Episode 11 – Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? V

You should always listen to Cassandra. In Greek mythology, she’s a prophetess damned by Apollo to always speak truly but never be believed. In DanMachi, things aren’t quite that bad, but still similar enough to the Classical sources that no one quite knows what to do with her words. Although she says at the beginning of this episode that the wind will blow in Hestia Familia’s favor, it’s hard to see how – especially since she mentions an elf, a prum, and a chariot. But I think it’s that last one that spells out how the alliance might triumph. While we can make some educated guesses that “elf” refers to either Hedin or Hegni and “prum” is the Gulliver Brothers. At the same time, “wind” is a reference to Lyu’s nickname, Gale Wind (something borne out by the title of next week’s episode); who is the “chariot?”

That, I believe, would be Allen. In Norse mythology, Freya rides a chariot drawn by two cats, and we’ve already seen the way Allen creates a wheel around himself with his magic. But chariots have two wheels, and Allen’s sister Anya is presumably the second – and she’s not currently working with Freya Familia. Even if she stays completely out of the fight, that still leaves Freya’s “chariot” with only one wheel, and a single-wheeled chariot would certainly be a weakness that someone could exploit. (And as an aside, some believe that the superstitions around cats in general and black cats in particular come from attempts to demonize pre-Christian religions.) Given the fidelity with which other Freya Familia members follow Freya’s mythology – Ottarl comes from Óttar, the goddess’ faithful servant, while Gullveig is thrice-burned and thrice-reborn – it feels very likely that the cat-drawn conveyance is being used as a reference, an Easter egg for viewers familiar with the myths Fujino Ōmori used as his source material. (This would have revealed Syr’s secret, because Sýr was a key sacrificial symbol in Freya’s mythology.)

But first, we have to watch the utter horror that the alliance blithely wanders into Freya Familia’s trap, foolishly assuming that the group would play by the rules of hide and seek. I’m not sure who’s to blame here; when advising Lili, Finn would surely have mentioned this as a possibility unless (and this feels possible) he was simply too heroic to consider such a move. But maybe they did account for it, because having Bell sneak up on Ottarl feels like it takes that under consideration. The teams currently in play also seem to be the most hot-headed of the bunch, although they’re also among the strongest; Aisha is no one’s fool but also not one to hang back. But what’s more striking is the anger that members of Freya Familia seem to feel at their situation. Some, like Heith reconstructing her body after being immolated (a genuinely striking image), have every reason to be furious; that has got to hurt. But others, like Van and Allen, are just mad at the idea of fighting for Bell. Whether that’s because they don’t feel he’s worthy of Freya’s love, because he rejected what they most desire once already, or because they feel Freya should just be handed what she desires isn’t clear. But they are angry, and we have to hope that will make them slip up. Allen’s targeting of Welf already feels weirdly personal, and that could get him in trouble.

There are a few wild cards that are still not truly in play. Lyu is conspicuously missing, and Asfi taking off paired with the title of next week’s episode, “Astrea Record,” could indicate future alliances and help. But Hedin feels like the one we ought to be keeping an eye on. While the rest of Freya Familia is keen to give the goddess what she wants, that’s not how Hedin is phrasing things. He seems to be operating on what’s best for the goddess – and as we all know, what we want isn’t always what we ought to have.

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