English Dub Review: From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman “The Old Country Bumpkin Goes on His First Hunt in Ages”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Mewi needs a new bag for school, so Beryl goes shopping.  But he quickly realizes just how expensive bags can be!  A job offer from Surena provides a means to make some extra cash, and he jumps at the chance.  But he soon realizes – this job is one even high-ranking adventurers have never completed!

Our Take:
As if shopping for clothes in the last episode isn’t enough for Beryl to handle, especially when it’s considered as part of a “date” with Allucia.  We now see Beryl take a crack at this activity again, but this time, he’s looking for a new bag for Mewi in preparation for the Magic Academy.  This moment further highlights Beryl’s newfound responsibility as Mewi’s guardian, departing from the show’s conventional villain-of-the-week structure.  However, it isn’t without its various challenges that prevent him from fulfilling his role as an effective parent, similar to Beryl’s minor problems with confronting monsters and a corrupted priest.  His shopping for a school bag is no exception, as he discovers that some are as expensive as a current-generation game console due to their rare qualities.  Fortunately, Beryl was given a task by Surena that would pay him handsomely, but it may not be an easy one to accomplish for this old country swordsman.
This quest, in particular, requires Surena and Beryl to capture a rare white horse to deliver to the Royal Family.  While it may seem easy on paper, this gorgeous creature is intelligent enough to evade even the strongest of adventurers.  That is until Beryl tamed it through a truce when they got stranded by the river during their little chase.  This little hunt wasn’t as exciting or refreshing as Beryl’s previous confrontations, and the middling CGI effects can still be an eyesore. However, it benefited mildly from Beryl and Surena cooperating once more to accomplish this impossible task.  Of course, I can’t forget about Beryl’s “father/daughter” chemistry, which I still think is more interesting than his cooperation with his other students due to its laid-back and heartfelt vibes.  Speaking of which, Beryl has found himself reuniting with another former apprentice, Rose Marblehart, at the end of the episode.  Unfortunately, it also means Allucia has another romance rival to compete against despite being, you know, younger than him.