Chapter Summaries

Duke Rupert Walter was blocked by dispossessed southern nobles demanding that the Royal Family send troops to reclaim their territories from Grand Duke Greedy Wolf Giles. Rupert received their petition but could offer no decision, leaving him trapped between their demands and the Kingdom's unresolved stance on war.

• Duke Rupert Walter tried to avoid the petitioners by taking a different route to the Royal Palace, but a crowd spotted his carriage and blocked it.
• Rupert learned that the displaced nobles had gathered in Crystal Radiance after Giles took their southern lands and the Royal Family resettled them with limited funds.
• The nobles pressed Rupert to tell them when the Royal Family would send troops against Giles, while he said war could not be decided quickly.
• An old man handed Rupert a collective petition to deliver to the King and lamented that he might never see his homeland again.
• Rupert accepted the petition, suspecting that one of Giles's spies was watching and enjoying his predicament.

Rupert Walter joined King Rhodesney, Princess Catherine, and the ministers to discuss how to support the displaced Southern Nobles without crippling the kingdom’s finances or military plans. After Earl Merlin revealed that mysterious magic and sorcerers were supporting Giles and may also be involved at Cape Horn, Rhodesney decided to learn about and contact the force, even if Aldo had to acquire its powers.

• Rupert Walter arrived at the Council Hall after escaping the Southern Nobles seeking his attention, and the ministers complained about their petitioners.
• The Finance Minister warned that supporting the displaced nobles had diverted military funds while poor harvests threatened royal revenue.
• Salif Reynolds Earl proposed stripping the most unruly nobles of their titles and placing the rest under house arrest, but Sir Benito Rasserda Knight objected.
• Rhodesney said recovering the south might take several generations, and Earl Merlin described strange events and mysterious priests supporting Giles as evidence of magic and sorcerers.
• Rhodesney rejected asking the Holy See for help and declared that Aldo would seek to understand and contact the mysterious force, and, if necessary, learn its powers.

Rhodesney and his ministers agreed to keep their investigation into magic secret and to weaken Giles through taxes and trade restrictions rather than a direct ban. The king chose not to target the Veblen Family, while Earl Merlin warned that renewed maritime trade from Northwest Bay could undermine the blockade.

• Rhodesney argued that magic was not evil in itself, and the ministers agreed to keep their use of it secret from the Holy See.
• Rhodesney ordered the kingdom to slow preparations for the southern expedition and focus on stopping Giles from growing stronger while they investigated his trump card.
• Earl Naike Scarlett proposed taxing tea and southern timber, and Rupert proposed restricting grain sales to Giles's territory; Rhodesney approved tax increases instead of outright bans.
• Rhodesney rejected targeting the Veblen Family, reasoning that doing so could drive Veblen and Giles back into an alliance.
• Earl Merlin said land trade with Giles could be controlled, but warned that ships from Northwest Bay had resumed sailing to Giles's territory.

The king’s ministers planned measures to blockade Giles and discussed settling the Southern Nobles by granting land or government positions. Catherine then read a letter from Irene’s friend Betty describing how hygiene measures promoted by Earl Greiman had reduced maternal deaths in Northwest Bay, and the letter urged Irene to use her influence among the Royal Capital’s nobles.

• The kingdom’s ministers agreed to buy goods from Northwest Bay and support its industries while preparing a blockade against Giles.
• The king proposed granting land to the most influential Southern Noble families, assigning government and military posts to the next group, and leaving the minor nobles to fend for themselves.
• Catherine ran into Irene in the palace and asked why her sister was so anxious to see their father.
• Irene gave Catherine a letter from Betty in Northwest Bay, which reported that maternal deaths had declined after hygiene and disinfection measures were promoted.
• Betty asked Irene to use her influence among the Royal Capital’s nobles to spread the hygiene measures.

Irene urged King Rodney to promote safer childbirth practices, but learned the Royal government could not afford to enforce them across the kingdom. She proposed developing the secondary industry to ease the kingdom’s financial and political problems, then began explaining what limited industrial growth.

• Irene read Laddie Setia’s letter to Catherine and regretted not promoting disinfection measures sooner.
• Catherine brought Irene to King Rodney, who agreed to issue a proclamation for the Royal Territory and notify the kingdom’s major lords, but could not fund officials to enforce the measures.
• Catherine explained that the Southern Nobles’ demands had strained the kingdom’s finances, and Irene proposed developing the secondary industry to save money while accommodating nobles who had lost their territories.
• Irene defined secondary industry and outlined how technology, small-scale organization, and limited demand constrained its growth.

Irene explained how developing the Secondary Industry could provide work for nobles who had lost their land, while crop rotation and agricultural machinery could preserve and increase food production. Rhodesney XVI and Catherine were impressed by the Northwest Bay’s innovations, and Catherine thought of the young count Irene had stayed with there.

• Catherine recalled how her drive to prove herself had distanced her from Irene, and felt relieved to see her sister had grown more independent and mature.
• Irene explained that taxes on merchants and commoners’ limited wealth restricted demand for industrial goods.
• Irene proposed developing the Secondary Industry to employ nobles who had lost their land, citing factories already being established in the Northwest Bay.
• Irene described crop rotation and agricultural machinery as ways to increase farm yields and free workers for industry.
• Rhodesney XVI and Catherine were impressed by Irene’s account, and Catherine remembered the young count Irene had stayed beside in the Northwest Bay.

Irene advised the king and Catherine on reforms inspired by the Northwest Bay, including patent protection, centralized workshops, skills schools, and the Customs Union. The king agreed to pursue some proposals and send a cousin to negotiate with Earl Greiman, while Catherine grew curious about Paul.

• Irene recommended patent protections, large workshops, specialized skills schools, and ranked training for craftsmen.
• Irene explained how the Northwest Bay Customs Union removed internal tariffs and stimulated trade, and proposed reducing taxes and rents to boost demand.
• The king praised Irene’s experience but said the kingdom could not implement every reform at once, then agreed to consider workshops, schools, and patent protection.
• Irene asked the king to send someone to negotiate with Earl Greiman and proposed joint-stock enterprises with the Southern Nobles to introduce Northwest Bay technologies.
• Irene offered to go herself, but the king refused and said he would send her cousin instead.
• Catherine concluded that Paul Greiman had driven the Northwest Bay’s changes and became interested in meeting him.

Paul Greiman questioned printing-factory owner Sam Russo over his production of a prohibited book criticizing the Horn Bay Church, but found no law that allowed him to punish Sam. He secretly ordered the printing to continue while establishing new publishing regulations and a review group.

• Sam Russo was brought before Paul Greiman and several senior officials after spending three days in prison for printing a prohibited book for Horn Bay customers.
• Paul told Sam that no existing law applied to his actions and that he could not punish him retroactively, then permitted him to continue fulfilling the order under supervision.
• Paul instructed Sam to claim ignorance if anyone asked about the book, and told the officials to say it came from an underground Printing Factory.
• Paul asked Chief Judge Thomas to draft publishing regulations and directed Old Ford to establish a Publication Review Group.
• Paul ordered the group to place the Horn Bay book on the List of Prohibited Books while secretly continuing its production.

A sudden fire engulfed Sand River Town as the mayor led residents toward the blaze at the Sommerlett estate, where a massacre had left a group of blindfolded captives surrounded by black-robed figures. Carol condemned Sean for the fire’s destruction, and another black-robed figure arrived to taunt her.

• A night guard raised the alarm after a fire spread through the southwestern corner of Sand River Town.
• The mayor rallied townspeople and led them toward the Sommerlett estate to rescue those inside.
• Black-robed figures held blindfolded captives in the estate courtyard amid the bodies of guards and servants.
• Carol blamed Sean for causing the fire and endangering innocent people.
• The black-robed leader defended Sean, and another figure emerged from the firelight to mock Carol.

Baldes and his allies tortured Master Sommerlett’s family to discover where a child was hidden, then took Master Sommerlett to Odenell for Soul Retrieval. In a hidden basement, Delson Plante explained to Andy why ordinary methods would not work as Odenell prepared the spell.

• Baldes killed Master Sommerlett’s family members one by one, but Master Sommerlett refused to reveal the child’s location.
• Baldes said magic could uncover the secret and ordered the praying man to take Master Sommerlett to Odenell.
• Baldes told his remaining followers to clean the courtyard and leave no traces.
• In a hidden basement, Delson Plante watched Odenell prepare a spell inside a Magic Array while Andy observed.
• Delson explained why Suggestion and the Brain Worm were unsuitable for extracting information from the Diaz Family’s longtime assassin.
• Delson told Andy that Odenell had chosen Soul Retrieval.

Delson Plante explained the dangers of soul magic to Andy as Odenell Master prepared to retrieve the soul of Sommerlett, an assassin tied to the Diaz Family. While Odenell began the spell, Delson described how the strength and quantity of a target’s memories could overwhelm a caster, then warned that the next kinds of minds he would describe could be fatal to them.

• Delson Plante told Andy that soul magic exposed both the target’s and caster’s minds, and urged cooperation across rival factions.
• The priest brought the limp Sommerlett to the Magic Array, and Delson and Andy placed him inside it.
• Odenell Master dismissed Delson’s concern, and Delson silently hoped the ritual would damage Odenell’s mind.
• Odenell began the Soul Retrieval while Delson explained to Andy that memories acted like cards in a contest between souls.
• Delson compared the minds of farmers, nobles, and adventurers, then warned Andy that more powerful kinds of experience could prove fatal to them.

Delson Plante explained to Andy how Soul Retrieval could overwhelm a spellcaster with a subject’s deeply held knowledge and secrets. Odenell Master completed the spell on Sommerlett and learned where the child was.

• Delson Plante told Andy that Soul Retrieval could expose a spellcaster to a subject’s certain beliefs and immense sea of consciousness, overwhelming the soul when the Mind Barrier and material-world separation vanished.
• Andy questioned why the spell’s information had to be certain and why it could harm a spellcaster, and Delson explained how the subject’s conviction fused with the caster’s soul.
• Odenell Master began Soul Retrieval on Sommerlett as Andy watched the Magic Array’s runes glow and spin around them.
• Sommerlett struggled and howled in pain while Odenell Master endured the soul-level impact, and Delson said his Mentor was capable of handling Sommerlett’s secrets.
• After the spell ended, Sommerlett lay gasping and Odenell Master recovered before announcing that they knew where the child was.

Baldes and his companions rescued Johnny Landry from an underground chamber after the Sommerlett Family mansion burned, and Johnny revealed that he had killed the man guarding him. The group carried him away from Sand River Town, while the town’s residents discovered the devastation and mourned their dead.

• Odenell told Derson and Andy how to find the underground passage and ordered Andy to erase traces and dispose of Master Sommerlett.
• Baldes led the black-robed men into the passage, where they found Johnny Landry beside the corpse of a servant.
• Carol disarmed Johnny, reassured him, and brought him out of the chamber with the group.
• In a carriage, Johnny told Carol that he had killed the man who threatened him, and Baldes remarked on his Griffin Family bloodline.
• At daybreak, Sand River Town residents surveyed the burned southwest district, found the mayor’s corpse, and grieved for the dead.

Antonio Griffin asked Old Marshal MacDonald whether he would support him in a future imperial succession crisis, then explained that he understood the family oath preventing MacDonald from taking his side. Antonio revealed that he had already removed the obstacle, leaving MacDonald to learn what he had done.

• Old Marshal MacDonald questioned Antonio Griffin about summoning him, and Antonio praised him as an important military and political pillar of the Empire.
• Antonio asked whether MacDonald would choose to serve him if the Empire faced a crisis, and MacDonald said he could no longer support him because it was too late.
• MacDonald explained that an old oath bound his family to protect the bloodline of the former liege it had abandoned for Antonio's grandfather.
• Antonio told MacDonald he understood the burden of the oath and said he had already moved the obstacle that kept MacDonald from supporting him.

Prince Antonio returned Johnny, the surviving blood relative of a former prince, to Old Marshal MacDonald and explained why he had spared the boy. MacDonald began to realize Antonio’s estate might be the safest place for Johnny, even as he remained uncertain about Antonio’s ultimate ambitions.

• Antonio reunited MacDonald with Johnny and offered to let the marshal take the boy home.
• MacDonald thanked Antonio for rescuing Johnny and promised to repay his kindness.
• Antonio told MacDonald he would not harm Johnny because the child was innocent and had been dragged into the conspiracy through his bloodline.
• MacDonald admitted he wanted to keep Johnny close but worried he could not protect him from the Diaz Family.
• MacDonald recognized that Antonio’s estate could provide Johnny with greater protection than his own home.

After Johnny was rescued, MacDonald broke with the Diaz Family and pledged to support Prince Antonio, who promised to restore Johnny’s royal status. Duke Diaz learned that the Sommerlett family had perished in a deliberate fire, and as Felix reacted angrily, he decided to advance some plans.

• Prince Antonio offered to protect Johnny, and MacDonald promised to assist him and keep Johnny from threatening Antonio’s rule.
• Duke Diaz’s guard reported that the Sommerlett family had been wiped out in a likely deliberate fire and that Johnny might have died there.
• Duke Diaz considered how Johnny’s fate would affect MacDonald’s loyalty and the Diaz Family’s leverage.
• Felix blamed Antonio for the fire, attacked the guard, and feared MacDonald would strengthen Antonio’s military power.
• Duke Diaz reprimanded Felix and said they would have to bring some plans forward.

Hansel Abbott received a royal decree appointing Gerd Rhodesney as the Royal Family’s plenipotentiary representative to discuss introducing secondary industry into the Royal Territory. Hansel welcomed the plan and offered to help, while Gerd asked whether the southern territories could compete with Northwest Bay.

• Hansel met Gerd Rhodesney and his twin younger brothers, August and Yuriko, at his home.
• Gerd gave Hansel a letter from the king ordering him to discuss industrial development with Paul Greiman, Henry Ferdinand, and Northwest Bay’s ministers.
• Yuriko insulted Hansel for his reaction to the royal letter, and Gerd signaled him to stop.
• Gerd explained that the king wanted displaced Southern Nobles to pursue industry and commerce rather than cause trouble.
• Hansel declared the plan feasible and said industry could build wealth faster than farming, adding that success depended on coordinating it with other measures.

Gerd Rhodesney discussed introducing industry and commerce to Royal Territory with Hansel, who explained which technologies Earl Paul Greiman might share and which he would keep. The conversation left Hansel doubting the strength of the Royal Family as he outlined several profitable alternatives to Gerd.

• Gerd told Hansel that the king planned to establish a few workshops and test selected technologies before making a larger investment.
• Hansel recommended porcelain, but explained that Earl Greiman would not share porcelain, firearms, or artillery technology.
• Yuriko Rhodesney demanded that Greiman hand over his advanced technologies, and Gerd rebuked him for assuming the Royal Family could make demands without offering compensation.
• Hansel reflected that the kingdom had grown too weak to command its vassals or reward their loyalty, while Greiman's standing among the nobles had risen.
• Hansel named salt-drying, Flying Shuttle Looms, Agricultural Machinery, oarless sailboats, and Honeycomb Coal as technologies or products that could benefit Royal Territory.

Paul learned that Earl Gelde Rhodesney had come to import Arda's manufacturing technology to the Royal Territory, threatening Paul's plan to control its gradual spread. As Gelde surveyed Paul's modest home, Paul reflected on the financial pressures keeping him from the luxurious life he hoped to enjoy.

• Hansel brought Paul Earl Gelde Rhodesney, the King's nephew, who explained that he wanted to import Arda's manufacturing technology into the Royal Territory.
• Paul worried that the Royal Family's resources and talent could let it overtake Arda if it acquired the technology too soon.
• Gelde examined the sparsely furnished reception room and noted how few servants the Greiman residence had.
• Paul claimed that people in the northwest preferred a minimalist style, though his real reason for keeping the residence plain was a lack of money.
• Paul explained that he used the Public Treasury for territorial development and repeatedly subsidized public projects from the Greiman Family's Private Treasury.

Paul negotiated with Gerd over which Northwest Bay technologies Arda would share with the Royal Territory and how the partnership would be structured. They agreed in principle that Arda would contribute technology for a twenty percent stake in a jointly funded company, pending the king’s approval.

• Gerd presented Paul with a list of Northwest Bay technologies and asked which could be shared beyond Arda.
• Paul agreed to open several technologies to the Royal Territory, while keeping machinery production, iron smelting, and spring manufacturing restricted and offering finished goods or mineral sales instead.
• Paul proposed an annual patent fee of two hundred thousand silver shields, which Gerd rejected as too expensive.
• Paul offered to replace the fee with shares in a joint company, and after bargaining, Gerd accepted Arda’s twenty percent stake, subject to the king’s approval.
• Paul and Gerd toasted their prospective cooperation and left the remaining details to their subordinates.