It Didn't Have to Be Magic... ｢
Synopsis
Frieren instructs Fern in the use of magic while deciphering a grimoire for Heiter.[1]
Plot
Frieren begins to teach Fern the basics of long-range magic, emphasizing that Fern's mana output and strength will require years of training to master. However, her control over mana, an aspect many mages struggle with, is very high. Over the next four years, Frieren continues to decipher the grimoire while Fern diligently trains under the elf's tutelage and alone in the woods.
When asked about the child's progress by Heiter, Frieren explains that she has learned more than most people would in a decade and that she is studying a little too hard. Suddenly, Heiter collapses, and he later becomes bedridden. Heiter remarks that it is miracle that he had been mobile for so long and Frieren ensures him that she will decipher the grimoire quickly. The elf then tells Fern to pause her training on the cliff to stay by Heiter's side, but Fern rejects this notion, saying that she has to be able to hit the rock with her magic before the priest's death.
A backstory shows that a younger Fern, who had lost her parents and home, was about to jump off a cliff in the aftermath of a war before being stopped by an aged Heiter, who says that it would be a waste for her to die. He explains that he once lost an old friend of his who never abandoned anyone who was in need, supposing that if he were to stay alive, more people would've been saved by his hands compared to the priest's. Heiter had planned to lived his life quietly, but came to the realization that everything that he learned, including precious memories, from his friend would go to waste that way. Likewise for Fern, he believes that the child holds precious memories that should not go wasted.
Having been saved by Heiter, Fern believes that the best way to repay him is to learn any skill that would help her survive so that he could remain glad that she was saved and will manage to be safe on her own. Convinced by the child's convictions, Frieren allows her to continue training as she continues to decipher the grimoire that could possibly save Heiter.
Eventually, Fern is finally able to achieve her goal of hitting the rock with her offensive magic spell while Frieren finishes deciphering the grimoire, which she concludes does not contain any spells related to revival or immortality. This revelation, however, does not surprise Heiter, who supposes that Ewig the Sage would have used the spell himself if it was true. With Frieren's approval of Fern being a proper mage, Heiter reveals that his main objective all along was to have Fern learn enough that she would not be a hindrance to Frieren as the elf's traveling apprentice.
Heiter requests that the two leave the same night before his death so that Fern does not lose anyone anymore, but an emotional Frieren rejects this and tells Heiter to give the child a proper farewell and to make as many memories as possible. When asked why he saved Fern, Heiter gives the reasoning that Himmel the Hero would have done the same thing. Later, Frieren climbs the same cliff where she met Fern to witness the fruits of the child's training.
Heiter's death eventually arrives as Fern expresses gratitude to Frieren for allowing her to repay the priest as the elf pours two full bottles of alcohol over his tombstone. The two depart from Strahl and finally set off on their journey.
Over the next few years, Frieren and Fern perform odd and simple jobs in exchange for magic spells. They eventually arrive at the Turk Region. The duo use their magic to harvest pumpkins. The payment for helping to harvest was given by the pumpkin farmer in the form of a spell that makes hot tea. Fern does not see the appeal in collecting spells for removing rust of bronze statue or a spell turning sweet grapes sour. Fern believes that the two share slightly different views on magic, but Frieren insists that they are both the same in loving magic. Later on, they come upon a herbalist who requests the two for help in cleaning the statue of Himmel, who had saved her life in the past, in exchange for information about the local flora. The statue is then cleaned by them, however, not before Frieren reminisces about how long it took for the hero to settle on a pose for the statue.
The herbalist plans to add some flowers to give the statue more color, but before Frieren casts a flower bed-making spell, she remembers that Himmel used to love blue-moon weed flowers, though she has never seen them herself. The herbalist claims that it has been decades since the flowers have been spotted, but this does not stop Frieren from searching for them. Before leaving, Frieren spots Fern hiding seed rats in her robe as the latter claims that she will release them in the forest.
Six months pass into Frieren's search for the flowers, and Fern is discouraged to learn that the elf does not plan on stopping anytime soon. An impatient Fern vents to the herbalist about how Frieren should not be spending her time searching for something that doesn't exist. In response to this, the herbalist hands Fern a bag of seeds of a related species and tells Fern to convey her feelings to the elf as she must see things very differently to humans.
As Fern expresses her feelings to Frieren, the latter understands that she is no longer on her own time and claims that the search will end soon. Fern is displeased to hear "soon", but before she can continue the conversation, the two spot a seed rat that takes the bag of seeds and they proceed to follow it. Fern asks Frieren why she collects spells, and although it may seem more than that, Frieren insists that it was just a hobby that an idiot complimented. Frieren has a flashback to said idiot where she used the spell to produce a field of flowers. All members of the Hero Party enjoyed the moment.
The two eventually spot a tower the seed rat wandered to. Frieren lectures her apprentice that seed rats would bury and often forget about things they collect. Frieren flies towards the top of the tower as a flashback occurs in which the previous is continued and Himmel is seen wishing to view the blue-moon weed flowers with Frieren. The top of the tower is revealed to be full of said flowers as Fern soon follows Frieren from behind. Fern continues to not understand why Frieren loves magic, but the latter insists that she does understand as she chose to learn magic above all else.
Himmel's statue is finally decorated with a bed of blue-moon weed flowers to the satisfaction of the herbalist. Before Frieren and Fern leave, Frieren place a wreath of flowers on top of Himmel's head as she remembers the wreaths on her comrade's heads.
Characters in Order of Appearance
Locations in Order of Appearance
- Strahl
- Fern's hometown in the Southern Lands (in flashback)
- Turk Region
Episode Notes
- In the manga, the three essential elements of long-range magic were not specified. The scene where Frieren explains these elements is anime original.
- The anime makes it appear that Fern is in the kitchen preparing food as she listens to the conversation between Heiter and Frieren. In the manga, the conversation is in Heiter's room, but Fern is not shown to explicitly overhear it.
- Frieren's search for a spell that produces hot tea is alleged to have come about when Himmel questioned her, if it exists, which is mentioned in the non-canonical anthology: Frieren Makes a Detour.
- Himmel looking at the young girl herbalist and putting his sword in the scabbard is anime original.
- The home of the herbalist woman is in the middle of the village in the manga and not alone in the woods.
- Frieren doesn't hold and turn a maple-like leaf in the manga, but an imagination of the blue-moon weed flowers is shown instead during the talk between Frieren and Fern.
- The scene in the time montage with Frieren and Fern sunbathing on a meadow is not depicted as such in the manga.
- Frieren uses her spell to make a field of flowers for the Hero Party in the flashback, but it was in an open space and not in and outside of a church in ruin with the statue of the Goddess of Creation.
References
- ↑ Crunchyroll: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Episode 2.
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| 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 | |