Episode 6

The Hero of the Village (の) is the sixth episode of the Frieren: Beyond Journey's End anime series, released on October 13, 2023.

Synopsis
Frieren and Fern enlist Stark's help to fight the solar dragon - but is he up to the task?

Plot
Right after the events of the previous episode, Fern asks why Stark still trains if he does not intend to fight the dragon. He replies that the villagers think of him as a hero so he must protect the village, although he feels like he will run away. Stark reveals that even the scar on his forehead is something he got when he argued with his master over his aversion to fighting monsters, as he was disappointed in him. Ultimately, Stark was never once praised by Eisen. Fern takes a look at his hand and sees how roughed up it is and understands how hard he has trained.

She believes that Stark would not run, even though she does not know a single thing about him, because she recalls a fearful experience of when she fought her first monster.

She had trained much more than necessary up to that day. However, she was seized by fear and ran, chased by the monster. Frieren refused to help her. When she finally resolved herself and turned to face the monster, her body took action on its own, and she successfully defeated the monster. Fern tells Stark that she believes his resolve to protect the village is genuine, and she leaves him for the night.

The next day, Frieren and Fern go to the cliffside but do not find Stark there. As they are about to go “play tag” with the dragon, Stark arrives. He makes Frieren promise that if he were to die in the midst of battle, she will kill the dragon no matter what. Frieren asks why he is going to such lengths for the villagers. Stark thinks it’s a strange question since he has been in the village for three years now. Frieren calls that ephemeral, while Stark replies that it is eternity.

They head towards the dragon and Stark’s hands start shaking, leading him to conclude that what's scary is scary after all. Frieren laughs, saying he is just like Eisen, and recalls a memory from when the Hero Party was about to battle a monster. Frieren asked Eisen if he was scared since his hands were shaking, and he admitted it quickly, saying fear is not a bad thing, as it is that fear which carried him throughout the Hero Party’s journey. Frieren tells Stark that even the way he shakes is the same as Eisen, making Stark smile.

Stark approaches the dragon while Frieren and Fern stand by and watch from afar. Fern notes how the dragon does not attack, and Frieren replies it is because it is being vigilant, and realizes why the village has not been attacked. She explains that dragons are intelligent creatures. They are not foolish enough to antagonize powerful enemies. She reveals that when Eisen hit Stark, it was not because he was weak or because he was a disappointment, and recalls the memory of when she was talking to Eisen back when he travelled with her and Fern.

Eisen tells Frieren that he fought with Stark and broke apart. His body reacted on its own and he hit him because he was scared of Stark. He called Stark amazing and said that his disciple will become an incredible warrior.

Stark manages to deal a fierce blow to the dragon and knock it down. He then shouts to Frieren and Fern to fire at it nonstop, but Frieren stops Fern from doing so.

Anxious, Stark screams, asking why they aren’t firing, calling Frieren a “stinking hag” and saying she is no different from his master. Frieren tells him that the dragon is already dead, surprising Stark. Frieren praises him, then proceeds to loot the dragon’s nest. Stark tells her that Eisen once said that the Hero Party’s adventure became a deplorable yet incredibly fun journey all because of Frieren, making her smile and recall an old memory.

Frieren uses magic she just found in a dungeon to create shaved ice for Heiter while Eisen and Himmel converse from the side. Eisen calls it deplorable while Himmel doesn’t think of it as a big deal as the journey has just begun. Eisen states that even the Southern Hero, said to be the most powerful in all of mankind was defeated by the Seven Sages of Destruction who answer directly to the Demon King and that they are not even sure if they can return alive. Himmel asks Eisen if he wants a painful and bitter journey instead then, to which Eisen doesn’t answer. Himmel states that wants to have a fun journey that they can laugh at in retrospect, even if it turned out to be deplorable. Stark decides to join Frieren and Fern on their voyage, as his master told them to take Stark with them, and also because he would like to experience a deplorable journey as well.

Twenty-eight years after the Hero Himmel’s passing, Frieren, Fern, and Stark are in the Central Lands, specifically the fortress city of Waal near the Riegel Canyon.

They try to enter the north, but the Captain of the Guard tells them that passage through the barrier to the Northern Lands has been prohibited because it is brimming with monster activity, and it is unknown when it will open again. Frieren nonchalantly decides that their party should relax in Waal for the time being, and she remarks how she can finally leisurely research magic after so long. The party splits up, with Frieren going to check in at an inn, and Stark going to get some food. Fern overhears shop vendors talking about how it might take at least two years before the barrier reopens.

Stark orders a Jumbo Berry Special at a bar, making him feel nostalgic about how he used to split it with his master when he couldn’t finish it as a kid. He comments on how small it looks now. Fern also appears in the same bar and asks Stark if he would like the idea of staying in the town for at least two years, which he denies, relieving Fern.

They leave the bar and Stark agrees to help Fern look for a way to get over the barrier. He suggests flying over it, but that wouldn’t work because the national border with the Northern Lands has a powerful magical barrier stretching up to the skies, otherwise aerial monsters would get in. Stark and Fern go inquire at the Merchant’s Guild and discover that trade has been completely blocked. As Fern is about to give up, Stark suggests inquiring with the people at the black market and the thieves’ guild.

They ask around the shadier places of Waal but to no avail. Stark then suggests they should try the guard station next, which makes Fern ask why he seems so desperate to get out of the city, even moreso than herself. He tells her that he does not have that much time left and that his master once brought him to Waal. They saw the clear landscape of the north and Stark asked him about his adventure with the Hero Party, of which Eisen happily told him stories about. Stark says that his master is no longer at an age capable of going on a journey, so he wishes to thoroughly indulge in his deplorable yet fun journey with Frieren and Fern to bring back plenty of travel tales to share with him, as this is what he can do to repay Eisen.

As Stark and Fern walk in town, they see Frieren trying to hide from something.

Suddenly, the Captain of the Guard and the Castellan of Waal appear and ask for Frieren’s forgiveness. Frieren tries to speak, but the castellan talks about how it appears she is planning to embark towards the north again to stop the conflicts being caused by the remnants of the Demon King and gives Frieren’s Party passage through the barrier.

With great fanfare, the trio walks towards the barrier. Fern asks if they could not have declared Frieren’s name to begin with, and Frieren answered that she thought that it wouldn’t work even if they did. Stark is happy to witness this kind of scene, as his master embarked for the north like they currently are as well. Frieren recalls the celebration when the Hero Party ventured northwards, and agrees. The trio pass through the barrier and continues their voyage into the north.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Fern
 * Stark
 * Frieren
 * Eisen
 * Heiter
 * Himmel