Fern

Fern is a orphaned war refugee originally from the Southern Countries. She was adopted by Heiter and made a mage apprentice of Frieren after Heiter's death.

Personality
Fern has a mature personality which leads her to usually become the mother of the group. She constantly has to help Frieren wake up due to her being a deep sleeper and acts like Stark's mother, like being angry when he stays up late, even though they are around the same age.

She is a very loyal apprentice to Frieren, like in Chapter 19 where she refused to rat out Frieren's whereabouts even though she was pinned and had a high risk of dying.

When she is angry, she completely ignores the person she is angry with, as seen in Chapter 47.

Backstory
Fern is a orphaned war refugee originally from the southern countries. She was adopted by Heiter at a young age and started learning magic, which she excelled at, being as proficient as an adult at a young age. After Heiter's death, she became Frieren's apprentice, travelling with her in her quest for grimoires.

Appearance
Fern is a young human with Purple hair and eyes. She wears a buttoned white shirt with a black cloak over it. It is also seen that she wears a hair ornament gifted by Frieren in Chapter 4 and a bracelet which was picked by her and Stark together in Chapter 29.

History
This is an arc by arc telling of what happens to Fern.

Beyond Journey's End
Frieren travels to Heiter's House, meeting a young Fern who leads her to Heiter's House. She is surprised to learn that Fern has been adopted by Heiter after she became orphaned from a war in the Southern Countries, where she was originally from. Heiter unsuccessfully tries to make Fern Frieren's apprentice. He then hires Frieren to decipher a book which supposedly contains immortality and resurrections spells instead. Fast forward a few years, Frieren is busy deciphering the book, Heiter collapses. Fern continues her training and completes it before Heiter dies. The book that Frieren was deciphering did not contain the spells, but due to the time it took to decipher, Fern is now worthy of being Frieren's apprentice. They stay with Heiter until his death and then depart on their journey.

First Class Mage Exam - First Stage
Twenty-nine years since Hero Himmel's passing. Fern, Frieren, and Stark head to AuBerst,the greatest town of magic in Northern countries. To gain access to the Northern plateau, they need to have a first class mage to accompany them. As Frieren said northern plateau is a perilous place filled with monsters that use deceptive magic and impossible to pass without mage and priest. However Frieren reluctant to earn the first class mage qualification while Fern think it is not possible for her. Fern think the exam will be easy for someone with mana as much as Frieren. Frieren disagree that mana is the only thing that determine mage's strength.

They arrive at AuBerst. The exam will be held every three years and the next will be held in two months. Frieren plans to have Fern take the exam. Fern insists that Frieren join her to take the exam. However Frieren said she is unqualified to take the exam as she only have Holy Wand Emblem as her proof as a mage. An old man recognizes the emblem and let Frieren join the exam with Fern. They prepare for the exam in 2 months.

The exam starts by dividing the examinee into a party of three. Fern match with Uber and Land. For completing the first stage, they need to capture a small, mana-sensing bird called Stille before sunset and with all of their respective party member present. Fern and her party manage to capture one early on the exam. They head to the lake at the center of the examination area to replenish their water supply. Midway, they notice that other party will probably lay in wait at the lake because it is the biggest water source in the area, and the bird will need water to live. They decide to avoid the center lake. However before they can go, they are ambushed by Wirbel's party aiming for their Stille.

Fern is able to block the surprise attack aiming at them. The battle starts, Fern battles with Ehre, a second class mage. Fern fights with only basic magic as taught by Frieren. Ehre tell Fern that Uber might be killed by Wirbel. Fern defeats Ehre by overwhelms her with a swarm of offensive magic. Fern go and ambush Wirbel before he can finish off Uber also without him noticing. He mistakenly think Fern have killed Ehre. So he assumes he has failed the exam and leave.

Afterward, Fern and her party take a shelter from rain inside a cave after Frieren break the examination area's barrier. They chat inside and stay there until the first exam over. Fern and Frieren passed the first exam.

First Class Mage Exam - Final Stage
Fern is able to detect the instability in Serie's mana. Serie takes a liking to Fern, asked Fern to be her apprentice. Fern rejects her offer. As Frieren said to her before the third stage began, that Serie will be for sure let her pass the exam no matter what Fern tells her so she shouldn't surrender to Serie's demand. Noting that she is Frieren's apprentice. True to Frieren's word, Serie lets Fern pass the exam. Officially make her first class mage. At the special privilege conferment night, Fern asked Serie for the legendary magic, spotless clothing magic to her dismay. Then the next day, Fern proudly shows the result of her new magic to Frieren.

Heiter
In his last remaining years, he adopted the orphan Fern and raised her. When Frieren came to visit him 20 years after Himmel's death, he asked Frieren to adopt Fern and train her as her apprentice.Heiter was a good father figure to Fern. She became strong so he would not have to worry about her anymore and could pass away in peace, and to this day she still misses him. In his final days, he wished for Fern to be strong enough so that he could pass in peace without regret.