English Dub Review: From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman “The Old Country Bumpkin Gets Struck by a Lightning-Fast Sword”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
When a delegation from a neighboring country arrives, Allucia asks Beryl to help guard the VIPs, and he can’t refuse.  Beryl needs the right clothes for the job, so he and Allucia go shopping.  It’s just like a date!  The next day, Allucia approaches Beryl with an offer.

Our Take:
Beryl has certainly gotten the whole “parenting” thing down very well.  However, that doesn’t mean he’s ready to neglect his duties as a swordsman.  After figuring out his father-figure skills to raise Mewi, Beryl now faces another task at hand: clothes shopping!  With the delegation approaching the capital, it would make sense for him to dress appropriately for the occasion, especially since he’ll be guarding the VIPs, the royal family from another country.  They did mention the country’s name, but I didn’t have the patience to spell it correctly or even pronounce it myself.  I will say that the country’s name is quite long.
As a result, Beryl winds up being dragged by Allucia to shop for new clothes, with Henbritz and Curuni spying on them from afar.  The plot involving clothes shopping may not seem very eventful compared to the previous episodes, but there’s actually more to this shopping spree than meets the eye.  Between shopping for clothes and going out for lunch, this little outing between Beryl and Allucia has the capabilities of a “date”, which got Allucia all giddy like a schoolgirl when she’s not leading the Order.  More importantly, it also further examines the relationship between Beryl and Allucia, with the latter hoping to express her feelings toward him.  You might be thinking about where the subtitle “Lightning-Fast Sword” comes into play.  Well, the episode’s second half showcased that answer with a duel between master and student, showcasing Allucia’s swift reflexes almost outmatching Beryl’s skills.
Regarding its simple, laidback plot involving clothes shopping, the episode seemed to be running the risk of following the usual romance approach involving Allucia’s feelings toward Beryl.  This is shown in Allucia’s attempt to confess her feelings to Beryl upon winning the duel against him, though she later clarifies that it was for buying new clothes.  While that may be the case, Beryl clarified there’s a big age difference between Beryl and Allucia, so it would be pretty weird if this romantic tension blossomed any further.  But anything can happen in the world of anime, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that happened later on in the season.  So, at the very least, the show is being a tad self-aware of the situation.