Like a Fairy Tale ｢おとぎ
Synopsis[]
After reflecting on the transient nature of the past as it exists in people's collective memories, Frieren unexpectedly runs into a sworn enemy.[1]
Plot[]
The Hero Party is depicted walking, having obtained a grimoire purportedly authored by the Great Mage Flamme as a reward for their monster-slaying endeavors. Frieren notes that Flamme-attributed books are usually forgeries, though she remarks that this one is the best imitation she has come across. Himmel fails to grasp the grimoire's value, while Heiter suggests that exposure to constant imitations might lead one to doubt the existence of the real thing. Eisen adds that Flamme, humanity's magic founder, is akin to a fairy tale, prompting Frieren to reflect on time's passage and her being the only one to remember Flamme's face.
Fern and Stark pamper Frieren for waking up early.
In the present, Frieren wakes up early, much to Fern's surprise. Fern insists on praising Frieren for waking up early, leading Fern and Stark to indulge her with food and a massage, much to Frieren's delight.
Twenty-eight years after Hero Himmel's passing, Frieren, Fern, and Stark assist a merchant in clearing a landslide on the Eng Road in the Northern Lands. The merchant expresses gratitude, while Stark questions the necessity of their labor, suggesting they could fly the merchant's cart to the other side. Frieren insists on clearing the blockage for the benefit of future travelers, at least according to Fern, and chides Stark for his perceived selfishness. Stark retorts, refusing to accept criticism from her.
The trio clears the Eng Road from a landslide.
During a break, Stark asks about the cause of landslides in the area. The merchant attributes them to frequent skirmishes against demons in the Northern Lands, likely contributing to such natural disasters, including the current landslide. As Stark begins working, Fern politely requests his assistance on her side of the landslide. Stark hesitates, suggesting Fern drop the honorifics since they are similar in age. However, he is surprised when Fern complies but begins to speak rudely. Stark sulks, expressing his desire for a friendlier interaction and admitting his sensitivity. Fern remarks on Stark's bothersome nature before reverting to polite address, and the trio resumes their work.
After completing their work, the trio is invited to be escorted by the merchant to the nearby town. The merchant expresses surprise at encountering an elf for the first time despite his old age. Frieren acknowledges the rarity of elves, revealing her limited encounters with her own kind. She explains that despite elves' longevity, their lack of romantic and reproductive instincts contributes to their gradual extinction. As she reflects on her last encounter with an elf four centuries ago, Frieren realizes that elves may be closer to extinction than she previously thought.
The merchant describes the Liberation Festival.
As they reach the town, Fern observes a long line of wagons. The merchant explains that the town is celebrating its annual Liberation Festival, commemorating Himmel and the Hero Party's victory against |demons in the area. He describes how the statues of the Hero Party will be adorned, and the entire town will celebrate grandly. Frieren comments on humans' inclination to create festivals for various occasions. The merchant reminds her that over 80 years have passed since the demons were defeated, yet everyone still remembers the Hero Party on this day.
In a flashback, Himmel examines a bronze statue of himself, expressing satisfaction with its quality. Eisen and Heiter remark on the efficient production process. Frieren comments on Himmel's penchant for commissioning statues, prompting him to explain his desire for their memory to endure beyond their lifetimes. He jests about his own handsomeness, but before Frieren leaves, Himmel reveals the true purpose of the statues: to ensure they are remembered as more than just fairy tales.
Frieren's party attends at the Liberation Festival.
Back in the present, the trio observe the statues of the Hero Party during the festival at night. The merchant notes Frieren's resemblance to her statue. Frieren questions the festival's longevity, wondering if it will endure for a century or a millennium. The merchant says it will continue for as long as the town stands but is unsure about a millennium.
The following morning, the trio departs from the town. Stark asks about their destination, and Frieren cryptically replies, "Heaven," to which Stark responds that it sounds fun.
Lügner, Linie and Draht are accompanied by Graf Granat into town as Frieren senses the presence of demons.
Later, Frieren, Fern and Stark are in Graf Granat's Domain in the Northern Lands. As the party walks through the town, Fern looks around and notes that there are many guards in town, remarking that something must have happened. Suddenly, Frieren takes a pause before dropping her suitcase and summoning her staff to attack. Concerned, Fern tries to intervene, reminding her that they are in town. However, Frieren, sensing the presence of demons, prepares to attack as three demons emerge alongside Graf Granat.
Frieren glares at Lügner.
One of the demons notices Frieren's hostile intent just as she is restrained by a guard. The demons approach Frieren and one asks the Graf if he had put her up to such an act. Addressing the demon as Lügner, Granat asserts that he is not foolish enough to attack peace envoys in the middle of the town despite his hatred for demons. He suggests that the incident could have been a misunderstanding by unaware adventurers. Kneeling before Frieren, Lügner acknowledges the bloodlust in her eyes, likening her attitude to that towards wild beasts rather than people. Frieren responds, asserting her belief that demons are nothing more than untamed creatures mimicking human speech, incapable of true communication. The Graf orders the guards to throw Frieren into the dungeon beneath the mansion for her actions, and they comply, carrying Frieren away.
Frieren educates Fern and Stark about the true nature of demons.
In the dungeon, Fern and Stark engage in conversation with a sentinel before proceeding to visit Frieren in her cell. Stark informs Frieren that she has been sentenced to reflect on her actions for a period of two to three years, a punishment Frieren anticipated to be more severe. Frieren then requests grimoires from them, prompting Fern to express discontent at Frieren's apparent willingness to pass the time.
When Frieren asks about the presence of the peace envoys, Fern attributes it to Aura the Guillotine, whom Frieren identifies as one of the Seven Sages of Destruction serving under the Demon King that went into hiding following conflicts with the Hero Party and the depletion of her forces. Fern elaborates that Aura regained her forces 28 years ago, and her prolonged conflict with the town ultimately led to exhaustion, prompting the dispatch of peace envoys. Frieren criticizes the decision to permit the demons into town, firmly convinced that any attempt at dialogue with them is futile. Stark challenges her viewpoint, advocating for communication by highlighting the demons' capacity for speech. Frieren asserts the inherent incapacity of demons for meaningful resolution made it pointless, leading her to ask why he thinks the man-eating demons share a language with humans in the first place.
Himmel hesitates to kill the young demon after she cries out for her mother.
Frieren thinks back to a memory where an injured, childlike demon was surrounded by the Hero Party and vengeful villagers who called for the demon's death. Himmel hesitated at the sight of the demon's appearance, prompting one villager to lament that the demon had consumed her daughter. Despite his initial resolve, Himmel wavered when the demon cried out for its mother. Frieren, sensing the hesitation, moved to deliver the fatal blow, only to be halted by the village chief. The chief advocated for the demon's redemption, arguing that without such opportunities, they would be no different from the demons themselves. Despite objections from the villagers, the chief offered the demon a chance to work on his farm. Frieren cautioned Himmel that he may regret this, but Himmel, citing their shared ability to communicate, dismissed her concerns.
The demon girl reveals her true nature.
Time passed as the demon was given the opportunity to integrate into the community. However, one fateful night, the demon stood before the mortally wounded village chief and his burning home, holding the chief's daughter. When questioned by Himmel about the chief's death, the demon pointed to the villagers' hostility and expressed a desire for peace. To this end, the demon offered the chief's daughter to the bereaved couple whose daughter had been eaten, horrifying the villagers. Recognizing that she may have made a mistake, the demon moved to hold the chief's daughter as a hostage, only to have her hands swiftly severed by Himmel. Conceding to Frieren's earlier warning, Himmel permitted her to end the demon's life. As the demon faded away, Frieren questioned why it had called out to a mother if demons were solitary creatures with no concept of family. The demon offered a simple explanation: invoking such words often spared them from death.
Back in the present, Frieren explains that words are simply a means of deception for demons, citing Great Mage Flamme's definition of demons as monsters capable of speech descended from monsters that would lure humans by crying for help. As Fern and Stark take their leave, Frieren reminds them to bring her grimoires.
In Graf Granat's mansion, Draht notes the Graf's tardiness, which Lügner attributes to a diplomatic strategy. Lügner redirects the conversation to Frieren, recognizing her appearance and acknowledging her insight into the true nature of demons. Meanwhile, Frieren surmises that the town's fate looks bleak and plots her escape amidst the confusion.
Graf Granat prepares to confront Lügner as revenge for his dead son.
Later, the three demon envoys are ushered into Graf Granat's son's room. The Graf fondly reminisces about his son as he handles his sword, prompting Lügner to inquire about the son's whereabouts. Granat reveals his son's demise a decade prior in battle against Aura's forces, then brandishes the sword against Lügner as guards converge on the demons. The Graf confesses that he only brought the demons to town as envoys to execute them, doubting the sincerity of demon peace. Lügner notices the well-preserved state of Granat's deceased son's room and shares that he does the same for his late father's room, lost to human violence. Seeing Granat's distress, Lügner advises him to refrain from further bloodshed and grief. Granat relents and orders the demons to be taken to the guest room.
As the three demons walk away, Linie asks Lügner what a father is, to which Lügner smiles as he himself is unsure. Lügner notes that the Graf is an empathetic man that they may be able to win over and convince to lower the town's defensive barrier, paving way for Aura's forces to raze the town. Lügner asks Linie where Draht is, and she explains that Draht mentioned he was off to eliminate an obstacle.
In the dungeon, a jail cell guard tells Draht that he is not supposed to be there and requests he go back to the guest room. However, Draht immediately decapitates the guard with a thin wire emerging from his finger. As he approaches Frieren's cell, Draht identifies himself as one of Aura the Guillotine's executioners, and he discloses his intent to eliminate Frieren. Internally, Draht calculates that by eliminating Frieren and winning over Graf Granat, the town will succumb effortlessly. Frieren stares at Draht and issues a stern warning of her strength.
Draht confronts Frieren in her cell.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Locations in Order of Appearance[]
Episode Notes[]
The banner in the room of Graf Granat's son.
- While Frieren's Party is clearing the blockage on the Eng Road, Stark talks with the merchant, and the merchant suggests that the landslide was caused by a skirmish with demons, which is not mentioned in the manga.
- When Frieren talks about how long ago she last had interactions with other elves, the short flashback of Frieren's village is not depicted in the manga.
- The anime includes a banner with a crest in Graf Granat's son's room, and this crest is also seen flown on a flag in Waal in Episode 6. This crest may be the Granat family crest.
- In the anime, the flashback with the young demon girl has the village chief reaching out with a hand towards the demon. In the manga, the daughter of the mayor holds the demon's hand instead.
References[]
- ↑ Crunchyroll: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Episode 7.
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| 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 | |