SOS Bros React - Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 2 Episode 6 - The Path Ahead of Lutz

[@SemblanceofSanity]

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[@Someone-101]

Regarding why the parents don't like merchants, one big part (arguably the _biggest)_ is that because most people (like Lutz's father) can't read, merchants will often lie about the content of contracts or agreements when they're being signed (e.g. saying the contract says x, when it actually says y). And because it's a signed contract, it's legally enforceable. Merchants screw over smaller workshop owners (like Lutz's father) all the time, so his parents are against Lutz becoming the type of person they themselves have personally been wronged by in the past. The end of a book usually has short stories from the perspectives of other characters, and we get to see what happens after this,meeting from Lutz's father's POV. They have to go to the merchant guild to sign the new contract for Lutz, and his father is so proud and grateful that Lutz is able to go through the contract with him line by line, read what it says, and explain what it means for him. And yes, the anime cut a TON of context the was in the light novel. As one big example, elaborating on what he meant by "do what you want", and why that was _NOT_ an inconsistency. "'You work hard? We dont support you? How about you stop being a baby.' [Ferdinand tells him to explain, and he says] 'He got a job we told him not to get. Of course he's gonna work hard. Not even a season's passed since his baptism, what's there to accept? My stupid son's the one who picked a job he wouldn't get any help with. He knew what he was getting into. He knew he'd have to work so hard he'd spit blood and maybe never even make it to full time work. So I'm saying, why's he complaining now? Does that make sense?' 'Yes, that is much more clear. Lutz, do you understand as well?' [Cutting ahead to his response] 'I'm not saying you have to appreciate how hard I'm working. But at least... But at the very least, can you accept that im gonna be a merchant?!' 'Pretty sure I already told you to do whatever you want.' [Skipping ahead a bit] 'I think merchants are scum and I dunno why he wants to be one willingly, but he's a man and he chose this line of work on his own. He can use his guts to follow his dream whatever it takes, even if it means being a live-in apprentice. But whining and running off to the orphanage? It's pathetic,' he said with a scoff, then crossed his arms and leaned back to signal that he'd said all he had to say. [Myne tries shouting that no, that was _her_ fault, but can't because of the sound-blocker. Lutz eventually asks why he can't leave the city...] 'You'd know if you thought about it for a second!' shouted Deid, but Lutz had run away from home precisely because he didn't understand. The High Priest shook his head with a sigh and spoke once again. ' But he doesn't understand, so explain yourself.' '...Again?' Deid, looking worn out slapped his forehead. Then, after mumbling that he was bad at these kinds of things, spoke while furrowing his brows. 'You becoming a merchant and you leaving the city are two different things. It's dangerous outside the walls. There's bandits and ferocious beasts. It's no place to be taking kids.' [After that, Benno says he's taking Lutz to open stores, and Deid counters that that's not the kind of work that's appropriate for a lehange--the type of work contract Lutz has. Myne thinks to herself] A lehange apprentice was the practical equivalent to a three-year internship back in Japan. The focus would be on teaching them the fundamentals, the simple manual labor and the like. One might send a lehange to another city to work in a newly opened store, but they would not be involved in establishing a new store or setting up a workshop.] So the the thing about "do what you want" was ONLY about him becoming an apprentice, and they were (correctly) arguing that work establishing a new store (ESPECIALLY in another city) is NOT an appropriate task to be giving an intern. They're concerned that that might be a sign that Benno (who is an untrustworthy merchant, remember) is abusing their son. Anyways, didn't mean to make this comment so long! TL;DR, you are correct, ther was a lot of light-novel content that got cut out of the episode, and it unfortunately accidentally broke a lot of the well-laid-out logic of the story.

[@AceBattleStorm]

Thanks for all the info, that helps a lot. The anime pacing definitely hurts this scene

[@cyberiansailor9741]

This comment is wonderful. Thanks for the excerpts. The anime is in so.e way similar to Died who can't communicate his logic properly

[@alsinakiria]

​@@AceBattleStormthere's another cut scene that shows why his family is so emotional about it. Myne bought something from the workshop Lutz' oldest brother works at. The foreman tried to scam Myne but Lutz stepped in to get her a fair price. Lutz' brother didn't see it that way since he hadn't dealt with customers yet and didn't know pricing. He saw it as Lutz hurting his own job prospects by bringing the price down which added to the "greedy merchant" stereotype. His boss probably took a bit of frustration that he couldn't scam Myne on that big order out on the brother. That would have made him blame Lutz and become more resentful.

[@Sup_D]

The problem with this whole issue was that, Lutz parents were never really openly supportive or even accept what he was doing and achieve before the meeting with the High Priest. Lutz's mother regularly tried to get him to leave his job, while his father regularly said that he should give up being a merchant and become something like a paper maker craftsman instead. Yeah, his father said to him to "do what you want", but then kept on nagging to him about what Lutz was doing all along. He didn't even try to explain himself on why he was being against Lutz being a merchant, and neither did he openly accept his own fault openly (in his PoV chapter in the LN) after understanding how he had misunderstood Lutz until now. The result at the end being, majority of people only consider that Lutz was at fault for the whole situation as apparently they felt that he didn't properly convey to his parents on what he was doing. Though i reality, he kept informing them of everything he did to his family (including where he worked and whether the company was at), but since his parents and siblings never bothered to care about what he did, he stopped talking about it altogether.

[@Le7emeChat]

Thank you so much for transcribing this.

[@EvertyYT]

So yeah, i blame the adaptation for this episode, there's a lot of pf missing context. Basically, the parents don't like that Lutz is working as an apprentice for merchant, and apprentice contracts is neither permanent nor a guarantee of future work (remember the discussion Myne has with Benno when first making paper?), and kids are usually trained in the same job area as their parents because they have the connections to help the kid secure a job (Think Tuuli's apprentice job as a seamstress, like her mom). That is why Lutz's dad agrees with it when Benno proposes a Dapla contract, which basically means a guarantee of work after becoming adult. Of course an anime adaptation can't fully explain the worldbuilding as well as a light novel could, because of issues like pacing or budget, but this episode is where it hurts the most IMO because it takes away a bunch of context behind the decisions of Lutz's parents, making them way more asshole-ish than it should have been lol

[@DominoPivot]

Yeah, the anime seems to put the blame on Lutz for storming out of his home and not seeking an understanding, but it doesn't ring true given how uncooperative the dad is. I think they tried to imply too much with the lines about Lutz "making it in the business" and being a "mere apprentice". It's one of the thankfully few passages of the story that made much more sense after reading the book, which provides the context to understand the parents' perspective, but even Benno's. The most significant part being, like you said, that Lutz wasn't hired yet. A shame, but in the context of the story as a whole, the episode still serves its purpose despite this slight blunder in writing.

[@cyberiansailor9741]

​@@DominoPivot Yeah the dad comes of really bad in the anime when I actually found his position to be entirely reasonable to protect his son after reading through that part in the LN

[@nolan4339]

Ya, by sending a mere 'apprentice' out of town, it seem that you are pushing high-risk work on the poorest worker, almost like workforce bullying and exploitation of a throwaway kid/employee that doesn't know any better. By instead having the more secure contract, it shows that they are valued and will have a secure employment with avenues for a better position, so giving them the added responsibility makes much more sense.

[@drlibro2669]

The novel takes a bit more time to explain the different kinds of work contracts, and that Lutz only has a temporary contract and that the work he was proposed to do was beyond what a normal temporary apprentice would do.

[@geraldgrenier8132]

Also that type of trip is exactly how Benno's dad died, it not a safe trip

[@J-PUT]

Yeah the anime didn't communicate the issues well. Lutz's situation is super weird for this world. Imagine that you run a family business, but your 15 year old tells you that he doesn't want to work for the family business and is gonna get a part time job at Walmart instead. You begrudgingly agree to it and he starts work. A month later he comes home and tells you he needs your permission for his boss to fly him to New York for a business conference. You'd freak the hell out. That's not a normal thing for a part timer at Walmart to be involved in, and looks shady and messed up on the part of the boss. There's no contradiction in the parents agreeing to him getting a job, but objecting to him going on a business trip. He's an apprentice under a contract that typically involves observing actual workers while doing menial labor a few days a week. What Benno is trying to do bringing Lutz up at a successor is bizarre and unbelievable to anybody who doesn't understand the circumstances.

[@MedusaLegend]

Many people complain about what is missing, but the anime still got the most important: teaching Mine how to properly be a mediator, to listen to everyone’s point of view, not only the one she has bias for.

[@Dryltd]

Growing up in a house with this type of disfunction makes me glad you were never exposed to adults like this. This episode makes complete sense to me. Every ridiculous part. Good thing I went to therapy and worked through this.

[@daedalron]

The tool to talk secretly to someone and the secret room have totally different reasons to be. Secret rooms are not meant to be a place to talk to others. It's a place for yourself alone. At most you could go inside with your spouse. Ferdinand bringing Myne into his secret room is already kinda scandalous, as was shown (only a bit in the anime) by the shocked reactions of the retainers when Ferdinand first brought Myne into it.

[@Untolddead]

I think calling the writing bad isn't quite right. My grandfather who raised me was exactly like Lutz's dad. He would contradict himself and be loud to get his way. There was some stuff cut but the main point is to teach Myne that she needs to listen to both sides to make decisions from a superiors perspective. I think part of inconsistency is meant to show just how biased and uninformed Myne is. She is getting all her information from other kids. We also have to recognize that Lutz is being treated abnormally. There is 0% chance that he would be in a large store like this without Myne. Yes, he is driven and capable but that isn't enough to get such special treatment unless you know about everything Myne does. Which Lutz's parents don't. But this is basically the author ending this side note as the parents only cameo in a few side stories from now on.

[@GuysCupank]

This is the first conlict that Shook Ferdinand's to The Core ! He began interested in Lower City's Culture after this 😂

[@nonko83]

"It's also important to note that the High Priest is starting to change little by little."

[@Blightlenox]

Tbf, if my 7 year old ran away from home the way Lutz did, I would be freaking out just as much as the Mom was. Even taking into consideration the difference between our world and their world.

[@Mirality]

For the times, an adoption isn't necessarily going to be seen as a negative, especially for a poor family. Removing a mouth to feed (while guaranteeing a good position for the child) can be a win-win for everyone. Though in this case, Lutz' parents didn't want to give him up regardless.

[@matthewnesbitt6416]

Anime drops the ball on this episode. There's a concept of two different kinds of apprenticeship contracts that the show just doesn't really go into (the one Lutz has is basically for day labour, they other is for management training/future ownership/etc.), and the reason Lutz is being beat at the start of the episode is because (thanks to their lack of communication) his family only knows that Lutz's contract shouldn't be used to send him on a dangerous journey that has nothing to do with his future position, so they think that Beno is taking advantage of Lutz, and putting his life in danger because he sees him as disposable, and his Dad thinks he needs to stop him to protect him. Of course we know it's more to do with the unique circumstances of Lutz and Myne working for Beno, but here we never really get a proper look at the parent's perspective, so it fails to convey why this is a failure of communication, and not a failure of parenting.

[@MoOrion]

Few things... The Dad is absolutely abysmal at communicating. The Mom has several Kids and her attention is so split that she doesn't have a full grasp of what's happening. The Dad has a prejudice against merchants and has instilled that among the rest of the siblings. Lutz has been bullied by his brothers for basically his entire life... Myne pretty much saved him from starvation with the Paru cakes... Which the Mom wasn't aware of what was going on in that situation either. Lutz parents are pretty terrible parents but are still his parents. Lutz had a basic apprentice contract... Which the Dad interprets as Benno Scamming his Son. He sees Benno as an uncaring money grubbing merchant who now wants to send his kid out on a dangerous trip and who probably won't care that much if this low level apprentice dies while doing it. Because of his prejudice he doesn't care to investigate further and find out what Benno really is like. This lack of investigation and jumping to conclusions is what got the family going to the store and thinking Benno was "kidnapping" Lutz as they couldn't imagine anything else. The upgrade to the contract is the resolution the Dad needed to give his permission. It's a happy ending as Lutz is a little reconciled with his parents... there is some greater understanding there... and he has the permission he needed to leave the town... But Lutz' parents are still pretty bad parents.

[@gravthezero8617]

Its explained in the books that workers with lehange contracts (essentially their worlds version of an internship) can work for room and board where the cost of housing would be cut out of their paycheck, these rooms are also usually the worst rooms ie small attic rooms. The issue Lutz's parents have is that they believe he is being taken advantage of as the work of starting a new location would/should go to a leherl (our equivalent of a fulltime worker or manager) which are typically longer term employment contracts and usually only offered once someone becomes an adult. This is the kind of contract Benno agrees to promote Lutz to. His parents were basically agreeing that it was ok for him to work for Benno but the specific jobs he was taking on were not appropriate for his level of employment like the equivalent of having a modern day intern go on buisness trips to meet with investors (with the added bonus that travel is as dangerous (perhaps more dangerous) as travel was in the middle ages).

[@Ecko1985]

There is also a bigger reason why Merchants are frowned upon in the series. Specifically the traveling merchants that isn't touched on until the end of the book series. ***Spoilers*** Originally Lutz wanted to be a "traveling merchant" so he could see the rest of the country. This is potentially all that his parents really know of is merchant ambitions. Considering the lack of communication in the family, and him being under 10yrs old at this point. Much of the travelling merchants are actually descendants of merchants that came from a different nation. Remember how Otto said that traveling merchants dreams are to be accepted into a city/duchy and be a citizen? The only way into Main's country is to travel through one of several mana charged warp Gates. A lord of a duchy that contained one of these warp gates attempted to overthrow the king by staging a coup. The wider assumption is that traveling merchants and dignitaries from the other side of this duchy's warp gate insighted the coup. After this coup was prevented, the acting king closed the gate indefinitely. The merchants that were stranded with Main's country became nomad merchants. Since they have no "home" duchy or country they are shunned and looked down on. The reason is lost to most commoners and nobles, because it happened so long ago. But the stigma for these nomad merchants still remains.

[@alsinakiria]

That's a factor but some ate just straight up the descendants of criminals. The city guards have the authority to revoke citizenship and kick someone out of the city. Well, technically they would bring the case to the layknights at the North Gate and they would handle it but same result. That was the decided upon punishment after the renovation. The guards and guild heads decided on that and it was not even a question that the guards had that kind of authority.

[@LukasJampen]

The issue is they weren't ok with Lutz being expected to do work above his paygrade/work contract. There are 2 types of employees in this world and he was an apprentice/basic worker where as this is work expected of more of a manager role. They were afraid he is being exploited and going outside the city would never be expected of a normal apprentice.

[@Phireo]

Well, not every character has to be good, but one cannot call Lutz's dad evil. At the end, he did say he cared for his 7 year old son. He spoke his concerns of how dangerous it is to go out of the city and he did, in the end, get his son a type of apprentice contract that generally only promising 10 year olds get to have (basically, permanent trainees that could inherit the shop or make their own once they come of age). The other comments already explained the rush from the LN and you've theorized the rest.

[@cyberiansailor9741]

Yeah that episode was badly written. It all came down to Benno offering Lutz the successor work contract that would fit his actual position within the Gilberta Company. They cut a lot of stuff from the LN sadly

[@Dryltd]

I don't know if that is bad writing. Since most real life misunderstanding are for the dumbest reason. People literally reading and hearing words and ignoring those same words to say what they have been ruminating in their minds for days. The dad was like you ignored my advice. Why are you asking for my advice? Not the best dad for communication. There are real people like that.

[@kytsunix1654]

I very much appreciate the comments here explaining about the LN as this episode also sat wrong thing me when I watched it But now I have some more context

[@matijamaksan4344]

Yes, this episode is the most discussion worthy. Lutz's dad Deed is so hard to understand.

[@alicebunnymera]

While the light novel did it better, built the tension up over time and hint at whats coming, i still kinda hate the resolution. Like okay, lutz didnt understand what hos dad meant but apparently neither did his wife since she went to bennos store and called them kidnappers. Its not even like live in apprentices are all that rare in that world. It comes accross less as "dont throw a fit because were not praising you for getting the job we didnt want you to have" and comes accross more like "dont get upset when your family is actively trying to sabotage your job"

[@ecyor0]

oh, 100%, I'm honestly annoyed that this plot-line resolves with the parents not admitting any culpability at all. "Do what what you want" (does what he wants) "How COULD you, you selfish spoiled boy?!". Like, come on.

[@alicebunnymera]

Apparently constantly having his food stolen by his brothers = spoiled upbringing too. I hate deed so much >.>

[@geraldgrenier8132]

One point in this episode when Ferdinand calls Myne a Calculator. Was before the invention of the adding machine Calculator was a Jobe title for the Job Myne did for Otto as is now part of the Job Myne is doing for Ferdinand.

[@alsinakiria]

​@@alicebunnymeradeliberately averted their eyes on that. They were convinced that his brothers give Lutz as much as they take from him. A big attitude of "men don't need protection". A 6 year old can't fight off a teenager. Patriarchy man, it just hurts everyone. Everybody deserves kindness.

[@HugeCoffeeAddict]

Your hangup with this episode's story is more of an adaptation issue than a writing issue. They've told him to do what he wants as far as his choice in career is concerned. The reason they're telling him no to traveling to set up a new shop is because that isn't the type of job a standard apprentice would do and they know that. It's explained much better in the LN.

[@FlubbedPig]

I always saw the disconnect as coming from like, a place of machismo/toxic masculinity? Like in the sense that if Lutz asks permission, doesn't get it, and then listens to his parents, then that is him acting like a child and he is therefore too weak to be making his own decisions anyway. But if he rebels against his parents' wishes then that is a grown-up decision and so they must treat him like a man. Like "I will never give you permission to do this Merchant crap, but I'll only respect you if you do it anyway". Real pig-headed shit, but not necessarily unrealistic, especially for the kind of communication-averse medieval working-man Lutz's father is portrayed as.

[@cyberiansailor9741]

Benno should have had the whole issue with the different contracts and what they mean to the parents better laid out. The way it seemed to the parents was that their son was doing dangerous things with a contract that was not obligation him to go such lenghts for the Gilberta Company

[@Tyarrk]

Benno was actually quite passive in this whole ordeal. In the LN it is mentioned that he could have used his higher status to force the adoption but he choose not to.

[@alsinakiria]

The way I explain it is that they saw Benno as... well as the equivalent CEO of a multilevel marketing company. Those don't exist in Yurgenschmitt, but the same kind of distrust. Deid was scammed by a merchant in the past, probably for being illiterate, and doesn't trust any of them as a result. They also should have shown Lutz negotiating with his brother's workshop as opposed to it being a quick scene. It added so many layers. The foreman was trying to scam Myne. Lutz was her merchant representative (to get negotiating practice) and got her a fair price. But Lutz' brother would have gotten in trouble for that. There would have been subtle bullying from his boss because he wasn't able to get unfair profit from Myne. That story would have been told to him and then his family that merchants like him always step in and take money from hardworking craftsmen when they don't make anything themselves. Despite that workshop trying to scam a child they would have painted Lutz as the bad guy.

[@GuysCupank]

Main *won't* abuse her Blue Robe or Noble status but she can do better. . .that is make her aquintances abuse their statuses without realizing and makes everyone around her had a burn beard ! 😂

[@Sup_D]

This was one of the worst plot aspect of this series for me personally. I mean, the fault as clearly on Lutz's parents, but the way it gets presented in turn makes Lutz the one being at fault. Especially with the part of Lutz receiving somewhat spoiled upbringing as per the father, when previously it had been made clear that he had received the worst upbringing among his siblings which is why he decided to become a merchant in the first place rather than a carpenter like his father (he never got to keep anything for himself as his brothers always took his stuff, and even if he complained no one listened not even his parents, until Main/Myne interfered).

[@ssjwes572]

I don't like his dad. Making him apologies for something he took seriously, it's not like he WANTED it to come to this...

[@arekschneyer3802]

Yeah, I *abhor* the miscommunication trope, and this is a really bad example of it. I absolutely hated the parents this episode, and further that nobody got upset at them for their miscommunication, and for allowing it to spiral out of control.

[@MouseGoat]

This hole dreama was a low point in the story for me to. AOBW dose not suffer from writing lol, the writer is freaking fantastic at is character writing, its just the anime skips alot and messe alot up in the adaptation The throwing Lutz part was anime wanting to be dramatic. Novel also explains Lutz living stuff really well and how hard he had it, think thats manly what Myne crying over.

[@sethhadley-k4k]

I always love to listen to you two talk about how u think❤ p.s you should react to the new beastars season

[@flyingeagle3898]

just going to reiterate that the problems with this episode's presentation you brought up are largely anime-only. The shortening of paragraphs to one-liners really hurt this episode and gave some mistaken impressions, The novel addressed this part of the story much better. But the most important info was still here.