Chapter Summaries

Ryan finalized Avril’s cultivation arrangement and the Melendez marriage alliance before departing the Imperial Capital with Grand Mage Macken, several mages, and a large grain convoy. As he traveled north, he continued seeking grain from local nobles, but none agreed to sell.

• Ryan told the Clayton Family that Avril would study under Mage Adele, while the Melendez Family gained access to certain potions and pledged support for his territory.
• Ryan departed the Imperial Capital with one hundred soldiers, Brandt’s group, forty carriages, and grain supplied by the Melendez Family.
• Ryan collected Grand Mage Macken and five mages, and Shawkat Melendez joined the convoy with twenty soldiers to escort the grain.
• In Galle Province, Ryan received another twenty carriages of grain from the Clayton Family and encountered Master Knox, who asked him to send Brock back if his craftsmanship stalled.
• Ryan visited nobles along the route through Volga Province to seek more grain, but none agreed to sell.

Ryan arranged a long-term grain deal with Count Pascal, then crossed Winged Gorge and returned to the Northlands. He learned that a thousand-man Extraordinary Legion of The Church had passed through the gorge, while the Pope raged at the Holy Mountain.

• Ryan asked Count Pascal to supply grain directly to Frozen Earth Territory, and Pascal agreed to sell fifty thousand jin each quarter for ten thousand gold coins.
• Ryan paid Pascal in advance and led his troops north.
• At Winged Gorge, Knight Tissa stopped Ryan's party but let them pass after Ryan explained his marriage alliance with Avril Melendez.
• Tissa told Ryan that Holy Kingdom Knights of The Church had recently crossed the gorge toward the Andara Kingdom under strict Imperial scrutiny.
• Ryan returned to the Northlands and heard that a thousand-man Extraordinary Legion of The Church had left through Winged Gorge.
• Within an hour of Ryan's return, the Pope's furious roar echoed across the Holy Mountain.

Ryan returned to the Northlands as the Church of Dawn declared war on the Empire, and he prepared for the conflict spreading through the region. In Iron Mountain County, Viscount Walter warned that mobilization and disrupted trade had left the county short of grain, while Viscount Hogg’s cavalry threatened supply routes.

• The Church of Dawn denounced the Empire as heretical and launched a war, while Ryan explained that the Church needed victories to restore its declining authority.
• Ryan traveled through Silver Stream County, where Viscount Hogg confronted him and Ryan warned that the outcome of their conflict would decide who was right.
• Ryan changed his route and detoured through Iron Mountain County, recognizing that he was opposed by a broad circle of nobles.
• Viscount Walter told Ryan that preparations for war had nearly exhausted Iron Mountain County’s grain reserves and that fewer merchants were expected to bring supplies.
• Viscount Walter explained that Count Winter planned to route grain through Dragon Mountain County and Zero Crossing Prefecture, while Viscount Hogg’s cavalry had begun operating in Thundercloud County.

Ryan returned to the Frozen Earth Territory with Grand Mage Macken and Shawkat, who were impressed by its size and prosperity. He arranged for Shawkat to stay and carry gifts to the Melendez Family, then confronted the territory’s worsening food problem when Yelena said developing cold-resistant crops could take one or two years.

• Grand Mage Macken and Shawkat saw the Frozen Earth Territory and recognized its prosperity, while Ryan assured Shawkat that he was captivated by Avril and accepted the marriage arrangement.
• The Viscountess greeted Ryan as his lady official, and Ryan instructed Beard to host Shawkat and later visit the Melendez Family with local specialties.
• Ryan remembered that the Old Steward had died over the winter and teased Beard about becoming involved with a knight’s daughter.
• Ryan asked Yelena to develop cold-resistant seeds or improve the soil, but she said the work could take one or two years.
• Ryan worried that the territory would still need to buy grain from outside and broke the bed while striking his lady official during the night.

Ryan brought Grand Mage Macken through a Planar Gate to Swadifari, where Macken discovered the herds of horses he had long hoped to study. Macken decided to stay in Frozen Earth Territory and outlined the resources and loyal trainees needed to breed a powerful warhorse legion.

• Ryan told Grand Mage Macken that he would not let the one hundred thousand Gold Coins go to waste, then opened a Planar Gate to Swadifari.
• Ryan and Brandt led Macken through the gate, where he saw wild horses and broke down in tears at the chance to fulfill his teacher’s wish.
• Macken declared that he would stay and asked Ryan to build a Mage Tower, obtain magical supplies and beasts, and train loyal grooms.
• Macken explained that his warhorse-breeding method came from the teachings of the legendary Blood God and promised to create a unique legion for Ryan.
• Ryan pledged his support to Macken and his teacher’s work.

Ryan learned that recruiting the Magic Academy mages meant taking on their debts, totaling several hundred thousand Gold Coins, and decided to repay them within three years. He also chose to prioritize building Mage Luna’s Mage Tower, leaving him to seek more wealth for his territory, including through war.

• Grand Mage Macken told Ryan that the mages he recruited carried large debts to the Magic Academy, which Ryan would have to assume if they stayed.
• Macken said the debts had to be repaid within three years and explained that maintaining powerful mages cost nobles far more than their initial debts.
• Ryan decided he could meet the expense by expanding his territory’s wealth and fighting more wars if necessary.
• Ryan introduced Macken to Mage Luna, who revealed that she had Life and Soul Magic, Puppet Magic, and Earth Magic.
• Ryan said he could build only one Mage Tower first, and Macken agreed that Mage Luna’s should take priority.
• Ryan concluded that his territory needed economic growth and the wealth gained through war.

As war erupted between the Empire and The Church in the south and fighting resumed in Northwind Province, Ryan prepared Frozen Earth Territory for conflict and accelerated its development. He dispatched Baronet Azur to buy supplies, summoned Lord Haarn to relay orders, and left his subjects facing an ambitious program of military training, infrastructure, and land reclamation.

• The Church's forces attacked Thousand Lakes Province, where naval defeats forced the Empire and its enemies to fight across the islands, while Count Weiss and Viscount Hogg resumed their war in Northwind Province.
• Ryan sent Baronet Azur to Galle Province to find Beard and purchase equipment needed by Grand Mage Macken.
• Ryan summoned Lord Haarn, whose bird-flight spell carried Ryan's orders across Frozen Earth Territory.
• Ryan ordered more meals and daily training for his forces, better weapons and armor from Brock, and district-wide registration and sanitation work from Aethelred.
• Ryan directed every lord to lead land-reclamation teams and ordered improvements to drinking water and irrigation.
• Ryan decided to begin economic exchange with Zero Crossing Prefecture as soon as possible.

Ryan argued that Northwind Province’s resources and wealth depended on trade circulating freely between territories, and he urged Zero Crossing Prefecture’s nobles to pursue that exchange. He left them considering how the trade opened by last year’s war had already increased their food supply and income, while insisting that broader change required war and his control of the province.

• Ryan considered free trade essential to developing Frozen Earth Territory and concluded that war was necessary to bring Northwind Province under his command.
• Ryan went to the military camp to train, since he had not yet adapted to the power Dragon Heart had given him.
• Ryan convened the first Zero Crossing Prefecture Development Conference of the new year, and dozens of nobles gathered in Frozen Earth Territory.
• Ryan told the nobles that Northwind Province was rich in resources but poor in Gold Coins because trade did not circulate smoothly between territories.
• Ryan explained that merchant associations profited from the price differences in Northwind Province’s goods and pointed to Iron Mountain County’s trade as proof of the benefits.
• The nobles realized that game from Iron Mountain County had improved their meals and that their Gold Coins had increased since trade opened there.

Ryan persuaded the nobles of Zero Crossing Prefecture to consider trade and decide for themselves whether to join the coming war, while planning to seek glory with an elite force in Dragon Mountain County and Northwind County. After Baron Haton revealed the Andara Kingdom’s weakness and the merchant guilds’ early arrival, Ryan sent a Frozen Earth weapon to Winged Gorge to test their interest, reasoning that war made time more valuable than raw iron.

• Ryan convinced the nobles of Zero Crossing Prefecture that exchanges could develop their territories, then warned them that the coming war would shape Northwind Province’s future.
• Ryan told the nobles he would not return to Iron Mountain County, but would take an elite force to Dragon Mountain County and Northwind County; each noble could decide whether to participate.
• Baron Haton told Ryan that Andara’s Old King had lost control of the great nobles and that Grand Duke McReynolds’s Radiant Griffin Legion was the kingdom’s strongest force.
• Haton informed Ryan that the merchant guilds had arrived early and were waiting in Winged Gorge with food, concerned about traveling through the war-torn province.
• Ryan gave Haton a Knight's Greatsword from Brock's Blacksmith Shop and asked him to show it to the merchant guilds as an example of Frozen Earth forging craftsmanship.
• Ryan explained that the guilds needed finished weapons quickly because they had little time to transport Iron Ore south and forge it there.

Ryan negotiated a large weapons deal with the Lantern Merchant Guild and then received Irina from the Blade Rose Merchant Guild, who challenged him over their prior business arrangement. He left the guild negotiations open to competition, while Frank stayed in Frozen Earth Territory to inspect Northwind Province.

• Baron Hatton returned with Frank Booth, a representative of the Lantern Merchant Guild, to arrange a purchase of iron weapons.
• Frank offered to buy 10,000 suits of armor and 30,000 greatswords, and Ryan negotiated prices based on their quality before agreeing to the deal.
• Frank required the weapons to be ready within a month, and Ryan assured him that he could gather enough equipment from Frozen Earth Territory and the surrounding nobles.
• Ryan invited Frank to remain in Frozen Earth Territory, where Frank hoped to learn more about Northwind Province.
• Irina confronted Ryan for concluding a deal with the Lantern Merchant Guild despite the Blade Rose Merchant Guild's claimed agreement, and Ryan asked whether her guild also wanted weapons.
• The Viscountess entered Ryan's room that night.

Ryan recognized that the prolonged war in the Thousand Lakes Province served both the Empire and the Church by strengthening their claims to authority, while creating demand for Brock’s weapons. He named Brock’s greatswords the first weapons in the “Snow Dragon’s Roar” series and hoped future sales would fund legendary arms made with supernatural materials.

• Ryan concluded that the Empire and the Church were using the war to build confidence in their respective authority, and saw an opportunity for Brock’s craftsmanship.
• Irina returned to Winged Gorge with weapons forged by Brock, which Ryan intended to introduce to knights under a memorable name.
• Frank Booth ate a breakfast of fresh milk and vegetables, accepted the servant’s explanation of how the food was kept fresh, and asked to meet Brock.
• Ryan proposed “Snow Dragon’s Roar” as the name for Brock’s Knight’s Greatswords, but Brock objected that the weapons were ordinary goods.
• Ryan explained that “Snow Dragon’s Roar” would be a series spanning ordinary and higher-grade weapons, with a legendary weapon at its peak, and said its sales could finance the purchase of supernatural materials.

As the Northlands thawed and avalanches opened the way for expansion, Ryan prepared Zero Crossing Prefecture’s army to aid Count Soron in the war. After gathering and training 3,500 soldiers, he led them toward Dragon Mountain County, where the campaign awaited.

• Ryan ordered hunters to investigate the lands exposed by avalanches and called for watchtowers to extend Frozen Earth Territory’s reach.
• Count Winter’s envoy asked when Zero Crossing Prefecture’s army would depart, and Ryan promised it would assemble in half a month to assist Count Soron.
• Ryan summoned troops from the noble territories, and 3,000 soldiers joined his 500 Knight Retainers in Zero Crossing City.
• Ryan assured the nobles he would try to keep their soldiers from being lost in foreign lands and said Count Soron would provide supplies.
• Ryan trained the assembled army for three days, then led it out on an expedition and reached Dragon Mountain County.

Ryan led his troops to Graystone Fortress, where Count Soron’s envoy ordered him to defend against Viscount Hogg’s cavalry and Count Weiss’s approaching army. After learning how badly the counties were being beaten, Ryan remained open to retreating or even changing sides if the situation demanded it.

• The chapter explained that Count Soron’s Dragonblood Warriors and Count Winter’s Flying Wolf Cavalry relied on a rare potion that preserved their bloodlines and mounts.
• Ryan arrived at Graystone Fortress, and Fidel Soron ordered him to defend the route into Dragon Mountain County and prepare to receive supplies.
• Ryan sent Enzo to speak with local nobles, and Enzo returned with news that Count Weiss’s army was crushing the forces of two counties.
• Enzo reported that Count Weiss’s soldiers fought without fear, Viscount Hogg’s cavalry harassed Dragon Mountain County, and Count Weiss’s forces aimed to make the Barbarian Legion and Dragonblood Warrior Legion destroy each other.
• Ryan told Enzo that they could retreat to Frozen Earth Territory or join Count Weiss if necessary, leaving Enzo astonished.

Ryan led his army from Graystone Fortress to confront Viscount Hogg’s cavalry, who had attacked the supply convoy and set the provisions ablaze. He blocked their route with cheval de frise, forcing Hogg’s cavalry to flee through the burning chaos while Ryan’s army remained ready to pursue.

• Ryan learned that Viscount Hogg’s cavalry were blocking the provisions and that Aseth Soron’s forces were stranded in the river valley.
• Ryan identified grease on the ground and realized Viscount Hogg intended to burn the provisions and force his army to leave Graystone Fortress.
• Ryan explained to Baron Enzo that he was willing to abandon Graystone Fortress, but would attack Hogg’s cavalry from both sides if Aseth protected the supplies.
• Ryan led 3,500 soldiers out of Graystone Fortress and ordered the knights to deploy two hundred cheval de frise when they reached the burning convoy.
• Viscount Hogg refused to charge Ryan’s chevaux de frise and led his cavalry through the burning area to escape by the opposite route.

After Viscount Hogg’s cavalry burned the grain convoy, Ryan learned that no replacement supplies could be sent to Graystone Fortress and moved his army to Baron Solis’s territory. He prepared to defend against the enemy cavalry and demanded provisions from Solis and the surrounding nobles.

• Ryan questioned Knight Acet about the lost grain, and Acet admitted that Count Soron had no second shipment to send.
• Ryan learned that Baron Solis’s territory was the nearest refuge and ordered Acet to remain with his army as a quartermaster.
• Ryan led his forces into Baron Solis’s territory and had them build a military camp fortified with cheval de frise.
• Baron Solis protested Ryan’s arrival and said he lacked enough grain to feed the army.
• Ryan assured Solis that Viscount Hogg would not get through and told him to obtain grain from neighboring nobles, or Ryan would retreat to Dragon Mountain City.

Ryan explained that Viscount Hogg and he were keeping each other occupied without risking their troops, while Count Weiss pursued the costly war to conquer Northwind Province. Ryan judged that Count Weiss would fail if he had no further means.

• Viscount Hogg captured Graystone Fortress, and Ryan retook it repeatedly as the two armies alternated control.
• Ryan revealed that Hogg’s troops withdrew when Ryan approached and that Ryan’s forces left for lack of food, keeping both armies from the main battlefield.
• Ryan explained to Baron Enzo that Hogg’s limited forces were needed to support Count Weiss and that the nobles had different aims in the war.
• Ryan concluded that Count Weiss’s ambition had dragged the other nobles into a costly conflict and that Weiss would fail without another means.

Count Ves tried to secure Viscount Hogg’s support for a decisive battle by offering him rare resources that could help him become a Sky Knight. After Count Soron summoned Ryan to the front, Ryan agreed to march there, suspecting both armies were rushing toward a final clash because of food shortages.

• Viscount Hogg challenged Count Ves over the war and reminded him that he had already prevented Zero Crossing Prefecture’s army from attacking Dragon Mountain County’s rear.
• Count Ves offered Viscount Hogg a set of rare Knight Potions and other valuable items if they won the war, then asked him to bring his soldiers to fight the Soron Family.
• Ryan received Count Soron’s letter saying the army lacked food and asking him to join the main battlefield to drive Count Ves away.
• After waiting two days without news from Viscount Hogg, Ryan agreed to take his army to the front lines.
• Ryan suspected food shortages were pushing both sides toward a decisive battle, though he wondered whether either side had another way to win in a single clash.

Ryan reached the front lines after Count Soron’s army had driven Count Weiss’s forces onto the Crimsonwing Plains, then joined the nobles’ planned assault. As the allied army assembled for battle, Ryan saw the Thunder Giant and questioned whether the Dragonblood Warrior Legion could face it.

• Ryan ordered his soldiers to burn the corpses they found on the road and arrived at Count Soron’s camp, where Viscount Denton mocked his late arrival.
• Count Soron said he and Count Winter would attack Love Weiss from both sides the next morning, and Ryan agreed to follow his decision.
• Ryan led more than three thousand soldiers from Zero Crossing Prefecture on the western flank as the allied army assembled for battle.
• Ryan saw the Thunder Giant standing with Count Weiss’s army and judged that the Dragonblood Warrior Legion could not defeat it.
• Ryan sensed powerful blood energy boiling to the southwest and concluded that Count Winter would have to deal with the Giant.

Count Winter confronted Count Weiss’s Thunder Giant on the Crimsonwing Plains and gained the upper hand with his Magic Armor, a forbidden spell, and powerful knight techniques. As Count Winter unleashed Tidal Wave against the lightning-wreathed giant, the battle’s outcome remained unresolved.

• Count Winter demanded that Count Weiss admit defeat and warned that the barbarians would otherwise lose their Extraordinary Legion and wealth.
• Count Weiss crushed his family signet ring and ordered Yano to attack Count Winter.
• Yano struck Count Winter with a bolt of lightning, but Count Winter’s Magic Armor withstood the blow.
• Count Winter used Wrath of the Colossus and Sword of the Mountain King to overpower Yano, breaking the giant’s warhammer and mangling its hands.
• Count Winter gathered a towering blade of light and brought down Tidal Wave against the lightning-covered Yano.

Ryan watched the Sanctuary Knights’ battle end with the Thunder Giant defeated, then commanded his army in the ensuing clash against the barbarians. His troops formed a concave trap and routed their opponents, and Ryan began advancing toward the battlefield’s center.

• Count Winter defeated the Thunder Giant, after which Horla Winter, Count Soron, Count Winter, and two Sky Knights ordered their forces to attack.
• The armies collided, and barbarian fighters tore into the poorly equipped slave soldiers at the front of the battle.
• Ryan ordered his troops to hold formation and directed Harrington and Baron Enzo to advance on both flanks.
• Ryan’s more than three thousand soldiers formed a concave line, drawing barbarians into an opening where they were surrounded and struck from three directions.
• After nearly an hour, Ryan’s army routed its enemy and began advancing toward the center of the battlefield.