When Fern visits Stark as he trains through the night, she can the sense fear and doubt in him. After all, he believes the dragon is only staying away because it doesn’t feel like it. The scar on his head is from a strike from Eisen, not a monster. But when Fern takes his weathered, calloused hands in hers, she can also sense that when the time comes, he won’t run.
She remembers her first monster battle, when her knees went weak and her hands trembled. But once she ran for her life a bit and gainer her resolve, she was able to do what had to be done. She believes Stark has that same kind of resolve to protect the villagers. He’s lived there three years—a long time for both him and Fern, even if it’s the blink of an eye for Frieren.
There’s a fun little moment when it appears Stark fled the next morning. Frieren is about to make Fern join her in a game of tag with the dragon, something Fern does not want to do, but then Stark appears, late, but ready to help out. I loved Fern’s little smile: not only is she happy she doesn’t have to run, but she’s glad she was right about Stark.
While I’m not sure if Frieren meant for this to happen, when she sees Stark’s arms tremble as he regards the dragon in the canyon below, she tells him that Eisen’s arms used to tremble the exact same way. Eisen wasn’t shy about the reason: he was afraid. Fear isn’t a bad thing; it’s why he was there on that journey. Hearing this helps firm up Stark’s resolve.
As Stark closes to fighting range with the giant dragon, Frieren wears a look of supreme confidence. Stark may not have much faith in his skills, but he fundamentally misunderstood his master striking him that one and only time. Eisen would later tell her that he hit him reflexively, because in that moment, he feared him.
Eisen knew after his time training Stark that he would one day become a magnificent warrior. And while he may not quite be there, he’s powerful enough to completely overpower and defeat the dragon, killing it without even knowing he killed it. It’s a beautifully animated and orchestrated battle, but it’s a quick one.
When Frieren and Fern come down to the canyon floor and Frieren pats him on the back and praises him, Stark can’t help but crack a smile too. And with the threat of the dragon eliminated, he’s able to leave the village secure in the knowledge it’s safe, so he can join their party as their front-liner.
As for the dragon loot, the book Frieren obtains does indeed allow people to see through clothing, but Fern doesn’t find it that “interesting”, nor is she particularly impressed with what Stark has under his britches. That said, if Stark is to be believed, she could well just be messing with him!
The new three-person party arrives in the fortress city of Waal, where the guard is keeping the checkpoint to the war-torn Northern Lands closed until further notice. Frieren decides to go shopping on her own, leaving Stark and Fern alone once again. When she appears to reject his offer to grab a bite, he goes off on his own.
Stark buys himself the same sundae he’d get when traveling with Eisen, but notes that it’s a lot smaller than he remembers. The bartender notes that Stark was much smaller then, but it could also be sundae budget cuts at the tavern! Fern ends up following him there after overhearing that the gate could be closed for two years.
Now I’m certain Fern is glad to have Stark around, because it means she’ll be traveling with someone with a human sense of time. She knows her master will all too happily study magic in Waal for two years or more, because two years is nothing to an elf. But Stark? He understands that two years in this place is far too long.
Stark agrees to use his “face of a scoundrel” to help try to find a way through the gates, first through legitimate businesses, then through the black market. Stark and Fern have a wonderful chemistry, and I found every interaction between them quietly captivating.
Take when they’re atop the city walls looking to the north their masters once braved. Eisen didn’t talk about himself a lot, but on their travels was always ready to tell Stark about his travels with Himmel, Heiter, and Frieren. Frieren in particular made the journey “ridiculous and fun” rather than sad and painful, and thus made those ten years the best of Eisen’s long life.
Stark doesn’t just want to hurry up because he’s a human and human lives are fleeting. He wants to get back from the journey when Eisen is still alive, so hat he can repay him by telling him stories about his fun, ridiculous journey. Thankfully for them, the obstacle to that journey continuing is removed once the castellan of the city learns that Frieren is in town.
He assumes she’s going up north again to aid the fight against the remnants of Demon Lord’s army, and grants her passage without delay, complete with a ticker-tape laden hero’s sendoff. This makes Frieren mopey, as she wanted to hang around Waal and do more magical studying, and isn’t a fan of pomp. But like Fern and Stark, I’m glad they’re getting right back on the road. Danger certainly awaits, but so too does more fun and ridiculousness.
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