Chapter Summaries

Victor ordered the Railway Bureau and military units to rapidly prepare troop and supply trains, while James's outnumbered forces assembled near Redrock Iron Mine. The chapter ended as a messenger arrived with urgent military intelligence.

• Victor instructed Bob to coordinate military trains and ordered units to assemble at the stations, with Luoza's logistics auxiliaries ready to support them.
• James inspected his troops near Redrock Iron Mine and questioned Sulke about the poorly prepared militia recruits.
• Sulke warned James that their force lacked enough experienced soldiers and defensible ground to withstand a Barbarian attack.
• James said he trusted Victor to come to their aid and insisted they hold the position to protect Two Rivers County and his territory.
• A messenger rode up to James and shouted that he had urgent military intelligence.

James received Viscount Brown's and Viscount Markut's reinforcements at Redrock Iron Mine, where they prepared to face a far larger Barbarian force. The viscounts had brought all their troops, but help from Woodfort City remained uncertain and the mine still lacked fortifications.

• A messenger told James that Viscount Brown's and Viscount Markut's troops had arrived, lifting the soldiers' spirits.
• James rode out and welcomed the two viscounts, who had brought more than five thousand soldiers from their territories.
• James explained the threat of at least a hundred thousand Barbarians, and the viscounts recognized how badly outnumbered they were.
• James said Woodfort City had promised reinforcements, but the mine had no telegraph connection to learn their status.
• Viscount Brown offered to lead the cavalry to distract the Barbarians while the others finished building fortifications.

James and the other viscounts prepared the Temporary Camp for a possible Barbarian attack, but Konedia revealed that the Barbarians were refugees fleeing pursuers. The chapter ended with James riding out to meet a delegation of Barbarian envoys.

• James had Markut's and Brown's troops rest, ordered the miners to help build defenses, and patrolled the camp perimeter with his cavalry.
• Anpeimu returned with the rangers and explained that he had withdrawn them on Konedia's advice to avoid alarming the Barbarians.
• Konedia told James, Brown, and Markut that the Barbarian settlement was fleeing pursuers and that more Barbarian forces were holding them off behind it.
• The three viscounts agreed to trust the intelligence cautiously, strengthen their defenses, and take turns standing watch.
• At one in the morning, Konedia reported that a delegation of Barbarian envoys was approaching to speak with them.
• James left the camp with Konedia and a small cavalry unit to meet the envoys while Markut and Brown stayed behind to guard the camp.

James and Konedia met envoys from thirteen Barbarian tribes who sought allegiance with the Raine Kingdom. James brought their representatives to camp and arranged to report the offer to Duke Alex through Victor, leaving both forces on alert.

• James and Konedia met two unarmed Barbarian riders, who asked whether they served Duke Alex Iron Birch.
• Dane, acting chieftain of the Blood Scorpion Tribe, and Iron Stone, brother of the Iron Hoof Tribe's chieftain, said thirteen tribes wanted to pledge themselves to the Raine Kingdom.
• James told the envoys he could not accept their offer himself and brought them back to the Temporary Camp.
• James introduced Dane and Iron Stone to Brown and Markut, then decided to send a messenger to Rose Town to report the matter to Victor.
• James, Konedia, and the others reassured the envoys while keeping their troops alert and watching the Barbarian camp.

Victor received intelligence that thirteen Barbarian Tribes had submitted to the nobles of the Vela Three Provinces, leaving Alex to decide how to handle the more than a hundred thousand herders and twenty thousand warriors. He sent the report toward Alex, ordered further covert intelligence gathering, and departed with reinforcements for the Northwestern Frontier.

• Veronica urged Victor to stay safe before he left the Lord's Mansion to join the troops heading for the station.
• Orlando gave Victor a cipher-authenticated report from James, Brown, and Markut describing the Barbarian Tribes' submission.
• Victor ordered Orlando to deliver the intelligence to Alex in Iron Tree City by three routes within two days and to keep investigating the grasslands.
• Victor authorized three thousand gold for intelligence work and told Orlando to use the Horseshoe Tribe and Horse Mane Tribe caravans to gather information.
• Victor briefed Santos, Luoza, and the other officers, then led the follow-up force west by train and packhorse convoy toward the Northwestern Frontier.

Victor and Marvin traveled with their forces toward the northern front as the territory rushed to move troops and supplies. A message from Victor told Marvin that the barbarians had surrendered, giving him time to strengthen the defenses around Blue Lake Bay.

• Victor rode the second military train with his guards and noted that the uncomfortable flatcars needed better shock absorption.
• Marvin transported his Fourth Regiment north by ship along the Lime River and sent for his family to move to Woodfort City.
• A messenger delivered Victor's letter to Marvin as his fleet traveled north.
• Marvin read that the barbarians had surrendered and learned that the expected major battle would no longer take place.
• Marvin received Victor's suggestion to use the extra time to mobilize Blue Lake Bay's people and build new fortifications.

Victor met Horne, the acting chieftain of the Blood Scorpion Tribe, at Redrock Iron Mine and learned how the Iron Bone Tribe had rapidly strengthened. Horne revealed that newcomers had brought superior warriors, ironworking skills, and high-yield crops, leaving Victor alarmed by the scale of the change.

• Victor arrived at Redrock Iron Mine, where James reported that the mine was stable and that he had shared stored grain with the hungry Barbarian Tribes.
• Victor agreed to meet Horne, the acting chieftain of the Blood Scorpion Tribe, and welcomed him at the Temporary Camp.
• Horne explained that the Iron Bone Tribe had once maintained a wary peace with the Blood Scorpion Tribe, but its fortunes changed after Kledun'e'emas a arrived with more than three thousand well-equipped warriors.
• Horne said the newcomers brought craftsmen who forged steel weapons from poor-quality grassland iron, strengthening the Iron Bone Tribe's forces.
• Horne revealed that the newcomers had taught the Iron Bone Tribe to grow high-yield rye and barley, with the first harvest supplying one-third of the tribe's annual food.

Victor learned from Horne how the Iron Bone Tribe had grown powerful by feeding refugees and offering farming improvements, then routed a coalition of tribes with lightning-firing weapons. Horne’s people had lost their pastures and fled to seek Duke Alex’s protection and the Vela Nobles’ acceptance.

• Horne told Victor that the Iron Bone Tribe had taken in at least a hundred and ten or twenty thousand refugees, who survived the winter on its grain.
• Horne explained that the Iron Bone Tribe offered improved seeds and farming techniques to allied tribes, drawing many small and midsize tribes to its side.
• Horne said his father joined the Iron Hoof Tribe and others in an attack with over a hundred thousand people to seize the Iron Bone Tribe’s craftsmen and seeds.
• Horne recounted how Kledun'e'emas a’s troops used lightning-firing rods to destroy the coalition’s ranks and burn his father to ash.
• Horne said the defeat triggered a rout, after which neutral tribes joined the Iron Bone Tribe and his people lost their pastures.
• Horne told Victor that his people had fled to seek Duke Alex’s service and ask the Vela Nobles to take them in.

Victor questioned Horne about Keledu and learned that the Iron Bone Tribe’s mysterious leader and his troops likely came from Skyline Grassland, where a few powerful tribes had destroyed the Tribal Alliance. The chapter ended with Victor judging that a battle was unlikely soon and ordering preparations to receive his main army and settle the arriving Barbarians.

• Victor questioned Horne about the metal rods that had unleashed lightning, and Horne described how the attack had devastated the allied tribes before the Iron Bone Tribe defeated them.
• Horne revealed that Keledu kept his troops and camp under strict control, and that the Blood Scorpion Tribe and Iron Hoof Tribe believed he came from Skyline Grassland.
• Horne explained that Skyline Grassland’s Tribal Alliance had collapsed as large tribes absorbed, killed, or drove away smaller tribes, including the group that fled across the desert to the Northlands Wasteland.
• Horne told Victor that Keledu’s soldiers called him an “Apostle” who served a “Sovereign Lord,” and Victor praised Horne for providing valuable intelligence.
• Victor confirmed Horne’s account with the Iron Hoof chief’s son, ordered the information sent to Woodfort City, and discussed the situation with his viscounts.
• Victor concluded that the Iron Bone Tribe was unlikely to attack soon and ordered James and Santos to expand the camp and clear space to settle the Barbarians.

Victor arranged for Two Rivers County to take in more than a hundred thousand Barbarian tribespeople under a five-year labor agreement while their leaders kept their possessions and troops. As the relocation proceeded, Keledu’s cavalry defeated the rearguard on the grasslands and prepared to wait for the Iron Bone Tribe’s forces before pursuing the remaining tribes.

• Horne reassured Zaro that Victor could provide for their tribespeople, and the two leaders helped Two Rivers County soldiers manage the crossing.
• Victor ordered food, clothing, and housing for the Barbarians, having negotiated an agreement that preserved their leaders’ livestock, possessions, and command of their armies.
• Two Rivers County soldiers and officials divided the tribespeople among settlements and newly opened lands as the relocation proceeded smoothly.
• Keledu’s cavalry crushed the Iron Hoof and Blood Scorpion tribes’ rearguard, confiscated the survivors’ weapons, and executed some junior officers.
• Keledu rejected an immediate pursuit, explaining that he would not risk his three thousand veteran cavalry against more than a hundred thousand tribal remnants before the Iron Bone Tribe’s troops arrived.

Keledu ordered Mizhene to arrange Kachi’s death in battle after deciding the commander had grown too close to the Iron Bone Tribe. A few days later, Barbarian forces withdrew from the border of Two Rivers County when county reinforcements arrived.

• Keledu sent Kachi to the Iron Bone Tribe to hurry its preparations, then secretly ordered Mizhene to choose replacements and ensure Kachi led the next charge.
• Keledu warned Mizhene that Kachi had been corrupted by the Iron Bone Tribe and urged him to remain loyal to the Holy Church.
• Keledu vowed to take control of the grassland and establish a new diocese for the Holy Church.
• A few days later, Barbarian cavalry faced Two Rivers County troops near the county border.
• Two Rivers County reinforcements arrived, and the Barbarians withdrew when their numerical advantage disappeared.

Victor sent James, Ron, Horne, and Zaro to watch the retreating Barbarian forces while he awaited approval for the surviving tribes’ allegiance. Keledu realized his pursuit had failed to capture the fleeing tribespeople, putting the Iron Bone Tribe’s religious plans at risk.

• Victor sent James and Ron to scout the retreating Barbarians, then assigned Horne and Zaro two thousand warriors each to join them and avoid a large battle.
• Victor returned his main force to the Temporary Camp near Redrock Iron Mine, where Luoza’s auxiliary troops guarded the remaining tribespeople.
• Alex wrote that he accepted the surviving Barbarian Tribes’ offer of allegiance and entrusted Victor with settling the negotiations.
• Keledu told Mizhene that the pursuit was meant to destroy enemy forces and bring the fleeing tribespeople into their faith, but he feared losing nearly two hundred thousand followers would prevent them from fulfilling their Lord’s task.

Keledu recounted the Faith Order’s origins, its devastating defeat on the Skyline Grassland, and its new alliance with the Iron Bone Tribe in the Northlands Wasteland. Though the alliance had secured land and followers, Keledu knew the Faith Order still needed enough strength to protect what it had gained.

• The Exalted One founded the Faith Order to lead his followers toward peace, but found the Skyline Grassland consumed by conflict and displacement.
• The Faith Order backed a small tribe’s growth, then the tribe’s chiefs and nobles turned against it, seized its lands and followers, and drove it into the snowy mountains.
• After repeated failures to reclaim its lands, Keledu led followers east to seek a new path for the Faith Order.
• Keledu’s group allied with the Iron Bone Tribe, strengthened it, and helped defeat the Tribal Alliance army, including forces from the Blood Scorpion Tribe and the Iron Hoof Tribe.
• The alliance gained a pasture, roughly a hundred thousand Barbarian herders, and a new armed force, but Keledu knew the Faith Order needed greater strength to hold its own land.

Keledu withdrew his army after the Vela forces pursued him across the grassland, and James chose not to chase the retreating Barbarians. Back in Two Rivers County, Victor oversaw the settlement of nearly two hundred thousand Barbarian herders and considered sending captured warriors to frontier territories.

• After learning that Vela cavalry had killed more than a thousand men and pursued his army, Keledu ordered a retreat rather than risk his elite Order Warriors.
• James rejected Horne and Zaro's proposal to pursue the retreating army and sent only mounted patrols to watch its movements.
• After the Barbarian army disappeared, James and the others returned to Two Rivers County.
• Victor arranged for the relocated Barbarian herders to be settled across Two Rivers County and its vassal lands, adding nearly two hundred thousand people.
• Victor considered assigning the nearly twenty thousand Barbarian warriors brought by Horne and Zaro to frontier noble territories in Durham County.

James and the Cavalry returned to the Main Camp after successfully forcing the Barbarian army to withdraw. Victor welcomed the troops and gathered the commanders and nobles for a hot pot meal and a toast.

• Victor heard that the Cavalry had returned and hurried to the Main Camp gates to greet James and the others.
• James reported that the operation had gone smoothly and the Barbarian army had withdrawn.
• James led the soldiers to their assigned camp zones, where they received hot food and wine.
• James brought Horne and Zaro to Victor’s tent to give their report before they could eat.
• Victor welcomed the gathered nobles and commanders, then raised a toast to their efforts protecting Two Rivers County.

At Victor’s banquet, James described the strange forces encountered on the grasslands, prompting Victor to order an investigation into the Faith Order. Victor then asked Horne and Zaro to help defend Durham County against the Iron Bone Tribe’s expected advance.

• Victor and James introduced Horne and Zaro to Firebrand Liquor and hotpot at the banquet.
• James reported that the Iron Bone Tribe had drawn in dozens of small tribes, and that some fighters spoke of Order Warriors, the Apostles, and the Holy Church.
• Victor inferred that the Faith Order targeted ordinary herders and low-ranking warriors, then ordered Orlando to investigate it through the Intelligence Department.
• Zaro agreed to help Victor in exchange for Firebrand Liquor, and Horne also offered his help.
• Victor explained that Durham County faced the greatest danger from the Iron Bone Tribe and asked Horne and Zaro to station troops nearby and help defend it.

Horne and Zaro agreed to help defend the border against the Iron Bone Tribe, provided someone else handled dealings with Durham County's nobles. Victor appointed Viscount Brown to lead the army and let him bring Sura and his unit.

• Horne offered the tribes' help against the Iron Bone Tribe's invasion and asked Victor to appoint a commander to manage relations with Durham County's nobles.
• Zaro agreed with Horne's request, worried direct contact with the nobles could cause conflict.
• Victor chose Viscount Brown to lead the army because James needed to oversee fortress construction near the Redrock Iron Mine.
• Brown accepted the assignment and asked to borrow Sura and his unit from the Territorial Legion.
• Victor approved Brown's request to bring Sura and his unit.

Victor arranged a force led by Zaro to travel to Durham County, while Sura went ahead to prepare the local nobles for the Barbarian army’s arrival. Meanwhile, Keledu explained why he distributed the captives among the small tribes, leaving Mizhene to understand how the gesture would help secure their future cooperation.

• Victor agreed with Viscount Brown on the Durham County mission and assigned Sura to help negotiate with the local nobles.
• Victor approved the Barbarian chieftains’ plan to reduce their forces and set a roughly seven-thousand-strong force to depart for Durham County after preparations.
• Victor sent messengers to Durham County’s nobles and arranged for Sura to travel ahead and explain the situation and his plans.
• Keledu’s Order Warriors gave their captives to the small tribes and set off home ahead of the others.
• Mizhene asked Keledu why he had given away the captives, and Keledu explained that sharing the spoils would preserve the tribes’ trust and make them easier to summon again.

Keledu planned to send priests into small Barbarian tribes under the guise of sharing farming and forging technologies, while ordering Mizhene to kill Kachi and suppress anyone who questioned his death. After Kachi was killed, Keledu told Mizhene to secure the Left Banner and considered sending him to serve at the Venerable Lord’s side.

• Keledu decided to send trained priests to small Barbarian tribes and offer their leaders improved seeds, cultivation methods, and ironworking in exchange for access to their people.
• Keledu ordered Mizhene to prevent Kachi from reaching the diocese or contacting the Iron Bone Tribe, make his death look like a sudden illness, and silence anyone who investigated.
• Keledu reacted angrily when Mizhene questioned killing fellow believers, then insisted that Mizhene carry out the plan without hesitation.
• The next morning, Mizhene reported that Kachi was dead, and Keledu instructed him to watch Kachi’s subordinates and ensure the appointed banner lord took control of the Left Banner.
• Keledu decided that after returning to the diocese, he would send Mizhene to serve at the Venerable Lord’s side so he could gain experience with the Faith Order’s power struggles.

After learning that the Iron Bone Tribe had unified much of the grasslands, Victor prompted Durham County’s nobles to mobilize and prepare for war. Their swift support led him to propose an offensive strike into the grasslands before the Iron Bone Tribe could consolidate its power.

• Count Benjamin read Victor’s warning about the Iron Bone Tribe to his officers and ordered Golden Pear Territory to raise its alert level, gather supplies, and recruit soldiers.
• The nobles of Durham County began assembling troops and preparing for a possible Barbarian invasion, trusting Victor’s information and accepting his Barbarian reinforcements.
• Sura reported to Victor that Durham County’s nobles had mobilized and trusted him, while offering support for the reinforcements.
• Victor told Viscount Brown that Durham County’s response had changed his plans and proposed leading a large cavalry force deep into the grasslands to attack the Iron Bone Tribe before it consolidated its gains.
• Viscount Brown considered the risks and judged that an offensive could deal the Iron Bone Tribe a heavy blow and relieve pressure on the northern border.