Chapter Summaries

The Augusta forces massacred a resisting Barbarian tribe, then secured their foothold in Melgen Province as migration and settlement continued. Derek returned to Saint Myra Province with the Knight Order, where the Saint Michael Legion awaited orders to settle the debt for the ambush.

• The expelled chieftain returned to his tribe and ordered it to migrate, but the Augusta cavalry arrived before it could leave.
• Augusta knights tore down the tribe’s palisade and slaughtered its people, while a knight officer killed the chieftain.
• Derek’s plans for Melgen Province advanced as towns were built, immigrants arrived, and more than six thousand Barbarians joined the Legion under Augusta officers.
• Derek left most of his troops in Melgen Province and led the Knight Order back to Saint Myra Province.
• The Saint Michael Legion was waiting at the border, and its officers gathered around Derek, asking what to do about the ambush.

Derek retaliated against the nobles who had betrayed him by targeting the Lovett Family’s fleet and smuggling network, then confronted Marquis Hussein in his camp. He executed Duke Wilson in front of Hussein to warn him that Derek could just as easily kill a marquis.

• Derek ordered men to prevent the Lovett Family fleet from entering his port and to make Tamir Rovitt disappear.
• Derek sent Healing Salve to Loyd and ordered him to drive smugglers from the Royal Capital out of the region.
• Derek led the Knight Order into Marquis Hussein’s territory and summoned Hussein from his fortified camp.
• Hussein left the camp with personal guards and met Derek, who introduced Duke Wilson as a Barbarian prisoner.
• Derek rejected Hussein’s suggestion that Wilson be presented to the King and ordered his knights to execute Wilson before Hussein.

Derek had Duke Wilson executed and sent Marquis Hussein away with the duke’s head, while a trap at Digen Port destroyed the Lovett Family fleet and killed Baron Tamir. In the Royal Capital, men seized Gaido Hussein as part of a planned retaliation against Marquis Hussein’s family.

• Derek gave Marquis Hussein Duke Wilson’s head as a gift for King Louis II and refused Simon’s suggestion to kill the marquis.
• Baronet Raymond stabbed Baron Tamir at Digen Port, then had the Lovett Family ships captured and Tamir’s body thrown into the sea.
• Marquis Hussein’s fifth son, Gaido Hussein, left a count’s castle for his monthly rest day.
• Two burly men confirmed Gaido’s identity, killed the young man who had identified him, and prepared to claim their reward.

Gaido was abducted and murdered in a carefully staged roadside ambush while traveling home from his training castle. Investigators found clues pointing toward the Northern Lands and the Barbarian Kingdom, but no evidence that could prove who was responsible.

• Several battered cargo wagons obstructed the road and collided with Gaido’s carriage, while armed men closed in.
• The attackers overpowered Gaido’s attendants, dragged him from the carriage, and killed him by hanging him from a roadside cross.
• The men burned the carriages and bodies, destroyed evidence, and escaped after repairing the wagons.
• Travelers discovered the massacre, and local security officers, the City Guard, and the King’s investigators gathered at the scene.
• Under pressure from the King’s Emissary, investigators reported that the killers were professionals and cited a python-skin rope from the Northern Lands and Barbarian-style daggers as clues.

The King’s Emissary reported the evidence against Count Augusta to Louis II, who refused to punish the Count without proof and ordered him to pay a fine and pursue the royal family’s interests in Melgen Province. Meanwhile, Derek sent Marquis Hussein a mocking condolence gift and warned him to send his children north, leaving Hussein furious but unable to retaliate without worsening his position.

• The King's Emissary ordered the constables to prepare the case files and notify the Security Team, then asked to attend the funeral of Hussein's son.
• The King's Emissary told Louis II that Count Augusta was responsible, but Louis II insisted that the kingdom needed evidence and ordered the Count to come to the Royal Capital and pay Hussein one thousand Gold Coins.
• Louis II sent the First Prince to visit the abbots of Melgen Monastery and convey the royal family's sincerity as he considered gaining control over Melgen Province.
• Derek sent a Barbarian envoy to Marquis Hussein with condolences, a warning to send his children to the Northern Lands, and a gift of one copper coin.
• Marquis Hussein tried to attack the envoy, but struck a chair instead and stopped himself from making the conflict worse.

Derek treated Louis II’s punishment for Hussein’s actions as a costly but inadequate settlement, while the Grand Prince tried to win Melgen Monastery’s support. Dean Massimo refused royal fiefs but reluctantly accepted medals, leaving the monastery’s allegiance uncertain.

• Derek told the King’s envoy that the Ferrera Family and Augusta Family were separate, then accepted a thousand Gold Coins as the price of Louis II’s punishment.
• Simon watched the envoy leave, and Derek resolved to repay the King for Hussein’s actions when he had the chance.
• Dean Massimo and Dean Rosanara concluded that Melgen Monastery could not switch sides because its surviving knights were loyal to Derek.
• The Grand Prince arrived at Melgen Monastery and offered fiefs and medals to reward the Monastery Knight Order.
• Dean Massimo refused the fiefs but accepted the medals after hesitating, giving the Grand Prince an opening to continue negotiations.

The Grand Prince failed to persuade Melgen Monastery to support the Royal Family’s claim to Melgen Province, while Derek continued training the Barbarians and decided they needed a path to become officers and nobles. He ordered the assembly drum sounded to address their growing resentment.

• The Grand Prince offered Dean Massimo and Dean Rosanara preaching rights and other rewards in exchange for the monastery’s support, but both deans refused to meddle in secular disputes and recognized only Count Augusta.
• Burdett relaxed his grip on his sword as Dean Massimo reaffirmed the monastery’s position, and the Grand Prince left without changing its stance.
• The Royal Capital and Noble Senate continued delaying approval of Derek’s inheritance of Duke Leopold’s title, while Derek focused on training Barbarians.
• Virut warned Derek that the unruly Barbarians were poor soldiers and that executions for fleeing or resisting could lead to trouble.
• Derek insisted that Barbarians must be able to become officers and nobles, then ordered the assembly drum sounded as resentment grew among the trainees.

Derek sent the Barbarian soldiers home for two months with rewards and weapons, trusting they would return and ordering his banner raised as a pledge. Dagu and his fellow soldiers reached their tribe, where their stories of Augusta's power and generosity left the captain considering enlistment.

• Derek announced that the Barbarian soldiers could return home for two months with copper coins, burlap, and simple weapons, despite Virut's warnings about desertion.
• Derek planted his banner at the Training Ground and vowed that the soldiers would gather there again in two months, then ordered the clerk to record the pledge.
• Dagu and six fellow soldiers traveled home and found their tribe protected by new watchtowers and a rebuilt palisade.
• Dagu showed the captain their rewards and explained that the count had granted them leave, while the captain described the punishments Augusta had imposed on other tribes.
• Dagu and the soldiers praised Augusta's knights, armor, and count to the tribesmen, and Dagu suggested that the captain enlist; the captain said he would think about it.

Dagu and the returning soldiers impressed their tribe with the goods and stories they brought back, while Chief Guli decided to join the growing settlement at Wangbei Town and start a business. Derek approved support for Guli’s venture as a step toward integrating the Barbarians, while he continued receiving nobles at Swan Castle.

• Dagu returned to his tribe with burlap, Copper Coins, and swords, and told his clansmen about his service under Count Augusta.
• Chief Guli welcomed Dagu and the soldiers, then questioned them about the count and the Barbarian army.
• Guli traveled to Wangbei Town and told civil affairs officer William that he wanted to open a shop selling local ores, furs, and livestock.
• William found Guli a shop and arranged supplies and help to teach the Barbarians how to run it.
• Derek learned that Guli had left his tribe to settle in Wangbei Town and ordered officials to support him and prioritize his business.
• Derek remained at Swan Castle, receiving Northland, royal capital, Holy Cross Kingdom, and southern nobles who visited the Augusta Family.

Derek offered Viscount Angelo Chavez and the southern merchant alliance favorable trade terms at Digen Port, hoping to draw them away from Count Rovitt. After the merchants agreed to send him a shipment of weapons as a gesture of trust, Derek appointed his Second Uncle Andrew to oversee tariffs at the port and use them to bring in goods the Augusta Family needed.

• Viscount Angelo Chavez asked Derek to let southern merchants trade through Digen Port and offered to reduce their support for Count Rovitt.
• Derek promised low, negotiable tariffs, exemptions, and an end to repeated taxation in Augusta-controlled territories, while privately asking Chavez to help import special goods.
• Chavez accepted the terms and told the merchant alliance, whose members decided to have Mountain Wolf Loyd deliver a shipment of Rovitt's weapons and armor to Derek.
• Derek assigned his Second Uncle Andrew to oversee tariffs at Digen Port and adjust rates to encourage the import of goods the Augusta Family lacked.

Mountain Wolf Loyd ambushed a convoy carrying military supplies and sent the untouched goods to Derek, while Derek arranged to return some and sell the rest. At Digen Port, Viscount Chavez’s fleet paid customs duties under Andrew’s strict inspection, then prepared to send goods along several routes to test the Augusta Family’s influence.

• Loyd led his bandits in an ambush against a convoy that had already paid the toll, ordered them to leave no survivors, and took its military supplies.
• Loyd sent the weapons and armor to Derek, who had Adrian verify that nothing was missing and ordered some returned to Loyd and the rest sold to Count Lovett.
• Viscount Chavez’s fleet docked at Digen Port, where Andrew’s armed Tax Officers inspected the ships and collected four to five hundred Gold Coins in customs duties from each one.
• Andrew asked Chavez to list how much cargo was headed to each destination so he could issue certificates, while Chavez sent goods east and west and accompanied a Caravan into the Holy Cross Kingdom.

Viscount Chavez’s Caravan traveled through the Northern Lands using tax certificates and checkpoints tied to the Augusta Family, then returned to Digen Port with proof that the system was fast and profitable. Governor Ronald collected his share of the taxes and pledged to protect the arrangement, strengthening the Augusta Family’s influence over the region’s resources and army.

• Viscount Chavez’s Caravan passed checkpoints across Saint Peter Province after Security Officers verified its tax certificates and Andrew’s seal.
• Viscount Chavez observed that Augusta-controlled routes were easier and more profitable than the Southern Nobles’ territories, while Southern Merchant Guild Caravans also diverted through Augusta lands to trade.
• Governor Ronald visited Digen Port to collect the agreed tax revenue and discuss a fixed schedule for future payments.
• Andrew’s tax office calculated Ronald’s share as 2,380 Gold Coins, which Ronald personally counted and inspected three times.
• Governor Ronald promised Andrew to form a tax inspection force and stop anyone from disrupting the arrangement.
• Andrew recognized that regular tax payments to Ronald and the Kingdom’s reliance on Augusta taxes would gradually place the regional army under the Augusta Family’s influence.

Derek and Tiona met Chieftain Guli on their return to Melgen Province and heard how trade had improved life for his tribe. Derek praised the changes and promised Guli the chance to become a noble under the Augusta Family, then ordered a feast for the Barbarians and nearby merchants.

• Derek spotted Chieftain Guli beside the road and stopped the convoy to greet him, while Tiona chose to join Derek and brought pastries.
• Guli told Derek that his business had earned him more than a hundred Gold Coins and that his tribe would not go hungry during the winter.
• Derek praised the Augusta Family's efforts to improve life for the Barbarians and encouraged Guli to become a noble and lead his people.
• Guli thanked Derek and vowed that the tribe's elders and children would survive the winter.
• Derek ordered the convoy to camp and told Virut to invite the nearby merchants to a feast.

At a camp gathering, Derek won Guli’s loyalty and promised to make him a Horse-Leading Baron when they took down the Barbarian King. At New Yanle City, Derek welcomed more Barbarians fleeing into Melgen Province despite knowing some might be spies, and vowed to make the Barbarian King pay for Tiona’s hardship.

• Lady Tiona shared pastries with the merchants while Derek questioned Guli about the Barbarians and received his pledge of loyalty.
• Drunk, Guli declared that Derek should be King and offered to fight the Barbarian King; Derek promised to make him a Horse-Leading Baron.
• Stories of Derek’s promise and fair treatment spread, encouraging more Barbarians to leave their tribes and join Augusta’s system.
• At New Yanle City, Derek learned that Barbarians had fled across the border and ordered his forces to welcome more, even if some were spies.
• Tiona said she would rather watch their home being built than return to Swan Castle, and Derek vowed that the Barbarian King would pay for her sacrifice.

Derek learned that Tiona was pregnant, prompting celebration among his troops and the knights who depended on the Augusta Family. As a southern caravan arrived with goods and black slaves and sought permission to trade with the Barbarians, Derek allowed it under restrictions, while the King's counterattack over Melgen Province continued.

• Derek avoided provoking the Barbarians, who remained on high alert because of his reputation and feared a New Year attack.
• Tiona told Derek she was pregnant, and the news spread through Yanle City and the military camp, where knights came to offer congratulations.
• The knights' celebration reflected their reliance on the Augusta Family and their hope that an heir would protect commoner knights' positions and interests.
• A southern caravan brought goods, more than a hundred black slaves, and a gold cross as a gift for Tiona's pregnancy.
• The caravan leader asked to trade with the Barbarian Kingdom, and Derek permitted it while requiring inspections and warning that he could not guarantee their safety beyond his territory.
• Derek noted that the King's counterattack had begun, with Marquis Hussein gaining the King's trust and taking an active role in affairs concerning Melgen Province.

Marquis Hussein ordered the kingdom’s routes sealed to stop immigration to Melgen Province, then told the First Prince that Count Perez was the hidden force behind the Northern Lands’ troubles. The First Prince grew alarmed as Count Perez arrived at the Marquis’s residence.

• Marquis Hussein ordered checkpoints and restrictions to cut off population movement into Melgen Province.
• The First Prince asked Marquis Hussein who posed the greatest threat in the Northern Lands.
• Marquis Hussein blamed Count Perez and cited Derek’s rise, Count Augusta’s career, and the Perez Family’s heavy cavalry as evidence of a conspiracy.
• The First Prince became frightened that Count Perez might know he had secretly entered the Northern Lands.
• A messenger announced Count Perez’s arrival, and the First Prince nearly fell from his chair.

Marquis Hussein’s crackdown on population outflows and Caravan trade brought him into open conflict with Count Perez, who planned to urge the King to replace him. After news of their failed negotiations spread, disgruntled officers heard that Northern nobles were planning to act against Hussein.

• Count Perez confronted Marquis Hussein over restrictions on Caravan trade, but Hussein refused to back down and threatened to report corruption in the Northern Lands.
• Hussein told the First Prince that his troops and most of the City Guard were under his control, and the First Prince promised to explain the situation to the King.
• Count Perez resolved to advise the King to replace Hussein, while overlooking how many nobles and officials depended on the disrupted trade.
• John and other low-ranking officers complained about the crackdown as they drank, and a broker warned them that some new nobles were planning to make a move.

Marquis Hussein attended a snow-viewing banquet with the First Prince and several new nobles, unaware that they planned to kill him. After Baron Shawen pushed him into the icy lake, Knight John saw him struggling but stayed silent.

• John questioned the broker about who had sent him to find them, then promised not to interfere or reveal the visit.
• The First Prince and Marquis Hussein joined the new nobles for a guarded winter banquet aboard a boat on a cleared lake.
• Baron Shawen asked Hussein to speak privately on the terrace, then shoved him over the railing into the water.
• Hussein struggled because he could not swim, and Knight John recognized him but chose not to call for help.

Baron Shawen and the First Prince covered up Marquis Hussein’s death by framing one of Hussein’s guards and burning the ship. Shawen and the newly ennobled nobles remained bound together in the crime, while Shawen resolved to escape the control of the person who had forced him into it.

• A guard found Marquis Hussein submerged in the lake, but Hussein was already dead by the time he was pulled aboard.
• The First Prince ordered everyone at the scene detained and tasked Baron Shawen with investigating Hussein’s death.
• Baron Shawen’s men forced a false confession from one of Hussein’s guards and presented it to the First Prince.
• The First Prince left as soon as the ship docked, while Baron Shawen and the newly ennobled nobles agreed to burn the ship and erase the evidence.
• The ship was set ablaze, leaving bound people aboard to die, and Baron Shawen cursed the person who controlled him.

After Marquis Hussein’s death, the Northern Lands’ factions rushed to judge who was responsible, while Derek and Count Lovett doubted the new nobles had acted alone. The First Prince confessed his role to himself as he prepared to exploit the killing, but Baron Shawen’s letter reached Louis II first, revealing the prince’s involvement.

• Count Perez learned that Marquis Hussein had died and ordered his army to prepare while summoning his eldest back.
• Count Lovett realized Hussein’s death had not been his doing and suspected that short-sighted new nobles had carried it out.
• Derek read Baron Shawen’s letter, denied leading the killing, and wondered whether Louis II’s next move would target him.
• The First Prince revealed that he had pushed the plot forward to investigate Count Perez and gain control of the Northern Lands, then drafted a letter blaming Perez.
• Baron Shawen sent Louis II a plea for forgiveness that blamed the First Prince and other factions, and the King recognized his son’s part in Hussein’s death.