Thirty years after Himmel’s death, Frieren and her party arrive at the Great Tor Canyon but can’t cross because of the intense winds. The alternate routes aren’t much better, with a mountain path upstream and a massive drop downstream. Frieren decides to head upstream to see if there’s another way across, and that’s where they find a completed bridge and a dwarf named Gehen waiting beside it.
Frieren explains that Gehen has been building this bridge for over two centuries, which surprises her since no one has heard anything about it being finished. Gehen tells them that giant bird monsters have been creating powerful winds around the bridge, even sweeping away merchants searching for the Golden Land. He offers them a reward—a spell that lets you perfectly flip pancakes plus the ingredients—if they take care of the nest. Frieren immediately accepts.
Gehen and the 200 year old bridge
On the way to the nest, Stark asks why Gehen even started building the bridge in the first place. Frieren explains that his village was destroyed by demons, and the nearest soldiers were stationed on the other side of the canyon. Gehen ran out of money trying to finish it, but Himmel stepped in and paid him with a reward he earned from retrieving a noble’s sword from a demon. Gehen didn’t want to take the money since Himmel would be long gone before the bridge was complete, but Himmel told him Frieren would accept the reward in his place.
Frieren’s party clears out the nest and returns to Gehen, who gives them the grimoire as promised. When Frieren asks what he plans to do now that the bridge is finally finished, Gehen says he’s going back to his village. Frieren is caught off guard, but Gehen explains that after two centuries, there’s already a new village waiting for him.
Snowfields and Holy Snow Crystals
The trio arrive at an adventurers’ camp, where people have gathered to search for Holy Snow Crystals. These rare minerals form in the region’s snowfields and are used for magical potions. Since they can only be mined here, they’re extremely valuable. Stark suggests they mine some for money, but Frieren immediately shuts that down. She explains their value comes from their rarity. When Stark asks how they’ll make money, Frieren suggests checking out the marketplace where adventurers trade for “neat items.”
At the marketplace, Stark initially thinks it’s nothing special. Frieren tells him to pay attention to the prices. Fern checks a stall and reads them out—a loaf of bread costs one silver coin. She points out everything is around ten times more expensive than normal. As they leave, Frieren explains that the stalls mainly serve adventurers who profit from mining Holy Snow Crystals, which drives prices up. She also explains why the crystals are so valuable: they’re scarce, and monsters tend to appear wherever they’re found. Fern connects the dots—the higher prices also mean higher rewards for monster subjugation quests. Frieren compliments her for figuring it out.
Frieren, Fern, and Stark vs a Giant Wolf
The trio take on a quest to eliminate monsters nesting near a massive crystal vein known only to locals. Afterward, they’re tasked with setting up an anti-personnel barrier to keep others out. Frieren accepts, and they head into the snowfields. Fern questions the barrier, and Frieren explains it’s to prevent theft since mining operations take time to organize. After traveling through harsh snow and blizzards, they reach their destination.
There, they encounter a large wolf-like monster. Frieren warns them not to let their guard down. Since it’s a subjugation request, it means other adventurers couldn’t handle it, so one mistake could be fatal. Stark notes the reward matches the danger, and the fight begins. The wolf is sensitive to mana and can easily dodge Fern’s and Frieren’s attacks. In addition to this, Starks attacks are avoided as well. Frieren comes up with a plan, Stark distracts the wolf, while Fern flies high and strikes the wolf from a distance with Zoltraak.
Fern impresses once again and obliterates the magical wolf. The end of this episode leaves us with a short set up for the next season, The Golden Land Arc. Denken returns to his homeland and faces the final and strongest member of the Seven Sages of Destruction, Macht.
