Recaps

Manny discovered an ancient inscription in the Floating City ruins and met a Lich guarding the city and its star map. After their spells clashed and badly wounded Manny, the Lich acknowledged Manny’s victory.

• Manny identified the inscription as Aksel Phoenix’s words and recognized it as proof that the expedition had found the Floating City.
• A gray-robed Lich appeared, revealed that he had been ordered to guard the city’s legacy, and demanded that Manny’s group leave.
• Manny refused to abandon the Floating City’s legacy, and the Lich challenged him to prove he deserved to inherit it.
• Manny blocked the Lich’s Star Spell and sent Jonathan and the other expedition members toward the passage while they recorded the battle.
• The Lich and Manny unleashed Nebula Shatter and False Forbidden Spell: Earthfall, and the resulting explosion devastated the battlefield and wounded Manny severely.
• The Lich remained unharmed but grew dimmer, then told the bloodied Manny that he had won.

After defeating the Floating City’s Lich guardian, Manny learned about the New Mage Era and was allowed to enter the Core District alone for thirty minutes. He retrieved Archmage Axe’s inheritance crystal, which revealed itself as the Star Heart and warned him to escape before danger awakened.

• Manny explained modern Spell Rings and the changes in magic since the Age of the Gods to the Lich.
• The Lich recognized Manny as a successor, granted him access to Hub City, and warned that he had only thirty minutes and must go alone.
• Manny left Jonathan and the others in the Outer District and followed the Lich through the Core District toward the central tower.
• The Lich warned Manny that the living aura was awakening dangerous beings and promised to conceal him for no more than half an hour.
• Manny entered the main tower and activated the inheritance crystal, which shared Archmage Axe’s imprint and information about the Floating City’s designs.
• The crystal identified itself as the Star Heart, offered gossip about the Archmages, and urged Manny to take it away before he was killed.

Manny and the guardian fled the awakening Liches after Manny took the Star Heart, while the Floating City’s ancient magic arrays activated around them. At the passage to the Outer District, the guardian sealed Manny off and chose to face the Liches alone, revealing his name and asking Manny to recover his ashes in three years.

• Manny cut off the Star Heart’s magic supply, then emerged from the main tower as the Mage Towers lit up and the guardian warned that the Liches were awakening.
• The guardian carried Manny toward the Outer District as horrifying Liches gathered in the plaza and surged after them, threatening to corrupt anyone who looked, listened, or thought about them.
• Manny reached his expedition team, including Jonathan, at the passage and discovered that the guardian could not cross its light because the Floating City’s final sealing spell had activated.
• The guardian strengthened the barrier between the Central District and the passage, rejecting Manny’s offer to preserve him because he refused to survive as a parasite or betray his oath.
• The guardian identified himself as Charles Copperfield, Storm Weaver and the Floating City’s last guardian, then walked toward the Black Tide and asked Manny to bring his ashes to the Copperfield Family in three years.

John learned that Manny had recovered the Floating City's complete blueprints and a Star Mage legacy, and considered how the discovery could strengthen the Empire and benefit him. After Wendy told him Gabri had awakened and requested a meeting, John hurried to the Medical Department, where Gabri's injuries worsened when he learned Golden Horn had not directly discussed the Bull Clan's vassalage with John.

• Manny told John that the Institute had found a surviving Lich, a Star Mage legacy, and the Floating City's core blueprints, leaving John worried about what Manny might build.
• John weighed the Empire's prospects with the blueprints and considered charging Manny consulting fees for future Astral Energy Airship designs.
• Wendy reported that Gabri had awakened and wanted to see John, so John grabbed her and rushed to the Medical Department.
• Gabri asked Golden Horn whether he had told John about making the Bull Clan a vassal of Faoken, and Golden Horn said he had only informed Hawk.
• Gabri became agitated, began coughing blood, and had his wounds treated by the Medical Department staff, who warned Golden Horn to keep him calm.

Gabri explained to Golden Horn that the Bull Clan’s survival depended on John Maslow and that Golden Horn had erred by bargaining instead of offering allegiance. After John visited Gabri and revealed that a royal envoy would soon arrive, Gabri assured him that the envoy would never mistake Meyer for the Sage’s successor.

• Gabri told Golden Horn that the Morning Star Clan and Black Marsh Clan had effectively become Faoken’s vassals, and warned that Hakado might use the Warriors’ Hunting Season to destroy the Bull Clan.
• Golden Horn admitted his mistake, and Gabri urged him to consider the clan’s future more carefully.
• John visited Gabri in the Medical Pod, accepted the Bull Clan’s offer of service, and explained that his sixteen-year-old student Leo had devised the battle plan that defeated the enemy army.
• John told Gabri that a royal envoy would arrive within fifteen days to appease the Bull Clan, raising concerns that the envoy might discover Meyer was the Sage’s successor.
• Gabri assured John that the envoy would see Meyer as an impostor rather than connect her to the Sage.

John discussed the Bull Clan’s future and considered using the Saga Kingdom’s upcoming warrior hunt to promote Faoken’s trade and sell outdated weapons. He then met Marshal Cain, who asked what he thought of the Beastfolk, leaving John to answer.

• John agreed with Gabri that Beastfolk might find Meyer more believable as the Beastfolk king’s illegitimate daughter than as a sage, and resolved to have her trained after the envoy business was finished.
• John learned that the Saga Kingdom’s warrior hunt would take place in three months and considered entering Faoken’s Beastfolk and selling obsolete weapons through the competition.
• Fritz told John that Marshal Cain’s health had improved and that Cain had been waiting to speak with him.
• John entered Cain’s ward, where Cain sent Fritz and Wendy out so they could speak alone.
• Cain asked John whether Gabri had awakened, then asked what he thought of the Bull Clan and the Beastfolk as a whole.

John argued that Beastfolk could become loyal members of the Empire through fair treatment and opportunity, and Cain recognized him as a potential force for transforming it. Cain agreed to consider the Hohenheim Family’s involvement, while Fritz voiced his trust in John and offered to help persuade the family.

• John told Cain that Faoken’s Beastfolk could coexist with humans and earn genuine loyalty through rights, opportunity, and fair treatment rather than violence.
• Cain weighed John’s ambitious plans against the danger of opposing the Empire’s Old Guard nobles, then agreed that the Hohenheim Family would consider joining him.
• John presented Cain with detailed positions and promotion plans for members of the Hohenheim Family before leaving the hospital room.
• Fritz returned to find Cain distracted, and Cain asked what he thought of John.
• Fritz said John was worthy of the family’s trust, and Cain asked him to help bring the family around once he made his decision.

John secured William’s support for Faoken’s planned weapons sales, then met Bishop Braid Gould after the bishop arrived at the port. John suspected Braid had a hidden purpose and warned Wendy not to attack him, but Wendy secretly began plotting another way to undermine him.

• John presented William with his weapons-dumping plan, and William approved it while promising permits, supplies, and faster military promotions for Faoken.
• John updated Annora about Leo and Faoken’s trading plans, then continued inspecting the territory’s departments as fifteen days passed.
• Wendy told John that Bishop Braid Gould had arrived and been escorted to the church in the port district, so John went to meet him.
• John found Braid unusually quiet and humble, suspected he was concealing his motives, and left the church with Wendy and the Magic Guard Corps.
• Wendy considered using force against Braid, but John warned her that the Church could send the Order of the Knights of Retribution and forbade her from acting rashly.
• Wendy agreed outwardly but secretly planned to enlist Lunebo, Hawk, Mia, and Leo to devise a scheme against Braid.

Meyer complained to John about Gray Hoof’s spellwork training, but John revealed that he had arranged for Samantha to take over supervision and lead two months of live combat exercises in Morningstar City. The chapter ended with Meyer and Gray Hoof stunned by the prospect of Samantha’s harsher training.

• Meyer refused to continue spellwork practice, while Gray Hoof struggled to coax her into training without upsetting the sage.
• Tie Feng told Gray Hoof that the Governor’s Office had summoned him, and Meyer insisted on going along.
• Meyer seized the Communication Device and complained to John that the Morning Star Clan was mistreating her.
• John challenged Meyer’s claims by bringing up her night-market snacking and weight gain, and Meyer tried to justify it as experiencing the people’s lives.
• John announced that Samantha and the Bay Defense Force would arrive for two months of live combat exercises, with Samantha taking over Meyer’s training supervision.

John sent Samantha to Morning Star City to oversee combat exercises and Meyer's spell training, but Meyer dreaded the strict instructor and tried to avoid her. After discovering Meyer's hoarded snacks and learning she had been slacking off, Samantha ordered her taken to the training grounds for special training at triple intensity.

• Meyer learned Samantha was coming to supervise her training and repeatedly called John to protest, but he stopped answering.
• Samantha arrived, rejected Gray Hoof's offer of a banquet, and ordered him to assemble the Nova Cavalry Regiment for combat exercises.
• Samantha shook Meyer until her hidden snacks and toys spilled out, then ordered the clutter thrown away.
• Samantha asked Gray Hoof about Meyer's progress, and he reported that she had skipped assignments and trained for no more than five hours a day.
• Samantha ordered Meyer taken to the training grounds for special training at triple intensity, and Meyer cried out in protest.