Chapter Summaries

At a Floating City fundraising banquet, Calista discovered that mages were watching her because the Northern Lands Society had produced the influential Territory Mage paper. She introduced Fran, who was using the name Lai, to Camilla of the Felistin Family, leaving Camilla convinced that Lai was a promising alchemist rather than Fran.

• A mage pitched Calista on selling advancement opportunities through a proposed Territory Mage project in Chex Bay, though the paper had not established whether territories could advance apprentices.
• Calista brought Fran to the banquet, where mages repeatedly approached Calista while Fran drew little attention.
• Camilla told Calista that the Territory Mage paper came from the Northern Lands Society, and Calista realized the crowd was interested in her connection to the Society.
• Calista identified her companion as Lai and confirmed that she had received the Silver Alchemy Award.
• Camilla concluded that Lai was a promising alchemy candidate for the Felistin Family and dismissed the possibility that she was Fran.

Fran examined the banquet’s funding projects, dismissed most as unpromising, and offered thirty thousand Gold Coins to support Asher’s mentor’s Mana Communication System security work in exchange for access to its knowledge. As she left the displays, Harvey Wosher challenged her to a Magic Duel.

• Fran found that many neglected alchemy projects copied ideas from her papers, then stopped to hear Asher’s pitch for improving the Mana Communication System’s security.
• Fran questioned Asher about his plan, learned that he and his mentor had no workable strategy, and offered thirty thousand Gold Coins without asking for a share of future profits.
• Fran told Asher to have his mentor contact her on Grey Gold Lane because she hoped the investment would help her learn about the system and the Construct School’s field of knowledge.
• After finding no other projects she wanted to fund, Fran met Harvey Wosher, who introduced himself as the 493rd-ranked Champion Mage and challenged her to a Magic Duel.

Fran learned that winning the Champion Mage Challenge could advance a Second Order mage to the Third Order, and decided to pursue the title despite needing a new Alliance-recognized identity. She arranged to attend a Felistin Family banquet, then asked Calista whether Number Nine Floating City had ever sounded its highest alert.

• Fran declined Harvey's Magic Duel and learned that the Champion Mage Challenge would take place in six months, with its champion advancing to the Third Order.
• Fran discovered that Champion Mage was a three-star profession and decided to enter, but realized she needed an Alliance-recognized identity that would not alert Iris.
• Fran questioned Camilla about whether Number Nine Floating City had ever sounded its highest-level alert, then thanked her and agreed to attend the Felistin Family banquet.
• Fran left the fundraising banquet with Calista and asked whether Number Nine Floating City had ever sounded its highest alert; Calista said it had not.

Iris met with Roderick in the Aether Palace, where he tried to recruit her back into the Alchemy School and offer her a committee seat. She refused to separate herself from the Northern Lands Society, and Roderick warned her to keep Lai away from the Felistin Family.

• Roderick asked Iris why she had come to the floating city and applied for a long-term laboratory, and she said she wanted to wait there while avoiding watchful eyes and had brought a junior who might win the Gold Alchemy Award.
• Iris discussed the Gold Alchemy Award candidates and said none had a clear advantage, while Roderick offered her a place on the committee as the Alchemy School's Fifth Seat.
• Roderick proposed that Iris return to the Alchemy School, eventually take a higher seat, and help secure another seat for Lai, but Iris asked what would happen to the Northern Lands Society.
• Iris declined the offer, saying she would wait for Roderick's seat or for the Alchemy School to change its position on the Northern Lands Society.
• Roderick warned Iris to keep Lai away from the Felistin Family because the family had attracted suspicion after a member won the All-Forms Mage Award and a Territory Mage became a major topic.

Fran offered Forrest Sharp thirty thousand gold coins to invest in the Mana Communication System in exchange for learning its principles and materials. Forrest agreed to explain the relevant technology, then recognized Fran as Lai, the author of Mathematical Analysis of Fireball.

• Forrest Sharp and his apprentice Asher discussed Fran's offer and decided to visit her on Grey Gold Lane.
• Fran showed Forrest thirty thousand gold coins and said she wanted to learn how the Mana Communication System worked and what materials it required.
• Forrest worried that sharing the Construct School's developments might violate school rules, but Fran clarified that she wanted only the relevant principles and material-making process.
• Forrest agreed to explain the system's mana generation and control, and Fran prepared an All-Spirit Contract for them to sign.
• Forrest introduced himself, Fran gave her name as Lai, and he recognized her as the author of Mathematical Analysis of Fireball.

Fran sought a mage identity she could use for less than a year to enter the Champion Mage Challenge, and Iris advised her to impersonate a mage whose details she could learn. Fran went to a crowded banquet at the Felistin residence to gather information and was introduced to Camilla’s younger sister, Feli Felix.

• Fran asked Iris how her friend could obtain an Alliance identity, and Iris explained that impersonating another mage could work for travel and similar purposes.
• Fran decided to find a suitable mage to impersonate so she could enter the Champion Mage Challenge before its Preliminaries ended.
• Iris watched Fran leave and dismissed the risk, unaware that Fran planned to act at the Challenge’s registration office.
• Fran arrived early at the Felistin Family’s crowded banquet on Mercury Avenue, despite Iris’s warning to avoid dealing with the family.
• Camilla greeted Fran and introduced her younger sister, Feli Felix, who admired Fran’s work.

Fran decided to mentor Philly and use her identity to enter and win the Champion Mage Challenge. She arranged to take Philly away for up to a year, leaving the Felistin Family to believe the arrangement was for instruction.

• Philly asked Fran about one of her mathematics papers, and Fran explained the topic and directed her to the Northern Lands Society's mathematics research group.
• Camilla left the room to hear reports that mages were departing, revenue-sharing terms had been rejected, and three prospective marriage partners had refused the Felistin Family.
• Philly asked Fran to let her stay nearby and learn from her, and Fran learned that Philly was twenty, a First Order Mage, and a member of the Yobner Society.
• Fran decided Philly could serve as her identity for the Champion Mage Challenge and considered ways to hide Philly and avoid suspicion.
• Camilla returned, and Fran asked to take Philly away for instruction; Camilla agreed, while Philly accepted the family duty despite her brief reluctance.

Fran borrowed Philly’s identity and appearance, then discovered she needed to qualify for the Champion Mage Challenge Preliminaries through a minor competition. She chose the Alchemy School Hourglass Cup and began preparing papers with Philly as second author, leaving Philly confused and exhausted.

• After keeping Philly awake for days, Fran put her to sleep, copied her facial features with an alchemical substance, and took her Alliance identification documents.
• Fran learned that entrants had to place in the top eight of a minor competition before entering the Preliminaries, which had sixty-nine days left.
• Fran chose the Alchemy School Hourglass Cup Youth Competition, aiming for Gold Hourglass rank with papers on the conservation of energy and Aether.
• Fran resumed experiments with the waking Philly and had her record and analyze spell fluctuations for a paper, then left to submit the papers with Philly named second author.
• Philly wondered how an Elemental School mage could publish an Alchemy School paper, then gave in to exhaustion and went back to sleep.

Fran visited Forrest to inspect the Mana Communication System and found that its main obstacle was the difficulty of generating enough energy. She proposed practical improvements to the system’s input and encryption, then assigned Philly and Asher the tedious work of checking and debugging it.

• Fran brought Philly to Forrest’s workshop and introduced her as an assistant she would teach about research.
• Forrest explained that the Mana Communication System relied on a mental power generator, and Fran identified energy production as its greatest obstacle.
• Fran proposed replacing handwriting recognition with mechanical keys, which she said could be mass-produced in the Antir Region.
• Fran presented a new encoding scheme that reduced mana use and made the system’s information harder to access, though not impossible to breach.
• Fran suggested building a separate network for mages in University Associations and left the idea for the future.
• Fran assigned Philly and Asher to debug the new system and check its character table.

Fran learned the Preliminaries’ duel rules and submitted a request for a match the following afternoon to begin earning points toward the top hundred. Jasper accepted the request, seeing her blank match record as a chance to gain points from an inexperienced newcomer.

• A staff member explained the shield devices, school-based scroll limits, best-of-five scoring, and opponent-matching rules to Fran.
• Fran learned that reaching the top hundred required about 196 points and submitted a duel request for the next afternoon.
• The staff member told Fran that an eligible mage could accept her request in person, and Fran left to wait for confirmation.
• Jasper arrived with 59 points and accepted Fran’s request after learning that she was a newcomer from the Elemental School with no match records.
• Jasper paid ten Gold Coins for additional shield devices and confirmed the duel.

Fran entered a Magic Duel against Jasper and unexpectedly won the first round by opening with a fast Greater Fireball. The second round began with Jasper expecting her to defend, but Fran cast Greater Fireball again, leaving him stunned.

• Fran learned that Jasper had a poor recent record, then waited outside while he familiarized himself with the arena.
• Fran entered the battered, earth-covered arena and saw Jasper, who assumed the inexperienced-looking rookie would be easy to defeat.
• When the first round began, Fran cast Greater Fireball while Jasper tried to cast Spell-Repelling Sword, and her attack triggered his shield device.
• Jasper entered the second round more cautiously, but again began casting his enhancement spell after predicting Fran would shield herself.
• Fran cast Greater Fireball again, and Jasper reacted in disbelief at her repeated attack.

Fran defeated Jasper 3–0 in a Magic Duel, winning five points with three Greater Fireballs. She booked another match for the next afternoon, while Jasper, frustrated by his defeat, tried to schedule a duel but had to settle for next week because he lacked enough shield devices.

• After Jasper apologized for losing his composure, he agreed to continue the duel with Fran for a third round.
• Jasper used [Instant Acceleration] and charged toward Fran, but she retreated while channeling Greater Fireball.
• Fran’s fireball defeated Jasper at the two-second mark, giving her a 3–0 victory and five points.
• Fran confirmed a Magic Duel for the following afternoon and left the arena.
• Jasper realized Fran’s casting speed had caught him off guard and applied for another duel, but he lacked enough shield devices and scheduled it for next week.

Iris confronted Fran about her competition papers and warned that her actions made her appear aligned with the Felistin Family. She planned to take Fran to a gathering of high-order Alchemy School mages, where Fran would meet a Legendary figure and clarify her distance from the family.

• Iris questioned Fran about adding Philly as coauthor of the alchemical experiments paper, and Fran claimed it was an accident caused by the deadline.
• Fran denied having any intention to cooperate with the Felistin Family and considered the conflicts such an alliance would bring.
• Iris explained that Fran's papers could have secured her the Gold Alchemy Award, but her apparent connection to the Felistin Family had offset their advantage.
• Iris told Fran to prepare to attend a meeting of high-order Alchemy School mages, where a Legendary figure who praised her paper would likely appear.
• Iris said Fran needed to make clear at the gathering that she would not grow closer to the Felistin Family, and Fran agreed.

Fran prepared to negotiate the Mana Communication System purchase with Iris at the High-Order Mage banquet, then attended the banquet with Iris and explained her connections to several Alchemy School officials. Iris led Fran to meet her mentor, Roderick, but they found him with visitors as the chapter ended.

• Fran agreed to discuss the Mana Communication System purchase with Iris at the banquet and planned to explain the system's limits and possible terminal restrictions.
• Fran won her third Magic Duel 3–0 with rapid Greater Fireballs and submitted an application for another duel.
• Fran went with Iris to the High-Order Mage banquet at the Aether Palace, where Iris introduced her to important Alchemy School officials and Fran repeated her explanations.
• Iris took Fran to meet Roderick, her mentor and the person in charge of the Miracle Alchemy branch, but they arrived while he had visitors.

Iris brought Fran to meet her mentor, Roderick, at the banquet, but the Legendary mage they hoped to see was absent. Roderick revealed that the banquet’s early end was tied to a secret plan concerning the Cult of the Sky Dragon, and Iris learned she might be asked to help.

• Roderick urged Iris to compromise with her opponents and establish an academic review system, but she rejected the idea.
• Iris explained that she wanted the Mana Communication System kept at the Northern Lands Society despite its poor security and performance.
• After Fran left, Roderick told Iris the banquet would end at ten so the attending mages could act on a secret plan involving the Cult of the Sky Dragon, not its Floating Isle approaching Number Nine Floating City.
• In the corridor, a female mage learned from her companion that Iris was the Alchemy School’s hope and that Fran’s research talent was exceptional.
• The female mage revealed that her companion had joined the Eternal Vessel Experiment a thousand years earlier and would remain asleep until the experiment was less than one-tenth complete.

Fran met Iris to negotiate the Northern Lands Society's purchase of the improved Mana Communication System, presenting security upgrades and a new pricing plan. Iris agreed to pay 11,999 gold coins, and Fran learned that the Alliance imposed no special restrictions on mage-made communication devices, clearing the way for her to test point-to-point terminals.

• Iris discovered that Fran had come to negotiate the Mana Communication System purchase on behalf of the Construct School project.
• Fran presented Iris with security upgrades and explained that she had proposed them while other mages had implemented them.
• Fran described the renamed Personal Terminal, its external keyboard, and pricing designed to profit from blacklisted terminals and replacement keyboards.
• Iris approved the system despite its reliance on Magic Artisans and offered 11,999 gold coins, which Fran accepted.
• Fran asked Iris about Alliance restrictions on communication devices, and Iris said there were no special restrictions on devices made by individual mages.
• Fran concluded that she could begin testing point-to-point terminals.

Philly learned that Fran had listed her as a coauthor on two papers that won the Golden Hourglass Award, leaving her uncertain about the consequences and Fran’s motives. Reading the award-winning papers, she discovered a legendary review by the Sage of Time, Oinrich Fello, that could not refute one paper’s reasoning.

• Asher recognized Philly Felistin’s name in a newspaper and told her she had won two Golden Hourglass Awards.
• Philly realized Fran had submitted papers with her listed as second author, though she had barely contributed and did not know what the papers contained.
• Philly worried that the award could bring trouble with the Yobner Society or provoke backlash against her family.
• Fran confirmed that Philly would remain with her for seven or eight months and refused to explain why she had listed Philly as an author.
• Philly read the award-winning papers and found her mathematical derivation in one of them.
• Philly read a review by Oinrich Fello, the Sage of Time, who said he believed the second paper’s reasoning was wrong but could not find an example to refute it.

Fran's string of 3–0 victories made her a rising Duel Arena contender, and Edmund was matched against her. Jasper, who had already lost to Fran, warned Edmund that she cast spells extremely quickly, then bet she would defeat him 3–0.

• Fran won five consecutive Magic Duels 3–0 and reached 75 points, drawing attention from other competitors.
• Jasper and his friends discussed Fran's record, while Jasper concealed that she had given him his first 3–0 loss.
• Edmund learned he had been matched against Fran and asked his friends for information about her fighting style.
• Jasper warned Edmund that Fran could cast a First Order spell before an opponent raised a shield, prompting Edmund to prepare a Spell Ring with a shield spell.
• After Edmund left to prepare, Jasper's friends teased him about knowing so little, and Jasper bet Fran would beat Edmund 3–0.

Fran attended a banquet at Silver-Scale Manor to seek information about Second Order or Third Order Professional advancement, then met Alchemist Alwen, who was curious about the works eligible for the Gold Alchemy Award. Fran predicted that the paper about Fireball would win.

• Fran asked Calista for advancement information, and Calista directed her to Mage Ivan upstairs.
• Calista’s friends learned that Fran was Lai of the Northern Lands Society and chose not to approach her because of the Felistin Family’s involvement.
• Fran found Ivan and met Alwen, an Alchemist from beyond The Alliance who had come to learn about the Gold Alchemy Award.
• Alwen asked Ivan about potential award-winning works, and Fran said she thought the Fireball paper would win.

Fran negotiated with Ivan for four non-mage advancement methods, then bought Alwen’s Alchemist advancement legacy. The chapter ended with Alwen asking Ivan to obtain another All-Spirit Contract.

• Fran asked Ivan to sell her his advancement methods, and Ivan offered three Second Order methods and one Third Order method.
• Fran negotiated Ivan’s price down from sixteen thousand to fourteen thousand gold coins and agreed to buy all four methods under an All-Spirit Contract.
• Alwen, needing money for his mentor’s experiment, offered Fran an Alchemist advancement method covering the First through Third Orders.
• Fran offered Alwen nine thousand gold coins, and Alwen accepted after her subtle Siren’s voice influenced him.
• Ivan returned with an All-Spirit Contract, and Alwen asked him to buy another one.