik was growing twisted and main Marik trying to fight back, in this case is falling further into his darkness, it must be his loyalty to the throne conflicting with his dark ambitions and desires, but since his darkness have been accumulating over the years even before he even made the preparations and suggestion for the millennium items and now starting to come to the surface becoming ready to explode...

 

As priest Isis reports, the pharaoh is hurt but alive and further adds...

"Shada is the closest to his position. I've sent him to rescue the pharaoh."

We do have to give credit to priest Shada's amazing effort and dedication (there was a scene dedicated to it implying he has been making search since the pharaoh went gone and saw his fall, it has been for two days, but as you can see, this post in particular has 40 panels ensembles, that's a lot, we're 12*13 panels ensembles above, we're not even half and is already this long, that's why I had to cut him, since there is this moment and the next volume)...vizier Siamun implying he had been worried about priest Shada as he did for priest Mahado, he does worry about the priests well being like a mentor.

Priest Isis continues...

"But it's possible that Bakura has the pharaoh's millenium item. *receives a new report from priest Shada* Shada has followed Bakura...and discovered the thief's lair."

I find interesting that between priests they address each other by name only and not title+name, only the pharaoh is addressed by title only (not even including his name, which makes the situation more difficult in finding Dark Yugi's true name) and thief Bakura's lair being village of Kul Elna.

As we see in the panel ensemble on the right, Dark Yugi is mostly healed...but still bit wounded...

 

Dark Yugi has some interesting thoughts that gives evidence to the progress of the recovery of his memories...

"My father trusted me with the millenium pendant...I can't return to the palace without it!"

By the sound of the phrasing, it means he has recovered more recent memories that has few months old closer to the current point he is now of his past from when he was alive, it's the mentioned line of thought about his father entrusting the millennium pendant to his son, usually when is like this, it was when his father had given his millennium item and was dying at the time...because of the tone of "entrusting" an artefact to someone usually is when they are dying and even more between the parent and their child like this case between the former king and his son.

I also find interesting too in how Dark Yugi is so involved in his role as pharaoh and ruler that he speaks like one to his subjects...

"Now that we know where he is...Let's go take back what belongs to us!"

It's so unusual seeing him talking like this, a ruler/general of an army trying to inspire his people, I can't help but find a bit strange o_o, as if his stiffness and socially awkwardness was gone and became more sure of himself in his choices and actions (more than before), well it was disappearing bit by bit, but is still bit strange, sure he tends to say cheesy words but is usually to his adversary only but not to a good number of people who are ready to follow his orders, so yeah, it is a bit strange for me.

Priest Shada can't help but think the pharaoh is being reckless:

"You can't! Great Pharaoh! Not with those wounds!!You should return to the palace!"

He is so worried, poor man, he reluctantly follow through priest Seto's idea of the Ka-Hunt in taking priority to protect the pharaoh, but he didn't just felt guilty, there was regret and remorse that he tried and become more dedicated in protecting the pharaoh and blames himself for not being fast enough to catch up to him before the pharaoh had fallen and gotten serious wounds, he is almost begging the pharaoh to return and focus on healing himself...because despite the pharaoh being mostly healed, his wounds are still serious.

Dark Yugi gives a good argument about why:

"Even as we speak, Bakura is looking for another chance to attack us! He may already be on his way! We have to take the battle to him! We can't let him do what he did last time...and use the city and the people as a shield! Kul Elna will be the stage for the final battle!!"

Dark Yugi is right, it's best the last battle be where their enemy is and besides going back to the palace would only slow the inevitable and would make the situation even worse by slowing it down than what will become soon...priest Shada agrees with the pharaoh's reasoning but he can't help but being worried about the current condition not only because of his loyalty and feeling more driven to do his job to protect the pharaoh (based on taking responsibilities from actions and choices he regrets).

Another cool detail about the ability of the millenium tauk through priest Isis's Ka, not only they can share sight but also hearing as well, it's pretty cool, when she reports the recent order from the pharaoh in going to the village of Kul Elna, Akhenaden's reaction is not surprising because even though it was his own choice, as I have mentioned before, he does feel remorse and very guilty, so much it was a traumatic for him, after all it is said that killing someone can be a very traumatic experience and damage the soul, in general he was not really a bad person, but I wouldn't call good person either, he is a very grey and messed up character as I mentioned in the post about the birth of the millenium items...

 

I find interesting about the details that we get to know what happened to them when the pharaoh had fallen to the chasm and the world of memories went dark...so Jounouchi recaps to see if there is any missing details...

"I don't get it...I was in the middle of a duel with Bakura when everything went black...then I come to me and I'm still in the same place...but Bakura's gone...! I can't remember anything in between!"

This is pretty curious, it means their consciousness went "blank" after a "black out" in the world of memories, get it? :D lame joke aside, it's still more or less what I just wrote in my lame joke, but the sudden disappearance of Yami Bakura shadow spy makes it pretty intriguing as Jounouchi implies, probably because is part soul of a main body soul of Yami Bakura, it wasn't really affected, which would imply that with parasite mind, Yami Bakura shadow spy may be able to come back to the main soul when it needs to...it's a definite possibility.

Bobasa adds a little more...

"This world is made of the pharaoh's memories...Something must have happened to the pharaoh when we were swallowed by darkness..."

We have the confirmation and reminder from Bobasa not just to them and to the readers, that this world of memory was made of and for only Dark Yugi, originally wasn't mixed, memories of Zorc or Dark Akhenaden was merely a recent addition in taking advantage as bystanders...(tch...), also confirmation that Dark Yugi in this moment as pharaoh in the past went through NDE, it might explain why he could sense and hear Jounouchi's voice before and important moment during the duel against Kaiba, because he went through the same before and subconscious memory of his could possibly imply to Dark Yugi back then...

Anzu has good judgement in understanding for the lights coming back it would mean Dark Yugi/their other yugi is okay and since they don't have any clues where his name anyway so they might as well go look for Dark Yugi again and Anzu asks where is their Yugi (I find it cute and bit annoying while understanding how they distinguish Dark Yugi from Yugi, but oh well...since they don't know his real name yet, I let it pass for now...), Honda answers...

"He went to that bar! A bar is the place to collect information in role-playing games!" and Jounouchi responds...

"Idiot! This isn't a game!"

This is really interesting is that when we reach volume 5, Yugi was on the right track at this time, Yugi being a gamer since he was child, his gaming senses were tingling...the emphasising in bold the word "game" is very amusing xD if we think about the reveal later in volume 5 of Memory World...by the way Jounouchi is referring to Yugi as idiot being too obsessed with games that he goes after every reference...(we all can relate to that extent) but his instincts, specially gaming ones proves that he was actually correct and on the right track.

 

Yeah, Yugi how? It's the only thing he might have overlooked but nonetheless he was on the right track...the drunk man is the second time he says that...(I think the first was when the criminal who witnessed the white dragon was talking to the bartender)...the man who is sober talking to the drunk man informs the following...

"Idiot! They say they found the pharaoh! he's not lost any more! The rumours say he's at the village of thieves!"

Yugi's reaction to the mentioned village as village of thieves is also interesting...

"!! The village of thieves?!?!"

You can tell it was because he sensed it was an important information about the location and familiar to him somewhere...from Pegasus background story...even though Shadi referred as village of grave robbers, grave robbers are technically thieves anyway, thieves that steal from other people's tombs, he might have remembered and sensed a connection and an important one and hasn't quite grasp yet what it is...but he will :).

 

As I referred in the plot summary, the village of Kul Elna is a ghost town even priest Shada and Dark Yugi sense it...here in this scene, it seems a guard dies just by the ghosts passing through their body all over it, it's a scary thought, but since they were the sacrifices to create the millenium items, it would make sense it would have some special spiritual power but I think is only over normal people, we see thief Bakura being very surprised pharaoh was alive, but the last panel of the panel ensemble on the right, he looked delighted probably related to the pharaoh coming to thief Bakura himself and alive.

 

Priest Shada understandbly advises to not endanger himself any futher and reminds the pharaoh that he doesn't have the millenium pendant (puzzle) and also Dark Yugi is right in feeling responsible for his guards lives, then comes a very interesting thought in him...

"«Never turn your back on what you believe is right!» , That's what my father told me when he gave me the millenium pendant! I'll honor my father's wish...and take back the pendant with my own hands"

We can confirm with this thought, his words of advice to Dark Yugi while passing his pendant to his son it's more or less implying it was his last words before dying, as I have mentioned before, the former king must have died a few months ago from the timeline is in his world of memory..., it's not only this...we get there more ahead...

The way thief Bakura is addressing the pharaoh and the expression he is wearing, it is aknowledgement that the pharaoh is quite persistent and tough and "back from the brink of death", he might be perceiving (since he is very perceptive) that with pharaoh disappearance, he might have been temporaryly dead, while Dark Yugi worried about his guard and starts yelling the thief name in anger, it's one of the things it hasn't changed about Dark Yugi, when someone crosses the line in his sense of justice and caring nature, he is very expressive about his anger towards his enemy.

 

It's curious how Dark Yugi is so involved in the world of memory and role as pharaoh, his recent memories are still fresh and after seeing his friends become fresher too...

"Holes shaped like the millennium items...! That's the tablet of the pharaoh's memories!!"

This thought is interestng because he remembers the discription Pegasus has given in his backstory in how he got the millenium eye and about the shrine underground in village of Kul Elna so well (Yugi must have also remembered by connecting village of thieves to village of grave robbers), Dark Yugi seeing the connections personally is very interesting...thief Bakura reveals is where the millenium items were forged, while Dark Yugi is surprised but also sinking in but being a question is to why in this place...then thief Bakura gives the truth...

"Out of lust for power, your royal family used shadow alchemy to create the seven millenium items! there was only a small price...the lives of every man, woman and child in this village!"

He isn't lying, it's fascinating that he speaks the royal family in general as being the "guilty party", technically he isn't wrong, Akhenaden is a royal family member being the brother and the other officials...the magicians who aided Akhenaden in translating the millennium tome and creating the magical items, as I have said before, officials are usually from a royal line, in other words, they're members of the royal family, probably cousins...but also the former king for using the items to protect the kingdom and used to give judgment on criminals...Dark Yugi is shocked by this reveal, at first must have been hard to believe, however...

 

As thief Bakura rightly points out the ghosts as evidence there was indeed sacrifices used to create the millennium items, he is the survivor after all...Dark Yugi is having a hard time to swallow but us readers know at this time the former king didn't knew, the question is did the former king came to know about this atrocity later on? thief Bakura implied that he knew the former king didn't knew but also he got to know eventually...Dark Yugi however didn't thought from a different angle yet...it could have been someone else from the royal family but at this time did he knew priest Akhenaden was his uncle? and probably doesn't know most officials are from the royal family as well from the looks of it...so he immediately thought of his father...
Also if we notice, the guards died quickly when the ghosts attacked them but here in this instance, why the pharaoh and priest Shada aren't is related that they are trained in controlling their heka (magical power) therefore they're more resistant to the ghosts attacks...

 

Dark Yugi/pharaoh is having a hard time to believe from the ghosts and his father, so in doubt while trying as much having faith in his father there was good intentions but yet with all these ghosts, the evil intellingence inside the millennium items is very likely what thief Bakura is saying is true, when he was struggling to keep his faith in his father, Black Magician/Mahado appears shielding Dark Yugi from the ghosts and speaks telepathically to Dark Yugi the following...

"Your faith has brought me here, my pharaoh...without your will to fight, I disappear..."

When someone addresses royalty as "my lord" or in this case with Mahado/Black Magician as "my pharaoh" is usually someone from nobility or knight to address high ranked officials like this even kings and queens, specially as someone who is devoted and faithfully follows the current pharaoh like a knight to his king (sometimes I can't help but think that he might had or have romantic feelings for him but it can be unwavering loyalty for the pharaoh...being his childhood friend and prince he saw growing up and becoming pharaoh, who knows, it can be both or one of them, because before he died, he always addressed him as "great pharaoh" while here in his afterlife is "my pharaoh", slightly informal, so I wonder... I don't ship them, I don't ship Anzu and Dark Yugi but is obvious Anzu has bit of a crush on him even though he doesn't feel the same way, somehwhere among those lines, so I just consider a strong possibility).

 

Dark Yugi questions about his will to fight, specially after learning the truth, for him feeling confused regarding his sense of justice and moral beliefs, in this moment realising and learning that even his ethic is just as grey, it's not black and white, there is really no definitive answer (nothing is black and white) and admiting thief Bakura was right in questioning morality and justice, specially to the situation the former king was in but there is his pacifist principles contrasting to the understanding the source of thief Bakura's hatred and his powerful Ka... which is why himself enters in conflict about this truth and his father...

"What is «right»? Was it «right» to save the kingdom by murdering an entire village? Is this my father legacy? Bakura was telling the truth...!"

I find interesting here that in this moment there is evidence that Dark Yugi has memories of knowing why the millenium items were created, it was to save the kingdom, it was at a time in need and quick decision, but this moment he is with the assumption that his father knew of the price to create the millenium items, since he doesn't know that his father didn't knew, so is natural he is confused about this part specially learning the undenying truth and coming from his enemy, the ghosts of the village that are attacking him and priest Shada is proof...who hold millenium items and against the royal line...

Then Mahado/Black Magician (he go backs to formal addressing the pharaoh) to clarify a few things to Dark Yugi about his father...

"Great Pharaoh...when I was alive, I sensed the evil in the millennium ring...and through it I learned the origin of the millennium items. I already knew of this atrocity! But your father, Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen, did not know!"

I find most curious is that Mahado seems to be implying that he knew it before he wore and became priest just from sensing the evil within the millenium ring and did go learn about it...while giving assurance to Dark Yugi that his father didn't knew, which makes him not guilty for the most part and how Mahado/Black Magician got to know that the former king didn't knew...

 

By this assurance from Mahado/Black Magician to Dark Yugi, there is a slight relief but worry there might be a possibility of conspiracy for omitting such crucial detail from the pharaoh Akhenamkhanen, then as Mahado/Black Magician further adds...

"One day, after I had become a priest and sealed the evil within the millenium ring, I confronted Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen. I told him what I knew of the truth. Great Pharaoh, your predecessor felt the same pain that you feel now... that was the reason he fell ill...and died...if I hadn't told the truth that day..."

No, Mahado/Black Magician, you did the right thing in telling the detail that has been omitted from him by his brother...or else Dark Yugi would be in much worse condition, particularly what will happen ahead...
As for the reason he died, despite the atrocity being one of the main reasons why he fell ill and died, but must have hurt even more by realising his brother omitted this crucial detail and being willing to omit it and practice the price behind his back because he understood Akhenaden knows himself so well he wouldn't allow it if he knew that was the price and he must have felt betrayed by and very disappointed in someone he was very close to and had faith in best would follow his principles, even though he did understood the intentions, probably only his best intentions and some of his worst since he grew up with him, he must have known his flaws.
Mahado/Black Magician when he confirmed that the former king didn't knew, by then he must have realised priest Akhenaden did betrayed the former king, also he did pretend he didn't knew but you could tell he was holding back a little, it also explains why he was trying to do more than he could chew when he was alive as a priest to protect the pharaoh, also explains why he has given his life to go all out to do so, he might have been watchful over Akhenaden since the day he confronted the truth behind the millennium items with the former king, if we think back when Mahado was preparing himself for a certain trap for thief Bakura, when talking with the vizier about it, you could tell when he was looking away that he knew more than what he was letting known, including Akhenaden's betrayal...but Dark Yugi doesn't know it yet, a detail he omitted from Dark Yugi even in this moment...because he was willing to take responsibility when would come to again protect the pharaoh, to me this part he didn't right, omitting such things so you would take care of it yourself for him is not good and is also sheltering the pharaoh way too much, that is not healthy at all.
Even if the truth hurts and is not always kind to his subjects, it's still important to not be ignorant of such, or else the indivudual won't improve the self and make better judgement and choices in the future, many people think "ignorance is bliss", but for most of the time I don't agree.

 

I find really curious of how Mahado/Black Magician addresses Dark Yugi when he refers to Dark Yugi's father, he addressed him more formaly as "great pharaoh"but when it came to remind Dark Yugi about the current situation at hand in if thief Bakura gets the millennium items, MahadoBlack Magician came back to address him a little informal but not as informal at the time he show up...

Thief Bakura irritated at their persistence and resistance while too confident he can do it as long he is determined, I give points to that...but he shouldn't expect that others will bend as he wishes just because he is determined...some naiveness there.

 

Dark Yugi feeling motivated thanks to Mahado/Black Magician giving clarifications on his father's side about the origins of the millenium items while giving assurance that his father despite being ill, the former king wishes for peace and justice didn't disappeared or weakened and passed down to his son, making Dark Yugi have back his determination...

I find it cool this lore aspect reveal, that after Mahado been able to resist and seal the evil power of the millenium ring, made him a stronger sorcerer, specially in his afterlife since is a fused Ba with his Ka, plus after some time in afterlife resting and restoring his strength, he deals with the spirits ghosts with ease, ♪that's what you get♪ for underestimating him, but isn't over yet regarding Mahado/Black Magician's growth since afterlife...

See Ya Next Post!!