Chapter Summaries

Count Carter resumed command of the Second Legion and reorganized its leadership after exposing Zapar’s failures. He appointed Turas overall commander on the Carn City front, leaving the Second Legion to cooperate with him in the campaign against the Northlands.

• Count Carter confirmed he would continue serving as Legion Commander, and Zapar struggled to respond when Turas questioned him.
• Carter appointed Cant as a second Legion Deputy Commander and asked Turas to serve as overall commander on the Carn City front.
• Carter rebuked Zapar for disrupting supplies and patrols, taking money for appointments, and leaving a gap that let Northern Frontier forces destroy Haiden City and devastate the legion’s logistical base.
• Carter allowed Zapar to keep his post but divided his authority and put Cant in charge of monitoring him.
• Carter said the Second Legion would support Turas in the Northlands campaign but warned him not to use it as a stepping stone, and Turas agreed to use it properly.

Turas and Count Carter reorganized the Second Legion, dividing its command among Cant, Zapar, and Beck while giving Turas influence over most of its regiments. Turas then appointed Karanga to command the Sixth Legion's Third Regiment and arranged Carn City's garrison to secure his control of both legions.

• Count Carter and Turas divided the Second Legion's command, with Cant and Zapar each commanding two regiments and Beck's Fifth Regiment remaining neutral.
• Turas protected Karanga from punishment for his betrayal, then offered him command of the Sixth Legion's vacant Third Regiment.
• Karanga accepted the appointment and pledged his service to Turas.
• Turas announced Karanga as the Third Regiment's Regimental Commander at a Sixth Legion meeting, and the officers accepted his decision.
• Turas rearranged the Second and Sixth Legions' defense zones in Carn City, giving him full command of the city's garrison.

A Northern Frontier Allied Army fleet reached the coast of Suffolk County for a planned landing, while Victor and Sodoma kept its movements concealed. After spotting the prepared landing site, Sodoma anchored the fleet overnight and planned to land the next morning.

• A fishing crew spotted the Northern Frontier Allied Army fleet, and Old Gouzi advised the skipper to head for shore rather than flee south.
• Sodoma decided not to pursue the fishing boat after it turned toward the coast, then reported to Victor that the fleet had reached Suffolk County.
• Victor ordered Sodoma to lead the fleet to the prepared landing site, and they agreed to rearrange the ships for landing.
• Sodoma told Blox that his squadron would lead the landing because it carried supplies, cavalry, and temporary dock components.
• The fleet arrived at the landing site that afternoon, and Sodoma ordered it to anchor and wait until morning to land.

Victor watched the fleet’s crew build a temporary dock and waited to go ashore with the main force. As Little Paru released the Desert God Eagles, Victor saw the young birds take flight and encouraged their keeper ahead of the war.

• Victor asked Captain Jack how long the temporary dock would take to build, and Jack said it should be finished by the next morning.
• Captain Jack told Victor that Fleet Commander Sodoma had sailed south with two fast ships to check the currents and nearby vessels.
• Little Paru released Gale, who flew around the ship, then guided the two younger Desert God Eagles out of their cages.
• Little Paru launched the young eagles from the mast, and both learned to fly alongside Gale.
• Victor praised Little Paru’s training and told him they would rely on him in the war.

Sodoma delivered Victor’s letter to a Great Oak Territory patrol fleet, and Victor’s forces began landing at Rotten Tree Beach. Victor reorganized the unloading and inspected the temporary camp as troops and supplies came ashore.

• Sodoma met a Great Oak Territory patrol fleet, handed its officer Victor’s letter for Viscount Sonanda and Count Black, and returned to Rotten Tree Beach.
• Victor ordered the fleet to speed up unloading, then reassigned infantry ships to use small boats when the pier proved too slow.
• Victor went ashore and arranged for a guard suffering from land sickness to receive treatment and porridge.
• Victor inspected the Temporary Camp and advised Piero to build watchtowers, secure the river, and place wells nearer the mountains.
• James’s Cavalry began landing as Victor left the camp.

Victor oversaw the Cavalry regiment’s orderly landing and spoke with James, who was managing the horses and troops. After giving James spiced red wine and advice, Victor left him to prepare for the next day’s scouting mission.

• The Cavalry regiment disembarked its warhorses, fed and calmed the stressed animals, and gathered them for settlement in camp.
• Victor waited until James had finished directing the landing, then teased him about working so hard.
• Victor gave James a flask of spiced red wine, and James accepted it after tasting it.
• Victor told James to keep his troops rested and scout the surrounding area the next day, with Lodan authorized to approve supplies.
• Victor reminded James to request cloaks because of the cold, and James headed back into camp.

Victor landed his army at Rotten Tree Beach and concealed its size by driving off Eastern nobles' ships that approached the fleet. Rumors exaggerated the landing as the First Legion advanced toward Suffolk County, leaving Foss uncertain about its intentions at Linshui Town.

• Victor inspected the completed temporary dock, ordered Sagras to finish the camp quickly, and learned Sagras planned to add another pier.
• Victor told Sodoma to keep distant ships under observation and destroy any that entered the warning perimeter; Sodoma's fast boats drove off or sank the scouts.
• Prisoners revealed the fleet's origins, and rumors of the Northern Frontier Allied Army landing spread across the Eastern Four Counties, growing to claims that Count Colt had brought two hundred thousand troops south.
• Count Colt joined Alex and Viscount Hawke at White Earth City on April 9, 1634, and their army camped north of Sextus County's seat while waiting for the Imperial Guard Legion.
• The First Legion changed course along the Blackwater River toward Suffolk County, and Foss sent Holmes to watch its fleet at Linshui Town before going to gather more troops.

Foss learned that Viscount Victor had returned and landed in Suffolk County, where the First Legion was heading. Unable to attack the fleet directly, Foss planned to strike the eastern enemy forces and delay their return to Suffolk County.

• Steward Boon delivered Foss a letter reporting that Viscount Victor had returned and begun landing at the designated point.
• Foss and Boon realized the First Legion had continued south to reach Suffolk County quickly.
• Boon suggested using their remaining ships to hinder the First Legion, but Foss refused because the vessels and their crews were too vulnerable.
• Foss proposed attacking part of the eastern Coalition of Nobles to tie down troops who might otherwise return to Suffolk County.
• Foss chose to attack the eight enemy battalions north of Perilla Territory rather than the four battalions near the Blackwater River.

Knight Yellen helped Foss exploit a gap in the Coalition of Nobles’ defenses, then used the resulting disorder as an opportunity to return to Sunset City. There, he met Viscount Sonanda and Steward Magnus, who prepared new troops for him as Count Black’s eastern campaign began.

• Knight Yellen received Count Black’s order to return to Sunset City and learned from Foss’s messenger that Golden Sunflower Territory planned to attack the northern Coalition of Nobles.
• Yellen moved a battalion away from the northern defensive line, allowing Foss to ambush and destroy two Coalition battalions before withdrawing to Golden Sunflower Territory.
• Yellen stirred tensions among the Coalition’s officers, then left Perilla Territory by ship under the pretext of seeking reinforcements.
• Count Black summoned eastern nobles to gather their private armies in Suffolk County, though nobles whose troops were besieging Golden Sunflower Territory could not withdraw them.
• Yellen returned to Sunset City, where Viscount Sonanda and Steward Magnus told him to take command of newly prepared troops and begin their plan.

Knight Yellen returned and visited Count Black, whose failing health had improved thanks to Life Grass. Count Black then ordered Yellen to report to his new unit and prepare to lead the troops alongside Sonanda in support of Victor.

• Yellen paused before leaving for the military camp because he had not yet paid his respects to Count Black.
• Magnus told Yellen that Count Black’s health had worsened, but Life Grass from the south had kept his condition from declining further.
• Magnus led Yellen to Count Black’s study, where he found the Count asleep at his desk and covered him with a cloak.
• Count Black woke, welcomed Yellen, and said the Life Grass had helped him survive the winter.
• Count Black told Yellen that Victor had reached the designated location and ordered him to join his new unit and prepare the troops for deployment with Sonanda.

Yellen took command of Great Oak Territory’s newly trained Cavalry Regiment after learning from Ron that it still needed combat experience. At Sunset City’s docks, First Legion commander Beck Five Point Maple confronted the harbor staff over delays, and Great Oak Territory soldiers arrived to challenge him.

• Yellen met Ron at the barracks and learned that Ron had trained the Cavalry Regiment in cavalry tactics.
• Ron advised Yellen to use cavalry to stretch enemy formations and strike weak points, then handed the unit over to him before leaving to join Victor’s main force.
• Beck Five Point Maple’s fleet waited offshore because Great Oak Territory’s docks were occupied by its departing fleet.
• Beck accused Great Oak Territory of delaying the Duchy’s mission and threatened to force his troops ashore.
• Penelopem grabbed the harbor tax officer, prompting the tax guards and Beck’s soldiers to draw weapons against each other.
• Soldiers in sharkskin armor surrounded the First Legion, and their leader challenged Beck over whether he intended to attack Great Oak Territory.

Viscount Sonanda prevented Beck’s First Legion from disembarking while Great Oak Territory’s warships departed to confront the Northern Alliance Army. Sonanda appeased Beck and defended Count Black’s response to the Grand Duke’s orders, leaving Beck to withdraw after demanding compensation.

• Beck recognized his old rival Viscount Sonanda and stopped his soldiers from attacking.
• Beck threatened Sonanda with the First Legion, but Sonanda saw that his sailors and dock soldiers could not match the legion in a fight.
• Sonanda explained that his fleet was leaving the harbor and promised wine and meat once Beck’s troops disembarked.
• Beck challenged Sonanda over the delay and accused Great Oak Territory of failing to attack the Northern Alliance Army.
• Sonanda said coastal forces needed time to coordinate, while Great Oak’s armies had already marched and Count Black had obeyed the Grand Duke’s orders.
• Beck demanded compensation and left with his men.

Sonanda and Elfie devised a scheme to feed Beck’s First Legion Blackfin Whale meat disguised as beef, hoping its unpleasant effects would strike after the troops had left Sunset City. Sonanda entrusted Elfie with preparing and delivering the meat, allowing him to use Sonanda’s name to gain Beck’s trust.

• Sonanda refused Elfie’s suggestion to retaliate against Beck directly because he did not want to endanger Great Oak Territory or delay the First Legion.
• Elfie reminded Sonanda of the frozen Blackfin Whale and proposed using its meat to exploit the First Legion’s ignorance of its effects.
• Sonanda recalled how eating too much whale meat had caused uncontrollable oil leakage and recognized the scheme’s potential.
• Elfie proposed mixing whale meat into beef so the First Legion would not suffer the effects until it neared the landing ground.
• Sonanda ordered Elfie to prepare and deliver the meat and gave him permission to use Sonanda’s name to earn Beck’s trust.

Elfie delivered beef, wine, and a private money gift from Viscount Sonanda to Legion Commander Beck as the First Legion settled into Sunset City's harbor. Beck accepted the bribe and heard that Sonanda wanted his help and hoped to repair their relationship.

• Elfie praised the First Legion while presenting its officers with gifts from the Great Oak Territory.
• Beck questioned whether Sonanda had authority to give away Count Black's valuable beef.
• Elfie privately handed Beck a pouch of money, calling it a belated promotion gift with accumulated interest.
• Beck dismissed his officers to put away the gifts and walked with Elfie to a secluded spot.
• Elfie told Beck that Sonanda apologized for his past arrogance and wanted to become friends again, while asking him for help.

Elfie explained that Sonanda wanted Beck’s help escaping the Great Oak Family’s political turmoil, offering to secure land for Beck’s family in return. Beck agreed to support Sonanda before the Grand Duke, and the two shared a meal at Beck’s camp.

• Beck questioned why Sonanda had sent Elfie with gifts instead of coming himself.
• Elfie described Count Black’s failing health, the Great Oak Territory’s internal disorder, and Sonanda’s wish to leave the family’s influence with Beck’s help.
• Elfie promised Sonanda would recommend Beck for territory taken from the Great Oak Family, tempting Beck with the prospect of making the Five Point Maple family true viscounts.
• Beck agreed to speak well of Sonanda before the Grand Duke if Sonanda helped fulfill his family’s long-held wish.
• Beck invited Elfie to dine at his camp, where Elfie and the First Legion officers eagerly ate the specially supplied beef.

Elfie reported that he had lured Beck into supporting Sonanda, and Sonanda rewarded him before the Coastal Defense Fleet joined with other nobles’ fleets and sailed north to blockade Sunset City. Merchant captains Old Hank and John discussed the approaching war and the army that had landed at Rotten Tree Beach.

• Elfie told Sonanda that Beck had accepted 500 gold coins and believed Sonanda would pay him another 2,000 after the war; Sonanda rewarded Elfie with 200 gold coins and ordered him back by seven the next morning.
• Beck counted the 300 gold coins he had received and planned to profit further from Sonanda after helping him.
• On April 15, the Coastal Defense Fleet joined the fleets of other coastal nobles, forming a force of more than a hundred warships and ten thousand troops before sailing north to blockade Sunset City.
• Old Hank told John that an army of at least tens of thousands had landed at Rotten Tree Beach, and John pointed north as he guessed who was behind it.

John considered moving his merchant guild out of Sunset City, but Old Hank persuaded him that the city would be defended and proposed a cloth-buying venture to profit from the war. At Rotten Tree Beach, Victor assessed the gathered noble forces and ordered James to attack the Blacklin camp.

• John planned to move his merchant guild to Blue Moon Bay, but Old Hank urged him to stay after revealing that the Northern Alliance landing force was camped at Rotten Tree Beach and the Duchy’s First Legion and noble armies were gathering in Sunset City.
• Old Hank persuaded John to invest with him in white and black cloth, which they planned to resell to a merchant caravan following the army.
• James reported to Victor that several noble houses had assembled nearby and that Viscount Blacklin’s cavalry had been driven back by the Ranger Cavalry and a battalion.
• Victor chose the Blacklin family as his first target because it no longer obeyed Count Black, and assigned Ron’s cavalry to James for the attack.

Old Buck and his sons were forced to fetch water as punishment by Scarface and his vice-captain, while Eagle Eye urged Old Buck to join the standing army. When a large cavalry force approached the river, Eagle Eye led everyone into the reeds to hide.

• Scarface and his vice-captain repeatedly tormented Old Buck and his sons after Old Buck defeated them in an arm-wrestling match and reclaimed the serfs' food.
• Old Buck and his sons went to the river at dawn to fetch water for their squad, and Eagle Eye again invited Old Buck to join his unit.
• The river surface trembled, and Eagle Eye spotted a large cavalry force approaching from the north.
• Eagle Eye ordered his soldiers, Old Buck, and the boys to hide in the river reeds instead of running back to camp.
• Eagle Eye warned a soldier that the cavalry would catch anyone who tried to flee on foot.

James's Cavalry captured Old Buck, his sons, and Eagle Eye's group after finding them hiding in the river, while Eagle Eye offered to reveal a weak point in the Blacklin camp wall to save his life. James's forces fully surrounded the camp, and Viscount Blacklin learned that no one could escape to summon reinforcements.

• Old Buck shielded his two sons in the river as James's Cavalry thundered past, but the riders spotted their buckets and searched the reeds.
• The Cavalry killed three soldiers who ambushed them, then Eagle Eye and his men surrendered; Old Buck and his sons followed.
• James questioned Old Buck and heard that the group were Serf Soldiers sent to fetch water, while his riders threatened to execute them.
• Eagle Eye offered to show James a weak section of the Blacklin camp wall in exchange for his life, and James ordered his riders to sheathe their swords.
• James's Cavalry surrounded the Blacklin family camp, and Viscount Blacklin learned that riders trying to leave for reinforcements were being shot down.

Lynn took command of the Blacklin camp’s defenses after Viscount Trik was stunned by the enemy’s encirclement. The defenders prepared for an attack in the west, but black-armored cavalry broke through from the north and struck their flank, leaving Lynn unconscious.

• Viscount Trik ordered the officers to prepare the camp for defense, and Lynn assigned troops to the walls, the viscount’s protection, and a western defensive line.
• Lynn refused Viscount Trik’s request to stay beside him and personally led the pikemen, warning the Captain of the Guard to protect the viscount.
• The archers and crossbowmen fired volleys at dust rising beyond the western wall, but their arrows hit nothing.
• A cry announced that the enemy had broken in from the north, and black-armored cavalry charged out of the dust toward the archers, crossbowmen, and pikemen.
• The cavalry struck Lynn and knocked him unconscious before he could understand how they had breached the walls.