Like a fairy tale
It's a sign the story has reached its end
Like a single passage taken from
A journey that was too long
Of the evil that once cast a shadow
Across this land
And the memories of the short journey
With the hero who defeated it
The story ends
And the hero goes to sleep
Leaving this land with
Days of peace and quiet
The passage of time heartlessly
Makes people forget
Even the tracks left behind by his life
Begin to rust
Just the same
Your words and wishes and courage
Are still inside of me
And they live on
We chose the same path
That's all it was supposed to be
Why is it that at some point
I wanted to understand the reason for
The tears that fall down my cheeks
Even now
If I retrace the journey we walked together
Even though you're not there
I know I'll be able to find it
How long have you guys been traveling?
Well...
I've been traveling with Mistress Frieren for around four years.
Around one year for me.
I see.
You know, there's one thing missing from this party.
Care to guess?
We already have a vanguard,
and we have both mages and a priest.
A thief, perhaps?
Mistress Frieren keeps falling for mimic traps, after all.
Wooo!
Sheesh.
Treasure chests contain endless possibilities, you know?
That's not it.
We're lacking something much more important.
An older lady!
Doesn't every party have at least one?!
You know, a sexy, mature woman!
Really?
But we have Frieren.
No way, she's not a lady, I can't...
He's not taking this well.
My bad.
H-hey, I can see the next village...
This one's still breathing.
Yeah, same here.
What is going on? Everyone is asleep.
This smells like trouble. Let's move on to the next village.
Are you trying to make me angry, Mistress Frieren?
I'm just joking.
It's a curse.
I knew it, what a bother.
Hey, Frieren. What is a curse?
Among the spells that monsters and demons use,
there are those that can put people to sleep or petrify them.
The ones humanity doesn't yet understand to this day are called curses.
We don't know how they work or how to lift them using human magical techniques.
You mean, it's already too late for this village?
I'm only talking about human magic.
It's a different story for the magic of the Goddess that priests use.
Dealing with curses has always been the priest's job.
What do you think, Sein? Can you do something about it?
Give me a bit more time.
I'm determining the curse type and its source now.
What's the difference between the magic of the Goddess and other magics?
Their spells are recorded in holy scriptures,
and only their owners can use them.
Just like the magic of demons, we barely know how they work.
So I just don't find them all that interesting.
Besides, they're hard to handle unless you're born with a talent for them.
This natural talent also causes one to be more resistant to curses.
It's called "The Blessing of the Goddess," if I recall correctly.
That's why priests are generally strong against curses.
So even you would have a hard time defending against curses?
Mages can't sense them, after all.
We can somewhat feel that we're under attack right now,
so at least I can tell that this village is still affected by the curse.
I feel itchy.
We're in the process of getting cursed right now?! I'm scared!
I've determined that it's a rather unique curse.
Can't you lift it?
That would require a ritual and some equipment.
It'll be quicker to strike at the source of the curse.
The source is a monster. I've figured out its location.
Let's go.
I like how you get to the point.
Mistress Frieren.
Master Stark is...
He's asleep.
Can you wake him up, even if temporarily?
With the spell I can use right now,
I can only keep him awake for five seconds.
Might as well not, then.
In any case, we better hurry.
Fern isn't waking up. She said she's only taking a little break.
Even Fern fell asleep, huh?
This is starting to look bad.
I've raised a barrier. Let's keep them hidden here.
We're almost there. I sense it nearby.
Is that so?
Then, Sein. Wake me up when the monster appears.
Don't fight it alone.
I will defeat it no matter what.
Look, I said I can only keep you awake for five seconds...
Frieren?
What can you do in five seconds?
Oh well.
I have some offensive spells myself.
A subspecies of Chaos Flower.
So it's using the sleeping villagers as its fertilizer.
It kills them by slowly sucking away their mana.
By mating with native plants in the area, Chaos Flowers can create subspecies.
It's almost like a mirror.
But no matter how much the subspecies vary,
their core is always their weakness.
Three Spears of the Goddess!
What happened?
Did it just reflect my spell?
If I don't hit its core directly,
it will uses its mirror-like leaves to reflect my spells to who knows where.
At worst, it might hit Frieren.
Dammit, it's only going to get worse.
Should I just wake Frieren up?
But she's the mage from the hero party.
If that thing reflects her powerful spell,
it might destroy this forest, or even the village.
I don't have any time to explain in five seconds.
Besides,
Frieren and I haven't known each other long enough to communicate like that.
I don't even know what's going on in her mind to begin with.
That's right.
We cannot know what goes on in the minds of others.
I don't believe that we adventurers
need each other's trust in a relationship or good communication skills.
My friend, Frieren, was especially lacking in those.
So I decided to believe in her words.
And she said that she would defeat the Demon King no matter what.
And I believed her words.
Believing in words, huh?
Don't fight it alone.
I will defeat it no matter what.
Right, she has that slovenly look.
Oh well, here goes!
Awakening Spell!
Frieren, just the core--!
Yeah, I know.
What's going on?
Thank you so much.
We will never forget what you've done for us.
Nah, we didn't do anything special...
No.
It was the best way to wake up.
The moment I woke up, I immediately realized.
It's the type that reflects magic.
You really are an amazing mage.
But this time we made it through alive thanks to you.
So, thanks.
I'm proud of you.
The lady from that village was so beautiful...
He's still on about that...
So that's Vorig?
It's the midpoint before the city of magic, Äußerst.
We're finally halfway.
It's been such a long journey.
Anyway, replenish our supplies in there.
Um, Mistress Frieren.
I hate to say this, but our traveling expenses...
Hey, you there.
What's this?
That's a noble's carriage, right?
Huh?
Wait, what? What's going on?
A well-trained body. Appearance isn't bad either.
You, come to my estate.
What is going on?!
What is your name?
Stark...
Lord Orden, this kind of behavior troubles us.
You know who I am?
This is the estate of the Orden family,
one of the three knight houses of the Northern Lands, right?
Your grandfather was as pushy as you are.
What nonsense are you talking about?
In any case, I'm currently speaking with Stark.
He's our party's vanguard.
Stark, do I need your mummy's permission to talk to you?
Please don't fight...
I have a request. We will pay.
This is ridiculous. Let's go, Stark.
Mistress Frieren.
What's with those copper coins?
That's all the traveling expenses we have.
I suppose I could at least hear you out.
Frieren...
Stark, where are you from?
A warrior village in Klee Region in the Central Lands.
I see.
My ancestors we also originally from a clan from that village.
This is my oldest son, Wirt.
My heir and the hero of this city.
He looks just like Master Stark.
Like two peas in a pod.
With the right clothes and dressing,
only members of the family will be able to tell the difference.
And what does that have to do with your request?
We had a huge battle against the demons a month ago.
Wirt was killed in action.
He sacrificed his life to take down the enemy general.
The silver lining in that tragedy is that it was a massive melee.
The only ones who know of Wirt's death is this Gabel and some of my confidants.
And what are you planning to do with Stark?
The defense of this region pivots around the fortress city of Vorig.
Until we can rally our exhausted troops, we can't afford to diminish our morale.
So you intend to keep your son's death a secret until then?
In three month's time,
there will be a social gathering for the influential people of this region.
There we will show that Wirt is in good health.
And our reward?
Ten gold strahls.
That's three meals a day with snacks for a year.
Add a grimoire on top of that.
Take any one book you like from our library.
Hang on, I can't do this.
First of all, what about the scar on my forehead?
We already informed the masses that Wirt is currently under medical care.
That will work as a badge of honor.
Master Stark, it's for our traveling expenses.
Story of my life...
Gabel, drill some manners into Stark.
Master Stark, how is your etiquette training going?
It's hell...
What do you think?
- It doesn't suit you. - So mean...
I'll go get some fresh air...
Lord Orden.
How many times do I have to tell you to address me as Father?
You never know who's watching.
Don't you think you're being too cold?
It hasn't even been two months since your son died, right?
I'm merely acting according to my son's will.
We already had a body double for that.
He didn't bear as much resemblance as you, though.
But you're right, it's not that pleasant of a feeling.
Still, this is what my son wanted.
I'm counting on you.
You're too tactless, you know?
Mut, straighten your back more.
Yes, Father.
That's my youngest son, Mut.
He's my heir, but he doesn't improve much.
Compared to you, Stark is a failure.
Your skill in swordsmanship shows in your form.
I will teach you the sword technique of the Orden family.
What's wrong?
It's all right. Take a deep breath.
This is not your hometown.
What's your opinion on Mut, Lord Orden?
He's not as talented as his brother.
But he's a hard worker.
One's effort always pays off.
One day, he will become a stronger knight than me.
I see...
You should tell that to Mut.
I always do.
That's why he gets carried away and doesn't improve much.
Well, that is a big trouble.
I need to take etiquette training as well?
It's a social gathering.
Do you think it's acceptable for a man of his age to attend on his own?
Or will his mummy be his escort?
Good luck.
This last month has been hell...
It's for our traveling expenses, right?
I'm sorry.
Since we did all that practice, we might as well dance together.
It really doesn't suit you.
Shall we dance too?
I'm eating this cake.
Right...
If not for this wound,
I would have been the one on the front lines instead.
That way, Wirt might have survived.
Master...
It appears the ball has come to an end.
That is all for the request.
Gabel, go and give Frieren the reward.
Stark.
Your ability as a warrior has been nothing short of spectacular.
If you're willing...
I'm not a replacement for your son.
Yes, indeed...
I'm not a replacement for your father, either.
Still, you have nowhere to return to.
The demons wiped out your village. I know that.
The last time I saw my son, we had a fight.
It was a petty argument.
"I never want to see your face again."
That's what I told him.
I didn't mean those words.
So when I found you, I thought it was a miracle.
Then all the more reason for me not to stay.
I also said something I didn't mean.
I said it to my foster father.
That's why, I need to return to him and share stories of my adventure.
I see...
Which grimoire should I take?
Mistress Frieren, it's been half a day.
We're troubling Sir Gabel.
Hurry up...
See, he's completely lifeless.
They said it's going to take more time to rally their forces.
What's wrong?
Nothing.
At least, I don't think they have to worry about an heir anymore.
- Forgotten heroes, huh? - I don't know their names.
- They're forgotten heroes, after all. - He's decrepit.
Humans grow quickly.
He's my long-life pal.