Chapter Summaries

Frieren met Carlo, a Rank 2 mage trying to reconstruct Rhode’s discarded magic for extending human life, and helped him overcome a research bottleneck. Carlo left eager to continue his work, while Frieren hoped his discovery might offer her a way to extend her own lifespan.

• Frieren searched the Magic Association library for ancient magic and found Carlo reaching for the same book.
• Carlo told Frieren he was researching a fragment of Rhode’s discarded draft, which he believed concerned extending human life.
• Frieren examined Carlo’s draft and offered insights and magic runes that helped him see how to proceed.
• Carlo thanked Frieren and promised to share his findings once he restored part of Rhode’s magic.
• Carlo left with his draft and the book, while Frieren hoped his research would succeed.

Serie held the first First-class Mage examination, sending nineteen candidates into a shrinking magical battlefield where the last two survivors would earn a magic of their choice. The defense specialist and another mage passed, and the specialist requested Atos’s Barrier formula as Rhode had predicted, leaving Serie to honor her bet with him.

• Serie explained that the nineteen candidates would fight until only two remained and promised to teach each survivor any magic she possessed.
• Serie teleported the candidates into a forest enclosed by Atos’s Barrier, which would shrink every hour, while she and Rhode watched their battles.
• Rhode protected the red-robed mage with a hidden Magic Shield as she unleashed powerful attacks, while the defense specialist endured repeated assaults behind layers of shields.
• The red-robed mage was eliminated after exhausting her mana, and the defense specialist survived the final melee alongside one other mage.
• Serie taught the two survivors their requested magic, including the defense specialist’s request for the complete Rune formula of Atos’s Barrier.
• Rhode won his bet with Serie, who had agreed to initiate a kiss if the defense specialist passed.

Serie secretly entered Rhode’s room to fulfill her bet by kissing him while he slept, only to discover he was awake. Rhode turned her attempt into a passionate kiss and invited her to take the initiative anytime, then held her as they went to sleep.

• Serie remembered Rhode’s demand that she kiss him while he was unconscious and decided to follow the example of a romance novel.
• Serie quietly entered Rhode’s room and kissed him while he appeared to be asleep.
• Rhode revealed that he had been awake and pulled the embarrassed Serie into his arms.
• Rhode kissed Serie, then told her she could kiss him whenever she wanted.
• Serie told Rhode to sleep, and he held her under the blanket.

Olge revealed a future vision in which Serie was killed, humanity fought a devastating civil war, and Annalise commanded a corrupted Demon Race. Rhode woke in panic and nearly set out to kill Annalise, but Serie’s voice brought him back to the present.

• Olge’s power showed Rhode a vision of Annalise commanding the Demon Race amid writhing Black Mud and humans slaughtering one another in a continent-wide civil war.
• Rhode saw Serie pregnant and tearful before an unseen sword struck her down.
• Rhode woke and realized Olge had revealed a vision of the future.
• Rhode suspected Annalise’s forces were responsible and gripped Olge, preparing to go north and kill her.
• Serie woke, questioned Rhode about his chaotic magic power, and brought him out of his murderous frenzy.

Rhode told Serie about the future he had seen, including her death, and urgently demanded that she keep her defenses raised. Serie promised to maintain protective magic and carry Atos, while Rhode resolved to investigate and prevent the future from happening.

• Rhode released Orge and told Serie about the future fragments, the Demon King's threat, the civil war, and her death.
• Serie considered how she might have been caught defenseless and joked that Rhode could be strong enough to kill her.
• Rhode demanded that Serie keep her strongest Defense Magic and Detection Magic active at all times.
• Rhode insisted that Serie carry the Divine Authority Sword - Atos, threatening to go north and confront the Demon King if she refused.
• Serie promised to carry Atos and reassured Rhode that she would not go anywhere.
• Rhode embraced Serie and resolved to investigate and prevent the future he had seen.

Emperor Legate celebrated the Southern Unified Empire’s expansion and asked Friedrich whether it could move against the Land of Ayr, but Friedrich warned that Serie and the Continental Magic Association had strengthened Ayr’s defenses. Legate remained determined to conquer Ayr and condemned the ancient rules that kept mages and Norn from using their power in human conflicts.

• A minister reported that the largest kingdom in the east had submitted to the Southern Unified Empire, and Legate declared that only the Land of Ayr and a few smaller nations remained in his way.
• Legate asked Friedrich whether the empire could finally attack the Land of Ayr, but Friedrich said the opportunity had passed because Serie and the Continental Magic Association had strengthened Ayr’s magical forces.
• Friedrich warned that an assault could cost the empire its elite forces and encourage recently submitted powers to rebel.
• Legate mocked Rhode for restricting mages from taking part in human conflicts and criticized Norn for guarding the Holy Sword instead of using it.
• Legate vowed to tear down Norn’s statue when he captured the Ayr Royal Capital, and Friedrich silently disapproved of the remark.

Legate warned Friedrich that he had devised a solution to Serie’s role in strengthening the Land of Ayr, then revealed the Empire’s newly completed weapon. Friedrich saw a powerful ancient longsword and grew uneasy about the emperor’s secret plan.

• Friedrich warned Legate that disrespecting Rhode could turn human mages and the elves against him.
• Legate raised the problem of Serie helping Fidel recruit powerful mages, but rejected peaceful coexistence and claimed he had a solution.
• Friedrich connected Legate’s plan to the treasure and rare magical ores secretly removed from the imperial treasury.
• Legate led Friedrich through guarded corridors to a concealed chamber and showed him the Empire’s strongest weapon.
• An attendant opened a golden metal box, revealing a radiant ancient longsword whose power made Friedrich step back defensively.

Emperor Legate showed Friedrich the powerful Holy Sword the Empire had commissioned from the Dwarves and revealed his plan to create a Mage Killer to help him conquer the world. He ordered a brutal contest among one hundred candidates to choose the sword’s sole wielder, who would be sent to kill Elf Saint Serie.

• Friedrich sensed the extraordinary power in Legate’s newly forged Holy Sword, and Legate described the rare materials and Dwarven masters behind it.
• Legate gave Friedrich a list of one hundred gifted candidates, all mages, and explained that the Empire held leverage over each one to secure their loyalty.
• Legate said the Holy Sword could break Magic Shields and destroy most magical artifacts, making its wielder a weapon against mages and even Serie.
• Friedrich pointed out that there were one hundred candidates but only one Holy Sword, and Legate announced that they would fight without rules until only one survived.
• Legate declared that the winner would wield the Holy Sword and bring him Serie’s head.

Rhode met with Fidel in Ayr’s royal palace, where Fidel revealed that Legate had secretly sent enormous quantities of treasure and strategic ores to the Dwarven Kingdom. Fidel and Rhode were left with no explanation for the Dwarves’ unusually strict secrecy about the empire’s costly undertaking.

• Fidel thanked Rhode and Serie for supporting the Magic Association, and Rhode revealed that his real name was Rhode.
• Fidel warned Rhode that Legate’s recent actions were abnormal and described the Southern Unified Empire’s secret shipments of gold, treasure, Star Silver, and Secret Gold to the Dwarven Kingdom.
• Rhode suggested Legate might be gathering materials to equip an elite force, but Fidel said the cost and quantity made that explanation implausible.
• Fidel explained that the Dwarven masters admitted they were undertaking a major project for Legate but refused to reveal any details, despite Ayr’s friendly ties with the Dwarves.

Rhode considered Fidel’s suspicions that Legate was secretly seeking a powerful weapon from the Dwarves and agreed to investigate the Southern Unified Empire. As magic users increasingly joined human armies, Rhode reflected that the restraint he had established was breaking down and that he might have opened another Pandora’s box.

• Fidel warned Rhode that Legate’s extravagant dealings with the Dwarves might be aimed at acquiring a weapon capable of changing the continent’s balance of power.
• Rhode said the secret could involve a Holy Sword, a large-scale Magic Circle, or another powerful magical artifact, but he could not determine what it was.
• Rhode agreed to investigate the Southern Unified Empire personally and asked Fidel to keep the matter confidential.
• Fidel thanked Rhode and noted that more magic users were joining his country’s service as the Southern Unified Empire deployed them in its army.
• Rhode reflected that the Origin Holy Scripture’s precept against magic users joining human conflicts was losing its influence, and said dangerous uses of power had to be corrected when necessary.

Friedrich warned Emperor Legate that a mage empowered by the Holy Sword could become uncontrollable, but Legate revealed four safeguards designed to keep its wielder under his control. Friedrich remained uneasy and questioned whether the Empire should attack the Land of Ayr while the Demon Race still threatened the north.

• Friedrich warned Legate that survivors of the brutal selection could become dangerous despite their personal weaknesses.
• Legate explained that the Holy Sword’s bloodline magic made him its sole master and let him restore its restriction at will.
• Legate asked Friedrich to secretly place a magical bomb inside the eventual victor, and described a teleportation circle that would return the sword to him.
• Legate said he would proclaim the victor a Hero and give him a righteous mission, including fighting Serie, whom he accused of obstructing humanity’s unification.
• Friedrich questioned the timing of an attack on the Land of Ayr, warning that the Demon Race might be gathering strength and that Ayr stood between it and the Empire.

Legate rejected Friedrich’s counsel and resolved to destroy the Land of Ayr to surpass Saint King Norn, while Friedrich agreed to prepare the magic Runes. In the tower library, Carlo met Rade, a First-class Mage who admired Carlo’s devotion to research and said he might soon leave the association.

• Friedrich advised Legate to strengthen the empire and join forces with the Land of Ayr against the Demon Race before starting another war.
• Legate declared that he would unite the continent and destroy the Land of Ayr to surpass Saint King Norn and secure eternal renown.
• Friedrich realized Legate’s ambitions could bring war against the Land of Ayr, Dwarven Kingdom, and Elf Kingdom, but agreed to prepare the magic Runes.
• Carlo met Rade in the Continental Magic Association’s tower library and learned that the First-class Mage examination had already ended.
• Rade told Carlo he admired his years of research and persistence, then mentioned that he might soon leave the association.

Carlo learned that the Demon Race had launched a major offensive in the north, while Rade prepared to go support the fighting. Frieren reflected on her strained relationship with Serie and the responsibilities she had inherited, ending with unease about threats and secrets gathering across the continent.

• Rade told Carlo that the Demon Race had destroyed several northern cities and that the Land of Ayr and Saint Katia Magic Academy were mobilizing support.
• Carlo declined to join the fighting, explaining that he was a researcher and had no combat ability.
• Frieren arrived at the library and introduced herself to Rade as Serie's disciple, explaining that she had not taken the rank examinations.
• Rade said he planned to support the northern front, and Frieren listened while thinking about her regret over hurting Serie and the work she had taken over from Rhode.
• Frieren felt uneasy about the Demon Race's resurgence, dark currents beneath the southern Empire, and the secrets her two teachers seemed to be keeping.

Serie confronted Rhode about his week-long absence, and he explained that he was searching for the legendary Hero’s Sword, Estrian, to help seal the new Demon King’s power. Serie agreed to search the Elves’ records through Aila, while Rhode urged her to stay safe.

• Serie waited for Rhode to return and asked where he had been for a week.
• Rhode told Serie he was searching for Estrian because his research into Life Magic was progressing too slowly to prepare for the new Demon King and the prophecy.
• Rhode explained that he wanted to use Estrian alongside three other Holy Swords to build a sealing Magic Circle and contain the Demon King’s power.
• Serie understood that Rhode had been taking risks to protect her and offered to search the Elves’ records for information about Estrian.
• Rhode asked Serie to send Aila instead of going herself, and Serie agreed.

Rhode decided to investigate the Southern Unified Empire’s suspicious military preparations, and Serie persuaded him to let her accompany him. They agreed to leave in about a week, after Rhode prepared to bring Light of Ayr and Orge.

• Rhode told Serie that Fidel suspected the Southern Unified Empire was secretly building a powerful weapon, but Serie dismissed the speculation while acknowledging that its resource transfers were unusual.
• Serie reported that the Demon Race had renewed its northern offensive, that Aila was considering joining the fighting, and that Frieren was studying Fusion Magic instead of going to the front.
• Rhode decided to visit the Southern Unified Empire and investigate Legate’s plans, while Serie insisted he go as her disciple.
• Rhode refused to let Serie accompany him, but she kissed him and acted coyly until he relented.
• Serie said she wanted to visit the empire’s royal library for rare magic books, and Rhode agreed on the condition that she stay by his side.
• Rhode said he needed about a week to prepare and planned to bring Light of Ayr and Orge.

Rhode prepared to leave the Magic Association with Serie, assigning Flamme and Aila to manage its affairs. Flamme used the visit to obtain Rhode’s early Life Magic runes for Carlo, while Aila revealed that Estrian was last recorded in a sunken region in the south.

• Rhode told Flamme that she and Aila would manage the Association and authorized them to assess mages up to Rank 2 while postponing First-class Mage assessments.
• Rhode advised Flamme on her research and offered to teach her Divine Strike magic, but Flamme declined and said she wanted to pursue her own path in magic.
• Flamme asked to study Rhode’s early Life Magic runes, secretly hoping they would help Carlo’s research, and Rhode showed them to her.
• Rhode praised Flamme for focusing on magic; she hid her pain at realizing his affection was only that of a teacher for a disciple.
• Aila showed Rhode translated Elf Kingdom records placing Estrian’s origins in the primordial age and locating it in a sunken land in the south.
• Rhode left the Association’s routine affairs with Flamme and Aila, told Aila to wait before going to the northern battlefield, and resolved to protect Serie during their southern journey.

Rhode and Serie’s teleportation to the Southern Unified Empire was diverted above its Imperial Capital, where their arrival triggered a violent response from the city’s mages. After Rhode revealed that they had come on behalf of Fidel to speak with Emperor Legate, Friedrich escorted them inside while secretly ordering a lockdown.

• Rhode and Serie used Aila’s remaining teleportation magic, but a concealed energy near the Imperial Capital interfered with their destination.
• A gigantic teleportation circle appeared above the capital, tore through its Barrier, and alarmed Emperor Legate and Friedrich.
• Friedrich and hundreds of imperial mages attacked the circle, but Rhode reinforced the spatial passage and stopped their spells from affecting it.
• Rhode and Serie emerged from the circle, and Friedrich recognized Serie and feared that the empire’s secret plan had been exposed.
• Rhode said he represented Fidel and had come to discuss an important matter with Emperor Legate, and Friedrich invited them in while secretly ordering a lockdown.

Rhode and Serie confronted Emperor Legate over the Demon Race invasion and tested him about a secret weapon made by the Dwarves. Legate agreed to send them north with the Empire’s vanguard while secretly ordering their deaths before they reached the front.

• Rhode demanded that the Southern Unified Empire send troops to fight the Demon Race, but Legate gave only a vague promise.
• Rhode mentioned the Dwarves’ extraordinary weapon, provoking Legate to deny it and angrily order Rhode and Serie to leave.
• Rhode pressed Legate for a departure date, while suspecting the Empire planned to exploit the war for its own gain.
• Legate invited Rhode and Serie to accompany the elite vanguard, intending to lure them away from the Imperial Capital and kill them.
• After Rhode and Serie accepted and left, Legate told Friedrich to move the plan forward and bring back their heads.
• Rhode told Serie that Legate was ready to make a move, and Serie welcomed the prospect.

Rhode and Lord Serie traveled with the Empire’s vanguard legion and discovered that its hidden mages were preparing to attack them. When assassins struck at their camp, Lord Serie and Rhode swiftly subdued them, but a magical mental restriction killed them before Rhode could uncover their memories.

• Rhode detected concealed mages in the legion and concluded that Legate had never intended to march all the way north.
• After several days of travel, assassins surrounded Rhode and Lord Serie’s tent under a soundproofing and confinement Barrier.
• Lord Serie blocked the assassins with her Magic Shield and incapacitated them with Light Arrows while Rhode stopped those trying to escape.
• The legion commander arrived late and tried to seize the attackers, but Rhode ordered the guards to stand down.
• Rhode tried to search the assassins’ memories, but a mental restriction killed each one when he touched their core memories.
• Rhode told Lord Serie to wait and watch what happened next.

Ariel passed the third-class and Rank 2 mage examinations administered by Frieren, concealing that she was Solitir, a demon. Learning that Serie and Rhode would be away for quite some time, Solitir decided she could safely study human magic at the Association.

• Frieren administered Ariel’s third-class examination, and Ariel passed with exceptional theoretical knowledge and precise magic control.
• Ariel insisted on taking the Rank 2 examination immediately, and Frieren tested her in combat; Ariel passed while hiding much of her strength.
• Frieren suggested Ariel attempt the first-class examination and make a wish to Serie, but Solitir, fearing her demon identity would be exposed, refused.
• Solitir learned Serie and Rhode would be away for quite some time and felt relieved that she could remain at the Association safely.
• Solitir received her Rank 2 mage badge and eagerly went to the library to study human magic.