The balance distinguishes not between gold and lead.

The Balance distinguishes not between gold and lead. (天秤は金も鉛も区別しない., Tenbin wa kin mo namari mo kubetsu shinai) is the 3rd episode of the first season of The Ancient Magus Bride anime.

Synopsis
Led to the Dragons' Aerie, Chise becomes acquainted with the rider who stole her from Elias and its local inhabitants. One of them was Nevin, an ancient dragon not long for the world and eager to return to the earth.

Summary
Having just arrived at the Dragons' Aerie, Chise was taken by a dragon and its mysterious rider. As the rider tells her to be patient, Chise recalls the events leading up to her current situation, remembering her conversation about the dragons with Elias.

Once her memories are sorted out, Chise is told by the rider to take a look around the area, from which she spots several of the dragons living there. Once they finally arrive, the dragon that captured her drops Chise in the lake and sank into the pond for a while. Eventually, she emerges from the pond and encounters the ancient dragon Nevin who, after smelling Chisa, recognizes her as a young Mage. The rider then informs Chise of Nevin's background and importance to the area. He then welcomes Chisa to the area and calls out Elias, who appears from Chise's shadow at the scene.

After the rider points out that Chise is becoming cold due to her being wet, Elias pulls her out of the water and dries her off with his magic. Elias then explains that the rider's name was Lindel and that he was the Caretaker of the Dragons' Aerie. Once Elias' explanation was over, the Trio of dragon hatchings surrounded Chise wanting to play with her. Lindel formally introduces the Trio as Gwee, Beane, and Uil.

Changing the subject, Elias asks about any situations surrounding Dragon's Aerie, and Lindel briefs him while Chise is tasked to play with the dragon hatchlings. She does just that, and after they're finished, Chise checks on Nevin, who asks if she's never encountered a dragon before. The once-slumbering trio then informs Chise that Nevin will soon pass away and turn into a tree. Seeing the grassy corpses of dragons scatter across the area. A conversation about a Dragon's life and death is discussed, and as Chise recalls painful memories of her past, Nevin reads them and tries to console her. However, he apologizes for doing so after that.

To make it up to Chise, Nevin shares a memory of him flying high in the sky, and Elias and Lindel watch this from afar, all while commenting on Chise's power as a Sleigh Beggy. After this, Nevin starts to pass away as a tree sprouts and grows from his back, and in his final words, he says that Lindel planted a seed in his back that'll blossom beautiful white flowers. Furthermore, he asks that Chise makes a wand from one of his tree branches.

Elias then approaches Chise and, after claiming that not many witnesses a dragon passing away, reveals that the name of the flowers sprouting from the tree is called Lindenbaum. Promising they'll return when Chise is ready for a want, Elias proposes they leave, and then Chise loses consciousness.

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