Chapter 81

El Dorado is the eighty-first chapter of Yamada Kanehito & Abe Tsukasa's Sousou no Frieren.

Summary
Frieren's Party received a private request from First class mage Lernen to assist the new barrier warden of El Dorado, which is a region transformed into gold at the hands of Macht, one of the Seven Sages of Destruction, 50 years ago. Frieren was initially wary but accepted due to a grimoire rewards. Upon arriving at El Dorado, they found that the new warden was Denken, who finally received the post after successfully becoming a First class mage. Denken, having revisited his hometown, intended to face Macht of El Dorado and return El Dorado to normal, an idea which Frieren immediately dismissed and refused to engage in a battle with Macht. It turns out that Macht was one of the 11 people Frieren has lost to, and she could still not picture herself defeating Macht. Frieren said it was the best choice to leave him sealed inside the barrier until he dies, to which Denken said it was his initial idea. However, after he had revisited his hometown and visited his wife's grave, he decided on this undertaking. Denken told Frieren's party they did not have to accept the request and that he intended to face Macht alone, but Frieren, after recalling a memory with Himmel and the Hero Party, agreed to help Denken "seize a chance of victory".

Plot Details
The story takes place 30 years after the Hero Himmel's passing, in the Weise Region of the Northern Plateau. Frieren's Party received a special request from First-class mage Lernen. Frieren considered turning it down, citing the fact that an unofficial request could only spell trouble. When Fern noted she was being unenthusiastic, Frieren replied it was because she disliked Lernen. Stark explained that Lernen once attacked Frieren out of nowhere, wounding her shoulder. However, when the request comes with a grimoire, Frieren decided to take on the job.

The party soon arrived at El Dorado, a massive region made of gold, protected by a powerful anti-demon barrier. 50 years ago, one of the Seven Sages of Destruction, Macht of El Dorado, transmuted the Fortified City of Weise and its inhabitants into gold. The Continental Magic Association then created a barrier around the area to seal Macht inside with the intent of imprisoning him until his natural death. There, the party was surprised to meet Denken, who had taken over the position of barrier warden after becoming a first-class mage. Denken explained that he asked Serie to be the barrier warden because his hometown, a village to the north of the Fortified City of Weise, had been engulfed by El Dorado a few years ago. Although the barrier had sealed Macht inside, his magic still expands from the barrier even now. This is why every year the First-class mage assigned to be the barrier warden must adjust the barrier's range, a task that seemed to have continued for 50 years.

Frieren commented that it was a good plan and she would have done the same. When Denken mentioned that he had entered El Dorado and visited the grave of his wife, Frieren asked him if he was content. She warned him that they would not assist in any way if he intended to fight Macht. She declared that they would not be accepting Lernen's request and told Fern to return the grimoire. Fern and Stark were confused at her avoidant attitude, compared to how eager she used to be about fighting demons. However, Frieren was adamant, claiming she always prioritized everyone's lives. Macht is one of the eleven mages who have beaten her in battle, and even now she cannot imagine herself beating Macht. Frieren claimed that the best way to defeat him for real is to leave him sealed in the barrier until his age runs out.

Denken said that at first he also thought that would be enough. He said he had not once returned to his hometown since his wife died when he was young. Even though he kept telling himself to return one day, he used his work as excuse to avoid facing his past, in fear that it might remind him of the happier times he had when his wife was alive. He only made the decision to return, but it was not out of a heroic resolve to defeat Macht and save his hometown, but to let go of what he loved. However, when he revisited his hometown after half a century, Denken found that it had stayed just as in his memories and realized he had only been running from the truth.

Upon hearing his story, Frieren remembered the time when Himmel talked with her about the flower-bed making spell. Frieren explained that she avoided using this spell because it reminded her of Flamme, her late master. She commented how surprising it was that she felt at peace when using it in front of Himmel and the Hero party, even though she had tried not to for many years. Himmel told her she must have had a long and painful journey that she could not realize that the time she spent with her master was truly happy, and told her that it was alright to reminisce over the happy times of the past.

In the present, Denken told Frieren and her party that they did not have to accept this request and that Lernen only did this out of concern for him. He had planned to face Macht alone from the beginning and was fully intent on restoring his hometown before he died. He said he had managed to secure some clues to a chance of victory. Moved by her recollection of Himmel, Frieren decided to help Denken secure a chance of victory against Macht.

Characters in Order of Appearance
Denken

Frieren

Fern

Stark

Lernen (mentioned)

Macht (mentioned)

Denken's wife (flashback)

Himmel (flashback)

Heiter (flashback)

Eisen (flashback)

Locations
Northern Plateau, Weise Region

Events
Macht versus Frieren (mentioned)