Recaps

After a thief stole nearly two hundred gold coins from their camp, Dugu Qing, Frieren, Fern, and Stark continued north and arrived in Graf Granat's Domain. When Frieren prepared to attack a demon in the street, soldiers moved against her, and Dugu Qing fought them off as Frieren unleashed a Mana Bullet.

• While Dugu Qing, Frieren, Fern, and Stark went fishing, a thief ransacked Frieren's suitcase and stole their gold coins.
• Dugu Qing stayed calm about the loss, grilled the fish, and the group resumed traveling north, earning money and supplies along the way.
• Twenty-eight years after Himmel's death, the group arrived in Graf Granat's Domain and found the streets guarded by soldiers.
• Frieren spotted a demon in the street and raised her staff, prompting a soldier to try to seize her.
• Dugu Qing knocked the soldier unconscious and drove back the others, while Frieren fired a Mana Bullet at the demon.

Frieren and her companions left Granat Earl after a tense confrontation over the ambush and the proposed peace talks. At the inn, Frieren reassured Fern, while Lügner recognized Frieren and resolved to prove himself by defeating her.

• Dugu Qing demanded that Granat Earl apologize for his soldiers' attack on Frieren, but Granat Earl chose to let the group leave rather than risk a fight.
• Frieren stopped Dugu Qing from arguing further and led him away, leaving Fern confused and distressed as she followed.
• Lügner recognized Frieren as the demon-slaying mage who had defeated him before and decided he would show everyone that she was not extraordinary.
• At the Northern Inn, Dugu Qing asked Frieren why she had stopped him, and she said the group could deal with the demons once they exposed themselves.
• Fern asked Frieren whether she should have protected her, and Frieren reassured her that freezing during a sudden danger was normal.
• Dugu Qing teased Stark about people fleeing in fear, and Stark vowed to blast the next demon he encountered.

Lügner and his demons ambushed Earl Granat after he refused to lift the barrier, then sent Linne to watch Frieren and Dugu Qing. Linne became fascinated with Dugu Qing, but Frieren sensed her nearby and she escaped before being discovered.

• Lügner, Linne, and Draht went to the council hall, where Earl Granat revealed his ambush and Linne slaughtered the surrounding soldiers.
• Lügner threatened Earl Granat's family and demanded that he lift the barrier, but Earl Granat refused, so Lügner wounded him and had him imprisoned.
• Lügner sent Linne to watch Frieren and Dugu Qing near the Northern Inn in case they interfered.
• Linne saw Dugu Qing beneath the cherry tree and became infatuated, imagining capturing him and keeping him as her toy.
• Frieren sensed a powerful mana fluctuation and rushed outside, but Linne disguised herself as an ordinary person and escaped.
• Frieren found Dugu Qing instead and complained that he was not concealing his mana, but accepted his reasoning that the demons already knew they were there.

Linne disguised herself as an inn maid to approach Dugu Qing, while Lügner prepared to use Aura to force Granat Earl to remove the barrier. The next morning, Fern confronted Linne after discovering her leaving Dugu Qing’s room and knocking off the hat hiding her horns.

• Linne stole a hat to conceal her horns, disguised herself as a maid, and visited Dugu Qing, who mistook her for an inn employee and shut the door on her.
• Linne applied for an unpaid job as an inn maid so she could stay near Dugu Qing.
• Lügner took Granat Earl out of the city to give him to Aura, planning to use her Obedience Magic to remove the barrier.
• Linne brought Dugu Qing breakfast the next morning, and he let her into his room before accepting her cheerful explanation that the food was complimentary.
• Fern saw Linne leaving Dugu Qing’s room, rushed over, demanded to know who she was, and knocked the hat off her head.

Dugu Qing, Frieren, Fern, and Stark confronted Aura after she shattered Graf Granat City's barrier and marched on the city with an army of puppets. Frieren attacked Aura, while Linne reappeared to challenge Dugu Qing and Fern was blocked by Lügner.

• Linne fled after Dugu Qing spotted her demon horns, while a red shockwave from the north shattered the barrier over Graf Granat City.
• Fern woke Frieren, and Frieren decided they should head north to kill the demon leader and scatter the lesser demons.
• Aura revealed her plan to turn the city's people into puppets and build a human army, with Lügner, Draht, and the Granat Earl among her followers.
• Frieren flew out to face Aura, while Dugu Qing, Fern, and Stark followed; Dugu Qing returned to carry Stark from the wall.
• Frieren unleashed Destructive Lightning at Aura, who dodged and sent her puppets to surround Frieren.
• Lügner blocked Fern, and Linne descended before Dugu Qing, declaring that she would be his opponent.

Dugu Qing defeated Linne but spared her after she promised not to hurt humans, then joined Fern to defeat Lügner and killed Draht. Linne escaped, while all three of Aura's Executioners were wiped out.

• Dugu Qing attacked Linne, who imitated Himmel's swordsmanship but could not match the strength of his Overlord Divine Power.
• Dugu Qing stopped his sword just short of killing Linne, and she begged to become his maid before promising not to hurt humans again.
• Dugu Qing threw Linne away, and she escaped after memorizing his face and vowing to become stronger.
• Dugu Qing joined Fern against Lügner, and their Mana Bullets pierced his blood barriers and defeated him.
• Dugu Qing flew to Draht and severed his head, wiping out all three of Aura's Executioners.

Frieren defeated Aura by using her concealed mana to turn Aura’s Obedience Magic against her. Aura died by her own hand, leaving Frieren victorious over the demon and her army.

• Frieren used Purge Magic to free Aura’s undead Puppets one by one, frustrating Aura with how long the battle might take.
• Aura activated the Scales of Obedience, believing her mana would exceed Frieren’s and make Frieren her Puppet.
• The Scales tipped toward Frieren after her suppressed mana surged, revealing that Aura had misjudged her strength.
• Frieren ordered Aura to kill herself, and Aura’s own magic forced her to cut her throat with her sword.

After defeating Aura, Frieren chose to honor the fallen heroes, then took Dugu Qing’s advice to begin living more for herself. The group repaired Graf Granat’s Domain’s barrier and traveled north, where they found a cabin occupied by a male elf exercising.

• Frieren prayed over the fallen soldiers, but refused to take their equipment because Himmel would have done the same.
• Dugu Qing urged Frieren to make her own choices, and she resolved to seek new adventures and hobbies.
• Dugu Qing, Stark, and Fern sold equipment for more than fifty gold coins, and the group rested at an inn for several days.
• The new Earl commissioned Frieren to repair the barrier over Graf Granat’s Domain, and she completed the task in exchange for a Grimoire.
• The group traveled into the snowy Dake Region, where Fern carried Frieren through the blizzard despite Dugu Qing’s offer to help.
• The group entered a cabin and found a tall male elf exercising, but Fern pulled Frieren away from him.

Dugu Qing built a warm cellar for the group to live in during a months-long blizzard, while Kraft hoped he would pursue Fern and Frieren. After the snow stopped, Kraft confronted Dugu Qing about failing to notice Fern's affection.

• Fern and Dugu Qing refused to share Kraft's cramped cabin, but Kraft invited them inside when he learned they were elves.
• Dugu Qing dug a cellar with three rooms and built wooden doors and a hatch to shelter the group from the blizzard.
• Frieren and Fern furnished the cellar, while Stark and Kraft stayed in the cabin.
• The group lived through several months of snow by boiling snow for water and hunting for food.
• After the blizzard ended, Kraft told Dugu Qing he was dense for failing to notice Fern's care and concern.

Kraft gave Dugu Qing a one-use Grimoire that could send someone’s consciousness into the past, warning that he would eventually make a terrible mistake. After the snow melted, Frieren, Dugu Qing, Fern, and Stark resumed their journey and reached Sword Village, where the chief explained the legend of the Hero’s Sword.

• Kraft warned Dugu Qing that he would make a terrible mistake and handed him a Grimoire containing magic that could send a person’s consciousness into the past.
• Fern completed her months-long drawing project with Dugu Qing posing as a hero and Stark playing a defeated demon, while Fern privately resolved to leave Dugu Qing before he saw her grow old.
• Three days later, Kraft and Frieren’s group set out after the snow melted.
• Frieren arrived at Sword Village with Dugu Qing, Fern, and Stark, and Xuezhi, the forty-ninth village chief, welcomed them after waiting for Frieren’s return.
• Frieren told Stark that Himmel had never drawn the real Hero’s Sword, and Xuezhi recited the village legend that only a hero capable of averting a world-destroying calamity could draw it.

Dugu Qing accidentally drew the Hero's Holy Sword and gained mana equivalent to two hundred years, then hid his discovery and joined Frieren's group to fight the Mountain Lord. After Frieren killed the Mountain Lord, she offered to show him the Hero's Sword, but he declined.

• Xuezhi told Frieren her grandmother's last words and asked her to defeat the Mountain Lord, and Frieren agreed to leave the next day.
• Dugu Qing found the Hero's Holy Sword in a cave, drew it, and rapidly gained power before panicking and putting it back in the rock.
• The next morning, Frieren noticed Dugu Qing's mana had risen to the level of two hundred years, but he avoided explaining why.
• Xuezhi led Frieren, Fern, Stark, and Dugu Qing up the mountain, where Stark charged at a pack of wolf-like monsters.
• The Mountain Lord attacked Stark, and Frieren killed it with a single spell.
• Frieren asked Dugu Qing if he wanted to see the Hero's Sword in the sanctuary, and he declined.

Dugu Qing worried about the world-ending calamity after learning that the Sacred Sword had been pulled out, but Frieren reassured him that powerful allies would help if disaster came. Xuezhi organized a village-wide attempt to find the hero who could draw the sword again, and Stark joined the long line of hopeful challengers.

• Xuezhi noticed that the Sacred Sword had been moved and realized someone had pulled it out, while Frieren wondered who had returned it to the stone.
• Dugu Qing distracted the group with a suggestion to eat hot pot, and Xuezhi decided to invite the villagers and visitors to try pulling the sword the next day.
• Frieren told Dugu Qing that she and other powerful allies would not stand by if a calamity threatened the world, restoring his appetite and confidence.
• The next morning, villagers and adventurers lined up to pull the Sacred Sword, and local vendors set up stalls along the crowded route.
• Fern urged Stark to try pulling the sword, and after imagining himself as a celebrated hero, Stark joined the back of the line with Frieren, Fern, and Dugu Qing.

Dugu Qing finally decided to try drawing the Hero's Sword after Stark, Frieren, and Fern all failed. He pulled it free amid a dazzling display, and the onlookers hailed him as the hero who might defeat the demons.

• After a day of waiting, Stark tried to draw the Hero's Sword but failed, and Frieren and Fern also left it unmoved.
• With the crowd urging him to hurry, Dugu Qing decided to stop hesitating and put on gloves before approaching the sword.
• When Dugu Qing touched the hilt, the Hero's Sword shone with sacred light and released a surge of mana.
• Dugu Qing pulled the Hero's Sword free, and it rang out as light and music celebrated his feat.
• Fern, Stark, Frieren, villagers, and travelers reacted to Dugu Qing's success, with many believing a hero had appeared to defeat the demons.

Dugu Qing left the Sacred Sword in the Sacred Domain and entrusted it to Xuezhi before continuing his journey with Frieren, Fern, and Stark. After villagers brought gifts and Dugu Qing advised one woman to stockpile supplies against the coming disaster, the group departed, while Xuezhi resolved to train her magic.

• Dugu Qing returned the Sacred Sword to the stone, showed that Stark could not lift it, and asked Xuezhi to guard it.
• Xuezhi swore to protect the Sacred Sword, and Dugu Qing left with Frieren, Fern, and Stark after Sword Village's guard captain gave him a yellow robe.
• Dugu Qing passed the robe to Stark, who wore it as a symbol of the Hero, while Frieren and Fern reacted to his outfit.
• Villagers brought Dugu Qing food and supplies, and he advised an old woman to dig a hole and stockpile supplies to survive the coming calamity.
• Dugu Qing packed the gifts and departed with Frieren, Fern, and Stark as Xuezhi watched them go and resolved to practice her magic.

As Dugu Qing relaxed outside town on Stark’s birthday, Fern and Frieren both ended up lying in his arms while he worried about his racing heartbeat. Stark found them together and angrily wondered why Dugu Qing had stolen the spotlight on his birthday.

• Frieren revealed a clothes-dissolving potion as a possible gift for Stark, but Fern took it away and told her to hide it.
• Dugu Qing spent the free day eating snacks outside town, while Fern joined him with her design board.
• Dugu Qing worried that his heart was beating too fast, so Fern listened to his chest and fell asleep cuddled against him.
• Frieren arrived, checked Dugu Qing’s heartbeat, and lay beside him while Fern remained in his arms.
• Stark saw Dugu Qing holding Fern and Frieren and angrily thought that his birthday had been overshadowed.

Stark learned that Eisen’s extra-large meat patty was a birthday tradition and felt loved as the group celebrated with him. The next day, the party met Sein, who had fallen into a swamp, and Dugu Qing rebuked him while Frieren searched for a spell to rescue him.

• Frieren agreed to let Dugu Qing examine her heartbeat, leaving Stark confused about their intentions.
• Frieren gave Stark an extra-large meat patty for his birthday and explained Eisen’s hometown custom, helping Stark reinterpret memories of his brother and Eisen as signs of love.
• Dugu Qing admitted he did not know his birthday, and Fern told Stark that Dugu Qing’s parents had died when he was young.
• The next day, Frieren found Sein trapped in a swamp while gathering herbs and hesitated to pull him out because he was dirty.
• Dugu Qing arrived, corrected Sein for saying adults were dirty, and demanded that he apologize.

Dugu Qing, Frieren, Fern, and Stark encountered Sein and invited him to join their journey to Aureole, but he refused because he wanted a mature big sister. Frieren tried to change his mind with a blown kiss, leaving him unimpressed.

• Dugu Qing and Frieren made Sein apologize before Frieren rescued him from the swamp, and he fled without saying goodbye.
• Stark was bitten by a venomous creature while picking a wild cherry tomato, and Dugu Qing healed him.
• The group reached Sein's village and found him stripped to his underwear after losing his money at cards.
• Frieren invited Sein to join the party after discovering his skill with healing magic, but he refused because Fern was too young for his taste.
• Frieren claimed she was a mature elf big sister, then blew Sein a kiss, but he only asked what she was doing.

Dugu Qing used Transformation Magic to turn into Tsunade, prompting Sein to join Frieren’s party as they continued their journey to Aureole. On Fern’s birthday, she gave Dugu Qing a blue robe and suggested they celebrate his birthday on the same day.

• Dugu Qing transformed into Tsunade, and Sein enthusiastically asked to join Frieren’s party.
• Frieren accepted Sein, and the group celebrated at a village restaurant while Sein’s older brother watched from outside and left quietly.
• Three days later, Sein set out with Frieren, Dugu Qing, Fern, and Stark toward Aureole.
• In the Ratte Region, Fern took Dugu Qing shopping for her birthday while Sein and Stark looked for a gift.
• Fern gave Dugu Qing a blue robe she had made and proposed that they celebrate his birthday on hers; Dugu Qing agreed.

Fern and Dugu Qing spent a romantic evening at the night market before Dugu Qing revealed his new Sage Immortal Magic on the road. The group accepted a merchant’s offer of a carriage ride in exchange for a Grimoire, and Dugu Qing settled in for a nap.

• Fern and Dugu Qing strolled through the night market, bought matching fox masks, and wrote wishes on sky lanterns.
• Fern worried that Dugu Qing wanted to forget everything, then realized he meant leaving the past behind and relaxed.
• The next day, Frieren, Fern, Stark, Sein, and Dugu Qing left town with fresh supplies.
• Dugu Qing revealed Sage Immortal Magic by floating above the road, while Fern praised him and Frieren cautioned him about wasting mana.
• A merchant invited the group to ride in his carriage and offered a Grimoire as payment, and Dugu Qing boarded and fell asleep.

Frieren remembered Himmel’s Mirror Lotus ring, then lost it when a giant bird carried off the carriage. After Frieren and Dugu Qing saved the group and recovered the ring, they continued north, ending with Fern chasing Sein along the road.

• Frieren found the Mirror Lotus ring Himmel had given her and reconsidered what the gift had meant, but a giant green bird seized the carriage and the ring was thrown into the forest.
• Frieren killed the bird with magic, and Dugu Qing used Overlord's Power to lower the falling carriage safely to the ground.
• The merchant rewarded Frieren with a spell for finding lost accessories, which Frieren used to recover the ring before the group continued their journey.
• Sein suggested that the party needed a mature big sister and asked Dugu Qing to transform into a beautiful woman, so Dugu Qing kicked him into the woods and warned him not to repeat the joke.
• Sein later whispered to Fern that Dugu Qing was beautiful even without transforming, and Fern chased him down the road after he dodged her kick.

Dugu Qing helped Frieren’s group defeat a Chaos Flower Subspecies that had cursed a village, then continued north with them. Outside Friedrich, Orden approached the group and was angered by Dugu Qing’s rude reply, but restrained himself because his son Welt had died a month earlier.

• The group found a village whose residents had been cursed into a deep sleep, and Sein identified the curse’s source as a monster in the forest.
• As the curse put Stark, Fern, and Frieren to sleep, Dugu Qing carried Frieren onward with Sein and protected the sleeping companions with a barrier.
• Dugu Qing split the Chaos Flower Subspecies in two with his sword, ending the curse and freeing the villagers.
• The group returned to the village, received a meal from the grateful residents, and resumed their journey.
• Outside Friedrich, Orden called out to Dugu Qing, who rebuked him for speaking rudely; Orden held back his anger because his son Welt had died a month earlier.

Orden hired Dugu Qing to impersonate his dead son Welt and restore the army’s morale, offering three hundred gold coins and a magic staff. Dugu Qing transformed into Welt at Orden Castle, where Orden broke down and embraced him.

• Orden asked Dugu Qing to impersonate Welt at a ball to reassure the army and the Orden Family.
• Dugu Qing initially refused, but Orden raised his offer to three hundred gold coins and a magic staff.
• Dugu Qing accepted on the condition that Orden would not dictate how he carried out the job, and he demanded payment upfront.
• At Orden Castle, Dugu Qing collected the payment and examined the staff before using Transformation Magic to take Welt’s appearance.
• Orden recognized Welt’s face and tearfully pulled Dugu Qing into a fierce embrace while Frieren watched with amusement.

Dugu Qing stayed at Orden’s manor, where his resemblance to Orden’s dead son Welt stirred painful memories. As Dugu Qing adapted to the noble life and began lessons, Orden asked Fern to study alongside him, but she refused.

• Orden apologized to Dugu Qing after mistaking his resemblance to Welt for a return of his son, then served him and his companions a lavish meal.
• Dugu Qing enjoyed Orden’s wine and wrote down the winemaking process with Fern’s help, then asked Frieren about finding a high-grade staff in Auwest.
• Dugu Qing settled into a luxurious guest room, and the next morning a maid tended to him before he returned to his original appearance.
• The butler encouraged Dugu Qing to learn piano, court dance, noble etiquette, swordsmanship, and strategy, and Dugu Qing chose to begin dance lessons.
• Orden watched Dugu Qing immerse himself in the identity of his son and invited Fern to be his study companion, but Fern refused.

Dugu Qing rediscovered his love of piano and taught Fern to play, bringing them close enough to spark Stark and Sein’s jealousy. The group later gathered for a luxurious meal.

• Dugu Qing played Two Tigers on the piano and recalled his musical life in his previous world.
• Fern praised Dugu Qing’s playing, and he persuaded her to learn with him by guiding her hands on the keys.
• Frieren, Stark, and Sein returned and watched Dugu Qing teach Fern; Stark suspected they were dating, while Frieren declined to learn.
• Dugu Qing played Marriage d'Amour, and Sein said he wanted it played at his wedding.
• Stark and Sein grew jealous when Dugu Qing said he had never dated, then retreated while Fern defended him.
• The butler and maids served a luxurious meal, and Dugu Qing, Fern, Frieren, Stark, and Sein gathered to eat.

Dugu Qing trained in court dancing with Fern and later impersonated Welt to welcome guests at the Orden family’s summer ball, strengthening the family’s standing amid preparations for war. The chapter ended with Dugu Qing and Fern dancing together as Orden looked over the gathering with satisfaction.

• Dugu Qing learned ballroom dancing from the old butler, then chose Fern as his dance partner after she objected to him dancing with someone else.
• Orden asked Dugu Qing to conceal most of his mana so others would not detect his transformation, then went to prepare the troops for battle.
• A month later, Dugu Qing took on Welt’s appearance at Oelden Castle’s summer ball, helping quell rumors of Welt’s death and bolster the Orden family’s prestige.
• Orden arranged an engagement between Mute and the youngest daughter of the Sternberg Family, securing a powerful ally for the fight against the demons.
• Dugu Qing and Fern danced together at the ball while Orden watched the honored guests and felt reassured about the family’s standing.