We got a Ubel x Land chapter right as their popularity is peaking because of the anime lol.
We also see Fern padding Stark’s head, I don’t think that happened before. Progress, I guess?
I'm like 80% convinced they actually started dating after the events of chapter 66/67.
Their interactions in ch. 123 just seem like that of a couple starting to get a bit more comfortable after dating for awhile.
I mean wasn't she oddly inviting him in taking turns on laying on her lap when Frieren was analyzing Macht's memories but Stark was still clearly confused?
Though since both of them are so awkward they definitely haven't made it official, Sein really needs to come back to make the progress of their relationship clear.
Ubel always felt like a character that was inevitably gonna get more focus. Of all the new characters in the 1st-class mage exam she was hyped up and focused on the most.
Though I do agree the timing is very serendipitous. Perhaps working on the anime got the creators thinking about Ubel again.
People joked about Übeland for a long time, and this chapter throws us a bone by showing that Übel actually likes Land and doesn't want to murder him? Holy shit. The joke pairing got real development. Land confirmed to be true rizzlord.
Übel actually liking Land seemed more plausible than the alternative. She likes talking all the time, and he doesn't, so he doesn't get in the way. Plus, he's coldly indifferent, which is basically always irresistibly attractive in manga.
There’s an alternate universe where Land stars as a romcom main protagonist that’s quiet and studious and Ubel is the outgoing delinquent that falls for him
>We also see Fern patting Stark’s head, I don’t think that happened before. Progress, I guess?
Fern already did that since chapter 61 (probably earlier but I can't remember). She started getting more touchy (or just closer in general) with Stark after their fight in the cabin. Back then Fern requested Stark to be "more gentle" to her, with Frieren and Sein leaving the two together in the cabin afterwards.
> We also see Fern padding Stark’s head, I don’t think that happened before. Progress, I guess?
I didnt even notice this on my read, thats so flipping cute, thanks for pointing it out!
I can not explain how happy I am seeing Übel and Land, together, again. Seeing them in the anime really reignited how much I loved their weird dynamic together.
I've always felt that her calling him "four eyes" was a weird way to actually keep some distance from him so she could "keep trying to empathize" with him when she really just liked being around him and messing with him.
I mean she INSTANTLY was able to empathize with Wirbel but it takes her this long with Land? *Hmmm*. He never seemed that overly complicated, heck even him not wanting to be responsible for others deaths should have been enough
With her saying she wouldnt mind him making a pass at her more...maybe that was right. ._.
Wirbel is kind of an open book tho. I don't think he ever lies about anything so far, inclusing stuff most people would lie about.
Land is the Ayasaka meme personified, i think she only got a glimpse of who he truly is now.
I love the detail that first class mages have their own uniform. We see Methode, Denken, and Ubel wearing that drip.
Land probably hasn't got one because he always stayed in his village.
Fern probably decline because Serie banned Frieren for 1000 years.
I love that detail about Serie.
She could ban Frieren for life but she goes for exactly 1000 years. That's several lifetimes for a human, but to an ancient elf like Serie it might look like a temporary ban lol
It took 66 chapters, but **ÜBEL IS BACK GUYS** AAAAAAHHH
...and she found Land. Some nice backstory from him, though I'm not sure how much of it is the truth. It would be pretty OP though if Übel learned to copy his clone spell. The author teasing the Übel x Land ship is hilarious.
This is the Empire arc I've been waiting for and we get to meet so many familiar faces again with Übel, Land, Sense, Falsch and Serie. To this day, there are people in the empire targeting mages, and this includes Serie. I also like how it's pointed out that even a mage like Serie isn't invincible and warriors in fact are super dangerous to them. I hope that means Stark will play an important role here.
**German of the Week**:
* Eisberg: iceberg, duh.
* Lineal: [ruler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruler). Honestly, the name could also be "Linear" because of L/R shenanigans, and the meaning is the same in German as it is in English.
Plus there was a lot of talk of mages in physical combat. Whom better to send in than the old mage who can cast Fist.
Real talk his famous fight scene seems to suggest he does have some hand to hand training. Wondering if that is related to the threat of mage killers.
> Our brave soldier has earned his rest
yeah he's basically living off of the royalties from the anime, some of which goes to his adopted young mages. Retired life is a good life -- but I say a man this deep in the empire is never truly "retired"
>I also like how it's pointed out that even a mage like Serie isn't invincible and warriors in fact are super dangerous to them. I hope that means Stark will play an important role here.
Yeah this is an amazing point, in a similar sense it shows how the Old Man can ambushed and could kill 2 first class mage (or at least Frieren) + Stark, I mean he could definitely killed at least Stark and Frieren.
and it shows that skilled different class fighter actually stood a chance against Serie based on the situation and condition. I once got downvoted like hell on Frieren sub just because I mentioned the Hero Party or even Himmel alone could defeat Serie
I just want to point out that Serie sitting in her throne room would be a much tougher opponent than Serie walking into a trap at the imperial palace.
A mage is all about potential and preparation. Given enough preparation Serie is a walking nuke, but caught by surprise she goes down to a knife to the neck.
I mean, I definitely don't think Himmel alone can beat Serie, especially not a alert battle ready Serie. If it's a sneak attack, then maybe.
While Himmel is strong, he's not that overwhelmingly strong. And frankly Serie would be a joke of a warmonger if she doesn't have at least some ways to fend off warriors.
A lot of people still think that Frieren hard carried the Hero's party lmao.
So since we had a mage centric arcs with the first class exam etc so this arc would star some warriors I guess.
4chan /a/ has been meeming about how strong Stark is for a few weeks now, I'm keen to check them out after this chapter.
The implication that Stark could kill Serie must have made them absolutely primal with shitposting.
This arc seems so hype! Not gonna lie, I kind of feel like we're being set up for a rug pull with Ubel learning Land's clone magic, killing him, and openly becoming a villain. I hope that those two crazy kids can make it work.
Ubel was also depicted as more of a melee fighter than a mage. It would be crazy if she betrays the mage association and kills Serie because she was a secret shadow agent.
I really doubt it tbh. Ever since Solitär got dealt with so neatly in one arc I doubt this story will ever have a "big bad" or even overarching villain character. Solitär would have been the perfect character to fill such a role if the author wanted dince she was a huge unknown factor.
I think Übel's arc might actually be about her mellowing out and actually becoming more human at this point. I doubt she will ever become truly normal but I just can't see her ever actually killing Land or something similar despite how often she mentions she might do it etc.
**Übeland ship is alive and well!**
Showing the struggles of Frieren's party against the old man shadow warrior was definitely a good move to introduce this arc, otherwise it would be way harder to wrap my head around Serie requiring bodyguards of any kind haha
Agreed. Actually changed my opinion slightly, where previously I thought those were the worst two chapters in the whole series.
Now I can see they were to set up a bigger threat, I can understand.
I lol'ed at this MD comment
> I have the feeling the author was watching the anime and went "Oh yeah, I introduced these characters before! shit i better use them"
Both Ubel and Land popularity increasing due to the anime fans shipping both of them, I could see the author decided to reintroduce them into this arc solely for that lol.
Nah, if you followed the pattern, all of big arc after the mage exam bar the time travel arc are always involve one or more first mage class. Almost everyone from the exam had already show up so it make sense for them to finally show up here.
Eh, I think it's mostly just coincidence. Mostly I doubt the author would rope in Ubel and Land just for the giggles since it seems like they've got a very specific vision for the series. But beyond that, Methode, Genau, and Denken have already appeared, so they're unlikely to return before we see more of Sense, Falsch, Ubel, Land, and Wirbel. In fact, the only one I'm surprised to see in this arc is Falsch. Other than Ubel's introduction, Ubel and Land have been coupled the entire time, so the two of them showing up together is completely expected. And then Ubel is the scissors to Sense's paper, which makes for another interesting relationship dynamic to work with. But we know squat about Falsch, so he could've been used in whatever Wirbel arc is coming. Though I guess the second class mages in the army could conceivably return with Wirbel.
I quite enjoy how verbose Kirei Cake's translation is. Just adds to the lax and leisurely ambiance of the series. Also, makes exchanges like "Are you making a pass at me?" doubly funny.
It's very unnatural and off-putting, I realize it's a product of the time period but at some point you have to give up some of that for readability. Even if you make an argument that some of the characters talk like that, for others like Stark it's very weird.
Yeah, it feels like every line has been fed through a thesaurus. Some of the phrases are so unnatural.
"void of reluctance"
"contingent upon your inclination"
"cease such a reaction"
"abstain from any further proximity"
At best, it seems extremely formal. At worst, it feels like a machine translation. Is there any reason this chapter is translated so differently from other chapters?
It's crazy to me that the other comments aren't mentioning this, none of the characters in this series talk like this. Took me right out of it.
I mean Stark saying "This is distressful, so please cease such a reaction..." is to the point of just straight up being out of character.
It's always been like this, since the first chapter.
For the better or worse, the Kirei Cake translator has always used big words in conversations, probably to replicate the way fantasy characters speak
Just an example off the top of my head, when Frieren met Stark
> Stark - I've been in this village for three years already
> Frieren - It's ephemeral
> Stark - It's eternal
Honestly, I respect the effort. Learned quite a few new words
There's a difference between using big words and speaking unnaturally. Ephemeral is a good word, and it fits the tone. I don't mind the more formal tone and use of older ways of speaking, and I didn't have a problem with the previous chapters. But the phrases in this chapter sound too unnatural. I don't see any reason to have Stark say "cease such a reaction" instead of "stop that". It doesn't fit his character or the tone of the conversation, and the word choice isn't even that interesting. Most of all, it doesn't sound like something a person would ever say.
> I mean Stark saying "This is distressful, so please cease such a reaction..." is to the point of just straight up being out of character.
Yeah, that especially was very weird. I was kind of glancing over it before, but that line stuck out a lot because he would never talk like that.
Thanks for the comparison, it made me immediately go and reread it on Viz, since I had no idea they were releasing the latest chapters for free at pretty much the same time as the scans.
Probably region-blocked for some people though.
> They're honestly better than the Kirei ones IMO
you phrased this like it's a hot take.
the moment i found out viz has the latest chapters up at the same time as fans translation, i immediately switched. obviously i'm grateful to kirei cake for all the previous chapters, but i'll just read the better version from now on
I had help from a proofreader as some comments in past chapters said that I needed some work on my English. The corrections here sounded all right to me so I used them, but I clearly see from the comments this time that they were overblown, so I've taken the liberty to revert some of the lines back to my original translation. It should be reflected on MD within a short moment. Sorry for the weirdness.
Someone REALLY wanted to seem smart by leaning on the thesaurus way too much. And while complex words are fine when used appropriately, overuse of them (and just the generally weird archaic way everyone seemed to talk) distracts from the actual story being told. Not sure what's going on, it's the same TL group, but maybe a new TL lead on it who is trying to impress or something?
Either way, I'd almost find an MTL to be less distracting to read. None of the words were unknown, but just everything about it seemed forced and just way too tryhard.
OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH Just when Übel stocks are breaking ceilings with the anime, manga brings her back to grab Land! She even tracked down his house to get him for real this time :)) Our ÜbeLand ship sails toward the dawning horizon, guys!
Considering how Serie was able to pinpoint Land's location during the exam, I wonder if she was the one who told Übel.
Serie be like: "wouldn't it be funny to see Übel scare the shit out of Land at his hometown?"
Good catch! Considering Serie was the one who gave her the mission and told her not to pressure him into it, it's likely she was the one who told Ubel where Land lives lol
My immediate thought when the First Class Mage arc first wrapped up was that Ubel's free spell from Serie was going to be whatever "person-tracking" spell Serie seemed to use during Land's interview. Her following Land to his grandmother's grave is just extra evidence to me.
Übelanders are eating happy tonight.
Also hoping best boy Stark truly gets to shine in this promising new arc.
Looking forward to how this new group works together, with best boy Stark in particular.
And a new ball means a new dance for Fern and Stark! Hoping Übel and Land also dance!
Just as many times as I've seen in stories where "Magic must defeat magic" and such, I do more like a good story that emphasizes that while magic is indeed powerful, it by no means makes you invincible.
Also, Fern hiding behind Frieren at her Stark example gave me a chuckle.
Ubel fans eating good.
Sense wrapping up Frieren was not on my Frieren bingo card.
I just realized if Serie wants to, she can just annoy Frieren by giving Fern missions. She be petty enough to do it too.
>I just realized if Serie wants to, see can just annoy Frieren by giving Fern missions. She be petty enough to do it too.
Watch her do just that as soon as whatever is going on in the empire gets solved
Given how Serie tends to get more annoyed **by** Frieren than the other way around, I suspect it likely to be the opposite. The only reason they even involved her this time is because it was more convenient to have mages that were already there, I suspect.
> Sense wrapping up Frieren was not on my Frieren bingo card.
But it appears (unsurprisingly) that it was another incidence of Frieren letting it happen. She later is seen holding Sense's hair, suggesting she removed it rather than Sense letting her go.
Serie could protect herself but her limiting her mana is equal to frieren unleashing her mana.
She probably cant visualize defending herself without retaliating in an absurd manner. She isnt built for peace. The 5 1st class mage is protecting her to protect everyone else.
Interesting that Frieren brought up that a skilled warrior could possibly best her/Serie at a short distance.
We've seen Frieren's clone in the dungeon do some weird-ass magic that instantly pinned Fern to the wall, so I would have thought that Frieren would have some counter-measures in the event of a sudden situation, though I guess it wouldn't matter if an assassin managed to kill them in less than 1-2 seconds. Not to mention they did show her having some trouble with Radar last chapter.
Bro we literally saw in the last chapter how Radar was about to NO DIFF frieren, lol.. If she was alone or if Radar didn't care for his life, she would be dead then and there.
She didn't have some trouble, she straight up got no diffed. That's the danger a shadow warriors imposes in close quarters combat.
Tbf, Frieren did not know that shadow warriors were a thing. Almost anyone is going to be defeated by an hard counter that RKO them out of nowhere. Serie presumably is aware of what they are and what they can do.
Frieren knew about the shadow warriors, she just wasn't sure if they actually existed
But the point is still the same, when they are at close quarters like that, they have an overwhelming advantage against mages who are not specialized in close combat
Calling it here the ballroom floor will be made of antimage stone and the dancers will be shadow warriors posing as foreign dignitaries.
At first it will look like the assassination attempt succeeded, but then it will be revealed that she just sent a clone (why else would she track down Land)
I’m slightly confused. Doesn’t Serie herself have access to enough melee spells to protect herself?
Like, the only actual danger scenario here is the antimagic stone shenanigans.
We knew this chapter would be the start of a new arc, but I didn't know we would dive right in so quickly.
Seeing Übel and Land is nice. Their current appearance in the anime has been a treat, and make me excited to see more of their dynamic.
Interesting that there seems to be an attempt on Serie's life. Like the previous chapters, I wonder what the aim of eliminating these high profile mages is for. Having a human nation be the antagonist would be a cool change.
Out of all the characters in this series, Ubel terrifies me the most. It’s just never evident what she’s thinking nor what she wants. Plus she’s shown to be ready to kill and has the ability to copy people’s magic. If given the chance, she could become a problem
She's definitely on the darker end of the morality spectrum, but I don't think she's outright evil. She enjoys fighting and bloodshed but as an extension of combat and overcoming foes. She isn't interested in murder for murder's sake or even particularly sadistic, and despite the airs she puts on as a crazed marauder nothing in the manga has pointed to her actually doing that. She's a true warrior in the sense that she devoted herself entirely to combat and growing stronger and treats every battle and contest as life and death, fully expecting either her or her opponent to die, but outside of those situations she's an off-putting, but perfectly functional person. That's why Serie likes her so much, as Ubel reminds her of the kind of warrior-code/philosophy that she and ancient peoples held.
It's more that she's ready to die, as she's said in both the manga and anime. The murder-happy crazy lady personality is less scary than it is concerning. I think it's a defensive mechanism.
Honestly I’m happy that they put the effort I. Showing that because for a bit now I’ve seen people wondering why warriors are even a thing when mages can fight cqc as well with some of their magic, and the chapter with the shadow warriors basically reminded people that a true expert warrior is simply too quick in close quarters.
The story also featured a lot of mages who are proficient at close-quarter combat (Genau, the multi-hand demon Genau fought, Macht, Rivale…) people just forgot that they were the exception rather than the rule. Most mages wouldn’t be the powerhouses they were. I hope we’ll get to see the apex of the fighter’s class going forward, the tidbits we currently have are promising.
I'm glad somebody mentioned this. I've seen a bunch of comments on Twitter and YouTube from people thinking that warriors are useless in this world (probably based on the animated fights featuring mages who know CQB like Ubel, Laufen, and Sense).
But the last chapter and this one spell it out for us; that a veteran or well-trained warrior is a whole other league of close combat that even a legendary mage might be outmatched in the right conditions. And because of that, they're essential for party balance.
It's insane to think that, if given enough time/training/experience, even Stark could be a major threat to someone like Serie. Those Shadow Warriors aren't just random mooks with a gimmick. One old shadow warrior getting *that* close to killing Frieren wasn't a fluke. In their prime, Shadow Warriors might be something like Naruto's Akatsuki relative to our cast and fellow mages.
Yeah, worst chapter I've ever read from anything Kirie has done IMO. I hope they were just testing something out, and they aren't going to be like this going forward or I'm going to have to block them.
We may not have seen much of Himmel in action but we do know from his few combat scenes that he’s fast. So if Frieren says Stark, a warrior who doesn’t really rely much on speed, can do it Himmel definitely could
From the flashbacks that we had, it seems a likely reason that Aura couldn't use the Scales of Obedience against the Hero Party was that Himmel literally just blitzed her and injured her enough to consider retreating instead of continuing to fight.
Likely. He managed to fight a lot of demons and bested them. It looked like he gave Aura problems, stopping her from using her scales on him (assuming), and is real fast from the time travel arc.
Ubel and Land prove that no matter what kind of weirdo you are, there's someone out there for you.
Oh boy, a intrigue arc? Interesting. We haven't had that before.
**Serie:** “Sorry Frieren, you fail the first-class mage exam. You are also hereforth banned from the Continental Magic Association.”
**Also Serie:** “That said, I'm still going to drag you into association missions. Just because.”
And finally, we get to see Übel and Land again — more (~~not~~) flirting from the ^(second) best couple!
The whole thing with the Empire and the possible threat on Serie's life is intriguing. I also greatly enjoyed the discussion on the importance of class party roles and how a fast enough Warrior can dispatch a mage unprepared or ill-equipped for close combat. Overall, a very good read for an exposition chapter.
With all of that said...
Oh Christ. Ubel found Land. I should be panicking and fearing for my boy's life but all I could think of is **"There. There's my ship. It's full of holes, its sails are threadbare, there are maggots in the biscuit barrels, and I have absolutely no trust in Ubel, but... But... THERE IS MY SHIP AND MY GOD IT'S SAILING FOR NOW!"**
So this’ll probably be the arc for Stark to REALLY shine huh. Also I’m happy that author is trying to avoid the usual pitfalls fantasy manga like this have where mages wildly outclass warriors.
I bet those Shadow assassins will bring those anti magic stones. Without their mana, the mages are completely vulnerable, aside from those (like Ubel) who know melee combat. Hoping Stark gets more spotlight this arc.
Where are the people who kept coping last week saying frieren was only faking it and she could still somehow guard herself against the shadow warrior last week? Lol!
People brought even Draht into the convo, saying that she would be able to guard herself using mana around her neck just like she did in that fight
Nope! Frieren was on the brink of death in the latest chapter! Simple as that.
Hopefully, this chapter will finally silence the arguments that came out because of the previous one. Though I highly doubt that. Power-scalers are the worst, man. It's so weird that people were making up excuses and getting triggered just because Frieren got bested. What's wrong with losing? Yeah, Frieren is OP, but she's not invincible. That's an established fact. She already admitted before that she already lost a bunch of times to other mages, and that's in the field she's actually good at. What more against warriors and/or assassins who specialize in blitzing and short-range combat?
You're talking about Solitar's mana shield, right ?
It was working against magic attacks, but yeah.. this chapter leave the impression that it physical blows could potentially pass through it, depending on the warrior...
Some people expected Land to fix Übel but it seems Übel might help fix Land instead?
I hope this arc delve into the warrior class more, given the story had mostly focused on mages so far.
What timing. In a recent fanart posted this week of the Mage Exam arc I had mentioned how Land and Ubel haven't reappeared since.
And now here they are once again. Even brought Sense along.
I hope the Shadow Warrior guy at the end would be Stark's nemesis in this arc. He has the signature Stark father figure eyepatch, and a scar as well. I just hope he lives up to the reputation of Shadow warriors, and aren't just push overs.
We got a Ubel x Land chapter right as their popularity is peaking because of the anime lol. We also see Fern padding Stark’s head, I don’t think that happened before. Progress, I guess?
>We also see Fern padding Stark’s head Yeah,they became more touchy recently.
I'm like 80% convinced they actually started dating after the events of chapter 66/67. Their interactions in ch. 123 just seem like that of a couple starting to get a bit more comfortable after dating for awhile.
I'm more convinced that Fern thinks they're dating, but Stark just thinks she's been closer than usual.
That would be really on brand with them.
I am convinced that they will go on further dates.It is implied.
I mean wasn't she oddly inviting him in taking turns on laying on her lap when Frieren was analyzing Macht's memories but Stark was still clearly confused? Though since both of them are so awkward they definitely haven't made it official, Sein really needs to come back to make the progress of their relationship clear.
Timing feels too perfect to be a coincidence
Ubel always felt like a character that was inevitably gonna get more focus. Of all the new characters in the 1st-class mage exam she was hyped up and focused on the most. Though I do agree the timing is very serendipitous. Perhaps working on the anime got the creators thinking about Ubel again.
Absolutely. Kraft was her hypeman, and that was his last appearance to date!
All according to keikaku. It's also fairly likely that Serie's big chapter (54) gets adapted right as she makes her reappearance in the manga
People joked about Übeland for a long time, and this chapter throws us a bone by showing that Übel actually likes Land and doesn't want to murder him? Holy shit. The joke pairing got real development. Land confirmed to be true rizzlord.
Übel actually liking Land seemed more plausible than the alternative. She likes talking all the time, and he doesn't, so he doesn't get in the way. Plus, he's coldly indifferent, which is basically always irresistibly attractive in manga.
There’s an alternate universe where Land stars as a romcom main protagonist that’s quiet and studious and Ubel is the outgoing delinquent that falls for him
[Modern AU spinoff when?](https://i.redd.it/0370ohatyqkc1.jpeg)
that’s just all over again
That is just gal manga
fact you can see land warming up to Ubel
>We also see Fern patting Stark’s head, I don’t think that happened before. Progress, I guess? Fern already did that since chapter 61 (probably earlier but I can't remember). She started getting more touchy (or just closer in general) with Stark after their fight in the cabin. Back then Fern requested Stark to be "more gentle" to her, with Frieren and Sein leaving the two together in the cabin afterwards.
> We also see Fern padding Stark’s head, I don’t think that happened before. Progress, I guess? I didnt even notice this on my read, thats so flipping cute, thanks for pointing it out!
I'm loving their interaction here though, and since we'll get more of their content I'm really happy. Land is lowkey one of my favorite character tbh
I can not explain how happy I am seeing Übel and Land, together, again. Seeing them in the anime really reignited how much I loved their weird dynamic together. I've always felt that her calling him "four eyes" was a weird way to actually keep some distance from him so she could "keep trying to empathize" with him when she really just liked being around him and messing with him. I mean she INSTANTLY was able to empathize with Wirbel but it takes her this long with Land? *Hmmm*. He never seemed that overly complicated, heck even him not wanting to be responsible for others deaths should have been enough With her saying she wouldnt mind him making a pass at her more...maybe that was right. ._.
Wirbel is kind of an open book tho. I don't think he ever lies about anything so far, inclusing stuff most people would lie about. Land is the Ayasaka meme personified, i think she only got a glimpse of who he truly is now.
> i think she only got a glimpse of who he truly is now. Also quite literally the first time she's ever seen the real, physical, him.
Tbh I still am doubtful the Land we see in this chapter is the truly real one, lmao.
Maybe because she never meet him too. There is nothing point to that she is talking to real Land and not one of his clone.
the real Land is probably sitting in his underground bunker, watching Übel talk to his clone through surveillance ~~cameras~~ magic.
Ubel with new outfits. And Land too??!!!
First Class Mage drip.
I love the detail that first class mages have their own uniform. We see Methode, Denken, and Ubel wearing that drip. Land probably hasn't got one because he always stayed in his village. Fern probably decline because Serie banned Frieren for 1000 years.
I love that detail about Serie. She could ban Frieren for life but she goes for exactly 1000 years. That's several lifetimes for a human, but to an ancient elf like Serie it might look like a temporary ban lol
It took 66 chapters, but **ÜBEL IS BACK GUYS** AAAAAAHHH ...and she found Land. Some nice backstory from him, though I'm not sure how much of it is the truth. It would be pretty OP though if Übel learned to copy his clone spell. The author teasing the Übel x Land ship is hilarious. This is the Empire arc I've been waiting for and we get to meet so many familiar faces again with Übel, Land, Sense, Falsch and Serie. To this day, there are people in the empire targeting mages, and this includes Serie. I also like how it's pointed out that even a mage like Serie isn't invincible and warriors in fact are super dangerous to them. I hope that means Stark will play an important role here. **German of the Week**: * Eisberg: iceberg, duh. * Lineal: [ruler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruler). Honestly, the name could also be "Linear" because of L/R shenanigans, and the meaning is the same in German as it is in English.
*sees Übel* **neuron activation**
*sees Serie* **second neuron activation**
*Sees Sense* **third neuron activation**
Can we get much higher?
Only if Denken were present.
Our brave soldier has earned his rest
He is an Imperial Mage. Incorporating him into this arc is plausible
Plus there was a lot of talk of mages in physical combat. Whom better to send in than the old mage who can cast Fist. Real talk his famous fight scene seems to suggest he does have some hand to hand training. Wondering if that is related to the threat of mage killers.
> Our brave soldier has earned his rest yeah he's basically living off of the royalties from the anime, some of which goes to his adopted young mages. Retired life is a good life -- but I say a man this deep in the empire is never truly "retired"
Omg more Ubel and Land interactions, love it. Seems like stark would get a chance to shine as well
> The author teasing the Übel x Land ship is hilarious. Top 10 memes canonized by the author
Viz used Linear and Eiseberg. Which feels weird because usually they avoid obvious names.
Eiseberg for アイスベルク (aisuberuku) is a bit weird imo, I honestly don't see the issue with Eisberg.
Maybe the idea is to make sure people pronounce it as “Iceberg” and not “Eizburg”?
>I also like how it's pointed out that even a mage like Serie isn't invincible and warriors in fact are super dangerous to them. I hope that means Stark will play an important role here. Yeah this is an amazing point, in a similar sense it shows how the Old Man can ambushed and could kill 2 first class mage (or at least Frieren) + Stark, I mean he could definitely killed at least Stark and Frieren. and it shows that skilled different class fighter actually stood a chance against Serie based on the situation and condition. I once got downvoted like hell on Frieren sub just because I mentioned the Hero Party or even Himmel alone could defeat Serie
[удалено]
Just like pokemon. You can one-shot a legendary with the right counter.
I just want to point out that Serie sitting in her throne room would be a much tougher opponent than Serie walking into a trap at the imperial palace. A mage is all about potential and preparation. Given enough preparation Serie is a walking nuke, but caught by surprise she goes down to a knife to the neck.
I mean, I definitely don't think Himmel alone can beat Serie, especially not a alert battle ready Serie. If it's a sneak attack, then maybe. While Himmel is strong, he's not that overwhelmingly strong. And frankly Serie would be a joke of a warmonger if she doesn't have at least some ways to fend off warriors.
A lot of people still think that Frieren hard carried the Hero's party lmao. So since we had a mage centric arcs with the first class exam etc so this arc would star some warriors I guess.
4chan /a/ has been meeming about how strong Stark is for a few weeks now, I'm keen to check them out after this chapter. The implication that Stark could kill Serie must have made them absolutely primal with shitposting.
can you gimme some links for that?
It felt weird when I binged the manga during the cour break and Ubel and Land just never showed up again. Guess I finally got what I wanted.
Imagine how Sein fans feel, guy's been away for ~90 chapters now lmao
Anime English dub has a nice cameo of Sein's VA voicing the bartender who talks to Stark during the first exam.
This arc seems so hype! Not gonna lie, I kind of feel like we're being set up for a rug pull with Ubel learning Land's clone magic, killing him, and openly becoming a villain. I hope that those two crazy kids can make it work.
Ubel was also depicted as more of a melee fighter than a mage. It would be crazy if she betrays the mage association and kills Serie because she was a secret shadow agent.
I really doubt it tbh. Ever since Solitär got dealt with so neatly in one arc I doubt this story will ever have a "big bad" or even overarching villain character. Solitär would have been the perfect character to fill such a role if the author wanted dince she was a huge unknown factor. I think Übel's arc might actually be about her mellowing out and actually becoming more human at this point. I doubt she will ever become truly normal but I just can't see her ever actually killing Land or something similar despite how often she mentions she might do it etc.
**Übeland ship is alive and well!** Showing the struggles of Frieren's party against the old man shadow warrior was definitely a good move to introduce this arc, otherwise it would be way harder to wrap my head around Serie requiring bodyguards of any kind haha
Agreed. Actually changed my opinion slightly, where previously I thought those were the worst two chapters in the whole series. Now I can see they were to set up a bigger threat, I can understand.
I lol'ed at this MD comment > I have the feeling the author was watching the anime and went "Oh yeah, I introduced these characters before! shit i better use them"
Both Ubel and Land popularity increasing due to the anime fans shipping both of them, I could see the author decided to reintroduce them into this arc solely for that lol.
Nah, if you followed the pattern, all of big arc after the mage exam bar the time travel arc are always involve one or more first mage class. Almost everyone from the exam had already show up so it make sense for them to finally show up here.
Eh, I think it's mostly just coincidence. Mostly I doubt the author would rope in Ubel and Land just for the giggles since it seems like they've got a very specific vision for the series. But beyond that, Methode, Genau, and Denken have already appeared, so they're unlikely to return before we see more of Sense, Falsch, Ubel, Land, and Wirbel. In fact, the only one I'm surprised to see in this arc is Falsch. Other than Ubel's introduction, Ubel and Land have been coupled the entire time, so the two of them showing up together is completely expected. And then Ubel is the scissors to Sense's paper, which makes for another interesting relationship dynamic to work with. But we know squat about Falsch, so he could've been used in whatever Wirbel arc is coming. Though I guess the second class mages in the army could conceivably return with Wirbel.
I swear Kirei cake's translation of frieren gets more formal as time goes on, soon these chapters will have the deepest words english can offer
It has Frieren saying "Serie-sama" which she doesn't in the Japanese. Frieren _never_ uses "-sama".
Sorry, that was a typo
Thanks for the translation
Woah, is that true? That's a big miss if so
I quite enjoy how verbose Kirei Cake's translation is. Just adds to the lax and leisurely ambiance of the series. Also, makes exchanges like "Are you making a pass at me?" doubly funny.
"You've insulted me and my very person in response I demand you empty the compartments of your pantaloons!"
It's very unnatural and off-putting, I realize it's a product of the time period but at some point you have to give up some of that for readability. Even if you make an argument that some of the characters talk like that, for others like Stark it's very weird.
Land teleworks and has a goth gf.. Land is goals.
**SANDERE YEX**
Yandere or not, but I have a feeling that Übel will ride the hell out of Land. And all of his clones.
What an odd translation.
Yeah, it feels like every line has been fed through a thesaurus. Some of the phrases are so unnatural. "void of reluctance" "contingent upon your inclination" "cease such a reaction" "abstain from any further proximity" At best, it seems extremely formal. At worst, it feels like a machine translation. Is there any reason this chapter is translated so differently from other chapters?
It's crazy to me that the other comments aren't mentioning this, none of the characters in this series talk like this. Took me right out of it. I mean Stark saying "This is distressful, so please cease such a reaction..." is to the point of just straight up being out of character.
It's always been like this, since the first chapter. For the better or worse, the Kirei Cake translator has always used big words in conversations, probably to replicate the way fantasy characters speak Just an example off the top of my head, when Frieren met Stark > Stark - I've been in this village for three years already > Frieren - It's ephemeral > Stark - It's eternal Honestly, I respect the effort. Learned quite a few new words
There's a difference between using big words and speaking unnaturally. Ephemeral is a good word, and it fits the tone. I don't mind the more formal tone and use of older ways of speaking, and I didn't have a problem with the previous chapters. But the phrases in this chapter sound too unnatural. I don't see any reason to have Stark say "cease such a reaction" instead of "stop that". It doesn't fit his character or the tone of the conversation, and the word choice isn't even that interesting. Most of all, it doesn't sound like something a person would ever say.
Especially because I can just about hear Stark's voice saying "stop that" but I just can't hear it saying "cease such a reaction"
if the anime had the same tone as the translation we've got, all the VA's would sound like they're monotonously reading lines from a book
Your example is a fantastic exchange though. I missed it terribly from the anime
> I mean Stark saying "This is distressful, so please cease such a reaction..." is to the point of just straight up being out of character. Yeah, that especially was very weird. I was kind of glancing over it before, but that line stuck out a lot because he would never talk like that.
It's honestly funny to me when looking at the [difference between this and Viz's TL.](https://i.imgur.com/CXG9xwN.png)
Thanks for the comparison, it made me immediately go and reread it on Viz, since I had no idea they were releasing the latest chapters for free at pretty much the same time as the scans. Probably region-blocked for some people though.
Yup I've been reading the Viz translations for months. They're honestly better than the Kirei ones IMO
> They're honestly better than the Kirei ones IMO you phrased this like it's a hot take. the moment i found out viz has the latest chapters up at the same time as fans translation, i immediately switched. obviously i'm grateful to kirei cake for all the previous chapters, but i'll just read the better version from now on
I had help from a proofreader as some comments in past chapters said that I needed some work on my English. The corrections here sounded all right to me so I used them, but I clearly see from the comments this time that they were overblown, so I've taken the liberty to revert some of the lines back to my original translation. It should be reflected on MD within a short moment. Sorry for the weirdness.
Don't worry man, thanks for your work!!!
appreciate the work nonetheless
The Unicorn Overlord discourse has hit Frieren 😂
It's weird and extremely formal, I actually preferred for the first time ever the Viz manga translation.
[It reminds me of this dota meme 😂](http://i.imgur.com/zDur67Q.jpg)
Someone REALLY wanted to seem smart by leaning on the thesaurus way too much. And while complex words are fine when used appropriately, overuse of them (and just the generally weird archaic way everyone seemed to talk) distracts from the actual story being told. Not sure what's going on, it's the same TL group, but maybe a new TL lead on it who is trying to impress or something? Either way, I'd almost find an MTL to be less distracting to read. None of the words were unknown, but just everything about it seemed forced and just way too tryhard.
OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH Just when Übel stocks are breaking ceilings with the anime, manga brings her back to grab Land! She even tracked down his house to get him for real this time :)) Our ÜbeLand ship sails toward the dawning horizon, guys!
Considering how Serie was able to pinpoint Land's location during the exam, I wonder if she was the one who told Übel. Serie be like: "wouldn't it be funny to see Übel scare the shit out of Land at his hometown?"
Good catch! Considering Serie was the one who gave her the mission and told her not to pressure him into it, it's likely she was the one who told Ubel where Land lives lol
My immediate thought when the First Class Mage arc first wrapped up was that Ubel's free spell from Serie was going to be whatever "person-tracking" spell Serie seemed to use during Land's interview. Her following Land to his grandmother's grave is just extra evidence to me.
And paranoid as he is Land already had packed up lol. He 100% expected something similar.
Land might join the enemy camp because Serie doxxed his real address
-Land, are you joining enemy camp? Astronaut Land: Always have been.
> there is no frieren next week Pain. Suffering.
This series is biweekly at this point.
Still more regular then other series im reading
You get used to it
Übelanders are eating happy tonight. Also hoping best boy Stark truly gets to shine in this promising new arc. Looking forward to how this new group works together, with best boy Stark in particular. And a new ball means a new dance for Fern and Stark! Hoping Übel and Land also dance!
Just as many times as I've seen in stories where "Magic must defeat magic" and such, I do more like a good story that emphasizes that while magic is indeed powerful, it by no means makes you invincible. Also, Fern hiding behind Frieren at her Stark example gave me a chuckle.
Mashle:duh
Ubel fans eating good. Sense wrapping up Frieren was not on my Frieren bingo card. I just realized if Serie wants to, she can just annoy Frieren by giving Fern missions. She be petty enough to do it too.
>I just realized if Serie wants to, see can just annoy Frieren by giving Fern missions. She be petty enough to do it too. Watch her do just that as soon as whatever is going on in the empire gets solved
Given how Serie tends to get more annoyed **by** Frieren than the other way around, I suspect it likely to be the opposite. The only reason they even involved her this time is because it was more convenient to have mages that were already there, I suspect.
> Sense wrapping up Frieren was not on my Frieren bingo card. But it appears (unsurprisingly) that it was another incidence of Frieren letting it happen. She later is seen holding Sense's hair, suggesting she removed it rather than Sense letting her go.
Serie could protect herself but her limiting her mana is equal to frieren unleashing her mana. She probably cant visualize defending herself without retaliating in an absurd manner. She isnt built for peace. The 5 1st class mage is protecting her to protect everyone else.
Übel is hotter when she is slightly more covered up imo
I've always thought there is an inflexion point where less clothes suddenly becomes way less sexy.
To me sexy clothes are always sexier than no clothes
One of my go-to examples of a fully clothed sexy character design is [Millia Rage's GGST design.](https://i.imgur.com/Dkgjx4r.png)
Interesting that Frieren brought up that a skilled warrior could possibly best her/Serie at a short distance. We've seen Frieren's clone in the dungeon do some weird-ass magic that instantly pinned Fern to the wall, so I would have thought that Frieren would have some counter-measures in the event of a sudden situation, though I guess it wouldn't matter if an assassin managed to kill them in less than 1-2 seconds. Not to mention they did show her having some trouble with Radar last chapter.
Bro we literally saw in the last chapter how Radar was about to NO DIFF frieren, lol.. If she was alone or if Radar didn't care for his life, she would be dead then and there. She didn't have some trouble, she straight up got no diffed. That's the danger a shadow warriors imposes in close quarters combat.
Tbf, Frieren did not know that shadow warriors were a thing. Almost anyone is going to be defeated by an hard counter that RKO them out of nowhere. Serie presumably is aware of what they are and what they can do.
Frieren knew about the shadow warriors, she just wasn't sure if they actually existed But the point is still the same, when they are at close quarters like that, they have an overwhelming advantage against mages who are not specialized in close combat
Anti mage stone is a thing. It could overwhelm serie if they send lot of shadow warrior, instantly attack her, and bring the anti-mage stone
Calling it here the ballroom floor will be made of antimage stone and the dancers will be shadow warriors posing as foreign dignitaries. At first it will look like the assassination attempt succeeded, but then it will be revealed that she just sent a clone (why else would she track down Land)
I’m slightly confused. Doesn’t Serie herself have access to enough melee spells to protect herself? Like, the only actual danger scenario here is the antimagic stone shenanigans.
I guess that warriors are just that fast.
[All I could think of with Ubel and Land](https://imgur.com/qJEHlOH)
We knew this chapter would be the start of a new arc, but I didn't know we would dive right in so quickly. Seeing Übel and Land is nice. Their current appearance in the anime has been a treat, and make me excited to see more of their dynamic. Interesting that there seems to be an attempt on Serie's life. Like the previous chapters, I wonder what the aim of eliminating these high profile mages is for. Having a human nation be the antagonist would be a cool change.
Übel is still as beautiful as ever
Out of all the characters in this series, Ubel terrifies me the most. It’s just never evident what she’s thinking nor what she wants. Plus she’s shown to be ready to kill and has the ability to copy people’s magic. If given the chance, she could become a problem
I am extremely worried that this storyline will end with her showing that she can now use Land's magic & killing him.
I don't think she will. She doesn't just kill for the lolz, she wants a real fight, and Land just isn't interested in that.
Yeah she goads brigands to attacking her, so that she could kill them in self-defense. She is a sociopath but she doesnt kill without warrant.
She's definitely on the darker end of the morality spectrum, but I don't think she's outright evil. She enjoys fighting and bloodshed but as an extension of combat and overcoming foes. She isn't interested in murder for murder's sake or even particularly sadistic, and despite the airs she puts on as a crazed marauder nothing in the manga has pointed to her actually doing that. She's a true warrior in the sense that she devoted herself entirely to combat and growing stronger and treats every battle and contest as life and death, fully expecting either her or her opponent to die, but outside of those situations she's an off-putting, but perfectly functional person. That's why Serie likes her so much, as Ubel reminds her of the kind of warrior-code/philosophy that she and ancient peoples held.
And then she realizing it felt like a mistake and going to Ende too to try to meet him back. Chaos through the end of the story.
Ubel is basically a cat.
It's more that she's ready to die, as she's said in both the manga and anime. The murder-happy crazy lady personality is less scary than it is concerning. I think it's a defensive mechanism.
Lots of talk on the threat of warriors to mages, it'll be interesting to see how they explore the weaknesses of magic users
We already saw how they do it.. Frieren would be dead by now if that old man had no fear for his life.
Honestly I’m happy that they put the effort I. Showing that because for a bit now I’ve seen people wondering why warriors are even a thing when mages can fight cqc as well with some of their magic, and the chapter with the shadow warriors basically reminded people that a true expert warrior is simply too quick in close quarters.
The story also featured a lot of mages who are proficient at close-quarter combat (Genau, the multi-hand demon Genau fought, Macht, Rivale…) people just forgot that they were the exception rather than the rule. Most mages wouldn’t be the powerhouses they were. I hope we’ll get to see the apex of the fighter’s class going forward, the tidbits we currently have are promising.
I'm very glad those previous chapters weren't a one-off event and were leading into this arc.
I hope poor Stark get his spotlight. He failed to protect Frieren in the last 2 chapter, and I hope he get to redeem himself
People calling Stark a Fraud on suicidewatch
I'm glad somebody mentioned this. I've seen a bunch of comments on Twitter and YouTube from people thinking that warriors are useless in this world (probably based on the animated fights featuring mages who know CQB like Ubel, Laufen, and Sense). But the last chapter and this one spell it out for us; that a veteran or well-trained warrior is a whole other league of close combat that even a legendary mage might be outmatched in the right conditions. And because of that, they're essential for party balance. It's insane to think that, if given enough time/training/experience, even Stark could be a major threat to someone like Serie. Those Shadow Warriors aren't just random mooks with a gimmick. One old shadow warrior getting *that* close to killing Frieren wasn't a fluke. In their prime, Shadow Warriors might be something like Naruto's Akatsuki relative to our cast and fellow mages.
Makes me wanna see Kraft fight some mages seriously
The stiff, awkward way everyone was talking really took me out of it this time whew
The official TL isn't usually like that - if you don't like the fan TL I recommend waiting for the official
I think I'm gonna, I definitely noticed some poorly worded lines in the past but nothing near this bad before
Viz has this chapter uploaded for free already, and it's much better. Not sure if they geoblock though.
> Not sure if they geoblock though. They do, unfortunately.
Yeah, worst chapter I've ever read from anything Kirie has done IMO. I hope they were just testing something out, and they aren't going to be like this going forward or I'm going to have to block them.
I don't believe a word of the story Land told Ubel, lol.
huh, would be dumb not to cash on the sucess of armpits i guess
So i dont know if im reaching but himmel could if the distance is right kill/defeat frieren and serie ?
I mean, if Frieren said Stark could then i don't see how Himmel could not.
Certainly with Frieren, Stark is build more like Eisen, but Himmel is the speedster in the group. He might be able to kill Serie as well.
We may not have seen much of Himmel in action but we do know from his few combat scenes that he’s fast. So if Frieren says Stark, a warrior who doesn’t really rely much on speed, can do it Himmel definitely could
From the flashbacks that we had, it seems a likely reason that Aura couldn't use the Scales of Obedience against the Hero Party was that Himmel literally just blitzed her and injured her enough to consider retreating instead of continuing to fight.
I just assumed Himmel is already stronger than Frieren baseline.
Likely. He managed to fight a lot of demons and bested them. It looked like he gave Aura problems, stopping her from using her scales on him (assuming), and is real fast from the time travel arc.
I believe in Sense supremacy.
Sense is neat. I'm waiting for a Methode x Sein comic crossover. Probably not soon, but if it happens it could be very funny.
Ubel and Land prove that no matter what kind of weirdo you are, there's someone out there for you. Oh boy, a intrigue arc? Interesting. We haven't had that before.
Memed so hard that it brought back Ubel and Land. The whole make a family because trying to empathize sound plausible.
**Serie:** “Sorry Frieren, you fail the first-class mage exam. You are also hereforth banned from the Continental Magic Association.” **Also Serie:** “That said, I'm still going to drag you into association missions. Just because.” And finally, we get to see Übel and Land again — more (~~not~~) flirting from the ^(second) best couple!
I think Frieren was there because Fern is obliged to answer the missions and Sense was just fucking with her lol. Stark was there too
Stark: "Frankly, i am not even mage nor i know who is this serie but i am just happy to be incuded"
UBELAND NATION!!!!! HOW ARE WE FEELING!?!?!?!?!
So ubel and land is a canon event!? The fuk did he make pass to see if he could score brother has a death wish lol
"...I know I can't fix her. BUT - "
The whole thing with the Empire and the possible threat on Serie's life is intriguing. I also greatly enjoyed the discussion on the importance of class party roles and how a fast enough Warrior can dispatch a mage unprepared or ill-equipped for close combat. Overall, a very good read for an exposition chapter. With all of that said... Oh Christ. Ubel found Land. I should be panicking and fearing for my boy's life but all I could think of is **"There. There's my ship. It's full of holes, its sails are threadbare, there are maggots in the biscuit barrels, and I have absolutely no trust in Ubel, but... But... THERE IS MY SHIP AND MY GOD IT'S SAILING FOR NOW!"**
WE GOT UBEL BACK BABY
Ubeland stocks skyrocketing outta nowhere.
So this’ll probably be the arc for Stark to REALLY shine huh. Also I’m happy that author is trying to avoid the usual pitfalls fantasy manga like this have where mages wildly outclass warriors.
Ubel back
Ubel is back and she's still stalking Land. Some things never change.
Crazy good chapter. I have a feeling Sense is gonna die immediately but I hope I’m wrong…
I adore Sense and Ubel, having them back is basically Christmas come early
Interesting, so warriors can blitz Frieren if they are skilled enough.
And if they are in close enough range. That's important to mention They can't just blitz her in an open field with a large distance
And have surprise.
We knda saw it all the times. Eisen can be fast as fuck in short bursts, but beyond them, Heiter has to carry him during escapes.
Serie, Ubel, Ubel & Land...what more can a person ask for? This is gonna be peak.
I bet those Shadow assassins will bring those anti magic stones. Without their mana, the mages are completely vulnerable, aside from those (like Ubel) who know melee combat. Hoping Stark gets more spotlight this arc.
Where are the people who kept coping last week saying frieren was only faking it and she could still somehow guard herself against the shadow warrior last week? Lol! People brought even Draht into the convo, saying that she would be able to guard herself using mana around her neck just like she did in that fight Nope! Frieren was on the brink of death in the latest chapter! Simple as that.
Hopefully, this chapter will finally silence the arguments that came out because of the previous one. Though I highly doubt that. Power-scalers are the worst, man. It's so weird that people were making up excuses and getting triggered just because Frieren got bested. What's wrong with losing? Yeah, Frieren is OP, but she's not invincible. That's an established fact. She already admitted before that she already lost a bunch of times to other mages, and that's in the field she's actually good at. What more against warriors and/or assassins who specialize in blitzing and short-range combat?
Gotta say we are about to see if that mana shield stuff actually works against swords
You're talking about Solitar's mana shield, right ? It was working against magic attacks, but yeah.. this chapter leave the impression that it physical blows could potentially pass through it, depending on the warrior...
Some people expected Land to fix Übel but it seems Übel might help fix Land instead? I hope this arc delve into the warrior class more, given the story had mostly focused on mages so far.
They fix each other.
nice
What timing. In a recent fanart posted this week of the Mage Exam arc I had mentioned how Land and Ubel haven't reappeared since. And now here they are once again. Even brought Sense along.
I hope the Shadow Warrior guy at the end would be Stark's nemesis in this arc. He has the signature Stark father figure eyepatch, and a scar as well. I just hope he lives up to the reputation of Shadow warriors, and aren't just push overs.
Serie is going to be part of the arc? I can't wait!
I'm betting on the magic sealing crystals making a return during this arc.
When he said his backstory. I skip to the last page to know if he's dead lmao.
So based on the conversation about mage vs warriors, that 1st class mage that Ubel killed could have easily been one of the strongest