I'm Quitting Heroing - Episode 5 Review - Leo Helps Mernes to Communicate

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

Following I'm Quitting Heroing - Episode 4, Echidna and Leo learn from Shutina and Lily that Mernes and Edvard are both quitting! Sort of. Echidna goes to deal with Edvard, while Leo searches for Mernes.

Because Leo goes searching for Mernes as Onyx, Mernes ambushes him at first. He’s an assassin after all, and he doesn’t know that Onyx is Leo. Leo removes his disguise, so Mernes finally stops attacking.

While sitting to chat, Leo secretly applies a magic chain to Leo so that he can’t run off. It takes some prying and time, but Mernes finally reveals why he said he was leaving on a trip. 

The truth is Mernes never learned how to communicate properly, so he doesn’t know how to conduct interviews for new hires in the Demon Army. So he thought he could learn how to communicate by visiting other villages and observing. But now that Leo is with him, he can just get Leo’s help. Leo will have to turn him into a master communicator in three days who can hold conversations.

Leo reconvenes with Echidna and the others and learns that Edvard has been trying to stab himself to death with swords, but his dragon scales are too strong, so the swords don’t damage him at all and break instead! Leo promises to help Edvard after he’s helped Mernes. 

The next day, Leo and Mernes work as waiters in the Demon Army mess hall. Leo believes service jobs are one of the best places to learn how to communicate. Unfortunately, Mernes has to disguise himself as a female waitress because that was the only outfit that could fit him. He’s not allowed to reveal his true identity to the soldiers, because they wouldn’t communicate with him openly if they knew.

Leo teaches Mernes that he has to listen and be empathetic. He has to think of the perspective of the person talking to him. So that he can respond properly. Problem is, Mernes was taught by the Assassin’s Guild to get rid of his sense of empathy. After all, he has to take lives all the time.

But Mernes gets his chance to show empathy in the mess hall to a bunch of rude diners. These former mercenaries have not been disciplined yet because Edvard isn’t currently doing his job. So they behave like a bunch of jerks to Mernes. Even to the point of molesting Mernes, who they think is just some girl.

Before this point, Mernes showed incredible patience and even offered suggestions calmly to the rude diners. But that was the last straw, and Mernes easily kicks all of their asses.

Leo praises him for handling the situation well. He believes Mernes knew the basics of communication, he just needed a chance to hone his skills. 

Then, Leo offers to do a mock interview with Mernes and lets him ask any question he wants. So Mernes asks Leo why he wanted to join the Demon Army. And calls Leo out on not really wanting to destroy humanity.

Image source: Amazon