Chapter 23

As dawn breaks after Aura's defeat, Frieren prays over the soldiers freed from the demon's control, and Fern and Stark arrive to find her. Graf Granat, stunned that she beat Aura, pardons the party and thanks them, noting how little the fallen bodies were damaged in the struggle. Among the dead his men recover his own son, and the grieving lord pours out his gratitude. Frieren privately recalls her far messier first clash with Aura, and how Himmel's displeasure taught her restraint.

At the mansion, Granat grants Frieren her chosen reward, the Granat family's grimoire said to detail the city's great barrier. He admits it is a forgery, and Frieren replies that she always knew, since it omits the real magic, but she collects grimoires regardless. The lord asks her to drop the formal address, prompting talk of the Royal Capital's old habit of executing those who spoke too casually to nobles, a fate Himmel and Eisen once nearly met. A gardener arriving with an axe briefly terrifies Stark.

The party lingers to heal and help rebuild, receiving fine gifts including winter clothing, and attends the grand funeral Granat holds for the Northern heroes. As they depart, the lord explains that reaching Ende means crossing the restricted Northern Lands, which demands a first-class mage. Frieren, ignorant of modern certifications, learns such a license comes from the Continental Magic Association and can be earned at Äußerst, beyond the Schwer Mountains. The trio sets out, only for a blizzard to overtake them and leave them lost.

Granat pardons the party and honors the soldiers Frieren freed from Aura's control. He recovers his fallen son among the dead. Frieren accepts Flamme's forged grimoire as her reward, fully aware it is fake. A funeral is held for the Northern Lands' heroes. Granat directs the party toward Äußerst for first-class certification, and they become lost in a mountain blizzard en route.

Graf Granat's son bore the same family crest his father carries. Frieren's outdated grasp of mage qualifications surfaces here; she suspects even her Holy Emblem may now be worthless, since the bodies that regulate magic keep changing their rules. The Continental Magic Association has existed for only about half a century, which Frieren considers recent. The chapter ranges across Granat's domain and the Decke Region.