Returning to the Back Passages

The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 10 saw the return of the hound dogs. In case you forgot, the hound dogs are dog-like monsters that live in the back passages. To traverse the back passages, you first have to make a contract with the hound dogs.

We first met the hound dogs back in Episode 4 when Elias and Chise used the back passages to get to school. In my review of that episode, I made a prediction. And, it turns out that my prediction was partially correct.

I said one of Chise’s classmates would get lost in the back passages and that she would have to save them. And I also said that this would give Chise the opportunity to barter with the hound dogs herself. In Episode 4, the centaur bartered on Chise’s behalf.

So, how was my prediction correct in any way? Well, obviously the circumstances surrounding Chise’s return to the back passages were wrong. One of her classmates didn’t get lost there. Instead, Chise took one of her classmates (Lucy) into the back passages to escape enemies.

But, I was right about Chise going into the back passages to save one of her classmates. And, I was right about this return to the back passages giving Chise the chance to barter with the hound dogs. However, it wasn’t exactly Chise’s idea to enter the back passages. It looked like the dragon’s curse was what prompted her to do so.

And just like the last time the dragon’s curse spoke to Chise, she ended up causing someone else harm. The first time, Chise used her cursed arm to tear apart the Nuckalavee. This time, she led the wolfkin into the back passages so the hound dogs would attack them.

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Mystery of the Webster Tragedy

We know a decent amount about the Webster Tragedy at this point. It actually seems like we know more about it than even those involved. So, let’s briefly recap what we know before I get into the real mystery.

We know the wolfkin who were hunting Lucy and her brother in this episode were present at the tragedy. And, according to what they said in this episode, they were hired to kill the Websters. Lucy and her brother weren’t supposed to survive the attack. That’s why the wolfkin are back to finish the job.

Something else we know is that the Webster’s spiders disappeared during the tragedy. This is important because the spiders’ silk can be used to copy forbidden books. And yet, Lucy’s brother said he doesn’t know what the motive for the slaughter was. Isn’t it obvious? Whoever hired the wolfkin wants to copy forbidden books.

Now, you might think that the big mystery is who was behind the tragedy. But, to me, that’s actually not the biggest mystery. Sure, we don’t know who’s behind it yet. However, since we can be pretty sure what their motive is, who exactly it is isn’t as important.

Instead, there are two bigger mysteries. The first is, why was Lucy spared/how did she survive? She came face to face with one of the wolfkin during the attack. And yet, she’s still here. So, what happened that led to her surviving?

The second mystery is, who was the child Lucy saw hiding in the corner during the attack? There’s not supposed to be another survivor from the Webster family. So, who was that kid? Well, my guess is the kid has something to do with Lucy’s survival. Was that kid a mage? A fairy?

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The Testament of Carnamagos

Remember how someone stole a forbidden book from the college? That book was The Testament of Carnamagos. It’s forbidden because it covers topics such as stealing magic and reviving the dead. And, of course, Elias read the book. Why wouldn’t he have?

But, it turns out that Elias wasn’t the only person to have read The Testament of Carnamagos. Marielle (who I assume was in Season 1, but whom I don’t remember) also read it. However, since Marielle isn’t like Elias, reading the book almost made her lose her sanity.

Still, she did manage to read it, so she knows of its contents. She also experienced something when she read the book, though. And when she takes a look into the centaur teacher’s mind, she experiences it again. We don’t really have a term for what it is she experienced. But, let’s call it the curse of Carnamagos.

Because Marielle experienced the same thing here as when she read the book, we can make an assumption. There’s a connection between the Testament of Carnamagos and the curse put on the teacher. Whoever’s sapping the teacher’s magic is likely using knowledge from the forbidden book.

Something to keep in mind is that Lucy also had her magic sapped away on the camping trip. Since that’s not something that would normally happen, it must also be connected. And that’s kind of a big deal because it gives us two important clues.

First, whoever stole the book did so before the camping trip. And second, whoever stole the book was present during the camping trip. Unless it was the slime teacher, that makes it highly likely it was one of the students. And while Philomela is the most probable culprit, I doubt it’s going to be her.

Conclusion

What do you think of The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 Episode 10? Do you think Chise understood what leading the wolfkin into the back passages would mean? Who do you think the child present during the Webster Tragedy is? And which student are you expecting to be the culprit behind the stolen book? Let me know in the comments.

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