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Original Tumblr Post: Livio, Chapel and the Eye of Michael
Livio, Chapel and the Eye of Michael
I’ve seen a few Bookclub posts asking what is up with Livio, Chapel and the Eye of Michael. Why can’t they return? Isn’t Chapel the head of it? They are members of the Eye of Michael, right?
It’s very vague, but there are hints in there of what is going on. Of course, because of the vagueness, some is left up to interpretation. Working with the text I’ve come to some conclusion of what is going on, so hopefully I can answer a few questions about it and give some lore insight.
The Eye of Michael consists of a kind of council (we see them later on), the masters (like Chapel), and their disciples (like Wolfwood and Livio.) The Masters ultimately serve the Council and follow their rules, something happens later that gives more details into this, but there are rules and limits to who they take in.
Each Master is personally responsible for picking their Disciples, then training and raising them. It certainly appears that Chapel had a particular talent for picking very naturally strong and intelligent Disciples, but also some that seems to have some form of free will. More about Chapel will come up later in the manga.
However, we learn in Vol 6 that there’s some infighting within the EOM, and now suddenly we have Chapel showing up with Livio. Then there’s Joe Tooth and Ogre from the EOM showing up to kill Knives, giving us the hint that the EOM does not approve of Knives’ plans on destroying humanity. Chapel seems to go along with the offer of positions within the Gung-Ho Guns, having Livio and Razlo take those places, but with the end goal of just using this to get to Wolfwood. It seems Chapel has simply been biding his time, waiting for Wolfwood to betray Knives so that he’s allowed to take his revenge on him.
But this also means that Chapel, and therefore also all his Disciples, have been shunned from the Eye of Michael. This was probably both caused by joining Knives, but also because he had a Disciple betray the order (Wolfwood.) Chapel knows he can not return and will never be forgiven, but if he gave Livio the victory, letting him return with Wolfwood’s head, then at least Livio and Razlo can return and not be hunted by the EOM forever.
Later Chapel is described as unhealthily obsessed and attached to his Disciples, and it is clear that Chapel cares to some extend about Wolfwood and Livio, but in his own really fucked up, abusive kind of way. It both pains him and entertains him to watch his Disciples fight, both wishing for them to survive but demanding punishment for betrayal. It’s all messed up and Chapel is ultimately still a horrible, controlling old man.
The short version:
Chapel pissed off the EOM because Wolfwood betrayed him and because he left to join Knives. The EOM wants Chapel, Wolfwood and Livio dead. If Livio kills Wolfwood, he can return to the EOM because the wrong is righted.
I hope that answered some of you guys’ questions.