This manga is what the anime was missing. It shows us how Windermere's War of Independence started and it gives the Arial Knights some much-needed characterization. The art also looks really good. We follow Keith as he enters the knights' academy after losing his princely status. It's easy to sympathize with this boy who finds a new family among the knights. We see how he became friends with Roid, how he met the other members, and how he initially bonded with Heinz. This manga shows the impact that the occupation and the war had on the characters and how it changed them. It gave Keith aproper motive for becoming the White Knight, and it really made me feel for Bogue.

This manga isn't just a prequel since the later chapters take place in the present. Some scenes are adapted from the anime but they are followed by new ones. The knights are reluctant to continue the war, and there is a conversation between Keith and Hayate that really should have happened in the anime. Surprisingly, the ending deviates from the show's canon, but it is more fitting for Keith as the protagonist.

There is no action in this manga, but it has a degree of realism that the anime lacks. It was interesting to see how the Arial Knights turned from the good guys into antagonists. If you thought that the show didn't do them justice, definitely give this a read.