Chapter 26

A Gift to a Warrior (へのり) is the twenty-sixth chapter of Yamada Kanehito & Abe Tsukasa's Sousou no Frieren.

Summary
On Stark's eighteenth birthday, Frieren and Fern discuss what to give him as birthday gifts. Frieren decides on a drug that melts clothes, which is quickly shut down by Fern, who pours it on her, leaving Frieren to find a new gift. Fern decides to investigate Stark on her own and ends up asking him directly what he desired. Stark mentions how he never received gifts growing up due to his weakness, and his brother, Stolz, the best warrior in his hometown and the only one kind to Stark, was the one to fight against demons during an attack while he simply fled. Fern comforts him and they find a gift, returning to the inn where Frieren is cooking giant Hamburg steaks. Frieren reveals she received the recipe from Eisen, who had always made steaks for Stark's birthday and for the members of the Hero Party during their journey as a way of expressing gratitude towards their efforts as warriors. Stark recalls his brother making a steak for his birthday as well and that his brother was the one who told him to escape the fateful night of the demon attack. In better spirits, he enjoys the rest of his birthday with his companions.

Plot Details
Twenty-nine years after Hero Himmel's passing, the party continue traveling through the Northern Lands and arrive at the Appetit Region. They find a town and settle at an inn, deciding to relax for the rest of the day. Frieren chooses to read grimoires in her room, and Fern prepares to head out and explore the shops on her own. Before she leaves, Frieren suddenly remembers that it is Stark's eighteenth birthday, and Fern panics as she has not arranged a gift for him. When Frieren suggests simply buying one while she shops, Fern mentions that she is unsure about what Stark wants. Frieren teases her for her uncertainty, which Fern blames on her.

Fern asks Frieren what she intends to gift him, and she reveals a drug that is capable of melting clothes, handing it over. Frieren reveals her master told her that men would be very happy to receive such a gift, and as Fern inspects the bottle, Frieren comments that she seems interested in it as well. Much to her dismay, Fern opens it and pours the contents onto Frieren, melting her clothes. She promptly leaves while voicing her disappointment about Frieren, as she had told her to return it when she initially purchased it. A defeated Frieren wraps herself in a blanket and grumbles that the drug was precious, and now she needs to figure out a new gift for Stark. She notices a slip of paper on the table and gets an idea after examining it.

Fern chooses to investigate Stark on her own despite the risks. Upon discovering his empty room, she begins asking the townsfolk for help locating him. Multiple individuals recall encountering him after he had helped them with various tasks, such as pushing a wagon, retrieving a stuck child and cat, and rounding up loose cattle. After hearing these stories of Stark being courteous, Fern reinforces her idea that Frieren was being inconsiderate for generalizing his personality. Right after, she discovers him on a bench pointing out vulgar cloud shapes, and she realizes that Frieren was right all along. He comments out loud that he will tell Fern about his cloud discoveries, and Fern, hiding from him, is unsure how to respond.

Ultimately, Fern ends up approaching him, and he greets her and tries to point out the clouds, but, seeing her agitated expression, decides not to. She invites him on a walk, and as Stark asks her about why she is angry, she ignores him and directly asks what he would like for his birthday. Surprised, he asks her if she would be gifting him something, but his words anger her and she tells him to forget about it. Stark plays his words off as a joke and reflects how he has never received birthday gifts growing up, even from his own family, as his hometown valued warriors and not weaklings.

Thinking back to his childhood, Stark recalls the difference in strength between him and his older brother, Stolz: he would frequently get berated by his father for his weak abilities while Stolz was considered the best warrior in the village, not receiving a single scratch or blemish during his fights, donning a spotless white cloak to prove it. Even though their father would consider Stark a reject despite how much he practiced, Stolz took the initiative to train his younger brother and was patient with him, praising him for his concentration and giving him pointers on how to improve. Stark remembers him as the only individual who was like that with him, yet, despite that, he still abandoned Stolz and fled during an attack by demons and blames himself for not living up to his family's ideals and fleeing instead of fighting back.

Fern, after hearing his story, tells him that he should go with her to pick a present and to not concern himself with his past, as she only knows the Stark that has fought back and never fled. Stark reminds her that he may flee in the future, but Fern rebuts and tells him she and Frieren will not let him do so and that she will pick out his present on her own if he doesn't come along with her. Reluctantly, he agrees and follows her.

They spend time in the shops and Stark selects a bracelet, but Fern rejects it due to its price. They eventually return back to the inn, with Stark sporting the bracelet. Frieren welcomes them back and tells them they are late as she serves giant Hamburg steaks. Fern questions her about it, and she replies that they are a custom for birthdays, with Stark mentioning how despite never receiving presents from Eisen, his master would always make these steaks for his birthday. Frieren asks if Eisen has ever told Stark that warriors are awkward, and that she, too, is also awkward, so she understands the point of view. She expresses that those who are awkward cannot properly get their thoughts across without using words. The Hamburg steak is a representation of that: during the Hero Party's travels, Eisen would always make massive Hamburg steaks as birthday gifts, which he explained was a regional custom to thank warriors for their efforts and strength. Himmel comments that the Hero Party members aren't warriors, but Eisen says he defines a warrior as anyone who puts in their best effort. Stark muses over Eisen's statement and thinks back to one of his birthdays, where Stolz had also secretly made a Hamburg steak for him, and the night of the demon attack, where Stolz had instructed him to escape.

Frieren cites Eisen for the steak recipe and asks about its taste, and Stark replies that he enjoys it. Happy at his response, Frieren reveals the clothes-melting drug and points out there is a little left. An upset Fern replies that she will pour the remainder onto Frieren's head again.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Frieren
 * Fern
 * Stark
 * Flamme (mentioned)
 * Stark's father
 * Stolz
 * Eisen
 * Himmel
 * Heiter