Chapter Summaries

Seraphim pressured Roland to accept the Arcane Empire’s condition of weakening the Elf Empire and revealed that the dragons faced a major upheaval. He explained that the black dragons might rebel and break away, leaving Roland alarmed about the dragons’ ability to protect him.

• Seraphim argued that Roland owed the Arcane Empire help against the Elf Empire, but Roland resisted because the dragons might intervene.
• Seraphim warned that the dragons would soon face a great upheaval, making Roland worry that he would lose his protection and resolve to alert Zarick.
• Seraphim revealed that he had severed Roland’s connection to Zarick, and that Zarick had tried to break through his seal to reach Roland.
• Seraphim offered to explain the dragons’ upheaval, then used the offer to press Roland again to accept the Arcane Empire’s condition.
• Roland recounted the dragons’ numbers and strength, including the black dragons’ importance as the race’s second-strongest faction.
• Seraphim asked whether the dragons could retain their dominance if the black dragons rebelled and left, and Roland realized the consequences would be severe.

Roland negotiated with Seraphim over joining the Human Alliance and helping against the Elf Empire, securing recognition for his future nation, protection, a ten-year delay before war, and access to the Arcane Empire’s potion-making knowledge through discounted exchanges. They signed a Law Contract Scroll, and Seraphim sent Roland away.

• Roland learned that the Northern Kingdom planned to recruit more than three hundred black dragons, while Seraphim saw their defection as an opportunity to weaken the dragon race and strengthen humanity.
• Seraphim urged Roland to help destroy the Elf Empire, but Roland refused unless the Human Alliance could provide him with security and preserve his independence.
• Roland demanded recognition for his future nation, full Alliance support against other races, a ten-year delay before war with the elves, and protection from their top experts once war began.
• Roland secured the right to exchange knowledge, treasures, potions, or resources for the Arcane Empire’s potion-making knowledge at a thirty percent discount.
• Seraphim wrote their terms on a Law Contract Scroll, and both signed it before Seraphim sent Roland away.

Roland returned from meeting Seraphim with help promised regarding his mother, then used that assurance to plan a wager on O'Neal's upcoming death match. He sent O'Neal into the arena to kill Bolso, with the battle about to begin.

• O'Neal worried that Roland had been harmed during negotiations, but Roland returned safely through a Spatial Rift.
• Roland reassured Alix that Seraphim would provide a definite answer about his mother within three days.
• Roland learned that O'Neal's odds had risen to three-and-a-half-to-one after Bolso appeared.
• Roland ordered Leslie to wager all their funds on O'Neal and told O'Neal to bring back Bolso's head.

O'Neal faced Bolso in a public Saint Domain duel, but Bolso invoked the Goddess of Death's power and temporarily rose to Legendary. Just as Bolso prepared to kill O'Neal, that divine power vanished and Bolso's strength plummeted.

• Phillips learned that Leslie had bet twenty-five million gold coins on O'Neal and worried that Roland knew Bolso's true identity.
• Ailan Whitney announced the duel, and Bolso revealed himself as the Pope of the Death Church while the nobles watched.
• Bolso prayed to Nactna and received divine power that temporarily raised him to Legendary.
• Bolso taunted O'Neal, who awaited help from Roland and His Highness Seraphim.
• As Bolso moved to kill O'Neal, the divine power disappeared, reducing Bolso's strength to that of a Level 13 Sky Warrior.

Seraphim secretly severed Bolso’s connection to the Goddess of Death, leaving him at Level 13 and revealing that Roland had joined the Arcane Empire. Phillips and the Miles Family recognized how much Roland’s new backing changed the balance of power, while the crowd blamed the arena for the sudden change and demanded answers.

• Alix explained that Seraphim had stripped Bolso of the divine power granted by the Goddess of Death, causing his strength to fall from Legendary to Level 13.
• Phillips realized Seraphim had helped Roland because Roland had joined the Arcane Empire, and feared the empire would favor Roland over him.
• Duane learned from the Miles Family’s ancestor that Seraphim had intervened and was ordered to repair relations with Roland or risk the family’s safety.
• The great nobles concluded that the Arcane Empire’s support had cleared Roland’s path toward the throne, while ordinary spectators accused the arena of rigging the match.
• Ailan Whitney looked to Archil Nolan to explain Bolso’s sudden loss of power, and Archil angrily cursed those who had left him to handle the crowd.

O'Neal killed Bolso after Bolso lost the Goddess of Death's power, while Archil Nolan blamed the fall on the dangers of faith cultivation. Roland took Bolso's corpse and left the arena, and Phillips began seeking new allies against him.

• Archil Nolan told the arena crowd that Bolso had fallen because the Goddess of Death had abandoned him, steering their anger away from the Flame Kingdom.
• Bolso accused Archil Nolan and the nobles of scheming against him, but the reinforced barrier kept his words from reaching the crowd.
• O'Neal rejected Bolso's objections, then killed him with a single strike after Bolso chose not to resist.
• Roland ordered Leslie to handle the aftermath and had guards retrieve Bolso's corpse as spoils of victory.
• Phillips ordered Cameron to arrange meetings with Matthias and Freddy and to secretly invite Ailan Whitney, declaring that the Terra Kingdom would no longer serve the Arcane Empire.

After O'Neal returned victorious from the Death Duel, Roland learned that Bolso had carried the Death Note, a relic that could help him establish a Death Church and strengthen his Demon Mages. Roland also counted the winnings from the betting pool and, as his victory drew the attention of powerful factions, received invitations and overtures across the City of Flames.

• Reff reported that Bolso had left little wealth, but revealed an ancient book called the Death Note that Roland identified as the first Death Pope's record of the church's doctrines and Divine Arts.
• Roland decided to keep the Death Note secret, consider using it to empower his Demon Mages and balance the Church of Dawn, and strengthen his territory's defenses against Death Church remnants.
• Leslie revealed that the group had won 62.5 million gold coins, including their 25-million principal, leaving 37.5 million in profit after changing odds and nearly 20 million in taxes.
• Roland ordered Leslie to spend the winnings on Saint Domain and Transcendental Level equipment, while Alix offered the Medici Family's help in sourcing equipment from the Arcane Empire.
• Matthias and Akman invited Roland to a meeting, and over the next two days numerous kingdoms, families, and nobles sought his company after his victory over the Miles Family.

Roland attended the Human Alliance Conference and assessed how much humanity had weakened after the Demon Disaster. The gathering descended into accusations among the human kings over their conduct during the war.

• Roland arrived at the conference, greeted the nobles surrounding him, and took his place near the Glory Gold Table with Leslie.
• Roland noted that the table had fourteen seats and realized the conference had lost many members since the Demon Disaster, then regretted not demanding more from Seraphim.
• Gendall of the Kailan Kingdom invited Roland to visit and sample his wine, and Roland accepted.
• Roland watched the kingdoms arrive in apparent order of strength and memorized their rankings.
• Matthias mocked the kings of Cardina and Ribela, then accused Inia of abandoning his two hundred thousand troops during a demon siege.
• Inia and Freddy disputed Matthias's account, and the kings at the golden table erupted into accusations over their wartime actions.

Roland accidentally shattered the Glory Gold Table and faced accusations from the kings, but Seraphim arrived and imposed only a minor financial punishment. The Human Alliance meeting resumed with Roland spared harsher consequences.

• Roland struck the Glory Gold Table while insulting Phillips, and the table cracked apart beneath his hand.
• The kings blamed Roland for destroying the table, while Matthias and Phillips anticipated his punishment.
• Bloody Emperor Victor Oxley arrived, saw the wreckage, and declined to comment beyond saying he had witnessed it.
• Seraphim appeared and questioned Roland about the shattered table.
• Seraphim ordered Roland to cover the Human Alliance's meeting expenses for the year, and Roland readily agreed.

Seraphim defended Roland over the destruction of the Glory Gold Table, then oversaw votes on a ten-year Truce Order and a proposal to lower transit taxes. The Truce Order passed immediately, and the tax proposal passed despite opposition from several weakened kingdoms.

• Seraphim dismissed calls to punish Roland severely, restored the Glory Gold Table, and announced the Cardina Kingdom’s ten-year Truce Order proposal.
• The Terra, Ribela, Autran, Storm, Flame, Kailan, Iron Shield, Northern, and Roland supported the Truce Order, which passed after Victor confirmed the Sacred Alliance Empire’s approval.
• Phillips mocked Roland for lacking a kingdom, and Roland warned that his future kingdom would be built on former Terra Kingdom territory.
• Seraphim presented the Autran Kingdom’s proposal to lower transit taxes and strengthen trade, while Cardina, Ribela, Iron Shield, and Kailan opposed it.
• The tax proposal passed by 873 votes to 623, leaving the leaders of several damaged kingdoms grim about the goods that would flood their markets.

At the conference, Seraphim proposed that humanity launch a Demon Extermination War in three years and set troop quotas for every realm. The Northern Kingdom and Kingdom of Gild rejected the timeline, while the other kingdoms had yet to declare their positions.

• Roland realized that the Sacred Alliance Empire had accepted lower transit taxes for Cardina and Ribela in exchange for their reduced war quotas, but worried that he would have to send five hundred thousand soldiers against demons supported by three permanent Spatial Rifts.
• Seraphim proposed that all human forces unite in three years to destroy the demon threat and outlined the required troops and experts for each realm.
• When the hall stayed silent, Seraphim demanded the Northern Kingdom’s position, and Amalfi asked to postpone the war by two years.
• Victor pressured Amalfi to give a direct answer, and Amalfi declared that the Northern Kingdom rejected the resolution if the deadline remained unchanged.
• Bruno Valentine followed Amalfi’s lead and said the Kingdom of Gild did not support the resolution.
• Alexand declared the Flame Kingdom’s support, but most of the other delegates still appeared reluctant.

The Human Alliance approved the Demon Extermination War resolution by a narrow margin, despite widespread opposition among the nobles. Seraphim then introduced the Terra Kingdom’s proposal to reinstate a blockade on trade with other races, leaving the council to review its terms and Roland under scrutiny.

• Roland agreed to support the Demon Extermination War resolution after Seraphim promised one chance to act at full strength against an enemy who did not share his position.
• Amalfi of the Storm Kingdom and several other kingdoms supported the proposal, and the remaining kingdoms followed, giving it a majority among kingdom votes.
• Seraphim announced that the resolution had passed with 815 votes in favor and 680 against, and Amalfi of the Northern Kingdom received the tally sheet with visible displeasure.
• Roland concluded that the narrow victory exposed the declining influence of the two great empires and that many nobles had opposed the war despite their rulers’ support.
• Seraphim presented the Terra Kingdom’s resolution to reinstate a ban on trade with other races and distribute inspections and blockades across major routes.
• After reading the proposal’s documents, the attendees looked at Roland with meaningful expressions.

Roland opposed the Terra Kingdom’s proposal to station anti-smuggling forces in his territory, arguing that it violated territorial sovereignty. He secured the support of five kingdoms by sharing profits from the Elf Empire trade, and the vote began with the proposal facing united opposition.

• Roland objected to the Terra Kingdom’s resolution, warning that it would violate his sovereignty and threaten his smuggling routes.
• Phillips accused Roland of profiting from the Demon Disaster and exploiting humanity, while Matthias initially refused to help him.
• Roland negotiated a share of the Elf Empire trade with Matthias and bought the support of the Autran, Cardina, and Ribela Kingdoms.
• Matthias and the four other kingdoms opposed the Terra Kingdom’s proposal, prompting Phillips to denounce Roland.
• Seraphim reprimanded Phillips and Roland for their conduct, then ordered the vote to continue.

Roland helped defeat the Terra Kingdom’s proposal to blockade other races’ routes, then learned how factional interests shaped the Human Alliance Conference. As the conference moved into planning the Demon Extermination War, he weighed the cost of fighting the Elf Empire against his ambitions and his ties to Alice and Felicia.

• Amalfi and several kingdoms backed Roland, and the alliance rejected the Terra Kingdom’s blockade resolution by 1,260 votes to 235.
• Roland watched the conference pass few resolutions, including the rejection of the Freeman family’s restrictions on commoners and the Anthony family’s boastful tribute proposal.
• After the conference ended, Roland declined Matthias’s invitation for that evening and arranged to meet him, Akman, and Gloria for lunch the next day.
• Roland told Leslie that the empires’ fear of the Demon Army and Elf Empire made war against the elves the price of gaining the Terra Kingdom.
• Leslie reminded Roland that Alice might not accept him fighting her people and that an attack would make enemies of Felicia’s Sea God Race, leaving Roland discouraged.
• Roland asked Leslie and Fili to secure for their faction the same treatment as the Terra Kingdom during the coming war-planning meetings, and Leslie agreed.

Roland met with Kailan King Gendall, who offered generous support in exchange for help opening a maritime trade route through the Mysterious Sea. Roland weighed the danger of provoking the dragons against the chance to restore trade with the demons, leaving the request unresolved.

• Gendall shared the history of Crimson Moon Blood Duke and said he would pour out every bottle until Kailan Kingdom became strong enough to reclaim its place on the continent.
• Gendall promised Kailan Kingdom’s unconditional support for Roland’s proposals and offered to share military, economic, cultural, and Advanced Knowledge, including the Perfect Breathing Technique.
• Gendall asked Roland to help Kailan Kingdom open a trade route through the Mysterious Sea.
• Roland considered the dragons’ control of the sea and the danger to large merchant fleets, but thought Seraphim’s warning about the black dragons might make an agreement possible.
• Roland recognized that helping Kailan Kingdom could restore a trading connection with the demons and give him an alternative to relying on the Beastkin Empire.

Roland proposed that the Kailan Kingdom smuggle goods from hell demons and offered to handle their transport and sales. Gendall accepted a deal that gave Roland seventy percent of the profits, leaving the kingdom to arrange the demon transactions.

• Roland warned Gendall that the Kailan Kingdom needed valuable goods to make maritime trade profitable.
• Roland hinted that the kingdom could smuggle goods with hell demons, and Gendall recognized the proposal.
• After hearing about hell’s vast resources, Gendall decided he was willing to work with demons for the kingdom’s prosperity.
• Gendall offered Roland a share of the smuggling profits, but Roland demanded seventy percent in exchange for handling transportation and sales.
• Gendall agreed to give Roland seventy percent of the profits, and Roland reminded him to fulfill the previously promised conditions once Roland persuaded the dragons.

After the Human Alliance conference ended, Roland prepared to return to his territory and learned that his mother was free from the Medici Family’s punishment. He left Alix with an offer of support and departed with his convoy, while his mother still needed time to recover before traveling.

• Roland hurriedly set out for home after leaving Fili and the Department of Diplomacy to handle the conference’s aftermath.
• Alix told Roland that Seraphim had ordered the Medici Family to free Gweniel, but that her poor health delayed her journey to the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands.
• Roland urged Alix to remove Ulrich and take control of the Medici Family, but Alix explained Ulrich’s ties to the family elders and warned Roland against acting recklessly.
• Alix and Roland promised to help each other, strengthening their alliance through Gweniel and their family ties.
• Leslie told Roland that the estate had sold for eight million gold coins, and Roland left the City of Flames with his Dark Angels and the Storm Kingdom convoy.

Roland used his winnings to buy equipment and materials, then agreed to expand trade with noble families despite concerns about the Arcane Empire’s influence. He diverted to the Terra Kingdom for the handover of its Eastern Four Provinces and left his troops celebrating their new territory while promising further conquest.

• Leslie reported that Roland’s territory had spent its funds on Saint Domain equipment, Transcendental Level equipment, and Saint Domain materials, while noble families across the continent sought trade deals.
• Roland approved Leslie’s plan to use the noble families’ connections to expand trade and increase the territory’s revenue, despite suspecting the Arcane Empire intended to bind him to its influence.
• After reaching the Storm Kingdom, Roland changed course for the Terra Kingdom to attend the handover of its Eastern Four Provinces.
• Roland arrived aboard the Dawn on April 25th and was welcomed by thousands of soldiers, then rode Cassius above the fleet and praised their victory at Beast Slaying Island.
• Roland declared Barix, Molando, Palau, and Arian part of his territory and promised to lead his soldiers to conquer more lands.

After Roland’s victory speech drew Leslie’s criticism, Roland reviewed the military and political situation along the Eastern Four Provinces and considered how to weaken the Terra Kingdom without violating the Truce Order. The chapter ended with his advisers divided over whether the Beastkin Empire would invade the Terra Kingdom after capturing the City of Guardianship.

• Leslie reprimanded Roland for publicly boasting about future conquests, and Roland deflected the criticism by ordering Reff to curb arrogance in the Military Affairs Department.
• James reported that about 1.2 million people and eighty-five noble houses remained in the Eastern Four Provinces, and Roland ordered the noble houses moved to the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands, except the Oroko Family.
• Ulysses described a 260,000-man defensive force in the Eastern Four Provinces facing 250,000 Terra Kingdom troops, while Roland said the ten-year Truce Order prevented his forces from attacking.
• Roland proposed that another race could attack the Terra Kingdom despite the Truce Order and considered using the Beastkin Empire, which had gathered forces outside the City of Guardianship.
• O'Neal argued that the Beastkin Empire would push south after capturing the City of Guardianship, while Reff predicted it would stop at the Northern Great Plains; their disagreement sparked a heated argument.

Roland realized the Human Alliance’s silence about the Beastkin Empire might conceal a plan, while the nonhuman rulers gathered to discuss fighting the demons and a proposed peace agreement with humanity. The chapter ended with Durontan rejecting the thirty-year truce because it would jeopardize the Beastkin Empire’s chance to reclaim the Northern Great Plains.

• Roland asked Ulysses about the City of Guardianship and concluded its forces could not withstand a full Beastkin Empire attack for long.
• Roland questioned why Phillips and the Human Alliance had made no preparations against the Beastkin Empire, then ordered Alredo to ask the Hidden Valley Clan about its movements.
• Seraphina asked the nonhuman rulers to help eliminate the demons within the Elf Empire, and Kronos and the other rulers agreed to send reinforcements in three years.
• Seraphina told the rulers that Seraphim and Milo Habsburg had proposed a thirty-year peace agreement between humanity and the nonhuman races.
• Durontan rejected the peace proposal because he wanted the Beastkin Empire to exploit humanity’s weakness and reclaim the Northern Great Plains.