Chapter Summaries

Sno traveled to Backlund after receiving a letter from the Foundation and met with Duchess Georgina Augustus, who asked whether he wanted to reclaim his title. The chapter ended before Sno answered.

• Sno considered Klein’s mental state and began outlining a story intended to help him reconnect with Benson and Melissa.
• After receiving a letter from the Foundation, Sno left for Backlund and told Jana to keep his men under control and watch the Feysac people.
• Sno met with Jana, who reported that Georgina Augustus had requested a meeting and left an address.
• Sno went to a café on Williams Street and met Duchess Georgina in the Marigold private room.
• Georgina asked Sno whether he was interested in reclaiming his title.

Georgina negotiated with Sno on behalf of MI9, offering support for the Worker's Movement in Feysac and proposing that Passion expand across Loen in exchange for maintaining order during wartime. Sno rejected the secret royal mission attached to her offer, and they agreed to continue negotiating the next day.

• Georgina told Sno that MI9 would support the Worker's Movement's operations in Feysac if it worked to undermine Feysac once war began.
• Sno corrected Georgina's description of the Movement's aims, then began drafting a contract with her.
• Georgina offered to let Passion expand from Backlund's gangs to all of Loen in exchange for helping maintain order during the war.
• Georgina revealed that the royal family also wanted Sno to guard an undisclosed location after war broke out, and Sno burned the contract draft.
• Sno declined to discuss the offer that night, saying he needed to go home and feed the cat, and proposed meeting the next day.

After Sno regained his viscount title and redeemed the Perrdax territory, Georgina Augustus gave him MI9 intelligence and authority, while he secretly used his control over the contract to recruit the Kingdom Lady for a mission in Loen. He left the chapter preparing to draw her into the kingdom’s coming upheaval and war with Feysac.

• Sno regained his viscount title, bought back the Perrdax territory from Earl Hall, and held a sparsely attended banquet.
• Georgina Augustus mocked Sno’s poor turnout, and Sno explained that the royal investiture had bound him to the royal family.
• Georgina gave Sno a document containing MI9 codes and spy intelligence, along with a medal that let him mobilize MI9 members below Sequence V.
• After Georgina left, Sno wrote the Kingdom Lady, inviting her to return to Backlund as an external MI9 operative and promising her a chance to reclaim what she had lost.
• Sno sealed the letter with the Crown Ring and ordered Dodo to deliver it to the Kingdom Lady.

Sno set Adelina and Trissy competing for the right to choose between Iron-Blooded Knight and Demoness of Despair potions by assigning them tasks to build political connections in Backlund. He revealed that their work was part of a ritual to transfer the loyalty contracts of Loen’s military and government to Adelina, potentially making her the country’s monarch.

• Sno learned from Adelina and Trissy that they had failed to catch the Sauron family’s demigods, who had escaped with help from ordinary people.
• Sno offered the two women a choice between an Iron-Blooded Knight potion and a Demoness of Despair potion, with the first to complete a task choosing first.
• Sno assigned Adelina to join MI9 and build connections with its leaders and the Loen military, while Trissy had to make connections with nobles and parliamentarians before the end of November.
• Adelina and Trissy rejected Sno’s offer of four potions and demanded assurance that their tasks would be evaluated fairly.
• Sno explained that their tasks formed a ritual to transfer Loen’s government and military loyalty contracts to Adelina, who could become monarch, while either woman might become her consort.

Klein questioned Nast about Emperor Roselle’s later years and learned that Roselle repeatedly gazed west, strengthening Klein’s suspicion that the Western Continent held important secrets. Meanwhile, Sno traced fate and reconsidered how Roselle had obtained the Black Emperor’s Characteristics, concluding that the gods had allowed them to circulate freely.

• Nast told Klein that Roselle was more suited than anyone to become the Black Emperor, and confirmed that Bernadette had also asked about Roselle’s secret tasks.
• Klein asked Nast what Roselle had acted strangely about, and Nast recalled that Roselle often stood by a west-facing window and gazed into the distance.
• Klein connected Roselle’s gaze westward with the Western Continent and asked Nast what sort of transaction might let him help.
• After seeing off two Demonesses, Sno felt a loss of spirituality, split off monkeys, and began tracing changes in fate.
• Sno considered the unusual history of the Black Emperor’s Characteristics and concluded that the gods had intentionally let them circulate among the populace.

Audrey met Sno at the Loen Charity Education Fund, where he made a large donation and explained how he planned to use his new title and wealth to gain influence among Loen's nobles. Sno also warned her about a coming move by the Psychology Alchemists and refreshed the illusion meant to help her pray to Mr. Fool if she encountered them.

• Audrey learned that Viscount Panredax had come to donate money and went to meet Sno in the VIP lounge.
• Audrey and Sno spoke privately, and she explained why she had not attended his investiture banquet.
• Sno donated a check for one hundred thousand pounds and gave Audrey a business card for his Passion Organization.
• Sno explained that displaying his wealth would help him gain entry to the noble circle and attract support from both political parties.
• Sno warned Audrey that a force was deepening the rift between the old and new parties and that the Psychology Alchemists might soon make a major move.
• Sno refreshed Audrey's illusion so she could have a chance to pray to Mr. Fool if she encountered the Psychology Alchemists.

At Councilman Macht’s dance, Klein recognized Trissy and learned from Sno that she had become his subordinate after being rescued from the Sorceress Cult’s planned divine descent. Sno warned Klein that an avatar of Ammon was hunting the Fool’s believers and suggested a way to lure him, leaving Klein to prepare an ambush while suspecting Sno had been restricted from revealing more.

• Klein arrived at Councilman Macht’s home and recognized Trissy, whose ring matched the Decoy Rings he had seen on other people.
• Klein greeted Sno, then privately asked whether Trissy was his subordinate; Sno confirmed she was investigating the Loen royal family for him.
• Sno explained that the Sorceress Cult had prepared Trissy as a vessel for a divine descent during the Great Smog and warned that an avatar of Ammon was hunting the Fool’s believers.
• Klein told Sno he intended to ambush Ammon, and Sno suggested using a staged fight between a demigod and a parasite to draw the avatar out.
• After Sno left to mingle at the dance, Klein suspected MI9 rules prevented him from saying more and decided to seek further answers Above the Gray Fog.

After the banquet, Sno prepared to leave for a dangerous advancement, while Klein investigated the rat demigod hidden in Macht’s residence and sought advice about it. Sno said farewell to Bernadette, left a substitute in Backlund to manage his affairs, and sailed toward the Death Sea Domain with Helene.

• Klein found the rat demigod in Councilman Macht’s residence and decided to ask Leonard and the old man about it.
• Sno asked Bernadette to conceal his connection to Roselle and told her he might be gone until late November.
• Sno left a substitute in Backlund with instructions to manage his affairs and maintain his plans while he was away.
• Sno traveled to the Gargas Archipelago and boarded the Black Pearl with his cat and maid.
• Sno sailed east toward the Death Sea Domain, and Helene protested that she wanted to get off the ship.

Sno prepared to enter the God War Ruins while Klein attended a Tarot Club meeting and studied a diary entry about Rose Redemption and the Ancient Sun God. The entry led Klein to suspect that the Ancient Sun God, like Roselle, had sought resurrection to remove corruption, and he resolved to avoid becoming an era’s protagonist.

• Sno told Helene to review the God War Ruins precautions booklet, then returned to his cabin and entered a sleep-like state behind a spiritual barrier.
• At the Tarot Club meeting, Madam Hermit reported that Queen Mystic had provided no Roselle's Diary entries for two consecutive weeks.
• Mr. Devil submitted a diary entry in which Perrdax described Rose Redemption and claimed the Ancient Sun God's disciples betrayed Him at His own instigation.
• Klein connected Perrdax's account to Roselle's plan to use resurrection to wash away corruption and wondered whether the Ancient Sun God had attempted the same thing.
• Klein read Perrdax's vow to avoid becoming the Protagonist of the Era and reacted with unease about the Spectator Pathway.

Klein reflected on the dangers awaiting powerful Beyonders, then oversaw Tarot Club trading and a discussion about Mr. Moon’s Sanguine mission. Hanged Man devised a careful plan to punish the Sanguine while concealing the group’s involvement, and Mr. Devil offered anti-divination support from Backlund despite traveling to the Forsaken Land of the Gods.

• Klein worried that reaching a high level might bring inevitable corruption and reminded himself to stay vigilant before beginning the Tarot Club meeting.
• Sno told Fors that the weapon forged from Ancient Vengeful Spirit Dust was complete, while Klein sold unwanted Extraordinary Items during trading.
• Moon admitted the Drell Forest castle incident had been a Sanguine test, apologized to Magician, and offered to refund her fee and punish Earnest.
• Moon said he planned to lure Earnest into a Church of the Earth Mother, and Hermit explained that the church often converted Sanguines into priests or bishops.
• Hanged Man proposed using bounty hunters, a location near an orthodox church, misleading movements, and Moon’s guidance after hypnosis to obscure the operation.
• Devil offered anti-divination support through his Sequence V avatar in Backlund and revealed that he was traveling to the Forsaken Land of the Gods.

At the Tarot Club, Sno revealed that he planned to travel to the Forsaken Land of the Gods and shared information about the Loen royal family’s political schemes. After the meeting, he began his pilgrimage by steering the Black Pearl into a dangerous sea.

• Sno told Derrick that entering the Forsaken Land of the Gods was possible, but his known method of leaving required Sequence Three.
• Sno revealed that the Loen royal family had allied with the Sorceress Cult and the Psychology Alchemists to deepen political divisions, and suspected it had ordered Duke Negan’s assassination.
• Audrey told the club that Hvin Rambis had tried to influence her, and Sno arranged a daily ball invitation as a warning signal if she might be in danger.
• World discussed hunting Ammon and arranging a meeting with the mysterious queen, while Derrick again asked about creating safe, pure darkness.
• After the Tarot Club ended, Sno lifted the cabin’s spirituality seal, took Heavenly Punishment, picked up Lily, and steered the Black Pearl into the illusory sea to begin his pilgrimage.

Sno traveled through the God War Ruins, collecting sunlight in crystal bottles while using the dangerous night cycles to train his self-perception and resist Karl Dragon’s side effects. The chapter ended with Sno watching the darkness, followed by an explanatory note distinguishing the Old and New Parties from the Conservative and Radical factions.

• Sno stayed awake during the God War Ruins’ dangerous nights, alternately perceiving himself as existent and nonexistent to train his will.
• Sno relied on Helene and Lily as companions whose presence helped him anchor his sense of self, while cutting off his connections to the outside world.
• Sno collected the golden light in crystal bottles whenever daylight returned, then sealed them away before night fell again.
• Sno reminded himself that he was an ordinary transmigrator rather than an all-powerful figure and acknowledged his own weakness.
• The narrator clarified that the Old and New Parties were defined by their origins, while Conservative and Radical described attitudes toward war.

Sno crossed the Illusory Sea Domain and used Heavenly Punishment to open a passage through the True Creator’s dream. He and his companions arrived on the silent shore of the Forsaken Land of the Gods, where Sno knew he could return through the passage because the True Creator had permitted him.

• Sno docked the Black Pearl in a temporary safe zone and carefully secured the crates of Sun Divine Power he had collected.
• Sno entered his dream with Lily and Helene, then approached the Giant King’s Court as Heavenly Punishment began to tremble.
• Sno chanted the True Creator’s honorific name, causing a twilight passage to form between the mountains.
• Sno opened the enormous door under the True Creator’s gaze and crossed through with Lily and Helene.
• Sno, Lily, and Helene awoke on a silent beach in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, and Sno stepped into the dim yellow light.

Sno’s clone arranged for the Machinery Church to produce radios and planned broadcasts to expand the church’s influence, then offered the system to the Loen king. Back home, the exhausted clone found himself looking forward to a visit from Emlyn White and recognized how his original body found amusement in a busy life.

• At Saint Gustav Cathedral, Sno’s clone reviewed the Machinery Church’s radio blueprints, requested independent tuning, and told Mr. A to build an audience with news and stories before preaching.
• Sno’s clone reassured Mr. A that Bonova Gustav was in Trier and that a Sacred Artifact for divine descent would be ready in about three months.
• In Backlund, Sno’s clone showed Duchess Georgina the radio system and asked to establish a news radio station if the king adopted it; Georgina agreed to report the request.
• After returning home exhausted, Sno’s clone learned that Emlyn White had arrived, swiftly replaced his irritation with composure, and realized he could make the tiring work entertaining.

Sno abandoned his attempt to enter the Giant King's Court after receiving an Oracle, then followed the True Creator's gaze to seek an audience with Him. The Word Angel appeared and offered to lead Sno to the Lord, while Helene and Lily were left behind under divine protection.

• Sno received a clear Oracle telling him not to approach the Giant King's Court, so he turned back.
• Sno spotted Afternoon Town's camp but avoided it, believing the City of Silver had to pursue its own path of salvation.
• Sno followed the True Creator's gaze toward His sanctuary, intending to borrow parts for his godhood ritual and White Manufacturing.
• Sno stopped when he heard footsteps and recognized the approaching visitor as the Word Angel.
• The Word Angel told Sno that the Lord knew why he had come and instructed Helene and Lily to remain behind under the Lord's protection.

Derrick and others across the Forsaken Land of the Gods suffered a sudden burst of intense pain, while Sno emerged from the northeast carrying a changed Heavenly Punishment and singing a strange song. In Backlund, Audrey received the Dreamwalker formula and was tasked with gauging nobles’ attitudes toward war, then reported to Klein.

• Derrick felt doubled pain from the Rebel Blade’s side effect and prayed to Mr. Fool about the groan he sensed coming from the northeast.
• Sno appeared in the mountains with a darkened Heavenly Punishment and moved toward the Giant King’s Court while singing; Helene and Lily suspected he was possessed.
• Hvin Rambis gave Audrey the Dreamwalker potion formula and tasked her with finding out how Earl Hall, Duke Negan, Admiral Emilius, and other nobles viewed a major war.
• Audrey accepted the task and reported it to Mr. Fool, while Klein considered the Sunset Shut-in Group’s likely support for war and wished Mr. Devil would return.

Klein joined Audrey on a visit to students supported by the Loen Charity Education Fund, beginning at Backlund Technical University. There, he discovered that the university’s miniature vehicle competition involved his sister Melissa and a familiar toy-car project.

• Klein greeted Audrey at the foundation and agreed to accompany her on visits to the fund’s beneficiaries.
• Audrey and Klein rode a public carriage to Backlund Technical University, where President Portland Momont welcomed them.
• Portland led the visitors to a mechanical design competition sponsored in part by automobile tycoon Framis Cage.
• Audrey recognized Framis Cage among the judges as students raced miniature steam-powered vehicles built from their own designs.
• Klein learned that Viscount Panredax had commissioned the miniature vehicles, and Portland announced that Melissa’s racer had won.

Audrey dealt with another invitation from Viscount Panredax for Susie and worried that Mr. Devil's avatar was causing increasingly bizarre incidents. Klein, unsettled by the avatar's behavior and the approaching war, visited Benson and Melissa, where the warmth of home made him reconsider keeping his distance.

• Audrey learned that Viscount Panredax had invited Susie for grooming and worried the invitation would cause gossip.
• Audrey's brother Hebert asked whether Panredax had sent her another invitation to a ball.
• Klein worried that Mr. Devil's avatar had become too mischievous and decided to visit Benson.
• Klein reunited with Benson, who told him Melissa was excelling at school and building miniature motor vehicles.
• Melissa greeted Klein joyfully, and he wondered whether taking a break from his worries might be worthwhile.

Klein divined the spiked cross and saw a vision of a golden-eyed man declaring, “Let there be light,” before the vision turned toward him and shattered his thoughts. Meanwhile, Xio and Fors questioned Trissy about Xio’s father’s death, but Trissy asked why she should tell them anything.

• Klein examined the spiked cross, suspected it was linked to the Ancient Sun God, and decided to divine its origins.
• Klein’s vision showed a black-robed, golden-eyed man emerge from a grayish-white structure and use the cross to fill a deep valley with light.
• A luminous drop of blood fell onto the silver cross, and a figure made of pure light looked toward Klein and said, “Mysteries...” before Klein’s thoughts exploded.
• Xio and Fors met Trissy in a house in the Southern District by Backlund Bridge.
• Xio asked Trissy to tell her more about the forces behind her father’s death, and Trissy teased her by asking why she should answer.

Fors and Xio discussed cooperating with Trissy, who offered Xio a route into MI9 as she considered using the investigation to advance her own aims. Above the Gray Fog, Klein considered the implications of the High Sequence formulas, then heard Sno’s prayer; Sno planned to travel before returning to Backlund, leaving his avatar to manage the expanding Passion project.

• Fors proposed exchanging intelligence with Trissy, and Trissy questioned Xio about her family and MI9 ties.
• Trissy suggested Xio become an official MI9 member to learn more, while privately considering how to claim a larger share of the plan.
• Klein copied four High Sequence formulas and speculated that the Ancient Sun God had held authority over multiple Pathways.
• Klein heard Sno’s prayer and replied that he knew Sno had returned from the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
• Sno planned to visit Black Swan Castle and Intis before returning to Backlund, while his avatar continued handling the Passion expansion and wished the main body would return.