Chapter Summaries

Roland forced Viscount Vaughn to surrender after the Brown Family’s forces suffered devastating losses, then compelled the allied minor lords to lay down their arms as well. The battle for Ironflow Fortress ended in Roland’s complete victory, while Vaughn’s revelation about Cyril’s alleged plot against Leslie left Roland holding damaging information about the Oroko Family.

• The Loyal Lion Brigade and its reinforcements helped Bor’s forces overwhelm the Brown Family’s soldiers and surround its experts.
• Roland demanded unconditional surrender, and Viscount Vaughn reconsidered after seeing the destruction of his forces and the death of an Advanced Warrior.
• Viscount Vaughn claimed the Oroko Family had incited the war and accused Cyril of plotting to kill Leslie, saying he had a Recording Crystal as proof.
• Roland used Vaughn’s revelation and the Brown Family’s worsening losses to pressure him into ordering Mike and the other warriors to surrender.
• Roland ordered the affiliated minor lords to surrender, and they laid down their weapons as his forces closed in.

Orenthz Brown surrendered the Brown Family’s last force on Ironflow Island, while Roland and Leslie counted their prisoners and spoils and prepared to demand ransom. Viscount Vaughn and Mike considered ways to limit the family’s losses as they waited to hear Roland’s terms.

• Orenthz Brown returned to the battlefield, saw the Brown Family’s defeat, and surrendered after Luke showed him Viscount Vaughn’s family token.
• The remaining Brown Family soldiers laid down their weapons, and officials and soldiers began restoring Ironflow Island and its docks.
• Roland visited wounded soldiers, then met Leslie, who reported the prisoners, captured leaders, ships, and siege equipment taken in the battle.
• Roland and Leslie agreed to consider how much ransom to demand from Viscount Vaughn.
• Viscount Vaughn rejected Mike’s proposals to bargain for freedom through an alliance against the Oroko Family or by selling subordinate factions, and blamed his own greed for the defeat.

Roland and Leslie negotiated with Viscount Vaughn over the Brown Family’s defeat, demanding enormous compensation and ransom. Roland offered to reduce the bill if Vaughn supplied intelligence and island stops for his pirate operations, leaving Vaughn to consider the proposal.

• Leslie demanded 276,000 gold coins from the Brown Family for damage to Ironflow Island and its soldiers, and Viscount Vaughn reluctantly held back his refusal under threat.
• Leslie calculated a further 280,000 gold coins in prisoner ransoms and 150,000 gold coins for the Brown Family’s captured warships and weapons.
• Viscount Vaughn offered an alliance against the Oroko Family, but Leslie rejected the idea and made clear that he had no interest in attacking his birth family.
• Leslie threatened to take the Brown Family’s people and grain if it could not pay, while Roland pretended to mediate between them.
• Roland offered to reduce the demands if Viscount Vaughn supplied intelligence and island docking stops for Roland’s pirate band, and Vaughn said he needed time to consider.

After forcing the Brown Family and twelve small factions to pay heavy reparations, Roland’s rise prompted Elizabeth’s uncle to push for her engagement to him and led the Oruoko Family to plot against the Black Knight Pirates. News of Roland’s victory reached Solomon Junot, who welcomed it with a smile, leaving his intentions unclear.

• Roland’s forces secured a contract requiring the Brown Family to pay 550,000 gold coins and each of the twelve small factions to pay 5,000 gold coins, along with slaves and supplies.
• News of Roland’s Mage Regiment spread across the Azure Sea Region, while Vice Captain Reff rejected calls within the Black Knight Pirates to suppress Roland because he expected Roland to marry Elizabeth.
• Reff mistook Elizabeth’s hesitation for shyness and left to discuss an immediate engagement with her father, prompting Elizabeth to hurry after him.
• Cyril Oroko accepted an old adviser’s plan to use forces in the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands, and possibly the Noble Council, to destroy the Black Knight Pirates and hinder Leslie.
• Butler Gerson delivered news of Roland’s victory to Solomon Junot, whose smile contrasted with Gerson’s gloomy reaction.

After defeating the Brown Family, Roland reviewed the compensation and planned to strengthen his territory. He decided to form a heavy infantry brigade from Magic Pattern Warriors, despite Leslie’s concerns about the cost.

• Viscount Vaughn and the twelve lords left Ironflow Island after paying compensation and ransom, and Roland announced a victory banquet.
• Leslie showed Roland four magical equipment pieces and delivered the compensation list, including meditation and breathing methods, slaves, supplies, potions, and gold.
• Roland learned the territory’s population and reserves had grown substantially, while Leslie warned that half the treasury needed to go toward rebuilding defenses.
• Roland proposed turning the three hundred Magic Pattern Warriors in the Loyal Lion Brigade into a heavy infantry brigade.
• Leslie questioned the cost, but realized Roland could forge armor and engrave magic patterns himself, making the plan far more affordable.

Roland established the Bulwark Magic Pattern Heavy Infantry Brigade and inspected its new fortress barracks, training and heavy armor. The chapter ended as he led Maison to test the armor’s defensive power.

• After creating a Level 9 Magic Potion, Roland reorganized his forces and appointed O'Neal commander of the new Magic Pattern Heavy Infantry Brigade.
• Roland visited the brigade’s fortress barracks, instructed O'Neal, Naldo, and Abru to make the brigade hold back any enemy, and promised it priority supplies and equipment.
• The three hundred Magic Pattern Warriors welcomed Roland and pledged their loyalty as he urged them to become an unbreakable bulwark.
• O'Neal showed Roland a set of heavy armor and a person-sized shield made by the territory’s Weapons and Equipment Workshop.
• Roland had Maison, the first warrior he had inscribed with a Magic Pattern, put on the armor; Maison said he could move in it despite being slower.
• Roland took Maison to the training ground to test the armor’s defensive power.

Roland tested the defensive strength of Maison’s magic-patterned heavy armor and ordered O'Neal to double the Bulwark Brigade within a year. He then inspected Ironflow Island’s expanding Magic Herb Gardens and visited children training as future mages.

• At O'Neal's command, Naldo attacked Maison, whose heavy armor let him withstand repeated blows until Roland stopped the fight to prevent serious injury.
• Naldo told Roland that magic-patterned heavy infantry could hold out against far more opponents than ordinary heavy-armored warriors, and Roland judged the force a major future asset.
• Roland ordered O'Neal to double the Bulwark Brigade within a year, and O'Neal agreed to recruit and train more warriors from the territory's slaves.
• Roland inspected the Magic Herb Gardens on Ironflow Island and saw dozens of children receiving instruction in a residential area.
• Roland reflected that more than forty children among the two thousand obtained from the Brown Family had Inferior Mage Talent and would be trained for the Mage Regiment.

Roland visited the Mage Regiment, checked on its new recruits, and found Alice testing the Emerald Song Staff in the forest. After spending time together, Alice explained how the staff had strengthened her treants, and Roland returned to Ironflow Fortress for the victory banquet.

• Roland met the Mage Regiment's children, promised them benefits, and told Ryan to keep supporting the regiment.
• Ryan told Roland that Alice was in the forest testing her new staff, so Roland went to find her.
• Roland watched Alice command four Treant Warriors and learned that the Emerald Song Staff let her summon four Level 9 treants while strengthening her spells.
• Alice explained that summoning an Earth Warrior-level treant required her Tree Shepherd profession to reach Great Mage and needed decades-old magical trees.
• Roland left Alice and returned to Ironflow Fortress to attend the victory banquet celebrating the defeat of the Brown Family.

Roland celebrated the victory over the Brown Family with Ironflow Island's officials and military leaders, then received a surprise visit from Reff. Reff announced that Roland would be engaged to Elizabeth in three months and expected him to marry into her family, leaving Roland furious but forced to conceal his refusal.

• Roland praised the officials and soldiers at the victory banquet, credited them with defeating the Brown Family, and led them in a toast.
• Roland spoke with Jonathan and told Leslie to cultivate him if his abilities proved adequate.
• A servant reported that Reff had arrived, so Roland and Leslie went to the docks to meet him.
• Reff promised that the Black Knight Pirates would protect Roland's territory and announced an Engagement Ceremony for Roland and Elizabeth in three months.
• Roland objected to marrying into Elizabeth's family, but Reff pressured him with a fearsome aura, and Leslie urged Roland to take time to consider before Roland reluctantly thanked Reff.

After learning the Oroko Family planned to destroy the Black Knight Pirates, Roland and Leslie considered how to protect Roland’s territory from the consequences. They decided to prepare for either outcome by building ties with the Pirates’ five affiliated powers and finding ways to avoid being bound to the Black Knight Pirates.

• Reff delivered news of the Oroko Family’s plan and quickly left Ironflow Island, leaving Roland furious.
• Leslie told Roland that Cyril and the Oroko Family intended to destroy the Black Knight Pirates through an unknown scheme.
• Leslie proposed that Roland use the Black Knight Pirates’ protection to strengthen his territory and, if the Pirates fell, ally with their five affiliated powers against the Mandy Family.
• Roland accepted that he might have to abandon the Black Knight Pirates, but insisted they prepare for both the Pirates’ destruction and their survival.
• Leslie teased Roland to ease his nerves, and the two stayed in the laboratory to discuss their next steps.

Roland’s territory grew wealthier and strengthened its forces, but the Azure Sea Emperor Beast attacked Ironflow Island again. Alice suspected it was protecting a newborn near the territory, so Roland sent O'Neal to search the nearby waters for its nest.

• Roland’s territory expanded its industries and trade, while its officials sensed war approaching as Roland and Leslie devoted resources to military preparations.
• O'Neal, Leslie, and Alredo advanced to Earth Warrior rank, and Roland ignored demands from rival powers to stop supporting Luke’s pirates.
• The Azure Sea Emperor Beast led over a thousand Magical Beasts in an attack on Ironflow Island, then escaped when it saw Alice, Dwight, O'Neal, and other powerful fighters.
• Alice suggested the beast’s nest was near the territory and that it had attacked to protect its young from the growing threat of Roland’s forces.
• Roland ordered O'Neal to recall half of the Green-Haired Turtle Knights and search the waters around the territory for the beast’s nest.

Roland advanced to Level 9 and reviewed a series of territory affairs with Leslie, including a growing alliance among nearby factions and plans to expand trade. The chapter left the search for the Azure Sea Emperor Beast set to resume while Roland postponed new outposts and prepared for coming turmoil.

• Roland learned that O'Neal's search had found no trace of the Azure Sea Emperor Beast, then approved searching the territories of three nearby factions.
• Roland visited Leslie and discussed Old Nob's supervision of the territory's departments.
• Leslie told Roland that twelve nearby factions appeared to be secretly forming an alliance, and Roland ordered an investigation while vowing to deal with them after the Black Knight Pirates fell.
• Roland rejected James's proposal to establish four western outposts, deciding the territory should not spread its forces amid the conspiracy against the Black Knight Pirates.
• Roland reviewed twelve administrative matters with Leslie and spent the day making decisions on the territory's affairs.

Roland questioned Old Nob about his mother’s mysterious past, then learned the Azure Sea Emperor Beast was hiding on Flying Fish Island and prepared an expedition to confront it. He reached the island with his experts and planned to use the Spirited Pirates to deal with the beast, though its attacks had already killed their Vice Captain and more than twenty pirates.

• Roland praised Old Nob’s Supervision Department, ordered him to make its surveillance more discreet and expand its spies into nearby territories, and learned Old Nob had already infiltrated the powers planning an alliance.
• Roland demanded to know his mother’s identity, but Old Nob refused to reveal it, leaving Roland to suspect she had powerful origins and that a dangerous enemy might still be after him.
• Three days later, O'Neal told Roland that the Azure Sea Emperor Beast’s cave was beneath a cliff on Flying Fish Island, the base of the Spirited Pirates.
• Roland gathered Alice, Leslie, Dwight, Alredo, the Bulwark Brigade, and the territory’s Intermediate Mages, then sailed to Flying Fish Island.
• Roland discovered the beast’s cave was difficult to attack and decided the Spirited Pirates could help, but O'Neal revealed that the beast had killed more than twenty pirates, including their Vice Captain.
• Roland ordered O'Neal to take him to meet the remaining Spirited Pirates.

Roland arrived at Flying Fish Island and forced the Spirited Pirates to help him steal the cubs from a Top-tier Magical Beast’s nest. The One-eyed Pirate agreed under threat, despite believing the mission would likely cost his crew their lives.

• Roland saw Flying Fish Island’s enslaved workers and judged the Spirited Pirates to be a threat that lived by plunder.
• The One-eyed Pirate rejected his subordinates’ calls to fight Roland and sent men to seek help from a Black Knight Pirates outpost.
• Roland’s Magic Pattern Warriors surrounded the pirates at the dock, and the One-eyed Pirate recognized Roland and tried to flatter him.
• Roland ordered the Spirited Pirates to enter the Top-tier Magical Beast’s nest and steal its cubs, offering them a resource-rich island as a reward.
• When the One-eyed Pirate hesitated, Roland’s warriors drew their blades, and the captain agreed to carry out the mission.

Roland tricked the Spirited Pirates into distracting the Azure Sea Emperor Beast while Leslie, O'Neal, Dwight, and Alredo stole its three cubs. They escaped to Flying Fish Island, where the enraged beast caught up with them at Roland's prepared battlefield and O'Neal charged to meet it.

• Roland ordered the One-eyed Pirate and the Spirited Pirates into the cave as a distraction while Leslie, O'Neal, Dwight, and Alredo slipped in to steal the cubs.
• Leslie and the other Earth Warriors emerged with three unconscious cubs, while the Azure Sea Emperor Beast attacked the pirates and killed the One-eyed Pirate.
• Roland and his companions fled by warship, using mages and Earth Warriors to speed their escape back to the Flying Fish Island dock.
• The Azure Sea Emperor Beast pursued them onto the island, where Roland's group carried the cubs into a prepared battlefield.
• O'Neal raised his shield and charged the beast, meeting it in a violent collision.

Roland tried to recruit the Azure Sea Emperor Beast, but it refused and fought fiercely against his Earth Warriors. After Alice waited for its Sea Emperor Shield to fade, she and the warriors restrained the beast with vines and chains, leaving it captured.

• O'Neal failed to defeat the Azure Sea Emperor Beast alone, and Roland's offer of Magic Crystals failed to persuade it to join his territory.
• Leslie, O'Neal, Dwight, and Alredo attacked the Azure Sea Emperor Beast, but its speed and strength injured the warriors and gave it the upper hand.
• The Azure Sea Emperor Beast cast Sea Emperor Shield, forcing the four Earth Warriors to endure its attacks while draining its magical power.
• After the Sea Emperor Shield faded, Alice used the forest's vines and branches to trap the beast, while O'Neal slowed it and hundreds of heavily armored warriors bound it with chains.
• The Azure Sea Emperor Beast was immobilized and forced to surrender.

After defeating the Azure Sea Emperor Beast, Roland killed it when it refused to submit and divided its three cubs among O'Neal, Dwight, and Alredo. Back on Ironflow Island, the group celebrated their spoils as development resumed, while tension grew as Roland's engagement date approached.

• Roland failed to persuade the captured Azure Sea Emperor Beast to submit, so Leslie killed it and Roland ordered its valuable parts collected.
• Roland ordered O'Neal to search Flying Fish Island and then inspected the three sleeping Azure Sea Emperor Beast cubs.
• Roland promised Leslie and Alice future magical beast mounts, while Alice avoided Roland's attempted embrace.
• After returning to Ironflow Island, Roland divided the three cubs among O'Neal, Dwight, and Alredo, and Leslie left to handle the newly acquired slaves.
• Ironflow Island resumed its rapid development, while an oppressive atmosphere spread as Roland's engagement date drew closer.

The Black Knight Pirates’ celebration at Double Gate Island was disrupted when Kevin Cavendish loudly objected to Elizabeth’s marriage to Roland, while David Foss provoked the dispute. Elizabeth ordered Kevin to leave, but the confrontation remained unresolved when Roland arrived at the harbor.

• Kevin Cavendish accused the Black Knight Pirates of marrying Elizabeth to an unworthy lord, and David Foss encouraged the conflict.
• Kevin insisted he and Elizabeth belonged together, while Elizabeth rejected him and told him to leave Double Gate Island.
• Kevin claimed he would bring the Cavendish Family into the Pirate Alliance so he could marry Elizabeth, prompting his uncle to silence him.
• The crowd heard that Roland had arrived, and the scheming David and eager Kevin watched as Roland entered the harbor.

Roland arrived at Double Gate Island for his engagement ceremony with Elizabeth, where his willingness to become her fiancé surprised her. He followed Elizabeth into the island, intending to use the engagement to protect his interests and potentially benefit from the Black Knight Pirates’ coming upheaval.

• After seven days at sea, Roland and Leslie reached Double Gate Island and sailed their ship toward its central dock despite the hostile stares of the pirates there.
• Kevin confronted Roland over Elizabeth, but Elizabeth declared that she liked Roland, and Kevin’s uncle carried him away before the Cavendish ship departed.
• Elizabeth explained that the engagement could be canceled, though doing so would leave Roland’s territory vulnerable to suppression by the Black Knight Pirates.
• Roland said he would rather keep control of his own territory than become Elizabeth’s Vice Captain, then suddenly agreed to the engagement.
• Elizabeth led Roland into the depths of Double Gate Island as the watching pirates looked on.

Roland arrived at Black Fortress with Elizabeth and met her father, Commander Dylan Fikernando, who questioned him about his intentions toward Elizabeth and warned him not to repeat his mistake with the Spirited Pirates. Roland left after promising to help keep Elizabeth safe.

• Roland admired Black Fortress and praised how the Black Knight Pirates managed Double Gate Island, while Leslie provoked Elizabeth by criticizing the slave camps.
• Elizabeth brought Roland to the pirates’ headquarters to meet her father, Dylan Fikernando, and left Leslie waiting outside.
• Dylan recognized Roland as Roland Solomon, prompting Roland to reveal that he was the illegitimate son of Junot of the Solomon Family.
• Dylan told Roland that he only wanted Elizabeth to live safely and happily, and Roland agreed to help him fulfill that wish.
• Dylan warned Roland not to repeat his mistake with the Spirited Pirates, and Roland promised to obey before leaving the study.