The Ancient Magus’ Bride – S2 11 – Patience Makes Prudence

Lucy’s newest collapse was due to the fact that whoever stole her magical power is still actively sapping it, just as they are with Simeon. This is a dangerous matter for adults, and so both Elias and the nurse Alexandra warn Chise to kindly stay out of it and focus on her studies.

Chise is particularly shocked that Elias refers to Simeon as someone who could be a “friend” of his, especially since he’d previously called Lindel and even Rahab mere “acquaintances.” The College is changing both of them faster than they know.

Chise runs into Philomela in the hall, who is on the verge of panic over her satchel of potpourri running out of scent. Chise can see the satchel is well-worn, and is happy to replace the fragrance. When she offers to make some with her “one day”, Philomela is happy to the verge of tears. I worry about her, and fear those who she must answer to and what they might make her do.

Zoe and Lucy have a warm and fuzzy little scene when he visits her at night just because, and she asks if she can pet his snakes. While there’s obviously a double entendre in there and there’s amorous ramifications to asking to touch a gorgon’s snakes, in this case, Lucy is compensating for the loss of her beloved spiders, and as a friend, Zoe is happy to accommodate her.

Chise stops by home to announce to a disappointed Silver that both she and Elias will likely be living at the College for a while; her to be closer to Lucy, and him so he can continue the investigation of the attacker. She also visits the hidden passage and fulfills her obligations to the hounds by providing them with sheep to eat.

Hazel is the one who provides the sheep to Chise, who feels bad for not being able to come up with the means to repay the hounds herself. Hazel makes the observation that she needs to stop recklessly jumping into action without thinking things through. The best way to do that is by developing patience and the skill of careful observation and assessment.

Back at the College, Halloween festivities are in full swing despite the attacks, which are being kept secret from all but the faculty and administration. Lucy is supposed to participate in a gathering practical at the “Waste Tower”, which is a venue for collecting various magical items for pay. She doesn’t want to be beholden to her brother.

That said, she could collapse again at any time, so Chise and Zoe restrain her. When Rian and Isaac visit Lucy, the four decide to go in Lucy’s place. But when they arrive, they meet with the wrong faculty member: Fabio Zaccheroni, who is about to embark on another task entirely with Philomela in tow.

Philomela makes sure to warn Chise to watch out for Fabio. But when Headmistress Quillyn opens her first piece of daily mail, it’s a letter from Philomela’s family stating that she’ll be withdrawing from the College. I know Chise is going to make more of an effort not to try to save everyone, but if she can somehow save ‘Mela from her awful family, that would be great!

The Ancient Magus’ Bride – S2 10 – Dog Eat Dog

Seth wakes up to find Lucy combing his hair, claiming it’s so he’ll leave sooner. Chise arrives with some mail, including a bank statement showing Seth has deposited a million pounds into her account. She’s also surprised to learn Chise knows Seth, and angered that Chise won’t say how (though in Chise’s defense it would be awkward to say he arranged her sale to Elias).

No sooner does Seth prepare to leave than the same wolf assassins who attacked his bodyguard pounce on him and Lucy; it’s clear both of them were their targets. Lucy recognizes their appearance from the day her family was killed. Chise and Ruth help protect the siblings, while Elias springs into action when he senses Chise is wounded.

Rather than stand and fight, Chise deems the best course to be retreat; specifically into the hidden passage only she and Elias are allowed to cross unchallenged. When the hounds arrive, they’re pissed Chise has no meat to offer, but then the wolves follow and they have all the meat they need.

When the male wolf is set upon by the many vicious hounds, his female mate cries out for the sake of their child, and Chise can no longer stand by and let them both be killed. She agrees to a larger offering to the hounds if they spare the female, who is allowed to flee, but not before beheading her dead mate.

Chise returns to the College with Lucy, Ruth, and Seth to find Marielle has arrived with Seth’s bodyguard. While back in the nurse’s office and recovering from their wounds, Seth tells Chise the story of how he was cast out by his family in favor of Lucy, but he was summoned back to talk her out of her room.

The timing of his arrival was terrible; he returned the day Lucy witnessed the rest of their family be slaughtered. To this day Seth doesn’t know who killed the rest of the Websters and stole their spiders or why, but a rumor spread that he ordered the hit, and thus Lucy distrusted him ever since.

Elias brings Marielle to examine the still-unconscious Simeon, and determines he is still having his magical power drained. When she takes a look into his subsconscious, she is quickly kicked out, but caught a glance of the culprit: The Testament of Carnamagos. She read it once and nearly went mad.

Someone is using the book to steal magic from people. Lucy acknowledges to Chise that she’s in her debt, even if she’s mad that Chise spared the wolves that killed her family. For her part, Chise admits she needs to think about things a little longer. But she may not have much time. Lucy collapses again, suggesting that like Simeon the book still has a hold on her.

As for who holds the book, it seems that Philomela’s matriarch would seem to have something to do with it, as she mentions a “pest”—i.e. Chise—that needs to be dealt with. Will this put Chise and Philomela at odds? Will Mela break from her family obligations for the sake of her nascent friendship? We shall see!