Lord El-Melloi II Case Files – 06

They might have invented another name (in this case ‘Carnac’) to avoid potential legal issues, but that shopping complex is most definitely Harrods. I’m young and certainly lack financial assets and frankly have no business checking the store out. That said, two of my closest friends attend Imperial University, which is situated around that area of London. So I’ve walked past the outside a couple of times. If you told me some evil, old nutter shacking up in some sewers owned Harrods, I wouldn’t be surprised, because there are definitely some weird and unsavoury characters who are monied and amongst the elite. Fortunately, with Sir Davenant’s arrest that’s no longer the case, with Luvia coming in to take over the business.

Reines takes Gray clothes shopping, and it seems like she wanted to use her as a dressing up doll. There were definitely quite a few moments that made it worthwhile for the viewers, though I feel sad that Gray eventually settled on clothes that obscured her appearance. Reminds me of someone in real life, haha. After bumping into Luvia, the trio go around on what could be described as a girl’s day out, before getting entrapped within a bounded field. Ah yes, another one of these. So, they set about trying to crack the problem and secure a means of escape. My feelings on Luvia based on her appearances so far in the franchise are… mixed. She definitely has a lot going for her, which are certainly amusing and unique to her character. Seeing her go at it macho style was very entertaining. But I find her rich girl and haughty attitude quite off-putting, even it can make me laugh at times. Anyhow, I was half expecting an evil, old man to be the mastermind once again. Like it has been for every single episode up till this point. However, I was pleasantly surprised that there was no perpetrator to be had this time, as opposed to a natural occurrence resulting from the security system’s zealous overreaction. We can also see the hallmarks of a great teacher in Waver, when his students and acquaintances apply his methodology in context from class, to the scenario at hand to successfully resolve issues. Let’s say, as opposed to remembering everything specifically for exams and being unable to apply it in a real life context.

To wrap off the episode, Gray returns back to Waver with a present in hand, only to discover her mentor in a very fretful state. It turns out that the mysterious Rail Zeppelin broke in and took away his most prized possession — the mantle of Iskandar, the only keepsake he possessed for the deceased individual who he admired and cared about the most. And also the only reliable key to reviving Iskandar in a future Holy Grail War, should Waver be selected as a candidate. All they leave behind is a note asking him to meet up with them. Of course even with the existence of Rail Zeppelin being confirmed last episode, Waver isn’t one to unnecessarily take on conflict when unneeded, especially when he’s got other focuses such as gaining entry to the upcoming Holy Grail War. Naturally, this forces the story in a direction where confrontation becomes inevitable. The folks over at Rail Zeppelin knew exactly what they needed to do in drawing Waver’s attention and provoking a response. Their motives right now are difficult to ascertain. But my gut tells me it’s got something to do with Reines and her eyes, as well as Gray and her mystic code.

I knew there was some filler close to the start. Nevertheless, if you told me that pretty much everything up till this point has been filler, I would have been extremely sceptical. Yet here we are. In a similar way to how the inclusion of filler has been a baptism of fire that Studio Wit has magnificently risen up to in their adaptation of Vinland Saga, the exact same thing can be said about Troyca here. They have done more than enough in laying the foundations, establishing the premises required for the characters and plot elements, in order to prepare us for the Rail Zeppelin Arc. And they’ve done so in a compelling and entertaining way, while flexing their ability to craft impressive mystery narratives that tightly holds up against inconsistencies. I look forwards to seeing where this progression of plot will unfold towards next. Anyway, that’s about everything I wanted to discuss. As always, thanks for reading my post and see you next week for what will presumably be the beginning of the Rail Zeppelin Arc!