Chapter Summaries

Russell and Carpenter left Hill’s hall with a strict plan to study and practice, while Hill reflected on their conversation and prepared Russell’s spell lessons. Milat Wester then visited Hill to discuss new apprentice rules amid the Black Mystery Tower’s unease after the loss of Robes Nicholson’s students.

• Hill urged Russell to keep practicing spells as he studied, and Russell promised to work diligently before leaving with Carpenter.
• Russell insisted Carpenter could master her two unfinished spells and memorize eight books within a month, and she reluctantly accepted his plan.
• Hill overheard the children discussing his blunt manner and reflected on Gilbert’s reputation for sharply rebuffing people who wasted his time.
• Hill opened his sealed Side Tower to Milat Wester, who came to discuss new apprentice rules.
• Wester worried about the Black Mystery Tower’s strained atmosphere and his own safety after Nicholson’s students died and Tower Master Nicholson returned.

Wester feared being caught between Tower Masters Nicholson and Rute as he was ordered to check whether apprentices received their full resources. He went to speak with Gilbert, who immediately asked who Wester had offended.

• Wester realized the apprentice-resource position had become a target in the Mage Tower's factional struggle.
• A student of Nicholson ordered Wester to visit every Mage with apprentices and verify their resource allotments.
• Wester worried that Rute's faction might ignore the dispute, leaving him exposed to blame from Nicholson's side.
• Wester entered Gilbert's hall and explained the Mage Tower's request.
• Gilbert asked Wester who he had offended.

Gilbert questioned Wester about Selin Bogard's concerns over apprentice resources, then had Russell and Carpenter show Wester what they had received. Wester noticed they seemed to be saving the resources for their families and began considering how to help his own talented son.

• Gilbert recognized that Selin Bogard's concern about apprentice treatment was tied to the conflict between the son-in-law and the nephew.
• Hill called Russell and Carpenter in after their meditation session and asked them to show Mage Wester their apprentice resources.
• Russell and Carpenter each presented a parcel of resources they had packed away.
• Wester wondered why Carpenter was saving his resources and began making plans for his own son.

Wester assessed Russell’s talent and considered the Hainalson family while Hill warned him against spreading information about Gilbert. After Wester left, Hill explained his staged warning and taught Russell and Carpenter to be more cautious, then wondered whether Black Mystery Tower’s troubles were connected to Kament Tower.

• Wester considered Russell’s prospects and the possibility of a marriage alliance with the Hainalson family, while avoiding openly pursuing Carpenter.
• Russell noticed Wester watching them, and Hill warned Wester that speaking carelessly could prompt Hill to act against him.
• Hill told Russell that his talent was exceptional by Black Mystery Tower’s standards and ordered him to work harder because he was too specialized.
• Hill revealed that he had deliberately frightened Wester, who had been considering the Hainalson family and Hill’s intentions.
• Russell recognized that he should not reveal when someone stronger was watching him, so Hill assigned him to copy a book twice and Carpenter to copy it five times.
• After the siblings left, Hill wondered whether Kament Tower had contributed to Black Mystery Tower’s current difficulties.

Hill investigated the Black Mystery Tower’s hidden power structure and concluded that its apparent three-way balance concealed a struggle involving Kament Tower and Sia Tower. He suspected the tower’s masters were preparing to move into Sia Tower while withholding their full strength, and wondered what had convinced them they could not resist.

• Hill recognized signs of Hell’s influence in Wester’s behavior and suspected Kament Tower was acting as the devils’ intermediary.
• Hill reconsidered Nicholson and Rute’s roles in maintaining the Black Mystery Tower’s balance and suspected hidden Eighth-Circle Mages served their factions.
• Hill concluded Wester’s precarious position overseeing apprentices was likely protected by Kament Tower and used to distract it.
• Hill connected the nobles’ planned relocation to Sia Tower with the Black Mystery Tower’s preparations to move there.
• Hill wondered why the tower masters believed resistance was hopeless and what they had discovered beyond the threat posed by the Astral Visitor.

Russell worried about the growing pressure at Black Mystery Tower and hoped he and Carpenter could become Official Mages soon. Carpenter reflected on how the Hainalson Family had squandered earlier chances to support talented apprentices, and Russell ended by urging her to focus on passing their recitation test.

• Russell watched Carpenter copying life mottos during her breaks and asked whether she had learned her third Illusion spell.
• Carpenter said she had learned it and that practicing Universal School and Illusion spells had deepened her understanding and strengthened her mental power.
• Russell warned Carpenter not to rush because of the uneasy atmosphere at Black Mystery Tower and pointed out that Mage Wester's reverence for Gilbert came from Gilbert himself.
• Carpenter recalled that Ulrich had once proposed supporting talented outsiders, but the Hainalson Family had rejected the idea and later regretted its shortsightedness.
• Russell said they should follow Gilbert's advice while hurrying to become Official Mages, and Carpenter told him to pass the recitation test first.

Russell and Carpenter argued over his diligent writing habits, while Hill reflected on the political balance among Mage Towers and the support the Hainalson Family had received. Hill welcomed a Seventh-Circle student from Kament Tower, whose arrival left him wondering about the visitor’s intentions.

• Carpenter complained that Russell had written faster and better than her, and Russell explained that writing had helped him relax after meditation and training.
• Hill reasoned that Rute and Nicholson maintained a tense alliance, with Kament Tower students filling roles between their rival factions.
• Hill reconsidered why other Mage Towers had treated the Hainalson Family favorably, suspecting they shared an unspoken wariness of the Sia Tower.
• Hill questioned how the Red Dragon had precisely controlled several Undead Towers, since the River Styx could not have issued such commands.
• Hill welcomed a Seventh-Circle student from Kament Tower.

Hill reflected on Kament Tower’s hidden position and Gilbert’s abilities before Majid Prout confronted Gilbert with an unreasonable request. The chapter ended with Gilbert warning Prout not to make it if it would put him in a difficult position.

• Hill reasoned that Kament Tower had inherited his position and that Devils would notice clues about a corrupted Mage’s soul.
• Hill recognized Gilbert’s talent for Illusion and felt encouraged by the Hainalson Family’s resilience.
• Majid Prout spent half a day exchanging pleasantries with Gilbert, who stayed silent rather than engage.
• Gilbert mocked Prout’s talk of the weather and suggested that he go help Kament Tower build ties with Sia Tower.
• Prout said he had come on behalf of his student with an unreasonable request, and Gilbert told him not to say it if it would put him in a difficult position.

Prout tried to persuade Gilbert to stop the young Mages across the way by offering a high-grade Mind Power Potion in exchange for a Hainalson student, but Gilbert refused. Prout left realizing Gilbert was confident he could recover and suspecting the Hainalson family’s mind-power methods were effective.

• Prout restrained his anger because provoking Gilbert could bring Archmage Rute’s retaliation and endanger Wester’s prospects.
• Prout hinted that young Mages were gathering in the opposite tower and asked Gilbert to intervene, but Gilbert rejected the request.
• Prout offered Gilbert a high-grade Mind Power Potion from Sia Tower in exchange for a Hainalson student, but Gilbert refused to trade away his student.
• Gilbert explained that Mind Power Potions could not be used for a hundred years after repairing a Mental Sea, and Prout realized the potion was of little use to him.
• Prout concluded that Gilbert remained confident about recovering and suspected the Hainalson family’s mind-power methods could work, so he planned to seek another way to persuade him.

Hilbert reflected on Prout’s attempt to bargain for a secret manual and on how exposed the Hainalson Family was despite its outward appearance. He considered Ulrich’s persistence, the wider crisis surrounding Sia Tower, and Russell’s place in his life, leaving Russell as someone he appreciated but had not accepted as a true student.

• Prout left Hilbert after making a self-serving offer, and Hilbert judged his motives and worried that he had discovered the close ties between Sia Tower and his teacher.
• Hilbert realized the Hainalson Family’s secrets had largely become known to outside Archmages, though Gilbert’s protection kept them safe from those powerful enough to exploit the information.
• Hilbert suspected Ulrich had returned to revise his standard runes and reflected on how the apprentice’s persistence had given him a slim chance to become a mage.
• Hilbert considered how Sia Tower was testing the world’s limits and how the last remnants of the world’s will might have begun to gather again after Gilbert’s soul was taken by the River Styx.
• Hilbert regarded Russell as decent but remained detached and unwilling to accept him as a true student.

Gilbert received a visit from Aislin Rahn, one of Archmage Rute's senior students, who offered resources in exchange for the Hainalson Family's secret. Aislin also questioned whether Gilbert planned to bring his family to Sia Tower, and he argued that they could protect themselves until he had established himself.

• Ulrich advanced to Mage just as the Hainalson Family's secret about its apprentices becoming intermediate apprentices could no longer be kept.
• Black Mystery Tower's Mages concluded that Gilbert would only reveal the secret through Archmage Rute and sent word to their people to seek out the Tower Master.
• Aislin Rahn visited Gilbert and claimed the sofa he had made before offering him a list of resources in exchange for the Hainalson Family's secret.
• Aislin asked whether Gilbert intended to take the Hainalson Family with him to Sia Tower, and Gilbert questioned why they would need to go before he had established himself.

Hilbert discussed his decision to let the Hainalson Family leave with the final group and resisted Aislin’s attempts to shape how others understood Russell’s discovery. He left Aislin reassured that he would not let family concerns weaken his judgment or interfere with his students’ choices.

• Aislin questioned why Hilbert seemed concerned about the Hainalson Family, and he said Prout’s foolishness had made him suspicious of Kament Tower.
• Aislin said she planned to bring the recovering Hilbert into more Mage Tower affairs, but he refused to rely on promises about the future.
• Hilbert said Ulrich would listen to him and confirmed that he would have the Hainalson Family leave with the final group.
• Aislin advised Hilbert to claim the standard runes behind Russell’s spiritual-power purification method came from the Hainalson Family’s old collection, and he rejected connecting the discovery to Black Mystery Tower.
• Hilbert said his two students must decide for themselves whether their relatives would leave with Ulrich, and Aislin concluded that his concern for his family had not returned.

Aislin and Hilbert discussed the Hainalson Family’s involvement in the Mage Tower’s unrest and whether its members should be tested or protected. Hill realized that Aislin’s ruthless plans could drive Russell toward Hell, which might be the outcome Asmodeus wanted.

• Aislin told Hilbert that the Hainalson Family had become caught up in unrest over apprentice resources, and Hilbert said he would warn them against betraying their family.
• Hilbert explained that Ulrich would remain with his family and would not be considered for a Mage Tower until he reached level 10.
• Hilbert warned Aislin not to manipulate his students and families, particularly Russell’s and Carpenter’s.
• Aislin defended her approach by saying she had learned it from their teacher, while Hilbert argued that students needed guidance before their character was tested.
• Hill considered that Aislin’s plans could destroy the Hainalson Family and Carpenter, pushing Russell toward the Sia Tower or turning him dark.
• Hill wondered whether Russell’s fall into Hell’s service was the outcome Asmodeus was waiting for.

Hill realized Aislin had not truly surrendered her choices to Rute, but had been testing Hilbert’s feelings about Carpenter and his authority over the Side Tower. The chapter ended with Hill wondering who Aislin had meant to overhear her remarks.

• Asmodeus’s efforts to conceal the devils’ presence made Hill suspect that he was focused on Telashir rather than the fallen world.
• Aislin asked whether Gilbert had told her the truth, and Hilbert warned her not to interfere with Carpenter or make decisions on his behalf.
• Aislin said she preferred following a trusted mage’s established path, prompting Hilbert to question whether she had given up control of her future to Rute.
• Aislin clarified that she had been testing Hilbert, and he realized that Rute’s trust in her did not mean she had surrendered her independence.
• Aislin asked about Carpenter’s magic and her closeness to Russell, then left Hilbert wondering who she had wanted to hear her earlier remarks.

Aislin and Hilbert reached an agreement about handling the Hainalson Family while Gilbert recovered, and Hilbert promised to keep the Side Tower secluded after settling the matter. After Aislin left, Hill inspected the tower and deduced that Rute was studying illusions to prepare for entering the Sia Tower.

• Aislin told Hilbert that their teacher wanted to use an Illusion Formation to conceal the aura left by harming an Astral Visitor, and Hilbert agreed to let her proceed as long as she did not cross his limits or target anyone Ulrich objected to harming.
• Aislin confirmed that Hilbert planned to wait until Russell became an Official Mage within three months before repairing his Mental Sea, and Hilbert said Russell had learned nearly every Cantrip, including Transmutation spells.
• Aislin asked whether Hilbert would seal off the Side Tower after dealing with the Hainalson Family, and he silently agreed to leave the remaining arrangements to her.
• After Aislin left, Hill checked the Mage Tower's formations and found no sign that she had tampered with them.
• Hill concluded that Rute was combining illusion runes with the formation binding the Astral Visitor, likely to develop an approach for entering the Sia Tower.

Russell became an Official Mage after only a month, and Hill recognized the purity and promise of his spiritual power. Hill also considered why Fengo had been deceived by the hardworking Red Dragon, concluding that the dragon was protecting his daughter and exploiting Fengo’s hatred of him to keep Tiamat from hunting them.

• Russell advanced to Official Mage in his meditation room, and Hill attributed his success to his unusually pure spiritual power and her discreet instruction.
• Hill reflected that Fengo had mistaken the Red Dragon for a Black Dragon pretending to be an Iron Dragon, despite spending months working alongside him.
• Hill reasoned that Tiamat might temporarily spare the Red Dragon and his daughter because she loathed Fengo, who had helped Asmodeus remove her as lord of the First Hell.
• Hill concluded that the Red Dragon had worked hard to draw Fengo away from Hell’s politics and protect his daughter from danger.

Hill stayed out of the Red Dragon’s schemes and planned to begin Hilbert’s recovery regimen after arranging Russell’s lessons. Hilbert assigned Russell a year of study while he remained in meditation, but Russell’s struggle with the books revealed that the Hainalson Family had lost its grammar teacher.

• Hill decided to remain in the Mage Tower and avoid involvement in the Red Dragon’s plans.
• Hilbert told Russell that their families would be safe if they stayed on their estates, and Russell confirmed he had written to them.
• Hilbert said he would spend the next year in meditation and ordered Russell to study the books while Carpenter advanced to Official Mage.
• Russell warned Hilbert that the books were too difficult to finish, especially the terse bronze volumes.
• After Russell revealed he had never learned grammar, Hilbert realized that Gilbert’s eldest brother had once served as the Hainalson Family’s grammar teacher and told Russell to begin with grammar books.

Hilbert entrusted Russell with managing the Side Tower and explained the precautions to follow while he entered seclusion to raise his Mage level. After Russell promised to protect himself and Carpenter and avoid confronting danger, Hill descended through a hidden passage to continue his own preparations.

• Hilbert told Russell to let Carpenter develop her understanding of illusion magic without teaching her how to cast it.
• Hilbert gave Russell management privileges over the Side Tower’s arrays and puppets and showed him how to activate its high-level defenses.
• Hilbert warned Russell to take Carpenter to the safe room if trouble arose and explained that he planned to raise his Mage level before entering Sia Tower.
• Russell promised to activate the defenses at the first sign of danger and not leave the tower, even if family members came looking for him.
• Hill opened a hidden hole beneath his recliner and descended through it after reflecting on his studies of the world’s ancient magic and mechanisms.

Hill prepared steel plates for a carriage while Russell patrolled the Side Tower and privately helped prepare for the Black Mystery Tower’s move to Sia Tower. Carpenter then told Russell that someone from the Hainalson Family wanted to see her.

• Hill struggled to refine the world's impure iron while making steel plates for a carriage.
• Russell patrolled the Side Tower and had the puppets pack old, little-used items from the warehouse.
• Russell suspected Sia Tower could not wait and kept his advancement to Mage unreported so Gilbert could recover and advance first.
• Russell concluded that a tower master might be compromised and cut off the apprentice communication channel.
• Carpenter found Russell and told him Wester had sent word that someone from the Hainalson Family wanted to see her.

Russell and Carpenter suspected that Carpenter’s cousin was behind someone seeking her out, and Russell urged her to cut off contact rather than fear the man connected to her aunt. They left for the hall while wondering whether the cousin had gained his advancement through that man’s help.

• Carpenter worried that someone had come looking for her by name, and Russell suspected a relative had arranged it.
• Carpenter identified her cousin, her aunt’s son, as a possible source of trouble and explained the family’s history with her aunt and the Tewell Family.
• Russell argued that Carpenter could ignore the messenger and said the man connected to her aunt did not outrank their teacher.
• Carpenter said her cousin had become an Intermediate Apprentice soon after leaving the dormitory and might have received help from the man.
• Russell asked whether the cousin had taken something to advance and whether he was now a Mage, and Carpenter said she had heard no such thing.