Chapter Summaries

After repeated ambushes, Leon Li concluded that John Maslow had forced the Independent 4th Division toward the Bee Slope Belt and chose to gamble on breaking through the trap there. From above, Lunebo watched the division advance and alerted Marda and the five regimental commanders to prepare the final ambush.

• Leon Li sent mine-clearing teams ahead, but the Independent 4th Division was struck by Magic Cannon shells and suffered heavy casualties again.
• After finding the same taunting slogan on a tree, Leon realized John Maslow was steering his forces toward the Bee Slope Belt and ordered an immediate retreat west toward it.
• Damon recognized the Bee Slope Belt was likely a trap but followed Leon, believing a breakthrough offered their only chance of survival.
• Lunebo observed the division from the sky through his enhanced Magic Eye and praised the battalion commander's ambush plan.
• Lunebo warned Marda and the five regimental commanders of the 1st Division that the enemy was approaching the Bee Slope Belt.

Marda prepared the Bee Slope Belt ambush as Leon’s Independent 4th Division advanced under heavy artillery bombardment. The attack trapped the Star-Chasing Cavalry Brigade in a spreading fire ambush, and Damon realized his unit was finished.

• Marda completed the traps and coordinated the ambush using Lunebo’s calculations as enemy forces approached.
• Leon ordered a saturation bombardment that cleared the first minefield, then advanced with his troops toward the Bee Slope Belt.
• Damon led the Star-Chasing Cavalry Brigade at the front, wary of the ordinary-looking road and reflecting on the Saga Kingdom’s reliance on cold weapons.
• Black spheres coated the cavalry with foul-smelling oil, and hidden fire mages ignited it, setting the soldiers ablaze.
• Imperial troops appeared on the surrounding slopes as earthen mounds opened and gathered mana, and Damon realized the Star-Chasing Cavalry Brigade was finished.

After the 1st Division’s victory at Horseshoe City, John learned that the Seventh Legion was approaching and rallied his commanders to prepare for a much larger war. The commanders pledged to obey him as he declared that he would accept no defeat.

• Leon led the surviving Independent 4th Division out of the Bee Slope Belt after the Star-Chasing Cavalry Brigade broke through the encirclement, while the 1st Division returned to Horseshoe City.
• Samuel reported that the 1st Division had killed 9,854 enemy soldiers, captured 1,647, and suffered 1,678 casualties, with four Beam Magic Cannons damaged and five requiring repairs.
• John warned the five regimental commanders that the Seventh Legion’s 1st, 3rd, and 6th Divisions were approaching and that Horseshoe City would likely be their next target.
• John urged the commanders to reject retreat, declaring that he loved war and would never accept failure.
• The five regimental commanders knelt before John and pledged to follow his orders and bring victory to the Empire.

Leon Li struggled with the humiliation of defeat until Frank Francis convinced him he could still become a commander. Meanwhile, John Maslow manipulated Galil into believing the Shadow Orcs descended from the Drow and secured his pledge to aid the Empire, as Frank prepared the Seventh Legion to face John’s forces in heavy rain.

• Frank Francis opened Leon Li’s curtains, teased him about Centaur women, and offered to transfer him to the Kingdom Research Institute after his defeat.
• Leon Li asked whether he was still qualified to command, and Frank told him he could become an outstanding commander.
• John Maslow falsely told the captive Galil that the Shadow Orcs descended from the Drow, using their pointed ears and history to plant doubts about the Saga Kingdom.
• John promised to help remove the Shadow Orcs’ Corruption Curse, and Galil swore loyalty to him and the Empire if his claims proved true.
• John released Galil and directed him toward the Dark Elf ruins, then prepared for the coming battle with Igonila as the Seventh Legion advanced through the rain.
• Frank Francis assessed John’s likely guerrilla tactics from a temporary command post in Starmoon Town and prepared to confront them.

John used guerrilla harassment and carefully placed ambushes to strike the Seventh Legion, while Frank and his officers tried to lure John's armored force into a counter-ambush. John anticipated their traps and redirected his troops, leaving both commanders committed to a widening battle of deception and firepower.

• John ordered 180 guerrilla squads to harass the Seventh Legion while artillery and the reinforced armored regiment stood ready to exploit isolated enemy units.
• Barnabos followed John's plan at Spear Forest Peak, where explosive magic toppled mountains onto Sike Ben's Light Dragoon Regiment and Laiya's strike destroyed the hidden Anti-Magic Device Core.
• John's Reinforced Armored Regiment pierced through an isolated enemy medium armored regiment as he issued new orders across the battlefield.
• Frank revealed that the Light Dragoon Regiment and a heavy armored regiment had been bait for an ambush by two concealed mobile assault brigades.
• Andy led the two assault brigades into a barrage after Samuel repositioned the Imperial heavy artillery, then eleven Beam Mage Cannon Vehicles fired and engulfed the advancing Allied soldiers.

John led the Imperial forces east to Starry Coast, where he prepared a concealed defense and waited for the approaching Allied Forces. As the enemy reached Starfall Town, John received word that an outside force was arriving, and he anticipated victory in the coming battle.

• John ordered the Imperial troops to evacuate Horseshoe City and regroup, then revealed to Samuel that his goal was to annihilate the Allied force rather than merely defeat it.
• John continued east toward Starry Coast while Frank pursued and blocked the Imperial forces’ southern route, expecting to trap them at the coast.
• John’s troops occupied Starfall Town and forced its Centaur residents into the surrounding forest.
• John ordered artillery vehicles concealed in the town and had Marda’s Mage Soldiers and the Engineering Company rapidly construct trenches outside it.
• John confirmed that Wendy had completed a dam on the Source River and received notice that an outside force would arrive within twenty minutes.
• After the Allied Reconnaissance Company reported enemy forces two kilometers from Starfall Town, John ordered his army to follow the established plan.

John revealed that he had anticipated Frank’s maritime interception plan and had arranged to flood the Starry Coast, while allied warships moved to break the blockade. As the flood approached, the fleet crushed Dunerte’s amphibious convoy, leaving the battle’s promised reversal underway.

• John watched the Allied Forces bombard the trenches, knowing their losses would lure Frank into his planned encirclement.
• Marda’s surveillance showed Frank’s amphibious transport convoy using Camouflage Formula to establish a maritime interception line.
• Samuel nearly urged John to withdraw, but John reassured him and revealed that an assassination unit had destroyed the upstream dam and that the flood would arrive in ten minutes.
• John ordered Samuel to gather the troops at the coast, prepare to demolish Starfall Town as a flood channel, and rely on allied sea forces to break the blockade.
• Dunerte’s convoy encountered a fast-moving black tide, and he saw thirty-two giant Magic Whales towing enormous warships bear down on his vehicle.

Frank ordered the Seventh Legion to bombard Starfall Town, but realized too late that John Maslow had manipulated the Source River’s water level as part of his plan. A vast flood swept away Frank and the army, leaving John’s fate and the aftermath uncertain.

• Frank dismissed the possibility of a trap and ordered Fako to encircle Starfall Town and bombard it with heavy artillery.
• As the town remained silent under the bombardment, Frank noticed the Source River and ordered reconnaissance to check its water level.
• A scout reported that the river was about ten meters lower than before, and Frank realized John had prepared a flood.
• Hundreds of crimson magic circles struck the empty town, unleashing an enormous blast that destroyed it and disrupted magical communications.
• Frank understood that John’s plan would destroy the Seventh Legion, regretted that Leon might seek revenge, and accepted his impending death.
• A colossal flood swept over Frank, his soldiers, and the surrounding landscape, swallowing even the mountains.

After the Seventh Legion was annihilated, John met Marshal Bob aboard the battlecruiser Horst and concealed the truth about his seizure of command. Bob recognized John’s maneuver and asked him to explain his plans for the Faoken Front.

• The Third Navy and John’s troops burned the Seventh Legion’s corpses after the flood subsided.
• Bob praised John’s victory and reassured him that the Navy’s withdrawal from the Aiken Sea had been worthwhile.
• John tried to build rapport by claiming Dormammu was concerned about Bob, then awkwardly learned that the two had once competed for Lia’s affection.
• Bob asked about Tony and Max, and John falsely claimed the Allied Forces had captured them during an assassination attempt.
• Bob saw through John’s cover story but approved of his resourcefulness, then asked for John’s specific views on the Faoken Front.

John presented Bob with a plan for victory in Faoken, citing the secured naval supply route, allied divisions, and intelligence that could turn the Darkthorn Tribe against the Saga Kingdom. Bob praised John’s strategic ability and linked his intelligence to Tolovsky, while John reflected on the legendary mage’s power and its cost before asking about Ian.

• John explained that securing Horseshoe Territory gave the Third Navy a safe route to withdraw and resupply, improving the odds of victory on the Faoken Front.
• John outlined plans to reorganize his division, support the western front, and coordinate with Bob’s navy to trap enemy forces in the Crescent Strait.
• John said his captured Shadow Forces members and recruited spy could bring the Darkthorn Tribe over to their side and provide intelligence for future campaigns.
• John claimed that his own command ability accounted for the final chance of victory, and Bob praised his analysis and called him a genius.
• Bob guessed that John’s intelligence came from Tolovsky’s network, and John agreed while thinking about Tolovsky’s legendary magic and the agony caused by its power.
• John asked Bob how Ian was doing.

John learned that Ian had survived the strain of summoning thirty-two Deep-Sea Demon Whales and planned to recruit him after he recovered. Once Ian woke, John prepared to meet him aboard the Horst, where Ian arrived guarded and wary.

• Bob told John that Ian was in a coma from mana depletion but had no other symptoms, and John decided to wait for him to wake before trying to win him over.
• John discussed the battle plan with Bob, learned how many Third Navy amphibious troops could assist, and left for Starry Coast after Wendy reported her team had returned safely.
• Ian woke in a medical pod aboard the Horst, received treatment from Colonel Kambert, and learned that John was waiting to speak with him.
• Wendy reported that Frank's body had been found, and John ordered Colonel Samuel to have it frozen and stored for later use.
• John prepared tea and pastries for Ian, then greeted him as he entered the dining hall with a Guarded status showing above him.

John confronted Ian about his work for the Old Guard Party and used the Grant Family’s vulnerability to stop him from resisting. He offered Ian a chance to make amends, then explained how he had uncovered Ian’s Formula and ended by condemning his choice of allegiance.

• Ian recalled how he had used the Merfolk’s Song Formula to leak the Third Navy’s route and planned to flee with Lieutenant General Doran once the mission failed.
• As Ian considered taking John hostage, John asked about Ian’s mother and warned that the Grant Family could be ruined, demonstrating his precise control of magic power.
• Ian recognized John’s threat and sat down, but John interrupted his plea for mercy and proposed that Ian could be forgiven if he made amends.
• John explained that he had learned about the Grant Family’s Formula and Ian’s father, Lord Cain, through secret intelligence and his research into Xianqin history.
• John revealed that soldiers were watching Ian, then said Ian had chosen the wrong path despite his talent and ability to restore his family and pursue revenge through military service.

John revealed that Councilor Mister had orchestrated Lord Cain’s murder to obtain the Grant Family’s Merfolk Tears, turning Ian’s revenge against the Old Guard Party. After Ian vowed to pursue justice despite the consequences, John offered him a chance to lead the Navy division of a new imperial intelligence agency.

• John told Ian that Eric had acted as a smokescreen for Mister, who arranged Lord Cain’s assassination to acquire the Merfolk Tears and hid them for twelve years.
• Ian realized the Old Guard Party had deceived him and that Mister was the true target of his revenge, and his grief produced a blood-red Merfolk Tear.
• Ian asked John to help him achieve revenge, but John asked what Ian could offer in return.
• Ian accepted that he had no leverage, thanked John for revealing the truth, and vowed to face military punishment and pursue revenge even if it cost his life.
• John said Ian’s resolve had moved him and offered to speak to Marshal Bob on Ian’s behalf.
• John invited Ian to become director of the Navy division in the proposed Imperial Military Intelligence Section Five.

John Maslow invited Ian Grant to lead the naval intelligence department of the newly approved Imperial Military Intelligence Section Five, and Ian accepted after weighing the risks of opposing the Old Guard Party. John promised that the Black Eagle Unit would protect the agency and threatened severe punishment for nobles who obstructed the Empire, leaving Ian welcomed as John's ally.

• Ian realized that accepting John's offer would make him a target for the Old Guard Party and its powerful noble families.
• Ian concluded that he could not safely deceive John or return to his former allegiance, so he pledged his loyalty to him.
• John guaranteed Ian protection from political assassins through the Black Eagle Unit and condemned obstructive nobles as vermin destined to hang from streetlamps.
• John welcomed Ian into Imperial Military Intelligence Section Five and shook his hand as an ally.

Bob ordered Roderick to stop the purge of the Grant Family and prepared Kambert to join John’s campaign for Faoken’s land territory. Unaware of the reinforcements being arranged, John attended his troops’ victory banquet, where a drunken mishap gave way to renewed celebration.

• Bob ordered Roderick to deliver Ian Grant’s file to John and halt the Grant Family purge, then asked Kambert to return to the battlefield.
• Kambert swore to help Roderick support John and destroy the forces opposing the Empire’s advance in Faoken.
• John left Ian with the Third Navy and gave him the Maslow Quotations before heading to the victory banquet.
• Drunken Igodala accidentally vomited on Marda, who chased him through the dining hall while the officers laughed.
• Lunebo noticed Laiya’s strength and considered the potential of Siegfried and Barnabos among John’s troops.
• John arrived to find the banquet silent, joked that his officers had no beer for him, and joined them as the revelry resumed.

After witnessing the mass casualties from the Iron Horse Mountain Campaign, John hardened his resolve to pursue victory and unknowingly awakened a mysterious power. Laiya mistook his distress for trouble with Doran Beate, while an urgent telegram revealed that the Allied Forces had routed the 4th Army Division and taken the outskirts of the Cocobia Rainforest.

• John left the victory banquet, saw the vast pile of burned corpses, and resolved to end the war through victory despite its cost.
• An unseen force awakened inside John, driving the moonlight away from his body as invisible chains broke.
• Laiya found John and noticed his presence had briefly vanished from her perception, then sensed a troubling heaviness behind his smile.
• Laiya wrongly concluded that Doran Beate was causing John's distress and decided to kill him and frame the Allied Forces.
• Wendy reported that the Allied Forces had routed the 4th Army Division on the Cocobia Front and captured the outskirts of the Cocobia Rainforest.

After taking the Cocobia Rainforest, Roxy learned that John Maslow had destroyed the Seventh Legion and prepared to confront him. She suppressed a dispute with her allied commanders and ordered the army to march on Fang City, instructing her forces to kill every Imperial soldier they encountered.

• Major Dillion reported that the Fifth Legion had broken the enemy line and occupied the Cocobia Rainforest, and Roxy ordered Colonel Will to intercept the retreating enemy with Independent 1st Battalion and the 113th Division.
• Roxy considered reports of the Seventh Legion’s destruction and John Maslow’s role, then resolved to advance north and challenge him.
• Roxy confronted Major General Gary Fang over the 112th Division’s disobedience, but Gary defended his subordinates and refused to accept blame.
• Roxy threatened to remove the 112th Division from the campaign, and her officers surrounded Gary with killing intent until Dimis Darkmoon persuaded him to apologize.
• Roxy accepted Gary’s apology with a warning, then ordered the allied forces to take Fang City and leave no Imperial soldiers alive.

After learning that Roxy Sankaster’s forces were advancing on Fang City and John Maslow was on his way, Lieutenant General Doran weighed how to avoid defeat, blame, and losing control of the Silverstone Mine. He decided to fake an illness and hand command to John, hoping the enemy forces would destroy each other while he stayed clear of the fighting.

• Lieutenant General Doran learned that the Allied Forces had wiped out the 4th Division and were marching north toward Fang City under Roxy Sankaster.
• Colonel Toby reported that John Maslow had arrived near Fang City with the remaining forces of the 1st Division and proposed drugging him at a welcoming banquet.
• Doran rejected Toby’s plan, reasoning that John’s reported victory over the Seventh Legion was probably real and that Marshal Bob could not have been fooled.
• Doran decided he could benefit whether John defeated Roxy or lost, while keeping himself away from the battle and preserving the chance to leave the military.
• Doran ordered Toby to find three thick quilts and announced that he would fake an illness, appointing John to take command of the army.

John arrived in Fang City and found that Doran Beate was pretending to be too ill to command, while secretly maneuvering to transfer authority without taking responsibility for the coming battle. John accepted Doran’s appointment as temporary commander of the Second Legion, taking command as he planned to have Laiya investigate Doran’s hidden scheme.

• John learned from Colonel Toby that Doran intended to give up command because of a supposed illness, and suspected Doran was concealing an ulterior motive.
• John feigned concern and insisted on seeing Doran, but Doran was carried into the council hall on a bed covered in feces and convincingly acted out his illness.
• John proposed that Colonel Samuel take command instead, but Doran rejected the suggestion and formally appointed John temporary commander of the Second Legion.
• John accepted the appointment, and Colonel Toby handed him the black cane representing command of the Independent 3rd Division.
• John raised the cane and activated its magical core, completing the transfer of command while privately planning to have Laiya investigate Doran.

After taking command of the Independent 3rd Division, John learned that Roxy Sankaster and the Fifth Legion had joined the enemy, turning his expected campaign into a battle against overwhelming odds. He assessed Roxy’s abilities and devised ways to counter her, then vowed to defeat her.

• John reorganized the Independent 3rd Division and gathered a force of about twenty thousand soldiers for the campaign.
• Wendy reported that an Allied Forces legion of at least fifty thousand soldiers, led by Roxy Sankaster, had joined the two Saga Kingdom divisions.
• John concealed his alarm, rallied the Independent 3rd Division’s officers, and began reconsidering his battle plan.
• John assessed Roxy’s Soulheart spell formation and identified its capabilities and current limitations.
• John planned to counter Roxy using Marda, Lunebo, the naval infantry, intelligence from Will, and traps against the Saga Kingdom’s Beastfolk troops.
• John declared that he would crush Roxy’s confidence and defeat her in the coming battle.