Chapter 140

Briefing Serie's guards on the evening's ball, Sense confirms they hold genuine invitations and may move freely, though Land and Übel are told to remain on standby after their brush with the Magic Special Forces. When Land protests his pairing with the reckless Übel, Serie counters that he would have refused the assignment under anyone else and insists the two fit better than he thinks, urging him to keep her in check. Nearby, Stark and Sein dress for the gala, and Sein's gloom turns out to rest entirely on whether beautiful women will attend.

While Sense laces Fern's corset only as far as combat allows, Serie needles Frieren for needing her apprentice to manage her hair, and the two elves trade sharp words until Frieren bluntly wishes her dead. Serie reveals that dragging the party in was Sense's doing alone and that Frieren may leave whenever she likes, then presses her on whether she can picture a future without Serie in it. Frieren turns the question back, asking what world Serie foresees and where she herself would fit, but Serie only deflects as Fern, now dressed, takes over styling her mentor's hair.

Moving on to Sense, Serie is asked why she favored these first-class mages over stronger options such as the exiled Lernen. She recounts the boon each claimed upon earning the rank: Land a means to find his family's remains, Übel a way to locate her sister, Fern a humble laundry spell, Falsch the power to copy Serie's voice, and Sense the gift of restful sleep after taking a life.

Each of them, Serie observes, asked for magic that confers no strength, and mages of that bent routinely exceed her expectations and stretch toward a future she cannot grasp herself. She keeps her full meaning private, certain they would resist it, which is exactly why she chose them. With Übel and Land stationed outside and the preparations complete, Serie and her escort sweep into the ballroom as one. The cover features Fern, Sense, and Frieren.