Chapter Summaries

Viscount Frey withdrew from the Resistance Army and led the coalition south to confront Bazel’s forces, seeking a worthy opponent. As his scouts reported strange developments, he ordered a frightening story about steel monsters prepared for the newspapers, then hurried to attend to Dragonfang’s youngest son.

• Viscount Frey explained to Hunter that he had used the Resistance Army as an excuse to occupy castles and now wanted to fight Bazel’s stronger forces.
• Viscount Frey persuaded the other Grand Dukes’ armies to march south by appealing to their desire for profit.
• Viscount Frey sent scouts ahead and dismissed reports about missing grain, Holy See representatives, and smoke-spewing steel monsters.
• Viscount Frey ordered a clerk to portray the steel monsters as terrifying enemies and emphasize his own bravery in a newspaper report.
• Viscount Frey learned that Dragonfang’s youngest son had an upset stomach and decided to visit him with medicine.

The Expeditionary Force finally encountered the Northern Territory’s allied army after days of being ignored, and Captain Kyle ordered his soldiers to attack. Viscount Frey realized his troops were under fire when warm blood began falling onto his face.

• Kyle and his troops complained that their advance through the Northern Territory had brought no fighting, as local lords ignored them.
• A lookout spotted enemy soldiers, and scouts reported that about two thousand men were marching seventeen kilometers away.
• Kyle identified the force as not belonging to the Resistance Army and ordered his troops to prepare for combat and open fire.
• Viscount Frey reflected on how he had used discord among the dukes to strengthen his position as commander.
• Frey dismounted to investigate screams among his soldiers, then found blood dripping onto his face.

Castel’s unseen forces annihilated the allied army of the three grand dukes with a brief barrage of bullets. Hunter survived beneath the wreckage of his iron-plated carriage, while the battlefield fell silent.

• Viscount Frey watched soldiers across the allied formation burst apart under an invisible attack and struggled to understand what was happening.
• Viscount Frey spotted a distant figure through his telescope and heard him order the start of fire coverage.
• Castel’s bullets swept across the allied position, killing Viscount Frey and destroying the army in minutes.
• Hunter survived the barrage beneath his carriage’s steel chassis after the wreckage buried him.

Kyle’s Expeditionary Force annihilated the three grand dukes’ coalition with concealed over-the-horizon Gatling fire, leaving only a few traumatized survivors. When Nini and the Banshees arrived to provide support, the battle was already over, so Kyle suggested they interview the survivors and write a report.

• Kyle ordered the heavy machine-gun crews to stop firing after their barrage devastated the coalition, then sent cavalry to secure the battlefield.
• The cavalry found a horrific field of mangled bodies and escorted Hunter and the other surviving soldiers to the rear.
• A political commissar warned Kyle that the soldiers were becoming contemptuous of the enemy and needed a more challenging fight.
• Three Banshees arrived seeking the enemy, and Nini learned from Kyle that the Expeditionary Force had already finished the battle.
• Kyle suggested that Nini use her Battlefield Press Corps visit to interview survivors and write a report.

Hunter arrived at Blood Port and described the Resistance Army’s capture of Slading Fortress, overturning what Theus, the prince, and Isaac believed about the Northern Territory. He explained that Viscount Frey had mistaken the Expeditionary Force’s armored locomotive for a monster, revealing how the confrontation began.

• Hunter was transported from the Northern Territory to Blood Port, where the port’s industrial machinery and technology left him terrified.
• The prince greeted Hunter coldly, and Isaac questioned him about the Resistance Army.
• Hunter said the Resistance Army had captured Slading Fortress over half a year earlier, surprising Theus, the prince, and Isaac.
• Hunter explained that Count Bazel had been ambushed in the Canary Mountains after his forces were wiped out, prompting the three grand dukes to form a coalition army.
• Theus asked why Hunter’s group had attacked the Expeditionary Force, and Hunter said Viscount Frey had mistaken its armored locomotive for a monster.

Theus questioned Hunter about the Resistance Army and Nora’s activities around Slading Fortress, then learned Hunter was a mechanical engineering scholar. Theus ordered Hunter handed over to the tribunal, leaving Hunter terrified of what awaited him.

• Hunter said Viscount Frey’s attacks on the Resistance Army were mostly for show, though the fighting had still been difficult.
• Hunter reported that Nora had charged through the allied army and sometimes returned to the battlefield, where she inflicted heavy casualties.
• Theus asked Hunter for a map of the Northern Territory, and Hunter offered to draw one from memory.
• Hunter revealed that he had studied mechanical engineering under Master Siegfried Bell.
• Theus ordered Hunter handed over to the tribunal, and Hunter feared he would be burned at the stake.

Theus reflected on Blood Port’s rapid growth, fueled by schools, factories, and more than five thousand new arrivals, while Castel’s population also surpassed eleven thousand. Nini then asked to travel north to interview Gwen and support the Resistance Army, and Theus agreed that the mission could work despite the Holy See’s presence.

• Theus’s investments in schools and factories drew thousands of people to Blood Port, establishing its basic industrial foundation and increasing Castel’s permanent population to more than eleven thousand.
• Nini entered Theus’s office and asked to conduct interviews independently after complaining that the Battlefield Press Corps had missed the chance to interview survivors during the last battle.
• Theus joked that Nini’s interviews would leave no one alive, and Nini named Nora before clarifying that she wanted to interview Resistance Army members such as Gwen.
• Theus agreed that Nini could travel to the Northern Territory to check on and support the Resistance Army, noting that the Holy See was unlikely to stop them.
• Theus recalled that Granny had become formidable in the Northern Territory with two Dragon Breath Cannons.

Theus arranged for Nini to seek Isaac’s help with a mission to contact the Resistance Army, while Hunter faced the Church’s Tribunal in Castel. Hunter expected to be executed but was sentenced to fifteen years of detention and forced labor, leaving the tribunal alive.

• Theus rejected taking Nora along and suggested sending a letter with her signature and personal belongings to the Resistance Army.
• Nini went to Isaac, who had shut himself away after a series of humiliating failures, and urged him to join her warband for a fierce interview at the front lines.
• Mystic Society soldiers brought Hunter to the Church’s Tribunal and shackled him to a chair before the hooded judges.
• Hunter feared the invisible figure at the empty central seat and demanded to be sent to the stake before the tribunal questioned him.
• The Tribunal sentenced Hunter to fifteen years of detention and forced labor in Castel, with a possible reduction for good behavior.

After being sentenced to fifteen years of penal servitude in Castel, Hunter boarded a ship and encountered young people carrying Empire Truth Holy Scriptures. The ship’s extensive use of refined steel unsettled him, and he realized even its floor seemed to be made of it.

• Hunter learned that his relatively minor role in the allied campaign had earned him a fifteen-year sentence in Castel rather than a harsher punishment.
• Hunter boarded a ship bound for Castel and noticed that the other young passengers carried Empire Truth Holy Scriptures.
• Hunter asked whether the passengers belonged to the Church, and a guard explained that students heading to Castel received the scripture while Hunter did not.
• A guard lent Hunter a scripture, then directed him to collect his meal.
• Hunter noticed that the meal tray, utensils, tables, and chairs were made of refined steel, then realized the floor seemed to be made of it too.

Hunter, a scholar from the Northern Territory, broke down after seeing Castel’s vast steel fleet and realizing how ordinary steel was there. Theus learned that Castel Syndrome was spreading among newcomers, and Richard noted that members of the Mystic Society who worshipped Theus did not seem to develop it.

• Hunter noticed that Castel used steel for everyday utensils, furniture, floors, and ceilings, then rushed to a railing and saw a fleet of steel ships.
• Hunter remembered his research into conserving steel for siege equipment and collapsed into hysterical laughter as soldiers dragged him away.
• Theus asked Richard about the rising cases of Castel Syndrome among graduates who had come to Castel from Blood Port.
• Richard explained that the disease could cause ordinary people to lose their sanity and could expose Transcendents to Pollution or make them turn into monsters.
• Richard told Theus that Mystic Society members who worshipped him as a god did not seem to develop Castel Syndrome.

Hunter woke in Castel’s quarantine zone after losing his composure at the sight of its steel warships, and a doctor from the Tongue of Thorns tried to draw him into his forbidden sect. After a girl at the customs office warned him about Castel Syndrome and dangerous ideas, Hunter completed registration and stepped into the dock district.

• Hunter woke in a medical ward and felt that his scholarship, efforts, and life had lost their value.
• A doctor told Hunter about the Mystic Society and revealed that he belonged to the illegal Tongue of Thorns, urging Hunter to trust his lord.
• Hunter accepted a diagnosis certificate from the doctor, but the doctor vanished before Hunter could investigate.
• A flaxen-haired girl explained that Hunter was in the dock customs quarantine zone and warned him that scholars were at risk of Castel Syndrome.
• Hunter completed registration and a body search, then left the customs office and saw Castel’s enormous dock district and steel lighthouse.

Hunter left the docks with two Faithguard soldiers and struggled to make sense of the strange customs and technology around him. While waiting for a train, he saw a colossal creature flying overhead, which the soldiers identified as the Skyveil Behemoth.

• A Faithguard soldier explained that salvage ships recovered wreckage that could produce ship souls, leaving Hunter confused but cautious about asking more.
• Hunter asked the two Faithguard soldiers about their church’s doctrines, but they could not explain them and suggested he ask Archbishop Alexei.
• Hunter observed the steel cranes, cargo trains, and rails stretching between Blood Port and the Northern Territory.
• A gigantic flying creature passed overhead, terrifying Hunter while the soldiers and other passengers barely reacted.
• A Faithguard soldier identified the creature as the Skyveil Behemoth and called her an old friend.

Hunter recovered from a mental crisis after silently repeating Theus’s name, then boarded a train with the Faithguard Army soldiers. As he traveled through Castel, he questioned the territory’s strict rejection of calling Theus a god and noticed walls extending toward the sea.

• Hunter mistook the Skyveil Behemoth for an impossible human creation and began to lose his sanity as he tried to explain how it flew.
• A Faithguard Army soldier told Hunter that the lord’s name was Theus, and Hunter silently repeated it, regaining his reason.
• Hunter boarded a train with the Faithguard Army soldiers while Richard watched him from the station and wondered how his mental state had stabilized.
• On the train, Hunter asked about cults and learned that Castel’s authorities punished anyone who claimed Theus was a god.
• Hunter studied the smooth ride and the passing scenery, then noticed that the island’s walls seemed to extend all the way into the sea.

Hunter traveled by train toward Castel Cathedral, mistook the enormous crop-covered structures for city walls, and used a mysterious name to steady his sanity. As the train neared the cathedral, his Faithguard Army escorts warned him that he would soon see the Stellar Furnace.

• Hunter studied Castel’s wide, tree-covered structures and realized they were elevated agricultural zones where workers harvested enormous rye crops.
• Hunter became disturbed by the gigantic wheat and the black substance leaking from it, but silently chanted a mysterious name until his sanity settled.
• Hunter tried to buy a newspaper, but the Faithguard Army soldiers stopped the attendant from giving him one, fearing it would be dangerous for him to read.
• The train announced that Castel Cathedral station was approaching, and Hunter’s escorts warned him not to be afraid when he saw the Stellar Furnace.

Hunter analyzed Castel’s rise and concluded that its Empire Truth was a cover for the vanished Sea God Church and pirates. As he arrived at Castel Cathedral, he proudly told the Faithguard Army soldiers he had guessed what awaited him, but remained unaware of what they were actually preparing to show him.

• Hunter connected the rise of Castel and Empire Truth with the disappearance of the Sea God Church and the Pirate King, concluding that the island and its creations were backed by them.
• Hunter told the two Faithguard Army soldiers that he knew what was inside the cathedral and guessed that it involved the deep sea.
• The soldiers admired Hunter for guessing correctly, and he accepted their praise while crediting his broad knowledge.
• The soldiers began reading the Holy Scripture, and Hunter wondered why Mystic Society members had given him a copy of Empire Truth’s scripture.
• Hunter and the soldiers followed the crowd toward the carriage door after arriving at Castel Cathedral.

Hunter arrived at Castel and was awestruck by its immense fortress complex, then discovered that its walls were made of concrete. He resolved to meet Lord Theus and use his knowledge of the material to transform mainland warfare and help Castel break free from the Sea God.

• Hunter examined Castel's towering walls and fortresses, recognizing the complex as an almost impregnable defensive system marked by immense battle damage.
• Overcome by the fortress's design, Hunter knelt and touched the wall while the Faithguard Army soldiers wondered whether he was all right.
• Hunter smashed a stone against the wall and demanded to know what it was made of; the soldiers told him it was Number Seven Concrete.
• Hunter realized concrete could transform castles, fortifications, and warfare, and agreed to meet Lord Theus to propose using it on the mainland and freeing Castel from the Sea God.
• The Faithguard Army soldiers followed Hunter, confused by his plans and remarking that Castel needed the Sea God to burn.

Hunter entered Castel and encountered Nini, a furious Banshee guarding the gate, before being led to the cathedral’s Stellar Furnace. Looking into the furnace revealed the vast tentacled being spread beneath the Storm Ocean, and Hunter’s mind broke as he prayed to Theus for salvation.

• Hunter saw the steel giant Nini confront him over the allied army’s destruction and fled through the gate with the Faithguard Army soldiers.
• The Faithguard Army led Hunter to the cathedral and warned him about the depth beside the Stellar Furnace.
• Hunter looked into the furnace and saw an enormous eye staring at him through the inspection port.
• Hunter’s surroundings seemed to vanish as he perceived tentacles spreading from Castel throughout the Storm Ocean.
• Hunter realized an enormous eye was watching him and, as his reason and soul came apart, prayed to Theus to save him.

Hunter recognized Theus as his lord and saw Castel as the manifestation of Theus's will. After waking in a hospital room, Hunter learned that he and Yami would work together, and the chapter ended with them realizing they would become colleagues.

• Hunter heard Theus's name, escaped the collapsing vision, and sensed that Castel was bound to Theus's will.
• Hunter woke in a hospital room and learned that the dark-haired youth who had visited was the lord of Castel.
• Hunter discovered Yami in the neighboring bed and introduced himself as a scholar from the Dawn Society.
• Hunter set aside his former prejudice toward commoners and shook Yami's hand.
• Hunter told Yami that the lord had arranged work for them, and Yami asked if they would become colleagues.

Hunter met Yami, his assigned research partner, and learned he would have to pass an advanced class assessment before joining the research. Richard explained Hunter’s condition and his connection to Castel’s Machine Souls to Theus, who then summoned Nini to discuss support for the Resistance Army from the Northern Territory.

• Yami told Hunter that he ran a snack stall, had been appointed to lead the research, and expected Hunter to pass the advanced class assessment first.
• Hunter decided the assessment would be easy and went to look through the textbooks, confident that studying was his strength.
• Theus read Hunter’s report, and Richard explained that Hunter’s cognitive episodes were mild and that Castel’s Machine Souls had accepted him.
• Theus asked who was coordinating the Northern Territory’s support for the Resistance Army, and Richard called Nini into the office through the window.
• Nini broke the window while entering, and Theus told her to pay for repairs before she patched the damaged wall with Turn Stone to Mud.

Theus learned that Nini had sent Moth Chasing Flame agents to contact the Resistance Army in the Northern Territory, while Granny and Isaac were accompanying the mission. Alexei then told Theus that Galahad reminded him of the former Empress’s Knight Commander, raising questions about Galahad’s loyalty to the prince.

• Theus questioned Nini about the Northern Territory, and she explained that Granny and Isaac had gone to make contact with the Resistance Army rather than leading a direct attack.
• Nini said Granny had gained a reputation among Northern Territory [Investigator]s for carrying two Dragon Breath Cannons.
• Alexei recalled challenging the Empress’s Knight Commander after graduating from the Royal Army Academy and said the man had seen through his every move.
• Alexei told Theus that he suspected Galahad resembled the former Knight Commander, though he had little confidence in the impression.
• Theus considered what Galahad’s oath-bound loyalty would mean if Galahad had served the former Empress.