Beyond Journey's End Arc

The Beyond Journey's End Arc is the first story arc in Sousou no Frieren. It follows the beginning of Frieren's journey after defeating the Demon King.

Prologue
After a ten-year journey, a group of adventurers defeated the Demon King and restored peace to the continent. Himmel, Eisen, Heiter, and Frieren are the members of the heroic group, which comprises of humans, dwarves, and elves. They watch the Era Meteors, a once-in-fifty-year meteor shower, together before they say their goodbyes. When the next celestial event comes, Frieren promises to meet them again and give them a better view. She then sets off on a journey across the continent in search of more magical knowledge.

Frieren returns to the Royal Capital fifty years later, but things have changed and her former party members have all gotten older. After one more trip together to see the Era Meteors, Himmel succumbs to old age. While initially seeming unfazed at his funeral, Frieren ends up crying in regret at not doing more to learn about him while she could. This spurs Frieren to learn more about humans, and to later go see her old friends. Heiter takes in an orphaned child named Fern, and when his health begins to fail, she agrees to educate and care for her as a favor. While visiting Eisen, he asks her to visit the resting place of souls, Aureole, to wish Himmel a proper goodbye in person and convey her feelings. Frieren and Fern begin a journey together to fulfill Heiter and Eisen's requests while pursuing Frieren's love for magic.

The End of the Adventure
The story begins with the Hero Party’s triumphant, carriage-ridden return to the Royal Capital. Some members are already thinking of getting a job, as life still goes on. The Hero remarks that the road ahead for Frieren is so long that it is beyond the others’ imagination.

As the party reaches the Capital and walks through the streets, the citizens welcome them with great fanfare, shouting their congratulations and cheering for their victory. In the castle, the king praises the Hero Himmel, Warrior Eisen, Priest Heiter, and Mage Frieren for defeating the Demon King, remarking that a peaceful era will now dawn upon the world.

After meeting the king, the party members converse and walk through the plaza, and Eisen and Himmel mention how the party has reached the end of its adventure. The members reminisce about the different parts of their adventure, such as Himmel and Eisen almost being executed for being impertinent to the king, Heiter always being useless after getting a hangover, and Frieren being eaten by a mimic. Despite these ridiculous memories, everyone was glad to have adventured with each other. Frieren states how their ten-year adventure was short though, much to the shock of Heiter and Himmel. As they converse, the Era Meteors, a meteor shower that happens once every fifty years, begin. Himmel remarks that it is a perfect beginning to a peaceful era. Frieren mentions how it is hard to see in town, and she says that next time, fifty years later, she will take the others to a place where the meteor shower can be witnessed more beautifully. Himmel chuckles at this, then agrees.

The next day, the party disbands, and Frieren goes on a journey to acquire more magic since she plans to explore the Central Lands for over a century. As she leaves, Heiter and Himmel talk about how they, as humans, cannot perceive an elf's feelings, saying that even a century might feel like just another day to her.

In her pursuit of magic, Frieren travels far and wide through different lands and climates. Five decades later, her need for Darkness Dragon horns finally brings her back to the Royal Capital, as she left the one she found in the Demon King’s Castle in Himmel’s possession. She notices how the townscape has changed considerably since she was last here. As Himmel calls out to Frieren from behind her, she finds him to have grown very old. Meanwhile, Frieren herself does not look a day older. Himmel thought he would never see her again.

At Himmel’s house, he returns the Darkness Dragon’s horn to Frieren, thinking of it as a treasure that his beloved comrade left to him for safekeeping. Frieren goes outside and sees the statues of the Hero Party are now all degraded due to the passage of time. After Himmel gets ready, he and Frieren go meet Eisen and Heiter at the Capital’s gate. Frieren remarks how Heiter, who has also aged, looks more dignified, and he states that it is because he is a bishop now at the Holy City. Meanwhile, Eisen does not seem to have changed much appearance-wise, as he is a dwarf.

Together, they all undertake a one-week journey, with Himmel remarking that the journey is elder abuse, to the place where they can witness the Era Meteors more beautifully. Himmel feels nostalgic throughout the journey, because as they ventured to many places, it reminded him of all the beautiful memories he made with his comrades. As they finally reach location Frieren had in mind, they witness the Era Meteors again and Himmel thanks Frieren, as they were able to have a really fun adventure at the end.

Shortly afterwards, Himmel passes away, seemingly content. As the citizens mourn his loss at his funeral, they question how Frieren can show not a hint of sorrow despite being one of Himmel’s comrades. Suddenly, Frieren starts shedding tears, but she is unaware of the reason why, as she simply travelled with Himmel for a mere ten years. She questions why she never thought about getting to know him more, despite being aware of a human’s short lifespan.

After the funeral, the party disbands once more. Heiter returns to the Holy City, telling Frieren and Eisen to show their faces more, as he might not be around for much longer. He jokes that his years of chronic drinking might finally be taking their toll. Frieren continues her journey to acquire magic, while also deciding to get to know humans better as well. She asks Eisen to become her vanguard, but he refuses, saying that he is no longer at an age capable of wielding an axe, shocking Frieren. They bid their farewells, and Frieren leaves for her voyage.

The Priest's Lie
Twenty years after the Hero Himmel's passing, Frieren is in the Central Lands. She gets lost in a forest in the outskirts of the Holy City of Strahl trying to find Heiter. Suddenly, a young girl appears, surprising Frieren. Frieren tells her that she is trying to find the home of Heiter, and the young girl takes Frieren there. Heiter, now very elderly, meets Frieren outside the house, where she comments that the Corrupt Priest is still alive. As they enter, Frieren offers Heiter some alcohol, but he refuses, saying that he has already stopped drinking. The young girl, named Fern, turns out to be a war orphan from the Southern Lands adopted by Heiter. Frieren mentions that Heiter isn’t one to willingly rescue people, unlike Himmel. Heiter deflects and asks why Frieren is here, and she replies that she thought she would drop by to meet him, as she was shopping in the Holy City. Frieren also came to repay Heiter before he died, as she owes a lot to him. Heiter requests her to take Fern as a disciple, but she refuses, saying she would not want a child a friend left in her care to die, as the death rate of mage apprentices in the battlefield is very high. Instead of that, Heiter then asks Frieren to decipher a grimoire he dug out from Sage Ewig’s gravesite. It supposedly contains records of lost resurrection and immortality spells. Frieren states that it might take five or six years, and she asks why Heiter wants it deciphered. He replies that he is now more afraid of dying than he ever was before, and that he wants just a little more time. Heiter also asks Frieren to teach Fern some magic in her free time, as he as a priest does not know how to do that. Frieren agrees, and goes out to look for Fern.

She finally finds Fern training on a cliff in the forest, noting how near undetectable she is to mana sensory and wondering how hard she has studied at this young age. Fern tells Frieren that according to Heiter, she will be able to handle herself once she can knock down the high rock on the cliff on the other side. She demonstrates that when she fires magic from her staff, her mana dissipates before reaching the rock, and asks Frieren how she can train to reach it. Frieren first asks Fern if she likes magic, to which she replies in the affirmative. Smiling, Frieren then starts to teach her the fundamentals of long-range magic.

Four years pass, in which Frieren deciphers most of the grimoire. One day, when discussing Fern’s training with Heiter, Frieren states that Fern has reached a point where it would take an average person ten years to reach, remarking how she is a little too devoted. Suddenly, Heiter collapses. After he is carried to his room, Frieren tells him she will hurry up with deciphering the grimoire and goes to find Fern.

Fern is training on the same cliff as usual. When told by Frieren to take a break and go stay by Heiter’s side, she refuses, saying she has to knock down the high rock before Heiter passes away, as she was saved by him.

It is revealed that when Fern was younger, she was about to jump off a cliff after losing her parents in a war. Heiter stops her, telling her it would be a waste for her to die. He explains that quite a while back, he lost an old friend of his, who, unlike Heiter, was an upright person who would never leave behind someone in trouble. Heiter states that if his friend lived on instead of him, he would’ve been able to save many people. Heiter considered living quietly for the rest of his life until it dawned upon him. If he were to die like this, then wouldn’t all the beautiful memories he made with his friend disappear from the world as well? Thus it would be a waste for Fern to die with all her beloved memories as well.

Fern explains that learning how to survive on her own is her repayment of gratitude to Heiter. Frieren, after seeing her determination, lets her do as she wishes.

Some more time passes, and Frieren finishes deciphering the grimoire, finding that neither resurrection nor immortality was recorded within. When asking Heiter if he knew, he replies that if such a thing existed, then Ewig himself would’ve used it. He asks Frieren about Fern’s progress, and she replies that she is no inferior to an adult. Heiter is relieved, as now Fern would no longer be a burden to Frieren, revealing that he calculated this from the start. He asks Frieren to collect her pay and leave with Fern at night, as he doesn’t have much longer and doesn’t want Fern to experience losing anyone else. Frieren rebukes him, telling him that he should give Fern a proper farewell, and try to make as many memories with her as possible. Tears flow down Frieren’s eyes, and Heiter calls her a kind girl. Before leaving him alone with Fern, she asks why he saved her. He replies that the Hero Himmel would have done the same, to which Frieren agrees. She goes to the cliff Fern used to train on and sees the high rock with a hole through it, revealing that Fern managed to reach it. Frieren decides that she too will be like the Hero Himmel.

After Heiter’s burial, Frieren pours alcohol over his grave. Fern thanks her, as she was able to repay Heiter, and Frieren replies that she was simply outsmarted by the corrupt priest. Together, Frieren and Fern continue their journey to acquire more magic.

Blue-Moon Weed
Twenty-six years after Himmel's passing, Frieren and Fern are in the Central Lands, specifically the Turk region. They help a farmer harvest some pumpkins and receive magic that produces warm tea as a reward. Fern comments that they have only been doing simple jobs, and Frieren replies that that is what it means to be an adventurer. She also notes that they have only been acquiring strange magic, such as magic that turns sweet grapes into sour ones and magic that de-rusts bronze statues. Frieren states that it is a hobby of hers.

They come upon a village, whose herbalist asks them to clean a statue of the Hero Himmel, who once fought for the village when a monster attacked it. The statue is in terrible shape. The herbalist is too old to maintain it and the villagers are no longer concerned about it either. Frieren believes it is karma, as when the villagers said they could build him a statue, it took him 18 hours to decide on a pose, which enraged the elderly artisan. In the end, he settled with a foolproof pose. The herbalist calls it a curious story and recalls that there was an elven mage in the Hero Party as well, to which Frieren smiles.

After the Frieren and Fern clean the statue, the herbalist thanks them, and thinks of planting some flowers around the statue to add more color. Frieren almost uses magic that can produce flower beds, but she stops and decides that a blue-moon weed flower would be best, although she has never seen it before, as it is the flower of Himmel’s hometown. She asks the herbalist, who takes the duo back to her shop, and explains that long ago, all the flower fields within the forest were destroyed, and there hasn’t been a sighting of blue-moon weed for several decades on the continent. Meanwhile, Fern tries to hide a couple of seed rats, which are harmful animals that eat seeds, in her cloak but gets caught by Frieren, so she returns it to the forest. The duo decides to look for some blue-moon weed because if they are able to analyze a live specimen, they possess magic that will allow them to make the flowers bloom. Fern asks if Frieren is doing this for Himmel, but she replies that it is definitely for herself.

Six months pass, and they still haven’t found any blue-moon weed. Although a trivial time for Frieren, Fern starts becoming impatient. One day, she goes to the herbalist’s shop alone and asks her if she thinks they will find the blue-moon weed. Fern explains that Frieren’s attachment or magic is abnormal and that at this rate they will keep looking for it for years or even decades. She says that Frieren is a mage who has the power to save many people and should not be spending her time on something nonexistent. The herbalist smiles and hands Fern a small pouch, and says she is sure that Frieren will understand if Fern conveys her feelings to her honestly.

Fern goes to Frieren and expresses her thoughts. She shows her the pouch that is revealed to contain seeds of a related species the herbalist stored. Fern suggests planting these around Himmel’s statue instead. Frieren understands and says they will stop after a little more searching. At the same time, a seed rat steals the pouch of seeds and runs away. As the duo pursues it, Fern asks Frieren why she is acquiring magic, to which she again replies that is her hobby. Fern states that it does not seem like it.

Frieren recalls a memory from the past when she was with the Hero Party. She used magic to produce a field of flowers, which excited Eisen and Heiter, causing them to prance around and play in it. Heiter merrily places a flower crown on Eisen’s head, causing Frieren to remark that the scene was disgusting. Smiling, Himmel places a flower crown on Frieren’s head as well.

Frieren then tells Fern that it is because there was a fool who praised her for the magic she acquired. Fern calls it a silly reason, and Frieren concurs. They eventually reach an abandoned watchtower where many seed rats can be seen. Frieren picks up a flower petal that was on the ground near it the tower and inspects it. She then explains to Fern that seed rats hide their food by burying it in a safe place away from enemies, but they often forget where they hide them. As Frieren flies up to the top of the watchtower, she recalls another memory from the same day. Himmel tells Frieren about blue-moon weed, the flower of his hometown, and says that he wants to show it to her someday. When Frieren reaches the top of the watchtower, she finds a multitude of blue-moon weed flowers, remarking that she didn’t expect there to be this many. She also remarks that Himmel was pretty late.

As Frieren analyzes a specimen, Fern also reaches the top and is surprised that they found it. She says she cannot fathom why Frieren dedicates her entire heart and soul towards magic. Frieren says she is sure Fern understands, as she also has not given up on becoming a mage. Fern disagrees, saying she was simply content with any power with which she could survive on her own. Frieren rebuts her, saying that she did choose magic, and Fern agrees.

Frieren plants the flowers around Himmel’s statue, and the herbalist thanks them, thinking she would never see blue-moon weed again. She is sure that the statue will never be forgotten now as well. As the duo leaves, Frieren places a blue-moon weed crown on Himmel’s statue’s head, similar to how he placed a crown atop Frieren's head in the past. The herbalist remarks that it is lovely, and Frieren and Fern continue their journey.

The Mage's Secret
Twenty-seven years after the Hero Himmel’s passing, Frieren and Fern are in a trading town called Warm. Frieren decides they should split up to replenish supplies for their journey. However, Fern feels Frieren is hiding something from her, and in times like these she ends up buying unnecessary things, like a large skull or a drug that melts clothes, so Fern starts tailing her.

First, she sees Frieren spend a lot of time concerned in front of an accessory shop before buying something. After that, she asks around for a tasty “candy shop”, and ends up asking for it from wild-looking adventurers in a bar. She then leaves the bar, and to Fern’s surprise, heads back towards the inn. Fern quickly finishes her shopping before also returning. Frieren decides that they should go eat some tasty food as it has been a while.

They go to a place recommended to Frieren which has a nice view. Fern apologizes to Frieren for doubting her, but Frieren does not know what she is talking about. Frieren tells Fern to choose whatever she wants as she has some secret savings, surprising Fern. Fern asks Frieren what she will choose, but before Frieren can say anything, Fern already answers with merkur pudding.

This causes Frieren to recall a memory with the Hero Party where Himmel also guessed correctly that Frieren was in the mood for merkur pudding. She asks him how he knew, and he replies that he has a rough idea as they have been travelling for several years now. Frieren states that she does not know a thing about any of the hero's party, and Himmel says that they’ll have to put in some effort for her to learn. He states his favorite dish, and Eisen states his. Before Heiter can say his, Frieren already answers with alcohol, calling him a Corrupt Priest and making him feel embarassed.

Frieren apologizes to Fern, as she does not know a thing about her, thus she does not know what kind of food she likes. She hands Fern a box, which reminds her that it is her birthday. She opens the box to find a beautiful hair ornament. Fern thanks Frieren and tells her that she is delighted. Fern tells Frieren that her attempts to get to know more about Fern give her overwhelming bliss, even though they are just attempts.

The next day, Frieren and Fern continue their voyage, with Fern now wearing her new hair ornament. She asks Frieren if there is some goal to their journey. She replies that it is just out of interest to gather magic, and also to retrace the steps she took with the Hero Party as much as possible before they fade away. Fern thinks that that must be important to Frieren, but she is not sure, and that is why she thinks she’ll find out. Frieren notes how Fern has surpassed her in height, and Fern replies that it is because she is 16 now, a young lady. Frieren looks at Fern’s developed chest, comparing it with her own, and wonders why it is so small, even though they practically eat the same things.

Killing Magic
Twenty-seven years after the Hero Himmel's passing, Frieren and Fern are in the Central Lands, specifically the Größe Forest. Frieren is training Fern on defensive magic.

Fern seems to have gotten used to defensive magic, as she is able to block attacks from the front, so Frieren targets an opening in her defense, attacking her back. To defend that type of attack, Fern uses defensive magic all around her, and Frieren attacks again, which quickly exhausts Fern's mana. After that, Frieren decides to end training.

As they travel, Frieren explains to Fern that defensive magic is powerful, but it burns a lot of mana and that if she continues expanding its size, she will exhaust her mana in a minute or two. Fern states then the correct decision would be to expand it to specific areas the moment she would be hit. They have only been training defensive magic lately as it is directly linked to their survival. This one defensive magic is enough to protect against the majority of offensive magic. Fern is curious about how immensely powerful it is. Frieren asks if Fern read the magic chronicles book she gave her, and tells her that magic is not only about combat.

Frieren and Fern reach the village they were looking for, and a villager recognizes Frieren and leads her to the place where Qual was sealed. Qual is the Elder Sage of Corruption, a demon that committed immeasurable atrocities on the land eighty years ago. The Hero Party sealed him away. Frieren asks the villager how he knew she would be coming, and he answers that before his passing, Himmel would visit the village once every year to check on the condition of the seal. He told the villager that despite not showing up once to check on the seal, Frieren would definitely show up once the seal was close to breaking. They then reach the place where Qual was sealed, and Frieren decides that she will remove the seal the next day and dispose of him.

Back at the village inn, Frieren explains to Fern that she sealed Qual away simply because he was too powerful to beat. He was an outstanding sorcerer even amongst the Demon King's army. He developed Killing Magic, or Zoltraak, the very first piercing magic in history, which could pierce not just all of mankind’s defensive magics but even equipment imbued with magic resistance. Fern asks if he would not be overly powerful then, and Frieren agrees, saying he was overly powerful, and that is why that power backfired on him. She again states that Fern still hasn’t read the magic chronicles, but lets her sleep instead, as Fern would understand tomorrow anyway.

The next day, Frieren undoes Qual’s seal. Frieren tells him that it has been eighty years and the Demon King was killed. Qual supposes that he should avenge him, and fires Killing Magic: Zoltraak at the duo. Fern easily blocks it with her defensive magic, surprising Qual and making him remark that it must be a rather advanced technique. Fern is confused, and she states that Zoltraak was just ordinary offensive magic. Frieren explains that Qual’s magic was overly powerful, but in just a few years after his sealing, Zoltraak was analyzed and Killing Magic was incorporated into the magic systems of mankind, and powerful defensive magics were developed that countered those offensive techniques. The magic resistance in equipment has remarkably improved as well, and Killing Magic no longer kills. Frieren tries to get Qual to cooperate in order to give him a peaceful death, but he is able to deduce that defensive magic is taxing on one’s mana and fires Zoltraak in different directions at them. However, Fern is still able to defend the duo as she has already witnessed this in training. Frieren fires Zoltraak at Qual, destroying him with his own magic, and he dissolves into black dust.

When the duo returns to the village, the villager thanks Frieren and says they can now live in peace. Frieren notices his hat and seems to remember it from somewhere, and recalls that the old villager was a stupid brat who once flipped up Frieren’s skirt when the Hero Party came to the village a long time ago. This angered Himmel, making him say that he always wanted to look under there. Frieren wonders at the fact he is still alive, and the villager replies that because of Frieren, it seems he can live longer and that it was worthwhile to believe in Himmel’s words.

Frieren and Fern continue their journey, and Fern tells Frieren that she thinks Himmel believed in Frieren, making her smile.

New Year's Festival
Twenty-eight years after the Hero Himmel's passing, Frieren and Fern are in the Central Lands, specifically the Granz Channel. A village requests them to clean up the washed-up debris from the coast, rewarding them with a grimoire by the Great Mage Flamme. Frieren accepts the request despite the grimoire being a counterfeit, as Fern was able to tell. Frieren accepted the request nevertheless because the village head looked concerned, and also for herself.

Three months pass, and winter arrives. Fern always has to take care of Frieren like a mother - waking her up, brushing her hair, feeding her, and clothing her.

She asks if the Hero Party was never angered by Frieren oversleeping, and she replies that they were once. Fern remarks that they must have been rather tolerant, and Frieren strongly agrees.

The village head visits them one night to ask about the progress of the clean-up and comments that it would be delightful if they could witness the sunrise during the New Year's Festival.

The next day, Fern asks how cleaning the coast is related to the New Year's Festival. Frieren replies that the village has a custom of watching the sunrise on the New Year's Festival and that it is truly picturesque when the sunlight reflects off of the untainted sea, although she herself has never seen it as she could never wake up for it. They hurry with their clean-up and finish in time for the eve of the event. The village head thanks them, and welcomes them with open arms for the New Year's Festival. Frieren states that she will pull an all-nighter to be able to see it.

At night, she recalls a memory of when the Himmel was cross when she didn’t attend the New Year's Festival. Even Heiter drank too much alcohol and fell asleep. Frieren asks if it wasn’t enough when the others managed to go. Himmel replies that they wanted her to have fun as well. Frieren doubts that she would have had fun, but Himmel disagrees because that is who she is.

Frieren ended up sleeping anyway and was quickly woken up by Fern. They head for the New Year's Festival, and Frieren thanks Fern on the way. They reach the port and witness the sunrise reflecting off of the sparkling sea.

Frieren thinks it is beautiful, but not worth waking up for. As she is about to head back to sleep some more, she sees Fern smiling, captivated by the sunrise. Fern notices how it seems to be invoking joy in Frieren, and she replies that it is because Fern was smiling. This suddenly makes Frieren realise what Himmel meant many years ago, and she smiles.

The Land Where Souls Rest
The chapter begins with a flashback of when the Hero Party visited Eisen's home. Heiter sees a couple of graves and asks if they are Eisen’s family. He replies that his village was attacked by demons once, and Heiter starts praying for them. Eisen believes that people turn to dust after they die, and Heiter states that they go to Heaven. Frieren states that she too is skeptical about Heaven, as the current magical techniques of mankind cannot visualize the souls of the deceased, so it is impossible to prove its existence. Himmel doesn’t mind either way and Heiter agrees, causing Himmel to call him a Corrupt Priest and ask if that is okay for a priest to say. Heiter states that he thinks Heaven should exist since it is better that way. He says that nobody who tries desperately to live would want to end up as nothing. This causes the rest of the Hero Party, including Eisen, to also pray for Eisen’s family.

Twenty-eight years after the Hero Himmel’s passing, Frieren and Fern are in the Central Lands, specifically the Bredt Region. They have come to visit Eisen, who is praying for his dead family. They meet him outside and enter his house. Frieren asks if there is anything she can help Eisen out with, and he replies that Heiter asked something similar of him as well and that it is not the end of the road for him just yet. Frieren repeats her question, and Eisen takes her and Fern to the Voll Basin.

Frieren starts feeling nostalgic, saying she had been in the area once upon a time. Eisen and Fern wonder how long ago that was, with Fern suggesting the Paleolithic age, which Frieren denies. As they walk, Eisen states that he wants to search for the Great Mage Flamme's notes. Supposedly, Heiter discovered their whereabouts by compiling all of the records Flamme left in the Holy City, which stated that her notes should be located somewhere in the Voll Basin, as Frieren would know. Frieren says that they should start by finding a big tree first. Eisen says they have all the time in the world, but Frieren tells him that Fern hates wasting time so they should finish their search quickly. Eisen comments that Frieren has changed, as she was never one to respect another’s time, and Frieren replies that Fern will scare one half to death when she gets angry, making Eisen smile.

After searching for a few days, Fern sees a great tree engulfing some ruins to the west, and the trio starts heading there. On the way, Frieren asks Eisen why he is searching for Flamme’s notes, and he replies that he thought it was pitiful for her and Himmel that she was never able to tell Himmel that she wanted to get to know him better. Eisen believes that Frieren should convey those words to Himmel directly. It is revealed that Flamme’s notes supposedly contain records of her having conversed with the dead. Frieren thinks that is just a fairy tale and states that she doesn’t want to meet Himmel anymore. Eisen replies that every magic started off as a fairy tale, and he too also wants to know more about Himmel. That is why he consulted Heiter. Eisen wanted to help since he was sure Frieren was repenting over not getting to know Himmel better while she had the chance. They finally reach the great tree, and Fern notes that both the tree and the ruins are being protected by a powerful barrier. Frieren thinks of how she is being played like a fiddle by her Master even after a thousand years and recalls an old memory.

Flamme uses magic to grow a small plant, saying that this small sapling will grow and protect this place even after a thousand years. Even if she will be dead by then, she tells Frieren that one day she will make a grave mistake and will want to get to know people more, and at that time to come back to the ruins so that Flamme can guide her.

Suddenly the barrier is lifted, and the tree roots move away to show the doorway, where the Great Mage Flamme’s notes are floating and already open. The trio enters, and Fern asks if the notes are real, which Frieren answers in the affirmative. When Fern asks how Frieren knows, Eisen tells her that Frieren was Flamme’s greatest apprentice. He asks Frieren if there are any logs about conversing with the dead, and she replies that that page is generously opening up for her.

The notes say that Flamme was at the northernmost end of the continent, and she reached the land where souls rest: Aureole, or Heaven. There, she spoke with her former comrades. Fern then asks if Heaven is real. Frieren is not sure, as Flamme was one to exaggerate. Eisen tells them Heaven does exist since it is better that way. It is revealed that Aureole is in Ende, where the Demon King’s Castle is right now, and Fern wonders why it would be in such a place. Eisen tells Frieren to find Aureole and talk to Himmel, as he will be of assistance to him. Frieren notes how Eisen has become cunning, and he gives credit to Heiter for that. Frieren accepts Eisen’s request, and immediately feels discouraged as it is insanely cold near the Demon King’s Castle.

One-Hundredth
Right after the events of the previous chapter, Eisen, Frieren, and Fern are in a carriage heading towards the North. Frieren falls asleep on Fern and starts mumbling about how cold it is around the Demon King’s Castle, which Fern asks Eisen about. He explains that it is because Ende is located in the northernmost part of the continent, and much has happened there. As they ride the carriage, Fern starts feeling awkward and tries to wake Frieren up, but to no avail. Eisen asks her if Frieren is a good teacher. Fern smiles and wonders. She states that Frieren simply travels in the wholehearted pursuit of magic and takes advantage of her. Frieren appears to have an interest in learning about Himmel and the other members of the Hero Party, but Fern doubts that Frieren has an interest in her, saying she only took her as a pupil because of a promise she made with Heiter. However, Fern is very curious about Frieren. She would always give Fern a present on her birthday, even though she otherwise never shows an interest in her. Eisen recalls a memory from when the Hero Party watched the Era Meteors in the Royal Capital together.

Frieren says she will continue travelling alone and carefree. Eisen tells her that she should take an apprentice to have someone to talk to while travelling. She calls it a waste of time since even if she taught an apprentice everything she knew, they would die off quickly anyways. Eisen tells her that that is not what it means to have relationships with people. Frieren disagrees and says that even her adventure with the Hero Party has not taken up one-hundredth of her life, and she asks Eisen if he knows what she means. Heiter senses the gloomy atmosphere and quickly changes the subject by suggesting that they all should drink as it is a joyous day, and Himmel figures out that he just wanted an excuse to drink. Eisen smiles and tells Fern that Frieren is a good teacher, and Fern agrees. The trio gets off the carriage and walks a little more until they stop at one point. Frieren asks Eisen if he really won’t join them, and Eisen says he is no more than a burden now. He asks Frieren if she has memorized the path to Ende, and she confirms that she has. Eisen apologizes to Fern, saying it will be a long journey that took even the Hero Party ten years. Frieren calls it just a ten-year adventure, and Eisen smiles and says that that one-hundredth has changed her.

Frieren and Fern depart, and Fern says that her time spent with Frieren will be one-half of her life. Frieren smiles and says that she will spend a lot more of her life with Frieren from here on.

Phantom Corpse
The chapter begins with a flashback of Heiter telling Fern to be a good girl and abide by everything Frieren says, jokingly saying that otherwise, he will materialize after his death. Fern then asks if he would materialize if she became a bad girl. Heiter notes her having grown cunning, wondering who she takes after. He states that if Fern remained good, he could materialize to see her for a bit. Fern then wakes up from her dream.

Twenty-eight years after the Hero Himmel's passing, Frieren and Fern are in the Central Lands, specifically the Wille Region. Frieren and Fern reach a village where a villager warns them not to attempt the path on the mountain pass, saying people have gone missing, supposedly taken by ghosts. The duo asks around and finds out that the villagers saw ghosts of their deceased relatives, just as if they were alive. Frieren states that this couldn't have been done by the undead, as they would look like corpses, and says this was done by a completely different monster, calling it a vulgar being and showing that she has some knowledge about the truth of the matter. Frieren and Fern decide to leave town first thing in the morning, going over the mountain pass.

When they reach the location where the disappearances were occurring, Fern notices traces of phantom magic, stating that she read about a monster that lures prey in through the use of phantoms. As the duo continues through, Frieren affirms that it is Einsam, the Phantom Demon, which lures people in by showing them phantom corpses of people beloved to them. She states that the phantoms are no threat to mages, as they readily disperse when hit with a high concentration of mana. Frieren asks Fern if she will be able to fire at them, to which Fern replies in the affirmative since she knows they are imposters. Frieren then states that she had to fire upon the phantom of her Master who was begging for her life, which astonishes Fern. Frieren states that she had gotten used to her Master's begging so she did not feel particularly guilty. However, it was still unpleasant. As they get closer, the duo enters a fog. Frieren tells Fern to fire without hesitation if a phantom appears. Suddenly, Fern hears Heiter call her name from behind her. As she prepares to shoot him, Heiter tells her that she has become more of a mage now and that he has chosen to materialize for her as she has been a good girl. Fern is stunned, thinking of how these are her own beloved memories, and she is unable to hear Frieren.

Suddenly, Himmel appears behind Frieren. Frieren had thought her Master would appear again, and notes that she might have also changed a little. As Frieren prepares to blast Himmel away, Himmel tells her to shoot him, causing Frieren to state that this is certainly something Himmel would say. The blast wakes up Fern from her daze, and she also fires at the phantom of Heiter and the Einsam (which had appeared behind Heiter), disintegrating it into black dust. As Frieren and Fern continue onwards, Fern opts to meet Heiter for real the next time, as they are heading for Aureole, the land where souls rest.

Solar Dragon
Twenty-eight years after the Hero Himmel’s passing, Frieren and Fern are in the Central Lands, specifically the Riegel Canyons. They are looking to obtain a grimoire from the nest of a Solar Dragon, which will devour any and every adventurer it finds.They decide to eliminate the dragon, but when Fern shoots magic from her staff at the dragon, it seemingly does no damage to it. Suddenly, the dragon appears in front of them and they run away. After they manage to escape, Frieren starts heading back but Fern stops her because she is too frightened, and Frieren agrees that playing tag with a dragon is not a mage’s way of handling things. The duo decides to go to the village and get a comrade.A flashback occurs of the time when the duo was still travelling with Eisen. Eisen tells Frieren to recruit a vanguard by the name of Stark living in a village along the Riegel Canyons. He is Eisen’s disciple. Frieren asks if he is a good warrior, and Eisen wears a stern face, and the flashback ends.

Frieren and Fern enter the village and note how peaceful it is, as if there is not a dragon nearby. As they walk, an old woman tells them Stark wishes to speak to them, saving them the trouble of finding him.

The old woman tells them that three years ago, the Solar Dragon attacked their village, but Stark suddenly appeared before it. He did not take a single step away from the dragon, and after a long stare down, the dragon retreated. Ever since then, Stark chose to stay in the village, and it has never been attacked by the dragon, allowing the villagers to live peacefully. Fern asks Frieren if they would be able to defeat the dragon if enlist Stark’s help. She replies that ideally, that would be the case.

They reach the base of a cliff that looks like it has been cut into and find Stark sitting on a rock, talking to some children. Stark is worried the dragon will attack the village again if Frieren and Fern agitate it too much, and tells them that dragons are very fearsome. After finding out who Frieren is, he asks the children and the old woman to leave, assuring them that it is fine as the duo is acquainted with his Master.Once they leave, Stark asks if his Master is angry, as he ditched him and came to the village in secret. Frieren asks why he has not defeated the dragon yet, as he has no reason to stay in the village. Before answering, Stark first asks more about Frieren and Fern. Frieren tells him that they wish to recruit him as their vanguard and are requesting his help to suppress the Solar Dragon first, as they want the grimoire in its nest. Stark asks why, and she tells him that there were once some idiots who praised the magic she acquired. Stark calls her reasoning silly, and Frieren agrees. Stark doesn’t mind becoming their comrade, as his Master told them to take him along, but the Solar Dragon must be defeated first. Stark says it is too much for him to handle, and asks if Frieren would be able to kill the dragon. Frieren replies that if Stark could keep it still for thirty seconds, she would be able to. He then asks if he needs to do that. It is revealed that Stark has zero experience in fighting monsters, and when he came to the village three years ago, he also wanted to oppose the dragon but he was too scared to move.While he thought the dragon spared him on a whim, it stopped attacking the village and the villagers started revering him as a hero. Stark called it an atmosphere one can’t run away from. Fern looks at Stark with disgust and suggests they look elsewhere. However, Frieren believes that Stark can fight the dragon, and she inspects the cut on the cliffside. She gives Stark one night to decide and the duo leaves.

Frieren and Fern eat at a restaurant and learn that Stark is idolized by the villagers and Frieren says that he seems like a nice guy. Fern calls him a coward, which Frieren does not deny but recalls the time when Fern first fought a monster. Fern frowns, so Frieren does not continue.

They leave the restaurant, and Fern idly wonders why the dragon does not attack the village. Suddenly, they hear a loud sound, and Frieren comments that it must be Stark. She tells Fern to go check it out if she is curious, and calls it a night, returning to the inn.

At the inn, Frieren recalls the time she asked Eisen if Stark is a good warrior. He replies that Stark’s home village was attacked by demons and he ran away alone, just like Eisen. Therefore, he drilled everything he knew into Stark so he would be able to fight for somebody else’s sake in the future. Frieren smiles and confirms that he is a good warrior then.

At the cliffside, Fern sees Stark, and it is revealed that the cut in the cliff was as a result of his training.

The Hero of the Village
Right after the events of the previous chapter, 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, being chased by the monster. Frieren refused to help her. When she finally resolved herself and turned to face it, her body took action, and she 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 fight the dragon on their own, 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 that it is 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, and he comments 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. Realizing why the village has not been attacked, she explains to Fern that dragons are intelligent creatures that 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 they 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, going as far as calling Frieren a stinking hag and saying she is no different from his Master. Frieren then tells him that the dragon is already dead, surprising Stark. Frieren praises him and 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 the scene deplorable, but 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 bids his farewells to the villagers and leaves the village with Frieren and Fern. Fern uses the magic they found in the dragon’s nest to see through Frieren’s clothes, but she does not find it particularly interesting. She then looks at Stark and says “it’s small”, which Stark denies snappily. 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.

Northern Barrier
Twenty-eight years after the Hero Himmel’s passing, Frieren, Fern, and Stark are in the Central Lands, specifically the Fortified City of Wahl near the Bakr Canyons. 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 Wahl 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 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 border between the Central and Northern Lands has a powerful magical barrier stretching up to the skies, otherwise aerial monsters would be able to attack the Central Lands. 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’ guilds. They ask around the shadier places of Wahl 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. He tells her that he does not have that much time left and that his Master once brought him to Wahl. They saw the clear landscape of the North and Stark asked him about his adventure with the Hero Party, which Eisen happily told him 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 in order to bring back plenty of travel tales to share with Eisen, as that is what he can do to repay him.

As Stark and Fern walk back through town, they see Frieren trying to hide from something. Suddenly, the Captain of the Guard and the Chamberlain of Wahl appear and ask for Frieren’s forgiveness. Frieren tries to speak, but the chamberlain 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 answers 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 with similar fanfare, and Frieren recalls and agrees. The trio passes through the barrier and continue their voyage into the North.

Liberation Festival
The chapter begins with a flashback of when the Hero Party was rewarded with a fake grimoire of Flamme's for a subjugation quest. Frieren talks about how there are no real books by Flamme and that this is the most flawless fake she has ever found. Heiter is unsure if any real grimoires exist, and Eisen thinks that Flamme herself came out out of a fairy tale. Frieren thinks about how to others, it was 'was once upon a time' when Flamme was alive, and muses that she is probably the only one who remembers Flamme's face. The flashback ends with Frieren waking up from her dream.

Twenty-eight years after the Hero Himmel's passing, Frieren, Fern, and Stark are in the Northern Lands, specifically the Great Eng Road. They are with a merchant clearing a road that has been blocked due to a landslide. After finishing the job, the merchant offers to guide them to town, and they accept.

Along the way, the merchant tells Frieren it is his first time seeing an elf. She explains that elves’ numbers are incredibly scarce and even she has only seen a handful of her kin. Elves live long, though factors of feelings of affection and reproductive instinct are all inferior to them, so they are slowly becoming extinct. As the party nears the town, they see many wagons lined up in front of the town's gate, and the merchant explains that it is because the town is holding the Liberation Festival that night, to commemorate the day the Hero Party subjugated the demon oppressing the region. The townspeople decorate the statues of the Hero Party erected in the central plaza, and then the entire town holds a grandiose celebration. Frieren comments that humans are eager to make festivals out of anything and everything. The merchant tells her that it has already been over eighty years since the demon was defeated, which is more than enough time for humans to forget something completely. Nonetheless, everyone remembers Himmel and the others on the day of the Liberation Festival. Frieren then recalls a memory of when she was travelling with the Hero Party.

Himmel stares at his newly-made statue, which had to be redone five times. Frieren remarks how Himmel gets a lot of statues made after him. He replies that it is so everyone can remember them, as, unlike Frieren, humans live transient lives. But the most important reason is so Frieren will not be alone in the future. The Hero Party won’t become part of some fairy tale, like Flamme. They will definitely have existed.

The flashback ends and Frieren’s Party is in the central plaza, looking at the decorated statues of the Hero Party. Frieren asks the merchant if the festival will continue for the next century, and he replies that it will continue for as long as this town stands.

The next day, the trio leave the town and continue their voyage to the ends of the North.

Characters Introduced

 * Frieren
 * Himmel
 * Heiter
 * Eisen
 * Fern
 * Qual
 * Flamme
 * Stark

Battles

 * Stark vs. Solar Dragon

Events

 * Frieren's party gains a new member (Stark)