Aversion to One's Own Kind ｢
Synopsis[]
While passing by a village in the woods of the northern lands, Frieren and party meet Sein, a gifted priest who is nonetheless corrupt enough to give even Heiter a run for his money. But what happened in his past?[1]
Plot[]
Twenty-nine years after Himmel the Hero's passing, Frieren's Party arrives at the Alt Woods in the Northern Lands. Frieren goes to gather herbs alone and encounters a man. She introduces herself as an adventurer, and the man tells her his backstory, as he wanted to become an adventurer himself a long time ago. However, he now recognizes that he was simply following a childish dream.
The man's childhood friend invites him on an adventure after the two of them bcome adults.
The man remembers how during his childhood, he had a good friend, an energetic boy that had the mannerisms of a gorilla. His friend was a caring individual, and they would frequently join each other on little adventurers, such as climbing a large tree together. However, after the man became a young adult, he slowly started to forget his dream. His friend invited him to become adventurers together, but he rejected his offer. Now, a decade later, the man acknowledges that he regrets his decision and thinks about how things would have been different if he had taken his friend's hand.
Fern comes across Frieren and the man stuck in the bottomless swamp.
Frieren asks why he would tell her such a story, and the man states that since the harvest festival of his village is arriving, he was tasked by his older brother to gather herbs. However, he got stuck in a bottomless swamp and is now slowly sinking in, and he thinks he is done for. As he continues sinking, he reaches out with his hand and desperately tries to convince Frieren to help him. Frieren requests for more time to think about it, and she ultimately refuses, as the man's hand is dirty from being covered in mud. As she tries to recall a spell to pull someone out of a bottomless swamp, Fern arrives to check on Frieren. Frieren ends up remembering the spell, and she frees the man.
Stark is bitten in the arm by a venomous snake.
After reuniting with Stark, Frieren's party accompanies the man to his village. Fern apologizes for the trouble Frieren caused and states that she will scold her. As an expression of gratitude, the man invites Frieren's party to his village, but they decline as they need to replenish their supplies and prefer to reach a major town by the end of the day. He understands and warns them of dangerously venomous creatures. Stark confirms with enthusiasm that he heard his advice. However, shortly after they part ways with the man, Stark gets bitten in the arm by a venomous snake while looking at berries on a bush. Fern is stunned and voices her disappointment, but her irritation is diverted when Stark's nose starts bleeding.
Frieren attempts to diagnose the poison inflicted on Stark.
Frieren applies a spell that identifies poison, but she is unable to analyze it properly since she is not a priest. As she cannot recognize the reaction, the party decides to get him diagnosed in a church. Fern confirms that they do not have not enough mana to fly to the next town, so they decide to head back to the previous village. Stark initially refuses, as he thinks he can tough the poison out like his master. Frieren recalls that Eisen was indeed unfazed after he was struck with three arrows coated with poison strong enough to knock out a dragon, appalling Heiter, but Fern thinks Eisen's constitution is just out of the ordinary. Heiter had once told her that twenty percent of adventurers would die by poison, so Fern urges them to head back by utilizing flying magic.
Sein detoxifies Stark with a spell.
Frieren's party arrives at the village's church, where they meet the church father, the village's local priest. He chillingly states that it is too late for Stark as the snake bite would only be treatable during the initial stage. However, he considers that perhaps his younger brother might be able to cure him. At that moment, the man from before, named Sein, enters the church's main hall to talk to his elder brother, the village's priest, and recognizes Frieren's party. He promptly and effortlessly treats Stark by putting a hand on his shoulder and applying detoxification magic before leaving to help at the plaza.
Sein's brother discusses Sein's outstanding talent as a priest.
When the church father asks Frieren what she thinks of Sein, Frieren points out the Holy Symbol emblem around the neck of the church father, which she mentions is only granted to the very best priest of a region by the Holy City. Frieren notes that Sein is a healing expert who has outstanding talent, as he could instantly cure a poison that even the superior priest of the region deemed incurable, which would make him a genius. The village priest says he knows about Frieren because Heiter told stories when he came to the village to award the emblem, but he does not compare himself to his younger brother. He tells her that their parents passed away early and that he took care of Sein. Although Sein used to tell his brother about how he wanted to become an adventurer, he changed when he became an adult. Sein's elder brother then asks Frieren to take him away from the village, as he believes Sein has been searching for someone to push him to revitalize his dream.
Stark joins the gamblers.
Back at the inn, both Stark and Fern are in favor of Sein's brother's proposal, as it would be beneficial to have a priest in the party. Frieren is uneasy, stating cryptically that she has an aversion against her own kind. Stark does not understand her reasoning, but he nonetheless sets out to recruit Sein, leaving Fern and Frieren to go downstairs and visit the bar where Sein spends time. He finds Sein playing a card game with two other men while also drinking and smoking at the tavern. Stark comments on the situation looking corrupt, however, Sein says it is a way to get to know people. He invites the boy to have a seat and take part in the game. If he wins the gambling match, Sein promises to join the party.
Stark loses the gamble.
Stark's scream interrupts Fern's reading in bed upstairs. She wakes up Frieren and both rush to ascertain Stark's situation. The mages find the young man stripped bare down to his underwear wailing outside the tavern. Fern states that the situation looks terrible and is surprised that not only are all of Stark's belongings missing, but Sein, who is sitting against a wall smoking, has also been stripped after losing all his belongings. Sein explains that the village chief beat both of them, and he asks the party to not judge him, as all adults are dirty. When Frieren asks Sein to join their party, Sein tells Frieren to find someone else, as he thinks it is too late for him to pursue the path of an adventurer.
Himmel convinces Frieren to join the party.
Sein's remarks remind Frieren of when Himmel first set out to recruit her. In a flashback, Himmel, accompanied by Eisen and Heiter, invites Frieren to defeat the Demon King as part of the Hero Party. She states that she has not fought a demon in over five hundred years, so she has forgotten how to do so. She believes that she must have been afraid and deferred the decision for too long to fight the Demon King, and now that enough years have passed, it is already too late. Himmel tells Frieren that he is talking about the present, which she recites verbatim to Sein.
Upon hearing this, Sein is briefly reminded of his childhood friend, but he still refuses and tells Frieren that she could not understand his feelings. Frieren rebutes him and says that his response tells her everything she needs to know, and since she does not like him, she has unwaveringly decided to make him a party member no matter what. Sein fails to understand this logic and expresses that he is scared by the conviction Frieren demonstrates.
Frieren tells Sein that she is talking about the present and expresses her determination to make him a party member.
Shortly after the conversation between Sein and Frieren, Fern goes to retrieve Stark and Sein's belongings. She visits the village chief and apologizes for the trouble the men caused him, however, the chief returns all of the men's belongings for free and wishes her a nice stay during the village's harvest festival. Fern returns Stark and Sein's belongings, but not without an expression of her disdain towards both of them. After Fern leaves, Sein questions what made her so upset, and Frieren explains that Fern did not like how Stark got stripped of all his belongings.
Fern dislikes gambling.
Back at the inn, Fern complains about how awful she finds gamblers, especially Sein, as he is a priest. Frieren remarks that she is unsure about priests that drink, but Fern states alcohol is the best medicine, which makes Frieren think that Heiter gave Fern awful teachings. Frieren returns to discussing Sein and says that whether or not they make Sein an ally, she still wants to support him on his journey to become an adventurer, as that is what Himmel would have done.
The harvest festival that takes place.
Frieren's party stays in the village over the next few days and tries to recruit Sein every day. Sein remarks that Frieren's eyes seem similar to his old friend's, which were filled with hopes and dreams, as she unrelentingly pushes him to go on an adventure with her party. He remembers a scene from the past where his childhood friend told him he will go explore the Northern Lands and that he will return for the next harvest festival in three years. He told Sein that he can decide then if he wanted to go on an adventure with him.
Frieren's Party searches for other ways to have Sein joining them.
After many failed attempts to recruit Sein, Frieren's party goes to the church and consults Sein's older brother about what Sein likes. He tells them about the priests fondness for alcohol, tobacco, and gambling. This prompts Fern to say that Heiter was a serious priest after all, but Frieren disagrees. Sein's brother says Sein is also interested in older women, which gives Frieren's party an idea. Sein later comes in and has a small conversation with the brother, and as he leaves the church, Stark goes after him. He talks to Sein outside and asks if he wants to travel with an older lady. Sein answers becoming an adventurer when he was a kid was just for that.
When Sein asks where the older lady is, Frieren reveals herself, saying that as an elf, she is a much older lady. However, Sein is distressed by the thought and states that Frieren could not be considered a lady. Frieren then tries to seduce him by blowing him a kiss, a seduction technique she learned from her master, but it has no effect on Sein, and he instead considers it childish. Fern and Stark, however, are embarrassed by Frieren's action, which makes Sein unimpressed. Frieren is disappointed by this outcome, as she recalls that she was able to make Himmel faint when she tried it on him, earning her a stinging remark by Eisen. The elf finds it strange that Sein is not affected, and Stark supposes that Sein is a still a priest despite how corrupt he is.
As a last-ditch effort, Frieren uses a seduction technique she learned from Flamme on Sein.
Sein tells Frieren that she should stop now, as he has no intention of becoming an adventurer. Frieren asks why he does not want to track down his best friend, and Sein addresses his brother, saying he would understand him. Sein tells her that his childhood friend said he would return in three years, but it has been ten years since, so he must already be dead. Frieren points out that Sein is giving up before he has even gone to pursue him and it has only been a mere ten years. She adds that if Sein does not go now, he would regret it in the future. As Sein asks why he should go now, Frieren restates that she is talking about the present. This statement seems to move Sein, but he still refuses, saying that the reason why he refuses to leave the village is the same as ten years ago: he cannot abandon his older brother.
Sein overhears the conversation between his brother and Heiter.
When his brother asks what he means, Sein shares that when he was younger, he overheard a conversation between his brother and Heiter when the bishop came to visit. Sein heard Heiter tell his elder brother that with his talent, he could serve as a priest at the Holy City, and Sein could come with him. However, Sein's elder brother declined and stated that he was content living in the village and that he cannot take Sein's hometown away from him, as the boy had already lost his parents at a very young age. Heiter accepted his decision and decided that since he came to the village anyways, he might as well tell Sein about some of his adventures.
Sein's brother slaps Sein.
In the present, Sein concludes that his older brother stayed behind in the village for his sake. Sein's brother, upon hearing this, becomes angry and slaps Sein. He tells him that they are not the same, as he has not once regretted the decision he made. He asks Sein how long he is planning to drown himself in regret, leaving Sein to mull over his words.
Later that day, while Frieren's party are at a river, Sein approaches them and reveals that he apologized to his older brother. He tells Frieren that it is the first time his brother has ever raised a hand on him, and it also was the first time he saw such an expression from him. Sein announces to Frieren that he has decided to become an adventurer to pursue his friend, as after all, it has only been a mere ten years since he left. Sein explains that he wants to make his childhood dream come true and states that he will travel with Frieren's party partway until he finds his old friend.
Frieren's party prepare to depart the village, now with Sein added as a party member, and they bid farewell to the villagers. Sein asks what the destination of their journey is, and Frieren replies Heaven. Sein says that anyone could go there by dying, but Fern retorts that she wonders if even Sein could go there as well. Sein is baffled about Fern's straightforwardness, and Stark consoles him.
Sein bids farewell to the people in his village.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Locations in Order of Appearance[]
- Alt Woods
- Royal Capital (flashback)
Episode Notes[]
The volume extra from Chapter 27 included in the episode.
- The anime shows how the venomous snake bit Stark, while in the manga, Stark is only shown with the snake hanging from his arm after it bites him. The manga also shows Frieren stepping on the snake before Fern tries to stop the bleeding.
- In the manga, when deciding if they can reach the next town, Frieren checks a map.
- A flashback of a younger Sein climbing to the top of the church's bell tower's top with his brother looking up is original to the anime. The flashback in the manga shows Sein walking with his brother instead.
- In the manga, the inn where Frieren's Party stays and the tavern seem to be two distinct places, while the anime appears to depict them to be within the same building.
- The anime includes an additional scene based on a volume extra from Chapter 27 in the manga: After Frieren and Fern find Stark and Sein after the two men lose their belongings, Fern puts her coat around Stark to keep him warm.
- The anime shows Fern getting Stark and Sein's belongings back for free from the village chief, while in the manga, Fern purchases the items back from a merchant for cheap due to a sale during the harvest festival.
- In the anime, as Sein says he will join Frieren's party, Stark catches a fish. This does not correspond to a panel in the manga, but the scene appears to be similarly depicted on the cover of Chapter 28.
References[]
- ↑ Crunchyroll: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Episode 13.
[]
| Anime Navigation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | ||
| Episodes | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 | |
| Blu-ray&DVD | Volume 1 • Volume 2 • Volume 3 • Volume 4 • Volume 5 • Volume 6 • Volume 7 | |
| Music | The Brave • Sunny • Anytime Anywhere • bliss • Original Soundtrack | |
| Spin-offs | Mini Anime | |