Chapter Summaries

Qin sent List and Hans to the New Continent, where List was appointed to oversee military affairs and organize a major expansion of the army. Franz welcomed the brothers and accepted List’s sweeping authority despite his earlier misgivings.

• Qin warned List and Hans not to risk their lives as they departed for the New Continent, and Hans asked Qin to tell Elvis that his uncle had gone to conquer the world for him.
• Franz gathered the New Continent’s young elites around him while preparing to welcome his cousins, having abandoned his plan to hinder List after Qin rebuked him.
• Franz and Hubble greeted the arriving aircraft, and Hans warmly embraced Franz before introducing List as Qin’s plenipotentiary representative.
• Franz learned that List had authority over recruiting, army reorganization, officer training, and multiple local forces, and he chose to submit to the appointment.

List arrived on the New Continent and began directing the formation of eight recruit divisions, backed by authority delegated by his father and brother. He ordered a temporary officer training class that would give local influential families a route into the imperial military.

• List felt committed to clearing obstacles for his nephew Elvis and supporting the continuation of primogeniture.
• List ordered Franz to take him to the recruit training camps so he could meet their generals.
• The camp generals reported that five camps could supply a division's recruits each month and that recruits for four divisions had finished basic training.
• List ordered the new army to be formed by regiment and instructed Franz to find a site for a temporary officer training class.
• Franz recognized that the training class would give children of local powerful families and New Continent nobles an opportunity to become junior officers and serve the Empire.

Franz recruited the sons of local powerful families for List’s temporary officer training class, accepting bribes while urging the families to stockpile war supplies. After List completed the eight recruit divisions, a church force called the Holy Legion arrived on the New Continent as Michel’s initial following.

• List arrived and helped Franz resolve staffing problems, then Franz selected a site for a temporary officer training class.
• Franz and Hubble met local powerful families, promised their sons officer posts, and accepted gifts and contributions toward war supplies.
• List trained officers and oversaw the formation of eight recruit divisions, gaining control of the army through its mix of homeland and local personnel.
• List and Hans awaited First Imperial Prince Qin, but twenty transport aircraft arrived first with soldiers from the church’s Holy Legion.
• Michel brought the church’s initial investment and followers to the New Continent after the church relocated to escape growing hostility in the Great Xia Empire.

Burdett joined Michel on the New Continent, eager to spread the faith and help the sacred bloodline expand its territory. His fanaticism and hidden devotion to the Emperor’s crest left Michel uneasy as they prepared to bring God’s glory to Ganard.

• Burdett arrived with Michel, having left retirement at Melgen Monastery to accompany the Holy Son to the New Continent.
• Michel reflected that Burdett’s strength and prestige could protect the expedition and help keep the Church Knight Order under control.
• Michel told Burdett that their mission was to bring God’s glory to Ganard, and Burdett said the Tool Mutes should disappear from the land.
• Burdett refused Michel’s offer to carry his suitcase, saying his knight armor was his second life and had been given to him by Michel’s Father.
• When Burdett asked whether Michel believed in God, Michel said yes, and Burdett claimed Michel would believe because sacred blood flowed through his veins.
• Burdett prayed over a cross bearing the Two-Headed Dragon emblem, a crest the Church would condemn as heretical if it saw it.

Michel reunited List and Hans with their brother and introduced Burdett, who had come to help command the Church Knight Order. As the brothers shared news and photographs of baby Elvis, they prepared to formally meet with the Governor's Mansion.

• Michel introduced Burdett to List and Hans as the former commander of the Mergen Knight Order and a holy knight assigned to help command the Church Knight Order.
• List led Michel away to talk about Elvis while Hubble handled the Church Knight Order's lodging and logistics.
• Burdett maintained his black Knight Armor, and Hubble noticed a strange milky-white gleam on it.
• Michel showed List and Hans photographs of Elvis crawling and smiling, delighting List with news of his nephew.
• Franz ordered Hubble to prepare for the brothers' formal visit to the Governor's Mansion.

Governor Logue weighed his position amid the Empire’s royal tensions and met List and his brothers to discuss the coming war. Knight Burdett’s old prestige impressed them, but Logue remained unwilling to go beyond his official duties to support the campaign.

• Governor Logue avoided taking sides in the royal family’s struggles and focused on preserving stability in the New Continent.
• List arrived in the City of Silver with several of his brothers and requested a meeting with Governor Logue.
• Governor Logue recognized Knight Burdett, greeted him with deep respect, and exchanged memories from their years in the Locke Kingdom.
• Hans told Burdett that their father had instructed them to show respect to the knight, pleasing Burdett.
• List began discussing the coming war, but Governor Logue agreed only to follow his official duties and would not offer further cooperation.

Duke Fernandes prepared to unite the New Continent’s surviving regimes against the Great Xia Empire, believing their growing strength still could not withstand an invasion without more time. As the leaders gathered at the palace, the King faced the prospect of surrendering his throne to his brother.

• Duke Fernandes concluded that the New Holy Cross Kingdom and the other regimes could not defeat Great Xia without more time, so he resolved to take decisive action.
• Duke Fernandes summoned leaders from the colonies to New Holy City to establish a United Kingdom against the Great Xia Empire.
• The leaders arrived at the royal palace and discussed restoring the Divine United Kingdom, while suspicious remarks made some wonder whether Duke Fernandes was staging a power grab.
• The King took his throne as Duke Fernandes stood beside him, and the King reflected on his own decline and his reluctance to yield power to his brother.

King Bruno abdicated in favor of Fernandez, who took the crown and promised to lead the New Holy Cross Kingdom against the Great Xia Empire. Fernandez then pursued unified rule over the New Divine United Kingdom, winning the nobles’ support and establishing a Noble Senate to help him organize the war.

• King Bruno removed his crown and abdicated in favor of his brother Fernandez, urging him to defeat the Great Xia Empire.
• Fernandez accepted the crown and vowed to defeat the Great Xia Empire and restore the kingdom’s rule.
• A Fernandez supporter proposed giving the New Divine United Kingdom a single king, and he shot a man who opposed the proposal.
• Fernandez promised to share power with the royal family and nobility after the war, and the gathered nobles agreed to support his temporary dictatorship.
• Fernandez established a Noble Senate, making the nobles present its members and keeping them near him while he integrated the armies and logistical system.

Fernandez I had united the remnants of the four nations under the New Divine United Kingdom, accepting infamy to prepare for war against the Great Xia Empire. In response, List, Hans, Michel, and the others debated a defensive strategy while Qin prepared to leave for the New Continent.

• Fernandez reflected on the sacrifices and setbacks that had led him to take the throne, then vowed to challenge Derek's son and restore the Holy Cross Kingdom's glory.
• Knight Burdett condemned Fernandez's choices, while List acknowledged his charisma and the support he had gained.
• List warned that Fernandez I commanded nearly ten million people, prompting Hans and Michel to debate whether the Great Xia forces should fortify their defenses or rely on their combat and weapons advantages.
• The Augusta brothers continued revising their plan as new intelligence arrived, while Knight Burdett watched without interfering.
• Qin prepared to leave for the New Continent before his son learned to walk, hastened by news of Fernandez I's growing power.

Qin left the palace to take command of the war in the New Continent, reassuring Claire and relying on Knight Burdett to protect him. After arriving by plane, he reunited with his younger brothers and asked them to show him their results.

• Qin prepared to leave, and Claire told him she and Elvis would be waiting for his return while he expressed confidence in Knight Burdett.
• Claire grew worried at the palace gates, but Albert vowed to stand between Qin and danger, and Qin said goodbye to his wife and family.
• Qin boarded a special aircraft with Albert and the Guard Army, while newspapers publicized his journey and the coming war in the New Continent.
• Qin landed in the New Continent, greeted his younger brothers and Knight Burdett, and promised the others custom-made planes after the war.
• Qin asked his brothers to show him their results.

Qin arrived on the New Continent and approved List and his brothers’ plan to defend against the New Divine United Kingdom before striking with a mobile force. List quickly took command of a hastily assembled division and launched reconnaissance toward the New Holy Cross Kingdom as Fernandez I prepared the country for war.

• List briefed Qin on the New Divine United Kingdom’s military strength and proposed breaking through and encircling enemy forces in localized battles.
• Qin praised the plan and authorized List and his brothers to put it into action.
• Sergei reinforced their hastily assembled division with officers, while the brothers prepared their forces and chose a target.
• After learning that Qin had arrived, Fernandez I declared that war was imminent and sent orders across the nation.
• List moved out before Colonial Governor Logue arrived, increasing aerial reconnaissance and targeting the New Holy Cross Kingdom’s army.

The List Brothers used a rapid mechanized assault, reconnaissance aircraft, artillery, and fighters to surprise and rout a New Divine United Kingdom division. After repeated raids weakened the enemy, Fernandez I abandoned the effort to chase them and began assembling an army for a counterattack.

• The List Brothers launched their motorized division toward the target, while the Dragon Rider Corps broke through warning posts and defensive lines and blinded the enemy scouts.
• The Dragon Rider Corps reached the target ahead of the main force and clashed with a small New Divine United Kingdom force, which it quickly defeated.
• Great Xia aircraft bombed the enemy positions, and List ordered the infantry to attack through the area with little resistance.
• The List Brothers routed a division in one day, then feinted and withdrew before reinforcements arrived.
• The List Brothers continued frequent raids over the following weeks, steadily draining the New Divine United Kingdom's manpower and supplies.
• Fernandez I stopped trying to engage the Lists directly and began assembling an army to counterattack.

Fernandez I conscripted more than a hundred thousand second-line troops for an offensive, while Hubble Armstrong returned to Emerald Town to command its Armed Citizens. Hubble rallied the disorderly militia with the promise that brave service could earn them banners and status of their own.

• Fernandez I began advancing with more than a hundred thousand second-line troops, seeking to preserve the New Holy Cross Kingdom's army and suppress dissent later.
• The Great Xia Empire withdrew from exposed mines and farmland near Emerald Town as war approached.
• Hubble Armstrong returned to Emerald Town and received command of the local Armed Citizens through Baron Franz's influence.
• Hubble brought rifles, Infantry Cannons, and his Guard Squad to the temporary militia camp, where several hundred volunteers had gathered in disorder.
• Hubble raised his banner, gathered the militia, and urged them to fight for the Empire and earn banners of their own.

Hubble rallied the Militia Group by promising its members a chance to rise in status, then organized and drilled them. At the front, Great Xia repelled a New Divine United Kingdom probing attack, and Fernandez I ordered reinforcements after the assault failed.

• Hubble encouraged the Militia Group with his own rise in rank, confirmed no one wanted to withdraw, and had the recruits change uniforms and drill.
• The first New Divine United Kingdom regiment reached the front and exchanged artillery fire with Great Xia; the enemy withdrew after losing half its artillery firepower.
• Great Xia and the New Divine United Kingdom remained restrained for the rest of the first day while reporters recorded the artillery duel.
• The next morning, the New Divine United Kingdom launched a broad infantry and artillery offensive using skirmish lines, but its troops suffered heavy losses and the attack stopped after half a day.
• Fernandez I studied the map and ordered reinforcements.

The New Divine United Kingdom launched a massive offensive that pushed the Great Xia Empire’s forces into chaos. Hubble led Emerald Town’s militia to intercept a small enemy unit, which was preparing to move again when his troops approached.

• Fernandez I ordered reinforcements while the New Divine United Kingdom prepared a larger offensive.
• The New Divine United Kingdom attacked along the entire line, and the fighting spread to Emerald Town as the front descended into chaos.
• Hubble received orders to intercept an enemy infantry unit of about a hundred men that had broken through the defensive line.
• Hubble sent mounted infantry to scout, and they found the enemy unit resting near Emerald Town.
• The enemy officers discussed their dwindling supplies and planned to resume moving, while Hubble’s militia approached.

Hubble’s Militia Group fought the New Divine United Kingdom’s troops at the Emerald Town front, where Hubble used infantry cannons to defeat and capture the enemy after a costly battle. As the war shifted to Emerald Town, Hans and List inspected the lines, and Franz praised Hubble’s service to them.

• Hubble’s Militia Group panicked under sniper fire, but the skirmishers’ attack taught Hubble to take the enemy seriously.
• Hubble ordered his two Infantry Cannons to bombard the New Divine United Kingdom troops, then advanced cautiously until his forces broke them and captured most of the survivors.
• The war raged for more than twenty days, killing seventy to eighty thousand men and pushing the front line to Emerald Town before New Divine United Kingdom morale faltered.
• Hubble helped build fortifications at Emerald Town, reflecting on his militia’s losses and the difficulty of earning a title through military merit.
• Baron Franz arrived with Hans and List to inspect the front lines, while Michel stayed behind at Qin’s order.
• Franz praised Hubble’s Militia Group to Hans and List, seeking recognition for the commander he had recommended.

List inspected the front line and judged that Great Xia’s forces were outperforming the New Divine United Kingdom, while remaining wary of the enemy’s conventional tactics. Back at headquarters, Qin and his officers questioned Fernandez I’s approach but decided to maintain their steady strategy and watch enemy movements closely.

• Hubble escorted Franz’s party through Emerald Town and told List that the New Divine United Kingdom’s troops were capable, though less advanced than Great Xia’s forces.
• List inspected the front line, found morale high and enemy casualties severe, and recommended rotating troops while continuing to wear down the New Divine United Kingdom.
• List reported his findings to Qin and questioned why Fernandez I was fighting so conventionally despite his strategic disadvantage.
• Qin asked List and Hans whether Fernandez I’s behavior was normal, and Hans advised responding steadily rather than guessing at the enemy’s scheme.
• List said Great Xia should monitor enemy troop movements and keep its advantage through a direct, measured strategy.

The Great Xia commanders expanded reconnaissance and sent the militia to guard the second line. Hubble moved the Emerald Militia away from the front and toward the mines, unaware that Fernandez I’s infiltrators were approaching through the mountains nearby.

• Qin arranged intensified air reconnaissance and ordered the militia to patrol behind the front, with staff officers tasked to divide the search zones.
• Hubble received orders to withdraw the Emerald Militia from Emerald Town and conduct grid-pattern reconnaissance in the second-line area.
• Hubble led his nearly two thousand militia out as a large New Divine United Kingdom offensive began behind them.
• Near the mines, Hubble left a well-equipped battalion behind to train while the rest of the militia prepared to patrol the complex terrain.
• Fernandez I sent small infiltration units along pre-scouted routes toward important areas, including mountains near Hubble’s position.

Hubble’s Emerald Militia fought off an infiltrating regiment of the New Divine United Kingdom, then learned that enemy forces had attacked elsewhere too. He chose to hold until the very last moment so Great Xia’s reserves could reinforce the other locations, gambling his life and his soldiers’ lives on the defense.

• Hubble trained his core battalion while the rest of the Emerald Militia searched the mountains.
• A New Divine United Kingdom regiment was discovered in the forest, and its commander ordered a forced assault rather than retreat.
• Hubble assembled the routed soldiers, prepared the militia’s crude fortifications, and directed his troops to meet the advancing regiment.
• Hubble’s militia fought the enemy battalion back after a prolonged battle.
• Headquarters reported enemy forces at other locations and asked how long Hubble could hold.
• Hubble told His Highness that the Emerald Militia would hold until the very last moment.

Hubble held the frontline without reinforcements, promising increased death benefits to keep his troops fighting. At headquarters, Qin assessed enemy infiltrators targeting rear resources, while Franz secured Hubble’s standing; the battle continued through the night.

• Headquarters told Hubble to hold the line, and he promised five times the standard death benefit to families of soldiers killed in action.
• Qin recognized Hubble’s courage and ambition after Franz praised him for proving himself.
• Hans judged that the enemy infiltrators were targeting rear facilities, resources, and population centers rather than Qin.
• Qin and Franz considered how Hubble’s background and risk-taking had earned him an opportunity to distinguish himself.
• Hubble struggled to keep his troops fighting as the enemy continued attacking after nightfall.