Ep 2. An Unwanted Medal of Honor

Set in a world where two powerful empires are at war, Alderamin on the Sky follows the story of Ikta Solork, a lazy and brilliant strategist, and his comrades in the Katjvarna Empire's Northern Army. In season 1 episode 2, titled "An Unwanted Medal of Honor," the team faces a new challenge.

The episode starts with the Northern Army's successful siege of a fortress. The commander, Sazaluf, praises Ikta for his tactical prowess and recommends him for a medal of honor. However, Ikta disagrees, saying that the medal would only be a burden and that he doesn't want to stand out. Nevertheless, Sazaluf decides to give him the medal and orders Ikta to attend the ceremony.

Meanwhile, we see that the enemy empire, the Kioka Republic, has dispatched a new weapon: a flying ship that can drop bombs from the sky. Ikta and his companions realize that they pose a significant threat to the Northern Army's forces and decide to try and capture one of these ships to study it.

Ikta, Yatori, and Torway, along with some soldiers, infiltrate the enemy's territory and launch a surprise attack on a Kioka base. They manage to capture one of the flying ships, but they are soon discovered, and a fierce fight ensues. Ikta and Yatori fight bravely, and with Torway's help, they manage to escape with the flying ship.

Back at the Northern Army's camp, the three friends begin to examine the ship and realize that it has much more advanced technology than what they had previously seen. They understand that the enemy empire is more technologically advanced than they thought and that they must prepare for a new type of warfare.

In the end, Ikta attends the medal ceremony and receives the medal of honor from Princess Chamille. Despite his reservations, he wore it with pride, realizing that it represented not just his achievements but also the efforts of his comrades.

Overall, "An Unwanted Medal of Honor" is an excellent follow-up to the show's premiere episode. It continues to establish the characters and the world-building while introducing new elements to the story. The episode does an excellent job of highlighting the complexities of war and how it affects the people who fight it. It also sets up the future conflicts and challenges that Ikta and his comrades will face. Alderamin on the Sky is a must-watch for fans of military strategy anime and fans of character-driven stories.