Episode 23: Kazalm’s Oath
Summary:
In the shed, Erin puts her mute whistle in a pocket bag. She opens up the wooden gate and plays the harp to lead Lilan outside. She watches it run happily in the fields. Esal-sensei and Tomura approach her, and Esal asks whether she understands what it was trying to say. Erin shakes her head, saying she was only mimicking the wild beast-lords’ sound. A loud splash is heard, and they turn to see Lilan washing itself in the river. Erin wonders if it’ll drown, and Tomura reassures her that the water is shallow enough.
Esal-sensei walks back, entering a meeting room with all of the teachers. Meanwhile, Yuuyan and Kashugan watch Erin and Tomura chatting in the fields below. Kashugan casually says Tomura loses to Erin when it comes to beast-lords, but Hanuka arrives and protests. He says Erin may have used a trick to feed Lilan since she’s of the Mist People. Urari walks over and agrees, saying how there doesn’t seem to be any other explanation. Yuuyan tells them not to be stupid, since she knows Erin isn’t like that.
Back in the meeting room, Esal-sensei is informed of student rumors on how Erin used a secret technique to control Lilan. She clarifies the situation, detailing how things came to pass. Esal states how Erin wasn’t assigned the responsibility because of her race, but rather of her upbringing with Jone and experience with seeing a wild beast-lord; she further points out the things Erin managed to figure it out on her own. Esal then brings out a white book called the Beast-Lord Imperatives, which are mandates on how to raise beast-lords.
Back in the shed, Tomura rolls in a cart of hay while Erin looks at Lilan resting peacefully. He is happy to see her so calm, and brings up the point of how she was able to easily achieve something he had struggled with. Despite knowing she didn’t, he says that even if she did use a technique of the Mist People, he would still respect her. He recounts how she’s only thought of Lilan these past 12 days, which most likely contributed to her innovative ideas that deviate from the Beast-Lord Imperatives. She wonders what that is, and he explains that they are rules that everyone in Beast-Lord Care Centers must strictly abide by; otherwise, one could be charged with betrayal against the Queen, who is symbolized by the Beast-Lord. Erin wonders about the implied consequences of not following the rules, and Tomura answers with something about a severe punishment. Erin thinks back on her mom and Touda. Tomura sees her troubled expression and tells her not to worry, for he will protect her. Erin smiles at him and tells him not to worry. He blushes, quickly saying how Esal-sensei had asked him to look after her.
The scene shifts back to the meeting. Esal says that Erin does not yet know about the imperatives since she’s a second year. Thus, it gives her goosebumps on how Erin managed to feed Lilan. Furthermore, she wants to discuss with them on whether they should report the incident to the palace. Everyone simply contemplates as the pot’s fire continues to burn.
In a forest clearing, Erin’s classmates have a meeting of their own. Yuuyan wonders why Erin is in danger of being expelled since she’s done something amazing. Yet, Urari tells them to consider what they’ve learned: the ancient tales tell them only the Queen may command beast-lords. He details the story of King Je with beast-lords and also brings up how the first Grand Duke, Yaman Hasal, was given the Touda whistle and defeated Hajan. The others acknowledge that story, and point out that beast-lords eat Touda. Urari nods, saying this fact is the very reason why the Queen is more influential than the Grand Duke. However, since Erin can control Lilan, Hanuka wonders if she is more influential than the Queen. Urari says this wasn’t his main point.
“Beast-lords can never befriends humans,” Esal-sensei states back in the meeting. Yet, Erin has disproved that theory. A teacher asks why they don’t report it to the palace if this is the case. She counters by saying that it would cause great turmoil, and the academy might face punishment. She knows that Erin genuinely worked in the best interest of Lilan. She also reveals that she and Tomura tried playing the harp, but Lilan would not react similarly. If they were to report their findings, Esal doubts that people would see past Erin’s heritage as the root cause of success. She says when she watches them, she thinks of Erin as Lilan’s motherly figure.
Esal brings up their traditional approach of taking care of beast-lords, and says that there’s no way a beast-lord can look at them in a parental role. Another teacher points out how they’re just been following the beast-lord imperatives. One other states they haven’t had any intimate contact with beast-lords like Erin. Esal compares Erin’s approach to that of raising a dog or horse; consequently, she became the first in their history to create a bond with a beast-lord. If this information is discovered, there will be people that try to take advantage of her. Esal expresses fear in that thought, and then prompts them with the earlier question: should they report to the palace?
That evening, Erin speaks with Esal-sensei in her office and is updated on the day’s events. She also explains the political situation with the Grand Duke and Queen. Erin says she doesn’t want to raise Lilan for war, and says she will never follow the traditional means of taking care of beast-lords. Esal sees her resolve. She then takes her to the cafeteria, where she is greeted by the entire school: students, teachers, Karisa, Nukku, and Mokku. Esal-sensei says she plans to keep things that have happened here a secret. She explains to Erin how if people were to find out, she and Lilan would be taken away to Lazal, the official Beast-Lord Care Center; as a result, her and Lilan’s freedom would greatly be restricted. Esal-sensei asks those that swear on secrecy to stand. At first, no one rises, but Yuuyan and Tomura initiate the process, followed by the entire school. Esal-sensei then tells her that they hereby swear to protect her and Lilan. Erin sobs happily and thanks everyone for their support, and the room is filled with applause. The long day finally comes to an end.
Next Episode Preview:
My Thoughts:
Lots of information in this episode. We get an official explanation of the Beast-Lord Imperatives, which is like a code for Beast-Lords. Not following them has severe consequences, perhaps execution (maybe being fed to beast-lords); this sounds like a great obstacle to Erin’s beliefs, but it looks like, for now, the secret is safe within Kazalm. Erin seems bent on following her ideals to the end, but as with many things in life, those things can be tested to the limit. I’m sure the author(s) will take advantage of that. I also like how they brought up Erin’s heritage again as a factor in getting people to believe her genuine efforts, since it highlights the racial barrier. I think Erin and her mom have done well in going against it. Erin, in particular, has already made plenty of friends.
It is sort of strange hearing how Erin is the first person ever to befriend a beast-lord. Though, being as she is, I doubt she cares about any of that. That’s good since those types of thoughts can easily go to one’s head. I also wonder who “Hajan” is in the story Urari mentioned (the one Yaman Hasal, the first Grand Duke, defeated). He was probably the leader of the opposing army.
I’m glad the school has made a vow to Erin, though I can see this becoming a major point for blackmail if someone was to discover and exploit it. It’s also somewhat hinted at that Tomura is growing attracted to Erin, but I’m not considering it anything too serious. Like I said awhile back, Ial and Erin would make a good match, but he seems a tad old for her. Well, now that they’re roughly the same height it makes it somewhat plausible, but the fact remains he was pretty adult-height when Erin was still sporting kid’s underwear.
Looks like next episode we get some more development with Shunan and his brother. I get vibes that Ngan will end up taking his brother out, and then be manipulated by Damiya. The preview doesn’t really show if anyone stabs anyone (which is good), so we’ll have to just watch. Join me, next time, on the next episode of Kemono no Souja Erin: “Song of Grief!”
Tags: anime, fantasy, heart-warming, Kemono no Souja Erin
