Ugh, this is so late…Anyways, we start this episode introduced to a two new people, Hal Kamhout and his companion Flamberge, who are a pair similar to Huey and Dalian and are traveling around looking for a Biblioprincess and a Phantom Book. They run into a policewoman named Mabel Nash, who offers them a place to stay. While talking, Hal reveals that many people have gone missing in the town, which Mabel finds unbelievable. However, Hal points out that the ones that have gone missing were just travelers, which made them harder to notice. They arrive at Mabel’s house to find that she also lives with her grandparents and little sister Patricia, the latter of whom is not so accepting of their arrival. That night, Hal leaves to investigate the town, finding some strange ruins. He runs into a prostitute while he’s there, but maintains his cool attitude and questions her for being in the ruins. She attacks him and reveals that she is a marionette. Meanwhile, Patricia comes to meet Flamberge while she’s alone and Hal returns to find her asleep next to Flamberge. Hal also notices that the grandparents greet him in the exact same way as they greeted Mabel earlier, even calling him Mabel. Patricia is surprised that Hal has returned, telling him that travelers that had stayed at their house before had not been so lucky. Hal and Flamberge leave again and find a production facility for these dolls, run by none other than Mabel herself. Mabel reveals that as her home was burning down from the war, she met a Bibioprincess who gave her a Phantom Book to rebuild the town. However, Hal reveals that the dolls panic when they encounter change (as he saw earlier), and that they are the cause of the missing travelers, as they panic and lash out at the novelty of the travelers. Mabel attacks them anyway and Hal reaches into Flamberge’s stomach to grab a Phantom Book. Mabel taunts that he will never be able to read the book in time, but Hal just sticks the book on his staff and starts to shoot fire from the staff. Mabel points out that Hal will eventually be engulfed by the flames of the staff, but Hal reveals that he has accepted that fact. Back at Mabel’s house, Hal reveals to Patricia that he only killed the part of Mabel’s mind that was corrupted by the Phantom Book, and that she will have no more memories of it upon waking up. The episode ends with Patricia thanking Hal and Hal showing off some emotion to Flamberge as they leave the town.
An interesting episode. I wonder if there will be more man + Biblioprincess combos in future episodes. Hopefully it doesn’t turn out to be a copy of Zatch Bell or something (loli allies and magical books? it’s already close). I mean, I’m sure more pairs will be introduced, but I wonder if they’ll take the focus of the episode as Hal and Flamberge did. I wonder what will happen when they meet Huey and Dalian as well. I’m guessing Hal’s cold attitude has something to do with his profession’s death sentence and I’m curious to see how that will play out.
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