Today marked the end of the third round of the First-Class Mage exam.
Due to the unexpectedly high number of candidates passing the second round, the Magic Association had to revise the format of the third round.
Frieren's grandmaster, the legendary elf mage Serie—known as the longest-living and most accomplished mage in existence—arrived in the magical city of Äußerst to oversee the final round as its examiner.
Serie's exam was unlike any other. She relied entirely on her intuition to select those who would pass.
"Serie's intuition has always been spot on," Frieren commented when asked about her grandmaster.
Every student Serie had taken under her wing, including Frieren's own master Flamme, had exhibited exceptional talent, proving her keen judgment time and time again.
Interestingly, Frieren herself did not achieve the rank of First-Class Mage, despite undoubtedly meeting the qualifications. She simply fell short of the expectations Flamme had placed on her.
Fortunately, Fern passed the exam and became a First-Class Mage, which satisfied the group's objective. Since only one member of their party needed to hold this rank to access the Northern Plateau, neither Aesc nor Frieren saw much reason to lament. After all, whether one or several of them held the title made no difference to their journey.
Serie, it seemed, had even considered taking Fern as her apprentice, indicating her high regard for the young mage.
Fern, however, turned her down.
"Foolish, Fern," Aesc teased upon hearing the story. "Serie is Frieren's master's master—two generations above her! That makes her three generations above you. If you'd accepted, you could've skipped two whole ranks and lorded it over Frieren for the rest of your life!"
"You're spouting nonsense again, Aesc," Frieren said, her tone flat. By now, she was thoroughly used to Aesc's occasional eccentricities and wasn't the least bit fazed.
"Still, it's amazing, Fern! You're officially a First-Class Mage now," Stark said, his admiration genuine. "That's the highest rank—there are fewer than 50 of you in the whole world!"
"Now that Fern has achieved First-Class status, we've accomplished our goal in Äußerst," Frieren said matter-of-factly. "Let's take a few days to wrap up our business here, then we can set off for the Northern Plateau."
"The Northern Plateau must be a complete mess right now," Aesc remarked. "I've heard it's not uncommon to encounter entire swarms of dragons there."
"...Suddenly, I don't feel like going anymore. Can I quit halfway?" Stark said, his voice tinged with despair.
He wasn't joking. The last time they'd encountered a single dragon, it had paralyzed him with fear. Now they were talking about swarms?
"You said you wanted to travel with us and share your experiences with your master when you returned," Aesc reminded him, giving him a sharp look. "Have some backbone, Stark. You're the only guy and the only warrior in this group!"
Stark's mind drifted back to the recent memory of Aesc thrashing him during their "training." Her jab about him being "the only warrior" carried a distinct sting of irony.
"Being a First-Class Mage comes with perks, but it also brings its share of trouble," Aesc continued. "The Magic Association will probably start assigning you some truly headache-inducing tasks now."
"If Himmel were here, he'd jump at the chance," Frieren said with a faint smile. "He loved taking on challenging missions."
"No argument there," Aesc agreed. "And if those missions involved helping others, Himmel would've been overjoyed."
"That's just how he was," Frieren said, nodding in agreement.
Stark and Fern, who had only ever heard about Himmel through secondhand accounts, listened quietly.
---
The group spent two more days in Äußerst before preparing to leave.
Back when Frieren first began traveling with Fern, she would often linger in places that piqued her interest for decades at a time. These days, however, she'd significantly improved in that regard.
Frieren was learning and growing in her own way.
"What's this?"
Aesc held up a small pink bottle of liquid, her expression one of curiosity as she turned to Frieren.
"It's a potion that dissolves only clothing," Frieren replied nonchalantly. "I bought it at a magic shop here. I'm planning to give it to Stark as a birthday gift. The last one I bought was meant for his birthday too, but Fern threw it out. So this time, make sure she doesn't see it."
Aesc stared at Frieren, her expression shifting from confusion to disbelief.
"If you know Fern's just going to throw it out again, why even buy it in the first place?"
"You don't understand, Aesc," Frieren said, crossing her arms and looking smug. "Your talent for magic is incredible, but your emotional intelligence is pitifully low. You have no idea how happy Stark will be to receive this gift."
The sheer confidence in Frieren's voice made Aesc want to douse her with the potion right then and there.
Never mind the progress Frieren had made—this woman was as clueless as ever.
---
29 years after Hero Himmel's death
The Northern Plateau, Via District
"This town, surrounded by endless golden rice fields, is quite a sight," Aesc said as they walked along a winding path into the settlement. "The air even smells like freshly harvested rice."
The sight brought Aesc a sense of peace, almost like coming home.
For anyone from her homeland, golden rice fields always carried a unique sense of familiarity and comfort.
However, once they entered the town, her expression soured.
"The smell of alcohol is overwhelming," she muttered, wrinkling her nose.
"This is the Northern Plateau's only major grain-producing area," Frieren explained. "Naturally, it's also the center of its brewing industry."
As they walked through the streets, inns and taverns lined the roads, each with signs advertising their wares.
"Do you not like alcohol, Lady Aesc?" Fern asked, noticing Aesc's discomfort.
"I don't. Never have," Aesc replied firmly. "The same goes for smoking. I've never understood why humans get addicted to these things—they're all downside, no benefit. Even just the smell makes me queasy."
Turning back to Stark and Fern, Aesc added, "You two better not try alcohol or smoking, either. I won't have you turning into troublemakers."
"What are you, our mom?" Stark quipped, earning a snicker from Fern.
---
The Northern Plateau was teeming with monsters, and encounters with them became noticeably more frequent.
Upon reaching the next town, the group opted to eat first before looking for a place to stay.
After days of surviving on dry bread in the wilderness, a proper meal was a much-needed treat.
As they ate, Aesc's group overheard a nearby conversation between two locals.
"Old man Fas is finally about to find that Emperor's Wine he's always going on about," one said.
"Seriously? My granddad says he's been talking about it since his childhood," the other replied.
Curiosity piqued, Stark couldn't help but ask, "What's Emperor's Wine?"
"I've heard about it from Heiter," Fern said, pausing to recall her memories. "It's a legendary brew said to have been created for an emperor who ruled a vast empire that spanned most of the continent."
She added, "Heiter once complained that Frieren ruined his chance to taste it."
"...That's a complicated story," Frieren murmured, her tone hinting at something left unsaid.
When the conversation in the tavern turned to Emperor's Wine, Frieren noticeably grew anxious.
As they left, she said abruptly, "Let's finish up here quickly and leave this town. The sooner, the better."
"It's too late for that, Frieren," Aesc interrupted, her tone amused. "The person you're trying to avoid is already here."
Before Fern and Stark could process Aesc's words, an excited voice called out.
"Frieren! Is that you?"
A small figure came running toward them—a short man with plain clothes, a black cap, and unkempt hair and beard.
"It's been a hundred years, Frieren!"
"Eighty," Frieren corrected him, her expression blank.
"Still obsessing over small details, I see," Fas remarked. "Does it really matter to someone like you whether it's eighty or a hundred?"
It was immediately clear that the man was a dwarf. No one else would casually toss around such long spans of time.
"Lady Aesc," Fern whispered, leaning toward Aesc, "Who is this man?"
"I have no idea," Aesc replied with a shrug. "Probably someone Frieren met while I wasn't around."
Fas's gaze shifted to Aesc, Stark, and Fern.
"New faces. That young man who loved his drink isn't with you anymore?"
"Heiter has passed away," Frieren said calmly. "He went peacefully."
Fas froze for a moment, then let out a soft sigh.
"I see… I was too late."
After a brief pause, he smiled and said, "But I've finally found the location of Emperor's Wine. Frieren, can I count on your help this time?"
---
Before long, Fas led them to an abandoned mine.
"When people think of dwarves, they often picture miners, but I actually grew up in a city," Fas explained. "I had to teach myself how to dig when I began my search for Emperor's Wine. I excavated this entire mine by myself."
The mine was vast, a testament to Fas's dedication and effort over the years.
Stark, curious, turned to Frieren.
"Who is this guy?"
"Fas," Frieren replied. "He's been obsessed with Emperor's Wine for over two centuries."
She glanced at the mine's entrance, her expression clouded.
"The last time we met him, he asked for our help, but we were in the middle of hunting the Demon King, so we turned him down."
"Heiter must've hated leaving," Aesc noted.
"Of course he did," Frieren said flatly. "We had to drag him away by force."
The group continued deeper into the mine until they reached a stone door covered in intricate runes.
"This is it," Fas said, his voice filled with conviction. "The wine is behind this door. The enchantments are too strong for me to break, but Frieren, you're the most powerful mage I've ever known. You can open it, right?"
Frieren studied the door for a moment before shaking her head.
"I can't open it."
"You're lying," Fas said, his tone incredulous.
Frieren's expression remained impassive, but Aesc could tell she wasn't being entirely truthful.
Fas, however, seemed too desperate to notice.
"Please, Frieren! Drinking Emperor's Wine has been my life's dream. I've spent over two hundred years chasing it!"