01x23 - Conquering the Labyrinth

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AT THE RUINS OF THE KING'S TOMB, LOCATED IN THE NORTHERN LANDS

To the eighteen of you who passed the first test...

SECOND TEST PROCTOR SENSE, FIRST-CLASS MAGE - First, congratulations on making it here.

I hear people speculate all kinds of things about my tests based on past results.

I'm sure there are some of you who have heard such rumors,

but you needn't prepare yourselves for the worst.

The test is very simple.

Anyone who wishes to become a first-class mage should be able to pass it with ease.

Now, allow me to explain the details of the second test.

You're there like the wind

Closing your eyes at sunset

I wonder what's on your mind

FRIEREN: BEYOND JOURNEY'S END

With your eyelids open

With your eyelids open

Your eyes shone like glass

It faintly smelled like a sunny day

Clear up the sky, let flowers bloom

Bloom and blame it on the sunny sky

Even the rain, when it stops

Will make you shine in the sunlight

Calm the stirring sounds in my heart

We go like the sunny wind

Go on and fly over that cloud

Further and further away

EPISODE : CONQUERING THE LABYRINTH

For the second test, you will be raiding a dungeon.

You will raid the Ruins of the King's Tomb.

There is only one condition for passing: you must reach the deepest floor of the tomb.

I am a pacifist. I dislike fighting.

Therefore, everyone who reaches the bottom will pass.

Wait.

Many adventurers have failed to return from this unexplored dungeon.

Are you planning to fail all the test-takers again?

What are you talking about?

You are attempting to reach the pinnacle of magehood.

First-class mages make the impossible possible.

You must forge ahead, regardless of whether or not anyone's been there before you.

How should we prove we've reached the bottom?

Should we return with treasure?

You won't need to prove it.

I will descend to the bottom of the dungeon with you.

Naturally, I will not be assisting the test-takers.

Also, each of you will receive one of these bottles.

It's an escape golem developed by the first-class mage Lernen.

When the bottle is shattered,

the golem will manifest and carry you out of the dungeon.

They're still prototypes, but they're safe enough.

Using your bottle means you fail the test,

but I urge you to do so if you become unable to continue due to injuries or otherwise.

I have no intention of allowing mages with promising futures to die here.

Also, the bottles will shatter automatically at dawn tomorrow.

That is the time limit of the second test.

Now, let the test begin.

There are multiple entrances.

This seems to be a dungeon of the Unified Dynasty.

Dungeons of that era have multiple entrances,

but they all lead to the deepest level.

Examining the entrances should allow us

to determine the internal structure of the dungeon.

The group should split up and—

Why are you acting like we're working together?

There's no reason for us to fight this time.

It's better for all of us to cooperate.

I can't agree to that.

Unlike in the first test, our companions' survival isn't a condition for passing the test.

We're not obligated to help each other,

and we even risk becoming someone's sacrificial pawn if the need arises.

You in particular seem knowledgeable about dungeons.

I'm going alone.

We're all carrying baggage from the first test.

At the very least, I can't work with anyone I don't know well.

Let's go.

Wait for me.

Those fools. Why don't they realize working together is better?

Let's go, Fern.

Are you sure, Ms. Frieren?

There's no chance of everyone working together anymore.

I see.

I shall accompany your group.

You seem like you'll have the safest time reaching the bottom.

You'd better not interfere.

I shall neither interfere nor assist you.

This is the safest route.

We'll proceed with caution while mapping the dungeon.

The floor there is trapped. Be careful.

You always know so much about dungeons.

I didn't always.

It was Himmel who loved dungeons.

We entered so many of them to hunt down monsters.

What do you mean, he loved dungeons?

It's exactly what it sounds like.

He said they excited him.

It doesn't make sense, does it?

These stairs lead to the next floor.

I see. Then we chose the wrong route.

Let's head back to the last branch.

Indeed.

Why? We're looking for the monster at the bottom of the dungeon.

When will you learn, Eisen?

In a dungeon, one must explore the entire floor before proceeding to the next one.

Every adventurer knows that.

I've never heard that before.

You think I'm being foolish, don't you?

But isn't it best to be able to have fun while helping people?

It won't always be like this.

As we travel, the dungeons will become more life-threatening.

That's right.

I intend to enjoy it until the end.

I'll have fun adventuring, raiding dungeons,

defeating monsters, finding treasure,

and before I know it, I'll have saved the world.

That's the kind of adventure I want to have.

Besides...

There might be a rare grimoire down the path left untraveled.

What are you doing? Let's hurry back.

What?

It really doesn't make sense, does it?

Kanne, let's go.

In the end, only the five of us stayed.

We could've beaten the dungeon easily

if we'd all worked together and assigned roles.

We had enough skilled mages to make it happen.

Denken, not everyone is as pragmatic as you.

It's like what you said toward the end of the first test.

It must not have sat right with them.

Think of it this way: only the smartest have remained.

At the very least,

there aren't any idiots here to hold us back by falling for simple traps like mimics.

Isn't that good enough, Denken?

I doubt anyone that foolish would be taking this test to begin with.

Let's go.

This mana...

It might be a grimoire.

Ms. Frieren, you saw the results of that Mikheit spell.

It's a mimic.

Fern, that spell is only % accurate.

And what if it is?

Historical discoveries have been made by great mages who recognized that remaining %.

It's just as I thought.

There's a valuable grimoire inside here.

That's what my experience as a mage is telling me.

It's dark and scary in here!

It's dark! I'm scared!

It's dark and scary!

Maybe I chose the wrong people to follow.

Don't step on the floor in the center.

The ceiling will come crashing down on you.

Is that person-shaped stain there...

Brutal. It doesn't even leave bones behind.

Gargoyles!

Denken, someone got trapped.

I know.

She's on the other side of the wall.

Stand back.

It didn't work.

Then we have no choice.

Break your bottle!

Wow.

We're already down another test-taker.

Letting your guard down for a moment here could cost you your life.

So these are the Ruins of the King's Tomb.

Hey, Fern. Can I make a suggestion?

Stop pulling. You're going to rip me in half.

Okay.

To save someone from a mimic, you should push in instead.

It makes the mimic choke and stop biting.

Is it a dog or something?

I'm safe.

Honestly.

How did you get out of those when you were by yourself?

By blowing them up from the inside with offensive magic.

But I don't like to do it since it makes my hair frizz up.

I'm back.

I have ringlets now.

So that's why you'd sometimes have a different hairstyle.

Why?

Let's pull ourselves together and keep going.

Gargoyles.

We'll defeat them before they start moving.

We've been seeing these medals all over the place.

Apparently some dilettante collects them.

This looks like the main route. Let's turn back.

Why?

We're progressing more smoothly than I expected.

It does seem a bit odd for an unexplored dungeon.

Judging by its construction, we should be nearing the bottom, too.

Either way, don't let your guard down.

Let's take a break in the next burial chamber we find.

We've acquired some pretty nice stuff.

It just looks like junk to me.

Huh.

I don't get it.

Neither do I.

Why do those things make her happy?

She's rubbing it on her cheek.

You're the one I don't understand, Fern.

I've never seen a mage as skilled as you at your age.

You must have trained rather hard.

And yet I sense no passion or determination in you.

You're a strange girl.

I became a proper mage to repay a debt to someone.

That was my life's goal at the time.

I devoted all my effort to achieving it

without considering anything that would come after that.

I must've used up all my passion and determination then.

Then why do you continue searching for magic?

Ms. Frieren seems to be having fun, doesn't she?

Yes.

The first time I entered a dungeon,

Ms. Frieren joyfully smiled while collecting magic junk.

It made me smile, too.

I think I continue searching for magic because I like seeing her happy.

We should get going.

Looks like I was right to follow you after all.

I'm sure you can enjoy even this brutal dungeon.

The atmosphere has changed.

Maybe we're near the bottom.

Wirbel.

What? Can't walk any—

I'm restrained.

There are three mages concealing their mana.

It's an ambush.

Oh?

Scharf, block their vision.

The spell cast on Ehre is Sorganeil.

I know.

No wonder the Ruins of the King's Tomb have never been conquered.

I wasn't expecting to encounter these here.

Scharf, you're on me.

Ehre, you're on Scharf.

And I'll take on Ehre.

Let's do this.

It's a replica made using magic.

It must be the work of demons or monsters.

But I've never seen such a perfect copy of another person before.

Its mana and skills were the same as yours, Laufen.

So was its behavior.

It's possible even our memories were used.

I don't like this.

The one saving grace is that it's instantly recognizable as a fake.

At the very least, there's no danger of us attacking each other.

If whoever cast this spell can control multiple copies simultaneously,

they must be terrifyingly powerful.

Either way, we were right to team up.

It gives us more options for dealing with them.

Denken, can we deal with that, too?

The one thing I can say is that if this weren't a test,

I would've shattered my bottle a long time ago.

And I'm alright (I'll be alright)

Yeah, I hear you (I care about you)

The wind teases this hair that's longer now

There's meaning in everything

Even the days that came to a halt

Now that I finally understand, I've caught up to you

See, things that couldn't have been

Seen if it weren't for these eyes

Why? They begin to overflow

I won't ask to see you, so at least

Let me remember the past, just for today

So, if we were to meet again

No more hesitations, I'd choose the present

Anytime, anywhere, yah (wherever you are)

Anytime, anywhere (smile for me)

I'll be there (close your eyes, and I'll always be there)

Even if there are no absolutes

I'm always aware of your thoughts

Those tears will be alright, dawn will surely break

I'm whispering our lullaby for you to come back home

- Now then, what are we going to do about this? - Smells nice. - It's time.

- Now then, what are we going to do about this? - If we're evenly matched, - It's time.

- That's not funny. - If we're evenly matched, - Could you please look into my eyes?

- That's not funny. - then who wins will come down to luck. - Could you please look

into my eyes?

- So it's not impossible. - How much time do you need?

EPISODE PERFECT REPLICAS - They're perfect replicas.