Chapter Summaries

Markut received a secret letter from his allies while confined in the castle, then escaped with their help during a warehouse fire. He set out to find the Two Rivers Territory army and learn what was happening before the conflict became uncontrollable.

• A servant smuggled a letter to Markut inside his dinner, and Markut read it and burned it.
• Pudas told Lorak how Viscount Perez had treated his enemies and serfs cruelly, while they affirmed their loyalty to Markut.
• Cohen and his allies started a warehouse fire and brought anesthetic-coated crossbows to rescue Markut.
• Lorak, Pudas, and the others incapacitated the two guards outside Markut's study and entered to free him.
• Markut agreed to escape and said he needed to find the Two Rivers Territory army before the sides began fighting in earnest.

Macut escaped house arrest with the help of his loyal subordinates and headed for the southern route to join Two Rivers Territory's army. Meanwhile, Captain Alman led a night raid toward the enemy camp, determined to prove Black Pine Territory's army could defeat Two Rivers Territory; Shang Ye learned that the attackers had arrived.

• Macut and his rescuers left the castle through a side gate and rode toward the southern route, which would be unguarded after midnight.
• Alman gathered four platoons in the Black Forest and learned from a scout that the enemy camp near the docks was lightly watched.
• Alman recalled his conflicts with Macut over army recruitment and equipment, then resolved to demonstrate Black Pine Territory's strength with a night raid.
• Alman signaled his troops to move, and the platoons split into groups and disappeared into the forest.
• A soldier told Shang Ye that the enemy had come.

Shang Ye prepared his detachment to defend against Black Pine Territory’s Night Owl Platoon, relying on new Repeating Crossbows and Makarov’s mirror warning system. Before dawn, Shang Ye watched the reflected lights in the forest, ready to observe the enemy’s approach.

• Shang Ye climbed a watchtower overlooking the Black Forest and confirmed that his preparations had gone unnoticed.
• Shang Ye recalled how Makarov had equipped his detachment with lightweight half armor and introduced the rapid-firing Repeating Crossbow.
• Makarov explained that the Repeating Crossbow had limited range and power but could fire up to thirty bolts rapidly and withstand hundreds of consecutive shots.
• Shang Ye accepted all fifty Repeating Crossbows Makarov had brought and arranged for his crossbowmen to learn how to use them.
• Makarov warned Shang Ye about the Night Owl Platoon and set up mirrors in the forest to reflect warning signals toward the camp.
• Shang Ye observed the reflected lights from the watchtower as he waited for the Black Pine Territory soldiers.

Shang Ye withdrew Two Rivers Territory’s hidden sentries and increased the camp’s visible defenses to confuse Black Pine Territory’s approaching force. Arman learned of the changes, suspected a trap, and continued scouting toward the camp as his troops advanced cautiously.

• Shang Ye ordered all hidden sentries recalled, saying the coming battle did not warrant needless losses.
• Black Pine Territory’s scouts found the sentry posts abandoned, and one returned to report the change to Arman.
• Arman chose to continue the night operation, ordering his squads to slow down and organize while he scouted ahead.
• A Night Owl reported that Two Rivers Territory had more guards on the watchtower and more frequent patrols, prompting Arman to investigate.
• Shang Ye told Mammon that the increased patrols, watchtower presence, and brighter fires were meant to give the enemy an excuse to attack.

Arman led a night raid on Santos's camp, but the attackers were caught in an ambush and routed by a relentless barrage of arrows. Arman fled into the Black Forest, while the Night Owls stayed behind to help restore order among the retreating troops.

• Arman studied the camp's defenses and ordered his infantry to enter, cause chaos, set fires, and withdraw after five minutes; the Night Owls refused to join the attack but offered to receive his troops in the forest.
• Arman showed his squad leaders gaps in the patrol routes, and the Black Forest infantry advanced toward the camp under cover of darkness.
• Flames erupted along the camp's edge, revealing the trap, and Arman ordered his soldiers to retreat.
• Soldiers inside the camp fired a dense, seemingly endless barrage of arrows from handcarts, cutting down the Black Pine troops and sending the survivors into a disastrous flight.
• Arman fled to report to Viscount Perez and blamed a suspected leak of intelligence, while the Night Owl leader chose to help the routed troops regroup.

Shang Ye’s troops routed a Black Pine Territory night raid with repeating crossbows and captured more than a hundred soldiers. The Night Owl leader judged the Two Rivers Territory army formidable and feared the coming battle.

• Shang Ye ordered his soldiers to pursue the routed attackers, capture prisoners, and stop at the Black Forest’s edge.
• Two Rivers Territory soldiers captured more than a hundred Black Pine Territory soldiers, while five who entered the forest disappeared.
• Santos and Makarov arrived, and Shang Ye reported the victory and minimal casualties.
• The Night Owl leader regrouped the survivors, sent some back to the territory, and ordered the rest to continue scouting.
• The Night Owl leader warned that the enemy’s discipline and limited deployment made the coming battle difficult.

Shang Ye, Santos, and Makarov assessed the Repeating Crossbows’ success in repelling a night raid as the Two Rivers Territory army prepared to advance into Black Pine Territory. Meanwhile, Lord Macut fled the fighting, Arman returned to Viscount Perez with a distorted account, and Victor traveled toward Golden Sunflower Territory while Alex continued north.

• Shang Ye, Santos, and Makarov examined the battlefield and concluded that the Repeating Crossbows had inflicted heavy losses because the enemy wore leather armor, the camp’s slope favored the weapons, and the enemy officers fell in the first volley.
• Santos ordered Shang Ye to record the battle for the Military Academy and planned to advance through the Black Forest, while Makarov stayed behind to prepare poisoned arrows.
• A Night Owl spotted the Two Rivers Territory army leaving camp by wagon and horse and hurried into the forest to report its movement.
• Lord Macut met defeated soldiers on the southern route, learned that the night raid had failed, and grew more determined to avoid fighting Two Rivers Territory.
• Arman reported the defeat to Viscount Perez while blaming Lord Macut’s subordinates; Perez stripped Arman of command and sent him to arrest them, then planned layered defenses with Raman.
• Victor watched the peaceful harvest along the Blackwater River as he traveled toward Golden Sunflower Territory, while Alex prepared to continue north with Baron Rossi and the secret agreement.

Markut arrived at Santos's camp and offered to help Two Rivers Territory defeat the rebels controlling Black Pine Territory. Santos accepted his aid and sent Mars's Light Cavalry with Markut through a checkpoint to disrupt the enemy's supply lines, while Santos hurried to engage the main Black Pine army.

• Markut's group was surrounded by Two Rivers Territory Ranger Cavalry, and he identified himself and asked to speak with the commander.
• Santos met Markut, gave him Victor's letter urging him to support Count Colt, and discussed Black Pine Territory's refusal to cooperate.
• Markut revealed that Raman and Alman had defied him and imprisoned his sick father, Viscount Perez, and asked Santos to rescue him.
• Markut offered to lead troops through the Black Forest checkpoint to cut off the rebels' supplies, and Santos agreed to send Mars's Light Cavalry with him.
• Loras questioned whether Markut could be trusted, but Santos said his forces could defeat Black Pine Territory and rode back to hurry toward the enemy army.

Viscount Perez learned that his advance force had been crushed and struggled to steady his troops as Santos reached Green Shade Pass and prepared a siege. In Black Pine Territory, Arman’s attempt to arrest Markut’s supporters triggered a standoff that ended with his reinforced soldiers routing them.

• Viscount Perez learned that news of the defeat had spread among his troops, then ordered the Night Owl to bring their leader back to Green Shade Pass.
• Viscount Perez sent Knight Raman to hasten the army’s march toward Green Shade Pass.
• Santos’s army arrived at Green Shade Pass, and Santos ordered a siege using the engineering companies’ siege engines.
• Arman tried to arrest Markut’s subordinates near the castle, prompting them to gather more than two hundred supporters and confront him.
• Arman summoned the castle guards for reinforcements, then attacked and routed Markut’s assembled supporters.

Markut and the Two Rivers Territory forces crushed Arman's troops, seized Black Pine Territory Castle, and prepared to attack Green Shade Pass from the rear. At the pass, Viscount Perez waited for reinforcements, unaware that Markut had already captured the Night Owl leader and was heading toward him.

• Arman ordered his scattered soldiers to pursue the rebels, but Mars and Markut's Light Cavalry arrived and wiped out the Black Pine Territory infantry.
• Markut ordered Cohen to kill the captured Arman, then took Black Pine Territory Castle and began arresting his enemies and conscripting troops.
• Markut recruited seven hundred men, put Cohen, Pudas, and Lorak in command, and marched with Cohen's detachment and Mars's forces toward Green Shade Pass.
• Markut used the Night Owl leader's captured family to force him to help open the pass gates from the rear.
• At Green Shade Pass, Viscount Perez heard from Raman that their arrow supplies were nearly gone and expected Night Owl to return with reinforcements.
• Alarm bells rang again, and Perez and Raman climbed the wall to prepare for another attack.

Macut Blackpine seized Green Shade Pass with help from Mars’s disguised cavalry and forced Viscount Perez to surrender. Macut took the Black Pine seal and ordered the soldiers to lay down their weapons, leaving him in control of the territory.

• After Black Pine reinforcements arrived at Green Shade Pass, Raman discovered that Macut had led them instead of Arman.
• Macut’s troops surrounded the gate guards and captured Raman, then took control of the rear gate.
• Macut split his forces with Mars, sending Mars to open the main gates while he led soldiers to confront Viscount Perez on the walls.
• When the main gates opened and Santos’s troops advanced, Viscount Perez gave Macut the Black Pine seal and yielded his title.
• Macut promised not to harm the soldiers or their families, and most of them surrendered as his forces took control of the pass.

After Santos secured Green Shade Pass, he arranged a garrison and military training for Markut’s forces while offering weapons and supplies from Two Rivers Territory on favorable terms. Markut accepted the trade offers and pledged that the Black Pine Family would remain a steadfast ally of the Golden Sunflower Family.

• Santos led Two Rivers Territory troops into Green Shade Pass and held the pass without advancing further into Black Pine Territory.
• Markut asked Santos to assign officers to train his newly recruited army, and Santos agreed to leave a detachment as a garrison.
• Santos gave Markut the equipment of two detachments and offered standardized weapons and armor at cost.
• Santos told Markut he could pay for weapons and other supplies with Black Pine Territory timber.
• Markut reviewed the catalogs, welcomed the favorable prices, and vowed that the Black Pine Family would be the Golden Sunflower Family’s steadfast ally.

Markut agreed to integrate Black Pine Territory’s troops and resources with Two Rivers Territory while retaining local forces and accepting a garrison. Santos departed with soldiers and the former lord’s household, as Alex prepared to return to Iron Mountain Fortress and warned Victor about the Silver Maple Ducal House’s spies and assassins.

• Markut accepted the terms for Two Rivers Territory’s garrison, which would be stationed at the docks and Green Shade Pass, and agreed to provide two thousand troops for the Northern Alliance Army.
• Markut arranged for one thousand soldiers to return south with Santos and planned to train the remaining troops over winter for dispatch in spring.
• On September 23, Santos left Black Pine Territory by ship with Markut’s selected soldiers, the old Viscount Perez, Knight Raman, and their families, leaving Shang Ye’s detachment and two companies from Mars’s Cavalry behind as the garrison.
• Markut watched the fleet depart and returned to address Black Pine Territory’s affairs.
• At Linshui Town, Victor gave Alex letters for Veronica, his father, and the count as Alex prepared to leave with the Iron Birch Family’s oceangoing fleet.
• Alex warned Victor that the Silver Maple Ducal House might trace events to him and urged him to return to the Northlands after handling his territory’s affairs.

After returning to Stone Castle, Victor secured nearly forty thousand tons of wheat for Golden Sunflower Territory and discussed the territory's defenses with Steward Boon. He ordered new forts built along the borders of Golden Sunflower Territory and Green Oak Ridge, where Alex had entrusted him with the territory and its border battalion.

• Victor returned to Stone Castle after helping Alex transfer the Northern Frontier Chamber of Commerce's personnel and supplies at Green Oak Ridge, and he exchanged most of the goods for nearly forty thousand tons of wheat.
• Victor told Steward Boon that Old Baron Wembley had sailed toward Two Rivers Territory with Victor's siblings and might be delayed while meeting Count Colt at Iron Mountain Fortress.
• Steward Boon explained that the territory's grain consumption had risen after Old Baron Wembley bought many male slaves, and Victor told him to grind the wheat into flour and feed the serfs well.
• Boon reported that the two southern and western fortresses had been completed in June and that Regiment Commander Foss had stationed troops there.
• Victor explained that Grand Duke Mora might attack territories aligned with the Northlands and told Boon to mobilize serfs after the autumn harvest to build additional forts along the borders of Golden Sunflower Territory and Green Oak Ridge.

Victor visited Number One Bastion to review recruitment and gave Foss command of the defense forces for Golden Sunflower Territory and Green Oak Territory. He outlined a new plan to form a five-battalion Garrison Regiment under Foss, with Holmes as deputy, while sending two battalions to Ron.

• Victor visited Number One Bastion and explained to his guards that Foss's strict discipline was why he trusted him with the territory's defense.
• Foss reported that he had completed recruiting 1,500 men, including two battalions for the garrison and 300 replacements for Ron's regiment.
• Victor told Foss that Alex had entrusted Green Oak Territory to him and appointed Foss to command the combined defense forces of both territories.
• Victor ordered Foss to expand recruitment to around 2,000 men and planned to form a five-battalion Garrison Regiment with Holmes as deputy commander after two battalions joined Ron.
• Foss accepted the appointment and swore to complete the recruitment and training and defend the territories.

Two messengers from Great Oak Territory delivered Count Black’s warning that a Noble Council would convene on October 5 and might target the Northern Frontier nobles. Victor decided not to attend and planned to visit Count Black in Sunset City, inviting the messengers to travel back with him.

• Lessot received two messengers from Great Oak Territory and directed them to Victor after learning Old Baron Wembley had left for the Northlands.
• Foss brought the messengers to Number One Fortress, where Victor was observing recruit training.
• Victor received and read Count Black’s letter warning that the Noble Council could be hostile toward the Three Counties of the Northern Frontier.
• Victor concluded he should avoid the council and decided to visit Count Black in Sunset City.
• Victor invited the messengers to stay in his territory and return to Great Oak Territory with him.

Grand Duke Mora learned that Colt's forces had attacked Raine Kingdom's messengers and taken Haiden City, then raged at his officials before agreeing to delay a northern campaign until the Noble Council and military preparations. He ordered the Golden Sunflower family's lands in Boler County to be offered as a reward for loyal eastern nobles who would attack them.

• Victor sent Foss to continue expanding the army and deliver a letter to Holmes at Green Oak Ridge, then returned to Stone Castle to prepare for Suffolk County.
• Silver Maple's internal guards reported to Mora that Alex Iron Birch had masterminded the attack on the Raine Kingdom's messengers and that Victor Golden Sunflower had taken part.
• Mora destroyed his chair in anger, then questioned Count Lagos about the failures at Haiden City; Lagos and Viscount Borey blamed Colt's planning and defended the duchy's response.
• Mora wanted Borey to march north, but Lagos and Borey persuaded him to wait until the Noble Council, recruitment, and training were complete.
• After learning of the Golden Sunflower family's history, Mora decided to target its Boler County lands, and Lagos persuaded him to let loyal eastern nobles seize them as a reward.

Grand Duke Mora approved Viscount Borey’s plan to send the Fifth Legion against the Golden Sunflower and Iron Birch territories, while Victor prepared to expand wheat cultivation in his own territory. Victor then left Steward Boon in charge and set out for Suffolk County.

• Viscount Borey persuaded Mora to deploy more than ten thousand Fifth Legion troops against the Golden Sunflower and Iron Birch territories and to restrain the local nobles of Boler County.
• Mora approved sending the troops after the Noble Council ended, and Borey hoped his son Rasul would earn merit in the campaign.
• Victor asked Linde to calculate the territory’s wheat farmland, then ordered him to expand winter wheat planting as much as possible.
• Boon assured Victor that construction and staffing would not interfere with planting, and Victor estimated the wheat harvest would cover military needs and help repay Alex’s debt.
• Victor left Boon in charge of the territory for five days and departed for Suffolk County.

Victor traveled to Sunset City to ask Count Black about the Noble Council, but first met the count’s grandson, Brando Great Oak. After lunch, Count Black asked Victor to become Brando’s guardian and teacher, leaving Victor to consider the unexpected request.

• Victor arrived in Sunset City disguised as a merchant, ordered a large shipment of lacquer from the Gorn Trading Company, and followed Count Black’s steward to the count’s manor.
• Count Black introduced Victor to his shy eight-year-old grandson, Brando Great Oak, and the three shared lunch.
• Victor entertained Brando with stories from his travels, and Brando grew comfortable with him before being led away to rest.
• Count Black thanked Victor for making Brando happy and asked him to become the boy’s guardian and teacher.
• Victor objected that he had no ties to the Great Oak Family, but Count Black insisted that this made him the right person.

Victor agreed to become Brando’s teacher, and Count Black revealed that the Grand Duke planned to expose Count Colt’s rebellion and raise funds to suppress it. Count Black chose to keep cooperating with Count Colt and proposed making Victor commander of a force against the Duchy’s eastern loyalists so Victor could earn the status needed to become Brando’s guardian.

• Victor agreed to teach Brando, though Count Black urged him to consider guardianship carefully.
• Count Black told Victor that the Grand Duke had evidence of Count Colt’s rebellion and planned to raise special military funds at the Noble Council meeting.
• Count Black revealed orders from Silver Maple City to restrain nobles near Victor while the Grand Duke sent forces against Golden Sunflower and Great Oak territories.
• Count Black showed Victor letters from the Grand Duke and Count Colt, then explained that he intended to continue cooperating with Count Colt.
• Count Black proposed that Victor command a Northern Alliance force against the Duchy’s Direct Legion and loyalist nobles in the Eastern Four Counties, with the aim of earning a promotion that would qualify him as Brando’s guardian.