「蜂蜜酒の理由」 (Hachimitsushu no Riyuu)
“Of Mead and Motives”

Episode 04 dials down a lot of the hard-hitting plot development in favor of letting Red and Rit take on a task to help give their favorite small town sauna a jolt. But in the process, the two find themselves being pushed together by the circumstances they face and the friends they keep.

COMRADERY BETWEEN LOCALS

This episode’s main accomplishment is showing how important community is to Red and Rit. Where Red finds himself wanting to help Zeff find that one quality that only his sauna would be able to have over the big bathhouse in Zoltan. At the same time, Rit and Red get tangled up with their respective friend groups as they are constantly pushed together.

On Red’s end, the push comes from the orc Storm and the elf Gonz, who keep encouraging Red to think on his toes and make the first move before his opportunity is lost. While Red seems to not prioritize romance, he is more than happy to engage in the competition that he and his friends have on who will last the longest in the boiling sauna.

RIT’S INTENTIONS

In Rit’s case, she’s proven time and time again that she’s 100% compatible with Red’s dreams of settling down with their apothecary. Her ambitions hadn’t gone unnoticed by others, however, as her closest friend in town Nao tries to push the two closer in the sauna by facilitating a conversation between the two as they enjoy the potpourri he set up for steam therapy.

The best thing about Rit is how they don’t compromise by forcing her into a purely domestic position. While past episodes have shown that she can have her fair share of temper issues, she shows she can hold her own easily when she throws the B-Rank hero Albert against the wall and threatens his life for trying to intimidate Red. It was pretty freaky to see her eyes go full-Higurashi, but at the same time, it’s a relief to know that she could throw down and make any of Red’s rivals catch those hands when the going gets tough.

Her forward nature comes into place especially when she’s building a life of domesticity with Red. Between wanting to put in a request for a large bathtub for the two and wanting to drink mead because it reminds her of a marriage tradition, she isn’t shy about trying to show Red how she’s wife material. She might be a little too forward to the otherwise laidback and easy-going Red, but I’ll be cheering her on as she tries her best to get Red to be more comfortable around her and slowly fall for her.

8 Comments

  1. Looks like Ares Srowa’s troop is—has fallen apart, it’s more flaky than a rusted peace of crucible steel. Serves him right.

    And what about Ruti Ragnason, why doesn’t she do something about getting Red back and instead leaving it only to Danan? She’s playing a papered Princess who can’t be bothered with the small details very well.

    I have never in my life enjoyed scenes of adult men in saunas with just a towel hiding their wedding bells; however, I do in enjoy watching the three amigos passing out in different points of the episode. Hehehe…

    RenaSayers
  2. Poor Ritto is probably wondering what the heck she’s gotta do to get her man to notice her.

    Given how much a pushover he’s been on the one hand (e.g. I’m coming to work with you, of course I’m moving in) and how inert he is on the other (at her waking ritual, two beds, the sauna), it’s gotta be a lot of stress and self-doubt for her. At the end of the day, winning him over is really the only focus she has in her life right now. I think she needs to get serious like this in a romantic sense…

    https://randomc.net/image/Henkyou%20de%20Slow%20Life%20suru%20Koto%20ni%20Shimashita/Henkyou%20de%20Slow%20Life%20suru%20Koto%20ni%20Shimashita%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2008.jpg

    And Reddo hustling the sauna proprietor with his tale of wild elves sounded like he was auditioning to write for the J Peterman catalogue.

    https://randomc.net/image/Henkyou%20de%20Slow%20Life%20suru%20Koto%20ni%20Shimashita/Henkyou%20de%20Slow%20Life%20suru%20Koto%20ni%20Shimashita%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2018.jpg

    Mockman

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