Chapter Summaries

Ang formed a Cavalry Regiment by recruiting three wounded knights to train his soldiers and arranging prosthetic limbs for them. After the knights returned to the Empire through the portal, Ang led his team of more than four thousand people through it as well.

• Ang asked wounded knights Isaac, Melamp, and Holland to teach his soldiers basic cavalry skills, promising to make prosthetic limbs so they could move again.
• Ang and the craftsmen built wheelchairs and prosthetics, enabling the three knights to stand and walk; they then trained Ang’s soldiers and helped establish his Cavalry Regiment.
• After a month of training, Ang learned that the portal restrictions were ending and thanked the three knights for their help before their departure.
• Ang used military merits to secure teleportation eligibility for his entire team, despite Quintina’s concern that it would affect his Noble Rank Advancement.
• Isaac, Melamp, and Holland departed through the portal, and Ang followed with his team of more than four thousand people after the supplies were teleported.

Ang returned to North Wind Territory, welcomed by Aida and its residents, and helped settle his family and new recruits into their homes. After ensuring everyone was looked after, he went to sleep in the territory he had helped build.

• Aida and Slock greeted Ang in Gage City, and Ang traveled home with his family, Quintina, and five magic apprentices.
• Ang introduced Quintina and the apprentices to Aida, who welcomed them as new members of North Wind Territory.
• Aida told Ang that their parents were well and that Aisha had become a Rank 1 Mage and was returning with Bruno.
• Ang gave Dusha a list of residences, and the guard camp soldiers helped the newly arrived family members move into their homes.
• Ang showed Quintina and the apprentices their residential area, then settled the Black Scale Horse and gave Dusha a Healing Potion.
• Ang returned to his room, saw the lights and activity around the territory, and fell asleep.

Ang reorganized North Wind Territory’s military and expanded its magic-furnace production before showing Quintina the territory’s farms, reservoirs, and undeveloped Beastlands. He left her looking forward to the territory’s future as he described plans to develop the land and build a fortress on the northern border.

• Ang assigned Slok to the cavalry, Sanchez to the archers, Walder to the infantry, and Aida to continue leading the Guard Camp.
• Ang announced the Cavalry Regiment, Archer Group, and Infantry Regiment to the assembled soldiers, who pledged loyalty to North Wind Territory.
• Ang revealed that he had brought back parts for magic furnaces, and Quintina, the apprentices, and the craftsmen assembled two more furnaces.
• Ang ordered the craftsmen to smelt ore while the mage apprentices stayed behind to learn the workshop’s procedures.
• Ang and Quintina toured North Wind Territory by Magic Broom, and he showed her its reservoirs, farmland, livestock, and the undeveloped Beastlands.
• Ang told Quintina he planned to develop the Beastlands and build a fortress near the border with the Northern Savage Lands.

Ang developed North Wind Territory by expanding its borders, building defenses, producing Enchanted Armament, and establishing academy classes for local children. He then brought Quintina and five magic apprentices to Pat City, where they joined the Mage Association and gave Aden much-needed new members and resources.

• Ang ordered Slock and Dusha to mark the territory’s borders and arrange materials for a fortress at Beast Mouth.
• Ang’s workshop completed nearly 150 sets of Enchanted Armament, earned magic crystals in exchange, and rewarded its craftsmen and apprentices.
• Ang took Quintina and five apprentices to the North Wind Mage Academy, where three of more than five hundred children showed elemental affinity and were assigned to study magic.
• Ang traveled to Pat City, reunited with Georgie and Ade, and learned that Nathan had advanced to Rank 1 Mage and gone to the Imperial Capital.
• Ang introduced Quintina and the five apprentices to Aden, and they joined the Pat City Mage Association, improving its prospects for resources.

Ang organized magic training and development plans for North Wind Territory, then learned that Northern Barbarians had been spotted near Beast Mouth. He accelerated preparations for a fortress and began forging enchanted armor for the territory’s cavalry.

• Ang assigned Georgie to study under Pri and Aden under Mons, urged the apprentices to work toward Rank 1 Mage, and discussed planting Golden Fruit and Round Beans with Leander and Isi.
• Ang considered a potion workshop but identified the lack of a steady magical-herb supply as an obstacle, then demonstrated potion-making and gave the craftsmen and apprentices equipment he had made overnight.
• A soldier reported that suspected Northern Barbarians had been seen outside Beast Mouth, so Ang flew there and confirmed with Slock that the strangers had retreated after observing the canyon.
• Ang searched the edge of the Northern Savage Lands but found no further signs of the Northern Barbarians, then ordered the Beast Mouth fortress plan accelerated.
• Ang sent Dusha to organize workers and craftsmen for Beast Mouth, left Aida to protect North Wind Territory, and took Quintina to forge enchanted armor for the Black Scale Horses.

Ang developed and produced Enchanted Armament that let Black Scale Horses fight at greater speed and power, then hurried construction of a fortress against the Northern Barbarians. After secretly tracking a Northern Barbarian tribe, Ang was discovered and surrounded by its warriors and priest, who demanded to know why he had spied on them.

• Ang designed and tested Enchanted Armament for horses, then optimized it after the first test drained a Green Mane Horse's life force.
• Ang equipped more than forty Black Scale Horses and ordered more workers to Beast Mouth to finish the fortress before winter.
• Ang and Quintina spotted Northern Barbarians near the fortress, and Ang followed their squad to a hidden valley camp of about a thousand people.
• Ang observed the tribe for several days and noticed its vigilant priest repeatedly searching for him.
• The priest's warriors surrounded Ang after an Ice Arrow exposed his hiding place, and the priest demanded to know his intentions.

Ang fought off the Manto Tribe’s warriors and injured their priest, then escaped as more Northern Barbarians approached. Two days later, the tribe’s chief Yaob came to Beast Mouth seeking food in exchange for ore and magical herbs, and Ang agreed to discuss a trade.

• Ang battled the Northern Barbarians, defeated their giant warrior, and injured Priest Mantu before escaping on his Magic Broom as reinforcements arrived.
• Chief Yaob rebuked a warrior for provoking Ang and argued that the tribe’s past pursuit of glory had driven them from the plateau.
• Ang returned to Beast Mouth, reported the tribe’s strength, and ordered Dusha to prioritize the outer wall, which was later completed with three ballistae installed.
• Yaob arrived with a small party to request food, and Ang demonstrated the ballistae’s power before agreeing to negotiate a trade.
• Ang inspected the Manto’s ore and magical herbs, asked Yaob to bring all he could find, and dismissed Slock’s suggestion to follow them.

Ang arranged a trade with the Northern Barbarians for ore and magical herbs, using livestock and rye to secure their cooperation while continuing to develop Beast Mouth Fortress. After demonstrating how to prepare rye, Ang challenged their leader Yaob to a spar and forced him back, winning the respect of his soldiers and the watching barbarians.

• Ang ordered Dusha to bring 2,000 sheep, 2,000 cattle, and 5,000 pounds of rye to Beast Mouth, then urged his officers to overcome their fear of the Northern Barbarians.
• Ang explained to Quintina that trading was safer than fighting because the northern terrain and supply lines weakened cavalry, and he continued planning the fortress defenses.
• Dusha arrived at Beast Mouth with livestock and rye as Yaob brought ore and magical herbs; Ang negotiated extra rye by showing the Northern Barbarians how to make porridge and cakes.
• Ang challenged Yaob to a spar after the trade, and the two fought before their gathered warriors and soldiers.
• Ang blocked Yaob's axe and struck him back with his shield, after which Yaob withdrew with his tribe and Ang's soldiers cheered.

Ang strengthened Beast Mouth Fortress, returned to North Wind Territory, and completed a large batch of Enchanted Armament. He then developed a rune-powered railcar, whose successful first test marked the beginning of a new transport project.

• Yaob admitted to Duman that he could only draw against Ang, who had blocked Yaob's axe with a shield; the Manto Tribe party continued north while questioning the priest's guidance.
• Ang reassured the soldiers at Beast Mouth Fortress, arranged its defenses and garrison, and left for North Wind Territory with Quintina, planning a rail line to connect the distant territories.
• The craftsmen completed 510 sets of Enchanted Armament, and Ang's group spent two months engraving runes before sorting the armament for sale and for North Wind Territory's forces.
• Ang taught Georgie and four other magic apprentices to engrave reinforcement runes as craftsmen forged rails and components for the railcar.
• Ang and the craftsmen laid a one-kilometer experimental rail line and successfully tested the rune-powered railcar, which glided along the tracks after Ang activated its levitation system.

Ang tested and improved the magic-powered railcars, extended the tracks from North Wind Territory to Beast Mouth Fortress, and launched passenger service. The journey now took two days, and Ang and Quintina arrived at a bustling Beast Mouth where the Magic Shop was thriving.

• Ang tested the first railcar at sixty kilometers per hour, gathered feedback from Georgie, Quintina, and the craftsmen, and improved passenger comfort with sheepskin-covered seats.
• Ang oversaw track-laying across North Wind Territory, with Isi using Earth Magic to stabilize difficult sections, while Dusha secured materials and a station was built.
• After more than five months, the tracks reached Beast Mouth Fortress, and Ang completed passenger and cargo railcars; a test run with Quintina showed the train could outpace Magic Brooms.
• Ang set the one-way fare to Beast Mouth at 9 Silver Wacks, recruited railcar staff, and began regular operations that cut the journey to two days.
• Ang and Quintina arrived at crowded Beast Mouth Fortress and saw Leander serving customers at the Magic Shop, which Ang supplied with rotating staff to meet adventurers' repair needs.

Ang expanded North Wind Territory by planning Northern Savage Town, recruiting skilled workers, and preparing for future mining while organizing the territory before his trip to the Empire. After Madam Haru arrived to collect Enchanted Armaments and admired the railcar system, Ang made his final preparations to leave for the imperial capital.

• Ang founded Northern Savage Town south of Beast Mouth Fortress, renamed North Wind Territory North Wind Town, and told Dusha to recruit people with useful skills rather than provide free housing to newcomers.
• Ang announced that Puri and Isi had become mages, assigned Aida to oversee the territory and escort railcars, and urged Quintina, Mons, Leander, and Ellis to break through before the imperial investiture ceremony.
• Ang approved Dusha's plan to train apprentice craftsmen and ordered him to recruit miners for future extraction of the Northern Savage Lands' mineral resources.
• Ang told Quintina they would depart for the Empire the day after tomorrow and asked her not to tell Mons and the others that they would be coming along.
• Madam Haru arrived with a convoy, rode North Wind Town's railcar, and discussed the possibility of introducing the system to her territory before collecting the latest Enchanted Armaments.
• Ang began his final preparations for the journey to the imperial capital.

Ang and his companions traveled from River Bay City toward the imperial capital for the knighting ceremony, discussing the North Wind Territory and their journey aboard an airship. As they continued through the night, Ang encouraged his companions to stabilize and strengthen their magic, and told Quintina that his sister Aisha would meet them in Akreli.

• Quintina complained about the bumpy carriage ride, and Ang explained that the group would travel by airship through Tan'anster City to Akreli, a journey of at least a month.
• The group reached River Bay City and boarded an airship, where Quintina and the others admired the view over the Ula Mountains.
• Puli, Isi, and Quintina explained that airships on the Tarim Plane mostly carried goods and faced attacks from hummingbirds, prompting Ang to reconsider what he knew about the plane.
• Ang credited Puli, Isi, Mons, and the others with helping develop the North Wind Territory, then urged Puli and Isi to meditate and stabilize their elemental power.
• Ang told Quintina that his sister Aisha would attend the knighting ceremony in Akreli, and Quintina reflected on her growth and wondered how Susan and the others were doing.

Ang tried to cheer Quintina up during their airship journey by spending the day with her, but she remained upset when he failed to notice she was waiting for him at her cabin. The chapter left Quintina alone in her room, calling Ang an idiot.

• Quintina watched the sunrise from the airship deck, and Ang joined her, teasing her about how they first met.
• Ang gathered Quintina, Puli, Isi, Mons, and the others for breakfast, then promised to show Quintina around Akreli after the investiture ceremony.
• Ang took Quintina to the recreation room, where they played cards and her spirits improved, though she refused to explain why she had been unhappy that morning.
• A noblewoman flirted with Ang in the recreation room, but he ignored her while he and Quintina continued playing until evening.
• Quintina paused at her cabin door as if waiting for Ang, but he went into his own cabin without noticing, leaving her irritated enough to slam her door and mutter that he was an idiot.

Ang and his companions arrived in Tan'anster after an uneasy airship journey, during which he exchanged a tense, flirtatious encounter with a noblewoman and worried about Quintina's exhaustion and silence. The group settled into an inn before Ang was left wondering how Ilsa was doing.

• Ang found Quintina exhausted in her cabin, and she refused breakfast and asked him not to disturb her sleep.
• On the deck, a noblewoman questioned Ang about his troubles and whether he was a mage; Ang brushed her off and walked away after striking the railing.
• As Tan'anster came into view, Ang thought about Ilsa and felt increasingly unsettled.
• The airship arrived in Tan'anster, where Ang reunited with his companions, but Quintina remained silent and distant.
• Ang booked seven rooms at an inn and arranged for dinner to be sent to his companions' rooms.
• Alone in his room, Ang wondered how Ilsa was doing.

Ang revisited the First Warrior Academy and Donna’s family magic shop, then received a letter from Ilsa at the Tan'anster Duke's Mansion. He returned to the inn devastated by her farewell and departure.

• Ang visited the First Warrior Academy at night, walked through its familiar grounds, and left without meeting anyone he knew.
• Ang stopped outside Donna’s former home, which had become a magic shop run by her family, but chose not to go inside.
• Ang visited the Tan'anster Duke's Mansion and received Ilsa’s letter saying she had gone to pursue what she needed to pursue.
• Ang returned to the inn in a daze, ignored Puri and the others, and went straight to his room.

Ang withdrew after reading Ilsa’s farewell letter, and Quintina stayed beside him through the night. By morning, he had regained enough composure to prepare for the group’s departure to Akreli, though Quintina still asked if he was all right.

• Puri told Quintina that Ang had returned unusually withdrawn, and she went to check on him.
• Quintina found Ilsa’s letter and realized that Ilsa had left with no intention of returning; she stayed beside Ang without disturbing him.
• At midnight, Ang carried the sleeping Quintina to the bed, kept Ilsa’s letter, and cast a sleeping spell on himself.
• The next morning, Ang and Quintina woke when Puri called that they were leaving for Akreli, and Ang playfully ruffled Quintina’s hair.
• After Quintina asked if he was all right, Ang calmly replied that he was fine and it was time to leave.

Ang and his companions left Tan'anster City aboard a luxurious airship, where Quintina asked about his past with Ilsa and teased him about his relationship with Susan. Their playful conversation ended with Quintina fleeing back to the cabin, while the airship continued on its journey.

• Quintina packed her belongings, joined Ang and the others, and accepted breakfast from him before they headed to the airship port.
• Ang used his Noble Emblem to take the group through the VIP passage and showed them the three suites he had booked for the long journey.
• As the airship rose above Tan'anster City, Quintina admitted she had read Ang's letter and asked him to tell her about Ilsa.
• After hearing Ang's story, Quintina teased him about whether he and Ilsa had been intimate, and Ang asked what was going on between her and Susan.
• Quintina scolded Ang for guessing about her past with Susan, then ran back to the cabin as Ang returned after her.

Ang and Quintina’s airship journey was interrupted when a flock of White-headed Black Sparrows surrounded the vessel. The birds continued circling without attacking, and Ang suspected they were deliberately trapping the airship.

• Ang left Quintina alone after she stayed in her room, then joined her and the others for dinner as she recovered from her embarrassment.
• Quintina persuaded Ang to admire the view from the deck, where Gino stepped on her foot and Hanovi Bleiba apologized on his companion’s behalf.
• Ang spotted a flock of birds approaching the airship and alerted a waiter, prompting the crew to sound the alarm and order passengers back to their cabins.
• Ang explained the danger posed by White-headed Black Sparrows as the flock surrounded the airship and circled without attacking.
• Ang questioned a crew member about the airship’s delay and grew more uneasy when he learned the birds had not dispersed as they usually did.

Ang learned that the White-headed Black Sparrows attacking the airship might have been summoned, and he organized the passengers and crew to fight them. After repeatedly opening the shield to lure in and kill the birds, the flock began to thin, but the attackers’ summoner remained unidentified.

• Ang and Quintina saw the airship activate its magic shield as the White-headed Black Sparrows attacked it.
• Ang questioned the captain, who revealed that the birds seemed to be guided or controlled and might have been summoned.
• Ang persuaded the captain to gather passengers capable of fighting, and Gino, Hanovi, and several other passengers joined the defense.
• Ang proposed opening a small gap in the shield so the passengers could attack the birds that rushed in, then ordered the gap closed when too many arrived.
• Ang, the mages, and a wind-element warrior repeatedly fought off the birds until the flock thinned and the crew began clearing the corpses from the deck.

After a White-headed Black Sparrow attack, Ang remained suspicious that someone had orchestrated it. Two days later, a passenger developed symptoms of Sleepless Plague, and Ang found no obvious magical cause as he ordered the cabin isolated.

• Ang helped the exhausted Quintina, Puri, Mons, Leander, and Ellis recover after the White-headed Black Sparrow attack, and sensed that Mons, Leander, and Ellis were close to becoming Rank 1 Mages.
• Ang questioned Captain Zuoning about inspections after the attack, but the crew had found nothing suspicious.
• Captain Zuoning gave Ang magic crystals as compensation, and Ang continued to wonder whether the attack had been controlled by someone in the shadows.
• Captain Zuoning summoned Ang after a passenger in the civilian cabins developed symptoms that the onboard mage suspected were Sleepless Plague.
• Ang heard the passenger mutter about seeing a black bird, examined him with holy light, and found no visible signs of dark magic or other magical corruption.
• Ang ordered the surrounding area sealed off, unsettled that the passenger's condition had no apparent magical cause.