| SPOILER WARNING! This article may contain major plot details for the SPY x FAMILY manga. This article may contain unmarked spoilers. Read at your own risk. |
| “ | I was the most hard-headed of idealists back then. I still believed that the world would change as long as I heeded my principles. So I dug in to defend something that was worth nothing. Education is, at its heart, the act of influencing and inspiring others. But, like a clown in a farce ...I, the man who waxed poetic about the value of education, had failed to refute a single one of Martha's arguments. It wasn't education that was powerless. I was powerless. | ” |
Note that the arc title and following sub-headings are fan-made and used to better organize the story.
The Love and War Arc is the sixteenth story arc in SPY x FAMILY.
After Eden Academy's first end-of-term gala of the year, Henry and his old friend Martha Marriott reflect on their common past, starting with their meeting at school and continuing with their life experiences of the first East-West war on and off the front lines.
Summary[]
The Ballerina and Mr. Elegant[]
Henry sees Martha at Cecile Hall's talent show
The day after the gala, Henry is teased about his dance with Martha the night before. He then recalls his time as an Imperial Scholar at Eden, when nearly fifty years ago, his seventeen-year-old past self first met Martha, who was a new student who had transferred in through a scholarship. Upon witnessing her ballet performance at a talent show for his dorm's New Year's party, Henry was so impressed that he, in his praise, uttered the word "elegant" for the first time in his life.
Henry returns to Eden Academy as Martha's History teacher
The two later had a run-in when Martha found Henry having tea in the school's gardens one morning, and from that day onward, she would stop by every morning on her way to ballet practice before class to chat with him. In his final year, Henry was attacked by three classmates who were resentful of him, but after Martha came to his aid, he ended up striking one of them to defend her. Disgusted that they had to resort to violence, Henry tried to get himself and his attackers punished, but it was hushed up by his teacher for political reasons. Seeing all the conflict around him and believing that education had fallen by the wayside, Henry decided to become a teacher to end all conflicts through teaching. He would soon graduate, but not before instructing Martha, who planned on pursuing a career in ballet, to continue their tea party tradition by becoming an Imperial Scholar like him. Martha, who had developed feelings for Henry, took the opportunity to ask him about selecting a partner for his graduation party. However, Henry's focus on his ambition made him unable to notice her as he refused the notion.
In the present, Martha, who has been recounting her side of the story to Becky, explains that she failed to understand the concept of love or her own feelings at the time, only to realize them too late after Henry had left. However, during the final term of her final year, Martha was shocked to be reunited with Henry, as he had returned to Eden as a teacher.[2]
At the Crossroads of War[]
Martha's interrupted confession
Henry told Martha that he was allowed to graduate half a year early due to a shortage caused by the war, and the two then caught up at the tea parties like they used to. However, life had become different due to the war, with regular air raid drills and the potential of Henry getting drafted hanging over them. Martha, meanwhile, had her dream shattered as the ballet troupe she was hoping to join disbanded after multiple members were killed during an air raid. This in turn spurred her to join the armed forces shortly after, causing a rift between her and Henry. As her graduation approached, Martha overheard Henry talking about his relative being a casualty of the war and that his parents were pushing him to get a spouse before getting drafted. Martha was shocked upon hearing this, but as she pondered what to do, she witnessed a couple agreeing to be partners for the graduation party. At the party, Martha approached Henry in her military uniform, asking for a dance. The two shared an awkward dance, where Henry apologized for their past argument. Martha decided to confess her feelings, but her confession was interrupted by the air raid siren.[1]
Martha writes Henry a letter to meet with her before her departure
To the relief of many, it turned out to be a false alarm, but the teachers still decided to end the graduation party. Henry asked Martha what she was going to tell him earlier, but instead of confessing her feelings as planned, she wavered and asked for a send-off from him. After wallowing in self-pity, Martha got the idea to write a letter to Henry, but she was too embarrassed to write about her feelings on paper. Eventually, she was able to complete her letter, telling Henry the time and place of her departure, hoping for another attempt to confess in person. However, Martha's letter was heavily redacted for sharing too much information, and Henry did not meet her at the station. Martha was initially upset, but upon learning about the reason for his absence, she took heart again and wrote another letter, after which their long exchange of letters began. As Henry continued to teach, Martha went about her business in her regiment. Their correspondence continued, and it resembled their old tea parties at school.
Henry sees the news about Martha and the Women's Combat Battalion
As the war grew more dire, Henry began receiving fewer letters from Martha, and at one of the dinner parties, he overheard the military making plans to send women to the front. The news eventually filtered to the soldiers. However, the choice to join was a facade as everyone would all be forced to go to the front anyway. Despite the looming threat, Martha decided to fight, loudly declaring to her fellow soldiers her desire to kill at least one enemy, even if it would cost their own lives. In due course, Henry would learn of the news from the newspapers and was horrified. He was so absorbed in his dark thoughts that he did not hear one of his students, Donovan Desmond, make an opposition speech about the impossibility of avoiding war during a debate competition. Henry finally received a letter from Martha, where she revealed the hardships at the front and admitted that she had made a mistake and wanted to see him again. Henry finally realized his feelings and tried to write back to her. However, it was too late as Martha's regiment was reported to have been killed in battle. In anger and grief, he staged an outburst during an enlistment campaign at Eden Academy, which prompted the military to imprison him.
Martha survives the battlefield
In jail, Henry was visited by his father, who called him a sully of their family and demanded that he fix his attitude lest he lose his teaching job. Reluctantly agreeing to his father's demands, Henry returned to Eden to resume teaching. During this time, he was confronted by Donovan, who accused him of foolishness, but Henry reminded the future Prime Minister that human history would come to an end if people gave up on everyone. At long last, the war came to an end, and Henry waited for Martha to return to Berlint, only for her to never arrive. Later, Henry's father arranged a marriage for him. Resigned to his situation, Henry agreed to marry this woman. Unknown to him, Martha survived the extermination of her regiment and ended up in a lone cabin on the other side of the border.[3]
Anabel[]
Martha recovers in Westalis under Mrs. Anabel's care
Returning to Martha's perspective, she remembers how her battalion fought at the front. A young Martha survived an explosion and returned to her trench, where their captain began executing deserters but was killed by enemy fire. The lieutenant who replaced him decided to lead the soldiers through the woods to enter the field in the south. Martha got lost and, having been attacked again, received new injuries and fell off a cliff into the water. By the time she came to her senses at an unknown house and was greeted by a friendly dog, Baron, and his elderly owner, Mrs. Anabel. Martha attempted to leave upon learning that she was in Westalis and that her status as an Ostanian soldier was known, but Mrs. Anabel assured her that she would not be harmed. Mrs. Anabel was curt and always scowling but took care of Martha. Over time, she learned more about the old woman, including the death of her daughter during the war.
Martha leaves Anabel's home as she departs for Ostania
After recovering the point that she could walk again, Martha decided to make her way back East, as she was aware of the country's anti-Eastern sentiment and desired to go home. After bidding farewell and setting off that night, Martha quickly got lost due to her lack of direction. Thinking about what to do next, she looked in her bag and found bread, money, a scarf, and a map provided by Mrs. Anabel, who left a message urging Martha to return home. Moved by Mrs. Anabel's final show of help and kindness to her despite her contempt for Ostania, Martha shed tears and resolved to return home so she could tell Henry her many stories about Westalis, including the good people who were there.[4]
The Way Back Home[]
Martha finally returns to Berlint
On her way back, Martha disguised herself as a man to protect herself, and she would overcome hunger, cold, and fear of encountering enemies. However, she eventually succumbed to exhaustion and collapsed on the ground in a certain wilderness, where she was found by Westalian soldiers. They had the opportunity to kill her due to her Ostanian origin, but they chose to spare her as they revealed that the war was over. The revelation motivated Martha to press onward, and she finally reached a forward outpost, where Ostanian troops found and transported her with other surviving soldiers back to Ostania. During the trip, Martha spoke with her comrades and particularly became close to Paul, a fellow Berlint native who ended up proposing to her. Faithful to her feelings for Henry, she rejected the proposal. After weeks spent traveling back to Berlint, Martha was confronted with another loss when it was discovered that Paul and several other folks did not survive their journey home. With grief at the ready, she and other survivors got off the train and finally set foot on the streets of their native city.[5]
The End of the Story[]
Martha meets Lucia
Martha rushed to her home and reunited with her mother and father. The next day, she met with Henry after learning his new home address from her former teacher, and the two shared a tearful reunion together. However, before being able to finally confess her feelings, Martha was interrupted by the appearance of Lucia, whom Henry introduced as his wife. Horrified to learn that he had gotten married in her absence, Martha's heart was completely broken as her adolescence finally came to a close.
Martha and Henry share playful banter with another
In the present, Becky expresses her displeasure in every possible way, but Martha reveals that Lucia was a very fine person, and her uncle helped Martha fulfill her dream of finally performing on the ballet stage. This experience helped her feel alive again, and Henry and Lucia also attended Martha's performances to support her. Martha also says that Henry was a good husband, and she was able to move forward, proud of her feelings for such a man. Becky refuses to accept what happened, believing that the war and the elite that started it destroyed Martha's life. Martha stops her, philosophizing about the complexity of life, people's assertions, acceptance, and the search for truth. Becky does not get answers about these things but learns about Martha's fight in the second East-West war, which completely shocks her. Martha mentions the mystery "he" but refuses to tell Becky whether it was Henry or not. Under Becky's protests, Martha leaves and, after a while, arrives at the cemetery. There, she meets with Henry, who thanks her for always bringing flowers for his late wife every year. After sharing some playful banter together, Henry again invites Martha to tea, which she accepts.[6]
Story Impact[]
- Martha Marriott and Henry Henderson's pasts are revealed.
- Events from the first East-West war are revealed for the first time. It is also established that there were two East-West wars prior to the current events of the story.
- Donovan Desmond's youth as an Eden Academy student is revealed.
Characters Introduced[]
Trivia[]
- According to Tatsuya Endo, the arc's story was originally intended to be a Short Mission. However, after being unable to briefly summarize it and finding that it was getting quite lengthy, he decided to convert the story into main chapters.[7]
- This is the first story arc in which the Forger Family has no participation at all.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 98.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 97.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 99.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 100.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 101.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 102.
- ↑ Tatsuya Endo's Twitter