This episode, we get a very good look on William as a character. Previously we only know him as the leader of Silver Sword guild who declined Shiroe’s request to join Round Table last season, followed by how he quickly agreed to help Shiroe with his raid task this season. Apparently there is a very good reason for his decisions.
First, after repeatedly got wiped out in their raid, members of Silver Sword are starting to feel depressed. Maybe it’s more than just from the lost experience. In last episode, just when they thought they might be able to defeat the boss, suddenly 2 other raid bosses appeared. 3 raid bosses at the same time, making it seemed impossible for them to beat. So maybe it’s more that they started to think that raid as they know it might no longer exists in their mysterious world that looks like Elder Tale.
William, just like other members of Silver Sword guild, felt the defeat and the depression, too. And he took it pretty hard because his “real” person is a heavy gamer that got excluded by other people in his real-life. Indeed human beings really love to judge others. And being someone with different “interest” is never easy for anyone. William’s way to see things is rather unique. So what if everyone things being a gamer is pointless. Gamer chooses to spend their time gaming, and the decision alone already makes it matters. So instead of giving his comrades false hope, he chooses to stand up and admits his weakness, then reminds everyone that he is a gamer and he chooses to be one. This triggers the pride feeling as gamer and got everyone to stand up again. In his own way, William just proves himself someone worthy to be their guildmaster.
When Elder Tale was just a game, William really looked up to the legendary Debauchery Tea Party (a group that can do extremely difficult raids, somehow they never became a guild, Shiroe and Naotsugu were part of this legendary group). He was disappointed when the group disbanded. He choose not to support Shiroe’s idea to create Round Table because he didn’t think it was possible to actually tame a city. Yet Shiroe managed to do that. So he really looked up to Shiroe and immediately jumped in when Shiroe asked for his help for this raid.
Interestingly, Shiroe also looks up to William as a better guild leader and wonder if he can be as good as William in leading Log Horizon. Next door’s grass always look greener.
If anyone notices, the only one that Shiroe calls in this difficult moment when he is trying to redefine himself is Akatsuki. Well, at least this anime doesn’t show him calling anyone else, which I assume he won’t, since this mission is supposed to be a top secret project. Good on you Akatsuki !
