Chapter Summaries

Trist killed the Black Robe Person after his shadow power overwhelmed him, and He Xi woke to find himself and Bruce alive. As they headed back toward Rose Town, Trist asked He Xi whether he would mind if Trist tasted human flesh.

• Trist's shadow devoured the Black Robe Person, and its voice warned him to remember the price of power.
• He Xi woke in the wilderness beside Trist and learned that Bruce was alive and the Black Robe Person had been buried.
• He Xi noticed Trist's level had risen and thanked him without pressing him about the battle.
• He Xi summoned Slag, transferred Bruce's Shadow Dodge entry to him, and ordered him to sneak into the Magic Staff Shop.
• On the way to Rose Town, Trist asked He Xi whether he would mind if Trist tasted human flesh.

He Xi learned that Trist needed to consume the souls of intelligent creatures to maintain and increase his strength, and offered to find suitable prey for him. The two went to The Orc and the Lute for roasted meat, where Grimm’s mention of Door-Knocker startled Trist.

• Trist explained that he needed the souls of intelligent creatures and found Goblin souls too unpleasant to consume regularly.
• He Xi offered to find suitable intelligent creatures for Trist, hoping that helping him grow would earn Parsing Points.
• Trist’s favorability toward He Xi increased, and He Xi directed Slag to carry out new orders.
• He Xi and Trist entered The Orc and the Lute to eat, and Grimm greeted them with news that he had made Door-Knocker stew.
• Trist’s pupils contracted at Grimm’s mention of Door-Knocker.

He Xi and Trist ate at Grimm’s restaurant, where Trist enthusiastically praised the ribs and sauce. He Xi overheard adventurers discussing signs that the Baron Lord was preparing for a wedding and connected the rumors to Jared.

• He Xi ordered roasted ribs and Orcish Liquor from Grimm, who gave Trist two jars of his Special Sauce.
• Trist sampled the ribs and praised their cooking and flavor, while Bruce begged for a taste.
• He Xi dwelled on the dead Black Robe Person’s knowledge of his Real Name and Atmesia.
• Adventurers discussed a lunatic claiming the Baron Lord would marry him and rumors of gold dining ware and formalwear being prepared at the Baron Mansion.
• He Xi connected the wedding rumors and the lunatic to Jared.

He Xi told Fivik about the Black Robe People while concealing some details, and persuaded her to let Trist remain at the Magic Staff Shop. He Xi then gave two Goblins the Nortonholt Common Tongue entry so Trist could test whether their souls would satisfy his needs, but the Lord of Rifts and Dimensions sensed an unexpected flavor as it began devouring one.

• He Xi revealed part of the Black Robe People incident to Trist, who offered to help eliminate them and agreed to wait for Fivik's decision about where he would stay.
• He Xi delivered the teleportation-array materials to Fivik and described Trist as a powerful helper who had protected him, leaving out that he had passed out during the battle.
• Fivik agreed to let Trist stay at the Magic Staff Shop for now, partly because he still owed her a book.
• He Xi brought two unconscious Goblins to the basement and gave them the Nortonholt Common Tongue entry so Trist could test whether they counted as intelligent creatures.
• Trist summoned the Lord of Rifts and Dimensions and offered a Goblin's soul, but the entity paused its devouring and exclaimed that it tasted delicious.

He Xi confirmed that helping Trist Solarin gain power through a soul sacrifice earned him Parsing Points, then spent points to draw traits from Trist. Trist gained the [Boon of Contract] and new contract weapons, while He Xi discovered the drawbacks of one trait he acquired.

• Fivik mistook He Xi's late-night wait at the shop for trouble with his partner, but He Xi said he had no idea what she meant.
• He Xi received three Parsing Points when Trist's Favorability increased after the Goblin's soul was devoured.
• Trist learned about [Boon of Contract] and activated [Blade Demonic Contract], transforming his sabers into two black [Contract Weapons].
• He Xi received thirty Parsing Points when Trist gained his new power, bringing his total to sixty-two.
• He Xi spent forty points to draw [Sunlight Sensitivity] and [Extraordinary Lifespan] from Trist, learning that the latter also made it harder to kindle a new life.

He Xi transferred the Extraordinary Lifespan trait to Bruce, who immediately began imagining a long future and a mate with a similar lifespan. He Xi went to see Zoya, and Bruce eventually realized that their supposed discussion about the Black Robe Person was really a private meeting.

• He Xi chose the Extraordinary Lifespan trait and transferred it to Bruce, whose eyes grew bright with vitality.
• Bruce wondered whether Elf Dogs existed and fretted about finding a long-lived mate and having puppies.
• He Xi recalled that the trait made starting a new life more difficult, then left to speak with Zoya about the Black Robe Person.
• Bruce overheard He Xi and Zoya discussing bedsheets and heard He Xi blame a supposed accident on Bruce's aging.
• Bruce deduced that He Xi had gone to discuss a Half-Elf with Zoya rather than the Black Robe Person.

Jared, driven mad by a potion, believed he was engaged to Serina and boasted about their coming wedding in front of the Baron Mansion. A group of men exploited his delusion and led him toward a secluded alley after promising to outfit him for the wedding.

• Jared chased away Wild Dogs and bought a flower with a copper nail, claiming he would give it to Serina at their wedding.
• Jared told two servants carrying a heavy crate that Serina had requested golden candlelight for the wedding.
• Daren told the young servant that the Baron Lord had ruined Jared’s mind through potion testing and had cast him out to die.
• Lai Li Tou and the other men encouraged Jared’s belief that he would marry Serina and asked when the wedding would be.
• A man in black leather armor offered Jared a suit and haircut, and Jared followed the men toward a secluded alley.

He Xi interrogated Jared and confirmed that Night Thorn Baron planned to marry Annis to Count Holt's Second Son, while valuable goods from the Baron Mansion were being sent to Holder. After learning that the Kareen Cult might be active there and Lily could be held there, He Xi decided to travel to Holder with Zander and Trist.

• Wilson and the Shadowless Squad lured Jared into the apothecary, knocked him out, and brought him to He Xi for questioning.
• He Xi asked whether Night Thorn Baron truly planned to marry Annis to Count Holt's Second Son, and Trist's Detect Thoughts confirmed that it was the Baron's plan.
• He Xi connected the Baron Mansion's shipment to Holder with news that the Great Night Cathedral had found signs of Kareen Cult activity there.
• Zander asked what He Xi planned to do about Lily, and He Xi decided they would ride to Holder.
• He Xi sent Trist to deliver notes to his teacher and Mr. Rodney, then told Zander to rent three horses and arranged to meet at the town's east gate.

On Night of Silence, Cody struggled to afford bread under the Lord’s new oven tax and glimpsed firelight in an abandoned house. At Holt Family Manor, Gri plotted against his brother Ganon and abused Ganon’s silent bride, while unseen eyes watched him with mockery.

• Cody paid the increased fee at the public oven and hurried home with his overbaked loaf.
• Cody noticed firelight inside the supposedly abandoned Red Brick House but continued on to his mother.
• Ganon ate lavishly at the Holt Family Manor as Gri warned him to wait for a future treat tied to Serina’s plans.
• Gri went to a guest room, where Ganon’s chestnut-haired bride obeyed him silently.
• Gri spoke of asserting control over women and struck the bride while an unseen observer watched with mocking eyes.

He Xi and his companions learned from Priest Ashir that missing people, Black Robe People, and the Holt Family might be connected, with a sudden wedding planned in two days. They settled into an inn in Hord, where the owner recognized their familiarity with the place and asked if they were from Rose Town.

• He Xi, Zander, and their companions arrived at the Church of the Dark Night, where Priest Ashir told them that people in Hord's North District had been disappearing and that witnesses linked the abductions to Black Robe People and the Holt Family.
• Ashir said the Holt Family's second son would hold a sudden wedding in two days and suggested the estate might be worth investigating; he then comforted Cody, whose father had disappeared.
• He Xi considered whether Annis was the bride, wondered if the Tidal Trade Union and President Raymond knew about the situation, and hoped Fivik and Rodney would respond before the wedding.
• He Xi's group checked into the Stone Wall Inn, where He Xi challenged the owner's inflated prices and paid three Silver Scales for rooms, food, and ale.
• The inn owner noticed He Xi's familiarity with the place and asked whether the group were adventurers from Rose Town.

He Xi received Rodney’s letter explaining that Flameheart had accepted another commission and would not help him investigate Anise’s situation. The letter revealed that Anise was safe and set to marry into the Holt Family, leaving He Xi convinced that the family and the Kareen Cult were conspiring and determined to stop the wedding and claim the money he expected.

• He Xi read Rodney’s letter and learned that Anise had contacted Raymond and would soon marry a noble from the Holder Region.
• He Xi connected the Holt Family’s marriage plans to the Kareen Cult and the Black Robe Person who had visited the lord’s manor.
• He Xi recalled that the cult and Holt Family had once pursued Anise separately, and suspected they had traded people or protection to reach their current arrangement.
• He Xi worried that Anise’s marriage would cost him the reward he expected, since Raymond had previously planned to pay his future son-in-law.
• He Xi decided to investigate Raymond and prevent the marriage from going ahead.

He Xi and Trist located Raymond’s residence by following a lead from Cody, a poor boy whose father had disappeared. After He Xi sent Raymond a message under the name Hoxi Atmesia, Raymond hurried to the Church of the Dark Night, and He Xi and Trist followed him.

• He Xi and Trist left the inn to find Raymond’s residence, while Zander and Bruce stayed behind.
• Cody approached He Xi and offered to help in exchange for money, explaining that his father had vanished while moving cargo.
• Cody led He Xi and Trist to a wealthy district, where they found carriages bearing the Tidal Trade Union’s golden wave emblem outside a red-brick house.
• He Xi paid Cody, then told the steward that Hoxi Atmesia wanted to meet Raymond at the Great Night Cathedral that night.
• After hearing the name Hoxi Atmesia, the steward hurried to alert Raymond, who ordered a carriage to the Church of the Dark Night.
• He Xi and Trist followed Raymond’s carriage toward the church.

He Xi confronted Raymond about Annis’s arranged marriage and learned she had lost her memories after visiting a cave. On the wedding day, He Xi interrupted the ceremony, recognized a strange mark on Annis’s hand, and changed his prepared words to a New Year’s greeting.

• He Xi met Raymond at the Church of the Dark Night and asked why he was marrying Annis to the Holt Family.
• Raymond admitted Annis no longer remembered her identity or past and was staying at Holt Manor for treatment.
• He Xi left after telling Raymond not to arrange Annis’s life again if she regained her memories, and said he had no intention of marrying her.
• On January first, Annis walked woodenly toward the dais at Holt Family Manor to marry Ganon Holt.
• He Xi burst into the ceremonial hall, noticed a strange pattern on Annis’s hand, and greeted everyone with “Happy New Year.”

He Xi’s plan to rescue Annis changed when he recognized that the bride was an Oracle impersonator, so he exposed the Holt Family’s cult connection during the wedding. As the hall descended into panic, He Xi and the other masterminds disappeared, leaving Ganon Holt and Gri Holt beside the corpse.

• He Xi recognized the bride as an Oracle impersonating Annis and sent Serina Nightthorn a telepathic message to follow the plan.
• Jared grabbed Serina and publicly displayed her filthy underskirt, stirring outrage and confusion among the wedding guests.
• An axe-wielding figure killed the disguised bride, revealing the corpse of a Black Robe mage and prompting guests to suspect the Holt Family’s collusion with cultists.
• Bruce repeated He Xi’s accusations and startled a young noble by analyzing the political situation like a dog.
• He Xi and the other masterminds vanished as guests reacted, leaving Ganon Holt and Gri Holt staring at the corpse and its severed head.

He Xi captured Serina Nightthorn and questioned her about the Black Robe People and the missing people in Holder City. After she revealed they had used the manor cellar and dug a tunnel outside the city, He Xi killed her and left to pursue the investigation.

• He Xi and Zander confirmed the Black Robe People they had caught were neither Lily nor Annis, and the captives had killed themselves.
• He Xi sent Zander to find Mr. Ashir and take control of the manor scene while he went to question Serina Nightthorn.
• Serina tried to seduce Jared, but he struck her before He Xi arrived and identified himself.
• He Xi questioned Serina, who admitted she had let the Kareen Cult use the manor cellar and learned they had dug a passage outside Holder City to transport missing people.
• He Xi told Serina he would let her go, then revealed he had lied and killed her.

After killing Serina, He Xi used the Mirror of Whispers of Elysium to capture and summon her spirit, then learned more about her attempted murder and the old count. He Xi ended the chapter looting a hidden cache in the manor and deciding Rose Town still held more spoils.

• He Xi made the mirror absorb Serina's soul, then summoned her spirit alongside Slag and used [Calm Emotions] to counter the mirror's side effects.
• He Xi had Serina's spirit possess him and learned that the old count had refused Serina's proposal to have him killed, warning that the crime could implicate the family.
• He Xi learned from Serina's memories that the old count had abused her, while Cody's account suggested the count had treated the townspeople generously.
• Zander went to help Ashir question guests about the Kareen Cult, while He Xi, Trist, and Bruce entered the manor's main building.
• He Xi found a secret compartment behind a bedroom painting and took its Gold Shields, gemstones, and spell scrolls, then searched the dressing table for jewelry and loose change.

He Xi learned that Annis might still be imprisoned in the old district and went to investigate after Cody reported that a suspicious house had gone dark. He rescued the starving Annis and helped her recover, then told her she would owe him more than one Gold Shield for saving her.

• Zander stayed in Holder City to help Priest Ashir purge the Kareen Cult and look for clues about Lily, while He Xi kept two spell scrolls and prepared to leave.
• Cody told He Xi that the Red Brick House where lights had once appeared had stayed dark for two days.
• He Xi found Annis unconscious in the house after she had been locked up for refusing to marry, and he gave her a Lesser Healing Potion.
• Bruce brought Annis a warm coarse-grain cake, and she woke, ate, and thanked him for remembering the sweet biscuits she had once shared with him.
• He Xi explained what had happened and told Annis that one Gold Shield would not be enough payment for rescuing her.

He Xi escorted Annis through the snow to her destination, where she tried to arrange a way to repay him beyond his requested fee. After leaving her, he asked Serina’s spirit whether staying in Holder City would have changed his fate, and learned she would still have ensured his death.

• He Xi gave Annis his cloak and told her to walk beside him as the group crossed the snowy streets.
• Annis asked about the cloak’s scent, and He Xi called it the wind and frost of an adventurer before asking for 101 Gold Shields or valuable Skill Scrolls.
• At their destination, Annis asked whether He Xi would stay in Rose Town and insisted on contacting him in Fernandez so she could pay him more.
• He Xi left Annis and asked Serina’s spirit whether she would have killed him if he had stayed in Holder City.
• Serina’s spirit said she would have prevented him from receiving support from the Tidal Trade Union and arranged for him to die in an accident after the marriage.

Annis recovered from her ordeal, and Raymond apologized for trying to control her future, leaving her free to choose her own path. She decided to improve herself and open a shop in Fernandez, while He Xi and Trist examined a Goblin outside a mine.

• Raymond visited Annis and told her he would annul both marriage arrangements and let her decide whom to marry or whether to marry at all.
• Annis laughed at the thought of He Xi proposing and said she had found something she liked doing.
• Annis told Raymond she wanted to improve herself and open a shop in Fernandez, and he eagerly began discussing the business prospects.
• He Xi and Trist stood at a mine entrance, where Trist identified the Goblin hanging from his saddle as a mine Goblin and pointed out its distinctive scar and earring.

He Xi and Trist confronted Viscount William at Blackstone Mine and discovered he had been raising Goblins, including those that fled to Plint. Trist killed William, and He Xi sent the guards into the mine under false orders while they left.

• He Xi and Trist waited at Blackstone Mine after clearing out its Goblins, and William arrived with guards.
• He Xi offered to pay for the Goblins, and William eagerly revealed he had more in a secluded abandoned mine.
• He Xi questioned William about his Goblins and learned he had raised the ones that fled to Plint.
• Trist killed William with an earth spike after William denied the accusation.
• He Xi told William’s guards that their young master had ordered them to pack up the dead Goblins.