Mahoutsukai no Yome (The Ancient Magus' Bride)

Sleigh Beggy.

Dear child, with the name of a neighbor of long ago.

A being nearer to us than the humans, bearing a burden too great for a human child.

How adorable you are.

What will you find at the end of your journey with the failure born

in the shadows of the forest?

Show me what you find.

Those are wooly bugs.

Elias.

They consume the cold in the air and grow fleece on their bodies, like sheep.

That means they multiply during the summer.

There are a lot this year, though.

Are they neighbors?

No, they're closer to animals.

Although very few humans can see them.

Now, let's begin.

Okay.

That's it.

You're good at this.

Their wool is perfect for using in magic and sorcery tools.

Angelica asks me to do this, too.

Wow.

You can use the leftovers to make a pillow or something.

You'll probably sleep well.

You might get to have the dreams you want to have.

The dreams I want to have?

I'll take a little when we're done.

Right.

Oh, don't trim from their limbs. Just the torso.

Sorry. You could have told me sooner.

That's quite a haul.

I'll go get a bag.

You keep practicing.

Oh, right.

Yes?

If you find one that seems a bit different, tell me before you touch it.

Okay.

I was going to talk to him as soon as I got home.

I don't know when I should bring it up.

No, it's that I don't know what to tell him.

Timing...

Timing...

No?

He's so strict.

Has it always been so hard to talk?

It's different from the others.

Ruth, look.

Chise!

What is this thing?

It's so cold.

Elias said to get him before I touch it.

What happens if I touch it first?

You little...

Shoot, it didn't work.

Chise!

Fire doesn't work, either.

A baby?

Elias.

You're done breeding.

Go back to the fields.

Chise.

Elias, what was that?

A snow bug. Unlike wooly bugs, they eat warmth.

It took her heat.

I'm sorry.

Chise didn't touch it.

It charged at her.

I know.

It must have been hungry, since summer is their breeding season.

We need to warm her up.

Eli... as...

Are you all right?

I'm quite a bit warmer.

It's actually too hot.

Where's Ruth?

He went to check on the snow bugs.

Thank you.

I'll get out of the way.

Elias?

It was cold when you were gone.

But it's warm with you here.

I wonder why.

Uh...

Well...

Chise...

Timing...

Chise, how was the land of dragons?

Uh, it was... well...

It was fun.

Yeah?

There was a huge snake-like dragon in the river, dancing elves,

and flowers that bloom with magic.

Yeah? That's good.

Lindel-san told me a lot, too.

So did Nevin.

Nevin?

They both gave me a lot of encouragement.

Elias, did I look tasty?

Oh, I mean...

You were awake?

I thought it was a dream until Lindel-san told me about it.

But I was just curious.

Elias?

Eli—

Chise, that's a memory that you don't need.

Understood?

No.

I-It's about someone important to me!

I do need it.

I-Impulse is a scary thing.

You're really not scared of me, Chise?

You seem to think I'm really afraid of you.

Am I not scary to a human?

I used to have family.

A mom, a dad, and a younger brother who was still very little.

Mom and Dad both had the sight.

They were really close to each other.

I was always terrified of the scary things that swarmed toward us.