Chapter Summaries

Shade met the royal siblings at Yodel Palace before Larus III secretly assigned him to investigate Princess Margaret Anjou’s contacts during her visit to Tobesk. The mission centered on the possibility that she would meet the Gray-headed Eagle, drawing Shade further into the Kingdom’s political intrigues.

• Shade greeted Marius Cavendish, Derrick Cavendish, and Leisha while waiting to see the King, and the princes invited him to their social gatherings and Mona’s wedding.
• After waiting another hour, Shade met Marquis Cornell, who recognized him and praised his fitness.
• Larus III told Shade that Sir Anlos had recommended him and that his intelligence about Middlesburg had nearly helped Military Intelligence Section Six catch a major target.
• Larus III revealed that Margaret Anjou might contact the Gray-headed Eagle in Tobesk and ordered Shade to identify whom she met during her visit.
• Shade accepted the secret assignment and was told to coordinate with Sir Anlos, with a possible promotion promised if he succeeded.

Shade began a new mission to observe the Kasonlik Princess and collected several rare coins while visiting Coldwater Port and the Old Lighthouse. He ended the chapter with three Special Coins in his possession and chose not to use the Coin of Wisdom on Mia.

• Director Anlos told Shade that Miss Galina supported his mission to monitor the Kasonlik Princess and that success could improve his standing in the Sixth Office.
• Shade took Mia to Coldwater Port and heard Ring Arcanists discussing the two recent Divine Descent Incidents and the possibility of a third.
• Shade bought two Dandelion Coins at the Seven Broomsticks Tavern for 124 pounds and 3 shillings.
• Mr. Edmund sold Shade a Poet Level Coin of Wisdom and warned him that repeated use caused addiction, mental damage, and eventual corruption into a Wisdom Demon.
• Shade decided against using the Coin of Wisdom on Mia, and the chapter noted that he now had two Youthful Immortality Leaves and three Special Coins.

Shade bought a Coin of Wisdom and accepted the Hermit Order’s task of copying pages from Princess Margaret Anjou’s manuscript, the Elixir of Immortality, in exchange for access to a tablet linked to the Gray-Robed Sage. Mr. Edmund also pointed him toward the Goddess in the Lake near Huntington, where Shade decided to search for divinity.

• Shade spent 28 pounds on a Coin of Wisdom, and Mr. Edmund told him the Hermit Order had found a tablet bearing the Gray-Robed Sage’s emblem that recorded part of the knowledge Shade sought about Time Perception.
• Mr. Edmund asked Shade to copy pages five through eight of the Elixir of Immortality, an old book left by the last Witch Emperor and currently held by Princess Margaret Anjou, in exchange for the tablet.
• Shade accepted the task after suspecting the book contained a Poem Chapter Fragment and recognizing that approaching the Princess could also advance his other objectives.
• Mr. Edmund projected a map of the Old Continent and identified Huntington, the Red Wine City, as an important city near the Pantanal Great Swamp.
• Mr. Edmund explained that the legend of the Goddess in the Lake had been passed down near Huntington, and Shade decided to visit the area to seek divinity before its lingering radiance faded further.

Shade learned of reports about a Goddess in the Lake near Huntington and planned to investigate before using his new Time Key, whose destination was Year 5177 of the Fifth Epoch. He delayed the journey until the weekend while arranging a relic to improve his luck and locate a spatial landmark near Huntington.

• Mr. Edmund told Shade that people had reported seeing the Goddess in the Lake near Huntington, where records also placed a Saint's descent during the early Fifth Epoch.
• Shade told Luvia about the three Special Coins and his key to Year 5177, but decided to postpone using it until he had a lead on the divinity he sought.
• Shade planned to visit Huntington to investigate the lake goddess and said he would use the Time Key by the weekend to keep his grade advancement on schedule.
• Shade read that Princess Margaret Anjou would travel from Huntington to Tobesk, where her arrival would bring martial controls and inspections.
• Shade planned to use White Stone Crystal to seek a spatial landmark near Huntington and arranged for Old Dad John to find a relic that could improve his luck.

Shade borrowed the Golden Lucky Rabbit Foot from Old Dad John and learned that overusing its luck could summon a terrifying rabbit-like evil entity. He used its luck to find a new Space Labyrinth signpost, then emerged in an unfamiliar wine cellar near Huntington City, where a long-dead skeleton remained beside the statue.

• Old Dad John explained the Golden Lucky Rabbit Foot’s luck-granting power, rabbit-filled dreams, and danger of summoning an evil entity, then lent it to Shade for ten pounds.
• Shade touched the rabbit leg, gained temporary luck, and traveled to the Space Labyrinth with the White Stone Crystal.
• Shade selected a southern direction and discovered a fourth signpost leading to a new hidden space.
• Shade entered the space, found a long-dead male skeleton beside a Two-Headed Ancient God statue, and ended the relic’s effect by pouring water over his head.
• Shade passed through the Hidden Wall and found himself in a dark, dry cellar filled with oak wine barrels.

Shade emerged from the Hidden Wall into the wine cellar of the White River Valley Vineyard, an estate owned by the Anjou Family. After overhearing a suspicious conversation about killing people and hiding their bodies, he was discovered in the warehouse corridor, where two Bloodkin mistook him for a thief.

• Shade found that the Hidden Wall led into a wine cellar at the White River Valley Vineyard and learned that the vineyard belonged to the Anjou Family.
• Shade heard men outside discussing killing people and washing away the blood, then hid as they carried something heavy into the warehouses.
• After the men left, Shade entered the corridor and smelled blood, then headed toward the warehouse to investigate.
• An old man spotted Shade and shouted that a thief was in the warehouse.
• A burly Bloodkin appeared and warned Shade not to draw a gun, urging him to explain himself rather than act rashly.

Shade met Armand Bernhardt at the Anjou royal family's White River Valley Vineyard outside Huntington, where Bernhardt was storing fresh meat in the warehouse. After inviting Shade into the city, Bernhardt offered to help him learn about the area, and Shade asked whether the vineyard might be for sale.

• Shade startled the vineyard caretaker and coachman, then used a spell to move past Armand Bernhardt when Bernhardt mistook him for a thief.
• Shade removed his mask, and Bernhardt recognized him as Hanmi Watson, the man who had saved him in Miburg.
• Bernhardt explained that the Anjou family owned the vineyard and that he used its empty warehouse to store meat for winter.
• Bernhardt invited Shade to Huntington as thanks, and Shade asked if he knew whether he could buy the vineyard.
• Bernhardt said he would inquire but warned that buying property would be difficult without Kasonlik citizenship, then took Shade by carriage toward Huntington.

Shade arrived in Huntington with Mr. Bernhardt and dined with him at the White King Club, where they discussed local affairs and Shade’s reason for visiting. The chapter ended with Shade asking whether Mr. Bernhardt had heard rumors about the lake fairy.

• Shade traveled through Huntington with Mr. Bernhardt and arrived at the White King Club, where Mr. Bernhardt hosted him and opened a treasured bottle of wine.
• Baron Roland greeted Mr. Bernhardt, met Shade, and mentioned that Princess Margaret Anjou had arrived in Huntington and was upstairs at the club.
• Mr. Bernhardt told Shade that the God of Vampires had forbidden the Bloodkin from investigating the events of the Middlesburg operation.
• Shade revealed that he could use conditional Space Jump to reach White River Valley Vineyard, and Mr. Bernhardt offered him a horse and access to his Ferdinand Wine Shop.
• Shade asked Mr. Bernhardt whether he had heard any rumors about the lake fairy.

Shade learned about Huntington’s local legends and occult organizations while dining with Mr. Bernhardt, then offered him unusual wine to solve an embarrassing problem for Princess Margaret Anjou. Mr. Bernhardt was astonished by Shade’s crimson apple cider, which might serve as a suitable private gift for the Princess to take to Tobesk.

• Mr. Bernhardt told Shade about the Lake Fairy legend and the Pantanal Voodoo Society, warning him not to casually accept food or drink from its members.
• A Club attendant summoned Mr. Bernhardt to meet Princess Margaret Anjou, who wanted wine from the White River Valley Vineyard for her private gifts to Tobesk’s nobles and officials.
• Mr. Bernhardt confessed that he had secretly supplied wine from his own winery because the vineyard’s wine had deteriorated, but he had none left for the Princess.
• Shade produced bottles of apple cider and grape wine, then asked Mr. Bernhardt to taste the cider.
• Mr. Bernhardt inspected the cider’s ruby color and fragrance and exclaimed in amazement.

Shade used Armand Bernhardt’s introduction to meet Princess Margaret Anjou in Huntington, hoping to learn more about her before their paths crossed in Tobesk. The chapter ended with Shade and Margaret beginning their first conversation.

• Shade gave Mr. Bernhardt three bottles of New Continent red wine to send to Princess Margaret as a gift.
• After the Princess praised the wine and requested a meeting, Shade agreed, and Mr. Bernhardt further altered his appearance with a Bloodkin illusion.
• Shade asked whether Margaret might be a Ring Arcanist, and Mr. Bernhardt assured him his disguise could fool her.
• Shade and Armand Bernhardt entered Margaret’s private lounge at the White King Club, where Shade’s Witches Detection Badge confirmed her identity.
• Armand introduced Shade to Margaret as Sherlock Holmes, a Delarion winery owner, and Shade greeted her in deliberately clumsy Kartherian Language.

Shade and Mr. Bernhardt negotiated with Princess Margaret Anjou to sell her wine for a gift to the Delarion Royal Family, while Shade used their conversation to build his reputation ahead of meeting her as Hamilton of Leijed. The chapter left Margaret interested in Tobesk and its nobles, including rumors about Hamilton and Duchess Galina.

• Princess Margaret praised Shade’s wine and proposed buying it for the Delarion Royal Family, while Shade claimed his supply was limited.
• With Mr. Bernhardt’s help, Shade agreed to deliver twelve bottles to the Princess by ten the next morning and accepted her Bill of Exchange.
• Shade realized the exchange was worth 75 crowns, far more than he had initially assumed, and considered whether Blood Brew could be profitable.
• Margaret asked Shade about Tobesk before her trip there, and he described its people and praised Hamilton of Leijed.
• Margaret asked whether Hamilton was Duchess Galina’s lover, and Shade said the rumor was widespread but he could not confirm it.

During Princess Margaret’s visit to the White King Club, Earl Sachia died from suspected poisoning shortly after drinking tea in her room. Shade and Mr. Bernhardt joined Colonel Wood in investigating the Earl’s last meetings before the police arrived, while the club’s third floor was locked down.

• Shade and Mr. Bernhardt left Princess Margaret’s room when Earl Sachia arrived to meet her.
• A Royal Guard summoned Shade and Mr. Bernhardt back upstairs after Earl Sachia collapsed and died from suspected poison.
• Colonel Wood explained that the Earl had drunk tea from a pot Shade and Mr. Bernhardt had also used, and the Earl’s death risked drawing police scrutiny to Shade’s identity.
• Shade suggested investigating where the Earl had been and whom he had met before coming to Princess Margaret’s room.
• Mr. Bernhardt persuaded Colonel Wood to delay the police so they could investigate the Earl’s last visitors and protect Princess Margaret’s reputation.
• Colonel Wood led Shade and Mr. Bernhardt to question the three people who had secretly met with Earl Sachia, as Royal Guards sealed the third floor.

After Earl Sachia’s death, Shade and the investigators questioned his three secret visitors and uncovered their criminal dealings. Shade proposed arresting Ms. Martha as the poisoner to keep the scandal from reaching the public, and Colonel Wood detained her while the investigation continued.

• Colonel Wood announced Earl Sachia’s death, prompting Mr. Sanberg, Mr. Francis, and Ms. Martha to agree to separate questioning.
• Mr. Sanberg confessed that he and the Earl had smuggled tobacco and argued over dividing their profits.
• Mr. Francis revealed that the Earl had tried to trade railway intelligence for permission to dock a shipment of illegal herbs from the New Continent.
• Ms. Martha said she was the Earl’s mistress and that he had given her a 200-Crown Bill of Exchange when he ended their relationship; Mr. Bernhardt signaled Shade that her scent seemed abnormal.
• Shade suggested framing Ms. Martha as the poisoner so the guards could detain all three suspects under the cover of a state-secret investigation.
• Colonel Wood arrested Ms. Martha and said she would be transferred to the Gray Gloves.

Ms. Martha revealed herself as Earl Sachia’s murderer and tried to escape, but Shade and Mr. Bernhardt’s attempt to keep the incident quiet was interrupted by the arrival of a dangerous Voodoo Society arcanist. The disturbance brought Emma Sylvia, the Great Witch of the Witch Council’s Thirteenth Seat, into the room.

• Ms. Martha knocked Colonel Wood unconscious, took his handgun, and incapacitated Shade and Mr. Bernhardt with her ring before preparing to escape through the window.
• Shade and Mr. Bernhardt pretended to remain unconscious, but Shade’s Pendant warned them of danger as a vine attacked.
• A bald arcanist arrived to help Ms. Martha escape, and Shade and Mr. Bernhardt fought him while trying to keep the noise down.
• The arcanist revealed himself as Poison Ivy Magis, and the room’s door opened as he struggled with Shade and Mr. Bernhardt.
• Emma Sylvia entered the room, leaving Shade chilled by the unexpected arrival of the Great Witch.

Shade Hamilton and Viscount Armand Bernhardt met Great Witch Emma Sylvia, who captured the disguised Ring Arcanist responsible for Earl Sachia’s murder. Sylvia arranged to conceal the incident from Margaret’s delegation and left to explain matters to Margaret, while Shade and Bernhardt prepared to report what happened.

• Emma Sylvia arrived, killed the bald man, and questioned Shade after recognizing his badge.
• Ms. Martha emerged from the washroom, and Sylvia petrified her; the apparent corpse then revealed himself as a mass of vines and Sylvia confined him in midair.
• Shade identified himself and Viscount Armand Bernhardt, then recounted their encounter with the suspected murderer at the White King Club.
• Sylvia planned to alter Martha’s and Colonel Wood’s memories, hand the captured Ring Arcanist to the Orthodox Church, and keep the case separate from Margaret’s delegation.
• Shade repaired the room with his Thaumaturgy, and Sylvia recognized him as the detective from the Detective Hamilton Story Collection before leaving to speak with Margaret.

Shade stayed at Miss Galina’s manor after using the Golden Lucky Rabbit’s Foot and discussed Miss Sylvia’s finances and the Council with her. At the Council, Miss Galina revealed that Shade was her rumored lover and a man Witches could touch, leaving Miss Sylvia to consider what his existence meant for the Council.

• Shade told Miss Galina about the Huntington murder and asked to stay at her manor in case the Rabbit’s Foot caused trouble.
• Miss Galina explained that Sylvia needed money to develop her followers and that the bounty on Poison Ivy Magis could total five figures.
• Miss Galina brought Shade and Tifa to the Council, where she said Sister Devlin might be granted permission to attend its meetings.
• Miss Sylvia arrived and questioned whether Shade was a woman, so Miss Galina kissed him and explained his identity and significance to the Council.

Shade discussed his unusual nature and a possible Poem Chapter Fragment with Miss Sylvia, who agreed to seek Princess Margaret Anjou’s book. Back at the manor, Miss Galina revealed that she wanted Shade to ask Mana Falianna about demigods when he traveled to the Fifth Epoch, hoping to learn about the limits of mortal power.

• Miss Sylvia questioned Shade about his human nature and his Spacetime Spirit Rune, then asked him to cooperate with her research into space.
• Miss Sylvia explained that she had tutored Margaret Anjou and granted her the power of a witch as an investment in the Anjou family’s political future.
• Shade told Miss Sylvia that Margaret’s copy of the Elixir of Immortality might contain a Poem Chapter Fragment, and Miss Galina urged her to bring the book to the Council.
• Miss Sylvia agreed to retrieve the book after reaching Tobesk and arranged to meet Shade the next morning to discuss his Space Miracle Technique.
• Miss Galina told Shade that Sylvia was likely supporting Margaret’s ambitions and asked him to question Mana Falianna about demigods during his coming trip to the Fifth Epoch.

Shade slept at Galina Manor and dreamed of mad rabbits beneath the Silver Moon, while Galina and Tifa quietly visited him. The next morning, he met Luvia at the Seer Association, where they discussed the Elixir of Immortality and the book’s supernatural knowledge, while the Fourth Chosen One still had not appeared.

• Shade’s Golden Lucky Rabbit’s Foot brought him a dream of red-eyed rabbits, but the First Fire and Silver Moon subdued them as they watched him in a wilderness.
• Galina checked on Shade while he slept, kissed his forehead, and left with Tifa; Mia climbed onto his chest before settling beside his pillow.
• Shade awoke feeling well rested, and Galina teased him at breakfast after he mentioned a floral fragrance from his dream.
• Shade visited the Seer Association, where Vice President Mark told him the headquarters could not provide the two Founding Series Rhodes Cards soon.
• Shade told Luvia about the Elixir of Immortality in Serkses, and she explained the book’s importance and agreed to accept his offer to copy its contents.

Shade traveled from Tobesk to Huntington, where Miss Sylvia tested his mathematical ability and asked him to become her apprentice. He was left to consider the Great Witch’s offer.

• Shade met Mr. Bernhardt at White River Valley Vineyard, where he learned Princess Margaret had hired Bernhardt to store and transport her tobacco cargo.
• Bernhardt gave Shade documents about rumors of the Goddess in the Lake and offered to join him on an adventure.
• Shade rode to Huntington and entered the Owl Bookstore using the password “Large Number Theory.”
• At the Ring Arcanist black market, Miss Sylvia tested Shade with mathematical problems, including a Morse Expansion.
• Miss Sylvia praised Shade’s intelligence and asked him to become her apprentice.

Shade declined Miss Sylvia’s offer to become her apprentice but accepted her invitation to a farewell banquet at Rothschild Manor, then began investigating the Goddess in the Lake legends in Huntington. The chapter left him at the home of Professor Kansas Drake, a disabled folklore scholar who claimed to have encountered the Goddess.

• Miss Sylvia offered to take Shade as her apprentice, and Shade declined while agreeing to consider it; she invited him to the banquet at Rothschild Manor the following evening.
• Shade and Miss Sylvia discussed the Pantanal Voodoo Society, possible political involvement in the attack on an earl, and the danger of renewed conflict across the Old Continent.
• Miss Sylvia shared her expertise in spatial Thaumaturgy with Shade and offered to teach him about the power of Witches after their group reached Tobesk.
• After lunch, Shade started investigating the Goddess in the Lake legends and learned that sightings occurred around lakes between Huntington and the Swamp of Pantanal.
• Shade visited Professor Kansas Drake, a retired folklore scholar introduced by Mr. Bernhardt, at his home in Huntington’s West District.