Chapter Summaries

Old Nob and Monk revealed how Junot had secretly protected Roland while hiding his affection, and Roland refused to forgive him. As peace spread across the continent, Roland’s territory expanded rapidly, its forces grew stronger, and Azure Tide City rose on Double Gate Island.

• Old Nob recounted how Gweniel sent Roland to Junot for protection before the Medici Family could seize them, though he believed Gweniel had not survived.
• Monk explained that Junot had feigned indifference to protect Roland from family politics and Medici attacks, then confronted the Medici Family to end the threat.
• Roland ordered the story kept secret and said he had no right to forgive Junot before leaving the room.
• During the continent’s ensuing peace, Roland’s subordinates advanced in strength, with Kailon reaching the Saint Domain and comprehending the Thunder Domain.
• Territory revenues surged, and Leslie developed Double Gate Island, where Roland named its new, sprawling commercial city Azure Tide City.
• West Island became home to Magic Herb Gardens and a vast Giant Magical Beast Farm, helping Roland’s military units grow faster than they could recruit riders.

Roland enjoyed family life on the beach with Elizabeth, Yulia, Alice, and their children, while the chapter recounted the wars that reshaped the continent after he unified the Azure Sea Region. It left the Human Alliance and Elf Empire locked in a devastating conflict after Seraphina Gaia destroyed Saint Lorenzo City.

• Roland playfully defeated Caesar and Ares in their pretend battle, then Elizabeth punished Caesar for insulting her.
• Roland doted on Eve, Alice's daughter, and Alice invited him to her room that night.
• More than three years after Roland unified the Azure Sea Region, his rule had made it secure while major wars elsewhere had resumed.
• The Holy Alliance defeated the Centaur Kingdom and Barbarian Kingdom on the Brightwind Plains, leaving both kingdoms severely weakened.
• The Human Alliance invaded the Elf Empire, where its Magical Beast Knights killed or wounded more than a million elves.
• Seraphina Gaia retaliated by using Wrath of the Stars to destroy Saint Lorenzo City, causing more than a million casualties.

As the Human Alliance prepared to exterminate the Sea Demon Clan, Roland weighed the danger of fighting the strengthened clan and revealed that he had already warned them. A breakthrough phenomenon then appeared over Reff’s estate, drawing Roland and the others there to see whether Reff had reached the Saint Domain.

• Junot’s raid on the Beastkin Empire’s supply lines forced its army to retreat and earned him a dukedom and two million Military Merit.
• The Human Alliance asked Roland to prepare for war against the Sea Demon Clan, whose Saint Domain forces had grown stronger through his trade in potions and Magic Crystals.
• Yulia urged Roland to warn the Sea Demon Clan, and he admitted he had already sent Fili to tell them about the coming war.
• Roland carried Yulia toward a boulder before a breakthrough phenomenon erupted over Double Gate Island near Reff’s home.
• Elizabeth, O'Neal, Artur, and others gathered with Roland outside Reff’s estate, excited by the possibility that Reff had entered the Saint Domain.

Reff broke through to the Saint Domain and gained the powerful Dark Annihilation Domain. Roland’s forces learned that the Human Alliance planned to send them into a war against the Sea Demon Clan, and Roland ordered everyone to prepare for battle.

• Reff emerged from his breakthrough with the Dark Annihilation Domain, which weakened enemies’ vision, strength, battle qi, and Mental Power.
• Roland congratulated Reff, and Reff explained that his Mystic Domain could severely weaken enemies trapped inside it.
• Roland told Reff to develop his domain’s abilities for the coming war against the Sea Demon Clan.
• Leslie explained that the Human Alliance planned for the powers of the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands to fight the Sea Demon Clan while fleets from Terra, Autran, and Storm held back the Elf Empire and Dwarf Kingdom.
• Reff condemned the Human Alliance’s plan after learning that it could leave their forces devastated, while Leslie said the Alliance also wanted to weaken them.
• Roland ordered the core higher-ups to cancel leave and prepare for war, giving them three days before his inspection.

Servia told Felicia and Morona that the Sea Demon Clan could not survive a war of attrition against humanity and ordered its people to flee or seek refuge. She chose to remain on Sea God Island and fight, while Felicia and Morona reluctantly accepted their missions.

• Servia revealed that the Sea Demon population had continued to shrink and that the elves could not aid them against humanity.
• Servia ordered Morona to lead the people of the Glazed Sea Region to the Elf Empire and preserve the clan’s strength.
• Servia announced that she would stay on Sea God Island and fight humanity to the death.
• Servia ordered Felicia to lead the people of the Emerald Sea Region to swear allegiance to Roland and leave the Sea God Race.
• Servia explained that Roland could offer Felicia’s people protection and a future refuge, and Felicia reluctantly accepted the order.

Three years after Roland ordered the fleets expanded, he inspected the territory’s naval forces and the nearly completed Saint Domain Mage Tower in Azure Tide City. He learned that Olivia’s tower still needed a powerful magic array and spirit-awakening ritual, and urged her to investigate whether its appointed Magic Pattern Master had ties to the Medici Family.

• Ralph Scott reported that the First Fleet had completed its expansion, and Hunter Cameron and Wilson Daniel reported that the Second and Third Fleets had done the same.
• Roland praised the fleet commanders and warned that the Three Fleets would carry heavy responsibilities in the coming war.
• Roland inspected the Mage Tower with Olivia, who said it was seventy percent complete and that its first six floors were already in use.
• Olivia said Master Valentine would handle the Saint Domain-level magic array, and Roland cautioned her to check whether Valentine had any connection to the Medici Family.
• Olivia agreed to investigate Valentine, then invited Roland to enter the Mage Tower.

Roland toured the nearly completed Mage Tower with the territory’s senior officials and reviewed its workshops, staff, and planned cultivation rooms. He left after establishing that access would require Olivia’s permission and territorial merit, while the tower’s upper functional floors remained off limits.

• Olivia showed Roland and the officials the alchemy, potion, and Magic Pattern Workshops and described their staff and monthly output.
• Roland ordered the alchemists to prioritize Magic Cannonballs and Magic Arrows and told Leslie to keep recruiting Magic Pattern Masters.
• Leslie revealed that July’s expenses exceeded the territory’s income because of preparations for the coming war, so Roland postponed recruiting high-level Magic Pattern Masters.
• Olivia offered Roland her personal savings, but he refused and promised to ask her for help if the territory needed it.
• Olivia explained that the Mage Tower’s upper cultivation floors would provide rooms with elevated elemental concentrations, and she agreed to let warriors use them.
• Roland said that access to the completed tower required Olivia’s permission and merit, then ended the tour before the group reached its secret functional floors.

Roland inspected the Bulwark, Green Turtle, and Hurricane Legions and learned how their ranks and equipment had grown over three years. He ordered the Green Turtle Legion to expand its breeding program and told Luke to buy Boiling Blood mares so the territory could eventually breed its own mounts.

• Roland inspected the Bulwark Legion’s six thousand warriors and learned about its defenses, provisions, and ranks; he praised O'Neal for rebuilding the legion.
• Roland visited the Green Turtle Legion, heard Artur report its strength and the territory’s turtle population, and ordered him to continue expanding the breeding program.
• Roland watched the Hurricane Legion’s six thousand cavalrymen arrive on Boiling Blood Horses and praised Luke for their discipline and momentum.
• Luke reported the Hurricane Legion’s numbers and explained that the territory could not yet breed Boiling Blood Horses because it had only purchased stallions.
• Roland ordered Luke to buy mares at a high price so the territory would not remain dependent on outside sellers.

Roland inspected the Mage Regiment and the territory’s Magic Herb Gardens, praising their cultivation work while insisting that military strength remain the regiment’s priority. The chapter ended with Roland leading the officials onward after touring the high-grade garden.

• Roland arrived at the Magic Herb Garden and greeted more than a thousand mages, many of whom credited him with making their careers possible.
• Alice reported that the Mage Regiment had expanded to one thousand mages, but Roland criticized her for falling short of his expectations.
• Alice left after Roland teased her about continuing their discussion in his study, prompting the officials to laugh at their exchange.
• Ryan explained that the territory had sixty thousand mu of productive Magic Herb Gardens and a further ten thousand mu of high-grade plants still maturing.
• Roland praised the regiment’s garden work but instructed it to focus on strengthening its mages rather than expanding the gardens further.
• Roland toured the high-grade garden with the officials and then led them toward West Island.

Roland inspected the Giant Magical Beast Farm and learned it could supply the territory with valuable magical beasts and a formidable Flying Brigade. After Dwight asked for a chance to fight, Roland promised the Scout Brigade would join the coming war and left impressed by the territory’s growing forces.

• Alredo reported that the farm held over eighteen thousand magical beasts, including seven imprisoned Super Magical Beasts, and Roland ordered Top-tier and High-level cubs kept for the territory.
• Roland assigned the Military Affairs Department to distribute the retained magical beast cubs, prioritizing soldiers with merit.
• Dwight brought the Scout Brigade to the inspection and asked Roland to let them enter the coming war; Roland agreed.
• Alredo presented the Flying Brigade, including six hundred and twelve Thunderbird Knights, three hundred Griffin Knights, and nineteen Storm Eagle Knights.
• Roland praised Alredo and Cassius for their contributions, then spoke with the knights before returning with the senior officials at dusk.

Roland inspected the Loyal Lion Legion, the Black Knight Legion, and the twelve ten-thousand-man legions, promising support and an end to elite transfers from the regular forces. He found that the lower-ranked legions had far too few professional warriors, leaving their battlefield strength in doubt.

• Roland met Chopper and Ronald at the military camp and heard the Loyal Lion Legion and Black Knight Legion’s troop and expert counts.
• Roland promised Chopper and Ronald that their legions could eventually grow to one hundred thousand soldiers if they proved capable of commanding them.
• Aaron reported the First Legion’s strength, and Roland acknowledged the commanders’ grievances over elite soldiers being transferred away.
• Roland promised the twelve Legion Commanders more support and said the elite legions and Flying Brigade would no longer take their soldiers.
• Roland heard reports from the other legions and realized that many had too few professional warriors to be reliable in battle.

Roland welcomed Kailon back after nearly three years and met the Strength Giant Baturu and Cyclops Geltai, whom Kronos had assigned as Kailon's guards. After Roland compelled the two giants to submit, he brought Kailon into a warded hall to hear about his journey to the Giant Kingdom.

• Roland addressed his tens of thousands of troops, promised rewards for breakthroughs in battle, and watched their military exercise.
• A Storm Eagle Knight reported that Kailon had returned, and Roland hurried to Black Fortress to meet him.
• Roland recognized Baturu as a Strength Giant and Geltai as a Cyclops, and they initially resisted kneeling to him.
• Roland unleashed his dragon power, prompting Baturu and Geltai to kneel and accept his authority.
• Kailon explained that Baturu and Geltai were former members of the Titan Guard assigned by Titan Emperor Kronos, whom Kailon had met during his journey.
• Roland set up magical barriers in Black Fortress's main hall and asked Kailon to recount what had happened in the Giant Kingdom.

Roland learned that Kailon had secured the Titan Emperor’s support for bringing more than ten thousand Earth Giants to his territory, in exchange for cultivating thirty high-ranking bloodline giants within thirty years. Roland accepted the deal and began planning for the giants’ arrival, despite the strain it would place on his territory.

• Kailon told Roland that Titan Emperor Kronos had ordered more than ten thousand Earth Giants to follow him and asked Roland to cultivate thirty high-ranking bloodline giants within thirty years.
• Roland accepted Kronos’s conditions after learning the giants included at least four thousand strong adults, six Sky Warriors, and one hundred and twenty leaders.
• Roland ordered Kailon to bring all the Earth Giants back and summoned Director Leslie to discuss the arrangements.
• Leslie warned Roland that Double Gate Island lacked space and that food, potions, weapons, and armor for the giants would strain the territory’s resources.
• Roland ordered the giants’ families housed on other islands, kept five thousand adult Earth Giants on Double Gate Island, and said the coming battle against the sea demons could help fund further expansion.

At the Ten Thousand Islands Alliance Conference, the powers saw that Olivia’s Top Saint Domain Mage Tower had nearly been completed, strengthening Roland’s position and alarming his rivals. Gustav and Ulysses then asked Roland for help with the Storm Pirates’ recovery, leaving him wary of the cost.

• Yoni Qiaosenburg and the Autran nobles were stunned by Olivia’s Mage Tower, and his ancestor warned him to avoid clashing with Roland.
• Nobles from the Storm Kingdom, the Cavendish Family, and other powers also inspected the tower, while factions stationed envoys on Double Gate Island to watch Roland.
• Roland welcomed Gustav and Ulysses, recalled the Storm Pirates’ past help, and promised to assist them if he could.
• Ulysses explained that the Storm Pirates had suffered heavy losses and struggled financially since the last war.
• Roland reflected that Gustav had rebuilt the Storm Pirates by absorbing many forces, but worried that his own rising expenses left little room to provide support.

Roland negotiated with the Storm Pirates over their postwar share of the Glazed Sea Region and refused their demand for more than ten percent. The next day, he arrived at the Ten Thousand Islands Alliance conference in Azure Tide City, where the gathered factions prepared to hear him.

• Ulysses and Gustav asked Roland to support the Storm Pirates’ bid for thirty percent of the northeastern Glazed Sea Region, then lowered their demand to twenty-five percent.
• Roland rejected the larger shares and offered the Storm Pirates ten percent after the war, leaving Gustav and Ulysses disappointed as they departed.
• Roland traveled from Black Fortress to Azure Tide City with Leslie, more than a thousand fortress warriors, and four Sky Warriors.
• Fili told Roland that factions had privately tested his position on the postwar division as they arrived for the conference.
• Reff announced Roland’s arrival, and the assembled leaders and nobles stood as Roland took the central seat beside Leslie.

Roland ordered the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands factions to muster troops for a campaign against the Sea Demon Clan, setting strict quotas and a September 25 assembly date. News that most Sea Demons had sailed toward the Elf Empire turned the meeting toward the race to seize the Glazed Sea Region, while Roland kept the coalition’s advance on Sea God Island in place.

• Roland announced that every faction had to support the Human Alliance’s war against the Sea Demon Clan, and Leslie laid out troop quotas by noble rank.
• Joshua said the Cavendish Family could not provide fifty thousand elite troops, and Leslie suggested lowering its title and ceding territory to reduce the requirement.
• Roland set September 25 as the deadline for factions to gather at the edge of the Glazed Sea Region and proposed a joint command with representatives from Autran and the Storm Kingdom.
• Warriors informed Roland, Gustav, Yoni Qiaosenburg, and Granger Hoffman that over ninety percent of the Sea Demon Clan had sailed toward the Elf Empire with Priest Morona.
• Granger and Gustav argued over control of the Glazed Sea Region, and Roland ordered the coalition to gather as planned and advance on Sea God Island while factions seized whatever territory they could beforehand.
• The meeting ended, and the factions sent subordinates back to gather troops and claim land in the Glazed Sea Region.

Roland deployed his forces to occupy and blockade the Emerald Sea Region, leaving rival powers to compete for the Glazed Sea Region. Joshua and Andre discussed warning Roland that the Three Great Kingdoms might oppose his expansion, and Joshua set out to convince him.

• Roland ordered Reff to seal the Emerald Sea Region, O'Neal to garrison the Mystic Tide Sea Region, and other forces to attack Pearl Island and guard Double Gate Island.
• Roland departed with his army after asking Leslie to keep the territory safe, while other factions raced to claim the Glazed Sea Region.
• Ten days later, Roland's forces had blocked the Emerald Sea Region, angering factions across the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands and trapping Joshua between advancing and retreating.
• Joshua told Andre that the Cavendish Family should warn Roland, since the Three Great Kingdoms would not tolerate his growing power and the family needed him to survive.
• Andre agreed to let Joshua approach Roland, though he doubted Roland would give up the Emerald Sea Region.

Roland’s fleet approached Pearl Island as Felicia arrived and offered to surrender the Sea God Race to him. Roland accepted her five conditions, securing the allegiance of Felicia and more than ten thousand sea demons, though he ended the negotiations with a painful outburst.

• Roland ordered his fleet to prepare for battle as Cassius sensed a Top Saint Domain approaching Pearl Island.
• Felicia arrived alone, assured Roland she had not come to fight, and offered him the Emerald Sea Region.
• Felicia declared that she would lead more than ten thousand members of the Sea God Race in surrendering to Roland, provided he accepted five conditions.
• Roland agreed to equal rights for the Sea God Race, protection and support for its population, and the return of the Glazed Sea Region after he unified the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands.
• Roland promised to build Felicia a Top Saint Domain Mage Tower within ten years and agreed that he or Caesar would have a child with the Sea God Race.
• Roland asked whether Felicia herself could be the one, and screams soon rang out from the captain’s cabin.

After Roland occupied the Emerald Sea Region and gained Felicia and over ten thousand Merfolk, the Three Great Kingdoms saw him as a growing threat. Terra, Autran, and Storm moved to pressure him into surrendering territory, while their fleets faced off against O'Neal's Third Fleet.

• Roland's occupation of the Emerald Sea Region and recruitment of the Merfolk provoked human and nonhuman forces to condemn him and Felicia.
• Phillips ordered Cameron to find a way to eliminate Roland, but Cameron warned that acting against him could provoke powerful allies and rebellion.
• Phillips proposed that Terra, Autran, and Storm jointly pressure Roland to surrender the Emerald Sea Region or the Azure Sea Region.
• Autran's and Storm's regular fleets entered the Mystic Tide Sea Region, but the Human Alliance stopped them from advancing while the war against the Sea Demon Clan continued.
• The two fleets continued patrolling near the Mystic Tide Sea Region's edge and facing O'Neal's Third Fleet.

Roland welcomed Felicia and her Sea God Race forces into his territory, then visited their Magical Beast Farm on Pearl Island to inspect the Shadow Demon Leopards and Horned Eagle Beasts. He learned that gifted Shadow Demon Leopards could break their bloodline shackles repeatedly and potentially reach the Saint Domain.

• Roland announced that Felicia had joined the territory as an honorary priest, while Felicia reprimanded Natalie for disrespecting him.
• Felicia offered to help survey the Emerald Sea Region, and Roland ordered the Military Affairs Department to work with the Sea God Race.
• Felicia healed Roland's black eyes, then struck him again after he made an improper suggestion about her and Caesar.
• Felicia brought Roland to a Sea God Race breeding base on Pearl Island and explained that Shadow Demon Leopards could surpass the limits of their bloodlines.