Chapter Summaries

After Theus gave Alexei Jeremiah’s scimitar, he returned to the manor, handed Connor blueprints, and fell asleep. Connor recalled Theus’s mysterious disappearance earlier that day and ended up suspecting the Candlelight Society’s chapel.

• Theus gave Alexei Jeremiah’s scimitar, and Alexei accepted it as a reason to work harder for Theus.
• Theus returned to the manor, gave Connor blueprints for a blast furnace and a steam engine, and fell asleep.
• Connor wondered whether the island’s blacksmith could build the designs and recalled how Zoe had reported Theus missing that morning.
• Connor searched the manor, questioned the servants, and confined them while suspecting Theus was still inside.
• Connor considered possible enemies and fixed his attention on the Candlelight Society’s chapel.

Jules wrote to Beatrice, asking her to watch Polluted workers exiled to an island and warning her about the dangers of the world and the Empire. He sealed the letter as her uncle, then revealed that his head contained only mechanical parts as his arms began repairs.

• Jules typed a letter congratulating Beatrice on becoming an Investigator and apologizing for failing to care for her.
• Jules explained that the Church had exiled workers who remained Polluted after he executed a dangerous cultist, and asked Beatrice to monitor them on an island.
• Jules warned Beatrice to avoid Rhine and the Empire’s borders, follow the purification protocol if the Pollution became uncontrollable, and trust humanity rather than anything else.
• Jules urged Beatrice to read the sacred texts of the five great Churches, trust her instincts, and remember that the world’s underlying nature was madness.
• Jules crossed out his official titles, signed the letter as Beatrice’s uncle, and sealed it with the Candlelight Society’s seal.
• Jules’s head cracked open to reveal mechanical parts instead of a brain, and his mechanical arms began maintaining them.

Theus reviewed Castel’s resources with Alexei and identified olive oil, mineral deposits, and the island’s volcano as opportunities for developing the territory. He planned to investigate soap production and ordered a thorough survey of the island’s mineral deposits.

• Theus asked Connor about the laboratory and requested Alexei bring the estate’s production ledgers so they could plan Castel’s development.
• Alexei described Castel’s harbor, workshops, olive groves, and mineral deposits, explaining that the island’s isolation limited trade.
• Theus recognized olive oil as a valuable resource and considered using it to make soap and establish broader chemical production.
• Theus ordered Alexei to arrange a thorough survey of Castel’s mineral deposits and said he would pay for the work.
• Alexei confirmed that Castel had an active volcano, and Theus noted that it could provide minerals, sulfur, and fertile volcanic ash.

Theus ordered a free school and an olive oil factory to build the skilled workforce and industry Castel needed. After learning the town hall had run out of money, he insisted that workers be paid in full and on time, even if he had to spend his private treasury.

• Theus rejected Alexei’s suggestion to postpone the school and announced that he would teach there himself.
• Theus told Alexei to organize workers to build an olive oil factory and said they would later discuss how to attract immigrants.
• Alexei revealed that Castel’s main income came from Sweet Fruit Wine bought by pirates and that the town hall had run out of money.
• Theus refused to delay wages and ordered Alexei to promise residents that workers would always be paid on time.
• Theus directed Alexei to draw money or sell jewels from his private treasury if needed to pay the workers.

Lord Theus began industrializing Castel by building factories and hiring islanders, bringing money and activity into the territory. As Alexei oversaw construction, Theus planned further expansion through mineral prospecting, cement production, and coastal defenses.

• Theus paid islanders to build factories and schools, ending their pirate-tax work and bringing coins into circulation across Castel.
• Alexei saw how Theus's standardized blueprints fit factory equipment and cargo needs, and the olive oil factory neared completion.
• Alexei asked the blacksmith to help prospect for minerals, but the blacksmith refused because he was busy making parts for Theus's boiler.
• Theus inspected Castel's old, filthy Sweet Fruit Wine workshops and decided to leave them standing until the territory developed further.
• Theus considered producing cement from Castel's minerals to speed construction and build coastal batteries against pirates.

Theus planned to expand his chemistry work and develop industrial production despite Castel’s limited resources and skilled workers. He tasked Connor with gathering materials and equipment while prioritizing a school and the first production line.

• Theus considered training the loyal, resilient Banshees in chemistry, though he thought Ash might be his only possible student.
• Theus asked Connor to obtain sulfur ore and arrange bottles and jars, even suggesting that the manor’s vases and glass cups be melted down if necessary.
• Connor reported that the olive oil factory had produced its first batch, while Theus noted that their lack of industrial expertise prevented more advanced machinery.
• Theus decided the school could no longer be delayed and planned to speak with Alexei, who was busy building the factory.
• Theus focused on developing soap production as a stopgap for the pirates’ deadline and as Castel’s first step toward industrialization.
• Theus told Connor to get sulfur quickly so he could begin working toward nitric acid and sulfuric acid in the chemistry laboratory.

Theus planned a free literacy school for the island and summoned Ash to learn how the Symbiotic Pact affected her. Ash explained that she could survive on land only through Flesh Magic and would lose life force if she traveled too far from Theus.

• Theus told his chief clerk to find school buildings and publicize free literacy classes, with advanced lessons available for a small fee.
• Theus dismissed the idea of having Alexei’s clerks teach and planned to use literate servants for basic classes while teaching advanced subjects himself.
• Theus went to his study, barred entry, and used the secret passage to summon Ash at the sea.
• Ash told Theus that the Symbiotic Pact kept her from returning to the Abyssal Trench and that distance from him drained her life force.
• Ash explained that Flesh Magic let her withstand the pressure and survive in her current form, but stopping it without a pact-bearer would kill her.

Theus learned that an unseen Pollution in the Abyssal Trench was making the Banshees sick and mentally unstable, and he searched for a way to save them. He realized the Banshees might use Symbiotic Pacts to survive on land, but Ash warned that his frail body could not support more than one pact.

• Ash told Theus that the Banshees' home in the Abyssal Trench was afflicted by an unseen Pollution that oppressed and sickened them.
• Theus feared the Banshees would be assimilated by the Pollution and asked Ash whether they could leave the trench.
• Ash explained that the Banshees needed the trench's immense water pressure to maintain their normal forms, while using Flesh Magic on land required life force from a pact.
• Theus realized that Symbiotic Pacts could let the Banshees survive on land, but Ash explained that the ability gained by the other party was random.
• Ash revealed that she had intended to make a pact, share knowledge of water pressure, and then dissolve it, which would have killed her and transferred her life force to Theus.
• Ash said the other Banshees could not safely make pacts with Theus because his body was too frail to withstand multiple pacts.

Theus considered bringing Ash's people from the Abyssal Trench to Castel Island and began investigating whether the Church would accept other races. He rode to the church with Connor and learned that the Church had lost its seat in the Empire's judicial trials but had barely protested.

• Theus asked Ash whether their Pact allowed her to give him life force, then urged her to check on her people in the Abyssal Trench and bring them to Castel Island if necessary.
• Theus returned to the study, sensed danger behind the door, and dodged as Zoe fell toward him while carrying afternoon tea.
• Theus told Zoe to stop bringing tea while he worked and to ask Connor not to disturb him, then decided to investigate the Candlelight Society's attitude toward other races.
• Theus asked Zoe to have Connor prepare a horse and read Church texts before riding with Connor to the church.
• Connor told Theus that the Church had lost its seat in the Empire's judicial trials and had made only token protests.

Theus visited the run-down church on Castel and met Chloe, the nun who kept it running. When he asked about Church doctrine, Chloe hesitated, and an unusual assistant priest appeared.

• Theus questioned the Church's lack of resistance and went with Connor to inspect the local church.
• Connor explained that the bishop had died and the Church had sent no replacement, leaving Chloe to manage the church.
• Chloe recognized Theus as the new lord, accepted his donation, and explained that few islanders attended services because their livelihoods were predictable or kept them at sea.
• Theus asked about the church's activities and doctrine, but Chloe said she knew little and hinted that the assistant priest's situation was unusual.
• A tall man in priest's robes emerged through the back door, and Theus studied him.

Theus investigated the church by meeting Brother Kaeschi and entering the confessional, where his supernatural perception revealed that Kaeschi was a machine rather than a human. Theus recognized supernatural inscriptions in the room and began connecting them to the Candlelight Society, though he still sensed something was wrong.

• Theus met Brother Kaeschi, whose familiar robe reminded him of the priest who had killed him, and learned from Chloe that Kaeschi could not speak.
• Theus followed Chloe to the confessional, intending to learn about the Church's attitude toward nonhumans.
• Theus used the Banshee's power through the Symbiotic Pact to detect a supernatural inscription in the confessional wall.
• Theus recalled that his handshake with Kaeschi had revealed a body made of materials and inscriptions, with no flesh or blood.
• Theus concluded that Kaeschi was a sophisticated machine and suspected the Candlelight Society's supernatural power was involved, but still felt that something was wrong.

Theus questioned Sister Chloe at the Confessional and learned about the Candlelight Society’s supernatural medical treatments. On the ride home, he resolved to use his knowledge and repeated Descents to bring industrial progress and hope to the suffering people of the Empire.

• Theus noticed that the inscriptions in the Confessional differed in detail from the ones he remembered from Brother Kaeschi.
• Theus apologized to Chloe and asked her about his concerns and the Church’s abilities.
• Theus and Connor rode back toward the estate, and Theus considered how a lack of nighttime lighting would hinder evening classes.
• Theus reassured Connor that he would avoid close ties with the Church, though he had learned that its holy water and incense could aid medical treatment.
• Theus reflected on the suffering he had witnessed across the Empire and resolved to use industrial progress to give people hope.

Theus reviewed Castel’s confirmed mineral deposits, factory progress, and plans for basic schools while directing Alexei to keep investing in workers and education. Alexei left to carry out the plans, and Theus wondered why he had saluted him like a soldier.

• Alexei told Theus that surveying and construction had drained their funds, then reported confirmed open-pit deposits of iron, copper, limestone, sulfur, and gypsum.
• Theus learned that the olive oil factory was operating smoothly but struggling to get enough olives from hard-to-reach mountain groves.
• Theus told Alexei not to waste manpower on difficult olive harvesting and explained that factory workers needed training to improve production and prevent accidents.
• Theus ordered Alexei to open basic schools using blackboards instead of waiting for books and paper, and said he would choose instructors himself.
• Theus insisted that the schools open soon and the workshop renovations continue, and Alexei bowed and left.

Theus learned that the island’s blacksmith could not make a steam engine, leaving industrialization stalled, and considered asking magic for help. Before he could contact Ash, the Symbiotic Pact alerted him that she was hurt, and he found the Banshees displaced by a Pollution eruption with Monica badly wounded and contaminated.

• Connor told Theus that the blacksmith could not craft the steam engine’s cylinder or other parts with the island’s limited tools and labor.
• Theus considered buying a steam engine, seeking help from the royal family’s Gear Academy, and using magic to overcome the manufacturing problems.
• Theus sensed through the Symbiotic Pact that Ash was hurt, ordered Connor not to disturb him, and went through the secret passage to the cavern.
• Ash told Theus that Pollution had erupted beneath the Abyssal Trench, forcing the Banshees from their home.
• Theus found Monica gravely injured and contaminated, with black matter preventing her wounds from healing.

Theus learned that Monica had been struck by Pollution in the Abyssal Trench and could only be kept stable for three days, while Ash was left without magic. He told Connor about the Banshees and planned to seek help from the Candlelight Society, whose Investigators handled strange cases discreetly.

• A Banshee told Theus that Monica was unconscious, infected with Pollution, and could be kept stable for at most three days.
• Ash's magic was exhausted after protecting Monica and leading the Banshees out of the Abyssal Trench, and she admitted she had drawn on Theus's life force through the Pact.
• Theus summoned Connor and revealed the Banshees' origins and their loyalty to him.
• Connor said that foreign races had once been reported at sea but had gradually disappeared, and Theus suspected the disappearances might be connected to the Pollution.
• Theus considered privately inviting Sister Chloe to the manor, and Connor explained that the Candlelight Society sent Investigators to resolve strange problems without revealing their findings.

Theus weighed the risks of seeking help from the Candlelight Society and learned that Alexei’s adopted sister was a Burier from the Silent Temple. He planned to approach the Silent Temple the next morning and took Connor to meet the Banshees, whom he hoped to save as the Steam Engine’s last hope.

• Theus decided to approach Sister Chloe before seeking help from the Candlelight Society, but abandoned the idea of suppressing her after remembering Brother Kaeschi’s unknown power.
• Connor told Theus that Alexei’s adopted sister was a refugee from the White Crow Duchy and a Burier from the Silent Temple.
• Theus inferred that the royal family had brought the Silent Temple into the Empire to counterbalance the Candlelight Society and decided to seek its help.
• Theus arranged to visit Alexei and the others the following morning, while Connor planned to make contact with them beforehand.
• Theus asked Connor to help deliver supplies to the Banshees and led him through the secret passage to meet them.

Theus met Nora, Alexei’s supposed younger sister, and learned about the Silent Temple through the visions sparked by her portable censer. The visions left him deeply moved, though the chapter ended without clarifying Nora’s role as a Burier.

• Theus and his companions visited chief clerk Alexei and arranged for him to rest so Theus could speak privately with Nora.
• Theus introduced himself to Nora and checked through the Symbiotic Pact that she was human.
• Nora showed Theus a portable censer engraved with a white crow made of bones.
• The censer’s smoke showed Theus a vision of White Crow people mourning their dead and a Silent Temple priest burying a coffin in the frozen ground.
• Theus saw the Silent Temple’s austere church and its bell bearing the words, “Wind and snow bury the past; the Temple never forgets,” and called the experience awe-inspiring.

Theus learned about the Silent Temple and asked Nora whether it accepted other races, then told her that the Banshees were in danger from Pollution. Nora reacted with alarm and surrounded them both with smoke from her incense burner, leaving Theus cautious but reassured by her concern.

• Theus discovered that the incense burner had filled his mind with knowledge about the Silent Temple and considered whether it could teach people.
• Theus recalled how the Silent Temple served the people of the White Crow Duchy and understood that its clergy had earned trust through their aid.
• Theus asked Nora whether she knew about other races, and she nodded, though he sensed she did not trust them.
• Theus told Nora that friendly Banshees had been hurt by Pollution from the depths of the sea.
• Nora examined Theus, prepared her incense burner, and surrounded them both with a thicker cloud of smoke while Theus discreetly used the Banshees' senses to stay alert.

Theus arranged for Nora of the Silent Temple to treat Monica’s Pollution in a secluded seaside cavern, while the Banshees used Flesh Magic to keep Monica stable. Nini warned that saving Monica might endanger Theus, and asked him to protect the Banshees’ home.

• Theus asked Nora to treat his nonhuman friend Monica, and Nora agreed to help.
• Theus planned to hold the treatment in a seaside cavern and invited Sister Chloe as a precaution.
• Theus visited the Banshees and learned that Ash had gone into hibernation and Monica’s condition had stabilized temporarily.
• Nini explained that maintaining Monica with Flesh Magic required almost all the Banshees and that Monica could die if they stopped for too long.
• Theus suggested forming a Symbiotic Pact with Monica, but Nini said she would not risk him and told him the Banshees wanted to keep their home.

Nora recorded in her diary that Lord Theus had asked her to treat his foreign friend, though she suspected he was corrupted and intended to kill her afterward. Hoping to establish a home for the White Crow's faithful on Castel Island, she prepared to face the danger and left her room in armor.

• Nora wrote that Theus had contacted her through official channels and asked her to treat a foreign friend, renewing his promise that Castel could be her home.
• Nora suspected Theus had been corrupted by a cult and planned to blame her after the treatment, but decided to help him and hold him to his promise.
• Nora recorded her hope of establishing a Church and Holy Hall on Castel Island, and asked her successor to remember and bury her.
• Nora placed flowers and a note with her diary, put on her armor, took her Tower Shield and Flail, and left without looking back.