Chapter Summaries

Lynn practiced combining iron-sand spells with Thunder Magic, using controlled electric shocks to learn lightning magic in just four days. Meanwhile, Ieyeta Harbor’s workshops rapidly expanded firearm production, and Lynn imposed basic rest requirements on the overworked laborers.

• Lynn tested [Iron Sand Storm], assessed its Magic Power cost, and considered combining it with electricity and magnetism to boost its destructive power.
• Lynn used a generator to give himself controlled electric shocks as he practiced Thunder Magic and sought advice from Anthony in the Magic Domain.
• After four days of frequent electrotherapy, Lynn began grasping lightning through Magic Mimicry and noted that his resistance to current was increasing.
• Ieyeta Harbor’s workshops produced fifteen hundred firearms in a month, far exceeding Lynn’s estimate.
• Lynn inspected the firearms workshop, discovered the laborers were working nearly sixteen hours a day, and mandated time for rest, meals, and sleep along with a day off every half month.

William learned that the Sea of Mists had become easier to cross and suspected the change was connected to unrest in Greenriel. Worried that the Holy Church would attack the Land of Wizards, he ordered his men to spy on Lynn’s wizards before deciding whether to betray them.

• A fleet returned from the Sea of Mists with reports of clearer visibility and calmer waters, prompting William to suspect something had happened in the Land of Wizards.
• William connected the change to Greenriel’s recent internal unrest and reasoned that the wizards had switched to airship transport to hide it.
• William’s subordinates debated informing Cardinal Bishop Lothar, tempted by the Holy Church’s rewards and the chance to enter the Empire’s nobility.
• William questioned Cody about Lynn’s airship shipments and learned that Laud handled cargo while the wizards restricted access to their estate and pursued glass trade and noble contacts.
• William ordered Cody to monitor the wizards in the Royal Capital and use profit-sharing negotiations as a pretext to investigate their estate, but refused to meet the Cardinal Bishop until they had more intelligence.

Old York and the other recruits endured harsh training as rumors spread that Iyetar was preparing for war. Lynn introduced the Firearm Team to second-generation muskets, whose power stunned the recruits but whose recoil threw many of them into chaos.

• Old York heard rumors that the newly formed Firearm Team was preparing for war and feared losing the better life he had found in Iyetar.
• Old York endured the recruits’ grueling drills, including long runs, strict formations, and hours standing beneath the sun.
• Lynn arrived at the training ground and introduced the recruits to muskets made by the Alchemy Workshop.
• Old York fired his musket and was knocked to the ground by its recoil as the first three hundred recruits fired in confusion.
• The recruits saw that the musket shots had pierced the targets’ armor, revealing the weapons’ formidable power.

Lynn explained how the Firearm Team would use disciplined formations and layered firepower to defeat larger enemy armies without risking close combat. He left Rowan with a plan for attacking enemies at range, from aerial artillery bombardment down to rotating firearm volleys.

• The recruits practiced firing Flintlock Guns until their shots battered the targets, and Old York saw that even a steel shield could not withstand them.
• The Firearm Team jogged through the city as townspeople envied their pay and provisions, while Rowan questioned the value of their formation drills.
• Lynn told Rowan that strict obedience and orderly formations were essential to the Firearm Team's combat effectiveness, then explained Three-stage Shooting.
• Rowan described how nobles' armies fought and suggested using formations and sword-and-shield soldiers to protect the gunners in close combat.
• Lynn rejected that approach and outlined attacks using the Sky Airship, artillery, magic, and rotating firearm volleys to destroy enemies before they could close in.

Lynn outlined a plan to use artillery and Alchemy Armored Vehicles to overwhelm the Church’s forces while avoiding casualties, but intelligence revealed that William had discovered unusual activity in the Sea of Mists. Lynn arranged a meeting with William, expecting a trap, and prepared Laud to handle it with his support.

• Lynn told Rowan that his goal was to end battles with zero casualties by striking enemies from a distance, and Rowan recognized the potential of cannons and Alchemy Armored Vehicles.
• Lynn learned through a hidden agent that William had discovered abnormalities in the Sea of Mists and decided it was time to deal with him.
• Cody visited the wizards’ manor outside Hadratta’s Royal Capital to negotiate, and Laud demanded to speak with William directly.
• Lynn predicted William would agree to meet because he needed intelligence and said the meeting would be a trap.
• Lynn told Laud that William would likely summon him, and Laud accepted the risk, trusting Lynn to project power through the Ring of Secret Magic.

Laud went to William’s estate to discuss the invitation but was disarmed by William’s guards before he could enter. On Lynn’s instruction, Laud surrendered the [Ring of the Secret Mage] and went inside with Cody, leaving his magical protection in Multer’s hands.

• Cody brought Laud to William’s estate in the Royal Capital, where Laud suspected the guarded residence might have secret chambers or escape routes.
• Multer stopped Laud at the entrance and ordered the guards to search him, despite Cody’s attempt to object.
• The guards found a crossbow, two daggers, and alchemical powder on Laud, but returned his protective walking stick after failing to understand it.
• Multer demanded Laud’s alchemical ring, and Lynn told Laud to hand it over despite the danger of losing the ring’s protection.
• Laud surrendered the [Ring of the Secret Mage] to Multer and followed Cody into the estate to meet William.

Laud met William in the fortress hall, where William questioned him about Lord Lynn’s wizards and the compass that could locate the Land of Wizards. Laud stalled by giving him false and uncertain answers, and William ordered him to drink the wine before they continued.

• Cody led Laud into the fortress hall, where armed guards surrounded a lavish banquet and William waited for him.
• William questioned Laud about his former work for Lord Herlam and argued that they should serve more powerful patrons.
• William revealed he wanted information about Lord Lynn’s wizards in the Royal Capital of [Hadratta] and the compass that could locate the Land of Wizards.
• Laud falsely claimed the compass was under Lord Orlando’s control and said he did not know the exact number of wizards in the kingdom.
• William gave Laud thirty seconds to consider his answers and ordered him to drink the red wine.

Laud tried to seize William with a concealed cane gun, but the floor collapsed and trapped him with a William double in a crossbow-filled chamber. Meanwhile, Lynn attacked the real William with Thunder Magic, leaving the fate of Laud and the double unresolved.

• Laud threw wine in a guard’s face, fought through the guards, and used his cane gun to kill one and threaten William.
• The floor gave way beneath Laud and William, dropping them into an underground chamber lined with crossbow ports.
• The William double explained that the chamber was trapped, and Laud realized he had mistaken the double for the real William.
• The chamber’s crossbows cocked but did not fire, leaving Laud and the double waiting in fear.
• Multer brought Laud’s confiscated weapons to the real William, but Lynn appeared and struck William’s guards with Forked Lightning.
• Lynn observed that iron armor conducted his lightning while William remained mostly unharmed.

Lynn confronted William after Multer betrayed him, killed him, and extracted information from his mind. He then rescued Laud from a trap and returned the Ring of Secret Magic to him.

• William threatened Multer, but Multer admitted that he had sided with Lynn.
• William attacked Lynn and Multer with hidden crossbow bolts, then transformed into a powerful blood-red figure.
• Lynn overwhelmed William with fire and ice magic, froze him, and used Soul Retrieval to obtain the information he wanted.
• Lynn and Multer took a secret passage to the hall, where they fought through William’s guards and rescued Laud from a trap.
• Multer apologized to Laud and returned the Ring of Secret Magic to him.

Lynn captured William’s double, Doral, and forced him to serve as William while Laud and Multer took over William’s forces. With the estate secured, Lynn studied the intact Blood God statue that had empowered William’s blood magic.

• Laud boasted to Lynn about subduing William’s double, and Multer identified the captive as Doral, one of fewer than ten people who knew the double’s identity.
• Lynn showed Doral William’s burned corpse and gave him ten seconds to choose between death and loyalty; Doral immediately pledged to serve Lynn.
• Lynn ordered Laud, Multer, and Doral to take over William’s forces, placed a lethal Flame Mark on Doral, and declared that Doral would become the true Imperial Viscount William.
• Over the next three days, Laud and his allies took control of William’s forces, secretly killing the trusted subordinates who knew about the double while keeping the estate’s leadership unchanged on the surface.
• Lynn preserved William’s identity as a source of intelligence on First Prince Harold and the other heir, and began studying the intact Blood God statue that had enabled William’s blood magic.

Lynn considered whether he could grant magic to others before hearing Anthony’s plan to establish a Magic Kingdom in Hadratta. He rejected Anthony’s proposal to share power with the nobles and declared that the kingdom needed neither nobles nor a king.

• Lynn examined the Blood God Statue and wondered whether he could use the intelligent brain to bestow magic on others.
• Anthony entered the Magic Domain and told Lynn that Hattar was preparing to win over or eliminate supporters of the rival prince.
• Anthony explained his plan to support Hattar, oppose the Holy See, and establish a nation for wizards with help from the Land of Wizards and the Secret Magic Society.
• Anthony proposed that wizards and the royal family manage the nobles, who would then manage the commoners.
• Lynn warned that nobles would not accept wizards replacing the Holy See as their masters and declared that Hadratta needed neither nobles nor a king.

Lynn told Anthony that they would use the miners to help overthrow Hadratta’s nobles and royal family after dealing with the Holy See. In Baron Elvis’s mine, overseer Rupert whipped a starving miner, and Redell’s attempt to protect him sparked a silent protest among the slaves.

• Lynn explained to Anthony that the oppressed miners could help overturn the kingdom and establish a nation governed by wizards.
• Lynn said he would wait for the right opportunity, while his agent Laud sent people to investigate mines in Hadratta.
• Baron Elvis pushed overseer Rupert to increase iron production as ore prices rose.
• Rupert whipped the starving Ham for sleeping, and Redell pleaded with him to stop, warning that Ham’s death would hurt production.
• The miners set down their tools after Rupert lashed Redell, beginning a silent protest in support of the healer.

Redell accepted Rupert’s demand for increased ore production to save the injured Ham, then shared his meager food with him and questioned his faith. Meanwhile, Lynn received a report on Redell and decided to train him as a rebel using a simulated uprising.

• Rupert agreed to spare Ham only if Redell’s crew increased ore output by ten percent and Redell made up Ham’s work, so Redell treated Ham and led the slaves through a grueling shift.
• Redell shared his dinner with Ham, who prayed to Goddess Ella for survival and explained his belief in the afterlife.
• The guards drove the mine slaves to sleep, and half an hour later one slipped an ornate ring onto Redell’s hand.
• Lynn reviewed Redell’s profile at Ieyeta Harbor and planned to train him with a modified Dazexiang Uprising simulation in the Magic Domain.

Redell dreamed that he was Chen Sheng, a laborer who joined Wu Guang in starting a rebellion against Qin, then woke in a mine with his memories restored. He found a strange, glowing ring on his finger and hesitated to discard it, suspecting it might be connected to demons.

• Redell dreamed that Wu Guang told him the laborers would be executed for missing their deadline and urged him to rebel.
• Wu Guang gave Redell a blood-red message to hide in a fish, and the laborers were stirred by the fish omen and a wild fox's cries.
• Wu Guang provoked an officer into whipping him, then joined Redell in killing two officers and rallying the laborers to revolt.
• Redell stood as Chen Sheng while the laborers cheered, then woke in the mine and recovered his memories.
• Redell found a glowing, intricately engraved ring on his finger and hesitated before throwing it away.

Redell kept entering the ring’s dreams, repeatedly reliving failed rebellions and confronting how the oppressed became oppressors after gaining power. After his final defeat, he met Lynn, who explained that human nature could drive both progress and corruption; Redell’s questions about changing society remained unresolved.

• Redell questioned Ham about why commoners suffered while nobles lived comfortably, but Ham said it was fate and the Goddess’s will.
• Redell entered the dream again and repeatedly died while leading rebellions as Chen Sheng and other historical figures.
• After half a month of attempts, Redell led commoners to victory but saw his followers become brutal oppressors, then gave up resisting and died when the city fell.
• Redell remained in the dream and met Lynn, who said he was a human wizard seeking the truth of the world.
• Redell asked why rebels became like their former oppressors, and Lynn said human nature could be both a strength and a flaw.

Lynn explained to Redell how firm convictions, discipline, and shared goals could help keep a rebellion from descending into cruelty. After a mine collapse revealed how expendable the Mine Slaves were to Rupert, Redell decided to lead a rescue effort.

• Lynn advised Redell to establish strict discipline and principles, then gather devoted followers to uphold them.
• Redell asked about his dreams and their price, and Lynn told him to consider whether his current situation was already hell.
• A section of the mine collapsed after days of rain, leaving more than thirty Mine Slaves missing.
• Rupert refused to organize an immediate rescue and beat a man who begged him to save Caro.
• Redell resolved to dig out the collapsed tunnel and called on the Mine Slaves to join him.

Redell killed Rupert and led the Mine Slaves in a revolt, capturing Baron Elvis’s manor and killing the Baron and the Priest. He then planned to free more Mine Slaves and build up his forces.

• Redell seized Rupert’s whip, killed him with a mining pick, and urged the Mine Slaves to fight back against the guards.
• The Mine Slaves killed Rupert’s guards, and Redell convinced the shaken survivors that staying at the mine meant certain death.
• Redell opened the storeroom, fed the Mine Slaves, and split them between rescuing Caro and attacking the guard camp.
• Redell’s group seized Baron Elvis’s manor, denounced the Baron, and killed him.
• The rebels used crossbows to execute the Priest, and Redell resolved to free more Mine Slaves and strengthen his ranks.

Lynn decided to let Redell continue his rebellion and considered how tangible benefits could counter the Church’s hold over the common people. At a Council meeting, Harov revealed that Kashimo had died and warned that war with the Church was likely, prompting Lynn to propose moving the battlefield away from the Land of Wizards.

• Lynn watched Redell rally the mine slaves and decided to grant him witchcraft later, while setting aside plans to recruit other potential leaders.
• Philip delivered the Council’s invitation, and Lynn traveled from Ieyeta Harbor to Greenriel City for the evening meeting.
• Sanchez welcomed Lynn at Corona Tower and thanked him for helping save his life during the fight against August.
• Harov announced that Kashimo had died after the Council failed to extract useful information from him and destroyed his body and soul.
• Harov warned that war with the Church was likely and that Ieyeta Harbor could become a battlefield, so Lynn proposed moving the fighting elsewhere.

Lynn proposed Master Anthony’s plan to establish a Magic Kingdom in the Secas Empire’s Kingdom of Hadratta, shifting the conflict with the Holy Church away from the Land of Wizards. The councilors approved the plan by a wide majority, while Lynn also revealed that Anthony had developed a way for Official Wizards to wield Electromagnetic Magic.

• Lynn showed the councilors a map of the Secas Empire and explained how wizards could support a rebellion in Hadratta and turn the kingdom into a haven for wizards.
• Lynn confirmed that Master Anthony belonged to the Secret Magic Society and was ready to cooperate on the Magic Kingdom plan.
• Lynn described Anthony’s dangerous early method for wielding Electromagnetic Magic and said the Secret Magic Society had since developed safer methods reserved for its members.
• Harov stopped the councilors’ questions about Electromagnetic Magic and called for a vote on the Magic Kingdom plan.
• Nearly eighty percent of the more than one hundred and forty councilors supported the plan.

Lynn discussed the Land of Wizards’ war preparations and sold firearms to Sanchez, while Redell’s mine slave liberation movement spread through the Kingdom of Hadratta. Count Joyce fled overnight as Redell’s growing force threatened the kingdom.

• Lynn learned that the Land of Wizards had only twenty thousand newly trained soldiers, fifty usable Magic Crystal Cannons, and seventy Golems available for war.
• Sanchez asked Lynn about firearms, and Lynn agreed to sell ten thousand for two Magic Gold Coins each, beginning with two thousand Flintlock Guns.
• Lynn and Sanchez discussed training the new soldiers, and Sanchez approved using magical beasts to teach firearm teams to stay calm under pressure.
• Redell expanded the mine slave liberation movement from the Barony of Elvis across nearly one-seventh of Hadratta, organizing a force of more than ten thousand people.
• Count Joyce fled overnight and sent news of Redell’s uprising to the Royal Capital of Hadratta.