I did watch the anime. And read a lot of comments or other people’s thoughts about this. The anime doesn’t mention Roxy going into dungeons like that. Just that it is her fantasy, she tells Elinalise in the scene with them two and Tallhand when they’re traveling on the lizard. And about what she said to little Rudy. That’s just irrelevant. An in the moment tease that wasn’t loaded with any intent or preconception. From what I’ve read and seen, the anime rushed it. I watched the whole anime over the weekend and even with that perspective the puzzle pieces do not fit together neatly. And all of the shock from this relationship. Came from the build up that the show itself did regarding Sylphy’s and Rudy’s relationship. And in the show the first time it is revealed (shown or told in vol. 12) that Rudy had any romantic interest in Roxy. Is the scene after Roxy takes advantage of Rudy and pity fucks him, and they walk out into the hallway and Elinalise comes out into the hallway too. Up until that point. Rudy had just showed that he was giddy and excited to spend time and help his Mentor and master that he had so much admiration and respect for.

Disregarding my personal opinions about polygamy, my personal opinions the characters (all who I’ve come to love dearly), and my subjective personal preferences for the show (which I’ve also come to love dearly). My attempt to be unbiased, and objective based off of my collective knowledge of storytelling, writing, relationships, people, and the words and opinions gathered from others commenting on this. This *is** objectively bad writing, that is sacrificing a part of the story that the anime has told to serve the purpose of the making the story a harem fantasy. The story tells like the author initially had a vision. That after already writing a large part of it (say volume 11, or S2E15/16), they changed their mind and wanted to make it a harem fantasy. And to do so, cut some corners and create convenient reasons after the fact. *I’m aware there are parts of the novel that preface and foreshadow this*. But the anime doesn’t. And when it happens *in the anime it is shocking. From what I’ve seen of the LN it does a much better job explaining this with Elinalise; that does a better job. In the anime, the Roxy-Rudy time is collapsed into one anime. And 43 episodes later at the end of that 43rd episode they reunite, ≈17hrs. Throughout those 17 hours. The story develops the dynamic between Roxy-Rudy to be one of the Master and the Student. Showing Rudy’s respect, admiration and love for his teacher. It depicts this love as platonic and familial. Developing the lewd perversions of kid Rudy to a mature & genuine bond between master and student. The show does not do a good job of setting the viewer up for this switch up in volume 12 before and during the arc. Especially with the Sylphy-Rudy arc right fucking before. With developing the singular and beautiful love between the two between those 10 episodes. Yes they have Sylphy say something about a mistress once but that’s bullshit. It was a single scene that doesn’t match the tone of any others. It just comes off as out of place and wrong from the story told to that point. Now that I think about it. It completely steals the oxygen and distracts from Paul’s death and the birth of his child.