Still "touchy", I see. Some things never change, I suppose

The importance of not touching magic users is not a lesson taught in Justopean schools, it seems. Like ... Noah could have been into the mind of Sherman here.

Noah back to his old tactful self.

So no public recognition for Noah. Supposedly he doesn't want any, but in his dream he got that, and he rejected that. And then the Hallowman taunted him for not really being a hero. Maybe deep down Noah wants that recognition?

@Welf Pretty sure it's just that being famous and thus being recognized by strangers who might want to *gasp* talk to him would be a nightmare for Noah.

Hmmm veda wanted it recorded that she wanted the whole city evacuated, so she might be able to escape been thrown under the bus. Especially since the jsp seem.... Mentally challenged to an extent a 40k commissar would look at them and say they where blam happy.

JSP taking some credit, jeez.

Noah NOT being recognized as a hero: great success!

Little guy has become so assertive that he will tell a high ranking officer to not touch him.

@Ghost I'm not sure the excuse "I told lieutenant Marble to evacuate Haven." is gonna fly given that she asked this just a few hours before the meeting with Malhart. The scope of an operation on that scale far exceeds what could have been done in such a short time frame (and exceeds Marbles authority, or so she claimes on page 1941).

@HanMK Depends on the general corruption factor in the empire and who's replacing her in the project. Still not sure if the idiots 3 where representative of the JSP or 3 total morons they didn't mind losing in a mushroom cloud.

"No, I was like this before. I am also traumatised, but I don't like people touching me regardless."

@Zet
I don't think Noah needs to touch people to enter their minds anyway, just be close enough. He wasn't touching and he couldn't see Detlef, unless touching his vines counted.

I'm hoping we see how Noel is doing.

Veda is an outsider who functionally decided to go against the long standing anti-magic policy, so she isn't escaping squat. Even if she had reasonable excuses (and her excuses are shaky as hell), nobody in Justopea would listen to her after this disaster. I bet the only reason she's still on trial is because her weird immortality is preventing the government from just guillotining her and calling it a day.

No, that's not part of the trauma, Noah has been like this before. Just a normal need for private space.

@Tom He's less assertive and more obliviously self centered. He told Daddy he wouldn't eat a child's heart because he's vegetarian. It works for him, but I can't say he's socially evolving.

@Melany Nail outright told Noel and Catz that he doesn't serve the Empire, but only Veda. It's clear that Veda was using the Empire's resources only for her own secret goals. One of them may have spilled the beans to the JSP, or maybe Catz told the other kids what happened after he lost contact with his meowdroid.

@Syhkane. I'm not sure telling Daddy he won't eat a child's heart is self-centered. No matter the reason used. Honestly, specific dietary needs seemed like the only reason Daddy would accept.

Noah's shoes are missing in the last panel. Did the captain steal them?