Chapter Summaries

Roland rejected Autran and the Storm Kingdom’s terms, and their withdrawal left the Storm Pirates and the Cavendish Family facing destruction. After accepting the Terra Kingdom’s terms and his promotion to duke, Roland asked Prime Minister Cameron to help preserve the local forces and secure Terra’s influence in the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands.

• Autran and the Storm Kingdom left Double Gate Island, making Roland’s hopes of negotiating an end to their war with the local forces impossible.
• Reff told Roland that the two kingdoms’ eight-hundred-thousand-strong coalition had taken the outer strongholds, and the Storm Pirates and the other forces might fall within a month.
• Leslie suggested that Roland appeal to Cameron by pointing out how Autran and the Storm Kingdom’s gains would damage Terra’s interests.
• At dinner, Cameron addressed Roland as Duke Roland, and Roland agreed to hold his investiture ceremony as soon as possible.
• Roland proposed joining forces with Terra to settle the war and win over the Cavendish Family, the Storm Pirates, and other local forces.
• Cameron said he needed Phillips’s instructions before deciding, and Roland agreed to await an answer.

Newly made Duke Roland negotiated war reparations with the leaders of three defeated families, threatening to destroy them when they resisted. The Beck and Harrison Families agreed to pay six million and six and a half million gold coins, while the Mastin Family was left facing seven million after Amand collapsed.

• Roland summoned Ansel, Amand, and Kurt and demanded ten million gold coins from each of their families.
• Ansel refused to pay and challenged Roland, who ordered O'Neal to execute the Harrison Family members held in custody.
• Amand offered four million gold coins, but Roland rejected it and ordered O'Neal to target the Mastin Family as well.
• Leslie intervened and negotiated, lowering the price for the first family to agree to six million gold coins.
• Kurt accepted six million for the Beck Family, and Ansel agreed to six and a half million for the Harrison Family.
• Leslie told Amand that the Mastin Family owed seven million gold coins, and Amand fainted; Roland ordered him taken to Bishop Yulia for treatment.

After securing reparations and spoils from the defeated noble families, Roland directed the rebuilding and administration of the Azure Sea Region. He insisted that the Perez Family be destroyed despite Leslie’s warning about the Autran Kingdom, then approved a plan to organize disabled veterans into island militias.

• Roland learned that the Perez Family had fled to the Autran Kingdom and ordered Mendy and Kailon to lead the First Battalion of the Green-Haired Turtle Knights to destroy them.
• Leslie warned Roland that Cassius was not invincible and that Roland had grown bolder, but Roland maintained that the Perez Family had to be destroyed.
• Leslie reported that the fourteen defeated families had yielded about 320,000 slaves, skilled workers, ships, gold, and other resources worth at least five million gold coins.
• Roland ordered equipment and potions added to the Military Merit exchange list, directed officials to screen the slaves, and told the Administrative Department to take over and develop the islands.
• Roland ordered the Military Affairs Department to rebuild its forces and establish island militias, then accepted Reff’s proposal to recruit disabled veterans for the militia system.

Roland prepared to mediate the worsening war between the Storm Pirates and the Storm Kingdom with the Terra Kingdom, while building up his forces and rejecting the Solomon Family’s attempt to reconcile with him. The Solomon elders left Double Gate Island planning to offer Alinur in exchange for Roland’s return to the family.

• Roland used the war reparations to fund territorial projects and ordered Mendy and Kailon to destroy the Perez Family for its betrayal.
• As the Storm Pirates faced mounting losses and considered abandoning Golden Lion Island, Gustav received Roland’s promise to mediate and agreed to hold out until Roland and the Terra Kingdom’s North Sea Fleet arrived.
• Roland prepared forces for the mediation and rejected the Solomon Family elders’ gifts, telling them to return with something he actually wanted.
• The Solomon elders concluded that Roland wanted Alinur and left Double Gate Island so the Great Elder could persuade the Patriarch to sacrifice her.

Roland brought the Terra Kingdom and local factions together with the Storm and Autran Kingdoms to negotiate an end to the conflict in the Cloudy Waves Sea Region. After using Cassius to silence the arguing representatives, he urged them to avoid repeating the devastating losses of the Black Knight Pirates' battle.

• On November 3, Roland's First Fleet and the Terra Kingdom's North Sea Fleet entered the Cloudy Waves Sea Region, followed two days later by the Storm and Autran Kingdoms' fleets.
• Representatives of the four forces met on an uninhabited island while six Saint Domain experts stood by to keep order.
• Gustav accused Emis Garrett of the Storm Kingdom of using the Storm Pirates for criminal deeds, including killing an Autran ambassador, and Emis threatened him.
• Lionel Strauss warned Joshua Cavendi not to reveal the Cavendish Family's secrets, while Gustav dared Joshua to expose the kingdoms' crimes.
• Roland summoned Cassius to silence the arguing representatives, then began the meeting by warning that continued fighting could leave humanity vulnerable to other races.
• Roland invoked the Black Knight Pirates' battle as a warning, recalling how its losses had enabled the Sea Demon Clan to devastate the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands.

Peace talks between Roland, the local forces, and the Storm Kingdom and Autran Kingdom stalled over harsh demands, threats, and accusations. Roland suspended the negotiations, leaving both sides to reconsider whether to continue the war.

• Granger Hoffman demanded that the Storm Pirates accept territorial terms, pay fifteen million gold coins, surrender incriminating information, and submit to the Storm Kingdom, but Gustav rejected every condition.
• Roland used Cassius to silence the arguing delegates, while Emis complained about the dragon and then hastily praised his roar when Cassius threatened him.
• Lionel invoked Roland’s earlier war reparations to the Terra Kingdom, turning Gustav and Joshua against Roland and worsening the negotiations.
• Cameron urged the kingdoms to end the war because of threats from foreign races and the Sea Demon Clan, then warned Emis that Gustav could expose the Storm Kingdom’s secrets.
• Emis and Lionel clashed with Joshua over the price of peace, and Roland ended the talks temporarily so both sides could reconsider.

After the Eel Scale Fish Migration halted the stalled negotiations, Roland’s alliance accepted harsh terms to end the war, and Roland returned to the Azure Sea Region to organize the harvest. He learned Leslie had left with the Oroko Family, ordered the territory to prepare for the migration, and decided the Jones Family could settle on a different island after forfeiting Lava Island.

• The Eel Scale Fish Migration began, prompting the factions to end the war; the Storm Pirate Group, the Cavendish Family, and seven other forces conceded defeat and agreed to pay ten million gold coins and cede sixty percent of the Cloudy Waves Sea Region.
• Roland returned to Double Gate Island, reunited with Elizabeth and baby Caesar, and learned Leslie had left with the Oroko Family three days earlier.
• Roland ordered the territory to mobilize its fishing boats, feed its slaves, and distribute the Beginner Breathing Technique, promising professional recruits rewards, military service, and freedom.
• James told Roland that the Jones Family wanted permission to return to Lava Island, and Roland reclaimed the island while allowing them to choose another territory near the Azure Sea Region’s border.
• Roland told James to return to Black Fortress and organize the territory’s recent government affairs.

Roland managed the growing administrative workload in Black Fortress as the Azure Sea Region recovered from the civil war, reviewing reparations, military plans, and negotiations with other factions. He approved progress on a Mage Tower and an expansion of the army, while agreeing to consider further dealings with the Sea Demon Clan and postponing Kailon’s journey to recruit Earth Giants.

• James reported that most war reparations had arrived, and Roland imposed monthly penalties on the noble families still delaying payment.
• James revealed that the reparations totaled forty-three and a half million gold coins in currency, slaves, and materials, and Roland ordered the supplies put to use for the territory’s development and army expansion.
• James told Roland that the first stage of the Mage Tower’s construction could begin, and Roland decided to deliver the news to the recovering Mage Olivia himself.
• James described House Germanic’s offer of magical beast mounts, and Roland agreed to buy as many organized units as it could provide despite the high prices.
• Fili reported that High Priestess Felicia wanted to renegotiate slave prices, and Roland allowed discussions but refused to maintain the previous price.
• Fili relayed Sanita’s request for Kailon to help recruit Earth Giants in the Giant Kingdom, and Roland agreed to the journey after Kailon reached the Saint Domain.

Alinur struggled to develop her territory after repeated setbacks and hoped the Solomon Family would send aid. After learning that Roland had become a duke and the Family Elder Council was considering offering her to him, she renewed her resolve to prove herself.

• Alinur whipped a lazy slave while reflecting on the losses and hardships that had left her territory impoverished.
• Wood arrived with eight hundred slaves, food, and gold, but told Alinur that the family had rejected her request and that her parents had purchased the supplies themselves.
• Wood explained that the Family Elder Council had refused aid because Roland had expressed dislike for Alinur.
• Wood revealed that Roland had defeated a three-hundred-thousand-strong noble coalition and become the Terra Kingdom's eighth duke.
• Alinur gave up hope of competing with Roland and ordered Wood to return the people and supplies, but Wood warned that the elders were discussing offering her to Roland.
• Alinur learned that her family had stopped the elders for now and resolved to achieve something impressive to prove them wrong.

At the year-end meeting, Roland planned to appoint James as Director of the Administrative Department, but James instead revealed that Leslie had returned to the territory. Roland welcomed Leslie back and resumed the meeting after Leslie said he was ready to work.

• Roland arrived at Black Fortress for the first year-end summary meeting since unifying the Azure Sea Region.
• Roland offered Leslie's former position as Director of the Administrative Department to James, but James declined and promised to recommend someone suitable.
• James opened the conference room door and revealed Leslie, who had given the headship of the Oroko Family to his cousin and returned to Double Gate Island.
• Roland embraced Leslie and promised that he would become a duke, then questioned James, Old Nob, and Reff about hiding Leslie's return.
• Roland welcomed Leslie back, and Leslie said he had studied the government reports; Roland then began the meeting.

At the Year 49 summary conference, Roland reviewed the territory’s expansion and resources before setting priorities for the coming year. Leslie’s report showed a powerful but highly slave-dependent territory, and Roland’s policies focused on reducing slavery, securing grain, and developing talent.

• Roland praised the territory’s victory over the Terra Kingdom’s coalition and promised rewards before handing the meeting to Leslie for the year-end report.
• Leslie reported that the Azure Sea Region was under the territory’s control, with vast farmland potential, ample supplies, and a fleet of hundreds of ships.
• Leslie revealed that the territory’s population had reached 4.8 million, with slaves making up 95 percent, and estimated next year’s revenue at nearly thirty million gold coins.
• Roland ordered the Administrative Department to reduce slavery by granting freedom to slaves who gained professional status or useful skills.
• Roland directed the trade department to secure grain through trade with the Beastkin Empire and maintain smuggling routes with the Beastkin Empire and Sea Demon Clan.
• Roland ordered a territory-wide aptitude screening for children and announced free academy training for talented children, then listed eight requirements for the coming year.

Reff reported that the territory’s forces had recovered from the war, and Roland announced a massive military expansion to defend the Azure Sea Region. He assigned new legions and ambitious three-year targets to his commanders, then approved Alredo’s plan to capture and breed wild magical beasts.

• Reff described the recovering legions and brigades, including their manpower, remaining shortages, and expected growth.
• Roland declared that the territory faced threats on every side and that its military had to expand; Leslie pledged the Administrative Department’s support.
• Roland ordered the Three Fleets to expand and established the Bulwark Legion under O'Neal and the Green Turtle Legion under Artur, each with a target of 6,000 men.
• Roland established the Hurricane Legion under Luke and promised it a yearly supply of at least a thousand Boiling Blood Horses.
• Roland gave Alredo three years to establish a Giant Magical Beast Farm and raise 600 Thunderbird Knights and 300 Griffin Knights.
• Alredo proposed capturing wild magical beasts to breed and trade, and Roland approved the plan.

Roland secured the Administrative Department’s support for a costly three-year military expansion by directing new smuggling and potion revenues into the territory’s finances. He then rewarded Leslie with a hereditary count’s title and Golden Kui Island as his fief.

• Roland announced plans to expand the territory’s legions, mage forces, and scout brigade, alarming officials over the projected costs.
• Leslie pledged that the Administrative Department would invest at least sixty million gold coins in the army over the next three years, despite James’s concerns.
• Roland promised to add profits from smuggling with the Hidden Valley Clan and a renewed potion contract with Olivia to the territory’s finances, while protecting Olivia’s contract terms.
• James and the other officials agreed to support the expansion plan, and Roland ordered the Administrative Department and Military Affairs Department to carry it out.
• Roland granted Leslie the hereditary title of count and Golden Kui Island as his fief, stunning Leslie and the other officials.

Roland rewarded Leslie and other officials with noble titles and island fiefs, then learned that the royal family had pressured Leslie to relinquish the Oroko Family headship. Leslie explained that he still controlled the family behind the scenes and had become engaged to Princess Stella, while Roland warned him to prepare for another war.

• Roland granted Leslie Golden Kui Island and gave landed titles and fiefs to Reff, James, O'Neal, Fayez, Artur, and many others.
• After the meeting, Roland questioned Leslie privately about why he had given up the Oroko Family headship.
• Leslie said King Phillips had offered him a choice between serving in the royal capital or relinquishing the family, and he chose the latter while keeping the elders loyal to him.
• Leslie revealed that he was already engaged to Princess Stella and planned to marry her the following year.
• Roland warned Leslie that their wartime success had drawn attention and told him to prioritize military expansion because peace would not last.
• Leslie accepted Golden Kui Island after Roland insisted he keep it.

After expanding his power across the Azure Sea Region, Roland sent Fili to exchange for the mage support professionals held by the Sea Demon Clan. The rescued captives learned that Roland had become a duke ruling the entire region, leaving them stunned.

• Yulia celebrated her breakthrough to Archmage with powerful healing spells and a blessing ceremony, while Roland ennobled more than a hundred nobles.
• Roland rebuilt the Azure Sea Region, expanded its trade and military strength, and let his exchange of strategic resources with the Sea Demon Clan stall.
• On Pearl Island, Lawen, Melan, and other captive support professionals despaired after learning the Sea Demon Clan had failed to sell them to human powers.
• A squad of Sea Demon warriors told the captives that someone had come to exchange for them, then escorted them to the harbor.
• Fili introduced himself as Roland's Minister of Diplomacy and told the captives Roland was now a hereditary duke ruling the Azure Sea Region.

Fili arranged for Lawen and the other human captives to sign contracts repaying their ransoms before taking them from Pearl Island. After Roland paid the Sea Elves with thousands of high-grade Magic Crystals, Felicia considered how to continue dealing with his growing power and sent Natalie to consult Servia.

• Fili warned the rescued mages to address Roland as a duke, then offered them contracts requiring profits worth more than three times their ransoms.
• Fili mentioned that Olivia could guide the mages and offered ways to repay their debts, prompting Lawen and the others to sign.
• Fili had soldiers escort the mages aboard the warship, while Natalie complained that the Sea Elves had cared for them.
• Fili revealed chests containing over twenty thousand high-grade Magic Crystals as payment to Felicia, then departed Pearl Island.
• Felicia worried that the Sea Elves had used up their human captives and might struggle to obtain more crystals from Roland.
• Natalie argued that the Sea Elves could profit by supplying Roland with Magic Plants, and Felicia sent her to ask Servia what to do.

Roland and Olivia chose the ruins behind Double Gate Island's port as the site for Olivia's Mage Tower, which Roland promised to fund as a major defense for his territory. Back at Black Fortress, Roland learned that a trade with the sea demons had brought in thirty-five support mages, including specialists he assigned to produce valuable potions and assist Olivia.

• Roland and Olivia selected the ruined port city behind Double Gate Island for the Mage Tower, and Roland offered Olivia an open budget to build a Top Saint Domain Mage Tower.
• Olivia accepted Roland's support and asked to borrow fire-element and earth-element mages, while Roland authorized her to use the territory's resources and people.
• Roland returned to Black Fortress, where Leslie and Fili reported that they had exchanged twenty-four thousand Advanced Magic Crystals for thirty-five support mages.
• Fili told Roland that Advanced Apothecary Lawen specialized in Advanced Shadow Potions and Advanced Stealth Potions, so Roland ordered Lawen to focus on brewing them.
• Fili reported that Advanced Magic Pattern Master Darwin specialized in defensive city-wall magic arrays, and Roland assigned him to help Mage Olivia.

Roland discussed three potential Sky Warrior recruits with Leslie, accepting Alvis Ed despite the risk of conflict with the Miles Family while weighing the other candidates’ demands. Leslie left to arrange a meeting with Alvis and convey Roland’s conditions to Helem Walker and Julio Brad.

• Leslie told Roland that seven Sky Warriors and two Archmages had sought to join, but he had rejected the Archmages and four Sky Warriors over their excessive demands.
• Leslie recommended Alvis Ed, a peak Sky Warrior pursued by the Miles Family, and Roland agreed to meet him.
• Leslie explained that Helem Walker wanted Roland to support several hundred injured mercenaries, and Roland refused to provide more than basic shelter unless Helem paid for their upkeep.
• Leslie told Roland that Julio Brad wanted help reclaiming leadership of the Brad Family, and Roland said he might help if the conditions and timing were right.
• Leslie agreed to arrange Alvis’s meeting and communicate Roland’s positions to the other candidates, then left.

Roland welcomed three former Flame Kingdom officers into his service, offering them roles and a conditional path for Helem Walker’s wounded brothers. He and Leslie then agreed to reform benefits for the territory’s powerful, leaving Leslie to develop a ranking system for everyone except Roland and Elizabeth.

• Leslie introduced Dean Alvis Ed, Commander Julio Brad, and Captain Helem Walker to Roland after all three agreed to join his territory.
• Roland offered Alvis the position of vice dean at the Warrior Academy and promised Julio help when the time was right.
• Helem asked Roland to let his wounded brothers compete for island commander posts, but Roland instead offered them instructor positions with a chance to compete if they performed well.
• Roland assigned Commander Monk to familiarize the three recruits with the territory, while Leslie suggested the Supervision Department monitor them.
• Roland and Leslie recognized that they both wanted to reform benefits for the territory’s strong and agreed to rank everyone by merit, status, potential, and other factors.

Old Nob revealed that Roland’s mother, Gwynneth Medici, was the youngest daughter of the powerful Medici Family and recounted how she met Junot. The chapter ended with Old Nob’s sorrowful account of Gwynneth agreeing to be with Junot after he offered to abandon his family.

• Roland agreed to increase funding for the Supervision Department and consider Old Nob’s requests for instructors, flying mounts, and Lawen.
• Old Nob promised to monitor newcomers and then offered to tell Roland about his mother.
• Old Nob revealed that Gwynneth Medici was the youngest daughter of the Medici Family, one of humanity’s most ancient and powerful families.
• Old Nob recounted how Junot saved Gwynneth from a Behemoth Royal Family squad and disclosed that Junot had secretly reached the Saint Domain decades earlier.
• Old Nob explained that Gwynneth fell for Junot, who already had a wife and children, and agreed to be with him after he offered to leave them.