Better to ask the way than go astray.

Better to ask the way than go astray. (聞くは一時の恥. 聞かぬは一生の恥., Kiku wa ichiji no haji. Kikanu wa isshō no haji.) is the 12th episode of the first season of The Ancient Magus Bride anime.

Synopsis
Once Chise's wand was completed, she meets with Nevin in the afterlife. Her heart-to-heart with Nevin makes Chise open her heart to a more positive outlook concerning herself, Elias, and her parents. After she completed crafting her wand, Chise returns home and reunites with Elias.

Summary
With Chise still away, Elias considers how close he has become to her. With Chise finished carving her wand, Lindel sings a new spell, combining the wand with magical gems and Chise’s hair.

While holding her wand, Chise has a vision of the spirit realm where she meets Nevin. Together they have a heart-to-heart, where Chise admits her greedy nature, her feelings for Elias, and her worry about trying to stay distant from him in case he doesn’t want her anymore. Nevin then tells Chise how grateful Elias is toward her; however, she believes he'd abandon her like her mother. Hence Nevins claims that he's thankful for Chise's parents and paints a more positive spin on Chise's mother, who chose to protect her instead of taking her life. Nevin also tells her to think about what she wants to do with her life, and he disappears into a fog.

When Chise awakens, she declares with a smile that she has something to tell Elias and casts a powerful spell allowing her to fly back to Elias in the form of a giant fiery phoenix. As she arrives in Elias's arms he becomes happy: their home feels warm again. Before Chise can tell him what she wants to say, she falls asleep from expending too much of her magic. Chise dreams about a time when her parents were happy, then awaken after two days asleep, happy for the first time in years.

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Episodio 12