Chapter Summaries

Tang Qi revealed that Anbi had destroyed David’s family’s Star Plum orchard, and Anbi struggled with whether to apologize. Catherine made Anbi feel the harm she had caused by destroying the first barrel of wine Anbi had brewed, then comforted her and agreed they would apologize together after dinner.

• Tang Qi explained how Anbi had used delivering something to Father Lynn as an excuse to destroy David’s family’s orchard, and told her she alone had to decide what kind of person to become.
• Catherine thanked Tang Qi, who asked to have his tavern expenses waived before taking Kuru upstairs and leaving the sisters alone.
• Catherine led Anbi to the wine cellar and smashed the barrel of Star Plum wine Anbi had painstakingly brewed for the Harvest Festival.
• Catherine compared Anbi’s ruined wine to David’s family’s destroyed orchard and told her to confront George directly instead of harming other people’s hopes.
• Anbi admitted she had destroyed George’s family’s orchard but had left Hogg’s family’s Star Plums alone because they depended on them for a living.
• Catherine comforted Anbi and agreed they would apologize to David’s family after dinner and brew another barrel of wine after the Harvest Festival.

Tang Qi recorded his recent exploits and learned that Kuru’s people had found and worshipped a mysterious egg that might belong to a giant dragon. After introducing himself to Catherine, he asked her to help him obtain Star Plum for his scheme, and she agreed to buy it through the tavern while warning him to remain careful.

• Tang Qi questioned Kuru about the offerings, and Kuru explained that his people had fled underground, settled in a cavern, and worshipped an egg they found there.
• Tang Qi realized the egg might be a Dragon Egg and imagined the chance to become a Dragon Knight.
• Catherine invited Tang Qi and Kuru to dinner, and she and Tang Qi introduced themselves and relaxed into a friendly conversation.
• Tang Qi told Catherine he needed at least 300 kilograms of Star Plum to pass off as the real tribute and conceal his scheme from the arriving caravan.
• Catherine offered to buy the Star Plum in the tavern’s name at wholesale prices, then warned Tang Qi that he would still need to be careful.

Tang Qi shared a festival meal with Catherine, Anbi, Kuru, Black Snake, and Gravel before deciding to leave with a caravan for Dragon Gold City. The story then shifted to Bard's Song, where Geya listened as drunken Poets complained about censorship at the Academy.

• Catherine explained that a Spellcaster would protect the Star Plums on Lord Mel's caravan, and Tang Qi's companions discussed a plan to hide the stolen fruit.
• Anbi apologized to Tang Qi for breaking her promise to share her first cup of Star Plum Wine, and Tang Qi comforted her by calling the experience a lesson.
• Catherine led the group in a prayer to Gullagas, then Tang Qi said he planned to travel with the caravan to Dragon Gold City.
• Tang Qi promised Anbi and Catherine that he would write about them, and the group toasted his future as a legendary Poet.
• At Bard's Song, Geya attended a drinking gathering as her fellow Poets complained that the Academy had rejected their stories for portraying commoners and nobles in disapproved ways.
• One drunken Poet stood up to protest and vomited.

Geya’s fellow poets complained about the academy’s restrictions and urged her to help them visit the Stone Tablet, but she left rather than be pressured. After persuading herself to take a quiet look, she used Ulasang’s medal to enter the garden and discovered a new Journal entry about meeting an intelligent Kobold and possibly a Giant Dragon.

• Geya remembered her mentor’s harsh criticism of her article and considered how her beauty had complicated her effort to remain independent.
• Su Wen suggested that the poets visit the Stone Tablet, but Geya pretended to be drunk and left before they could ask her to help.
• Bruto disparaged Geya after she was gone, and Su Wen and the other poets rebuked him before he passed out from drinking.
• Geya approached the sealed garden, showed the Construct Guards Ulasang’s medal, and entered to read the Stone Tablet.
• Geya found a new Journal entry dated June 8, Lost Era 1000, in which the Poet described meeting an intelligent Kobold and hinted at a Giant Dragon.

Geya read the Journal and became convinced its author was a genuine Bard whose adventures might lead to Giant Dragons. After copying the Journal into her notebook, Tang Qi gained the Alertness feat.

• Geya read the Journal’s account of its author, Kuru, and the Kobolds, and wondered whether the author had inherited a legendary Bard’s legacy.
• Geya learned that the author suspected the Ruins held a Dragon Egg and planned to seek information in Dragon Gold City.
• Geya read the author’s farewell to Anbi and recognized how he balanced danger, humor, and heartfelt emotion in his writing.
• Geya secretly copied the Journal into her notebook, telling herself she was only studying the author’s technique.
• Tang Qi gained the Alertness feat, which kept him vigilant for approaching danger while awake.

Tang Qi tested his danger sense, received a True Sight Eye Potion, and set out with Catherine and Kuru to deliver Star Plums to the manor. They arrived to find the merchant caravan waiting at the gates, revealing that their plan had been exposed.

• Tang Qi received a True Sight Eye Potion and concluded that the log rewarded him for participating in complicated events.
• Tang Qi asked Kuru to hit him from behind and discovered that he could sense danger and dodge the staff's blows.
• Catherine walked in on Tang Qi checking Kuru's backside and mistakenly believed Tang Qi had unusual romantic preferences.
• Catherine and Tang Qi loaded three hundred kilograms of Star Plums onto a cart, and she lent him her mother's ukulele.
• Tang Qi, Catherine, and Kuru reached the lord's manor and found the merchant caravan waiting at the gates.

Tang Qi, Catherine, and Kuru were arrested after mercenaries discovered their cart carried fake goods, and New Star broke Kuru’s beloved staff while searching for a magical headband. Tang Qi and Catherine were shackled and taken to the Manor stable, where they found Black Snake already imprisoned.

• Explosive Wolf stopped the ox cart, and New Star used a Magic-Detecting Wand to inspect its cargo and occupants.
• New Star searched Kuru for an Intelligence Headband, then snapped its treasured staff when Kuru offered it as a treasure.
• Explosive Wolf ordered Kuru chained up to be sold and took Tang Qi and Catherine into custody.
• Tang Qi and Catherine surrendered and were locked in the Manor stable, where they encountered the restrained Black Snake.

Tang Qi and Black Snake were caught after the caravan discovered the inferior Star Plums, while Catherine was accused of helping deceive Lord Mel. Young Master Melard released Catherine and renewed his demand that she marry him, and Explosive Wolf urged the caravan to leave quickly because of dangers on the road.

• Black Snake told Tang Qi that the caravan had arrived early and that he had exposed Tang Qi and Catherine after being caught off guard.
• Manager Hus inspected the Star Plums, called them inferior, and accused Catherine of betraying Lord Mel.
• Tang Qi tried to take the blame, but Catherine played remorseful as Hus berated them.
• Melard dismissed Catherine's responsibility, pressed her to marry him next year, and ordered her released.
• Explosive Wolf demanded that the caravan load the goods and hurry back, warning that the journey had brought accidents and that staying longer meant more risk.

Tang Qi persuaded Melard to let him retrieve his bag and stay with the caravan, while Explosive Wolf and Hus settled their dispute over the danger ahead. As the caravan prepared to leave, Anbi delivered Tang Qi’s belongings and revealed that Catherine had identified Melard as the friend she meant.

• Explosive Wolf argued with Hus about the caravan’s danger, and Tang Qi interrupted by singing a song that persuaded Melard to let him retrieve his bag.
• Melard ordered Mr. New Star to protect Star Plum and told the caravan to depart in thirty minutes.
• Tang Qi and Black Snake were shackled together in a wagon, where Tang Qi questioned Black Snake about Jackal and his connection to Gravel.
• Anbi arrived with Tang Qi’s bag, and Hus tossed it into the wagon after checking its contents.
• Anbi told Tang Qi that Catherine had said Young Master Melard was the friend she meant, prompting Tang Qi to look at Melard with new understanding.

Tang Qi used a song and Catherine’s hint about Melard to win the young noble’s favor and secure better treatment on the journey to Dragon Gold City. After finding a hidden chisel in his pack, he realized Catherine had prepared both a social escape route and a tool for self-defense.

• Tang Qi asked Melard for food and freedom from his yoke, then explained Catherine’s description of her generous friend.
• Melard ordered Housekeeper Hus to unlock Tang Qi and return his instrument so Tang Qi could sing.
• Tang Qi performed a song about forbidden love between brothers, which made Melard believe the bard understood his secret feelings.
• Tang Qi clarified that the song was inspired by someone else, and Melard offered him a chance to atone in Dragon Gold City and ordered Hus to return his belongings.
• Tang Qi found a concealed iron chisel in his pack and recognized Catherine’s two messages as hints about Melard and a possible means of escape.

Tang Qi and Black Snake bantered during the caravan journey, while New Star revealed that he recognized Black Snake as a survivor of the Minions of the Ebony Forest. The chapter ended with New Star asking what treasure Black Snake's team had found in the Great Desert.

• Tang Qi shared bread and plum wine with Kuru and Black Snake, who drank an entire wineskin and warned that Star Plum Wine would be costly in Dragon Gold City.
• Tang Qi teased Black Snake about losing his job and being jealous of Catherine, and Black Snake asked how Tang Qi had grown close to her.
• Black Snake's kick startled Tang Qi, and Black Snake joked that Tang Qi might have heard of his reputation.
• New Star identified Black Snake as a member of the Minions of the Ebony Forest, the only team said to have survived the Great Desert.
• New Star asked Black Snake what treasure his team had found in the Great Desert.

Tang Qi mediated a bargain between New Star and Black Snake, hoping to learn about Black Snake’s mysterious desert treasure and the strange events in Twilight Forest. Black Snake revealed how the forest mist disoriented travelers but refused to disclose anything about the treasure, leaving New Star furious.

• New Star offered Black Snake wealth and protection in exchange for details about the Great Desert treasure, but Black Snake refused.
• Tang Qi proposed that he and New Star trade questions with Black Snake, who agreed to let Tang Qi speak for him.
• Black Snake told Tang Qi that strange mist in Twilight Forest caused hallucinations and led mercenaries to lose their way.
• New Star explained that Master Melard’s magical Construct could pierce illusions, then demanded answers about the treasure.
• Black Snake again claimed there was nothing, and Tang Qi shrugged off New Star’s anger by saying he was only the mouthpiece.

Tang Qi sensed danger in the mist and warned the prisoners as Goblins ambushed the caravan with arrows. The Mercenaries rallied, and Explosive Wolf charged into the attackers, killing three Goblins as the battle began.

• Tang Qi and Black Snake put aside their brief alliance, and Tang Qi considered what might have overcome Kuru’s scavenged adventurers.
• Tang Qi sensed an attack, rolled beneath the wagon, and shouted for everyone to get down as arrows struck the overturned wagon and killed the old ox.
• Explosive Wolf spotted Goblins in the woods and ordered the Mercenaries to ready their weapons.
• Hus shoved Melard into the mud to shield him from the arrows, then helped him retreat toward the tents.
• New Star cast [Great Step Sprint] on Explosive Wolf, who charged the Goblins and cleaved three of them in two.

Tang Qi, Black Snake, and Kuru were caught between a goblin attack and three trolls emerging from the mist. As the mercenaries fought the giants, Tang Qi’s Alertness overwhelmed him with fear at the signs of a well-organized goblin army.

• Explosive Wolf and the mercenaries fought off goblins while Tang Qi warned that a small group should not be attacking the camp.
• Tang Qi tried to break Black Snake’s shackles, but a new arrow flew from the mist and nearly struck Black Snake.
• Three trolls charged toward the camp, and New Star used a Grease Spell to make one fall while Explosive Wolf ordered the mercenaries to form up.
• The third troll smashed the wagon beside the prisoners, and Tang Qi threw himself clear with Kuru’s lyre and his backpack.
• Tang Qi trembled as Alertness warned him of the danger posed by the trolls and what seemed to be a well-trained goblin army.

Tang Qi, Black Snake, and Kuru escaped their shackles during a troll attack, and Tang Qi hurried to gather supplies to fight back. After Tang Qi used [Art of Making Friends] to overcome Hus's refusal, he learned where to find the Blazing Fire Glue and Black Snake's curved blade.

• Black Snake broke his and his companions' shackles, dodged the troll's arrows, and stabbed it in the head, but its wound began regenerating.
• Tang Qi used [Alertness] to evade arrows and ran into the camp, suspecting someone was directing the trolls.
• Hus refused to give Tang Qi weapons and supplies, so Tang Qi sang a crude rebuke that made [Art of Making Friends] sway Hus into helping him.
• Hus gave Tang Qi the keys and told him the curved blade was in the mage's tent and the Blazing Fire Glue was beside the bonfire.
• Tang Qi unlocked Kuru's handcuffs and told him to retrieve Black Snake's blade while Tang Qi fetched the glue.

Tang Qi and Explosive Wolf’s mercenaries fought the trolls and goblins, while Black Snake struggled to kill a troll without a proper weapon. The battle left Tang Qi’s musical magic in doubt after his attempt to inspire Black Snake produced an ominous song.

• New Star used webs, grease, and fog to help the mercenaries trap a troll and obscure the goblins’ aim, while Explosive Wolf’s group killed one troll.
• Black Snake fought another troll with a chisel and a goblin’s short blade until Tang Qi threw him the key to his shackles.
• Black Snake learned that Kuru had not returned with his saber, then dodged the troll’s attacks and threw the short blade through one of its heads after Tang Qi set it alight with Blazing Fire Glue.
• Black Snake ordered Tang Qi to sing, but Tang Qi’s dirge nearly made him stumble, and Black Snake cursed him for singing as if he wanted him dead.
• Tang Qi asked whether Black Snake had felt stronger during the song and privately recognized that his crude inspiration magic worked by provoking pain or anger and triggering adrenaline.

Tang Qi and Black Snake fled the two-headed troll while Explosive Wolf fought it, and New Star discovered the forest was hidden by an illusion. As New Star realized a massive Fireball was descending on the camp, the spell erupted in a blinding explosion.

• Tang Qi and Black Snake ran from the troll toward camp, and Tang Qi drank a True Sight Eye Potion that revealed the forest’s illusion.
• Explosive Wolf attacked the two-headed troll with his greatsword while New Star and other mercenaries fought it with fire spells.
• New Star noticed Tang Qi and Black Snake sneaking toward his tent and realized they could see through the illusion.
• New Star saw a blazing object descend from the sky and understood it was a powerful Fireball.
• The Fireball exploded over the camp.

After a Fireball shattered the mercenaries’ camp, Explosive Wolf led the survivors toward the woods as Beastfolk advanced through the mist. New Star returned to his tent for his Dimensional Bag but was killed by a Kobold seeking revenge for its destroyed treasure.

• New Star escaped the flames with Misty Step while the Fireball and ensuing explosions devastated the camp.
• Explosive Wolf recognized the approaching force as a Beastfolk tribe and ordered the survivors to follow Melard’s eye toward the woods.
• New Star returned to his tent to retrieve his Dimensional Bag and curved blade, believing the mist and the tribe’s slow pace gave him time.
• New Star discovered the blade was missing, then a Kobold stabbed him through the chest and killed him for destroying its treasure.
• The Kobold reached for New Star’s Dimensional Bag, but an argument broke out outside the tent.

Tang Qi, Black Snake, and Kuru fought their way through goblins and beastfolk while trying to escape the encirclement. Just as a towering figure emerged from the fog, two explosive impacts struck Tang Qi and hurled him through the air.

• Tang Qi and Black Snake fled into Kuru’s tent, where they found New Star dead and two beastfolk charging after them.
• Black Snake used Snake Kiss to kill the two beastfolk, while Kuru created an illusion of Tang Qi to lure another pursuer away.
• The trio left the tent and fought through goblins and beastfolk, with Black Snake covering Tang Qi as Kuru cast Frozen Ray.
• Tang Qi grew more comfortable fighting with a curved blade as the three worked together, but the enemy forces closed in around them.
• A towering figure emerged from the fog, and two explosive impacts struck Tang Qi, hurling him through the air.

Tang Qi was knocked down by a warlock’s invisible blasts while Black Snake and Kuru fought the goblin attackers. The warlock’s Fear Spell overwhelmed Black Snake and the others, but an unexpected figure stabbed her before she could capitalize on the spell.

• Tang Qi was struck by the warlock’s Magic Blast and could not dodge its force.
• Black Snake deflected another blast while Kuru froze the bat carrying the goblin warlock, causing her to fall.
• Black Snake rushed the grounded warlock but a beastfolk guard knocked aside his strike, giving her time to cast Fear Spell.
• The Fear Spell made Black Snake and everyone touched by the black soil collapse in terror, and Black Snake dropped his scimitar and tried to flee.
• An unexpected figure drove a rust-covered scimitar into the warlock’s chest and mocked Black Snake about what he had seen in the illusion.