Chapter 40: A Spell to Capture a Bird

The Thirteenth Party of second-class mages Denken, Richter, and Laufen sets out to undo the Second Party's scheme. Surveying the chaos, Richter holds that the trial turns lethal since the Continental Magic Association demands only the strongest first-class mages, but Denken counters that authority, not raw power, is what truly elevates a mage. Having once watched superior practitioners toppled by the crowds, he insists strength means nothing without the hearts of others behind it.

Tracking the basin's water, Denken notices faint mana threaded through every pool, the mark of Kanne's tampering, and reasons that one untouched source must lie near the hidden Second Party. Rather than chase ghosts across the vast grounds, he settles against a tree to wait, certain his quarry must eventually expose their mana.

Frieren reunites with Lawine and Kanne at an untainted pool, then sits and snuffs out her mana entirely to ambush a passing bird. After much time, a Stille alights on her shoulder, and she binds it with the hunters' capture spell, finally securing the team's quarry. She cautions her relieved partners that the trial is far from finished.

The instant Frieren casts, Denken feels her mana flare, remarking that even the greatest mage must reveal magic to use it. His teammate Laufen vanishes faster than the eye can follow and reappears squarely in the Second Party's path, sealing off their escape before they can flee.

The basin's skies hold the Geisel, an alluring corpse bird that strings up its victims and preys on the sympathy of those who try to free them. Laufen's wish to lay a slain party to rest, despite the danger, marks her as the least seasoned of her trio.

Proctor Genau sits calmly within the grounds, sipping tea with a Stille perched on his pot, a sign he has fully suppressed his own mana. The same principle shields Frieren, as a Geisel descends merely to drink while her presence stays hidden, implying the monsters strike only mages who actively leak mana.