Chapter Summaries

Raven’s victory at the Wall of Sighs brought him prisoners, supplies, and a huge profit, while Fowler fled with a small band rather than surrender. Raven planned to seize more of the Evol Duchy, but Marquis Faraday’s mysterious gift enraged him and prompted him to order Faraday’s execution.

• After Marquis Faraday ordered the army to surrender, Fowler refused and led fewer than 2,000 soldiers away from the battlefield.
• Raven and Hyde recognized their families’ alliance, while Raven’s Eagle Army gathered prisoners and captured supplies at the Wall of Sighs.
• Raven’s forces sold serfs, prisoners, weapons, and other spoils, earning a reported profit of 623,772 Gold Coins.
• Raven assessed the army’s casualties and wrote plans to seize the Bolan Region, advance toward Blue Castle, and force Evol VIII to surrender.
• Hyena brought Raven a gift from the imprisoned Marquis Faraday, and Raven ordered his men to cut off Faraday’s head after opening it.

Raven discovered that Faraday’s gift of underpants signified absolute submission in Evol, but Hyena had already killed him, costing Raven a chance to exploit the marquis’s wealth and political influence. Raven sent Hu Xia and Hoaz to deliver Faraday’s head and a letter to Archduke Evol VIII, while preparing the army to advance; Archbishop Thomas and Count Talon arrived before Raven’s departure.

• Faraday imagined selling his holdings and pledging his daughter to Raven, but Hyena beat him and carried him away after mistaking Raven’s anger for an order to punish him.
• Lanza explained that Faraday’s underpants were a traditional sign of absolute loyalty, and Raven realized Hyena had killed a potential ally before he could clarify matters.
• Raven appointed Hu Xia as his ambassador and ordered him and Hoaz to deliver Faraday’s head and a letter to Archduke Evol VIII.
• Raven explained that diplomacy could offer Evol an alternative to fighting, though he intended to continue the war.
• Lanza led the First Independent Legion north, and Raven ordered the army to prepare to depart in seven days.
• Archbishop Thomas and Count Talon arrived two days before Raven was due to leave the Wall of Sighs.

Raven secured Count Talon's support and Archbishop Thomas's clergy before leading his army north, while Hu Xia and Hoaz delivered Raven's peace terms to Evol VIII. Evol VIII rejected the proposed territorial cessions and ordered an attack, leaving the envoys in danger.

• Raven told Count Talon he would continue north and secured Talon's oversight of three western counties in exchange for rear support.
• Raven arranged for Hyde to join the campaign with a legion, while Archbishop Thomas provided twelve Divine Spellcasters and other clergy.
• Raven led his army out two days later as Hu Xia and Hoaz arrived in Blue Castle to meet Evol VIII.
• Hu Xia presented Raven's letter and gift, and Evol VIII discovered that the box contained Marquis Faraday's head.
• Evol VIII read Raven's demand for seven southern regions and part of Borland County, then ordered Quentin to attack and his guards to behead the envoys.

Bent, Raven’s former scout, was forced to choose between betraying the Eagle Territory and saving his family when Bluebeard and the bandits seized his home. Bent refused to help them, fled after his wife was killed, and left Mo Wei in their hands as Bluebeard prepared to pursue him.

• Bent drove his sheep home in Rustwater Oasis, celebrating Raven’s victories and looking forward to his wife and son, Mo Wei.
• Bluebeard and his bandits held Bent’s wife and Mo Wei captive and demanded that Bent guide Blood Eye’s planned attack on the Eagle Territory.
• Bluebeard revealed that thirty thousand Bloody Highlands bandits and Joshua’s twenty thousand Lizardman pirate troops would join the assault, then threatened Bent’s family to force his agreement.
• Bent remembered Raven’s mercy and refused to betray him, but Bluebeard had Bent’s wife killed and threatened Mo Wei.
• Bent killed two bandits, escaped on a horse, and rode into the night while Bluebeard killed Mo Wei and ordered the bandits to give chase.

After learning from the dying Bent that 50,000 bandits and pirates were preparing to attack Eagle Territory, Nancy mobilized the territory despite her administrators’ doubts and warnings from neighboring commanderies. The attackers arrived as winter began, leaving Eagle Territory facing the threatened invasion.

• Nancy received Bent, who warned her that Blood Eye Mongar and Pirate General Joshua planned to attack Eagle Territory with 50,000 fighters.
• Nancy convened Fili, Kuman, and Koulu, then ordered the territory into a state of war and commanded defenses, shelters, and militia preparations.
• Nancy circulated the invasion warning to the five northwestern commanderies, but most people dismissed it and suspected she was trying to obtain more troops.
• Bent recovered enough to leave a note affirming his warning, then hanged himself; Nancy had him buried beside the fallen Eagle Army comrades.
• In November, as snow began to fall, the mounted bandits and pirates arrived.

Nancy’s preparations could not stop the Lizardmen pirates from breaking through Eagle Territory’s first defenses, and horse bandits poured into Eagle Town before the evacuation was complete. Thor and Julia fought Bluebeard and the advancing bandits until Baron Judra arrived with soldiers, leaving the battle’s outcome unresolved.

• Nancy ordered the militiamen to withdraw and sent the Eagle Eye Guard to protect civilians as the Lizardmen pirates cleared the defenses.
• Thor built a roadblock with his attendants, but Bluebeard destroyed it with his yellow sand battle qi and demanded to know where Snow Chicken was.
• Julia attacked Bluebeard, but he trapped her feet with Flowing Sand Prison and threatened to kill her unless she surrendered.
• Thor used his broken body to force Julia out of the sand, giving her an opening to pierce Bluebeard’s mouth and kill him.
• Julia defended the gravely wounded Thor against the surrounding bandits until her sword dulled and her strength began to fail.
• Baron Judra arrived with a squad of armored soldiers and surrounded Julia, surprising her.

Judra and several Snow Maple County nobles reinforced Eagle City while most nobles refused to help, and Viscount John persuaded Little Flayer to let him march there. At the city walls, Bowell and the defenders repelled the attackers with ballistae, catapults, fire, and Suohei’s enormous saber; after the assault failed, Mongar demanded an explanation from Joshua.

• Judra led two hundred Ironforge Legion soldiers in a retreat to Eagle City with Julia and the injured Thor.
• Nobles from Snow Maple County arrived to support Eagle City, while Little Flayer tried to dissuade Viscount John from marching there.
• Viscount John defended his decision to help Eagle City, and Little Flayer finally let him set out the next morning.
• Bowell directed Eagle City’s defenders as ballistae and catapults shattered the attackers’ floating bridges and sent many bandits into the freezing river.
• Bolo’s Fire-Cleansing Oil drove climbing Lizardmen toward the river, while Suohei killed a Lizardman with his newly forged saber.
• The bandits and pirates withdrew at nightfall, and Mongar demanded an explanation from Joshua.

Joshua confronted Mongar over the mounted bandits’ failures and the losses suffered by the Lizardmen, while Rousseau reminded him why he had accepted Insa’s mission. In Eagle City, Viscount John arrived to help Nancy assess the siege and began considering how to exploit the distrust between the mounted bandits and pirates.

• Joshua blamed Mongar’s mounted bandits for failing to draw the defenders’ attention and refused to risk the Holy Blood Legion unless Mongar made his troops useful.
• Joshua told Rousseau that he feared he had made the wrong choice, then secretly wrote a letter and tucked a scale from his forehead inside it.
• Nancy faced pressure from Islewa and other nobles to contact Raven, but she continued to refuse to request his aid.
• Viscount John arrived in Eagle City, reviewed the reports, and learned that the mounted bandits and pirates distrusted and obstructed one another.
• Viscount John noticed that the two enemy forces shared a food-storage site despite keeping their camps apart, and recognized their mistrust as an opportunity.

Viscount John led Eagle City's cavalry in a night raid that burned the enemy camp, then fought Pirate General Joshua and killed him with his final attack. Blood Eye Mongar tried to execute the wounded John, but Nancy arrived and challenged Mongar as Baron Judra moved to carry John away.

• Viscount John led more than six hundred cavalry out of Eagle City to attack the enemy's grain depot, breaking through the camp's walls with his Ice Battle Qi.
• John's cavalry set the grain depot and much of the camp ablaze, but enemy forces surrounded him as he tried to withdraw.
• John confronted Pirate General Joshua, whose water-element Battle Soul and Battle Mark unleashed a devastating flood against him and the bandits.
• John used Soul Freeze to split Joshua's flood and pierce Joshua's skull, killing the Pirate General before collapsing from the battle.
• Blood Eye Mongar revealed that the grain depot had been bait and prepared to kill John, but Nancy struck Mongar with fire and ordered Baron Judra to retreat with John.

Nancy defied the nobles and led Eagle City’s forces out to exploit the chaos in the horse thieves’ camp, despite Denise’s attempt to stop her. The attack went more smoothly than expected, but Nancy then faced Blood Eye, who charged at her after recognizing her as Raven’s wife.

• After hearing that Nancy planned to lead Eagle City’s soldiers out, Denise hurried to the meeting room and found the nobles arguing against the risky plan.
• Nancy explained that the horse thieves might survive by eating people and insisted that Eagle City needed to inflict more casualties before the siege dragged on.
• Denise warned Nancy not to go, but Nancy defended her decision as necessary to protect Raven’s expedition and Eagle Territory’s supplies.
• Nancy led the troops out of the city, and the confused horse thieves mistakenly directed the approaching coalition through their disorganized camp.
• Blood Eye realized Nancy had appeared on the battlefield, taunted her, and charged forward to attack.

Nancy defeated Blood Eye with Phoenix Rebirth, then collapsed from exhaustion after the nobles celebrated her victory. Before losing consciousness, she gave Denise the ring bearing Don Quixote Griffith’s name and asked her to deliver it to Raven without revealing Nancy’s condition.

• Nancy and Blood Eye fought with powerful magic and Battle Qi, and Blood Eye severed Nancy’s right arm before she was consumed by Phoenix Rebirth’s flames and rose unharmed.
• Nancy burned Blood Eye to death, took the mysterious ring hidden in his eye, and drove the bandits to flee after declaring, “Who’s next?”
• The noble coalition routed the remaining bandits and pirates, while the Lizardmen legion withdrew in formation after John killed their leader.
• Nancy returned to Eagle City, received praise from the nobles, and left the victory banquet early, claiming she was exhausted.
• Denise discovered that Nancy had lost her magic and was dangerously weak, and Nancy gave her the ring for Raven before asking her to keep the situation secret.

After Nancy’s victory brought the Griffith Family a vast haul of horses and supplies, Raven examined a family heirloom that awakened a powerful curse energy within him. He killed Gang Du when the soldier tried to assassinate him, then gave the rebels in Lanza’s legion a chance to leave after cutting off their thumbs as the army prepared to seek a surrender.

• Scouts confirmed that Nancy had defeated the bandits and pirates, and Little Flayer learned that the Griffith Family had gained tens of thousands of serfs, warhorses, and packhorses.
• Raven received the family ring and discovered that wearing it revealed the Blood Curse and awakened a distinct, powerful energy in his body.
• Margaret recognized the ring as an ominous cursed object, and Raven noted its resemblance to Erna Da’s wrist tattoo.
• Gang Du tried to kill Raven while summoning him to Lanza, but Raven’s new power crushed the assassin and drained his body into Blood Beads.
• Lanza reported that 471 soldiers led by Gang Du had rebelled, and Raven ordered them to surrender their armor, cut off their thumbs, and leave, warning the legion against another rebellion.
• Lanza offered to persuade the forces blocking the Eagle Army to surrender, while Raven doubted that the effort would have much effect.

Lanza traveled to Thorn Ridge to persuade Viscount Fowler and his starving defenders to surrender, but Fowler refused and led them into a final battle against the Eagle Army. After Fowler and his soldiers died fighting, Raven honored them with a burial before marching toward Bolan City.

• Lanza climbed Thorn Ridge alone, was bound with Demon Sealing Steel, and was brought to Viscount Fowler.
• Lanza offered Fowler generous surrender terms, but Fowler explained that he was defending Evol’s honor and refused to surrender.
• Fowler kept Lanza at Thorn Ridge overnight, then led his surviving soldiers in a desperate charge against the Eagle Army.
• Fowler fought at the front and was the last to die, while Lanza watched the battle.
• Lanza told Raven what Fowler had said, and Raven ordered the fallen soldiers buried together and Fowler’s body sent home with honor.
• Raven raised a tomb for the defenders and then set out for Bolan City.

Evol VIII rejected Cuiqi’s suggestion to use Quilli’s teacher against Raven, while Cairns XVI decided to keep supporting Raven despite pressure to surrender him. A report then revealed that fifty thousand Insar cavalry had bypassed the front and were within eight days of the imperial capital.

• Evol VIII celebrated public calls to fight Raven, but Cuiqi warned him that Quentin doubted the strength of the hastily gathered army and wanted to withdraw from Bolan City.
• Cuiqi suggested contacting Quilli’s fifth-tier Mage teacher to assassinate Raven, and Evol VIII slapped her and rejected the plan.
• Cairns XVI refused to surrender Raven to the Phidon City-States and planned to tax the empire to send troops from Molinier Province to support him next spring.
• An Ash Crane delivered news that fifty thousand Insar cavalry had crossed Brad Province and reached the edge of the province containing the capital.
• Hamilton asked whether the empire should arrest Raven and bring him back, while Cairns XVI reacted with livid anger.

Raven camped near Bolan City despite its formidable defenses and learned from Erna Da that his ring was an elven Blood Soul Armament. After securing Erna Da’s allegiance, he sent her and William to infiltrate the city and assess the nobles’ attitudes toward the coming war.

• Raven ordered his army to camp close to Bolan City, reasoning that its defenders would not dare attack after failing to aid Fowler at Thorn Ridge.
• Erna Da explained that the ring was an elven Blood Soul Armament, prompting Raven to wonder how it related to Don Quixote and the Bloodline Curse.
• Raven offered Erna Da a choice between a soul contract and another consequence, and she chose to swear allegiance.
• Raven introduced Erna Da to William and ordered them to infiltrate Bolan City under the identities of a Drow escort and the surviving heir of the Godwin Family.
• William asked Raven for activity funds, and Raven tossed him a money pouch.

Erna Da and William infiltrated Bolan City to learn how its nobles planned to resist Raven, then returned with information confirming that their leaders were divided and many nobles were secretly seeking Raven’s favor. Raven said Bolan City would fall within two months without him sending in a single soldier.

• Erna Da and William spent half a month inside Bolan City’s castle, where the nobles held banquets while the starving city deteriorated outside.
• William identified Count Frank as their target, and Erna Da seduced him into revealing that Quentin had forced the nobles to hold out instead of fighting Raven.
• William knocked Frank unconscious, and he and Erna Da escaped the city that night without killing him.
• Erna Da and William reported their findings to Raven, who showed them letters from nobles offering intelligence and proposing staged battles with the Eagle Army.
• Raven said he had sent them to obtain trustworthy firsthand information and predicted Bolan City would fall within two months without a soldier being sent in.

Raven explained why he was isolating Bolan City and striking its supply convoys, while Quentin struggled with the city’s worsening shortages and political pressure to fight. After receiving intelligence about Count Frank, Quentin refused to act immediately and ordered his guard captain to keep the matter from the Grand Duke.

• Raven celebrated the New Year with his officers, who joked with Hyde about his lack of action and Eric’s successful raids on enemy supplies.
• Raven told Hyde that Eric should continue intercepting convoys because starving Bolan City while avoiding a costly battle was safer than provoking its divided nobles.
• Quentin endured the stench and shortages inside Bolan City, then considered supporting Count Frank in a decisive battle against Raven to protect his position.
• Quentin’s guard captain reported intelligence about Count Frank, and Quentin ordered him not to act rashly or inform the Grand Duke.

Raven entered Bolan City to persuade Count Frank to open its southern gate in exchange for letters exposing nobles who corresponded with him. Five days later, Frank appeared to honor the deal but prepared to attack the Eagle Army instead, and the gate stopped halfway open.

• Raven met Count Frank in Bolan City, where William held Frank at knifepoint while Raven proposed a deal.
• Raven broke Frank’s enchanted sword and revealed letters from nobles in the Evol army, persuading Frank to consider opening the gate.
• Frank agreed to open Bolan City’s southern gate on January 6 in exchange for ten names immediately and the remaining letters after Raven captured the city.
• Five days later, Frank’s guards restrained the suspected traitors while the 5,700 soldiers of the Mountain King Legion prepared to sortie.
• Frank went to lead the Mountain King Legion in a surprise attack on the Eagle Army, but the city gate stopped halfway open.

Count Frank died after Quentin’s attempt to arrest him turned into a battle, and Raven’s Eagle Army captured Bolan City. Raven ordered food distributed and the city cleaned, then encountered a mysterious woman in his room who began introducing herself as “Q.”

• Quentin confronted Count Frank with evidence that he planned to open Bolan City’s gates, but Frank insisted on charging out to fight the Eagle Army.
• After a catapult strike caused a crossbow bolt to hit Frank, Marquis Aragon urged Quentin to have him killed, and the crossbowmen shot Frank dead.
• The Mountain King Legion attacked Quentin’s troops to avenge Frank as the Eagle Army entered through the opened city gate; Quentin and the other nobles fled north.
• Erik’s heavy cavalry waited at Bolan City’s northern gate, and the city fell, giving Raven’s forces a route toward Blue Castle and control of much of central and southern Evol Duchy.
• Raven ordered Frank’s body sent to his territory with Gold Coins and an enchanted amulet, then opened the granaries and ordered the city cleaned.
• A mysterious woman appeared in Raven’s room, called him Baron Raven, and began to give her name as “Q.”

Raven received King Cairns XVI’s secret order to conquer the entire Evol Duchy before the end of 1200, while Q investigated how he captured Bolan City and explained why Tier 6 mages could not freely eliminate its nobles. After Q left, Raven reorganized the city and his army, while Archduke Evol VIII confronted Gatugen over Frank’s alleged treason and Raven’s next move.

• Q revealed that the empire’s cabinet planned to surrender Raven to the Phidon City-States, then delivered Cairns XVI’s order for Raven to conquer the entire Evol Duchy before the end of 1200 in exchange for restoring the Griffith Family and granting him Nord Province.
• Raven told Q that he had fabricated evidence to turn Quentin and Aragon against Frank, but said luck had ultimately enabled him to take Bolan City; Q explained that Tier 7 powerhouses deterred Tier 6 mages from assassinating nobles.
• Q departed with Raven’s note granting her unlimited Angel’s Tear, and Raven confirmed the next morning that she had left before returning to work in Bolan City.
• Lanza reported that 1,977 of Frank’s surrendered Mountain King Legion soldiers wanted to join Raven, and Raven ordered them into his independent legion while explaining that he had deliberately let Quentin and Aragon escape.
• At Blue Castle, Archduke Evol VIII rejected Gatugen’s doubts about Frank’s betrayal and demanded to know how Evol should respond to Raven.