Chapter Summaries

Galan ran into Frieren at a market stall and tried to stop her from buying a fake pottery jug. Frieren bought it anyway, leaving Galan to recognize her as the kind of gullible shopper Rock used to mock him for being.

• Galan made his way through Rogley Market Street, thinking anxiously about whether someone would like his gift.
• Galan recognized Frieren as she considered a pottery jug at a peddler's stall.
• Galan warned Frieren that the jug was a fake, but Frieren dismissed his appraisal and insisted it was an antique from the early days of the Unified Empire.
• The peddler lowered the price to one Lacir Gold Coin, and Frieren bought the jug.
• Galan watched the peddler pocket the coin and sympathized with Rock's past mockery of his own bad purchases.

Galan asked Frieren to travel with him and teach magic to his friend Lia, and Frieren agreed. They planned to leave in three days for the Royal Capital, where Galan hoped to see the Half-Century Meteor Shower in five years.

• Galan asked Frieren how she had appeared at Windmill Village, and she explained that she had gotten lost after a Mimic encounter blew away her maps.
• Galan showed Frieren the ebony Staff he had acquired for someone else, and she praised its craftsmanship, unicorn-horn core, and affinity for wind mana.
• Frieren assessed the Staff as suitable for both beginner and experienced mages, then returned it to Galan.
• Galan thanked Frieren for saving them and asked her to guide Lia in magic while they traveled together.
• Frieren agreed to teach Lia, and Galan said they would leave in three days after he stocked up on supplies.

Duncan finished a heavily annotated History of Magic for Lia and announced her final assessment would be the next day, while reflecting on his unresolved goal of restoring Weise. When Galan returned, Lia served him dinner, and he gave her a new Ebony Staff, which moved her to embrace him; the staff began to glow with a strange silvery-white light.

• Duncan gave Lia his annotated History of Magic and urged her to study it while forming her own understanding.
• Duncan told Lia that her final assessment would take place the next day, then reflected on his goal of restoring Weise.
• Galan returned to the cottage, where Lia served him cold hamburger patties and Mekur Pudding she had learned to make from Duncan.
• Galan presented Lia with a new Ebony Staff, and she hugged him tightly and thanked him.
• The Ebony Staff began flashing with a strange silvery-white light while Duncan watched.

Lia passed Duncan’s mana-concealment and precision-magic tests, impressing Galan with how much she had improved. Duncan then revealed that she still had to face one final test: a mage’s duel against him.

• Duncan demonstrated that a Meteorite Bird could sense leaking mana, then Lia sat by the pool to practice concealing hers.
• A fledgling Meteorite Bird landed on Lia’s hair without detecting her mana, and Duncan said she had passed the concealment test.
• Lia pierced a distant rock with compressed offensive magic, surprising Galan with her progress.
• Lia asked if she had passed the exam, but Duncan announced that her final test would be a duel against him.

Duncan began a serious mage duel with Lia to give her real combat experience and teach her to act decisively. Lia showed impressive speed and tactical skill, but Duncan used stone barriers to force a positional battle, and the duel remained unresolved.

• Duncan insisted that Lia needed combat experience and began the duel while Galan watched.
• Duncan fired a spell that cut a strand of Lia’s hair, jolting her out of her hesitation.
• Lia unleashed Flawless Wind, and Duncan blocked it with Earth-Controlling Magic he had learned from Reed.
• Lia’s rapid attacks wounded Duncan, prompting him to change tactics and hide behind stone pillars.
• Lia flew above the pillars and cast Tornado Magic to force Duncan out of cover.

Duncan tested Lia’s combat instincts by trapping her in a battle of feints and escalating attacks. Galan intervened just before Duncan’s final spell struck her, and Duncan declared that Lia had passed the test.

• Duncan sheltered inside a stone bunker while Lia bombarded it with magic, then secretly remained on the ground as he lifted the hollow fortress into the air.
• Duncan surprised Lia with a hidden attack from beneath the stone pillar, prompting her to spend mana on fully deployed Defensive Magic.
• Duncan regained the initiative with a fire dragon, but Lia countered it with Magic That Makes the Wind Dance.
• Duncan anticipated Lia’s dodge from his stone spikes and shattered her hurried defense with a focused beam of mana.
• Galan blocked Duncan’s attack with the Alchemy Longsword and shielded Lia, after which Duncan said she had passed the test.

Duncan prepared to leave the cabin after Lia had already learned of his departure, while Galan and Lia discussed their goals and parting. As Duncan and Galan said goodbye and revealed that Galan planned to travel to the Royal Capital with Lia and Frieren, Lia hurried out of the cabin to join them.

• Lia revealed that Duncan had told her the previous night that he was leaving, and Duncan praised her for being perceptive.
• Lia said she had already completed her assessment and quietly declared that her goal had come true, leaving Galan confused.
• A hidden watcher observed the trio leave and recognized Duncan's long blade and the group he belonged to.
• Duncan stood outside the cabin with his suitcase and said goodbye to Galan, who admitted he planned to travel to the Royal Capital with Lia and Frieren.
• Duncan realized Galan had persuaded Frieren to teach Lia, and the two shared memories of Lia and Reed.
• Lia hurried out of the cabin with her scarf fluttering as Duncan and Galan watched.

Lia gave Duncan a box of caramel cookies, recalling the winter afternoon when Lecktire taught him to make them. Theresia collected her repaired Staff from Oris, who then took out a longsword and left his shop for an unknown destination.

• Lia stumbled as she left the cabin, and Galan steadied her while she offered Duncan a box of caramel cookies she had made ahead of time.
• Duncan recognized the cookies as Weise's specialty, and the sight brought back memories of Lecktire patiently teaching him the recipe on a snowy afternoon.
• Duncan thanked Lia and gently stroked her head as she said she had made extra cookies so he could take some on the road.
• Oris gave Theresia her repaired Staff and said he had hurried to finish it because he might soon leave on a long trip.
• After Theresia departed, Oris retrieved a well-maintained longsword that resembled Galan's saber, closed his shop, and disappeared into the darkness.

Galan and Lia saw Duncan off, then discussed their own planned journey south with Frieren, who would teach Lia magic. Near home, Oris confronted Galan with a black sword and revealed he had been ordered to watch for Frieren, leaving Galan uncertain about the Empire’s motives.

• Galan and Lia watched Duncan depart with a merchant caravan bound for Eisberg, then headed home.
• Galan told Lia they would travel south with Frieren, and Lia said she would do her best as Frieren’s student.
• Near the cottage, Oris appeared, and Galan moved Lia behind him and reached for his Alchemy Longsword.
• Oris drew a black longsword, and Galan suspected his hidden identity had been exposed.
• Oris said he had come to watch for Frieren, while Galan questioned why the Empire had put her on its list of targets.

Galan and Lia fought Oris after he confronted them alone, but Oris’s skill and strength put Galan in grave danger. Galan awakened sharper battle senses and pressed Oris with the Sanzu River Style, while Lia wounded him; Oris then surged forward and tried to seize Galan’s blade.

• Oris drew his longsword and told Galan he had not yet reported him to the organization.
• Oris attacked Galan, and Lia took to the air and cast spells while Galan fought back with his Alchemy Longsword.
• Oris revealed he had fought with his eyes closed and struck Galan in the chest with a powerful left-handed punch.
• Galan recovered, sensed the movement around him more clearly, and attacked Oris with the Sanzu River Style.
• Lia struck Oris in the back with attack magic, but Oris knocked Galan away and grabbed his wrist as he tried to take the long blade.