The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 11

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.

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My review of Episode 12 is available now.