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With a Little Help ｢
Summary
After the conclusion of the First-Class Mage Exam, many examinees remain in Äußerst to prepare for their next plans. Denken treats Laufen, Fern, and Stark to sweets, as his wife passed away when he was young and he has no one to spend his money on. He tells Fern to thank Frieren for reminding him of the joy of magic, because she was the one that inspired him to be a mage. Meanwhile, Wirbel encounters Frieren, and they discuss Wirbel's motivations. He tells Frieren that silly adventure stories about the Hero Himmel are what brought him this far, and Frieren recalls Himmel saying that he wouldn't turn his back on people who need a little help even if it doesn't change the world. She thinks that the world is changing after all. Fern then asks Stark and Frieren to attend the ceremony for the special privilege for the new first-class mages, but Frieren doesn't want to.
Plot Details
After the events of the previous chapter, Fern and Stark are in a pastry shop. Stark asks whether Fern is still deciding on which pastry to choose. When Fern eventually selects a basket of pastries, she looks up to see Laufen pointing at the same basket, with Denken standing behind her. This prompts Denken to treat the other three to the pastries together.
Denken encourages the others to enjoy the pastries and not worry about him, mentioning that he rarely had the chance to savor sweet treats when he was young. He hands a puzzled Stark a plate of the pastries, and Stark casually thanks him before turning to Fern and inquiring about the identity of the older gentleman. Fern introduces Denken as an Imperial Mage, causing Stark to startle and realize that Denken is of noble status. He promptly apologizes for his informal language. However, Denken dismisses the apology and explains that he arrived in the town as a mage, not as a noble.
Stark mentions that he is an unrelated party for Denken to treat, and Denken responds by saying that he has no other use for his money. Fern and Stark express doubt that there's nothing else, citing grandchildren as an example. Denken explains that he has no offspring, as his wife passed away when he was only in his mid-twenties, mentioning that she had always been in poor health. He goes on to reveal that she was a noble's daughter from a remote region in the Northern Plateau, which was in the midst of political strife, and that he was desperate for wealth and influence to save his wife. Denken further adds that he had never felt so helpless as when Serie established the Continental Magic Association and advertised its special privilege shortly after his wife's death. Recalling himself standing beside The Emperor, he reflects on the irony of the situation, considering that he was now influential enough to command a country.
Denken tells Fern that for the longest time, magic had been a tool of conflict for him. He asks Fern to convey to Frieren that, for once in a long time, he was reminded of how enjoyable magic can be. With a smile, Fern encourages Denken to tell Frieren herself and assures him that she would be pleased to hear it. Denken agrees and plans to do just that.
Meanwhile, Frieren sits by herself, content with her purchase of a stack of grimoires, remarking that she expects nothing less from the Magical Town of Äußerst. An elderly woman accidentally drops a basket of fruits right in front of Frieren, who watches on. Wirbel approaches the woman and uses magic to help gather the scattered fruits back into the basket. Afterward, he walks up to Frieren, who has resumed reading her grimoire. Wirbel tells Frieren that he would not ignore a situation like that, and Frieren admits that she was briefly concerned. Wirbel expresses mild surprise, mentioning that she was a comrade of Himmel the Hero. Frieren bluntly asks Wirbel to clarify what he means and adds that she should be the one surprised. She tells Wirbel that she's heard Fern's complaints about how he attempted to kill Fern and her team during the first stage of the exam, and that Fern described him as someone who would kick the hell out of a dog. Wirbel smiles, seemingly unfazed by the description, and explains that he was simply making threats. However, he implies that there's one person, while recalling Übel, in the world whose death would be beneficial.
He reveals that the special privilege of being granted any magic he desires was his primary motivation for becoming a first-class mage, believing that the more powerful his magic, the more demons he can defeat. Wirbel emphasizes that he'll always lend a hand when possible, even if it doesn't directly relate to his goal. Frieren questions why, and Wirbel is slightly taken aback but continues to speak.
Wirbel explains that his hometown is at the Northern Frontier, and he has heard many stories about Himmel there, including his conquest of the Thousand Mirror Tower, battles with Böse the Immortal, one of the Seven Sages of Destruction and encounters with the Hell Emperor Dragon. Wirbel explains that when he was a kid, he enjoyed reading stories of said exploits, but was never told about similar feats by the elderly in the village. Instead, the elderly would tell the young Wirbel about seemingly bland actions such as eliminating small monsters, escorting merchants and transporting goods for the village. Despite this, a young Wirbel observed that the elderly would always talk of these accounts from the bottom of their heart. Wirbel adds that he finally understood, remembering demons that attacked his hometown and began attacking up after Himmel’s death that the epic tales of the Hero Party were irrelevant to his village as everyone had their hands full on protecting their daily life. Wirbel asserts his belief that if Himmel had not come to his village, it would not exist even if the world became peaceful.
Frieren continues to listen and asks Wirbel what he is trying to say. Wirbel declares that the silly adventure stories of Hero Himmel were what brought him this far before taking his leave, adding that he had taken too long with his stories as Ehre and Scharf are seen waiting. Before taking his leave, Wirbel urges Frieren to treasure the people that she meets as final farewells do not always happen because of death before surmising that Frieren is probably all too aware of the same.
A short flashback begins as the Hero Party is providing help to a man. Eisen asks Himmel the point of such trivial assistance when their main goal is defeating the Demon King as soon as possible. Himmel agrees that their help is truly trivial, but he has no intentions of forsaking anyone who requires his help. As the flashback ends, Frieren looks on at the three of Wirbel, Scharf, and Ehre before expressing pleasure for Himmel that the world is truly changing.
Later at the inn, Fern explains that the special privilege conferment will be occurring on the same night. She notes that since the mages may bring companions, Stark and Frieren should come along with her. Looking at Frieren, Fern continues to say to herself that Frieren is making an extremely reluctant face about the idea.
Characters in Order of Appearance
Locations
- Äußerst
- Weise Region (in flashback)
- Eiseberg (in flashback)
- Wirbel's hometown at the Northern Frontier (in flashback)
Battles and Events
Events
- The ceremony for the special privilege for new first-class mages commences
Objects of Interest
- Thousand Mirror Tower
- Hell Emperor Dragon
Chapter Notes
- Fern and Laufen were likely to pick the same sweets.
- Denken's wife is the first time depicted.
- Denken has such influence that it appears as if he could control an entire country.
- Other presumably mages are depicted surrounding Serie.
- Himmel conquered the Thousand Mirror Tower.
- Böse the Immortal, one of the Seven Sages of Destruction is the first time mentioned.