Loki Familia can never escape danger … especially when it comes from the Dungeon.
Creative Staff:
Illustrations By: Takashi Yagi
Original Story: Fujino Omori
Character Design: Kiyotaka Haimura & Suzuhito Yasuda
Translation: Andrew Gaippe
What They Say:
Aiz and her friends make their way to Rivira, the town nestled deep within the Dungeon, only to stumble upon a macabre murder! After determining the culprit must be extremely powerful, everyone seems to think a member of the Loki Familia is the most likely suspect?!
Meanwhile, on the surface, Loki embarks on an investigation of her own, delving deep into the sewers to get to the bottom of a mystery that may affect her children’s future – as well as that of all Orario…
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
As Aiz finishes early morning training, Lefiya chimes in with the usual cheer, complimenting her friend’s dedication for honing already superior skills. While they continue to talk, the young elf does not notice Riveria was patiently waiting behind her, annoyed for the time it took to fetch a book for her own studies. As she hastily drags her student away, both agree to finish the conversation at breakfast, but it does not progress in a pleasant way once the girls ask the Sword Princess her plans for the day. With the events of Monsterphilia still fresh in their minds, Aiz remembers the disappointment in the Goibniu Familia master smith’s face as he surveyed the remnants of the loaner blade, returned in a completely worthless state. Although she was saddened by his disapproval, what became more shocking was the total for repairing Desperate and the cost of replacing the destroyed blade – forty million valis. Seeing no other choice than to explore the Dungeon for a week to earn this amount, both Lefiya and Tiona volunteer to accompany their friend, with the latter also needing to generate some serious funds for the recreation of Urga.
But as they ask the Amazonian sister if she want to join them, Tione passes on the opportunity, not wanting to be without the Captain for such an extended time. However, that tone changes when her sibling states there were going to ask him if he wanted to join the exploration party. With the girls now firm in their wishes, they enter Finn’s office to find Riveria standing by his desk, and waste no time in asking if he wanted to go on a brief journey. Wanting nothing more than to have some fun adventuring than the usual pressure of expeditions, the prum general gladly accepts this offer, with the elven mage also graciously accepting a chance to join the party. The group is then dismissed, ordered to gather supplies and make any necessary arrangements, all before meeting at Babel Tower for a noon departure.
It did not take long to plow through the upper levels of the Dungeon, with this group of top-tier adventurers easily cleaving their way through monsters, allowing Aiz and Tiona to lead the way and a chance to break in their new weapons. Although due to the amount of valis they needed to earn, it made little sense to gather magic stones from these low-level creatures, and instead they hurried through until reaching the Under Resort on level eighteen. However, while it was normally quiet in this oasis, the lack of any adventurers made it all the more unsettling, especially once they arrived in the rogue town of Rivira. The Captain had promised to pay for a night’s stay in one of the hamlet’s overpriced inns, but as they made their way through the deserted streets, it was immediately clear something was wrong. Only once they overheard people talking about someone being killed within this safe haven did they become concerned, and the massive group gathering ahead only made the situation all the tenser.
When Finn volunteered to try weaving his way through this burdensome crowd, Tione’s temper exploded, projecting an intimidating scream to issue forth from the Amazon, making the people immediately part, much to the prum’s embarrassment. However once they made their way inside, the nauseating stench of death was readily apparent, and it was only after they found Bors behind a partitioning curtain did they know something was gruesomely wrong. The room was splattered crimson, with the most obscene decoration being the remains of a man’s body, a bloody pool the only indication of what remained of his head. There was little choice than to lock down the town, no one was above suspicion, even those as famous as Loki Familia. This person had been murdered and no one knew which family he belonged to … or if the killer was still in Rivira.
In Summary:
This volume begins one of my favorite introductions within the series, giving some indication as to Aiz’s past and more importantly, revealing the abominations’ monster tamer. And while Yagi-sensei does attempt to inject some comedy to lighten the intensity of the story, especially during Tione’s moments when she is trying to impress Finn, making her obsession all the more charming and frightening, he does not forget the main plotline. This is importantly shown by adding a bit of warped sensuality during the murder, something which was skipped in the light novel. This element makes the killing more plausible, showing even if she was of a higher level, this murderess does not forget this man still is attracted to her, allowing for his defenses to crumble once he sees a bit of skin. It is only then does the brutality show, at times giving the tamer a sense of how much she enjoys tormenting people, until she sees the Sword Princess, and then her true wickedness opens up to a newer and higher plain of evil.
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side: Sword Oratoria is starting to come into its own, showing the truth behind this spin-off and how Aiz must deal with her past to survive the present. The light novel made an impression, the anime opened up a slanted side of the story, but it is only now does the true impact of her impressions come to light. This tangential tale has its own importance within the main narrative and it is only now do we see how it was meant to be, a telling of revelations and deep inner conflict, all to show how the Sword Princess truly becomes stronger in the end.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: A-
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: Teen
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: May 05, 2018
MSRP: $13.00
