Chapter 33

Grandfather Voll is the thirty-third chapter of Yamada Kanehito & Abe Tsukasa's Sousou no Frieren.

Summary
Twenty-nine years after Hero Himmel's passing, Frieren's Party is in the Klar Region. They are traveling to meet one of Frieren's old friends, a Dwarf warrior named Voll. Frieren tells Stark to train with Voll and later talks with Voll, where they reminisce about the past. In a flashback of the Hero Party with Voll, Himmel asks him why he protects the village. Voll states that he promised his deceased wife to do so, as his wife wished for a peaceful era. The flashback ends, and upon hearing Frieren is currently traveling to Ende, Voll wishes for a peaceful era to arrive soon. Frieren does not correct him and tells him she will carry his memory with her. The next day, as Frieren's Party is about to depart, Voll tells them that he had a dream of his wife. Frieren's Party then continue their journey.

Plot Details
Twenty-nine years after the Hero Himmel's passing, Frieren's Party are in the Northern Lands, specifically the Klar Region. Frieren's Party is traveling along a forest road to get to a village. While walking along the road, Stark asks Frieren if the person that they are visiting is a powerful warrior. Frieren tells Stark that this warrior, who is a dwarf, has been protecting the village that they are going to for close to 400 years. Frieren says that his name is Grandfather Voll, a long-time friend of Frieren, who they are visiting before he dies so Frieren can talk with him. Frieren jokes that maybe she will stay with him for 10 years, before Fern shots it down, telling her that they will be staying there for one-week maximum.

They arrive at the village, to see a dwarf sitting on a rock next to the entrance of the small village. Frieren calls out to the dwarf, who is Voll. She then turns to Stark and asks him if Voll looks cool for a seasoned elder warrior. Stark is unconvinced by him since Voll appears to be going senile. Voll asks Frieren who she is, and Frieren responds with her name and then asks when is he going to drop the act. Voll then proceeds to pull Stark to the ground, then warns him that imprudence is one of the most common causes of deaths on the battlefield. He tells Stark to get up, and that even master warriors can suffer a fatal injury if they lower their defense. Frieren jokingly asks Voll about his cowardly tactics as always, and he tells her to enjoy herself. Frieren tells Stark to get Voll to train him, then she and the others go check into the inn.

Frieren and the others check in at the inn. After that, Fern]] and Sein are helping around the village while Frieren is talking with Voll. While Fern and Sein are helping out one of the villagers, the villager comments on how this is the first time he has seen Voll talk so ecstatically, he thought that Voll didn’t have any friends. He says that Voll is a senile old grandpa, who you can’t normally hold a conversation. And that he has been protecting the village since long ago, but he doesn’t know why. Fern says that it seems that Voll has always been alone.

At night, on the last day of their visit, Frieren and Voll are walking outside. She asks him how is Stark's training, which Voll tells Frieren that he has reasonably improved. She says that it has been fun being with him and that she is thankful because he gave him the chance to get to know Himmel and the others.

It then cuts to a flashback of the Hero Party. Voll is sitting at the entrance of the village, with the Hero Party standing next to him. Himmel asks why does he protect the village, Voll says that it doesn’t matter anymore. Himmel is unamused by this answer and tells him that people don’t risk their lives for something that doesn’t matter. Voll then answers Himmel’s question, he is just protecting the village his wife, who was human, loved. He is just fulfilling a promise, but he does not intend on sharing details, because he can’t remember anything anymore. He can’t even remember his wife’s face, gaze, or voice. He says that it must sound funny, constantly protecting a promise to someone deceased. Himmel says perhaps, but he is sure that his wife is happy that he is protecting that promise. Voll says that Himmel is a good hero and that he will defeat the Demon King. He then says that his wife wished for a peaceful era and that he will carry the memory of him into the future. Himmel says that he is thankful for that, but since Frieren and Eisen are in his party, there isn’t a need. Eisen says that he won’t live as long as an elf, Himmel then says that it’ll be Frieren’s duty. Frieren says that she doesn’t mind. Voll says that Himmel is blessed by comrades. Himmel then says to Frieren that he’ll need to show a compilation of handsome pauses after this, and Frieren jokingly says that maybe she should stop remembering him after all.

The flashback ends, and Frieren and Voll are sitting in the forest at night, reminiscing about their past. Frieren says that the handsome poses that Himmel made her remember were a waste. Voll asks if she remembers Himmel’s face, she says yes. He then asks if she remembers his voice, she tells him not to take her as a fool, and that she remembers everything because Himmel was his reason for getting to know humans. She says that it is equally as important a reason as to why Voll wants to protect the village. Voll comments on Frieren’s remarks about reasons, saying that he can’t even recall his wife’s face, voice, or gaze. But he is protecting this village because it is something important to him. Frieren says jokingly, that Voll is truly a joker. He then asks where they are going on this journey, she tells him that they are going to Aureole, the lands where souls rest. He asks where that is, and she says that it is where the demon king’s castle is. Voll then says that then someone is finally going to defeat the demon king and that he hopes a peaceful era arrives. Frieren is shocked by this but doesn’t correct him, stopping mid-sentence. She tells him that she will bring the memory of Voll into the future as well. Voll says that it is nice and that he is glad to have met her again in the last moments of his life. Frieren tells Voll that he already said that 80 years ago.

It is the next day, and Frieren's Party are saying their farewells to Voll. Frieren says goodbye to Voll, telling him to stay strong. Voll then tells Frieren that he had a dream of his wife, probably because he was reminiscing with her about the past. Frieren's Party then continue on their journey.

Characters in Order of Appearance

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

Locations

 * Klar Region

Events

 * Frieren meets with Voll, an old friend of hers.
 * Frieren and Voll reminisce about their past, on the last day of her visit.

Spells

 * Unnamed floating magic

Chapter Notes

 * The Voll basin, a location that appeared in an earlier chapter, might be named after Grandfather Voll.