A New York Times Manga Best Seller! And be sure to watch the beautiful anime streaming on Crunchyroll!
Hatori Chise has lived a life full of neglect and abuse, devoid of anything resembling love. Far from the warmth of family, she has had her share of troubles and pitfalls. Just when all hope seems lost, a fateful encounter awaits her. When a man with the head of a beast, wielding strange powers, obtains her through a slave auction, Chise’s life will never be the same again.
The man is a “magus,” a sorcerer of great power, who decides to free Chise from the bonds of captivity. The magus then makes a bold statement: Chise will become his apprentice–and his bride!
A New York Times Manga Best Seller! And be sure to watch the beautiful anime streaming on Crunchyroll!
Hatori Chise has lived a life full of neglect and abuse, devoid of anything resembling love. Far from the warmth of family, she has had her share of troubles and pitfalls. Just when all hope seems lost, a fateful encounter awaits her. When a man with the head of a beast, wielding strange powers, obtains her through a slave auction, Chise’s life will never be the same again.
The man is a “magus,” a sorcerer of great power, who decides to free Chise from the bonds of captivity. The magus then makes a bold statement: Chise will become his apprentice–and his bride!
Slowly, quietly, something has begun. The whispers in the darkest shadows grow louder. The Church Coalition, with the aid of the Seven Shields (the great houses of alchemy), begin investigating the rumors of a red dragon. It’s then that the children of House St. George, the Monster Hunters, happen upon a small, frightened creature. Is this mere coincidence? Or fate?
What is love? Hate? What are blessings and curses? In battle, Philomela takes up the thurisaz rune Chise gave her, and the catastrophe swirling around the Sargant Family crashes to a close. Chise and Elias return home for a brief respite, but Chise must still pay a price for wielding the power of dragons. The rumblings of beasts permeate the shadows… The Hunt is about to begin.
Philomela finally stops clasping her hands in passive prayer, and instead reaches them out for help. Meanwhile, Lizbeth gives in to blind obsession, merging with the forbidden Testament. Then a third, unexpected party joins the fray—a curse designed to kill a mother. All actors are in place on a chaotic stage, and when the goddess Morrígan finally makes her entrance, the story of one fraught family comes to an end.
Chise becomes a dragon and swims through the earth’s ley lines to reach the Sargant family house, Elias and the others in tow. Together they make their way to Philomela, but she’s too corrupted by the Testament to hear their words. To save her, Chise must delve into Philomela’s inner world. What does she find there?
“The people who want to help can reach out their hands.”
The reflection of a false god has manifested. Is it the Testament? Or is it still Philomela? The conglomeration that they’ve become seeks to leave the College, making for the banquet hall where the College faculty celebrates. Chise and Elias burst into a tense situation, and find themselves having to face off against both sides.
The stolen grimoire was thought long gone, but it turns out it’s still hidden within the College. But why leave the stolen goods so close to the scene of the crime? The College alchemists are left scratching their heads in confusion. Meanwhile, weeks stuck in lockdown leave tempers short, and minor misunderstandings lead to major doubts. All it takes is one small incident for strings drawn tight to snap.
As the College continues its desperate search for The Testament of Carnamagos, the danger has grown so dire that the Vice-Chancellor has decided to put the College in lockdown until Christmas. Through their shared plight, Chise and her classmates come to know more about each other. Thanks to their experiences in the Abandoned Hall, they all begin to change, whether they like it or not. Some grow closer, while others begin drifting apart.
UNUSUAL SUSPECTS First Lucy was attacked during the College camping trip. Then professor Simeon was caught unawares on the College campus itself. As the victim count begins to rise, it comes to light that a forbidden tome, thought safely stored in the archives, has been stolen–a tome that Elias once glanced through–The Testament of Carnamagos. As the College staff begins to suspect a connection between the two events, Chise and Lucy, a survivor of the Webster Tragedy, must contend with a pack of ravenous werewolves out for their lives!
BURIED SECRETS Chise and her classmates at the College are forging new bonds and friendships, but while they look to the future, the past still has a powerful grip on the older generation—and the futures some of those elder alchemists are working toward aren’t bright ones. Oblivious to the things taking place in the shadows, Chise and her friends head for the Scottish highlands on a training trip…only to find that many of the ancient neighbors who still walk the night there are less than welcoming.
KEEPING SECRETS Many different students from different backgrounds attend the fantastical institution of higher learning known as “The College.” They are the nameless, faceless strangers sitting in the next seat, or living in the next dorm room. As Chise begins to come out of her shell and interact with her classmates, she overhears a certain rumor about her roommate, Lucy…
NOT ALL HISTORY CAN BE GLEANED FROM BOOKS As Chise and Elias settle into their new roles at the College, old and new allies alike have lessons to teach them both inside and outside the school’s walls. The Church, the Seven Shields, and a motley array of students… Each has mysteries to uncover.
HIGHER LEARNING Now that Cartaphilus has chosen to enter a long slumber, peace has finally returned to the little cottage west of London. But it’s not long before a message arrives for Chise: an invitation to join the college, a society of alchemists. Deep beneath the British Library, the curtain rises on a new story set on a new stage. There, human children learn, think, and grow…but what of those who are inhuman?
A Deal with the Devil Elias hoped to break the deadly draconic curse that weighs upon Chise–but his methods have created a rift between them. Now Chise prepares to make a gamble of her own: What could she possibly hope to gain from a bargain with Cartaphilus? It is a time of curses cast and forks in the road. Will the paths of master and apprentice soon diverge…?