Chapter Summaries

Richard questioned Princess Ruth about how she survived the meteor strike that destroyed White Stone City, and she explained that the Academy had moved most students to a new site before the disaster. The conversation left Richard with an answer about the survivors’ escape, while the fate of White Stone Tower itself remained unexplored.

• Richard questioned Princess Ruth about how she survived the meteor that struck White Stone City and destroyed the White Stone Tower Complex.
• Princess Ruth said White Stone Tower Academy had suspended classes and transferred students to its new site several days before the meteor fell.
• Princess Ruth explained that most students had reached the unfinished site near the edge of the city, allowing them to flee when the meteor struck.
• Princess Ruth said a few students were killed by meteor fragments.

Richard learned that the meteor’s energy wave targeted mana and severely injured or killed several teachers at the Academy New Site. Princess Ruth explained that Macbeth survived as an ordinary person after his magical source had been shattered, and she began describing the disaster’s aftermath.

• Richard asked Princess Ruth whether Gelo, Nancy, and other people he knew had survived, but she did not know their fates.
• Princess Ruth said a mana-targeting wave from the meteor had severely injured or killed several teachers at the Academy New Site.
• Princess Ruth said Macbeth was the only teacher who seemed unaffected, prompting Richard to question how he could be alive after his funeral.
• Richard deduced that Wizard Macbeth had been treated as dead after losing his magical powers, while Ordinary Person Macbeth had survived and retired at the Academy New Site.
• Princess Ruth confirmed Richard’s explanation and said nearly half the teachers died in the disaster, while Macbeth survived with a shattered magical source and could no longer cast spells.

Princess Ruth explained White Stone Tower’s destruction to Richard, then described the Black Saint Mountain Kingdom’s strategy in its war against the Rob Kingdom. She claimed the kingdom had deliberately accepted early losses and expected its wealth to secure victory as the Rob Kingdom weakened.

• Princess Ruth recounted how Macbeth led surviving students to rescue people after the meteor strike, before the remaining White Stone Tower Wizards declared the Tower dissolved and dismissed them.
• Richard reflected on the fate of Gelo, Nancy, Macbeth, Alex, and the others, then Princess Ruth asked him to do her a favor in return for answering his questions.
• Richard refused to agree without knowing what the favor involved, and Princess Ruth began to ask for his help securing the Black Saint Mountain Kingdom’s victory.
• Richard assumed she meant the ongoing war, but Princess Ruth said her kingdom was winning and claimed its defeats had been deliberate.
• Princess Ruth said the Rob Kingdom had seized disputed land and launched an unexpected attack, while the Black Saint Mountain Kingdom planned to use its money to rebuild its forces and outlast the enemy.

Princess Ruth asked Richard to represent the Black Saint Mountain Kingdom in a Wizard Apprentice contest against the Rob Kingdom. Richard agreed in exchange for access to the kingdom’s libraries, hoping to uncover more about the Black Spirit King’s secret.

• Ruth explained that the Rob Kingdom’s delegation would bring a powerful Level 3 Wizard Apprentice to Williams City and challenge the Black Saint Mountain Kingdom.
• Ruth admitted she feared losing to the apprentice and asked Richard to take her place in the contest.
• Richard considered leaving for Moore but realized the Black Saint Mountain Kingdom’s history and libraries could help him investigate the Black Spirit King’s secret.
• Richard agreed to compete for Ruth on the condition that he could read any books in the kingdom’s libraries, including the king’s private library.
• Ruth accepted Richard’s condition, and they agreed to cooperate.

At a diplomatic meeting in Williams City, Winston and Fei Er traded insults before agreeing to a contest between young Wizard Apprentices from the Black Saint Mountain Kingdom and the Rob Kingdom. The Rob Kingdom sent Kai Li, and the chapter ended with Winston sneezing on Fei Er as he pressed for the Black Saint Mountain Kingdom to name its competitor.

• Winston and Fei Er exchanged barbed jokes while representatives of both kingdoms watched a staged fight.
• Fei Er proposed a Wizard contest as a show of sincerity and a way for the kingdoms to understand each other.
• Winston ordered the Wooden Stage cleared for the contest.
• Fei Er sent Kai Li, a proud Level 3 Wizard Apprentice from a once-noble family, into the arena.
• Fei Er questioned whether princess Ruth should compete and mocked the Black Saint Mountain Kingdom's military and Wizard strength.
• Winston sneezed saliva onto Fei Er, then apologized and offered to wipe his face.

Richard disguised himself with makeup before entering the arena to face Kai Li in the exchange match. After hearing Princess Ruth’s demands for a decisive but seemingly accidental victory, he met the arrogant opponent on the Wooden Stage.

• Winston evaded Fei Er’s questions about who would compete for the Black Saint Mountain Kingdom.
• Richard explained his disguise to Princess Ruth, who asked him to defeat Kai Li while satisfying a long list of conditions.
• Richard agreed to Princess Ruth’s demands in exchange for access to books.
• Richard entered the arena and found Kai Li waiting on the Wooden Stage.
• Kai Li boasted that he had killed thirteen people and threatened to make Richard his fourteenth victim.

Richard defeated Kai Li when Kai Li’s fire spell activated the Spell Salt Richard had secretly gathered around him, leaving Kai Li severely burned and the stage partly destroyed. Fei Er withdrew the Rob delegation, while Winston threatened them and wondered whether Richard’s apparent accident had been deliberate.

• Kai Li taunted Richard and offered to let him strike first, but Richard merely rubbed his fingers and said his move was done.
• Kai Li attacked with a Fireball Spell, which triggered Richard’s Spell Salt and caused a powerful explosion that badly injured Kai Li.
• Richard remained unharmed as the crowd saw Kai Li lying burned on the wrecked stage.
• Fei Er questioned Winston about the explosion, then led the Rob delegation out of the arena after Winston mocked him and warned of the kingdom’s military strength.
• Winston dropped his smile after Fei Er left and wondered whether Richard’s victory had truly been an accident and whether White Stone Tower’s people were all so formidable.

After Richard defeated Kai Li, Princess Ruth tried to reward him with food and drink instead of the promised library key, then admitted that her father had refused permission to enter his private library. Ruth left determined to obtain the key, even if she had to steal it.

• Richard realized the match was over and met Princess Ruth, who asked how he had caused the explosion on the Wooden Stage.
• Richard reminded Ruth that he had met all her conditions and asked for the reward of access to her father’s special library.
• Ruth returned nearly two hours later with food and fruit wine but no key, then confessed that her father had refused to give it to her.
• Richard argued that access to the private library was part of the reward he had earned.
• Ruth promised to get the key, even if she had to steal it, and left Richard waiting.

Richard waited for Princess Ruth to return with the key to the king’s private library, then accompanied her into the Imperial Palace. They entered the hidden library, where Richard began inspecting its crystal-lit interior.

• Richard waited through the day while Princess Ruth was away obtaining the key.
• Princess Ruth returned with the brass key and explained that Richard could enter the library only under her supervision and for one night.
• Richard agreed to the conditions and followed Princess Ruth to the Imperial Palace.
• Princess Ruth unlocked a hidden door in a wall, and she and Richard entered the private library.
• Richard saw that Sunstone Crystals embedded in the walls illuminated the library.

Richard searched a private library for information about the Black Spirit Empire and the Black Spirit King's Secret while Princess Ruth grew bored and picked up a hidden improper novel. Ruth was torn between putting it away and continuing to read when Richard's footsteps approached.

• Richard surveyed the wealthy private library and began searching its books for information about the Black Spirit Empire and the Black Spirit King's Secret.
• Princess Ruth inspected a row of lifelike metal statues, then grew bored while watching Richard.
• Ruth tried several books before finding a colorful novel and realizing it was an improper story.
• Ruth noticed realistic paintings in the novel and struggled with whether to keep reading or put it back.
• Richard approached as Ruth still held the book, and his footsteps sounded loud to her.

Richard searched the library for information about the Black Spirit King’s Secret and discovered an ancient book bearing the Black Spirit Empire’s emblem. When a mysterious administrator from the Sacred Mountain ordered him to leave the book sealed, Richard opened it anyway and prepared to fight.

• Princess Ruth secretly read a book about Elizabeth Jona and her lovers until she fell asleep beside the bookshelf.
• Richard searched through the library but found no mention of the Black Spirit King’s Secret.
• Richard found an ancient, metal-cased book marked with the Black Spirit Empire’s emblem.
• A Yellow-Clothed Old Man appeared and identified himself as the Sacred Mountain’s library administrator.
• The old man warned Richard to leave the forbidden book alone, but Richard opened the next page and prepared for battle.

Richard discovered that every metal-covered book was blank, and the old man warned him against challenging powers beyond his limits. After Richard amputated his poisoned leg to survive a spider bite, the old man revealed the venom would have faded on its own, then a black bee stung Richard and its poison rapidly began rotting his body.

• Richard found that all the books with metal covers were blank.
• The old man berated Richard for his arrogance and warned that he was only a mortal.
• A Seven-Colored Spider bit Richard, and he cut off his calf to stop its venom from spreading.
• The old man revealed that the spider's venom was not fatal and criticized Richard for not asking for help.
• A black bee stung Richard's neck, and its poison caused his body to rapidly rot.

Richard saw through the old man’s illusion by noticing that the library produced no echoes, despite its size. Once he recognized the deception, he shed the illusion’s injuries and faced the frightened old man.

• The old man told Richard that his curiosity had brought him to a poisoned, mutilated death and offered to heal him if he promised to behave.
• Richard suspected that his surroundings and injuries were an illusion and tested the old man’s claim by asking him to move across the library.
• Richard explained that the library should produce an echo, but none sounded because the illusion had fabricated the world and its noises.
• Richard tore away the illusion of his rotting skin and reattached his severed lower leg, returning to normal.
• The old man saw that Richard had regained control and stepped backward in fear.

Richard escaped an illusion in the royal library, read all the books on a golden bookshelf overnight, and woke Princess Ruth at dawn so she could honor their agreement. The chapter ended with Ruth realizing she could not find her book.

• Richard rejected the old man's warning, took control of the illusion, and made venomous creatures devour the old man.
• Richard shattered the illusion and returned to reality, finding himself unharmed in the library with Princess Ruth asleep nearby.
• Richard challenged the invisible old man to appear in reality, then read every book on the golden bookshelf through the night.
• At dawn, Richard woke Princess Ruth and reminded her that she had agreed to take him out of the library.
• Princess Ruth sprang up and anxiously searched for her missing book.

Richard left the Black Saint Mountain Kingdom after finding what he sought in the royal library, but he remained puzzled about the origin of the kingdom’s name. Princess Ruth was relieved that he had gone and planned to retrieve the book she had been reading in secret.

• Richard and princess Ruth left the library, and Richard remarked that the statues seemed different from the day before.
• Richard told princess Ruth he had found what he wanted and planned to leave the kingdom, then asked why it was called the Black Saint Mountain Kingdom.
• Princess Ruth said she knew of no Black Holy Mountain or other source for the kingdom’s name and explained that the country had always been called that.
• Princess Ruth enthusiastically escorted Richard out of the palace and watched him leave.
• After Richard disappeared, princess Ruth decided to sneak the book out of the library and read it in her palace bedroom.

In the King's private library, the Yellow-Clothed Old Man and the portraits discussed Richard's escape from Manhattan's illusion and debated how to handle him. They assigned Joker to investigate Richard and left Administrator Manhattan in the library.

• The Yellow-Clothed Old Man appeared in the King's private library and demanded that the portraits discuss what had happened with Manhattan.
• The portraits concluded that Richard was unusually powerful after he detected the illusion's flaw through Third Wave and seized control of it.
• The portraits debated whether Richard was an enemy, and Joker volunteered to handle the matter and test him.
• Princess Ruth entered the library to retrieve a book, unaware that the portraits were watching.
• The last portrait confirmed Joker's assignment and said Administrator Manhattan would remain in the library until someone came to relieve him.

Richard rode north after studying the Black Spirit Empire’s history and tried to understand why its peaceful society had become militarized and collapsed. He stopped when he sensed something strange about a white raven watching him by the roadside.

• Richard reflected on records describing the Black Spirit Empire’s earlier period as prosperous, harmonious, and politically advanced.
• Richard compared the Empire’s early society with its later shift toward conscription, powerful spells, and secret-police organizations.
• Richard concluded that an unknown internal threat had transformed and destroyed the Empire, and hoped Moore might know more.
• Richard halted his horse after sensing something was wrong and noticed a white raven staring at him with an oddly human gaze.

Richard crossed a damaged bridge, passed through dangerous Giant Hogweed, and fought off a pack of Azure Wolves. Convinced that someone was deliberately obstructing his journey, he pressed onward to discover the mastermind’s purpose.

• Richard covered his horse’s eyes and used a spell to fill the gap in a damaged bridge as the horse leaped across it.
• A woodcutter warned Richard that Demon Trees ahead had burned his hand, but Richard identified them as Giant Hogweed and rode through them using magic.
• Richard ignored a warning sign about wolf packs and killed or drove off the Azure Wolves that surrounded him.
• Richard concluded that a hidden mastermind had arranged the bridge, plants, and wolves to delay him, then continued onward to confront whatever awaited him.

Richard reached a village and agreed to stay for the night after a mysterious circus Joker invited him to watch a performance. As the circus show began, Richard continued investigating the unseen mastermind, and two children approached him asking for magic tricks.

• Richard spotted a White Raven watching him near the village, then entered the village as it flew away.
• The Joker introduced Richard to the circus performers, including Oliver, Tyne, Mackey, Amy, and the caged lion Kuba, and invited him to stay.
• Richard noticed the White Raven land on Kuba's cage and agreed to watch the circus performance.
• The Joker performed for the villagers while Richard watched and wondered whether the Joker was connected to the mastermind.
• A little boy asked Richard to perform magic because he had a horse, but Richard said he was not part of the circus.

Richard watched Barry and the other children rescue Stas after Richard set his pants on fire, then spoke with Joker about whether people could find happiness by abandoning their pursuits. Richard began answering Joker’s philosophical question by bringing up Diogenes and the Cynic school.

• Stas taunted Barry and his friends until a flame appeared on Stas’s pants, set alight by Richard.
• Barry and Stas’s followers extinguished the fire with their water guns, and a sobbing Stas ran away as Barry called after him.
• Joker appeared beside Richard and said he envied the children’s carefree happiness.
• Joker asked whether people should give up their struggles when they pursued the wrong things and found no happiness.
• Richard asked if Joker wanted a philosophical discussion, then introduced Diogenes as a Cynic philosopher.