The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 4

The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 4

Demon of the Sea, Rahab

The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 4 was pretty decent as far as Mahoyome episodes go. At the start of the episode, Chise got to meet a “new” character, Rahab. I say “new” because I’m fairly sure we met her back in Season 1.

The flashback of Elias as a child felt familiar. So, I’m guessing that’s a flashback we got to see. It was probably whenever Elias told Chise about his past. Or, if he didn’t tell her, then it was whenever someone else told Chise about Elias’s past.

Anyway, Chise had never met Rahab before now. But, she was aware of Rahab’s existence. So, who is Rahab and how did Chise meet her? Rahab is the teacher of both Elias and Lindel. And the most important thing she taught Elias was how to live as a human.

Mage, Sorcerer, Demon of the Sea, Rahab from the anime series The Ancient Magus' Bride Season 2 Episode 4
Mage, Sorcerer, Demon of the Sea, Rahab

When Rahab introduces herself to Chise, she mentions a few of her titles. She says she’s both a mage and a sorcerer, which makes sense. If she taught Elias and Lindel, I would assume she’s a mage. And based on what we learned in Episode 2, I’m guessing most mages are also sorcerers.

However, there was one title that stood out, Demon of the Sea. It seems safe to assume the “of the Sea” part of that title has to do with where Rahab lives. Her house is on an island disconnected from the rest of time and space.

But, where did the “Demon” part of her title come from? Is it because she’s a mage and mages are scary? Is she misunderstood, kind of like Elias? Or, did Rahab do something in the past to earn that title? Is that why she now lives in solitude? I want to know more.

Elias’s Idea of a Bride

The whole flashback of Elias giving his necktie pendant to Chise felt familiar. So, that might have been covered in Season 1. But, since I hardly remember Season 1, I’m going to go over it as if it’s brand-new content.

Elias decided to give his pendant to Chise because it’s something special to him. But he didn’t give it to her simply because he wanted her to have something he thought was special. He gave it to her because he thought it would prevent her from putting herself in harm’s way.

Well, that and I’m pretty sure Elias can use the pendant to spy on Chise 24/7, which isn’t creepy at all. Though, I guess if Elias doesn’t have the same emotions as humans, that does make it a bit less creepy. It’s like having a camera set up in your house to keep tabs on your dog while you’re out.

Elias talking to Chise from the anime series The Ancient Magus' Bride Season 2 Episode 4
Elias talking to Chise

It’s from Rahab that we also learn why Elias wanted to take Chise as his bride. Of course, we know part of the reason is that Elias wants to learn more about human emotions from Chise. But, why did he want her to be his bride specifically?

Apparently, Chise has Rahab to thank for that. When Rahab was teaching Elias about various human relations, the concept of a bride came up. And this concept fascinated Elias. That’s why he set out to find a bride of his own. But, still, why a bride and not something else?

To me, it seems like Elias’s fascination with having a bride came from it not being a genetic connection. Siblings, parents, children, and cousins are all things Elias can’t acquire on his own. But, a bride is something he can. And he understands the idea of cohabitation.

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Back Passages and Hound Dogs

At the end of the episode, Elias and Chise hire a centaur guide to take them through a back passage. Back passages are secret connections between multiple points. They function kind of like wormholes in that they bend space and time — allowing for faster travel.

But, most mages don’t use back passages because of the danger. Sure, you could get lost in time and space, I guess. However, the real dangers within back passages are the hound dogs. These are dog-like monsters that call the back passages home.

If you make a contract with them, the hound dogs may allow you to traverse the back passages. But, they’re still dangerous. For example, if Elias or Chise attempt to stray from their particular paths, the hound dogs won’t be happy. As one of the hound dogs puts it, they’ll “chase you forever” if you break the rules.

A hound dog from the anime series The Ancient Magus' Bride Season 2 Episode 4
A hound dog

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not be chased forever by the hound dogs. They’re meat-eating monsters capable of interdimensional travel. It’s not like you can realistically get away from them if they start hunting you down. So, with that in mind, I’ll be skipping the back passages.

For some reason, Elias thinks this mode of travel is fine. I guess he’s not worried about the hound dogs since he’s a powerful mage. But, it’s not like they’re using the back passage for anything important. They’re literally using it to commute to and from the college faster.

Now, since we got this introduction to the hound dogs, it makes sense to assume we’ll see them again. And my guess is that one of Chise’s classmates is going to get lost in a back passage. That will give Chise can then rescue them and barter with the hound dogs herself.

Conclusion

What do you think of The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 4? Why do you think Rahab is known as the Demon of the Sea? Would the series be better if Elias wanted a mother? The title could have been The Ancient Magus’ Mommy. And, how do you think the hound dogs will come up again? Let me know in the comments.

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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 5 is available now.

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