Chapter 63

Hero of the South (の) is the sixty-third chapter of Yamada Kanehito & Abe Tsukasa's Frieren: Beyond Journey's End.

Summary
Twenty-nine years after the death of the Hero Himmel, Frieren's Party are in Fabel Village. They receive a request to polish a hero's statue. To Fern and Stark's surprise, it is not a statue of Himmel, but of Hero of the South. Frieren explains the feats of Hero of the South, who killed three of the Seven Sages of Destruction and the Omniscient Schlacht and wiped out the Demon King's frontline troops. As they clean up his statue, Frieren recalls meeting Hero of the South while she was living in the Central Lands. He is unable to convince her to join him, but he tells her his secret: he can actually see the future, and has foreseen he will die in a year. However, he tells Frieren that a young hero will visit her soon and that she will defeat the Demon King with him; he asks her to tell this hero that he, humanity's greatest hero, promises he will blaze a path to the future, even if he doesn't make a mark on history. Frieren finishes polishing his statue and thinks that he has, in fact, made his mark in history.

Plot Details
Twenty-nine years after the passing of Hero Himmel, Frieren's Party is in Fabel Village. An elderly resident requests the party's assistance in polishing the statue of a great hero for the village. Curious about the potential reward, Frieren asks, and the resident offers the spell to scratch one’s itchy back which causes Frieren to promptly accept the request. As the party heads towards the statue, Fern notes that Hero Himmel’s statues must really exist everywhere, and Stark adds that such work involving attention to detail can be fun. Eager for the job, Stark prepares himself, but Frieren remarks that if the statue were bronze, it could be polished with magic, eliminating the need for Stark's assistance.

Upon reaching the statue, Stark is surprised to find a depiction of a middle-aged, mustached man. Frieren introduces him as Hero of the South, supposing it's the first time Fern and Stark have heard about him. Frieren explains that, like Hero Himmel, many heroes attempted to defeat the Demon King, with Hero of the South standing out as the strongest among them. Despite Stark finding the title overstated, Frieren insists it suits Hero of the South. Frieren delves into the past, recounting the menace of the Seven Sages of Destruction, who controlled vital regions, particularly in the Northern Countries. Admitting the Hero Party only defeated two, with two escaping, Frieren notes Hero of the South vanquished the remaining three.

Frieren adds that Hero of the South's feats against the Demon army were remarkable, as he single-handedly annihilated the army's frontline troops within a year. Eventually, he reached the northern end of the Northern Plateau, a crucial point in the army's supply route. There, it is said that the Omniscient Schlacht, the Demon King’s confidant with the ability to see a thousand years into the future, confronted Hero of the South alongside the Seven Sages of Destruction. Despite facing overwhelming odds, Hero of the South managed to defeat three of the Sages and engaged with Schlacht.

As Frieren continues, the party observes the same story being recounted to children in the village through a puppet theater. Frieren states that numerous nearby areas were liberated from the control of the Seven Sages thanks to that battle. She remarks that the people's faith in the Hero is so strong that it is believed he is still in combat with Schlacht, as his corpse was never found. Frieren declares that she did not think that Hero of the South could be devoured despite facing cannibalistic demons.

With a smile, Frieren begins cleaning the statue, prompting a flashback to her conversation with Hero of the South. Frieren declined Hero of the South’s request, asserting that she would never be able to defeat the Demon King. Hero of the South resigned to Frieren’s refusal, expressing the belief that he had no words to persuade the elf. Frieren remarked that he spoke as if he already knew the outcome, a sentiment The Hero confirmed. Hero of the South confided in Frieren, sharing that he became the strongest of Mankind through his ability to foresee the future. He entrusted Frieren with this secret, trusting that she would never disclose his ability to a soul. The Hero foretold that within a year, he would face an attack from the Omniscient Schlacht and the Seven Sages at the Northern Plateau, leading to his demise. He disclosed that, regardless of Frieren's assistance, he had already come to terms with his impending death and the realization that he wouldn't succeed in defeating the Demon King. Hero of the South then shared another prediction with Frieren, stating that she would eventually join the party of a young Hero who would become the world's savior. Frieren refuted this prediction, finding it difficult to imagine. The departing Hero of the South declared that the mentioned young Hero would profoundly impact Frieren's life upon their encounter. Before taking his leave, Hero of the South requested a favour from Frieren which she accepted. He requested for Frieren to convey to the young Hero that Hero of the South, the strongest of all mankind, will definitely cut open a path for him even if his exploits were to be buried and forgotten to history. The flashback ends as Himmel, Heiter and Eisen approach Frieren.

Frieren successfully cleaned the now sparkling statue of Hero of the South, and the elderly resident rewards Frieren with the promised spell. The villagers appreciate the clean statue, and as Frieren observes their admiration, she reflects on how Hero of the South's prediction turned out to be inaccurate. Despite his resignation to being obscured by history, he has undeniably left his mark in history, remembered fondly by the villagers.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Frieren
 * Fern
 * Stark
 * Hero of the South
 * Himmel
 * Schlacht
 * Seven Sages of Destruction
 * Heiter
 * Eisen
 * Demon King (mentioned)

Locations

 * Fabel Village
 * Forest in the Central Lands (in a flashback)

Battles

 * Hero of the South vs. Seven Sages of Destruction & Omniscient Schlacht

Events

 * Frieren's Party cleans up a statue of Hero of the South in Fabel Village
 * Frieren recalls meeting Hero of the South in the past

Spells

 * Spell to scratch the itchy parts on your back
 * Spell to polish bronze statues (mentioned)

New Tools

 * Hero of the South's swords

Chapter Notes

 * Hero of the South wields two swords