Chapter 29

Ideal Adult (の) is the twenty-ninth chapter of Yamada Kanehito & Abe Tsukasa's Frieren: Beyond Journey's End.

Summary
Twenty-nine years after the Hero Himmel's passing, Frieren, Fern, Stark, and Sein are in the Rat Region. Fern and Stark fight after Fern becomes upset at Stark for not buying her a birthday present. The two eventually reconcile with Sein's guidance, and proceed to shop for a gift for Fern together. Frieren tells Sein that Fern must have sought his guidance due to his resemblance to Heiter, who Sein believes to be an ideal adult unlike himself. Frieren proceeds to pat his head, as she believes that Sein is managing being a proper adult just fine.

Plot Details
Twenty-nine years after the Hero Himmel's passing, Frieren, Fern, Stark, and Sein are in the Northern Lands, specifically the Rat Region. In an inn within the town, Stark exclaims with tears in his eyes that Fern is always bashing him. He tells Frieren and Fern that he has had enough and is going to return to his Master, before slamming the door on his way out.

Frieren follows Stark out the door and encounters Sein, who has only witnessed the aftermath of the argument and asks if Stark and Fern are having a lover's quarrel. Frieren sits with a sulking Fern on the bed and explains that today is Fern's birthday, but Stark failed to prepare a present for her, leading to Fern becoming angry. Frieren believes that Fern went overboard with her anger, as she refused to listen to anything Stark was saying.

Sein inputs that he too has not bought a gift for Fern, as men typically do not make a big deal out of things such as birthdays and anniversaries. In response, Fern kicks at Sein's shins, causing Sein to say he will go buy Fern a gift lest his knees give out later. Lighting a cigarette, he tells Fern that for a boy of Stark's age, being treated so coldly would be confusing. As he heads out, he tells Fern that she should pursue Stark. Fern is further urged to do so by Frieren, and after a moment's contemplation, she heads to the plaza.

From behind a building at the edge of the plaza, Fern is shown spying on Stark, who is sitting despondently at the base of a statue of the Hero Himmel that has been erected in the middle of the plaza. She then approaches Sein, who has found a pouch with butterfly ornamentation at a vendor selling handbags. Sein notes that Fern also has a butterfly hair ornament, and Fern dryly comments that the pouch is adorable. This causes Sein to wonder if the pouch is not to Fern's taste, but Fern refutes him and claims that she finds the pouch unpleasant as it gives the impression Sein is experienced with women.

Sein then asks Fern if she managed to find Stark. Fern states that she saw him at the plaza, but trails off, leading Sein to deduce that Fern was unable to talk to him. He notes her youth makes her unable to handle boys the same age as her, but that she does not actually hate Stark, then tells Fern she can pick whichever handbag she wants or even choose a different store. However, Fern tells him with a smile that Sein's choice is fine, which surprises him. While picking out a bag for her, Sein advises Fern that even if Stark failed to prepare her a gift, he still thinks she was too offended, as Stark is not the diligent type and probably did not even remember his own birthday. Fern refutes that she gave Stark a present on his birthday, but Sein calls her out on the fact that they picked something out together. Fern is surprised he was able to guess that, but Sein tells her that it is rare for people to reject an offer to pick whatever present they would like. However, Fern must intrinsically believe in the sentimentality of giving and receiving gifts, and so she refused the offer to pick her own gift.

Characters in Order of Appearance

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

Locations

 * Rat Region

Events

 * Fern celebrates her 18th birthday
 * Fern and Stark shop for her present together

Chapter Notes

 * Fern turns 18