Chapter Summaries

Otto gathered Neil’s outsourced fleet at River Bend Fortress and prepared to defeat Lynn’s approaching army, while Arno assured Neil that Lynn’s cannons posed little threat. Lynn’s fleet continued downstream toward the fortress, and Otto sent Neil out to engage it as Lynn’s forces advanced through undefended territory.

• Otto rejected Arno’s suggestion to probe Lynn’s vanguard, urged Neil to hurry, and ordered troops from Corinth City to prepare to pursue Lynn.
• Otto welcomed Neil and his fleet of one hundred ships and more than four thousand sailors, then hosted a banquet under a contract that tied their earnings to captured spoils.
• Neil secretly questioned Arno about Lynn’s Bronze Mortar Cannon, and Arno downplayed the danger without knowing Lynn had upgraded his artillery.
• Arno shared intelligence that Lynn’s fleet was smaller, carried only a few visible old cannons, and was sailing toward River Bend Fortress with favorable easterly winds.
• When Lynn’s fleet approached within twenty kilometers, Otto ordered Neil to attack, and Neil sailed west while Otto readied his army.
• Lynn’s forces advanced through largely undefended lands, where local residents had little grain left after earlier requisitions.

Lynn’s army advanced unopposed toward River Bend Fortress while Lynn trusted his modernized fleet to decide the war on the Quiet River. The naval battle began with Lynn’s cannons devastating Otto’s vanguard ships, leaving Neil stunned by the unexpected firepower.

• Victor voiced unease about Lynn’s army and navy advancing without resistance, while Lynn assessed Otto’s defenses and ordered Leon and Hawk to destroy the enemy fleet.
• Leon rallied more than three thousand sailors, and his fleet sailed downstream as Mayor Neil led Otto’s fleet upstream.
• Otto ordered Neil to engage Lynn’s fleet, despite his uncertainty about Lynn’s confidence, because debt and wavering sailors made delay dangerous.
• The two fleets met on a broad stretch of the Quiet River, and Hawk ordered Lynn’s vanguard ships to open fire with Bronze Cannons from nearly a kilometer away.
• Lynn’s cannonballs struck four of Neil’s vanguard ships, shocking Neil as the fleets closed to within three hundred meters.

Neil's fleet advanced toward Lynn's ships despite suffering heavy damage from Long Gun Cannons, then faced devastating close-range fire from Franchi Cannons loaded with Shotgun Shells. After seeing his vanguard crews slaughtered, Neil ordered the fleet to retreat as its ships were already entangled with the enemy.

• Neil realized Lynn's fleet had stronger cannons than his intelligence had reported, but he continued the advance because his fleet could not turn or stop in time.
• Leon ordered successive cannon volleys, damaging Amber Harbor's vanguard ships and killing sailors while Hawk and the other commanders prepared another line of fire.
• Neil's surviving vanguard crews readied crossbows and boarding gear as both fleets closed, and Neil ordered his sailors to board the enemy ships.
• Hawk ordered the White River's Franchi Cannons to fire Shotgun Shells at close range, killing sailors across the Amber Harbor vanguard ships.
• Neil witnessed the slaughter and ordered his fleet to turn around and retreat.

Neil’s fleet fell into chaos as Lynn’s better-armed ships overwhelmed it on the Quiet River, leaving Neil unconscious after a cannonball tore through his flagship. At River Bend Fortress, Arno received news of Lynn’s new cannon too late and realized the fortress might no longer be safe.

• Neil reversed his retreat order and told his fleet to keep advancing, but confusion split the rear ships and left dozens tangled on the river.
• Lynn’s gunners battered Neil’s fleet with Franchi Cannons and Bronze Cannons while his crews pressed forward to capture enemy ships.
• After forty minutes, Lynn’s fleet had seized two vanguard ships, scattered the rear rows, and surrounded Neil’s damaged flagship.
• Neil prepared to fight to the death, but a cannonball smashed through the sterncastle and knocked him unconscious.
• Spies arrived at River Bend Fortress with late intelligence about Lynn’s new cannon, and Arno realized the fortress was no longer safe.

After Neil's fleet was crushed by Lynn's new Cannons, Arno feared Otto would punish him, but he explained the intelligence failure and regained Otto's trust. Otto decided to retreat to Corinth City while leaving Schultz to defend River Bend Fortress, hoping to trap Lynn between his forces and Tristan's.

• Arno considered fleeing River Bend Fortress but hesitated because he had nowhere safe to go and did not want to abandon his men or title.
• Otto summoned Arno after learning Neil's fleet had been defeated, and Arno brought his spies to explain what they had discovered about Lynn's Cannons.
• After the spies' accounts cleared Arno of suspicion, Otto asked him whether to hold River Bend Fortress or retreat.
• Arno proposed that Otto appoint Schultz to defend the fortress, and Schultz reluctantly agreed to stay behind with five thousand elite soldiers.
• Otto planned to withdraw ten thousand soldiers to Corinth City and later attack Lynn alongside Tristan, while Schultz held the fortress for three weeks.

After losing the naval battle, Otto III withdrew from River Bend Fortress, ordered Count Schultz to defend it, and tasked Arno with stealing Lynn’s gunpowder formula. Lynn’s fleet cleared the battlefield, where sailors recovered Neil’s body, and Victor suggested preserving it as a gesture toward Amber Harbor.

• Otto III told Count Schultz and the other generals to hold River Bend Fortress while he withdrew and waited for Tristan’s forces to threaten Lynn from behind.
• Count Schultz asked to choose the defenders and take Count Arno with Otto, and Otto agreed while assigning small garrisons to the nearby Castles.
• Otto left River Bend Fortress with nearly nine thousand troops as the surviving ships from Neil’s fleet fled downstream.
• Otto ordered Arno to obtain the gunpowder formula within a month, while Arno reported that spies had located Lynn’s workshop in Hezhao County.
• Captain Hawk’s sailors found Neil’s corpse, and Lynn ordered General Staff to record merit for the soldiers who identified it.
• Victor advised Lynn to preserve Neil’s body and return it to Amber Harbor later as a gesture of goodwill.

After defeating Amber Harbor’s fleet, Lynn divided his forces to blockade the river and prepare an assault on River Bend Fortress, while learning that Otto had withdrawn east with most of his army. Lynn concluded that the fortress and the supply line would decide the war, then reconnoitered the defenses and heard how Baron Gae had captured the castle before.

• Lynn congratulated Leon and Hawk, then assigned Hawk to patrol the river against a southern crossing and Leon to bring heavy Cannons to River Bend Fortress.
• Scouts reported that Otto had left the fortress with about ten thousand troops, leaving roughly five thousand defenders behind.
• Lynn and Victor discussed Otto’s plan to use the fortress as bait and determined that taking it quickly could disrupt Otto’s supply line and decide the war.
• Lynn rode to a hill near River Bend Fortress to inspect its defenses, where Baron Gae explained that spring floods isolated the castle and that spies and inside agents had enabled its earlier capture.

Lynn ordered a coordinated assault on River Bend Fortress, relying on Leon’s fleet and its Cannons to overcome the defenses. The bombardment battered the west wall and the north bank castle, leaving Count Schultz scrambling to hold the fortress and honor Otto’s orders.

• Baron Gae recalled how he and Lothar had captured River Bend Fortress, while Lynn noted that he lacked spies inside it and could only depend on his Cannons.
• Lynn ordered Yang and Little Suo Wade to attack the north bank castle, Leon’s fleet to blockade the river and bombard the fortress, Hugh to scout for Otto and Tristan, and Joseph to build a large camp and granary.
• Count Schultz refused to let his soldiers leave the fortress for a night raid, insisting they hold the castle for Otto.
• The next afternoon, Leon’s fleet concentrated its Cannon fire on River Bend Fortress’s west wall, destroying towers and heavily damaging the gates and stonework.
• After learning that the north bank castle was also under attack, Schultz ordered soldiers to repair the damaged walls and gates, despite being unable to send aid across the river.

Count Schultz organized River Bend Fortress’s defenses as Lynn’s fleet bombarded its walls and targeted repair crews. The fortress held through the first day, but Lynn expected the bombardment to create breaches soon, which would begin the fiercest fighting.

• Count Schultz rallied the defenders to repair River Bend Fortress’s walls between cannon volleys and offered rewards to volunteers.
• Lynn ordered warships to fire on the repair crews and keep the fortress under bombardment throughout the night.
• After cannon fire killed thirty repair workers, Count Schultz planned a night raid, then abandoned it when torches, patrol boats, and continuous bombardment made an attack impossible.
• Count Schultz relied on the fortress’s remaining defenses and hoped the garrison could hold until Lynn’s forces let their guard down.
• Victor reported that the defenders had repaired some damage, and Lynn said concentrated bombardment would soon breach the walls, beginning the bloody fighting.

Earl Harvey resisted a mutiny against Earl Tristan but ultimately agreed to Otto III's order to abandon the siege of Iron Fortress and march toward the Quiet River. The next morning, Valley Duke Vasa learned that the Southern army had withdrawn.

• Harvey's generals urged him to defy Tristan and seize the army's supplies, but Harvey stopped them and insisted that they remain loyal to Otto III.
• Tristan told Harvey that Lynn's forces were attacking River Bend Fortress and showed him Otto's order to move their troops to the south bank of the Quiet River.
• Harvey argued that his army should finish capturing Iron Fortress, but Tristan surrounded the meeting room and pressured him to comply.
• Harvey agreed to follow the order, and Tristan prepared a letter for him to send to his generals confirming the march.
• Damian woke Vasa and told him that the Southerners had abandoned the siege and run away.

After the southerners withdrew from Iron Fortress, Vasa confirmed they were not luring his army into a trap and launched a counterattack to reclaim Mirror Iron Territory and seize Footplain Territory. Meanwhile, Lynn’s prolonged cannon bombardment battered River Bend Fortress’s West City Wall, leaving Count Schultz to prepare his defenders for a coming assault.

• Vasa refused Damian’s request to pursue the retreating southerners and sent scouts to confirm the enemy’s movements.
• Vasa decided to impose direct rule over newly occupied lands and recruit educated people as officials, abandoning the noble enfeoffment system.
• After two days of scouting, Vasa ordered his army to recover the castles of Mirror Iron Territory and sent Damian with two thousand soldiers to attack Footplain Fortress.
• Vasa sent Aven to find Lynn and Otto’s exact movements and offer flank support if Lynn needed it.
• Lynn’s cannon fire continued to damage River Bend Fortress’s West City Wall, while Count Schultz’s defenders struggled to repair it and lost morale.
• Count Schultz told his commanders to prepare for hand-to-hand combat and resolved to hold the fortress until reinforcements arrived.

As River Bend Fortress’s west wall crumbled, Lynn prepared his army to storm the castle and offered the defenders a chance to surrender. Count Schultz rejected the offer, and the chapter ended as a fleet carrying thousands of Northern Border troops approached to begin the assault.

• Captain Hawk reported that bombardment would soon breach River Bend Fortress’s west wall, and Leon carried the news to Lynn’s camp.
• Lynn watched the army’s wrestling contest, awarded the Cavalry Corps champions, and rallied the soldiers to prepare for battle.
• Lynn briefed his officers on a shipborne assault plan, assigning Yang’s First Legion and the Wildling Legion to lead the landing once the wall was breached.
• Count Schultz woke to find a nearly ten-meter breach in the west wall and ordered his men to repair it, but an officer said enemy cannon fire made that impossible.
• Lynn’s River Fortress Ship offered the defenders safe surrender, but Schultz ordered the crossbowmen to fire and rejected the terms.
• Schultz saw more than a dozen troop transports carrying at least two thousand enemy soldiers approaching River Bend Fortress.

Otto III waited in Dawa Town as Lynn’s army began a landing operation on River Heart Island. Lynn’s vanguard seized the mudflats and prepared to advance on River Bend Fortress, while Count Schultz struggled to stop them.

• Otto III discussed River Bend Fortress’s defenses with Arno and ordered Earl Tristan’s troops to join him at Dawa Town, while demanding gunpowder samples and a formula.
• Lynn’s army began landing on the mudflats of River Heart Island, with Lucas leading the First Infantry Battalion and Kalula leading the Wildling Second Battalion.
• The two battalions fought Otto’s soldiers in the shallows as Leon’s warships fired cannons and Wildling Archers suppressed the defenders with arrows.
• Lynn’s vanguard built a wooden barricade across the mudflats, and Count Schultz failed to drive them back into the river.
• A cannonball struck the wall near Schultz, and two thousand of Lynn’s soldiers had landed by the half-hour mark.

Lynn’s forces stormed the breached West City Wall of River Bend Fortress, overwhelming the defenders with artillery, archers, and elite troops. Lucas and Kalula led their battalions inside and began seizing the walls, while Count Schultz prepared to make a final stand.

• Lao San Yang ordered the assault as Lucas’s First Battalion and Kalula’s Wildling Battalion advanced on the breach under cannon and longbow fire.
• Count Schultz ordered the western gate closed, trapping some defenders outside, and shifted most of his remaining troops to defend the West City Wall.
• Lucas’s armored troops fought through the breach, and Lynn ordered Yang to commit the First Legion while the fleet surrounded the fortress and guarded its northern water gate.
• Lucas led the First Battalion into the fortress and turned left to seize the wall, while Kalula and her warriors took the stairs and wall to the right.
• As ordinary soldiers deserted, Count Schultz refused to flee and vowed that he and his officers would die defending the wall.

Lynn’s forces captured River Bend Fortress, securing a foothold in the western Crown Territory. As the White Bear and narwhal banners rose above the fortress, Lynn planned to consolidate his gains and manage tensions with Vasa over Footplain Territory.

• Lynn and Victor discussed governing the newly occupied territory and agreed that Lynn should avoid crossing the Quiet River and provoking Vasa.
• Victor proposed sending a vague letter to Earl Harvey and an envoy to Vasa, and Lynn approved the plan.
• Lucas’s First Battalion raised the White Bear banner on the eastern wall as northern defenders surrendered in large numbers.
• Kalula attacked Count Schultz and his noble officers after they killed Wildling warriors, and Schultz was killed in the fighting.
• Lucas’s soldiers seized the gatehouse and raised the iron gates, allowing the First Legion and Little Suo Wade’s Wildling army to enter the fortress.
• Before noon, Lynn’s White Bear and narwhal banners were raised above River Bend Fortress’s main tower.

After capturing River Bend Fortress, Lynn organized the occupation, planned how to resettle its population, and reviewed the battle’s casualties and spoils. As his soldiers celebrated the victory, Otto III received news of the fortress’s fall and refused to believe it.

• Lynn ordered Yang to seize the southern castles, repair the fortress, count the prisoners and casualties, and arrange respectful burials for the fallen.
• Lynn ordered Joseph to occupy the territory north of the fortress and arrest Otto’s officials and nobles.
• Lynn and Victor planned temporary military administration for the newly occupied territory, future counties, a new legion, and the relocation of residents threatened by food shortages.
• The General Staff reported that Lynn’s forces had captured more than 4,200 soldiers and lost 147 dead, while 331 were wounded.
• Lynn held a feast for the victorious troops, while Otto III learned that River Bend Fortress had fallen and called the news impossible.

After Lynn captured River Bend Fortress, Otto struggled to rally his generals and decided to seek a decisive battle once Tristan arrived. As the war began drawing in Southern Border powers, Vasa chose to seize Footplain Territory before Lynn could claim it.

• Otto received confirmation that Lynn had taken River Bend Fortress and convened his generals, who blamed the defeat on the dead admiral Neil.
• Model advised Otto to join Tristan's army and seek a decisive battle, while Otto privately worried about his forces' unpaid wages and worsening position.
• Otto learned that Maurice was gathering ships and troops in the Southern Border, then sent letters to Sophia, Count Meissen, Vasa, and Samuel while committing to fight Lynn.
• Vasa received news of Lynn's victories, and after Damian urged him to act before Lynn claimed Footplain Territory, Vasa decided to lead an army there himself.

Lao San Yang oversaw repairs to River Bend Fortress while Lynn planned to isolate Otto’s forces and assessed the region around the Cold Wind River. The chapter left Lynn awaiting an envoy from Valley Duke Vasa as he prepared to capture Cold Wind Valley and reinforce his front line.

• Lao San Yang assigned prisoners and officers to repair River Bend Fortress’s breached wall, gatehouse, and tower.
• Lynn ordered Hawk’s fleet to patrol the waterway between River Bend Fortress and Dawa Town and to sink Otto’s vessels carrying supplies.
• Lynn and Victor inspected the flooded confluence of the Cold Wind River and Quiet River, and Victor described Cold Wind Valley’s fertile land and recent depopulation.
• Lynn ordered Joseph to recruit soldiers after capturing Cold Wind Fortress and directed Leon to transport the recruits to Golden Deer Castle for training.
• A messenger arrived to report that an envoy from Valley Duke Vasa was traveling downstream toward River Bend Fortress.

Aven negotiated with Lynn on behalf of Valley Duke Vasa, securing permission for Valley Territory to campaign in Footplain Territory while preserving the alliance. At a banquet, Aven questioned Leon about the naval battle and tried to bribe him for a closer look at the Long Gun Cannons.

• Aven presented Vasa’s letter and gifts to Lynn, then offered Valley Territory’s troops against Otto while pressing to reaffirm the Quiet River boundary.
• Lynn agreed that Vasa could send troops to liberate Footplain Territory, keeping the alliance intact as he focused on the campaign against Otto.
• At the celebratory banquet, Aven praised Leon for the naval victory and questioned him about how the Royal Fleet had defeated the Amber Harbor Fleet.
• Aven slipped Leon a gemstone and asked him to take him aboard the ships to inspect the Long Gun Cannons.

Lynn allowed Aven to inspect the warships, then gave Mira a sapphire and became intimate with her and her sister Mili. By May, Lynn’s army was recruiting serfs in Cold Wind Valley with promises of regular pay, Free People status, and land in the Marsh Territory, and the offer began spreading through the market town.

• Leon told Lynn that Aven wanted to visit the warships, and Lynn instructed him to arrange a visit despite Aven’s interest in cannon technology.
• Lynn gave Mira Aven’s sapphire, embraced her, and kissed her; Mili entered the office and joined them.
• The next morning, Mira and Mili woke together while Lynn inspected reconstruction work on the city walls.
• At the market in Cold Wind Town, farmers heard that Lynn’s army was recruiting soldiers and offering pay, food, Free People status, and more than a hundred mu of land in the Marsh Territory.
• A farmer’s companion decided to send his two younger sons to enlist, while insisting that he had heard the recruitment offer was genuine.