Sorcerers of the Waste Tower

The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 12 wraps up the season. But, that doesn’t mean this is the end of the school arc. There’s still plenty more to happen at the college. So, hopefully, that means we’ll get a Season 3 at some point.

But, enough about the future of the series. Today, I want to go over everything we learned within the waste tower — one of seven towers that makes up the college. This is where all the failed magical experiments get locked away so they can’t cause harm.

However, it turns out there are also sorcerers who call the waste tower their home. In this episode, we met three such sorcerers. There’s Zaccheroni, the man who led the students into the waste tower. And there were two others who confronted Zoe, one of which has the head of a bird.

Exactly why these sorcerers live in the waste tower isn’t clear. It doesn’t seem that it’s because they’re the results of failed experiments. Sure, the guy with the bird head probably looks like that because of an experiment. But, there’s also a teacher whose body turned to slime and he doesn’t live in the waste tower.

There have been a few hints about why these sorcerers live there, though. First, in one of the previous episodes, there was a comment made about those living in the waste tower. Someone mentioned that they were likely the ones behind the Carnamagos incident.

So, it’s clear that the other teachers at the college view those in the waste tower as undesirables. But, Zaccheroni says something interesting in this episode, too. He refers to himself as being “bound to” the waste tower. Is that binding of his own doing? Or is it a punishment?

The Traitor in the College

After what we saw of the waste tower sorcerers, do you think they played a role in the Carnamagos incident? They definitely don’t appear to be good guys. But, I’m pretty sure they aren’t involved with the missing forbidden book.

Based on their interactions with the students, they don’t seem to care about the outside world. Whoever stole the book clearly wants to use it to cause mass chaos. That doesn’t align with what we saw of the waste tower sorcerers. Instead, they’re obsessed with their own experiments.

The two sorcerers who approached Zoe were interested in him because he’s a demi-human. And Zaccheroni wanted Chise because she’s a Sleigh Beggy. None of them expressed any interest in messing with the world beyond the waste tower. Of course, that doesn’t make these sorcerers good people. Though, I wouldn’t say they’re evil, either.

We don’t know much about Zaccheroni. We know he’s a sorcerer with the college and seems to be an instructor of some sort. But, he’s not the instructor in charge of the trip into the waste tower. He hijacked that trip for his own gain. It seems he wanted the plants from the waste tower.

Something else we know about him is that he’s killed someone before. According to him, only those who have killed someone can see the plant he’s trying to harvest. And he was surprised to find that both Chise and Rian could see them.

Of course, he’s familiar with Philomela, so he knows she can see them. And since he was expecting Lucy, that might mean she can see them as well. We know why Chise can see the plants. And Philomela is an assassin, so that makes sense. But, what about Rian and possibly Lucy?

Lockdown Begins

At the end of Episode 12, Principal Quillyn puts the college under lockdown. They need to get to the bottom of what’s happening at the college. And blocking the outside world’s access is one way to simplify their investigation.

They don’t know who stole the Testament of Carnamagos. And they don’t know why that person used the book to attack students and teachers alike. Of course, they’re not even sure if the person who stole the book is even still at the college. But, even so, going into lockdown is the right call.

If the person who stole the book isn’t in the college anymore, then the lockdown will protect the students. That person won’t be able to harm the students if they can’t access the college. Though, if this is the case, that may also make it harder to track this person down.

The other option is that the person who stole the book is still in the college. If that’s the case, their support lines are gone. It’s unlikely that they were acting alone. And now, they don’t have support from those beyond the college’s walls.

My guess is that this second option is the case. So now, it’ll be up to the teachers at the college to track down the culprit. And considering who some of the teachers are, that’s not good for the thief. Not only is Elias, a powerful mage, there. But, the principal is no slouch, either.

At first, I thought Principal Quillyn was suspicious. However, after seeing her confront the head of the Sargeant clan, I changed my mind. She knows what she needs to do to protect the college. And she has the help of the cat-sìths, who are powerful cat spirits.

Conclusion

What do you think of the final episode of The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2? What do you think Zaccheroni meant when he said he’s bound to the waste tower? Do you think an inhabitant of the waste tower is the one who stole the forbidden book? And what are your thoughts on Principal Quillyn? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on your social media of choice — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 13 is available now.

Making Charms with Runes

Today’s review is of The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 11. I know Episode 12 came out today. But, I was away last week so I’m still catching up. The Episode 12 review will come sometime next week. So, you can look forward to that.

The rune scene is the first thing I want to go over about Episode 11. It didn’t have all that much to do with the rest of the episode. But, my guess is that it’s going to play a role in Episode 12. If you’ve already watched that episode, you’ll know if I’m right or wrong.

During the extra lesson on runes, the teacher mentions that they have a variety of uses. You can use them for offense, defense, and more. And there’s one rune that stands out to Chise. It’s one that looks like a thorn.

Naturally, the reason Chise’s drawn to that rune is because of Elias. As a mage, Elias has a connection to thorns. The magic he uses often involves thorns — and he uses them both to attack and defend. But, the teacher of this particular lesson mentions that a thorn rune may not be the best for defense.

While all runes can be used for defense, a thorn rune might not protect a human in the way they expect. My assumption is that the thorn rune also harms the human in some way. But, defense charms are exactly what the students are making for this lesson.

So, what was the point of this scene? Well, since we know Chise is going into the waste tower in Episode 12, I expect the rune to play a role. We’re more likely going to see the charm Chise made using the rune protect her from something in there.

Fulfilling the Contract

Halfway through the episode, we see Chise return to the back passages. This time, she has three bags stuffed with dead sheep. As you may recall, she made a contract with the hound dogs. For sparing the life of the female wolfkin, Chise would provide them with meat.

In this case, Chise was able to fulfill the contract without any issues. But, the centaur who accompanied her into the back passages explained that it was still risky. There was no guarantee that the hound dogs would accept the terms of the contract.

Instead, they may have decided to kill and eat Chise instead. And if she wasn’t enough, they may have then gone after those she cares about. It doesn’t seem likely that they would go after Elias. But, they’re already familiar with Lucy’s scent. So, she’d probably be their next target.

Of course, it’s not guaranteed that the hound dogs would go after more than just Chise. But, even if Chise was their only target, that wouldn’t be good. Chise often puts herself in harm’s way without thinking of how it affects others. How would Elias feel if Chise died because of her gamble?

While Chise says she understands what the centaur (I don’t know his name) is saying, does she really? It’s not until later in the episode that she gets an idea of what she puts others through with her actions.

When Lucy refuses to stay in bed and rest, Chise wonders if she’s now feeling how others feel when she’s stubborn.

Still, I get the feeling that Chise hasn’t actually learned her lesson. Protecting others without thinking about her own safety is part of who Chise is. If that changed, she wouldn’t be the same girl we know and love.

The Waste Tower

The waste tower is one of the seven towers that make up the college. But, do you remember why there are seven towers in the college? It’s because each one represents one of the seven founding families. So, which family got stuck with the waste tower?

Regardless of which family this tower represents, it’s not actually used for trash. Well, it sort of is. The waste tower is where failed magic experiments get locked away. Sometimes, an experiment results in something that can’t be destroyed. This is where the waste tower comes in.

Did you accidentally create an immortal frog that spews poisonous gas? Throw it in the waste tower so it can’t hurt anyone. This is why the waste tower is such a dangerous place. You never know what kind of failed experiment you’re going to come across.

However, the waste tower isn’t only filled with dangers. There’s also treasure there. I’m not entirely sure why, but rare minerals and other materials are in there too. Are these products of the experiments, as well? They must be. But, it sounds like they spawn in the waste tower.

Are they a byproduct of one of the failed experiments? Or, are they a byproduct of the waste tower as a whole? It could be that all that magic in one place is what causes the rare minerals to appear. We don’t know. But, I also don’t think it really matters.

What matters is that there are rare minerals. And it turns out that skilled students sometimes help gather them. This time, it was going to be Philomela and Lucy. But since Lucy’s not feeling well, Chise, Zoe, Rian, and Isaac go in her place. What awaits these students in the waste tower?

Conclusion

What do you think of The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 11? Have you already watched Episode 12? Do you expect Chise to change her ways and think before she acts? And do you think whoever’s behind the Carnamagos incident is in the waste tower? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on your social media of choice — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 12 is available now.

Returning to the Back Passages

The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 10 saw the return of the hound dogs. In case you forgot, the hound dogs are dog-like monsters that live in the back passages. To traverse the back passages, you first have to make a contract with the hound dogs.

We first met the hound dogs back in Episode 4 when Elias and Chise used the back passages to get to school. In my review of that episode, I made a prediction. And, it turns out that my prediction was partially correct.

I said one of Chise’s classmates would get lost in the back passages and that she would have to save them. And I also said that this would give Chise the opportunity to barter with the hound dogs herself. In Episode 4, the centaur bartered on Chise’s behalf.

So, how was my prediction correct in any way? Well, obviously the circumstances surrounding Chise’s return to the back passages were wrong. One of her classmates didn’t get lost there. Instead, Chise took one of her classmates (Lucy) into the back passages to escape enemies.

But, I was right about Chise going into the back passages to save one of her classmates. And, I was right about this return to the back passages giving Chise the chance to barter with the hound dogs. However, it wasn’t exactly Chise’s idea to enter the back passages. It looked like the dragon’s curse was what prompted her to do so.

And just like the last time the dragon’s curse spoke to Chise, she ended up causing someone else harm. The first time, Chise used her cursed arm to tear apart the Nuckelavee. This time, she led the wolfkin into the back passages so the hound dogs would attack them.

Mystery of the Webster Tragedy

We know a decent amount about the Webster Tragedy at this point. It actually seems like we know more about it than even those involved. So, let’s briefly recap what we know before I get into the real mystery.

We know the wolfkin who were hunting Lucy and her brother in this episode were present at the tragedy. And, according to what they said in this episode, they were hired to kill the Websters. Lucy and her brother weren’t supposed to survive the attack. That’s why the wolfkin are back to finish the job.

Something else we know is that the Webster’s spiders disappeared during the tragedy. This is important because the spiders’ silk can be used to copy forbidden books. And yet, Lucy’s brother said he doesn’t know what the motive for the slaughter was. Isn’t it obvious? Whoever hired the wolfkin wants to copy forbidden books.

Now, you might think that the big mystery is who was behind the tragedy. But, to me, that’s actually not the biggest mystery. Sure, we don’t know who’s behind it yet. However, since we can be pretty sure what their motive is, who exactly it is isn’t as important.

Instead, there are two bigger mysteries. The first is, why was Lucy spared/how did she survive? She came face to face with one of the wolfkin during the attack. And yet, she’s still here. So, what happened that led to her surviving?

The second mystery is, who was the child Lucy saw hiding in the corner during the attack? There’s not supposed to be another survivor from the Webster family. So, who was that kid? Well, my guess is the kid has something to do with Lucy’s survival. Was that kid a mage? A fairy?

The Testament of Carnamagos

Remember how someone stole a forbidden book from the college? That book was The Testament of Carnamagos. It’s forbidden because it covers topics such as stealing magic and reviving the dead. And, of course, Elias read the book. Why wouldn’t he have?

But, it turns out that Elias wasn’t the only person to have read The Testament of Carnamagos. Marielle (who I assume was in Season 1, but whom I don’t remember) also read it. However, since Marielle isn’t like Elias, reading the book almost made her lose her sanity.

Still, she did manage to read it, so she knows of its contents. She also experienced something when she read the book, though. And when she takes a look into the centaur teacher’s mind, she experiences it again. We don’t really have a term for what it is she experienced. But, let’s call it the curse of Carnamagos.

Because Marielle experienced the same thing here as when she read the book, we can make an assumption. There’s a connection between the Testament of Carnamagos and the curse put on the teacher. Whoever’s sapping the teacher’s magic is likely using knowledge from the forbidden book.

Something to keep in mind is that Lucy also had her magic sapped away on the camping trip. Since that’s not something that would normally happen, it must also be connected. And that’s kind of a big deal because it gives us two important clues.

First, whoever stole the book did so before the camping trip. And second, whoever stole the book was present during the camping trip. Unless it was the slime teacher, that makes it highly likely it was one of the students. And while Philomela is the most probable culprit, I doubt it’s going to be her.

Conclusion

What do you think of The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 10? Do you think Chise understood what leading the wolfkin into the back passages would mean? Who do you think the child present during the Webster Tragedy is? And which student are you expecting to be the culprit behind the stolen book? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on your social media of choice — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 11 is available now.

A Monster Inside

The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 9 started to tie a lot of things together. And the first part of the episode was about Chise and what happened to her in Episode 8. When faced with the Nuckelavee, something took over Chise’s body and caused her to kill it.

This is troubling for a few reasons. Despite her life being in danger, Chise didn’t want to kill the Nuckelavee. She’s not the kind of person to want to kill anything or anyone. So, the fact that the Nuckelavee died by her hand is weighing on her.

But, the thing that’s more troubling is the whole being taken over by something. Chise heard a voice telling her that she had no other option. And when her arm transformed and she attacked, we also saw her eyes were different. The implication here is that Chise wasn’t in control.

Who’s to say whatever this being that took over her body is, it won’t do it again? And what if it causes Chise to hurt someone she cares about? It saved her this time. But that doesn’t make whatever it is good. Chise wisely recognizes this.

Why would something that’s evil want to save her, though? Well, it could be because that evil something wants to continue using her body. It could be that if Chise dies, so does whatever controlled her at that moment. And most living things want to keep on living.

What was the thing that took control of Chise? Cartaphilus seems to think it was the curse of the dragon. And considering how Chise’s arm looked, I think he’s right. But, unlike Cartaphilus, I don’t think the dragon’s curse is going to corrupt Chise. She’s the protagonist — she’s going to overcome it.

Forbidden Books

Personally, I didn’t think that stuff with Chise was that interesting. I was much more interested in the forbidden book Elias read. You know, the one that mysteriously went missing. And since Elias admitted to having read the book, that makes him a suspect.

So, what was this forbidden book about? According to Elias, it’s about things that could prove fatal for mortals. It’s about stealing the life force of others. It’s about how to create immortal beings. And it’s also about how to kill immortal beings. Oh, and there’s some stuff about raising the dead, as well.

It’s unclear exactly how this information can damage those who read the book. Is it because reading it will make the person want to engage in those forbidden acts? Or, does the act of reading the book actually control your actions? We don’t know. But, as a non-human, Elias seems to be immune.

Something I was wondering was why the college stores forbidden books, in the first place. Wouldn’t it be better to destroy these books so they don’t fall into the wrong hands? After all, since they’re forbidden, nobody’s allowed to read them.

But, one argument for storing the books is that you never know when you’ll need them. What if someone evil learns the secret of immortality on their own? In that case, the book could be useful because it tells you how to kill an immortal.

However, there’s a major flaw with this argument. The school librarian and the headmaster weren’t even aware of the contents of the book Elias read. If nobody knows what’s in the books, how will they know when to use them?

And if that’s the case, there’s no point in keeping the books around. They’re asking to be stolen.

The Webster’s Spiders

Toward the end of the episode, we learned what the Webster Tragedy was. Of course, we knew it was the event that killed off Lucy Webster’s family. But, we didn’t know any of the details beyond that — until now.

So, the Webster Tragedy is a bit of a mystery. But, it all started due to the Webster family trade. They were a family that specialized in copying forbidden books. And unlike most copies, the Webster’s copies were said to be as potent as the originals.

They created these copies by using the silk from special spiders. And, that’s what lead to the tragedy. It’s not known who committed the act, but someone killed the family and stole the spiders. Ever since, the spiders haven’t been located. However, a strand of Webster spider silk was at the scene of the recent forbidden book theft.

Lucy’s older brother seemed to be a suspect in the theft of the forbidden book. He was born without the ability to use magic. And as a result, the family abandoned him. So, he would have the motive to both steal the spiders and the book.

But, why would the person who stole the spiders also want to steal the forbidden book? Well, the whole point of the spiders is to use them to copy forbidden books. So, it seems obvious that whoever’s behind this theft wants to mass-produce copies.

Also, it doesn’t seem like Lucy’s brother is involved in the plot. The werewolf-like people we see at the end of the episode appear to be after him. My guess is that despite what Lucy thinks, her brother is actually protecting her. He doesn’t hate her for what the rest of the family did. She’ll figure that out eventually.

Conclusion

What do you think of The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 9? Do you agree with Cartaphilus that the dragon’s curse is what controlled Chise? Why do you think the college stores forbidden books instead of destroying them? And who do you think is responsible for the Webster Tragedy? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on your social media of choice — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 10 is available now.

Into the Wilderness

The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 8 covers the camping trip Chise and her classmates went on. The purpose of this trip was to teach the students to fend for themselves. Sorcerers (and mages) need to be able to survive to pass their knowledge to the next generation.

But, it doesn’t seem like the students actually learned very much on this trip. They had to set up tents, start fires, and catch and cook their own food. That sounds pretty good in terms of self-sufficiency. However, it seemed more like those who already knew what they were doing did everything.

We only saw one student actually learn how to do something. That was Chise when Lucy taught her how to start a fire. So, if the students were on their own in the wilderness, I’m not convinced they’d be okay.

Anyway, there’s another reason why I don’t think this little excursion was a good idea. Apparently, the woods in which the students went camping are home to a variety of fairies. Most of the fairies we see in the woods are good and won’t harm anyone. But, that’s not the case for all of them.

So, if you’re going to teach a sorcerer survival class, shouldn’t that be considered? I mean, they already had a magic class in which Elias showed them how dangerous fairies can be. But how are they supposed to know what to be wary of if they don’t know what’s in the woods?

For example, Chise’s the one who warns Lucy about the Each-Uisge. It looks like a friendly animal but actually eats humans. That seems like exactly the kind of thing the students should be warned about beforehand. And, this is important information for future survival situations, too.

Friendly and Not-So-Friendly Neighbors

As I’ve already mentioned, most of the fairies in the forest appear to be friendly. That’s according to Chise, who is by no means an expert in fairies. But, if she says they seem “good,” I’m inclined to believe her.

With that said, Chise also likely would have called the fairies from Elias’s magic class “good.” And yet, the other students managed to make those fairies attack them. So, a good way to think about fairies is like any other wild animal. If you make them mad, they’ll hurt you.

But, also like wild animals, sometimes they’ll hurt you even if you leave them alone. And in this episode, we see two such creatures. The first is the Each-Uisge, which looks like a horse. But, unlike a normal horse, the Each-Uisge drowns people in rivers and lakes and then eats them.

While this is certainly a dangerous creature, the good news is that there’s a way to avoid it. Many dangerous, legendary creatures have very specific rules they need to follow. You know, like how Vampires can’t enter a building without an invitation. Well, the Each-Uisge is in the same boat.

Apparently, you have to choose to get on its back. Then, it has to take you to a body of water and toss you in. Only then can it eat you. And if you escape from the water before it kills you, then it can’t harm you. So, if you see a horse near water, don’t climb on it.

Then, there are the dangerous creatures that look dangerous. The Nuckelavee falls into this category. At first, Chise thinks it’s a Centaur of some kind. But, I have a feeling she would have figured out the difference pretty fast. It’s a sea monster.

Those Who See Behind the Shadow

I didn’t find the Nuckelavee to be that scary for the majority of the episode. But, then we got to the final scene with it. You know, before Chise murdered it with her dragon arm or whatever.

The last thing the Nuckelavee said was, “You see behind the shadow. And I will not spare you. So long as you look into our side, we will…” That was a bit intimidating. It had the same vibe as the Hound Dogs saying they’ll “chase you forever” if you break the rules of the back passages. Both the Nuckelavee and Hound Dogs also have similar physical traits.

But, the thing that’s scariest about what the Nuckelavee said was its use of the words “our” and “we.” This could be referring to multiple Nuckelavee. But, I took it to be referring to the creatures that call “behind the shadow” home.

With the Hound Dogs, I’d say we got our first glimpse of the horrors that live on the other side. But now we know those horrors aren’t rare. There are many of them and at least some don’t take kindly to humans who can see into their world. Just by existing as a mage, Chise’s life is in danger.

There is good news, though, if you can call it that. As a mage, Chise has already lost part of her humanity. So, in time, the creatures behind the shadow may no longer view her as an outsider. Like, do you think they view Elias the same way they view humans?

I guess Elias isn’t exactly the best example. As far as I know, we don’t actually know what Elias is. He could originally be from behind the shadow himself. But, Chise’s lack of humanity keeps coming up.

Conclusion

What do you think of The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 8? Have the students been adequately prepared to survive in the wilderness? Did you think Chise was going to befriend the Each-Uisge? And, who do you think the Nuckelavee was referring to when it said, “we?” Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on your social media of choice — links are in the footer.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and JasonHK for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 9 is available now.