Chapter Summaries

Leslie reported that Roland’s territory had grown into an island power with more than 543,000 people and monthly revenue of 590,000 gold coins, though its expenditures still exceeded its income. The report ended with an inventory of the territory’s reserves and military assets, showing that its overall strength had tripled during Year 46.

• Roland ended the territorial appointments and transfers, then asked Leslie to report on the territory’s situation.
• Leslie reported the territory’s population, deaths, landholdings, and plan to develop its islands directly rather than hand them to other powers.
• Leslie listed the territory’s monthly revenue, including 360,000 gold coins in profit from smuggling with the Beastkin Empire, prompting excitement among the attendees.
• Leslie revealed that monthly expenditures had reached 650,000 gold coins, leaving the territory in deficit, but Roland reassured the group that selling some of his Master Potions could cover the gap.
• Leslie detailed the territory’s funds, food and material reserves, ships, weapons, and siege equipment, concluding a report that showed the territory’s strength had at least tripled in Year 46.

Roland reviewed the territory’s growing military strength, ordered the three great legions to reach full strength, and rewarded key contributors with titles, fiefs, and riches. He ended the meeting by establishing a Military Merit exchange list to motivate soldiers and prevent their rewards from being withheld.

• Military leaders reported the strengths of their units, and Alice reported that the Mage Regiment had 283 members, including two Great Mages.
• Roland ordered the Military Affairs Department to fill out the three great legions, relying mainly on soldiers trained within the territory.
• Roland granted Reff Maple Origin Island, a knightly title, slaves, equipment, horses, and gold, then granted O'Neal Beautiful China Island and James Small Bay Island as fiefs with similar rewards.
• Roland awarded Honorary Knight titles and material rewards to Bor, Mendy, Naldo, Abru, and other military figures.
• Roland established a Military Merit exchange list, allowing soldiers to exchange each point for one gold coin and forbidding anyone from withholding their rewards.

As Roland’s wedding approached, factions gathered at Double Gate Island, where his rapid growth and expanding population alarmed allies and rivals alike. Ulysses Anton arrived on behalf of the Storm Pirates, intending to enlist Roland in a plan to drive outside powers from the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands and rebuild the Pirate Alliance.

• Yulia held a grand Dawn Day ritual, with Roland standing beneath the Lord of Dawn as the Church of Dawn’s members in his territory obeyed him.
• Everton arrived from the Mandy Family and worried that Roland’s growth and deal with the Sea Demon Clan would soon leave his own family far behind.
• Viscount Vaughn rejected the Oroko Family’s demands to open a sea route and decided to report any threats to Roland.
• The Storm Pirates’ warship entered Double Gate Island’s harbor, drawing attention from the gathered factions.
• Ulysses Anton explained that Roland was exchanging high-grade Magic Crystals for human slaves to build future strength and planned to seek his support in expelling external forces and restoring the Pirate Alliance.

Roland and Elizabeth celebrated their wedding at the Black Fortress, where hundreds of factions attended and Roland met Ulysses of the Storm Pirates. After a day of ceremonies and a banquet, the newlyweds returned to their residence and began their wedding night.

• Roland welcomed wedding guests, remembered Evan of the Perez Family by the pure gold statue his family had sent, and met Ulysses, who requested a private talk after the ceremony.
• Elizabeth arrived with Reff, and Roland greeted her before Reff gave her hand to him and wished the couple happiness.
• Roland and Elizabeth walked down the aisle and completed their wedding ceremony amid the guests' applause and congratulations.
• Roland hosted a banquet attended by representatives of hundreds of factions, including the Storm Pirates, Harrison, and the Cheles Family.
• Elizabeth helped the drunken Roland return to their residence, where they shared their happiness and began their wedding night.

After Roland learned his wedding gifts totaled over a million gold coins, he ordered them sold to strengthen his territory and prepared to meet Ulysses. Ulysses warned that the Three Great Kingdoms would target the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands’ local factions, leaving Roland to weigh the growing threat.

• Roland learned that the wedding gifts were worth one million and twenty thousand gold coins and ordered Leslie to sell them for supplies.
• Roland told Leslie to record factions that had skipped the wedding so he could confront them later.
• On Pearl Island, Felicia ordered Natalie to threaten Roland over the Magic Crystal deal while seeking other buyers for the Sea Elf Clan’s human slaves.
• At a banquet, Ulysses told Roland that the Storm Pirates needed a place to survive because the Three Great Kingdoms were encroaching on their interests.
• Ulysses warned Roland that the Three Great Kingdoms would eventually target local factions in the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands.

Roland agreed publicly to Ulysses's plan to drive the Three Great Kingdoms' count and marquis families from the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands, while privately doubting the Storm Pirates' motives. He and Leslie focused on strengthening their territory and preparing alliances, and Roland spent the following days securing agreements with visiting factions.

• Ulysses proposed that the Storm Pirates and allied local powers expel the Three Great Kingdoms' count and marquis families, promising Roland and the Mandy Family an equal share of the Azure Sea Region.
• Roland questioned how the alliance would keep the other nobles neutral, then agreed to join the Storm Pirates after the Truce Order ended.
• After Ulysses left, Roland and Leslie said they distrusted his plan and decided to prioritize developing their territory while cautiously winning over Terra Kingdom nobles.
• Leslie planned to drive a wedge between the Mandy Family and the Harrison and Mastin families, and Roland assigned Old Nob and the Supervision Department to help.
• Roland personally received major delegations and signed dozens of alliance, cooperation, and trade agreements.

Over six months, Roland’s territory grew richer and stronger, while continent-wide price surges suggested a major war was approaching. After learning the Human Alliance planned to counterattack the Orcs, Roland planned to profit from grain trading and ordered action against Cyril’s pressure on the Brown Family.

• Felicia secretly visited Roland, and afterward he lowered the price of high-grade Magic Crystals while the Sea Demon Clan supplied better slaves and professionals.
• Roland’s population passed one million, his armies expanded, and he broke through to become a Level 11 Great Mage as his experts grew stronger with potion support.
• Leslie reported sharply rising prices across the continent, and Roland learned the Human Alliance was preparing a major counterattack against the Orcs.
• Roland proposed selling the Sea Demon Clan’s grain on the continent and told Leslie to identify the Human Alliance inspector overseeing the island war zone so he could be bribed.
• After Leslie reported that Cyril continued threatening the Brown Family, Roland ordered Artur to sink some of Cyril’s merchant ships.

Roland and his commanders realized that the Human Alliance was using its massed armies to wage a logistics war against the Beastkin Empire, hoping to exhaust its supplies before invading. Roland prepared the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands to join the coming racial war while protecting its core forces and seeking benefits through its allies.

• The Human Alliance gathered millions of troops in the Arcane Empire and Terra Kingdom, alarming the Elf and Beastkin Empires, but made no apparent attack as winter arrived.
• Roland and the commanders discussed the troop buildup, and James and Chopper estimated the enormous daily food needs of the human armies.
• Old Nob reported that the Beastkin Empire had assembled nearly seventy Royal Legions and more than 3.5 million ordinary Orcs, prompting Roland to compare their greater food consumption with humanity’s.
• Roland concluded that the Human Alliance was trying to exhaust the Beastkin Empire’s reserves through a logistics war, and Leslie predicted war could begin within months.
• Roland reassured the commanders that the Hidden Valley Clan and the Sea Demon Clan’s likely involvement could protect their interests, while Reff warned them to maintain a strong Military Merit ranking.
• Roland ordered preparations for war, and O'Neal, Chopper, and Ronald pledged that they would not lose.

Sanita persuaded the Hidden Valley Clan’s elders to support a plan to use the human invasion to destroy the Deep Tower Clan and seize the Lafamoji Plains. On the Northern Great Plains, Commander Grommash faced a severe food shortage as the army’s delayed supplies threatened to run out within ten days.

• Sanita told the Hidden Valley Clan’s Ancestor that frontline supplies would last less than two months, and the Ancestor ordered provisions sent while giving Sanita full command of the coming battle.
• Sanita proposed letting human forces into the Lafamoji Plains to destroy the Deep Tower Clan, arguing that the Hidden Valley Clan could gain territory and avoid a costly war.
• Sanita explained that she would coordinate with friendly human forces to create a gap in the defenses and could ally with the Nuxue Clan if the humans turned against them.
• The Hidden Valley Clan’s elders accepted Sanita’s plan, and the Ancestor reminded her that she carried the clan’s future.
• A foxkin priest warned Commander Grommash that the army’s overdue food supplies would last no more than ten days, while royal-family leaders urged him to purge and replace the logistics personnel.
• Grommash rejected their proposal because control of logistics by the major royal families could lead to further delays and stolen supplies.

Grommash ordered the Beastkin Empire’s eight royal clans to send more food to the front, while refusing their calls for an offensive against the prepared human forces. At Modo Mega Fortress, Phillips learned the Orcs were struggling with supplies, but disputes among the human allies disrupted the council.

• Grommash ordered each of the eight great royal clans to provide another one hundred thousand tons of food within half a month, and the clans reluctantly accepted.
• Several Orc experts urged Grommash to launch an offensive, but he warned that the humans were prepared and insisted they follow Emperor Behemoth’s arrangements.
• Scouts reported to Phillips that the Orc army’s supplies were falling behind, and Phillips ordered further investigation before acting.
• Atticus proposed opening limited fronts to consume Orc supplies, but Phillips urged caution because Emperor Behemoth was calculating and treacherous.
• Atticus and a golden-armored Church of Dawn commander traded threats over the intelligence on Orc food reserves, and Phillips ended the meeting before their quarrel escalated.

Elf Empress Seraphina and her advisers considered the Beastkin Empire’s request for aid as it faced starvation and human attacks. They decided to send food using temporary spatial equipment made from fallen leaves of the Gaia World Tree, leaving Akdina to gather alchemists to prepare it.

• Akdina told Seraphina that the Beastkin Empire’s food reserves had fallen below thirty percent and it could hold out for only another month.
• Angest argued that the Beastkin Empire had to survive to keep humanity’s Three Great Empires occupied, while Seraphina rejected starting a war or risking the Sea Elf Clan.
• Akdina explained that the Beastkin Empire wanted the Sea Elf Clan to disrupt human maritime supplies and open a naval front, but Seraphina refused the dangerous plan.
• Angest proposed sending food to address the Beastkin Empire’s shortage, and suggested using World Tree leaves to create temporary spatial equipment.
• Seraphina ordered the Empire to use fallen Gaia World Tree leaves first and said she would seek Gaia’s aid if they ran out.
• Akdina agreed to gather the alchemists and make the spatial equipment.

Sanita offered Roland a chance to attack the weakened Deep Tower Clan with help from a large human coalition, promising immense spoils and nearly a thousand Earth Giants. Roland accepted and began mobilizing his allies and forces for the campaign.

• In early November of Year 47, Sanita visited Roland and offered to open a gap in the Beastkin defenses so human forces could enter the Deep Tower Clan's territory.
• Sanita explained that the Deep Tower Clan had only one legion and one Saint Domain expert left, and offered its wealth, captives, and Earth Giants as incentives.
• Roland agreed to the plan after learning he could gather a large coalition and claim tens of millions of gold coins and nearly a thousand Earth Giants.
• After Sanita departed, Roland told Leslie, Reff, and the three Legion Commanders about the plan and its potential rewards.
• Leslie left to contact allies, while Reff and the commanders set about planning the battle and preparing troops and supplies.

As the Human Alliance launched its war against the Beastkin Empire, it ordered the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands’ powers to send half their forces and meet steep Military Merit quotas. Roland planned to exploit his alliance with the Hidden Valley Clan to destroy the Deep Tower Clan, and former local powers hurried to join him; the chapter ended as their envoys gathered in his territory.

• The Human Alliance declared war on the Beastkin Empire and required Sea of Ten Thousand Islands powers to contribute half their strength and earn Military Merit according to their rank.
• Roland and his council objected to the quotas and the risk of leaving their territories exposed, but Leslie said the Human Alliance had promised to handle the Sea Demon Clan.
• Roland proposed using the Hidden Valley Clan to destroy the Deep Tower Clan and earn enough Military Merit to meet the quotas and sell the surplus.
• After the quotas were announced, the Cavendish Family, the Storm Pirates, and other powers sent envoys to seek Roland’s cooperation.
• Envoys from eight former local powers arrived, and the chapter ended with Roland’s coalition poised to cooperate with the Hidden Valley Clan.

Roland convened the eight other overlord factions on Double Gate Island to secure their participation in an attack on the Deep Tower Clan. They reached a preliminary agreement on command and spoils, though the Mandy Family joined despite its weakness and Everton’s concerns.

• Roland told the eight overlord factions that the operation could earn them Military Merit and vast spoils, then addressed Joshua’s concern that the Hidden Valley Clan might betray them by citing its promised fortress and their combined strength.
• Roland proposed leading the coalition as supreme commander, with one deputy from each faction and a rule allowing orders to be voided if more than thirty percent objected; all eight factions agreed to join.
• Roland proposed taking twenty percent of the spoils, with the Cavendish Family and Storm Pirates receiving twenty percent each for holding off the Deep Tower Clan’s Saint Domain expert, and the other six factions dividing the rest.
• Probu challenged the Mandy Family’s equal share because of its reduced strength, and Roland said shares would be adjusted according to troop numbers and battlefield performance.
• The Cheles Family and the remaining factions accepted the distribution plan, and Everton reluctantly agreed on behalf of the Mandy Family despite fearing it would be the coalition’s weakest force.
• Roland anticipated gaining several million gold coins’ worth of spoils and more than a thousand Earth Giants for his Giant Brigade if the attack succeeded.

Roland deployed thirty thousand troops to join the campaign against the Beastkin Empire, despite Leslie warning him about the danger. As their fleet sailed toward the battlefield, Roland ordered the families under his command to surrender control of their troops.

• The nobles of the Three Great Kingdoms formed four allied armies totaling over a million troops and set out to attack major Beastkin clans.
• Roland deployed troops, mages, and elite warriors for the campaign, bringing his total force to thirty thousand.
• Leslie warned Roland that he was risking his life by personally joining the war, and Roland promised to withdraw if the battle turned against them.
• Leslie reported the troop numbers and specialists supplied by the families under Roland's command, including the Perez Family's five hundred heavily armored cavalry.
• Roland ordered Leslie to tell the families to hand over command of their troops or leave the expedition.

The western army of the Human Allied Forces split after Raphael ignored Phillips's orders and advanced on Morog City, while Leoni led Ribela Kingdom's troops toward the central army. The Beastkin Empire ambushed and annihilated Ribela's forces, then surrounded Raphael's army, leaving the Human Alliance scrambling to mount a rescue.

• Phillips advanced cautiously into Beastkin Empire territory, but Raphael ordered nearly two million western troops to force-march on Morog City despite Leoni's objections.
• Leoni withdrew Ribela Kingdom's 800,000 troops toward the central army while 300,000 Wolf Cavalry attacked them from the flank.
• The Wolf Cavalry broke through Ribela's defenses, caught its main force, and annihilated the army at Red Hill, with only a few dozen officials escaping.
• The Beastkin Empire surrounded Raphael's troops near Morog City with Royal Legions and millions of Orc soldiers, cutting off their retreat.
• King Bernhard demanded Raphael's punishment and compensation from Cardina Kingdom, while the Human Alliance ordered a rescue and attacks near the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands.

Roland prepared to lead the nine allied forces against the Beastkin Empire as the Human Alliance demanded an offensive within three days. The forces gathered on the coast, where Roland calmed a dispute between Gustav As and Andre Cavendish before beginning a pre-battle deployment meeting.

• Leslie and Roland discussed the Human Alliance’s setbacks and learned that the nine allied forces would muster three hundred thousand troops.
• Roland worried that the weakened Mandy Family would lose influence and agreed to seek support from the Storm Pirates.
• The Cavendish Family, the Storm Pirates, and six other major forces arrived on the Beastkin Empire’s coast with thousands of warships.
• Roland met Gustav As and Andre Cavendish, who traded insults and tried to draw him into their feud.
• Roland redirected the leaders toward a pre-battle deployment meeting, and Gustav and Andre followed him into the Black Rose’s captain’s cabin.

Roland led the Human Alliance’s army of three hundred thousand into the Beastkin Empire and directed his forces toward Enamel City, a lightly defended target secretly prepared as a breakthrough point. The assault began with heavy losses and exposed the inexperience of Roland’s newly formed troops, but he treated the battle as training for them.

• Roland took responsibility for supplying the alliance army, then divided its forces among three targets in the Hidden Valley Clan’s territory.
• Roland’s force marched to Enamel City, where Belon reassured the tribal leaders despite knowing the Hidden Valley Clan had abandoned the city’s defenders.
• O’Neal led the assault, and Enamel City’s catapults crushed more than a hundred advancing soldiers before Roland’s Magic Crystal Cannons destroyed most of the siege weapons.
• The Loyal Lion Legion’s four inexperienced companies reached the walls but suffered seven or eight hundred casualties in less than half an hour, forcing O’Neal to withdraw them.
• Roland accepted the losses, intending to use the campaign to train his newly formed troops through combat.

Roland’s forces battered the Orc defenders of Enamel City while deliberately holding back their true strength. After rumors weakened his reputation, Roland explained that the battle was meant to train his troops and make rival forces underestimate him before the Truce Order ended.

• The human soldiers under Roland’s command launched repeated attacks on Enamel City, inflicting heavy casualties on the Pigkin and other Orc defenders.
• After a full day of fighting, the Orcs had suffered nearly 8,000 casualties, while the human army lost just over 3,000.
• O'Neal urged Roland to send the Bulwark Brigade into battle, but Roland revealed that he and Leslie had bet on O'Neal making that request.
• Roland explained that he was avoiding a display of his full strength because he wanted to train his troops and lower rival forces’ guard ahead of the end of the Truce Order.

As the allied forces besieged Enamel City, Roland let other factions underestimate his strength while using the battle to train his troops and secure control of the army’s supplies. The Cheles Family’s assault nearly took the city, but Roland stopped Probu from escalating after the Foxkin counterattacked, and the Cheles forces withdrew with heavy losses.

• Cavendish Family leaders and other allied forces received intelligence about Roland’s seemingly weak army, while Ulysses explained that Roland was concealing his elite troops to train his newer legions and reduce attention from powerful rivals.
• The Cheles Family launched an assault on Enamel City with three thousand heavy infantry, who overwhelmed the Orc defenders and pushed toward taking the walls.
• Roland told O'Neal that he was willing to accept a smaller share of the spoils if the fighting strengthened his legions, and he expected to profit greatly from controlling the army’s food supplies.
• Belon sent the Foxkin Legion into the battle, and its priests and soldiers drove the Cheles Family’s heavy infantry off the walls.
• Probu ordered the Cheles Family’s Mage Regiment to attack, but Roland reminded him that the siege had to last at least six days and threatened consequences if he ignored the plan, so Probu ordered a retreat.
• The Cheles Family’s assault killed nearly four thousand Orcs but cost more than eight hundred heavy infantry casualties, including over six hundred dead, leading allied forces to overestimate its strength compared with Roland’s.