@Cinera It appears Mas is not as all knowing as you thought.
The translations of their interaction does make it seem like she doesn't know what was inside the Frozen Waterfall. Though, I wouldn't take her interactions with Baam and Khun at face value. Baam and Khun decided to lie about Leviathan, and we didn't get any perspective to her internal thoughts to see if she knew they were lying or not. For all we know, she might have known they were lying but decided to go along with it anyway. We can't tell at this point.
We'd need to see her internal thoughts and/or her reaction to Baam using Leviathan's power in battle to know for sure either way.
The situation reminds me of Asensio leaving that one guard alive. Many people were hasty to conclude that Asensio fucked up or was careless and that as a result, he and Maschenny had been exposed, but what were the actual consequences of that action?
- Orari and Yorari were trapped in the Suspendium.
- They were thus unable to inform the Lo Po Bia of the Jinsung switch, Baam entering the Suspendium or Maschenny's betrayal.
- The switch is something that Orari would have learned of at the last moment anyway, as the sealing ship gets disassembled to seal its contents inside.
- It allowed the Captain to enter the Suspendium.
- Did the Captain acquire any treasures of Zahard while he was inside it?
- It lead to the death(s) of Orari (and Yorari).
There were no adverse consequences to Maschenny/Asensio from that action. Everything worked out very good for them. For example:
- The guard did not mention that Asensio killed the other guards.
- And the guards knew who Asensio was. They addressed him by name as "Lord Asensio".
- The guard did not mention that it was the Irregular onboard the sealing ship.
- The guard did not otherwise implicate Maschenny or Asensio.
Even as at this chapter and after seeing the Irregular, the Lo Po Bia still do not know of Maschenny's betrayal. Perhaps, they just can't fathom that the high ranking Princess would backstab them.
And you have to consider that:
- Asensio was in the room while the guard was speaking about the betrayal (out loud, he was screaming at times) and yet never bothered to interrupt him.
- Asensio did not show any concern for the guard surviving.
I'm starting to feel more confident that "mistake" was fully intentional all along.
With Maschenny and her minions, things aren't necessarily what they appear to be on first glance.
It looks like AA and Baam successfully lied to Maschenny about Leviathan, but is that really the case? There are several questions that need answering:
- Why are Baam and his friends escaping the Nest through the Warp Drive on Maschenny's ship?
- Did she just take his friends hostage?
- What happened to the escape route they originally prepared?
- Why did Maschenny give Baam a 20 minute time limit?
- 20 minutes until the Cat Tower bomb goes off?
- 20 minutes until Traumerei arrives?
- What did Maschenny tell Jinsung about her plans that made him so scared/worried?
- In S3 E85, she informed him that Traumerei is the real enemy.
- In S3 E99, he commented that she was someone far bigger than he had ever imagined.
- What conversation did she have with Jinsung after she sent Baam into the Frozen Waterfall?
- She said that he needed to so something for Baam's sake.
- How does it fit with her claims that she kidnapped Jinsung and brought him to the Nest because he was like a breakwater for Baam and an important member of the Ha Family?
- Why isn't Jinsung telling Baam about Traumerei or Maschenny's plans?
- What was Maschenny referring to when she said that she wanted to see if Baam can satisfy her expectations?
- A battle with Traumerei?
- In response to this question, Jinsung warned Baam that the person waiting for him was in too high a place for them.
- Is Maschenny working together with the Captain?
Maschenny seemingly wants Baam to fight Traumerei:
At the beginning of the Nest, Maschenny wondered to herself what Baam was capable of: An alternate translation from Adios: I wonder what the Irregular can even do here. So one of her chief motivations when coming to the Nest was to see what Baam was truly capable of. She then goes on to...
mangahelpers.com
But Baam and AA still do not know of Traumerei's arrival at the Nest. And Jinsung who she told about Traumerei (and at least some part of her plans) did not deem fit to inform Baam about it. Why? What does he know? What is he hiding from Baam?
This chapter gave me a lot more questions than answers. I thought that Maschenny might help Baam escape from the Nest, but the Warp Drive on her ship wasn't the route I predicted. And sending Baam away right now, doesn't fit her prior agenda around him and Traumerei. I'm not sure what's up with the 20 minutes either. Or what's up with Jinsung keeping Baam in the dark.
And there are still prior questions around Maschenny beyond those introduced in this chapter:
- Who is the Third Minion?
- Is the female Minion Maria?
- How is the Khun Family involved in the wider war?
- Are Maschenny and Asensio representing their interests?
- What about the Zahard Family?
- Is Maschenny here to represent their interests?
We badly, badly need a long internal Maschenny monologue when she just reflects on all the events of the Nest so far.