Chapter 38

Meteoric Iron Bird, Stille is the thirty-eighth chapter of Yamada Kanehito & Abe Tsukasa's Sousou no Frieren.

Summary
Right after the events of the previous chapter, Frieren and Fern are in the Grube Basin, the location of the first stage of the first-class mage examination. Genau explains the exact rules of the first stage. First, each party must possess a cage with a bird native to the area, the "meteoric iron bird" called the "Stille", by sunset the next day. Secondly, all party members must be present and cannot leave the boundaries of the examination area, which Genau has demarcated with a powerful, impenetrable barrier spell. After explaining the rules, the exam commences. Frieren's teammates introduce themselves as Lawine and Kanne. The three of them decide to find and observe a Stille, with Lawine and Kanne bickering all the while. Lawine spots a Stille in the middle of a lake, and though Kanne and Lawine coordinate their magic perfectly to restrain the Stille, it easily escapes. They proceed to observe more Stilles for the rest of the day before setting up camp for the night. That night, Kanne awakens and goes looking for Frieren. She is attacked by a bird monster, and saved by Frieren who appears and restrains the monster. Frieren asks Kanne about her relationship with Lawine. Kanne recalls her first time learning flight magic, and tells Frieren that Lawine is the one who showed her how to overcome frightening things. This causes Frieren to remember a moment with the Hero's Party and Heiter's words that adventurers overcome their fear in different ways. Kanne then points out something that may help them catch a Stille. Meanwhile, Fern returns to her party, having already captured a Stille, and Übel indicates that the first stage will soon turn into a battle royale.

Plot Details
Right after the events of the previous chapter,

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Richter
 * Denken
 * Laufen
 * Fern
 * Land
 * Übel
 * Lawine
 * Kanne
 * Frieren
 * Genau
 * Heiter
 * Eisen
 * Himmel

Locations

 * Grube Basin

Battles

 * Lawine & Kanne vs. Stille
 * Kanne & Frieren vs. bird monster

Events

 * First stage rules are introduced
 * Fern, Übel, and Land catch a Stille

Spells

 * Unnamed magic used to cast impenetrable barrier
 * Unnamed magic used to manipulate water
 * Unnamed magic used to freeze water
 * Unnamed magic used to restrain monsters
 * Flight magic (used by Lawine and Kanne in a flashback)

New Tools Used

 * Kanne's Staff
 * Lawine's Staff

Chapter Notes

 * The Stille's alternate name, the meteoric iron bird, is derived from its qualities of being robust and able to fly faster than the speed of sound.