God's mill grinds slow but sure.

God's mill grinds slow but sure. (神の臼はゆっくりと確実に粉を挽く., Kami no usu wa yukkuri to kakujitsu ni kona o hiku) is the 16th episode of the first season of The Ancient Magus Bride anime.

Synopsis
On Christmas Eve, Chise and Elias are reminded by fairies called the Heralds of Yule to be sure to burn a Yule log for the Horned God and Dark Lady. Chise goes shopping with Alice, who needs help choosing a present for Renfred. Ruth tells Chise he is happy to find a friend. Chise returns home and gives a new bolo tie for Elias to replace the old one. In return, Elias gives Chise a teddy bear he made himself, along with other gifts she received from Angelica, Simon and Lindel.

Summary
Chise walks out early in the morning to find two fae flying by to warn her about the coming of Yule, to which Elias appears and reassures them that they're preparing for it. The Heralds of Yule then take their leave and the magical users, alongside Ruth, then spends the rest of the day gathering materials for the upcoming events. During which they almost have an encounter with The Deer and the Winter Goddess before making their way home. When night falls, Chise is awakened by a courier bird from Alice.

The next day Chise and Ruth make their way to London to meet up with the Alchemist apprentice, starting off with a dinner before they make their way around the city to find presents for their teachers. They met up with Hazel and he gives them an advice. Along the way, they encounter some trouble with a few drug dealers before making a run for it. As Alice begins to mention her past, Chise encourages her to go on. Alice goes on to explain her childhood and how she came to meet up with Mikhail Renfred, eventually becoming his bodyguard. When Chise comes home, she's scolded by Elias for leaving without telling him before going on to exchange presents with one another. Chise then goes to bed for the night. Meanwhile, Ashen Eye sees a young boy in the woods.

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Episodio 16