Please apologize for the spoilers, but this is my analysis on Elias and Chise’s relationship regarding the concern about Elias “marrying” Chise. This is a page in chap 29. Elias is in a human form, talking to a boy about family.
In episode 6 we know that Elias has known Simon and the church for 10 years. And what can we see at the church beside people praying? Weddings. Elias must have witnessed a few weddings to become curious about the idea of 2 people marrying each other. Maybe he asked Simon to explain the term, maybe he observed those weddings, or looked up the definition in books. Regardless, he knows getting married means becoming a family, and knows the definition of “family”, even though he can’t truly understand it on an emotional level (and the things a couple do too, if you know what I mean). From episode 6 we also know that the first and foremost reasons he bought Chise are to observe human psychology and to try saving her from her imminent death, which is the part “help each other to survive”. If he succeeds, Chise will be able to survive and live in his home for many more years to come, which is “social units that spend many years together”. The reason why Chise must live is that she’s his apprentice, and it’s his duty to help raise the younger generation and pass on the art of sorcery. So, in other words, their “marriage” can’t be seen as a regular human wedding, but rather a plan. Thus is save to say their relationship or marriage is NOT AT ALL sexual, it’s not even romantic yet, you don’t have to feel worried about or uncomfortable with it.
I really want to discuss further the development of their relationship to but that’s not the point of this analysis. Besides, that would spoil it too much 😉
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