Chapter Summaries

Paul toured Erkins's ironware foundry with Gaius and Queller, who inspected its weapons and armor-making capabilities for potential Horn Bay Alliance orders. After the visit, Paul told Erkins to prioritize local demand over better-paying Horn Bay customers, while he began considering the next step in steel production.

• Erkins welcomed Paul, Gaius, and Queller to his foundry and showed them its weapon-making workshop.
• Gaius's guard tested a finished longsword and judged it not bad, and Gaius said the weapons would meet his needs if they were consistently of that quality.
• Paul explained the foundry's quality-control process to Gaius, who said the Horn Bay Alliance would pay well for reliable goods.
• The group visited the armor workshop, where Gaius explained that its hydraulic forging hammer ran on flowing water and asked whether Erkins could produce Steel Plate Armor.
• Gaius learned that the foundry made little Steel Plate Armor because steel was scarce, and Paul began planning to expand steel production.
• After the Foster brothers left, Paul reminded Erkins to meet local needs before taking orders from Horn Bay customers, and Erkins agreed.

Paul Greiman and the other powerful lords agreed to establish the Customs Union, sharing external tariff revenue and waiving tolls among member territories. They also formed a Statistics Committee, appointing Mellon Garnard as its chairman.

• The lords gathered at Price Parker’s residence after a banquet and discussed putting the Customs Union into practice.
• Paul, Mellon, Winifred, Henry, and Price agreed to coordinate their efforts, while deciding not to involve Earl Mairken because of his greed and disruptive behavior.
• The lords agreed that external tariffs would go into a shared treasury for public expenses and distribution among territories.
• At Paul’s proposal, the lords established a Statistics Committee to count population and compile trade data.
• Henry nominated Mellon as chairman, Paul supported him, and Winifred and Price agreed; the Customs Union was officially established.

Paul raised army salaries and introduced systems to protect soldiers’ pay and deliver their mail. He also met with young officers to hear about their lives, then brought them to a special meal of dumplings.

• Paul announced increased salaries for every soldier, including monthly pay and salt for privates’ families, and promised to follow the new regulations.
• Paul placed army pay distribution under the Logistics Department and established a postal department to deliver soldiers’ letters and send money and clothing home.
• Paul dismissed the soldiers for the holiday and visited the military academy trainees with Chief of Staff Schroeder.
• Paul invited the young officers to share their family backgrounds and experiences, and suggested holding similar meetings regularly.
• Paul led the officers to the mess hall, where dumplings had been prepared.

The five lords established the Northwest Customs Union but suspended several controversial reforms after landlords protested. Old Valen suspected Paul would use the compromise to push further changes and urged the landlords to undermine the union.

• In February 1994, the lords of Arda, Bairdin, Potri, Lanaka, and Manda announced the Northwest Customs Union and reforms to taxation, farmers' freedom of movement, and private courts.
• Fergus and Eldo visited Paul and urged him to withdraw the reforms, arguing that they would damage the loyalty of his subjects.
• Paul told Fergus and Eldo he would consider their advice, then hosted them before they left.
• A week later, the five lords met in Lakeheart Town, and Arda and Bairdin announced that they would suspend the Tax Farmer reforms, farmers' freedom of movement, and the ban on private punishments while retaining the Customs Union.
• At Valen's estate, Fergus and the other landlords accepted Paul's concessions, but Old Valen called them a strategy and urged them to sabotage the Customs Union.

Lister learned that the Secret Art Society had contacted the spellcasters hiding near Niceburg, and Savia agreed to meet its representatives. Red Madam offered to help the group escape the Church's pursuit, but Savia refused to join the organization and left the offer open to her companions.

• Roskin told Lister and Savia that the Secret Art Society had sent a letter to the spellcasters' camp offering help and requesting a meeting with their leader.
• Savia agreed to meet the Society's representatives and ordered Roskin to warn the camp to prepare for danger and seek a new hiding place.
• Lister objected to Savia meeting the Society, but she went to a tavern in Niceburg to speak with a young man and a woman.
• Red Madam asked Savia to join the Secret Art Society, but Savia refused for herself while allowing her companions to decide for themselves.
• Red Madam promised to help the spellcasters escape and revealed that she had recognized Savia as Asitini.

Lister suggested that Savia and the Spellcasters who refused to join the Secret Art Society seek refuge in the Northwest Bay, where the Church had less influence. Meanwhile, Laddie struggled with news of persecution in Horn Bay, and Paul offered to shelter her friends and relatives there.

• Savia told Lister that the Secret Art Society could help the Spellcasters but wanted them to join and follow its orders; she refused to join and worried about where the others could go.
• Lister proposed that Savia's group immigrate to the Northwest Bay, describing its weak Church presence and Earl Greiman's interest in recruiting talent.
• Savia thanked Lister and promised to keep his suggestion secret as she began considering the Northwest Bay.
• Laddie told Paul that her senior fellow apprentice had written about the Church's escalating persecution of Spellcasters in Horn Bay.
• Paul comforted Laddie and said she could bring any persecuted friends or relatives from Horn Bay to the Northwest Bay for refuge.

At a Government Affairs Council meeting, Paul Greiman considered the growing religious conflict in Horn Bay and the risk to Northwest Bay trade, then ordered preparations for exploration fleets. He left the council determined to send expeditions both east and west to test whether the earth was spherical.

• Cecil briefed the council on Archbishop Elvis’s dispute with the coastal states over Angelo, religious taxes, and the spread of the New Sect Disciples.
• Hansel warned Paul that the Holy See might increase its influence in Northwest Bay and urged him to prepare for Bishop Leonard’s possible death.
• Paul considered whether to support Anderson or Morrison as a potential successor and learned that he might enlist the Royal Family’s help.
• Chief Steward Ford warned that war in Horn Bay could disrupt trade with the East, so Paul ordered Austin to prepare an eastern exploration fleet.
• Paul proposed sending expeditions east and west to circumnavigate the globe and test the Spherical Earth Theory.

Sevia and the other refugees from Cape Bay settled in Northwest Bay with McKinley’s help, then attended the Customs Union’s opening ceremony. There, Sevia recognized the emerald-haired government official beside Earl Greiman as possibly the Azure Witch from her past.

• Sevia arrived at Franklin Harbor with nine companions from Cape Bay and met McKinley, who arranged a shop and lodgings for them.
• Sevia and her companions inspected the shop, completed the handover, and settled in.
• Sevia asked McKinley about the Customs Union opening ceremony and decided to attend so she could tell Lister about it.
• At the ceremony, Paul Greiman announced the removal of the union’s internal checkpoints, and merchants crossed the border to trade.
• Sevia learned that the emerald-haired woman beside Earl Greiman was Laddie Setia, a government affairs officer from Cape Bay, and wondered whether she was the Azure Witch.

Laddie Setia, once known as the Azure Witch, reunited with the Witch Asitini, now called Savia, in Lakeheart Town. Savia proposed that they use magic to make Lord Greiman submit, leaving Laddie’s response unresolved.

• Laddie finished her work at the Lord's Manor and reflected on the costly education plan and the officials who opposed it.
• On her way to the Flying Dragon Pavilion, Laddie noticed a cloaked woman following her and prepared to call the police.
• The woman revealed herself as Asitini, whom Laddie recognized from a gathering in Holy Calendar 1988.
• At the Setia residence, Savia criticized Laddie for failing to support other Spellcasters and brought up her influence with Lord Greiman.
• Savia asked Laddie whether she would help make Lord Greiman submit to the might of magic.

Laddie confronted Savia over her plan to seize Earl Greiman’s territory and made her swear not to harm him in Northwest Bay. Though Savia apologized and revealed her name, Laddie remained concerned she might be a Secret Art Society spy and decided to report her to Paul.

• Savia proposed taking control of Earl Greiman and turning his territory into a kingdom for Spellcasters, but Laddie fiercely rejected the plan.
• Laddie warned Savia that Paul’s forces could kill her and made Savia swear never to harm Earl Greiman in Northwest Bay.
• Laddie told Savia that Paul and his trusted aides knew she was a Spellcaster and had accepted her, easing Savia’s fears about living in Northwest Bay.
• Savia and Laddie exchanged their full names, and Savia left the Setia residence regretting her reckless approach.
• Laddie suspected Savia might be a Secret Art Society spy and left home to report her to Paul.

At a farewell banquet in Franklin Harbor, Paul introduced the captains of three exploration fleets and reassured guests who feared the ships might sail off the edge of a round world. The fleets prepared to depart the next day, carrying supplies, military personnel, and orders to explore cautiously.

• Paul introduced Captains Stanford, Glan, and Nigel, who would lead fleets north, west, and south-east from Franklin Harbor.
• Earl Heller teased Captain Stanford with a tale about the sealed Demon Race, while Viscount Helson worried that ships might fall off the world.
• Paul used a falling apple to explain his hypothesis that a force held objects to the earth, but Duke Ferdinand attributed it to the Lord of Light.
• Captain Glan promised to test whether the earth was round, and Paul ordered him to turn back when half his supplies were gone.
• Benjamin asked Glan to look after his apprentice Vito, who had joined the Western Exploration Fleet as a ship repairer.
• Allen assured Paul that the military personnel were ready to accompany the fleets with surveying skills and firearms for emergencies.

Paul watched the three Exploration Teams depart from Franklin Harbor, then learned from Laddie that more mages had arrived in his territory. He rejected expelling or imprisoning them and decided to meet them and address their mutual suspicions directly.

• The three Exploration Teams sailed from Franklin Harbor aboard newly built Three-Masted Sailing Ships as crowds cheered them on.
• Quirk complained that Paul had given the dangerous mission to rookies instead of the navy, and Paul told him to give the younger generation a chance.
• Laddie told Paul that more mages had come to his territory and that some had approached her the previous evening.
• Paul said he would accept the mages who behaved well and capture those who committed crimes, while Laddie proposed monitoring their residence and visiting them daily.
• Paul decided that he and Laddie would meet the mages and make their intentions clear.

Paul visited Savia and her companions in Franklin Harbor, offering them a stable place in Northwest Bay in exchange for obeying the law, concealing their abilities, and accepting regular checks. Savia and the others agreed, leaving their relationship with Paul cautiously more trusting.

• Laddie Setia arrived at Savia's shop with Paul and his guards, alarming Savia and prompting both groups to ready themselves for a fight.
• Paul assured Savia that he welcomed the group and would treat them like ordinary residents if they followed the law and paid taxes.
• Paul asked the witches to keep their abilities hidden and report weekly, and Savia discussed the conditions with her companions.
• Savia and her companions accepted Paul's proposal, and he arranged for officials to visit the shop instead of requiring them to report in person.
• Paul left after encouraging Savia to settle into Northwest Bay, while Laddie warned her not to use any more tricks.

Paul brought Laddie and Savia to Patridge’s weaving factory, where Savia saw machines that produced cloth faster and wider than traditional looms. There, Laddie challenged Savia’s belief that magic was the greatest power and left her questioning how much powerful individuals truly shaped history.

• Paul invited Laddie to visit a weaving factory with him, and Laddie suggested that Savia join them.
• Patridge welcomed Paul and his party to the factory and guided them inside.
• Savia saw workers using fast, wide looms that made cloth much more efficiently than ordinary looms.
• Laddie told Savia that swords, money, political power, and schemes could wield influence just as magic could.
• Laddie questioned whether Spellcasters, knights, and rulers had ever truly changed history or the world, leaving Savia bewildered.

Laddie explained to Savia how mechanized production could transform ordinary people's lives and challenge the influence of elites and Spellcasters. Savia agreed to set aside some of her resistance and join Laddie in witnessing the changes taking shape in Arda.

• Laddie told Savia that ordinary people made up the vast majority of humanity, though history focused on elites whose struggles often left ordinary lives unchanged.
• Laddie argued that machines could increase ordinary people's power, pointing out that the new looms raised textile workers' productivity, wages, and women's standing in their families.
• Laddie described Paul's inventions as tools ordinary people could use to bring far-reaching changes without noble bloodlines or magical talent.
• Laddie asked Savia and her companions to abandon their Spellcaster arrogance and take part in a new history, and Savia agreed to try.
• Paul asked the factory owner about sales, and the owner said their competitive prices had made them hard for small family workshops to rival.

Paul and Laddie visited Franklin Harbor’s new church, where Paul reunited with Father Violet and asked to hear about the Northwest Diocese. The chapter ended with Paul spotting a red bottle on Violet’s desk and teasing him about its contents.

• Paul returned to City Hall with Laddie after touring the Weaving Factory and discussed the Church’s threats against Spellcasters.
• Paul and Laddie entered Franklin Harbor’s new church and asked to see Father Violet.
• Father Violet recognized Paul and rushed out to greet him, then led him to his office.
• Paul asked Father Violet about recent events in the Northwest Diocese and noticed a red bottle on his desk.
• Paul teased Father Violet by asking whether the bottle contained fermented grape juice.

Paul questioned Violet about Archbishop Anderson’s views on corpse dissection and learned that Violet expected Anderson to oppose it, though Violet himself seemed less committed to church rules. Their conversation was interrupted when the patched-robed priest Hershey forced his way in to see Violet.

• Violet welcomed Paul and Setia, and he and Paul discussed Archbishop Anderson’s health and the Church’s affairs.
• Paul asked Violet whether doctors should be allowed to dissect corpses, and Violet said Anderson would strongly object on religious grounds.
• Violet complained that Anderson enforced church rules harshly, while Paul considered how many Northwestern clergy treated the Church as a livelihood.
• The Steward told Violet that Hershey had come again, and Violet ordered him turned away.
• Hershey barged into the room, and Paul observed the burly, roughly dressed priest as Violet scolded him.

Paul heard Father Hershey’s account of how greedy people had taken farmland awarded to the families of soldiers killed in the war with Emden, leaving them in hardship and unable to pay their tithes. He decided to cover the villagers’ owed tithes himself, while Violet-sama worried that Hershey’s intervention would cause trouble.

• Father Hershey asked Violet-sama to waive the tithes owed by struggling families in Totol Village, but Violet-sama refused and said he lacked authority.
• Paul asked Hershey why the villagers were suffering despite receiving compensation for their lost family members.
• Hershey explained that the compensation had been excellent farmland, which aroused the greed of certain people who took it from the bereaved families.
• Paul ordered Violet-sama to cover the tithes owed by the families Hershey had identified.
• After Paul left with Laddie, Violet-sama angrily blamed Hershey for meddling.

After hearing that the family of a fallen soldier had been mistreated in Toto'er Village, Paul ordered an investigation and asked Cecil to assess the clergy’s living conditions. He learned that next year’s revenue could reach 120,000 Aldo Silver Coins from taxes and government-run industries, and he reflected on the much larger income generated by the Greiman family’s holdings.

• Paul summoned Old Ford and Cecil, then ordered Cecil to investigate the treatment of fallen soldiers’ families in Toto'er Village within a month.
• Paul asked Old Ford about rural clergy and learned that many priests had families and little chance of rising in the Church.
• Paul told Cecil to secretly investigate the living standards of clergy across the territory and classify them by income level.
• Old Ford estimated that taxes and government-run industries would bring in around 120,000 Aldo Silver Coins next year.
• Paul estimated that the Greiman family’s forests, farms, workshops, mines, and shops could raise the total annual income to nearly 250,000 Aldo Silver Coins.

Paul ordered the arrest and trial of Fubinen for seizing fallen soldiers’ families’ pension fields, arguing that such abuses threatened the army’s loyalty. He then proposed a new Department of Education with instructors who would educate soldiers and monitor their morale through a chain of command reporting directly to him.

• Cecil reported that Fubinen, Totol Village’s Tax Farmer, had used manipulated taxes and usurious loans to take fallen soldiers’ families’ farmland.
• Paul vowed to expand government administration into every village and ordered Fubinen arrested, tried, and executed.
• Schroeder warned that Arda’s educated, armed soldiers could pose a serious danger if the army became disloyal.
• Russ Hayden volunteered the police to arrest Fubinen, and Paul ordered him brought to Lakeheart Town for trial before the soldiers.
• Paul proposed establishing a Department of Education with instructors at every army level to educate soldiers and monitor their state of mind.
• Paul stipulated that instructors would answer through a separate vertical chain of command, with the department head reporting directly to him.