Recaps

Velin and Kyle searched the Holy Blood Church’s demiplane and found its Divine Artifacts and Semi-Epic Treasures. Velin decided to give the demiplane to Celeste when he became duke, while Celeste began overseeing the captives and wondered whether their families should come too.

• Velin and Kyle entered the demiplane and found a vast stockpile of resources, including eleven Divine Artifacts and thirty-seven Semi-Epic Treasures.
• Velin decided not to pursue the missing Semi-Epic Treasures and planned to give the six-thousand-square-kilometer demiplane to Celeste on the day he took office as duke.
• Celeste reported that the captives were gathered, and Velin ordered alignment checks, the execution of those with evil alignment, and the return of the rest as construction workers for the new nation.
• Celeste realized Kyle would still carry out the order and wondered if he had agreed too readily to becoming a duke.
• Velin entered the Holy Blood Cathedral to look for stories, while Celeste asked Kyle whether they should bring the captives’ families along.

After the City of Holy Blood fell, Kyle reported that the roundup and looting were complete, and Velin prepared to leave with the spoils. On the Floating Ship Star Moon, the group began dividing the Divine Artifacts and Legendary-tier treasures according to their agreement, with Celeste choosing first.

• The victors transferred more than sixty thousand Holy Blood Church officials and family members into the Demiplane over three days and nights.
• Kyle told Velin that the city had been secured, its valuables and most of its food taken, and the surviving church forces had stopped probing them.
• Velin ordered the group to depart and invited Celeste and the others to the Floating Ship Star Moon to divide the spoils.
• Velin summoned twelve Divine Artifacts and thirty-seven Legendary-tier treasures, and the group agreed to divide them according to their prearranged shares.
• Duke Moravia yielded the first choice to Celeste because the Soul Intent Tier Transcendents had contributed greatly, and Celeste selected five Divine Artifacts and twelve Legendary-tier treasures.

Velin and the others divided the spoils, and Velin chose to give Leonus the Chalice of Holy Healing. After the other Legends left, Velin began explaining the gift by apologizing for missing Leonus’s wedding and asking whether he had children.

• Duke Moravia selected two Divine Artifacts and twelve Legendary-tier treasures, and Velin let Kyle choose two Divine Artifacts from those remaining.
• Kyle declined to take another Divine Artifact, and Velin stored the remaining artifacts and treasures in his Space Equipment.
• Velin proposed giving the Chalice of Holy Healing to Leonus, and the others agreed.
• Simons Caswell explained that he served wherever the Dawn Church needed him, and Celeste brought Leonus aboard the Floating Ship Star Moon.
• Velin presented Leonus with the Chalice, apologized for missing his wedding, and asked whether he had any children.

Velin and his fleet departed after the fall of the City of Holy Blood, leaving the Holy Blood Papal State in turmoil as neighboring nations prepared to act. In the Parambria Kingdom, King Damian Buria ordered a purge of the Holy Blood Church after learning it planned to hold Holy Blood Day early.

• Leonus told Velin that his father would not rush him before he turned five hundred, so Velin set aside his attempt to recruit him.
• Velin ordered Kyle to prepare the fleet's return, and the Third Floating Fleet sailed north openly from the Holy Blood Papal State.
• News spread that the City of Holy Blood had fallen and that the black-haired knight had destroyed both the Pope and the phantom of the God of Holy Blood.
• King Damian Buria learned that General Kolovian had mobilized three legions and was waiting for orders to take over the capital and purge the Holy Blood Church.
• After a messenger reported that the Church would hold Holy Blood Day in three days, Damian ordered Kolovian to enter the capital before dawn and kill the so-called traitors and their blood relatives.
• Damian ordered his Third Uncle to help Kolovian and the court advisors exterminate the traitors.

The Parambria Kingdom launched a nighttime assault to purge the Holy Blood Church from its capital. Pope Arnolak Draxos confronted King Damian above the Royal Palace, where Damian struck Arnolak's soul after a secret transmission left him frozen.

• King Damian watched the capital at dusk as more than a hundred thousand red-armored warriors entered through the East City Gate and advanced on the church district.
• The king's forces broke through the church's defenses, killing Temple Knights and driving the Holy Blood Church's fighters back.
• Arnolak Draxos urged his young cardinal to flee, and the cardinal removed his clerical robes, bowed to his teacher, and left.
• Arnolak revealed his power and flew to the Royal Palace, where Damian met him and fought him high above the city.
• Arnolak prepared a desperate attack, but Damian spoke to him through a secret transmission, froze him, and drove his longsword into Arnolak's soul.

Damian revealed that the royal family had arranged Arnolak’s romance and that Arnolak’s wife had killed the woman he loved, then killed Arnolak. As Kolovian’s forces took control of the capital’s church district, they slaughtered the surrendered clergy and began hunting survivors across the diocese.

• Damian told Arnolak that the royal family had arranged his adventures and romance, and that Arnolak’s wife had killed the woman he loved; Arnolak’s soul shattered and he died.
• A Ninth Rank Professional brought Damian Cardinal Radlin’s head, and Damian ordered it buried with Arnolak.
• Kolovian left the cathedral in Bishop Oberich’s care and went to deal with thousands of surrendered clergy.
• Kolovian ordered his soldiers to kill the surrenderers, and they slaughtered more than four thousand clergy in the square.
• Kolovian ordered the armies to hunt survivors throughout the diocese and kill anyone with blood ties to Holy Blood Church clergy.

Velin discussed the Parambria Kingdom’s upheaval and planned to send Celeste as an envoy to negotiate over its territory. Meanwhile, Duke Moravia explained to Celeste why he treated Angus harshly, leaving Celeste to hear the first reason behind his approach.

• Velin read that King Damian Bria had purged Pope Arnolak’s faction and installed Oberich as the new Holy Blood Church’s Pope, then wondered what Damian had said before killing Arnolak.
• Velin and Kyle agreed to send Celeste to Parambria as an envoy and decided to visit Duke Moravia to find him.
• Before leaving for the Sixth Teleportation Array Island, Velin entrusted the Dawn Church’s two divine artifacts to Xuemiyya rather than returning them.
• Celeste discussed divinity with Duke Moravia, who recorded their conversation and planned to study divine radiance for knowledge of space.
• Duke Moravia told Celeste he had approved of Elisa’s marriage to Angus, then explained that his harsh treatment of Angus made Elisa defend her husband and strengthened their bond.

Duke Moravia urged Celeste to keep a close eye on Mirna’s lover, Angus, and make his presence felt as a protective father. Velin and Kyle later found Celeste on the Sixth Teleportation Array Island, where Velin asked if Celeste had someone he liked.

• Duke Moravia explained that Angus was too weak to protect his daughter and said Celeste should pressure him while making his presence clear.
• Celeste reconsidered how he should get along with Mirna’s lover after hearing Duke Moravia’s advice.
• Velin wagered with Kyle about what Celeste was doing, and Kyle correctly guessed that Celeste was spacing out.
• Velin and Kyle traveled to the Sixth Teleportation Array Island, found Celeste beneath a pavilion, and shared wine with him.
• Velin hinted that Celeste had been asking his maternal grandfather how to protect his daughter, then asked whether Celeste had someone he liked.

Velin learned that Celeste had planned to meet Mirna’s beloved, then watched Celeste and Kyle enter the Shadow World to resume their unfinished battle. The next morning, Velin visited the Floating City and found Xing devouring the magical beast flesh prepared for it, then headed to the Central Mage Tower to wait for his maternal grandfather.

• Celeste explained that he had missed meeting Mirna’s beloved because he had been catching up with Kyle, and Kyle and Celeste went through a passage into the Shadow World to finish their battle.
• Velin summoned the Blood Knight to locate Kyle, then spent the night sleeping in the garden after the passage closed.
• The next morning, Velin learned that his maternal grandfather was conducting an experiment in the Demiplane and explored the Floating City while he waited.
• Velin opened a passage to the Cecilia Demiplane, and Xing rushed out to eat the magical beast flesh piled on a stone platform.
• Velin teased Xing by telling it to leave the food, then relented, and Xing returned to its full size and rapidly ate the meat as Magic Puppets brought more.
• Velin headed toward the Central Mage Tower to wait for his maternal grandfather while Xing slowed down and savored the food.

Velin discovered and read a secret letter from his father to his mother, which revealed that Duke Moravia had intercepted the message and that his father suspected Velin had helped expose his weakness. After discussing the letter with Duke Moravia, Velin left to look for Xing.

• Velin found a letter hidden in a book in Duke Moravia's study and read its coded message and common-language notes.
• The letter described his father's request for Elisa to join him and warned that Velin might have given Duke Moravia leverage against him.
• Velin returned the letter to the book and planned to act innocent if his mother questioned him, calling on Xuemya if necessary.
• Duke Moravia arrived and asked Velin about the letter; Velin admitted reading it and denied taking part in the interception beyond handing over the means to punish his father.
• Duke Moravia assured Velin he would not tell Elisa, then left through a Demiplane passage after asking about Kyle.
• Velin stayed briefly in the study, then went to look for Xing.

Velin prepared to send Celeste as a special envoy to negotiate on behalf of the Qixing Army before taking possession of a pastoral region of nearly eight million square kilometers. Celeste agreed, leaving Velin feeling guilty about asking him.

• Velin sent Xing back to the demiplane and waited for Kyle and Celeste to return from their duel.
• Celeste said he had narrowly won, while Kyle admitted defeat; Kyle and Celeste then went to catch a sea magical beast for Velin.
• Velin ordered Kyle to prepare three thousand jin of meat from the giant beast and directed the island's forces to divide the rest among themselves.
• Velin asked Celeste to represent the Qixing Army in negotiations before claiming the pastoral region, and Celeste agreed because of his duty to build the diocese.
• Velin felt guilty after Celeste candidly explained why he could not refuse.

Velin instructed Celeste to demand that Parambria Kingdom choose between attacking the Kingdom of Skelly and risking destruction, or facing the destruction of its capital, and to request hostages if it compromised. After dining with Kyle and leaving Duke Moravia, Celeste traveled with Velin toward the mainland as a special envoy, where his fleet reached Tyrannus Fortress and began negotiations with Lancaster.

• Velin told Celeste to offer Parambria Kingdom five years to hold any seized territory, with trade allowed during that period, or face an attack on its capital, and to demand hostages if it compromised.
• Velin ate more than three hundred dishes while Star was sent into the demiplane, where Kyle's cooking soon cheered it up.
• Two days later, Velin and Celeste boarded the Star Moon Floating Ship and departed despite Duke Moravia's reluctance.
• In early March of 9800, Celeste arrived at the Okra Kingdom–Parambria Kingdom border with the Third Floating Fleet and ordered Galia to send an envoy to Tyrannus Fortress.
• Lancaster ordered the fortress to prepare for war, but held his forces back when a Low-tier Soul Intent Arcanist approached to negotiate.

Celeste’s envoys were blocked at Tyrannus Fortress because Lancaster had not received word of their negotiations. Celeste subdued the garrison, and Lancaster discovered that Sazidan had concealed the King’s edict; after presenting it, Lancaster let the envoys continue toward Buria Province.

• Lancaster refused to let the Qixing Army envoys pass, and the Low-tier Soul Intent Arcanist reported the refusal to Celeste.
• Celeste appeared before Tyrannus Fortress and used his pressure to immobilize its more than sixty thousand soldiers without killing them.
• Celeste ordered Lancaster to retrieve something Sazidan had hidden, and Lancaster found Sazidan with the King’s concealed edict underground.
• Lancaster read the edict, stopped himself from killing Sazidan, and presented the document to Celeste while apologizing for the delay.
• Celeste lifted his suppression, and the Third Floating Fleet departed for Buria Province.

King Damian Bria ordered Berichi to negotiate with the heretics, while secretly investigating the Holy Blood Church’s assets and using Berichi’s family secret to control him. Seven days later, Celeste arrived in Buria City with the Third Floating Fleet and demonstrated his power at the manor prepared for him.

• Damian told Berichi to negotiate with the people in the west, warning that Parambria Kingdom could not resist an attack like the one that had taken the City of Holy Blood.
• Damian revealed that he had secretly sent people to protect Berichi’s nephew, then ordered a black-armored knight to audit the Holy Blood Church’s wealth in the treasury.
• Seven days later, the Third Floating Fleet arrived above Buria City, and Celeste traveled to a prepared manor with a small group of attendants.
• Damian watched the fleet from the palace and worried about the heretics’ strength.
• Celeste asked the local official to withdraw the manor’s guards, and when the official said he needed permission, Celeste caused more than six hundred guards to lose consciousness.

Celeste used overwhelming force to pressure the Parambria Kingdom before beginning negotiations with Berichi. He gave the kingdom two choices: conquer territory for Okra Kingdom within five years and surrender it, or let Buria City suffer the fate of the City of Holy Blood.

• Celeste ordered the soldiers who had confronted him to be left alive, while his Arcanists established a magical barrier around the manor.
• Berichi reported the incident to Damian, who learned that Celeste had subdued more than sixty thousand troops at Tyrannus Fortress and told Berichi to preserve the country.
• Velin watched images of Alerian and Lavia with Kyle, placed a bet on which woman would make the first proposal, and speculated that Celeste would begin negotiations the next day.
• Celeste and Berichi began formal negotiations in the Parambria royal palace.
• Celeste offered Parambria two choices: seize new land from the Kingdom of Skelly and hand it over after five years, or see Buria City become like the City of Holy Blood.

Celeste gave Berichi an ultimatum, leaving King Damian to confront the likely destruction of Parambria Kingdom. After visiting the graves of his three friends, Damian chose to compromise again and summoned Berichi late that night.

• Celeste told Berichi that Parambria Kingdom must either flee or face destruction, and Berichi reported her terms to Damian.
• Damian asked whether the kingdom would fragment after his death, then went alone to visit the graves of Zepharius, Kaibolai, and Airedes.
• Damian mourned the friends who had died because of his choices and resolved to compromise again to preserve the nation and royal bloodline.
• Late that night, Damian summoned Berichi to the Administrative Hall and asked him to sit beside him on the steps.

Damian chose to preserve his kingdom by accepting a settlement with the Kingdom of Skelly, even if Parambria had to become a vassal state. After Celeste offered trade and revealed the overwhelming strength of the Qixing Army, Damian wondered whether compromise had saved Buria City from destruction.

• Damian told Berichi he had chosen compromise to protect his brothers and the kingdom, and said Parambria would become a vassal state.
• Three days later, Berichi told Celeste that Damian had chosen the first option, and Celeste offered trade negotiations and information in return.
• Celeste revealed that Lord Velin Ex had killed the Holy Blood Pope and the God of Holy Blood's resurrected phantom, and that the City of Holy Blood had fallen in five hours and forty-seven minutes.
• Celeste instructed Berichi to have Damian choose a hostage to accompany him after the agreement was signed.
• Berichi reported the negotiations to Damian, who considered whether his choice had spared Buria City and wondered why the Qixing Army had waited four years to attack the Okra Kingdom.

King Damian decided to send all seven of his children to the Kingdom of Skelly as hostages, intending for them to learn and integrate while only one would eventually return to rule a reborn Parambria. Meanwhile, nobles and rumors spread through the capital as people speculated about the kingdom’s negotiations and prospects for war.

• Damian asked Berichi which child should be sent as a hostage, then accepted Berichi’s suggestion to send all the royal children and candidates from the great noble families.
• Damian summoned his three sons and four daughters and announced that he would send all of them to the Heretic as hostages.
• Damian told his children that one would return to rule Parambria while the other six would remain abroad and serve the nation, and he asked them not to resent their country for his future sacrifices.
• Damian gave his children about half a month to do as they wished before they left, then returned to government affairs.
• Nobles visited Berichi and the two Level 8 Knights to learn about the negotiations, while conflicting rumors about Damian’s intentions and the kingdom’s ability to fight the Heretic circulated through the capital.

Berichi and Celeste signed the Qixing-Parambria Territorial Agreement, setting the transfer of eighteen provinces to the Qixing Army in five years. Berichi began announcing its terms to furious nobles and clergy as Celeste prepared to leave with the people sent to the Qixing Army.

• Damian ordered the heirs of the kingdom’s great nobles brought to the Royal Palace and entrusted Berichi with seeing off the kingdom’s future.
• Celeste ordered additional rooms prepared and learned that Velin might accept Damian’s allegiance, while he continued studying to keep pace with Kyle.
• On March 18, Year 9800, Celeste and Berichi signed and exchanged the Qixing-Parambria Territorial Agreement.
• Celeste told Berichi that the Qixing Army would depart the next day and asked him to send the assigned people to the port district before sunset.
• Berichi read the agreement’s terms aloud, including the transfer of eighteen provinces in 9805, trade, troop reductions, open borders, and the dispatch of royal and noble heirs to study with the Qixing Army.
• The nobles and Holy Blood Church clergy protested as Berichi continued reading, while guards blocked a veteran general from reaching the platform.

Berichi delivered the agreement sending the king’s children and noble heirs away as hostages, while Damian considered his next move. Celeste and Galia escorted the hostages aboard the Third Floating Fleet, which departed the Royal Capital for Okla City as Berichi feared for his own safety.

• The nobles and generals dispersed after Damian announced that all his children would be sent away, and Berichi decided he might need to resign.
• Damian privately considered his failed attempt to use the crisis to purge nobles and raise funds for war against the Kingdom of Skelly, then questioned Berichi about whether anyone had challenged him.
• Berichi delivered the agreement to Damian and left the palace fearing Damian would eventually have him killed, while resolving to send his sister away first.
• Berichi led three princes, four princesses, and 113 noble heirs to the Floating Ship Port, where Galia ordered them aboard the Third Floating Fleet’s ships.
• Thirty-five Floating Battleships took off from the Royal Capital and began their return journey to Okla City as Berichi and the people watched them depart.

Duke Celeste returned from Parambria Kingdom with a territorial agreement and news that its king had sent his children and many nobles’ heirs as hostages. Velin planned to test the seven royal children by assigning them to the churches, the Qixing Legion, and household service for ten years before returning one to their father.

• Duke Celeste handed Velin the Qixing-Parambria Kingdom Territorial Agreement at Okla City’s Floating Ship Port.
• In the carriage, Duke Celeste praised Parambria Kingdom’s king and proposed that the Dawn Church provide the Legendary needed to establish a future parish there.
• Duke Celeste revealed that Parambria Kingdom’s king had sent all seven of his children and the direct heirs of eight dukes, twenty-seven marquises, and seventy-eight counts as hostages.
• Velin agreed with Kyle’s suggestion to bind Parambria Kingdom through marriage ties, while considering relatives from his Fourth Brother’s and Third Uncle’s branches.
• Velin assigned the three princes to the Church of Life, the Dawn Church, and the Qixing Legion, and the four princesses to serve as maids in the households of Xuemya, Lyanna, his mother, and Great Aunt Miyali for ten years.
• Velin ordered that one of the seven be returned to the king after ten years and that the other six remain; Kyle said he would bring Lyanna from Qixing Territory.

Velin discussed Celeste’s future territory while Celeste and Kyle played a game, as Parambria’s hostages arrived and the Qixing territories underwent major political and military changes. Zeflin returned to command the Ice Legion, and Xuemya tested her new maid, Celia Buria, whose skill with government affairs impressed her.

• Velin asked Celeste where he wanted his territory, but Celeste told him to choose any region and joked about staying far away from him.
• First Prince Julian warned his sister Ravenna to keep a low profile as Cassius took charge of the 120 Parambria hostages and sent them to temporary housing.
• The chapter’s dated events recorded trade negotiations, military conflicts, the renaming of the former Okra Kingdom as the Qixing Western District, and Zeflin’s return to command of the Ice Legion.
• Xuemya questioned her new maid, Celia Buria, a former Parambria princess and Gold Intermediate Knight who said she was skilled at government affairs.
• Xuemya gave Celia 30 documents to test her abilities, and Celia finished calculating their figures in under five minutes.

Celia was promoted to Head Maid and given leave by Xuemya, while Velin foresaw that an Outer God avatar would escape from Solantia Death Forest in seven years. At the teleportation array, Hebrew and Kavir arrived to learn the war had ended and Qixing Territory had gained eight million square kilometers, but they received no news about Orlando.

• Xuemya promoted Celia Buria to Head Maid, granted her valuable combat techniques and half a month off, and warned her against betrayal.
• Velin foresaw that a meteor shower would strike Solantia Death Forest in seven years and free the Outer God avatar sealed there.
• Velin told Xuemya he would return to Qixing Territory in September and bring Belder and others to help Kyle, while Xuemya asked him to find a way to bring Laila and the others over.
• Soldiers cleared successive shipments of Qixing Territory supplies from the Sixth Teleportation Array Island as part of their endurance and strength training.
• Hebrew and Kavir arrived with the army, and Hebrew learned from the local commander that the war had ended and Qixing Territory had taken eight million square kilometers of land.
• Hebrew asked for news of Orlando, but the logistics officer had no information about the First Corps commander.

Hebrew and Kavir discussed their plans after the war while Hebrew arranged passage to the mainland for his troops. When Hebrew reached Luohai Port City, he suspected Orlando had come to meet him and prepared himself for the encounter.

• Hebrew arrived at Sixth Teleportation Array Island with over four thousand warriors and asked Seraphina to summon General Ovia.
• Kavir advised Hebrew to ask to command a million soldiers so he could avoid being assigned administrative work, while Kavir expected to become an Archon.
• Ovia agreed to arrange three Floating Battleships to transport Hebrew and his troops to Luohai Port City in three days.
• On March 7th, Orlando read an urgent document from Luohai Port City and flew out after realizing Hebrew had arrived.
• At Luohai Port City, Hebrew wondered whether Orlando had come to see him and thought about how much stronger his brother might have become.

Orlando met Hebrew and Kavir at the City Lord's Mansion, where he revealed that he planned to become a Kingdom Legendary to help Lord establish a nation. Hebrew resolved to pursue that path alongside his own ambitions.

• Orlando caught Hebrew as he tried to run away, and Hebrew claimed he had been rushing to help Kavir, who pretended to have fallen.
• Orlando let Hebrew go, and the three went to the City Lord's Mansion, where Hebrew continued supporting Kavir to avoid provoking his elder brother.
• Orlando told Hebrew that the Alp Island Banquet trial had given him the chance to become a Kingdom Legendary and that he would need to comprehend laws next.
• Orlando explained that Lord needed ten Legendaries to establish a nation and that he would become one of them rather than spend two hundred years pursuing Continental Legend first.
• Kavir and Orlando discussed possible Legendary recruits, and Hebrew realized Orlando intended to fill the remaining gap in Lord's ranks.
• Hebrew vowed to pursue his own goal alongside Orlando's, and Orlando hugged him and said he looked forward to the continent singing of his story.