Seventy-nine years after Diego Brando's disappearance, Frieren's party continued their northward journey toward the false destination of the Demon King's castle...
—Northern Nations, Fabel Village—
Wooden wheels rolled over the gravel-strewn post road, creaking steadily. At that moment, the humanoid little dinosaur Diego awoke in Mabel's arms.
"Mabel—you can drive a carriage now?!" Diego's tone was shocked. He slowly returned to normal size and took the reins from Mabel's hands. "Where are we now?"
"We just left the Zeom Great Forest and are heading toward the northern highlands. We've arrived at the nearby Fabel Village." Mabel took out a map and pointed it out to Diego, then smacked him hard on the head, puffing out her cheeks. "It's been almost eighty years—I'm not the same hopeless idiot anymore. Learning to ride a horse is only natural."
"Yes, yes. Mabel is no longer the clingy little thing who used to cling to me for dear life whenever Silver Bullet ran even a little fast."
Diego looked straight ahead, holding the reins with one hand while the other petted Mabel's cheek indulgently, like stroking a cat.
Mabel's eyes reddened slightly at the corners, her lips curving into a gentle arc. She seemed to deliberately adjust her posture to match Diego's movements, squinting in pure enjoyment.
Inside the carriage, Fern rested against Alicia. Frieren, as always, was flipping through a spellbook.
Stark lowered his voice and cautiously asked Frieren: "What was Master Diego saying? When I was little, Master Mabel took me to watch horse races—she even won prize money..."
"Stark, shut your mouth right now! Are you clueless or pretending? Keep talking and your life is in danger!" Before Frieren could answer, Sein hurriedly covered Stark's mouth.
"Mmph mmph mmph…"
The perspective returned to Diego.
"Speaking of which, where did this carriage come from?" Diego's gaze was firmly fixed on the fine steed leading the way. "That heart rate stays so steady even at this running speed—steel heart. Most importantly, those eyes are as handsome as mine! Unless the owner was blind, no one would sell a horse this good."
"Neigh—!!"
The carriage-pulling steed's pace suddenly quickened.
Mabel covered her mouth, brimming with pride: "Hehe, I borrowed it from a merchant in the Zeom Wetlands."
"You said borrowed? How exactly did you borrow it…"
"When they do business, it naturally involves logistics. I helped them transport the empty carriage back to Fabel Village—saved the traveling merchant the trouble, and we got to rest part of the way. Mutual benefit."
Mabel raised her hand lightly, gazing at the ring on her ring finger with confident laughter, speaking crisply: "Besides, the noble Ice Clan is very trustworthy, right?"
Diego sensed something off. Suspicious, he turned to Mabel and poked her nose. "Mabel…you…did your character change?"
"Hmph—!!"
Mabel's eyes half-opened as she let out an annoyed, displeased whine: "It's Sui who taught me. She said as long as interests align, there's nothing that can't be cooperated on."
Diego nodded. That explained it: "So it was Sui. No wonder it felt so off."
"Eh? Are you saying deep down I'm useless?!"
(눈‸눈)
Mabel pounced, biting Diego's neck.
"No—no biting, wryyyyyy!!"
The huge noise reached Frieren in the carriage. She slowly closed her spellbook, face full of black lines.
"Dio, you're so loud!"
...
Soon the carriage carried everyone into the village.
The moment they disembarked, the village chief—who had been waiting—stepped forward to take the reins, thanking them sincerely:
"Adventurers, thank you for returning the horse."
The chief was a white-haired old man wearing round glasses, his long beard reaching his collar. His robe was plain but neat.
Seeing Diego and the others about to leave, he hurriedly stopped them, tone earnest: "Could you help clean the Hero's statue?"
"Sure." Alicia nodded.
"Alicia, wait." Frieren reached out to stop her, then slowly asked the chief: "What's the reward?"
"It's this 『Back-Scratching Magic』." The chief produced an antique scroll.
Diego and Frieren exchanged a glance, nodding in perfect sync.
Stark—as a young man—preferred subjugation quests with more thrill. He sounded disappointed: "Another one of these requests again."
Diego took the scroll, scanned it up and down, then gripped the chief's rough hand with both of his own, eyes gleaming: "Ninety-nine percent, S-rank—as expected, legendary-grade magic. Old man, we accept this request."
"So unexpected—Master Diego actually agreed!" Stark marveled, then asked curiously: "If the reward was a powerful offensive magic, would Master be even more motivated?"
Frieren shook her head and explained: "No. From the moment I met him, Dio has always hated combat-type magic."
"Eh, why?"
Facing Stark's question, Diego recalled the Zenin clan's blind obsession with attack magic. He shook his head casually:
"Because magic should be used to improve life."
"Great. It's too pitiful for the Hero's statue to be forgotten. Please follow me." With that, the old man led everyone toward the village center.
The group walked along a wooded path, dappled tree shadows falling across the trail.
Fern asked curiously: "Alicia-sama has a statue too?"
"As far as I know, only the empire and the holy capital have them. Any others built spontaneously by villagers—I don't know." Frieren answered.
Soon a statue covered in mottled verdigris appeared before them. The figure wore patterned clothing, two swords at the waist, and most notably—two small mustaches.
Stark couldn't help blurting out: "Who's this old guy?!"
"There wasn't just one Hero—Alicia wasn't the only one. This is the Hero of the South. In the fifty years after Dio disappeared, he disguised himself as Scary Monsters to hunt demons, bringing half a century of peace to humanity." Frieren explained.
Diego picked up: "Don't underestimate this mustached guy. When our party operated in the shadows, he was the publicly acknowledged strongest human hero."
"Isn't that a bit exaggerated?" Stark asked blankly.
"Not at all. Though he doesn't match me, Dio, his feat of killing three of the Seven Sages of Destruction is more than enough to earn him that honor." Diego continued.
"Three of the Seven Sages? Then hasn't Master Diego killed even more?" Sein pinched his chin thoughtfully.
Before Diego could answer, Mabel jumped forward proudly, turning into the number-one Dio fan: "Hmph hmph! In terms of the Seven Sages alone, the Hero of the South and Dio are evenly matched—both killed three. But when it comes to archdemons, the Hero of the South can't compare to Dio. Dio took down countless so-called generals and sages. The omniscient Schlacht died by Dio's hand—let alone the Demon King!"
That's right, that's right—praise me more!
Diego shot her a glance, satisfied, nearly melted into an embryo. With a slight smile, he coughed twice to reclaim the floor:
"However—I, Dio, don't like him. Classic savior complex. Thick-skinned. He even tried to make me owe him a favor!"
"Never mind—you wouldn't understand just from words. Let me show you my memories. Memory Spirit, please project my memory."
The memory screen appeared. The background gradually turned into a forest. Unlike before, the person in the screen was not Diego—but Frieren and the Hero of the South.
...
At this point, six years remained before Dio's disappearance—nearing five years before his erasure...
"Kraft—you're completely useless now!"
Monk Kraft was beaten unconscious. A terrifying claw wound gaped across his chest—deep enough to reveal shattered white ribs, blood gushing nonstop.
Diego's lips curved downward, eyelids drooping as if exhausted. Unhurried, he walked to Kraft and then…
Kicked!
Crack!
"Don't worry—I controlled my strength. Your neck bone isn't completely broken. Rest properly and you'll recover." Diego's gaze was dark. He withdrew his foot, looking down arrogantly. "In these two years, I've absorbed plenty of fighting experience and techniques from you. For that, I'll spare your life."
"Don't appear before me, Dio, trying to preach again. You'll be happier hiding after surviving."
"If you want to maintain that near-eternal elven lifespan, don't forget my words—though you're probably unconscious now and can't hear me anyway."
The final battle between Monk Kraft and Warrior Diego Brando ended in Diego's overwhelming victory.
After a long pause, Diego withdrew his gaze and turned to leave, strolling away leisurely.
"Finally got rid of that guy's nagging. Now—what should I do next?" Diego mounted his beloved horse Silver Bullet and slowly rode away. Gloved hand raised high to block the glaring sunlight, he muttered to himself about his poor memory: "Two years ago… what was I planning to do again?"
"Happiness… F… ah—right, right! Frieren! That's the name!" Diego slapped his forehead.
"White-haired twin-tail elf—Serie's grand-disciple. I was planning to recruit her to take down the Demon King."
"Jo (long) wait—I'm coming for you, I, Dio."
For some reason, Diego's tongue suddenly tripped, producing a strange accent.
Beneath him, Silver Bullet's running speed increased even further.
After days of gathering clues—with the little dinosaurs' help—Diego finally pinpointed the forest where Frieren lived in seclusion.
Twilight crept into the woods. Two figures in the forest caught Diego's attention. He hesitated briefly, then decided to observe first—stopping on a thick branch a hundred meters away.
Screech screech...
Dense leaves concealed Diego's form. Hidden behind the trunk, shadows cut across his face, one hand held before him.
Through gaps in the leaves, he watched the pair from afar. Dinosaur-enhanced ears operated at full capacity, eavesdropping on their conversation.
In the distance, Frieren—cloaked in the same style as when Diego escaped the imperial capital years ago (whether she never changed it or had multiples)—squatted before a patch of herbs. A basket full of plants sat beside her.
Standing behind her was a tall figure. The signature two small mustaches and aristocratic attire unmistakably marked him as the strongest human—the Hero of the South.
"...That's the gist. I hope you'll join my party and subjugate the Demon King with me." The Hero of the South extended his invitation to Frieren.
"I refuse. I cannot defeat the Demon King." Frieren didn't even turn her head, decisively rejecting the Hero of the South's offer.
The Hero of the South lightly pinched his collar, a soft sigh escaping his thin lips: "Hm… as expected, it won't work?"
"I can't convince you with words alone. I have no intention of forcibly abducting you—nor do I possess as many spellbooks as he does." The Hero of the South's cloak swayed with his sigh, hiding his reluctance in the tree shadows.
Frieren grew interested. She slightly turned her head toward the Hero of the South: "Your tone sounds like you already knew the outcome."
"In fact, I did know long ago." The Hero of the South lowered his eyes. Realizing he sounded too cryptic, he thought for a moment and continued: "…It shouldn't hurt to tell you."
"Even if you know my magic, you won't tell anyone else."
Hearing this, Frieren fully turned to listen carefully to the Hero of the South's next words.
The Hero of the South's lips curved slightly as he explained: "Let me tell you the reason I'm called the strongest human.
『I can see the future.』
In the future one year from now, I will be killed on the northern highlands by the omniscient Schlacht and the Seven Sages of Destruction.
Unfortunately, I will die before fulfilling my ideals. But don't worry—even if you were by my side, the future of my death would not change.
In just a few days, the most notorious criminal in modern human history will visit you. That man massacred the entire Zenin family overnight and several years ago invaded the human nations across the continent. You must be careful."
"However—if everything goes smoothly, there's no need to worry too much. In the future I saw, he bribed you—or rather, you begged to join his journey." The Hero of the South covered his mouth with a laugh, reassuring her: "Unfortunately, the one who ultimately kills the Demon King won't be me—it's him. For the spellbooks in his hands, you'll set out with that young man."
"I find it unlikely such a thing would happen." Frieren shook her head slightly.
A murderer like that—his spellbooks are probably all combat-related. How could they possibly interest me…
The Hero of the South seemed to read Frieren's thoughts. He deliberately guided her and spoke again: "You'll understand when you meet Diego Brando. 『He will change your life』."
"I should go now." The Hero of the South said calmly and turned to leave. Suddenly he paused, turned back, and requested: "Could you do me a favor?"
Frieren looked at the Hero of the South's back and asked: "What is it?"
"When you meet that young man, please pass on a message from me. You could call it the Hero's provocation toward a criminal." The Hero of the South's lips curved, showing a confident smile. "Tell him to watch with his own eyes—how the Hero of the South, hailed as the strongest human, personally paves the way for him."
"And you?" Frieren lowered her gaze.
"Me? Even if my great deeds can only exist in the shadows of history, it's fine." The Hero of the South gradually walked away until he vanished at the forest's edge.
Having overheard everything, Diego silently processed the Hero of the South's information and connected it with Solitär's words from two years ago.
[A few years ago, you never actually fled, right? You watched our every move from afar.]
A few years ago—during the demons' rescue of Todd—in Schlacht's foreseen future, I fled...
[You're truly impressive. It's the first time I've seen anyone escape Schlacht's thousand-year future foresight magic.]
I'm special—the only one who escaped Schlacht's omniscient magic...
[I can see the future.]
The Hero of the South possesses the same omniscient magic as Schlacht. Both hold the full picture...
[In the future one year from now, I will be killed on the northern highlands by the omniscient Schlacht and the Seven Sages of Destruction.]
The Hero of the South chose death—likely a mutual calculation with Schlacht, resulting in an outcome acceptable to both human and demon sides...
[The future of my death will not change… personally pave the way for him…]
He plans to trade one-for-one with Schlacht and take as many of the Seven Sages as possible...
[Even if you know my magic, you won't tell anyone else.]
The Hero of the South does not want his magic known to a third party...
[Pass on a message for me.]
He doesn't know I'm here...
These clues and pieces of information were like a tangled ball of yarn. Diego kept untangling and straightening them, yet from beginning to end felt something missing—until…
[You zero-mana trash—no wonder the moment you were born, your father enveloped your whole body in mana to kill you!]
Zero mana—is that the Heavenly Restriction that escaped the omniscient magic?
No—if that were the case, in the futures foreseen by Schlacht and the Hero of the South, I shouldn't exist at all…
My existence in the futures of the omniscient magic is a 『confirmed fact』—no mistake.
Then what exactly is it? Something I, Dio, have that others don't—perhaps related to 『having eaten a demon』…
『Enveloped』 your whole body… I understand!
Soon, as his thoughts clarified, Diego's eyes trembled. His grin stretched wider and wider.
"Weakness—the fatal weakness of omniscient magic found! I figured out the truth of omniscient magic! As expected—I, Dio, am the final winner!!"
"I'm very grateful to you, Hero of the South. Just think of yourself as having been born into this world to deliver this crucial information to me, Dio."
"However—the way you tried to make me, Dio, owe you a favor—really pisses me off!"
Muttering curses under his breath, the last of Diego's concerns vanished. He had never felt the air so fresh.
I'll follow your known future for a while…
One day later, Diego jumped down from the tree and walked toward Frieren.
"…I've long heard there's a powerful mage in this forest. I've come especially to invite you to become a subordinate of me, Dio…"
...