31 years have passed since the death of the hero Himmel
Northern Plateau, Nameless Dungeon
Undoubtedly, knowledge, like wealth, is power. That is why, since time immemorial, both wizards and kings have built places to safeguard their power in life and in death. Eroded by the passage of time, many of these places have become infested with monsters who, along with the traps already installed, now guard their interiors against intruders—thus earning the name of dungeons.
Deep within a dungeon built inside a cave that descended further and further into the earth, a colorful group of three advanced down a staircase at a steady and practiced pace. Leading the group, axe in hand and with a worn-out expression, a young man with red and black hair trembled without cease. A few steps behind him followed a girl of similar age, with waist-length purple hair and cheeks puffed out in irritation directed at the last member of the group—an elf who marched with a cheerful gait and a smile on her face.
"Frieren-sama, we've been delving into this dungeon for half the day. Shouldn't we head straight to the Empire?" said Fern, exhausted by her teacher's nonsense, having already had to save her from seven mimics.
"Let's go, pleeeeease… it's very dark, I'm scared…" Stark enthusiastically supported the idea of leaving.
"Huh huh We'll go after we've investigated what's at the end of this corridor. You can sense it too, can't you, Fern?"
The girl in question halted her steps to sharpen her magical sense, focusing on the faint thread of energy emitted from the room at the end of the hallway.
Spatial magic… death and…
"What kind of magic is this, Frieren-sama? I don't remember sensing it before…"
'Well, it's no surprise you haven't sensed it before; even as a mature, long-lived woman, I've only felt it a couple of times,' said the elf, without taking her eyes off the timid young man who was trying to shrink away and avoid her gaze."
"I already apologized… I didn't mean it…" murmured the boy, looking toward Fern for help, only to receive a cold stare and ruthless abandonment.
"The magic you're sensing is time magic—probably the rarest of all magics, not to mention its combination with the other two…we're probably dealing with something one of a kind."
"Then what is this exactly? Is it an artifact? A grimoire, or… a trap?" asked Stark, suppressing a shiver at the last word.
"I don't know, that's why we're going to investigate. Himmel used to say that something unknown is what makes an adventure exciting…Who knows maybe it's a super-grimoire with a spell to restore freshness to moldy oranges. replied Frieren with a determined look, ignoring the strange glances.
"Miss Frieren, don't count the grimoires before opening the chests," said Fern with a fond smile, already used to her master's personality.
Little by little, the group made their way down the dark corridor until it came to an abrupt end. The empty doorframe still bore the rusted hinges that must once have held a solid door, but now with nothing now to obstruct their view the group saw a colossal chamber open up before them.
With a simple gesture, the magical light accompanying them moved on, revealing the hall's vastness. It was circular in design, with a series of stepped tiers that gave the room the air of an amphitheater. Nothing too strange for a dungeon—except for the ancient stone arch resting in the center of the room and one other minor detail.
"Why the hell would someone build a door so close to the ceiling??" Stark complained, only to be ignored by the two women inspecting the drop of at least thirty to fifty meters to the room's base.
"Don't lower your guard. I'll go first. Fern, help Stark down with your flight." Immediately after, she rose into the air and began her descent, leaving the pair at the doorway. Stark adjusted his axe on his back, and Fern positioned herself so he could grab onto her staff.
"Well, I guess I'm counting on you…" said the boy, only to meet a piercing gaze.
"Stark-sama, if you grip my staff too tightly again, I'll drop you."
Gulp "It was just that one time…" he muttered to himself.
By the time they reached the bottom, the elf was already inspecting the mysterious arch.
"Frieren-sama, have you discovered anything yet?" asked Fern, quickly approaching her master, who was crouched and staring intently at the arch.
Breaking eye contact with the arch, the little elf gave her a smile.
"Fern, come closer—what do you think it is?" she asked in the same tone she used to teach her magic during childhood.
Fern sharpened her magical sense to scan the arch, trying to unravel its secrets.
"Is it a trap meant to kill whoever passes through it?" she answered somewhat unsure.
"You say that because of the death magic? Well, you're not exactly wrong. As you said, passing through the door would activate the spatial magic that would send almost anyone who triggers it to certain death. However, if that were its only purpose, they wouldn't have placed it here, nor would there be a need to keep complicating the spell. What else do you see?"
Captivated by the impromptu lesson, Fern continued to delve into the spell integrated into the arch. "It's… expanding. It seems to be leading somewhere, but I can't see where," she finally admitted, embarrassed.
"Hm hm Just what I'd expect from my disciple," said Frieren, beaming with pride. "Don't be ashamed of it, Fern. This artifact is almost entirely drained of mana. Although the spells are still present, they're very weakened, and the scale of distance It's something even I hadn't witnessed before… it's possible we've come across an teleportation artifact from the mythic era."
"This thing is older than her?" murmured Stark while the two girls studied the artifact.
"I don't understand it, Miss Frieren. Why would they add death magic then? Is it some kind of filter or defense system? And what's the time magic for?"
Patting Fern's head, Frieren nodded with satisfaction.
"That's a good question, Fern." Ignoring the blush and puffed cheeks of her disciple, she stepped forward and placed a hand on the stone.
"I believe both the death and time magic are side effects of the teleportation method. Unlike the method I usually use to do it, this one doesn't fold space—it pierces through it, entering a different kind of reality overflowing with death magic. This spatial rupture is also leaking chaotic time magic."
"Wait a second…" murmured Stark, paler than ever, having listened to the impromptu lecture.
"Does that mean… that door leads to hell?"
Frieren gave the young man, who looked ready to bolt at any moment, a small smile.
"Maybe. We know heaven exists, so why not? I wonder if that corrupt priest is—"
bonk
"Frieren-sama, please don't insult Heiter-sama's memory."
"Ouch, mm, I was joking. Heiter really worked hard to earn his place in heaven. There's no way he ended up here… unless he started drinking again after he died…"
bonk
"Mmmm Fern, just another joke! Stop hitting meee…" she pleaded, cradling her head.
"Hmph. If Frieren-sama doesn't behave, she must be disciplined."
"Terrifying," murmured Stark.
Recovering from the fatal blow dealt by her disciple, the elf addressed the group.
"We should prepare to spend some time here. Even for me, it'll take a bit to refill the artifact with mana."
"Why do we have to refill it?? Can't we just leave? Am I the only one who wants to? Come on… it's the Hell…" said a defeated Stark, having lost hope of finding common sense in his group.
"Don't worry, as a warrior, we'll only need you if monsters or aberrations start emerging from the portal. Besides, it might not be hell… it could be a worse place," said Frieren with a small smile, patting his back.
"That doesn't help… at all," replied Stark pitifully, approaching Fern, who was already unpacking the bag.
"How long do you think 'a bit' is for her?"
"The last time Frieren-sama said that, we stayed in a city for several months…" Fern reminded him patiently.
"Noooooooo"
"..."
.
.
"Fern! Fern!" The room now housing the group had its silence interrupted when the mage awoke her student, who had gone to bed earlier alongside Stark.
"Mmhg??" murmured the young girl, recovering from sleep.
"Do you hear it?? Do you hear those voices? I think I've finished filling the arch."
The structure in question now had a sort of necrotic magical veil in constant motion, and the whispering of incomprehensible voices emerged from it.
"Hurry, Fern—wake Stark up; let's test it," she said excitedly, turning back toward the arch.
"...Alright."
With the whole group now awake and gathered around the excited elf, Fern asked about the elephant in the room.
"Frieren-sama, how exactly did you say you'd test the artifact?" still incredulous at her master's plan.
"I'll go in," she said again with a confident smile, worrying the duo.
"Isn't that incredibly dangerous?" Stark questioned.
"Mhm, exactly. That's why only I'll go in," Frieren replied easily.
"Frieren-sama, I think this is far too reckless. We should contact someone from the Continental Magic Association for this..."
"I'm not being reckless in choosing this. It is precisely because it's me that I am the most suitable one to test it. It would take a long time to develop a spell allowing a mage without an enormous amount of mana to cross this portal... Besides, we don't know what effect the temporal distortion will have. One minute here could be ten years on the other side, or vice versa, I know I don't say this as often as I ought to, but I am proud of you, Fern. You are the reason I can depart without worry... in the worst-case scenario... you've become a great mage, Fern. I know that even without me around, you'll achieve great things."
"Master Frieren...
that is..." The teenager knew a lost fight when she saw one.
"Fine…."
"Stark-sama and I will stay here. But if you take more than a week to come back, I'll call the Association and Serie-sama to bring you back," Fern replied, both happy and angry at her master's words.
Knowing her student's concern, the small elf approached her to give a few comforting pats on the head.
"Alright," she said, approaching the stone arch. "Let's hope it's see you soon." And with those final words and a smile on her face, she took the final step toward the arch, disappearing suddenly.
---
Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts
"This is worrisome, Minerva…" Albus reflected as he read the documents before
"It is what it is, Albus… for two consecutive years, Hogwarts' security has been repeatedly compromised… and although there have been no deaths, the rate of parents who distrust sending their children to Hogwarts has skyrocketed," Minerva replied.
Deep down, both professors knew it was a situation practically out of their hands. There wasn't much they could do to reassure the parents since, unfortunately, their children had been in danger, and they couldn't even say it had been thanks to the teaching staff or the school personnel that the problems had been resolved.
Albus really didn't want to imagine what would happen if it were revealed to the public that, in fact, several of those professors themselves had tried to harm the students.
In both cases, these being the professors of…
Defense Against the Dark Arts… since the curse had taken root in the castle, it had prevented professors from lasting more than a year, whether they simply had to leave for various reasons or met more permanent fates. Few knew of the existence of this Curse, fewer still that it would not disappear completely unless Voldemort vanished absolutely and entirely from this world.
That was precisely why he had rejected Snape's constant requests for the position, he was too important to put in danger or take away from the school.
From the beginning, Defense Against the Dark Arts was a difficult position to fill. To be competent in it, one needed to be versed in both spells and creatures and other dark elements—a branch of magic that could corrupt the practicing wizard if not handled correctly.
Quirrell's betrayal had been unexpected the man had spent years teaching Muggle Studies; they had eaten and celebrated together…The less said about Lockhart, the better. Albus had suspected that he wasn't as competent as his books claimed, yet he bet on him, partly because if he had been half as competent as his stories claimed, he might have resisted the curse, and partly because, in the worst-case scenario, he would serve as a temporary placeholder while he searched for someone more suitable… that he was a complete fraud went beyond his expectations.
"Was it too much to ask for him to explain the theoretical part of the book? Now the students will have to catch up on all the delayed material," murmured the old headmaster more to himself.
This year was once again backing him into a corner. He knew he himself would be able to resist the curse but hesitated to tie himself with more responsibilities. In this moment, he couldn't afford to dedicate so much time to teaching and preventing the curse from playing with the threads of his fate, not with so many things needing his personal attention and care.
Doubts and more doubts; he never would have thought that being a school headmaster could be so stressful… always in a race against time to find a professor, with his options increasingly limited.
"Albus! Are you listening to me?" Minerva woke him from his musings.
"Eh, ah, yes, yes, sorry, I was daydreaming. What were you saying?"
She looked at him with a frown before slowly softening her features.
"Albus… you're risking a lot with this. Are you sure Remus is the best option?"
A tired sigh escaped Albus's lips. "I don't know, Minerva, I really don't know."
It was a difficult decision. Remus was a great wizard, knowledgeable and experienced in both the arts of light and darkness, and there were few people with as much experience as he had with the dark creatures found in nature, and that's where the problem lay.
"You know what could happen. It's no longer even about exposing him to the curse, Albus. What will happen when a curious parent decides to see the records of their child's new professor? Can you keep it a secret? What about Lucius? What will you do if he finds out?" Minerva's words were harsh but no less true for it.
Remus was a registered werewolf. He could abuse his authority to hide or divert attention and keep it secret, but he wasn't the only one with authority, and it wasn't precisely the time to give more weapons to his enemies.
"The decision is already made… there's no rule that prohibits someone with lycanthropy from being a professor. Remus has been without a place to stay for a while; a bit of stability in his life would help him. We can arrange for it to be just for a year, avoiding the danger. Besides, I'd like young Harry to have someone else to tell him about his parents and…"
"There's no need to try to convince me, Albus. I respect your decisions; it's just… I'm concerned," Minerva interrupted his diatribe. "Parents won't like it, no matter how much you guarantee the lack of danger with Remus, and you know how intolerant some wizards can be."
He knew it, he knew it very well. Minerva probably desired the well-being of Lupin and Harry as much as he did, but many depended on him, and that meant he had to measure his steps carefully.
"Don't worry; I'm considering things carefully before…"
What he was going to say was interrupted by a small vibration in his pocket, from which he took out a small phoenix feather that quickly floated in the air to write its message in fire.
An ancient artifact used during his time with the Order of the Phoenix to transmit urgent messages requiring his immediate help.
"Alastor…" murmured Albus, reading the message as he prepared to activate an apparition.
"Go…" was the last thing he heard from Minerva before disappearing, leaving the message still in the air.
Albus, your help is urgently required. The Ministry has been attacked. –Alastor Moody
.
.
British Ministry of Magic
As soon as he entered the detention area, Albus could feel the nervousness and tension in the air, normally, there weren't so many people in this section of the Ministry.
Passing by at least a dozen Aurors, he noticed a face that lit up as well upon seeing him.
"Amos what brings you here? How are young Cedric's holidays going?" Albus greeted the familiar and possible future head of the Department for Magical Creatures.
"Albus! Finally, come on, there is no time. We have been waiting for you. This is big—we have never seen anything like it. Madam Bones has been busy with the matter for a couple of hours now. She should be finishing soon. Having you with us is reassuring," the man said, as excited as a child getting his first wand.
"Is this about the attack? I came as soon as I was informed. Has the area been secured? How is Alastor? He was the one who sent me the alert," Albus said calmly, trying to get a better sense of the situation. From the relative calm of the Ministry, he had already assumed that either it had not been something major, or they had managed to contain it quickly.
"Attack? Ugh, Alastor must have just woken up then... do not worry, Albus. It is a misunderstanding, but we had better get there before he does—you know how paranoid he can be," explained Amos as they passed through doors and hallways toward one of the interrogation rooms.
What could have required the personal attention of the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and a member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures like Susan Bones and Amos had him genuinely intrigued.
To heighten his interest, they had not even turned the final corner when they could already hear the shouting of Alastor Moody.
"If Legilimency does not work, then bring Veritaserum! She is too dangerous; she could attack at any moment!"
"Please, sir, there are regulations and directives we must follow—we cannot simply—"
"Alastor," Albus interrupted before the man could continue scaring the poor young Auror.
"I received your message. It seems there has... been a misunderstanding?" he said with a cheerful smile. Internally, he was truly relieved—days when an emergency signal turned out to be harmless were good and rare.
"No, there has been no misunderstanding! The intruder clearly invaded the Ministry and disabled a squad of Aurors. Having her here is a great danger—It's only a matter of time before she attacks and…"
"Alastor... if you stopped for a second to read the reports and calm down before jumping to your wand, you would realize that this misunderstanding has already been clarified, and it has been determined that it was, indeed, a misunderstanding. In fact, you were the one who initiated hostilities," explained Amos, exasperated.
"WHAT?! How dare you—my instincts warned me of danger, and clearly, she cast the first spell!"
Before the argument could escalate further, Amelia Susan Bones emerged from the room in front of which they were standing.
"Albus Dumbledore," she acknowledged with respect in her eyes.
"Amelia Bones," Albus replied in kind
"Gentlemen, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has already taken a statement from our special guest. Due to the lack of protocol for a similar event and the legal loopholes surrounding it, a meeting will be held in six hours to discuss how we will handle her appearance and its implications. She has already agreed to remain under our supervision temporarily and apologizes for the incident surrounding her arrival," she said the last part while glancing at Alastor and turning toward Amos.
"Amos, due to the peculiarity of our guest, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement would appreciate the opinion and expertise of the Beings Division (The division in charge of monitoring other intelligent races in the magical world.) in your department."
Finally, she turned her gaze to Albus. "Dumbledore, due to the apparent high magical capacity of our guest as well as her strong resistance to Legilimency and conventional restraining magic, Minister Fudge has deemed your counsel and opinion appropriate in this matter. We did not expect your arrival so soon, but feel free to interact with our guest. Stop by my department for a more detailed report. Everyone participating in the meeting will receive one."
"It will be a pleasure, Miss Bones. You can bet all this has me very intrigued," he responded, recognizing the close of the conversation.
"Very well, if that is all, I shall take my leave. Until later, gentlemen," Amelia said, surely already thinking about the many other things she had to handle.
The three men watched as she walked away, turned the corner, and disappeared from sight.
"Well… is there anything I should know before meeting this mysterious person?"
---
Frieren
Arriving in a completely different world had not been entirely unexpected, but it hadn't ranked very high on her list of possibilities, Frieren reflected as she looked at the walls of the modest room she now found herself in. There was little decoration apart from two comfortable chairs and a large table of fine oak, probably designed for prisoners of high status.
To an unobservant person, it might have seemed as if she were merely wasting time staring into nothingness, but to someone attentive and knowledgeable, it would be clear what she was doing—studying the magical structures around her.
And what an incredible thing it was—it was not that they possessed unimaginable power or particularly exotic effects; they were simply different.
A completely different magical system.
Even Serie would tremble with envy once she had told her.
The moment she arrived on the other side of the portal, she found herself in a room nearly identical to the one she had left, and just as she had feared, the portal had deactivated, leaving her trapped with only her staff and her clothes. As if that were not enough, her arrival had triggered what she was fairly sure was a kind of alarm. The only positive was that time seemed to flow faster here compared to her world—though by how much, she could not tell.
Expecting traps or monsters, she had been slightly surprised when suddenly surrounded by several wizards appearing in bursts of light. If she had not known she had traveled an unimaginable distance—Or she would have understood the language they were shouting—She might have thought they were Imperials due to their use of similar magical foci.
Frieren had seen their wands in action, and although she still preferred staffs, she would admit That their smaller size made them more maneuverable.
Maybe I was just too eager to finally use the translation spell..., Frieren thought, a bit embarrassed. She was always glad when one of her many stored spells proved useful, but this time she had rushed it.
Everyone on the continent spoke the same common language, so this had been her first time using it—Unfortunately for her, the only wizard who also carried a staff like her had interpreted it as an attack.
After that, everything had escalated to the point where Frieren had been forced to disarm and even knock out some of the more enthusiastic wizards.
Well… things could have gone worse, she reflected as she sank deeper into the chair, annoyed at how things had unfolded. Amelia Bones was truly intense she reminded her of Fern when she scolded her.
Her ears twitched slightly when she heard the sound of the door opening. I was wondering when he would enter, she thought, raising her gaze to see the most powerful wizard in the building.
She had sensed it upon arriving and had been tracking it ever since. Until now, everyone around her had been a mage, and although the overall amount of mana was rather low on average, some were not bad at all—for humans.
And he was, by far, the one with the most mana
This sparked a small feeling of intrigue and curiosity in her. She was very aware of her master's dream, and the possibility of seeing it realized in this world fascinated her.
A world where everyone can appreciate and use magic—that's what I want, Frieren remembered, casting away the warm memory of her master to focus on the present.
"Hello," she greeted her new visitor—an elderly man, tall and slender, with a long white beard and hair, both well-groomed and reaching his waist. His eyes, a deep blue, watched her from behind a pair of half-moon glasses. From the moment he walked through the door, he had been analyzing her. All of that, combined with his long black robes and grandfatherly smile, marked him clearly as an old wizard from a mile away.
"Greetings, young lady. Forgive the curiosity of this old man, but I must say you have truly caused quite a stir."
Another thing she would have to get used to—apparently, there were no elves here. She was not too surprised; even in her own world, her species was on the brink of extinction.
A world without elves… the era of humanity. I wonder if I will see here the world my master dreamed of.
"Mhm, I might have been a bit impulsive in finally testing my translation spell. But allow me to introduce myself, young man—I am Frieren, last great mage, demon-slayer, and an elf over a thousand years old," she finished with a slight smile and reaching out her hand, in what turned out to be an interplanetary greeting.
The elderly man seemed to falter for a second before coughing and clearing his throat. "Ah—well, pardon my lack of respect. I had not been informed of that part. I am used to being the oldest person in the room." he accepted her outstretched hand.
"Don't worry about it, you couldn't have known," she downplayed. "Elves do not really age, so it is difficult to tell at a glance if you are unfamiliar with us," she explained kindly, showing the maturity of a truly experienced woman.
"Fascinating... Only phoenixes and vampires might live so long without external methods of prolonging life…" he murmured to himself.
"Pleased to meet you, Frieren. I am Albus Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry—One of the most exquisite places of learning in the magical world. I must say, the reason for your arrival in this world has me quite intrigued. What could have brought you here?"
Frieren gave her best smile. "Nothing more than the curiosity to discover new magic... I was studying a magical arc with my student and another teammate... It was too dangerous for them to accompany me, and I was curious to see where such an artifact might take me. An unexplored land with unknown magics has exceeded my expectations..."
"I see… certainly a good reason to travel." She was not sure whether he believed her, but the older man seemed more focused on another matter. "What about your student? Is she not in danger without you?" he asked suddenly. As headmaster of a school, it made sense that his mind would go straight to Fern.
"Danger…" The word made her reflect. Danger was something that everyone—even she and Serie—lived with in her world, and yet…
"Despite the great number of dangers in my world, I do not doubt that Fern will know how to take care of herself. She is no longer the little girl who needed to be led by the hand…" Frieren shared, teacher to teacher.
"I have seen her grow. Even if I never return, I know she will succeed and surpass expectations. Fern will become the greatest mage of her era," she said without hesitation. And to think it had been so many years since she nearly refused to teach her out of fear that she would die on their travels…
"Besides... she is well accompanied," she added at the last moment, thinking of young Stark. That was how confident and proud she was of her student.
The old headmaster seemed relieved by her answer. He pulled out the chair on the other side of the table and sank into it. "It seems you place great trust in her... Tell me, would you like a lemon drop?"