Emotional Support ｢
Summary
Twenty-nine years after Himmel the Hero's passing, Frieren's Party arrive in the Offen Mountain Range. Stark walks back to their camp, where Frieren is asleep, and he is surprised to see that Fern is also still sleeping. He prepares their food, and when he tries to wake Fern up, he notices she seems unwell. He wakes up Frieren so she can check on Fern, and Frieren deduces that Fern has a fever. Frieren uses notes left by Sein for treating illnesses and diagnoses Fern using magic, concluding that she has a cold, and she and Stark move Fern to a nearby cabin. Frieren comforts Fern by holding her hand like she did when she was ill as a child, much to Fern's embarrassment, and Frieren and Stark subsequently depart to search for herbs. On their way, Frieren comments that Fern will be an adult soon, and she still views Fern as a child in her heart. They arrive at an Icicle Cherry Blossom tree, and Stark asks Frieren why she held Fern's hand, as she never treated Fern like a child to that extent before. Frieren asks Stark what she should have done, and he tells her that she should just do what her heart tells her to, as some individuals need emotional support. His words remind Frieren of Himmel holding her hand when she was sick, just like she did with Fern. Frieren extracts the mushroom growing at the base of the tree and prepares the medicine, which she gives to Fern, eventually leading to her recovery. With Fern's improved condition, Frieren and her party depart to continue on their journey.
Plot Details
Twenty-nine years after Himmel the Hero's passing, Frieren's Party are in the Northern Lands, specifically the Offen Mountain Range. Stark heads back to their camp after a walk, where he sees that both Frieren and Fern are still asleep, which is unusual. He comments that they have been walking non-stop, so they must be tired. He then prepares their breakfast. When he attempts to wake up Fern, he notices that she is unwell, so he lets her sleep. He wakes up Frieren so she can check on Fern. After begrudgingly waking up, Frieren checks Fern and deduces that she has a fever. Frieren takes out a book from Sein about herbs from her briefcase. She tells Stark that if she diagnoses Fern with magic, she can use these notes to figure out what herbs can counteract the illness. Stark voices his uncertainty, as that kind of magic is done with the Goddess' Magic, which requires a Holy Scripture that they don't have. Frieren tells Stark that she has something similar to scriptures, and she points to a book she was using as a pot stand. Frieren successfully performs the magic, noting that even she can do basic things like this without possessing a priest's talent. She figures out that Fern's ailment is just a cold. Frieren checks the herbs they need and recalls a place in the Offen Mountain Range where she and the Hero Party once collected herbs.
After this, Stark recommends they find shelter away from the cold. They discover a cabin in the mountains, where a man lives. Once inside the cabin, Stark thanks the man, while also noting that it was surprising to find someone living deep in the mountains. Frieren comments that the last time she came here, there was a village here. The man tells Frieren that it has been several decades since there was a village here. Frieren then asks if there was an icicle blossom tree in the area. The man tells her that there is one, although it is hard to get to. Frieren tells him that it is fine since she has been here before. Frieren tells Fern to wait a bit and that they will get the medicinal ingredients needed to cure her. Stark notices that Frieren has been constantly holding Fern's hand since they arrived. Frieren tells Stark that she does that because Fern looks like she is in pain, and holding her hand while she has a cold calms her down. Fern removes her hand from Frieren's and tells Frieren that it is embarrassing. Frieren asks why, and Fern tells her to stop treating her like a child, and Frierene accepts.
While walking to the Icicle Cherry Blossom tree, Frieren comments that in just two years, Fern will become an adult. She says that it still feels like yesterday when Fern was just a small girl, and that she was far taller than her. In her eyes, Fern is still a child to her, and this will likely be the case for a long while. On their way to the tree, Frieren and Stark collect some of the ingredients needed for the medicine. Frieren tells Stark that they will soon reach the tree, and Stark assumes that the Icicle Cherry Blossom is the final ingredient in the medicine, but Frieren corrects him and says that it is the mushrooms that grow on the roots of the tree. Once they arrive, Frieren comments on how majestic it is, and she wishes to show the tree to Fern as well. She adds that the Icicle Cherry Blossom tree is her favorite flowering tree that blooms in the winter. While they are looking at the tree, Stark asks Frieren why she held Fern's hand in the cabin, adding that she has never treated her as a child to that extent before. Frieren tells Stark that she had no intention of treating Fern like a child, and she simply did it because she was in pain and it was the only way she knew to ease it. She asks Stark what she should have done. Stark thinks about it, and he answers that he believes they should follow what the heart says to do, or at least that is what his master always told him. He then says that people require emotional support, and there isn't anyone who would feel bad about receiving it.
Frieren thinks back to a time when she was sick and had a nightmare, and she woke up to Himmel holding her hand. When she asked him why, Himmel told her it was because she was having a nightmare, and when he was little, his mother would often hold his hand to calm him down. Frieren objected, as that was when he was a child. Himmel responded by saying that children are not the only ones that require emotional support, and Frieren agreed that the comfort didn't feel bad. Himmel joked around and told her that he was handsome when he worried about others, which prompted Frieren to tell him to be quiet. Afterward, Heiter and Eisen returned with medicine for her.
Back to the present, Stark adds that Fern was probably embarrassed because he was around, saying that she wouldn't want anyone to see her being spoiled. Frieren thanks Stark for what he said, and she tells him that she will do as her heart says. As a token of her gratitude, she also tells him that she will hold his hand when he is sick. Stark refuses the offer, saying that it would be embarrassing. They go ahead to pick the mushrooms, which are much more massive than Stark imagined. Afterwards, Frieren mixes the ingredients in a cauldron, which, according to Stark, makes her look like a witch. Frieren gives Fern the medicine while holding her hand, and Fern tells her that she is no longer a child. Frieren says she knows this and continues to hold her hand. After Fern's condition improves, they depart for their journey, with their next stop being Äußerst.
Characters in Order of Appearance
Locations
- Offen Mountain Range
- Äußerst (mentioned)
Battles and Events
Events
- Fern comes down with a cold, leading Frieren and Stark to search for medicine
- Frieren and Stark finds the Icicle Cherry Blossom tree
- Frieren makes medicine for Fern, which leads to her recovery
- Frieren's party departs for Äußerst
Objects of Interest
Spells
- Unnamed spell used to identify sickness