Chapter Summaries

Shade visited Galina Cavendish, learned how the Church interpreted the gods’ appearance and heard her warning about the Murmuring Chapters and the remaining Chosen Ones. Galina helped arrange Shade’s plan to kill a Blood of Mercury supporter and claim the Falsified Philosopher’s Stone, then drank his spiritually enhanced water and suspected he might be a Chosen One.

• Shade told Galina about the gods’ appearance while she explained that the Church had renamed the Masked Man Under the Silver Moon the God Summoner and believed him to be a Thirteenth Ring Warlock.
• Galina revealed what she knew about the Murmuring Chapters and warned Shade that the Chosen Ones who had yet to appear might be recruited.
• Shade asked Galina for help killing the Ridgewich Field Police Department chief, who held the Falsified Philosopher’s Stone and supported Blood of Mercury, and she offered to clear away nearby people if he acted the next day.
• Shade processed a glass of water with Satiety Feast for Galina, then left her estate with Tifa and took the Vampire’s Fang and 1,200 pounds.
• Galina drank half the water, wondered whether Shade was a candidate for Chosen One, and crushed her glass when she unexpectedly hiccupped.

Shade returned home with the vampire fang and received a bank draft for the group’s payment, then celebrated with Luvia and Miss Bayes as they discussed the Church’s interest in Chosen Ones and the previous night’s events. While dividing the relics, Shade showed them the Metamorphosis Ring, which Mia briefly wore on her tail as a toy.

• Shade returned the vampire fang to Miss Servit, who thanked him for helping Miss Galina and gave him back the book he had bought at auction.
• Shade, Luvia, and Miss Bayes divided the 1,200-pound payment, then shared dinner with Mia while Miss Bayes revealed she had advanced to the Third Ring.
• Miss Bayes asked Shade whether he was human, and he reassured her while keeping the truth about his role in the White Robe God’s appearance secret.
• Shade showed Luvia and Miss Bayes the Metamorphosis Ring, and Mia slipped it onto her tail before Shade retrieved it.

Shade and the others divided the relics recovered from the ruins, including God's Gift Box, and Iluna thanked Shade for restoring her eye. The group prepared to retrieve the Falsified Philosopher's Stone after the lockdown ended.

• Shade explained God's Gift Box's traits and dangers, including its weekly gifts for children and the risks it posed to adults.
• Shade refused to take the Puppeteer's Script, so Miss Annette kept its remaining pages for divination.
• Shade received the Mercury Vial in a draw, while Miss Bayes took the bloodstained iron scissors.
• Miss Bayes thanked Shade for her new eye and asked him to call her Iluna.
• Iluna planned to study the knowledge she gained as the Chosen One, while Luvia began looking for another way to find the second Chosen One.
• Shade said he and the Doctor would retrieve the Falsified Philosopher's Stone after the lockdown, with Luvia offering a divination and Iluna arranging to keep Church patrols away.

Shade and Doctor Schneider raided Anthony Wograve’s home to recover the Falsified Philosopher’s Stone and punish the police chief for killing Shade’s client. They escaped after staging Wograve’s death and setting the house on fire, leaving the neighborhood in chaos.

• Shade and Doctor Schneider entered Number 17 Empress Mary Avenue in disguise and put the servants to sleep before removing them from the house.
• The Doctor warned the Ring Arcanist protecting Anthony Wograve that Wograve was connected to the Blood Feast Lord Cult, and the Arcanist left.
• Shade and the Doctor shot the three criminals guarding the third floor, then confronted Wograve in his bedroom.
• Shade found banknotes and a Plaster Statue with ruby eyes in Wograve’s safe, and the Doctor confirmed that one eye contained the Falsified Philosopher’s Stone.
• The Doctor poisoned Wograve with the substance from the statue, and Shade shot him in front of the open window while scattering banknotes into the street.
• Doctor Schneider and Shade set fire to the house and left with their suitcases as the fire and gunshot sparked panic outside.

Shade and the Doctor escaped the burning building while discussing the balance at the heart of the world and Saint Byron's teachings. As Shade left the scene, his Origin Rhodes Card glimmered and he gained new power, bringing the volume to a close.

• Shade and the Doctor escaped through a second-floor window and blended into the crowd outside the burning building.
• The Doctor explained that Saint Byron's taught balance between opposing forces and advised Shade to review his actions before sleep.
• Shade reflected on his deeds and the Doctor's words as they walked away from the fire.
• Shade realized that balance lay in all things, and his Origin Rhodes Card glimmered as a Dark Gold Scales appeared behind him.
• Shade gained new power as he followed the Doctor into the bustling crowd.

Shade visited Luvia to report the Study Group’s suspension and ask about a new ability that let him control Origin · Balance. Luvia thought he might be borrowing part of the card’s power because he had once served as a divine descent container, and Shade left her a list of books about the Old God Radiance Doorway to research.

• Shade told Luvia that Doctor had suspended the Study Group for a week while authorities investigated the evil god incident.
• Shade showed Luvia how he could control Origin · Balance to fly through the room without casting a spell.
• Shade explained that the card’s power and the Inverted Judgment Ritual had been involved when he Incarnated as God on the Night of Divine Descent.
• Luvia rejected the idea that Shade had become a Chosen One and suggested his new ability came from having been a divine descent container.
• Shade asked Luvia to search the Seer Association’s records for information about the Radiance Doorway, and she agreed before leaving for work.

Shade checked whether Mia had become more than an ordinary cat, then sought an appraisal of Origin · Balance, visited Priest Augustus, and had lunch with Miss Louisa. The chapter ended with Miss Louisa asking to inspect Shade’s two Youthful Immortality Leaves to determine whether the Divine Descent was connected to him.

• Shade tested whether Mia could speak and decided to wait for Miss Goode’s next letter before asking to adopt the cat.
• Shade showed Mr. Mark the ancient Rhodes Card Origin · Balance and arranged for the Seer Association’s appraisers to examine it the next day.
• Shade donated money to Priest Augustus for the Saint Prayer Festival, discussed the aftermath of Thursday night, and asked him to seek information about the Old God Radiance Doorway.
• Shade visited Miss Louisa, told her he had advanced to the second ring, and discussed the Divine Descent with her over lunch.
• Miss Louisa asked Shade to show her the two Youthful Immortality Leaves so she could judge whether the Divine Descent was connected to him.

Shade visited Old John Pawnshop with Miss Louisa to appraise the Mercury Vial and learned that it could produce unlimited mercury, though the mercury carried a dangerous Whisper Element. He kept the relic and left with Miss Louisa, who asked whether Duchess Galina had paid him for his gains from the ruins.

• Miss Louisa asked Shade about the god-descension incident, and he recounted how he and an unnamed companion had attacked the Silver-Eyed One.
• Shade and Miss Louisa took the Mercury Vial to Old John Pawnshop, where Old John identified it as a Poet Level relic called the Endless Mercury Bottle.
• Old John demonstrated that the vial produced mercury when supplied with blood and a Ring Arcanist's spirit, and he explained that its Whisper Element made industrial use dangerous.
• Shade declined Old John's offer to buy the vial and mentioned that a generous noblewoman had recently paid him a large sum.
• After leaving the pawnshop, Shade confirmed to Miss Louisa that Duchess Galina had bought some of his gains from the ruins, and Miss Louisa asked how well he knew her.

Shade visited Delarion National Bank with Miss Louisa to withdraw twelve hundred pounds, then studied for the Summer Exams with her at home. After learning that his Another Me could memorize the books he read, Shade decided to attempt eighteen exams and pursue early advancement to the second year.

• Shade learned that Mrs. Lemmer had postponed accepting her inheritance until next Sunday after leaving the city for the countryside.
• Miss Louisa moved their evening lesson to Shade's home, and the two went to Delarion National Bank, where Shade withdrew twelve hundred pounds using the Duchess's Bill of Exchange.
• Shade and Miss Louisa reviewed their courses and discussed which exams to take before the deadline to notify Doctor Schneider.
• Miss Louisa explained that Shade's Another Me could remember the books he read, and Shade discovered that it had memorized nearly all of them.
• Shade changed his plan from taking nine exams to taking eighteen, hoping to meet the requirements to advance to the second year early.

Shade studied different versions of "Tree's Kiss" with Miss Louisa, who explained how stories and their historical interpretations shaped Enlightenment. She invited him to attend an opera next Saturday, leaving him uncertain whether the invitation was simply part of their studies.

• Miss Louisa reminded Shade that he still needed ten Practical Credits to advance to the second year, and he said he was unconcerned.
• Miss Louisa noticed Mia wearing the Metamorphosis Ring, and Shade explained that it was connected to Miss Galina.
• Shade and Miss Louisa studied "Tree's Kiss" and compared its endings across different editions, including a version from the Delarion Ancient Fairy Tales Collection.
• Miss Louisa borrowed several books Shade had recovered from the Old Day Cult ruins and explained how variations in stories reflected the eras that produced them.
• Miss Louisa showed Shade two tickets to an opera related to "Tree's Kiss" and invited him to join her next Saturday after his exams.

Shade accepted Miss Louisa’s invitation to the opera and learned that the Church suspected a deep-sea Fishman had killed the final victim in Coldwater Port. Priest Augustus then brought Shade an expired Cat in a Bottle potion tainted by a curse; Shade cleansed it and arranged to study potion brewing at the church.

• Shade accepted Miss Louisa’s invitation to the Maria Empress Opera House, and she told him the Church suspected a Fishman favored by an evil god had killed the dock dispatcher in Coldwater Port.
• Miss Louisa heard Shade’s account of the cemetery ghosts and decided to adapt it into the opening story of her detective collection.
• Priest Augustus visited Shade with a bottle containing an expired Cat in a Bottle potion contaminated by a cursed composite.
• Shade used Silver Moon twenty times to remove the curse from the potion, leaving the solid residue for Priest Augustus to use as spellcasting material.
• Shade asked Priest Augustus to help him brew Elation Potion and Long Sleep Water, and they arranged to meet at the church on Wednesday.

Shade spent a quiet week preparing for exams and organizing his next trip through time, while the Church and the Academy investigated the Divine Descent Incident. The chapter ends with Shade heading into Saturday’s exams, with his second journey to the year 3002 planned for the following Sunday.

• Iluna left Tobesk to answer questions at the Sun Church’s headquarters, while Shade’s other acquaintances were occupied and no clients visited him.
• Shade contacted Miss Danist for information about the Old God Radiance Doorway, then postponed using the Time Key until after his exams so he could prepare more thoroughly.
• Shade learned to craft the Ever-Bright Candle from Old John and brewed the potion required for his studies.
• Shade agreed to give a speech at the Saint Prayer Festival, and Bishop Owen offered to arrange safe milk deliveries for him.
• Priest Augustus told Shade that the cultists had been wiped out, some Blood of Mercury members had fled toward the New Continent, and Shade’s codename had become God Summoner.
• Shade sent the Doctor a limited account of what he had witnessed during the Divine Descent Incident, then began his Saturday exams.

Shade and his friends gathered at his home to take their Saint Byron’s exams, with Shade facing eighteen subjects. The proctors arrived by projection and began the examination after confirming everyone’s subjects and distributing supplies.

• Shade prepared for the exams by going to bed early and eating a light breakfast, while Mia watched him anxiously.
• Shade’s friends gathered at his home, where they discussed exam rules and learned that Luvia only had to take three subjects.
• The group entered the examination room, and Doctor Schneider summoned four Saint Byron’s proctors through a projection ritual.
• Professor Gulliver confirmed the subjects for Doctor Schneider, Miss Louisa, Luvia, Priest Augustus, and Shade, who agreed to take eighteen exams.
• Doctor Schneider distributed parchment, ink, pens, and anti-cheating charms before the Academy transmitted the exam papers.

Shade completed his eighteen Saint Byron’s exams and learned that he could advance to the second year if he earned twenty Practical Credits by the following Saturday. The Academy awarded the group five credits each for surviving the Divine Descent Incidents and issued a bounty concerning the Thirteenth Ring Warlock God Summoner, while Shade prepared for his next time travel and Second Ring elements.

• Shade finished his exams at four twenty-one, earning eleven Excellent marks, six Exceeded Expectations, and one Pass.
• Professor Gulliver told the group about upcoming field practice and advancement requirements, then said Shade needed twenty Practical Credits by next Saturday to secure his second-year advancement.
• The Academy awarded each group member five Practical Credits for their experiences during the Divine Descent Incidents and issued a bounty to find information about God Summoner.
• Professor Garcia scheduled Shade’s Folded Space elective and asked about his next time travel; Shade said he planned to use his Time Key in half a month.
• Shade discussed his likely progress toward Enlightenment elements and considered the remaining Second Ring elements before beginning another adventure.

At the end of exam week, Shade received his share of the Academy prize and told his friends he had enough savings to cover his second-year tuition. He then went with Miss Louisa to the opera, where they watched a performance featuring Tree's Kiss.

• Doctor Schneider divided the first 200 pounds of the Academy prize among the group, and Shade received 40 pounds.
• Shade asked Doctor Schneider to leave the remaining prize money available for his tuition, and he said he had around 800 pounds in savings.
• Doctor Schneider and Priest Augustus went to celebrate, while Shade invited Miss Louisa to dinner and then took her to the Maria Empress Opera House.
• Shade and Miss Louisa watched Higgins's Tragic Life, and Shade used her binoculars briefly before settling back to watch the stage unaided.
• The opera's third act featured Tree's Kiss as part of its portrayal of Higgins's heartbreak, drawing loud applause from the audience.

At the opera, Shade discussed the story’s interpretation with Miss Louisa before police arrived to arrest someone connected to the poisoning case. He found Miss Louisa meeting Harry Walker, who recognized Shade as the newly titled knight, and hinted that he needed help with seized goods.

• Miss Louisa asked Shade what he thought of the opera’s portrayal of Princess Tavel and the ancient tree, and he offered several possible interpretations of their relationship.
• Miss Louisa left to trade goods with Harry Walker, an Arcanist from Serkses Higher Medical Academy, while Shade stayed to watch the performance.
• Ridgewich Field police officers entered the opera house to arrest someone connected to the previous week’s poisoning case, and Shade showed one officer his Military Intelligence Section Six credentials.
• Shade found Miss Louisa outside a washroom speaking with Harry Walker, who recognized Shade as the recently titled knight from Leijed.
• Harry Walker told Shade that a batch of his goods had been seized outside Tobesk and began asking for his help.

Shade challenged Mr. Walker to a wager over the price of Miss Louisa’s parchment, and their contest began with a race that Shade won using a spatial ability. Mr. Walker then offered information about an Angel Level Relic as a prize for a Rhodes Cards match, which was underway when the chapter ended.

• Mr. Walker demanded 15 pounds for Miss Louisa’s parchment, but Shade proposed a wager that could lower the price to 13 pounds.
• Mr. Walker challenged Shade to a best-of-three contest, and Shade won the first round by reaching the 30-foot mark with a spatial ability.
• Mr. Walker offered information about the Angel Level Relic in exchange for a Rhodes Cards match, and Shade accepted.
• Shade and Mr. Walker began their card game, and Mr. Walker revealed his hole card, Modern Girl · Flower Shop Girl, suit Moon 7.

Shade and Miss Louisa learned that an Angel Level Relic had manifested as expanding darkness near Tobesk, though the Church had contained it. On the carriage ride home, Shade told Miss Louisa he had opened the Time Key to Fifth Epoch 3002 and met Miss Feliana, while withholding the details of his journey.

• Shade and Mr. Walker both reached 20 points, agreed to draw again, and busted when Mr. Walker drew Stars 3 and Shade revealed Moon 1.
• Mr. Walker paid Miss Louisa 13 pounds and explained that the Out-of-Control Angel Level Relic was a darkness-covered area near Tobesk that erased outside knowledge of what lay within and spawned migrating creatures.
• Miss Louisa worried about the growing dangers around Tobesk, while Shade believed the Church had contained the relic and said Mr. Stan had returned from helping with an out-of-control relic.
• Shade escorted Miss Louisa home after the opera and discussed Tree's Kiss, his Mystic Lock, and the effects of Enlightenment.
• Shade told Miss Louisa that he had opened the Time Key to Fifth Epoch 3002 and met Miss Feliana, but she asked him not to reveal the details of his time-travel experiences.
• Shade said he might gain a Miracle Spirit Rune and asked Miss Louisa to keep a Youthful Immortality Leaf for him, while explaining that he preferred strengthening his foundation to advancing quickly.

Shade accompanied Mrs. Lemmer and Lawyer Laurel as they began transferring the inheritance left by her deceased sailor relative, Jonathan Lemmer. After confirming the cash and examining the sailor’s collection for anything unusual, Shade watched as the lawyer opened the final suitcase of personal effects.

• Shade visited Mrs. Lemmer in her crowded attic apartment in Silver Gray Alley to help her accept the inheritance.
• Shade met Lawyer Laurel, who recognized him from their earlier Rhodes Cards game and questioned whether Shade had been investigating him.
• Shade read the will and confirmed that Mrs. Lemmer received 49 pounds, 16 shillings, and 7 pence after inheritance tax.
• Lawyer Laurel presented Jonathan Lemmer’s collection of travel souvenirs, and Shade examined the items without sensing any Whisper Element.
• Lawyer Laurel opened the final suitcase, which held Jonathan Lemmer’s personal effects, including diaries, clothing, and books.

Shade helped Mrs. Lemmer receive Jonathan Lemmer’s inheritance and discovered in his diaries that the dead sailor had been a Ring Arcanist. The discovery gave Shade another reason to visit Coldwater Port City, where Lemmer’s hidden belongings might remain.

• Shade and the lawyer explained Jonathan Lemmer’s burial wishes, and Mrs. Lemmer agreed to bury his photographs if his body was never recovered.
• Shade found Jonathan Lemmer’s diaries and read an entry revealing that Lemmer had become a Ring Arcanist and hidden books and Spellcasting Materials in a small house in Coldwater Port City.
• Shade realized Lemmer’s Safe Room might still contain an ownerless Ring Arcanist’s belongings, giving him another reason to visit Coldwater Port City.
• Mrs. Lemmer signed the document confirming she had received the inheritance and paid Lawyer Laurel his legal fees.
• Lawyer Laurel recognized Shade as Detective Hamilton from the newspaper, praised his reliability, and exchanged contact information with him.