Dorothea Volume 1 by Cuvie

Dorothea Essenbach is an albino, one of the "white Children" that other towns and countries scorn, but who are protected in the small town of Naulders in what will someday become Germany. Naulders considers the children to be lucky, but elsewhere they are thought to be witches or children of the devil, unlucky and cursed. They live together in the "White House", but with the Vatican agreeing that such children are cursed, it doesn't seem that the "White House" or its children, will be long for this world.

Dorothea is the heir to not only ownership of the "White House" through her grandmother, Frau Schanzgard, but also to the post of seer. She is frustrated by her lack of seeing ability and by being stuck In Naulders when she so dearly wishes to see the world. But when Mercenaries acting as Bandits attack the White House for the riches they believe it to contain, Dorothea, who has been training with the sword and other weapons, goes after them to save her grandmother and the other children who live there. Despite her prowess, and after killing a number of the mercenaries, she is captured and about to be raped when she is saved by the return of her childhood friend Gyurk. Together, they slay the remaining bandits and Dorothea, suffering from the effects of too much sun exposure, passes out.

When she revives, she is back inside in her room, but she is angry at Gyurk for not returning home for the past two years. She also gets the impression that Gyurk looks down on her and her ability to fight. But one thing is clear: Naulders and the White House are at risk in the war that is currently sweeping the land, and Dorothea wishes to go out and fight for Naulders and the children that the White House protects. Gyurk tries to talk her out of it, and Dorothea becomes angry about Gyurk disrespecting her skill. She challenges him to a duel and wins, and he confesses that he just wants to protect her innocence, which is at risk if she goes to war. She will also need s letter allowing her to fight, and Dorothea knows that they can get one from Princess Else, the daughter of the ruler of Naulders and another "White Child". She was raised with Dorothea and Gyurk in the White House, but her father took her back into his home, and now keeps her indoors all day, but whether to protect her or to keep others from finding out that she is his child is unknown.

Else is upset that Gyurk will soon be leaving with Dorothea. Now both her friends will have abandoned her, and she will have no visits to look forward to, but eventually, she agrees to provide the letter. But when Dorothea and Gyurk are seen in her chamber, it almost puts her in the hands of the Vatican, who are sure that this is due to witchcraft. In the end, Else is able to give Dorothea her letter, and then Dorothea and Gyurk go to the Landknecht mercenary company to win Dorothea her place.

Due to the number of women claiming to be able to fight and leaving after being given their first wages, she will have to fight to win her place in the company... to a knight who she insulted when he assumed she was a camp follower! Can Dorothea defeat the man and win a place in the company, all after Gyurk has warned her not to stand out?

This is an unusual manga, in that it doesn't take place in Japan, but in feudal-era Germany, when Germany was a patchwork quilt of little princedoms and fiefs, each at war with the others over land, money and power. Add in the fact that the Pope and the Vatican held a great deal of influence over this land and these tiny kingdoms, and you have an explosive situation for Dorothea to be in.

And yet, despite the unreality of a woman, and an albino woman, being able to train and go to war as a Landknecht in such a time, the story actually makes you believe that it was possible for just such an event to happen. And even more so, to cheer her on.

This is a slim volume, and the story is well laid out, but I have a strong suspicion as to where at least some of the story is to go: 1) Dorothea is the heir to a long line of seers. She doesn't have the ability now, but will gain it at some point along the way- probably at either a most inconvenient time (In the midst of a fight or battle) or at a most convenient time (When they are about to ride into an ambush, thus saving the company) and 2) Dorothea will eventually be unsuccessful in changing the wider world's perception of Albinos, but will end up saving herself and the children of the White House.

Time will tell, but I'll be looking forward to it.