The Ancient Magus’ Bride vol. 13

This was a satisfyingly dense volume.

It starts off strongly by revealing the nature of the threat from the previous volume, which I recognized from its presence in one of my favorite songs from a videogame.  That Chise is clever enough to find a way to deal with it isn’t a surprise, though the role her cursed arm plays in it is.  The story then returns to the grounds of the College where Chise watches over Lucy as she recovers from having her magic drained.  As this happens, it’s revealed that a book has been stolen from the College Archives.  Not only is it the same book that Elias once read in order to try to save his apprentice’s life, but its theft was revealed in a way that ties it to the “Webster Tragedy” that Lucy was a part of.  She does wake up in due course, and in time to see that her brother, auction house master Seth, has come for her.  However, having the two surviving Websters in one place turns out to be too good of an opportunity for the assassins who killed their family to pass up in order to finish the job.

Whew.  There may be a lot going on in this volume, and I didn’t even mention Elias exploring the concept of friendship with one of the College’s staff members.  Yet it never feels overwhelming as mangaka Kore Yamazaki delivers this information at a measured pace.  You’re able to absorb each development and its ramifications before the next one is sprung on you.  Let me tell you that there are plenty of ramifications to think on here as Yamazaki looks to make digging into the Webster Family’s troubled history the main driving force behind the current storyline.  It’s a good mystery so far as the reasons behind the Webster Tragedy are still unknown, even as they clearly tie into the mystery of this missing book.  Amidst all this, Yamazaki also finds the time for moments of humor, friendship, and giving Chise a haircut as well.  Excellent stuff all around, even by this series’ usually high standards.