+C: Sword and Cornett (also known as Plus-Si) is a Josei manga by Tama Yugyoji, which ran in Monthly Comic Zero Sum from 2008 to 2012. The story about a young man named Belca Noctircus, who is the third prince and the bastard son of a dancer and the king, and the conspiracy against him and the rest of the royal family.
It begins when his older brother, the Crown Prince Hector, returns to the capital of Azelprade and an incident occurs after a brief spat with the Council of Elders. Somewhat against his own will, Belca investigates the incident along with his older brother, the second prince Orcelito, and winds up falling off a cliff thanks to a man named Kiliko Lagen. He's found and nursed back to health by a mysterious bard named Eco, and together the two of them search out the truth that Eco's very, very sure Belca is nearly beside, meeting friends and foes alike along the way.
Plus-Si provides examples of the following tropes:
- Ancient Conspiracy: The Rovisco Fleet Documents are particularly sought after by the Lagen family, due to the information they possess - that is, what actually happened during Captain Rovisco's travels and how Azelprade came to be.
- All of the Other Reindeer: Because he's a bastard child, he's often looked down upon and sneered at by the other nobles. Minus his older brothers. Plus his younger sister, who doesn't know any better because her maids say awful things about him. But she gets better at it.
- Attractive Bent-Gender: Belca and Eco look very pretty when disguised as girls.
- Bishie Sparkle: Eco has them, as long as he's not being serious. Surprisingly, despite his character type, it isn't all that often.
- Blood Magic: At least, that's what it looked like when Belca and Orcelito peeked in on a prostrated, bled body of an Amontel beneath the estate at Sana.
- Distressed Dude: Belca has been kidnapped and taken hostage twice.
- Eye Scream: Eco's right eye gets injured by a sword while he tries to protect the Amotel/Hokulea high priestess from an attacker.
- Fantastic Racism: Most, if not all, of Azelprade against the Amontel, who are supposedly the spawn of evil. Luckily, there are a few people who know better.
- Guilt Complex: It shows somewhat in the beginning, but comes on big when Linna sacrifices himself to push Belca to safety.
- Heroic BSoD: Belca for a short time, after Linna "dies".
- Innocently Insensitive: Belca's very much this at he beginning, but as he learns more about the world, it lessens. Somewhat.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Belca, big time. He might seem like a meanie but in the end, he really does care for his friends. Even if they're annoying pests.
- Mangst: Belca, unfortunately. He's not the kind of person who talks about it, even though his massive Guilt Complex up yonder tends to null-and-void it. Even then, so far the only person he's said anything to is Eco.
- Modest Royalty: Well, Belca. In his own way. He defers to his older brothers and usually thinks, if not outright says, that one of them would be a better choice. He never really thinks of himself as a prince - at least, until the later chapters.
- A Protagonist Shall Lead Them: Belca, even if he doesn't quite seem the part at first.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: In some cases — however, the Amontel/Hokulea are pretty friendly once you convince them you're not there to massacre their civilization.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: All the royals introduced thus far. Hector wanted to make everyone equal. Orcelito's striving for something like that, albeit in a very roundabout way that makes sure he stays alive and coincides with the Lagen's wishes. Belca? Belca's out learning and, in turn, stepping up to the plate and finally realizing how disgusting it was for him to just be able to stand back and watch these things just go down.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Eco and Belca, when they hide out in Ricolise's brothel. Eco reputedly loves dressing as a girl — evidently, he used to go to Sana's red-light district and participate in drag contests when he was still travelling as as scholar — and while Belca makes for a pretty girl (as commented on by Eco himself and, well, the prince did have someone fall in love with him) he doesn't enjoy it.
