Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darouka III – 07

「獣の夢ディックス・ペルディクス」 (Dikkusu Perudikusu (Kemono no Yume))
“Dix Perdix (The Dreams of Beasts)”

The Insanity of Daedulus

Last time, we unraveled the mysteries of Dix Perdix. As a descendant of Daedalus, who has effectively cursed him to perpetually committing himself to the project, Knossos Labyrinth is his birthright. He can do whatever he wishes there. And the Xenos serve two purposes – as collateral for labyrinth construction costs and because hurting them relieves his mind from the perpetual insanity generated by his ancestor’s bloodline. That’s the spurious claim that Dix makes to justify his actions against the Xenos.

As I previously mentioned, that’s not a very compelling justification. Torture, maiming and murdering are categorically wrong. Some people were born into this world to grow up and have sexual attraction towards children. But some of those people know that acting on such urges is evil, and restrain themselves too. There’s really no excuses here or any room for sympathy on my part.

The Crossroad of Morality

And as if he wasn’t enough of a scumbag, he pries away the crystal in Wiene’s forehead – causing her to lose all reason as she transforms into a rampaging monster – before he uses an illusion that causes her to rush into the streets of Orario. Although Bell is able to chase after Wiene, he’s too late to stop her from reaching the open world. She unwittingly terrorizes the townsfolk. And worst of all, the Loki familia show up to eradicate her. People who Bell would stand no chance against. Not to mention his beloved Ais bears witness to this scene.

Even then, Bell still chooses to take a stand and protect Wiene. He might be vilified. People will accuse him of hypocrisy. Nevertheless, he chooses to do what’s right, even if his reputation will be decimated into smithereens. And to me, that is the sign of a true hero. Perhaps not the kind sung about in mythologies.

Concluding Thoughts

When all is said at the end of the day, here’s the most important question. Can Bell save Wiene from the Loki Familia? I don’t think he’ll get out of this situation unscathed. Not without major intervention from multiple deities. So I’m excited to see how this shakes out, and Danmachi continues with its impeccable form, never failing to keep me on the edge of my seat these past few episodes.

Anyway, that’s about everything I wanted to discuss. As always, thanks for reading this post and see you all next week!