Chapter 70

## Chapter Guide

**The Norm Company** 「話 (はなし) のるむ商会 (しょうかい) , *Hanashi Norumu Shōkai*?」 is the seventieth chapter of Yamada Kanehito & Abe Tsukasa's *Frieren: Beyond Journey's End*.

## Summary

Thirty years after the Hero Himmel's passing, Frieren's Party are in the Norm Company Territory. Lord Norm, the president of the company, asks Frieren to pay off her debt from the time of the Hero Party detailed on a promissory note. Due to interest, she does not have enough money and he sends her to the mines for 300 years. However, it is revealed that due to demon attacks, the distribution networks of the Northern Plateau are in terrible shape, and this was simply a ploy by Lord Norm to get Frieren to discover silver ore in the mines and rebuild the Norm company, as a total collapse would cause many to starve to death. Frieren agrees to help, and after finding the silver ore, Frieren reunites with her party, who were about to raid the mine to break her out.

## Plot Details

Thirty years after the Hero Himmel's passing, Frieren's Party are in the Norm Company Territory. The party is having a meal while camping. Fern gives Stark his share of bread, which makes a clunking sound as it hits Stark’s plate. Stark says that that is not a sound food should make while Fern remarks that they have only had hard bread for the entire week. Frieren, munching on her bread, tells the two to not expect too much as the Northern Region is barren except for the Bier Region since there is no supply distribution, meaning that the hard bread will remain whenever the party camp much to Stark’s disappointment. Frieren reassures the party that they might be able to get some decent food in a half day’s walk away.

After the party began walking, they eventually see the fortified town that impresses Stark. Frieren explains that the land is owned by the Norm Company and that the town contains their headquarters. She continues on to say that they are an armed company with the power and network to distribute supplies all over the Northern Plateau from the Bier Region. For this fact alone, the Norm Company is seen as the de facto ruling force throughout the Northern Plateau over any nation. Fern reminds Frieren that she said there was no distribution of supplies to which Frieren says that a lot could have changed in the passage of time so the company may not be as powerful as it used to be. Frieren warns the two of Fern and Stark to not cause any trouble since the company would be influential regardless of the circumstances.

The party is allowed to enter the town, but the receptionist recognizes Frieren’s face from his book and tells the party to wait a moment to Fern’s confusion. The party is then brought before Lord Norm, the current president of the company. Norm recognizes Frieren as the Hero Party’s mage and requests that she pays back her debt from 80 years ago in full. Fern asks if Frieren is actually in debt and Frieren tells Norm that she was told she could pay it back at any time. Norm disagrees as such agreement is not written in his document. Norm tells Frieren to not rely on verbal agreement and that while his ancestor may have been lenient, he is not.

Frieren offers Norm the party’s funds which consists of 3 Strahl gold coins, 20 Reich gold coins along with some silver and copper coins. Norm compares the funds to that of a noble’s which pleases Frieren. Frieren, with confidence, tells Norm that his great predecessor had been a huge help to the Hero Party so he can keep the change. After short deliberation, Norm tells Frieren that the funds are nowhere near enough.

The scene cuts to Frieren in a miner’s attire complete with a pickaxe. Frieren tells Fern and Stark that she has been forced to work in the mines for 300 years, signalling the end of her journey. Fern is confused and a sad Frieren reveals that everything has been taken away as security for her debt. Frieren bids farewell to the two as she is carried away by two miners while Fern and Stark remain confused.

Stark asks Fern as to what they’re supposed to do and Fern says that they have no choice but to buy Frieren back. After a conversation with Norm, Norm tells the two that nothing can be done before handing Fern a document stating that Frieren’s interest has accrued to over 500 Strahl gold coins, Norm adds that even if paid in Reich gold coins, it would still exceed 300 coins.

Later at night, Frieren is sitting in the mines as she complains of the heat and dust. A group of miners approach Frieren and one tells her that they have been informed by the president. Frieren, with a smile, begins working by casting a spell. Her spell marks a location that Frieren shows to the miner. He asks if Frieren is sure and she reminds him of who she is. The miner orders the rest to begin digging in the spell’s direction.

A flashback begins to shortly before this scene, where Norm had spoken with Frieren in the mines. Frieren noted that his great predecessor was a heroic man who invested in a barren land and built a distribution network for the entirety of the Northern Plateau. She continued to add that he was the same person who provided funds for the Hero Party with no expectations and no date for repayment. She claimed disappointment at being treated poorly by the current Norm. With a smile, Frieren expected that he must have a good reason since he came down to the mines himself. Norm expected that Frieren must know about the direness of the supply situation in the Plateau, and Frieren recounted the party’s experience with the hard bread. Norm explained that 30% of the company’s armed caravan and army were lost when demonic activities rose up again and devastated the distribution network. Norm supposed that if the company was a country, it would have fallen long ago. However, since it is a company, he explained that with enough capital, they can rebuild as many times as needed.

Norm continued on to say that Frieren’s arrival had been akin to a blessing from the Goddess as the promissory note suddenly had power to him. He explained that the mine is still under development and the presence of silver ore would result in an enormous profit for the company to the point of being able to write off the Hero Party’s debt, something he expected that Frieren could easily do. Frieren finally understood Norm’s actions as he formally requested that Frieren help rebuild Norm Company’s distribution network for the sake of the people of the Northern Plateau, adding that she may even enjoy soft bread at the furthest ends of the Plateau as a result. With a smile, Frieren commented on Norm’s shrewdness as merchant and accepted as she had always planned on paying back his great predecessor’s kindness.

The flashback ends as the group of miners are successful in finding a massive silver ore, contributing to Frieren’s smugness. The next morning, Frieren, having gotten all her belongings back, tells Fern and Stark that it is time to leave. Stark expresses relief as they were discussing how to save Frieren with Fern planning to attack the mines at night, to Frieren’s surprise at Fern’s hotbloodedness. A smug Frieren tells the two that they will be able to eat soft bread from now on.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Frieren
* Fern
* Stark
* Lord Norm
* Lord Norm's Great Predecessor (Flashback)
* Miners

## Battles and Events

#### Events

* Frieren discovers silver ore in the Norm Company mines
* Frieren pays off the debt and interest owed to the Norm Company from the Hero Party's time.

## Spells and New Tools Used

#### Spells

* Unnamed spell to detect the location of silver ore

## Chapter Notes

* According to the promissory note, the debt of the Hero Party including interest was at least 500 Strahl gold coins, or more than 300 Reich gold coins.