Chapter Summaries

The Radiance Church’s central archbishop tried to ease tensions with the Shavigo Kingdom over the Great Tsunami, but the second princess rejected his explanation and threw out his letter and gifts. In Snow City, the queen learned that Romon had returned alive and ordered an investigation into what happened at the Elven Palace.

• The central archbishop heard that the Shavigo Kingdom blamed the Radiance Church for the Great Tsunami and ordered a personal letter and gifts sent to the queen.
• The Shavigo Kingdom’s second princess rejected the Church’s envoy and ordered attendants to throw out future visitors, trusting the Ice and Snow God’s oracle that connected the Church to her brother’s death.
• The queen remained in Snow City, overseeing disaster reconstruction while her daughter handled affairs in the Royal Capital.
• A lady-in-waiting told the queen that Viscount Teta Xiao had returned to his country, and the queen recognized him as Romon, the Giant Eagle Druid.
• The queen ordered her attendants to send people to Romon’s country and investigate what had happened at the Elven Palace.

Romon unlocked the Shennong Horn’s entry and exit function for Space Servants and sent Luoli and four other Tree Spirits into the Thorn Forest to gather ancient trees and useful seeds. Luoli planned to recruit more Tree Spirits, hoping her race could flourish in Romon’s space.

• Romon saw that the Shennong Horn had grown to a hundred thousand mu and asked Luoli whether Tree Spirits could leave it.
• Luoli activated the entry and exit function, which allowed Space Servants to remain outside for up to 72 hours without a distance limit.
• Romon brought Luoli and four other Tree Spirits to the Thorn Forest and asked them to find trees over three hundred years old and nut-bearing trees.
• Luoli used a divine spell to uproot a large tree, and Romon stored it in the Shennong Horn before leaving on Lightning.
• Luoli ordered the Tree Spirits to search the forest for ancient trees, food plants, mushrooms, and nearby kin, and said their race’s future depended on earning Romon’s favor.

A nine-member team sent by the queen of the Land of Ice and Snow traveled to the Tatshaw Territory to investigate whether Romon had returned and what he had experienced. After choosing the faster sea route, they reached Far-Sail Port and discovered that Romon’s territory was far wealthier and more powerful than they had expected.

• Mishuna chose the sea route despite the knights’ warnings that it was dangerous.
• The team boarded a cargo ship and sailed south, avoiding Elves and pirates but narrowly encountering several enormous sea beasts.
• After a month at sea, the team arrived near Far-Sail Port and was astonished by its enormous, organized harbor.
• The team’s druid and mage sensed a powerful Mage Tower in the port, leading them to realize that Romon was no ordinary exiled noble.

Mishuna’s party arrived in Far-Sail Port City to investigate Viscount Teta Xiao and discovered that the Tatshaw Territory was far more prosperous and powerful than expected. After confirming that Romon was alive, they planned to infiltrate the Giant Eagle Academy as instructors to get close to him.

• Mishuna ordered the party to rest before beginning their investigation, and they were unsettled by the city’s prosperity and a well-equipped cavalry patrol.
• The party learned that the Giant Eagle Druid, Romon, had returned to his territory alive, though they found no clues about his time away.
• Mishuna proposed applying for instructor positions at the Giant Eagle Academy so they could approach Romon, who frequently visited it.
• The party traveled to Rock Town and was astonished by the academy’s scale, facilities, and numerous senior druid instructors.
• After learning that the academy’s main grounds were in the forest, the party decided to include their observations in intelligence reports for Her Majesty.

Mishuna's team discussed their covert investigation of Romon, while Romon's intelligence network learned of their plans and flagged them as a threat. In the forest, Romon rescued three Tree Spirits and followed Luoli toward their Parasitic Trees, unaware that the spirits saw him as a source of lifelong support.

• Mishuna's team reviewed Kedan and Xiao Si's probationary jobs at Giant Eagle Academy and planned to build connections while investigating Romon across the territory.
• An inn attendant reported the team's conversation to Hassen, who passed the information up Romon's intelligence network; the party's file was marked with a red warning.
• Romon flew to a forest clearing and moved roughly fifty trees into his space for the Tree Spirits.
• Luoli persuaded Romon to take three more Tree Spirits into his space and led him toward their Parasitic Trees while the spirits secretly celebrated their good fortune.

Romon’s group planted more ancient trees in Shennong Horn while goddess Xifilan conquered Butlai City and prepared to destroy a newly rising rival. In Salant Baron Fief, Xifilan’s divine pressure tested Romon’s believers until a dragon’s roar drove it away.

• Romon’s group planted more than fifty three-hundred-year-old trees in Shennong Horn and settled the Parasitic Trees on the hills.
• Count Hangel’s forces defeated Kobide’s army, and Kobide died after holy spears pierced him.
• Goddess Xifilan revealed her plan to merge Butlai Territory with her own and set out to destroy the new divine power she sensed near Simon Town.
• Bishop Kanrongpa led prayers in Salant Baron Fief and learned that novice priests had sensed holy power and Lord Johnson had become a knight.
• Xifilan’s divine pressure descended on the prayer hall, causing one priest to kneel and lose power, until a dragon’s roar made the pressure vanish.

Elno confronted Goddess Xifilan after she demanded that he surrender Romon and the people below, then battled her inside his manifested divine kingdom. Elno defeated and consumed Xifilan, whose hand was absorbed by the World Tree, and Bishop Kanrongpa announced a great advance.

• Goddess Xifilan tried to persuade Elno to hand over Romon and his believers in exchange for a way out of the world.
• Elno summoned a virtual divine kingdom and attacked Xifilan after realizing she threatened the palace’s heir and the four High Gods’ believers.
• Xifilan fought Elno, but he swallowed her and returned triumphantly to the palace while Bishop Kanrongpa led the people in prayer.
• The priests carried Xifilan’s still-living hand to the Temple altar, where it vanished and appeared near the World Tree in Shennong Horn Space.
• The World Tree absorbed Xifilan’s hand, increasing spiritual energy in its space, while Bishop Kanrongpa received divine grace and declared Xifilan destroyed.

Chapter Summary: “Future (Part 1)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Romon teaches his student Cassil about the Druidic understanding of nature. He explains that nature must be observed with care and that humans are not separate from it.
• Cassil questions whether hunting animals and harvesting crops violate the principle that all living things are equal. Romon explains that survival, predation, and responsible agriculture are natural processes, while needless killing, greed, and destruction violate nature’s balance.
• Romon promotes a middle path: neither blindly preserving nature nor exploiting it recklessly, but respecting ecological laws and maintaining balance. He hopes these ideas will eventually influence Druids and ordinary people alike.
• Cassil reports suspicious outsiders at the academy, including Druid Kedan, the adventurer Xiao Si, and Mishuna’s group. Romon already knows about them and has ordered surveillance, choosing not to remove them immediately.
• At his villa, Romon learns that Eileen is conducting a holy rite and Bell is preparing dinner. He then goes to his study to review intelligence reports.
• Inside the Shennong Horn, Romon notices that the spiritual energy has grown denser. The thirty mu of forest, containing 150 large trees, appears healthy and is absorbing and releasing spiritual energy. Romon decides to expand the forest further.
• A naval report brings good news: Romon’s fleet reached its destination safely, completed transport and guard missions, and defeated part of the prince’s Elven puppet fleet by sinking two ships. The fleet also received praise from the local kingdom.
• The victory strengthens Romon’s political legitimacy, making it harder for the Radiance Church or others to accuse him of collaborating with the Elves.
• Romon becomes increasingly confident about his advancement. He expects to reach Level Fifteen and become an Archdruid by the New Year, then imagines eventually reaching the Legendary Realm and even divinity.

Character Developments

• Romon: Demonstrates a mature and pragmatic philosophy of nature, combining ecological responsibility with recognition of human survival needs. He also reveals growing ambition, political confidence, and long-term plans to accumulate power before eventually withdrawing from worldly affairs.
• Cassil: Shows intellectual curiosity and a willingness to challenge apparent contradictions in Druid teachings. His questioning indicates that he is developing beyond rote instruction and beginning to think like a genuine scholar or Druid.
• Eileen and Bell: Their brief mentions establish their continuing roles within Romon’s household and administration—Eileen in religious duties and Bell in domestic responsibilities.
• Kedan, Xiao Si, and Mishuna: They remain suspicious outsiders whose activities are being monitored, though their motives are not yet fully revealed.

Significant Themes

• Humanity’s place in nature: Romon rejects the idea that humans are inherently separate from or superior to nature. Human survival can coexist with natural law when practiced responsibly.
• Balance versus extremism: The chapter criticizes both reckless exploitation and the Nature Druids’ extreme rejection of human activity. True harmony requires understanding ecological interdependence.
• Knowledge and education: Romon intends to spread his philosophy through students, suggesting that lasting change begins with teaching and gradual cultural influence.
• Power and legitimacy: Military achievements, honors, and public service help Romon protect himself politically and strengthen his authority.
• Ambition and the future: Romon’s thoughts shift from immediate duties to grand aspirations—higher levels of power, the Legendary Realm, and eventual divinity.

Important Character Interactions

• Romon and Cassil engage in a philosophical lesson that develops into a discussion of hunting, agriculture, ecological balance, and humanity’s relationship with nature.
• Cassil informs Romon about suspicious academy outsiders, while Romon reassures him that the matter is already being handled through surveillance.
• Romon interacts briefly with his butler, receiving household updates, intelligence reports, and news of the fleet’s victory.
• Romon’s internal reflections connect his present achievements with his future plans to reach higher levels of power and eventually pass his worldly responsibilities to his children.

Chapter Summary: “Future (Part 2)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fafier urgently visits Romon’s villa with intelligence from the Shavigo Kingdom. While waiting, he learns that Romon is training in a secret chamber and has recently been exhausting himself while attempting to combine his various powers.
• Romon emerges pale and weakened from his training. He admits that breaking through to the Fifteenth Level will require more time, suggesting that his effort to merge his abilities has not yet succeeded.
• Fafier reveals that agents connected to the Church of the God of Protection have discovered that Shavigo’s queen sent investigators into Romon’s territory. Their reports analyze Romon, Tatshaw Territory’s military strength, and his possible connection to mysterious events in the Shavigo royal palace.
• The reports recommend that the queen arrest Romon and bring him back for interrogation. Three identical reports were apparently sent; Romon’s forces intercept only one, while the other two reach Shavigo.
• Two suspected agents are discovered working as instructors at Giant Eagle Academy, indicating that the infiltration of Romon’s territory has been carefully planned and ongoing for some time.
• Romon orders Fafier not to arrest the spies immediately, fearing that doing so would expose their investigation. Instead, Fafier is instructed to keep them under surveillance and conduct a territory-wide search for additional infiltrators.
• Romon privately recognizes that he is implicated in the death of Shavigo’s prince and the theft of treasures from the Elven Palace. He expects the queen to seek revenge but believes that an overt attack would be politically difficult because it could be viewed as an invasion.
• In Shavigo, the queen receives the remaining reports and becomes enraged. She believes Romon’s growing prosperity was funded by wealth stolen from the palace and vows not to spare him.
• After isolating herself for nearly a month to consider the matter, the queen issues an arrest warrant on May 9. She sends more than a hundred elite warriors, along with Knights, mages, priests, and Druids, aboard warships toward Tatshaw Territory to capture Romon at any cost.

Character Developments

• Romon: Continues pushing his abilities toward a higher level, but the effort leaves him physically drained. His calm, strategic nature remains intact despite the threat against him. He accepts that conflict is approaching and prepares to defend himself rather than panic.
• Fafier: Demonstrates loyalty, urgency, and growing ruthlessness in protecting Romon’s territory. He has established intelligence networks and reacts quickly to foreign infiltration, while also understanding the need for patience and secrecy.
• The Shavigo Queen: Develops from grief and suspicion into open hatred and decisive action. Her anger over her son’s death, the failed palace expedition, and Romon’s survival drives her to authorize a major military operation.

Significant Themes

• Political intrigue and espionage: Foreign agents have infiltrated Romon’s territory, even reaching Giant Eagle Academy. Intelligence, surveillance, and counterintelligence become as important as military strength.
• Consequences of past actions: Romon’s involvement in the palace incident and the death of the Shavigo prince begins to catch up with him, despite his attempt to build a peaceful and prosperous life.
• Power and preparation: Romon’s struggle to advance his abilities parallels the larger need to prepare for an approaching confrontation.
• Hidden identities and dangerous knowledge: The mysterious organization, the Church of the God of Protection, and the Elven Palace remain connected through concealed motives and incomplete information.
• Revenge versus political restraint: The queen is driven by personal hatred, but her ability to act openly is limited by the international consequences of attacking Romon’s territory.

Character Interactions

• Fafier and Romon share a trusted lord-and-subordinate relationship. Fafier brings urgent intelligence, while Romon provides the strategic decisions.
• Romon reassures Fafier that he handled the situation correctly by avoiding premature arrests, then orders him to expand surveillance throughout the territory.
• The queen interacts with her female official when receiving the secret reports, but her increasingly isolated behavior reflects her distrust and rage.
• The chapter ends without direct contact between Romon and the queen, but their conflict is clearly established: the queen dispatches a force to arrest him, while Romon remains unaware of the exact scale of the approaching attack.

Chapter Summary: “Bombardment (Part One)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Romon receives confirmation that an enemy force from the Shavigo Kingdom is approaching by ship. The attackers include a Fifteenth Level mage, three Eleventh Level Druids, additional high-level spellcasters, twelve Knights, and over one hundred elite warriors.
• Although Romon appears calm, he recognizes the seriousness of the threat. His naval forces are weakened because much of the fleet is assisting Prince Xiusenya, while the enemy’s powerful mage and Druids counterbalance Romon’s own strength as a Fourteenth Level Druid.
• Romon predicts that the enemy will disguise its fleet as merchant ships, enter the harbor peacefully, and launch a surprise attack on his villa around midnight.
• He summons his trusted Knights—Fafier, Sukar, Haiwavi, Shabide, Vavik, and Owenna—and organizes a defensive encirclement. All troops are ordered to complete their preparations before the enemy’s attack.
• Romon instructs Fafier, who is favored by the War God, to request assistance from the War God Temple. Fafier reveals that arrangements have already been made for Temple warriors to join the battle.
• Eileen responds to Romon’s request by seeking help from the Earth Goddess Temple. She visits Captain Osa, a powerful Paladin, and formally asks for the support of the Temple’s entire warrior force.
• Meanwhile, the enemy fleet successfully approaches and enters Far-Sail Port under the appearance of ordinary merchant vessels. Harbor officials and pilots treat the ships normally, and the deception remains undetected.
• Pudet, the Fifteenth Level mage commanding the expedition, senses that the coming battle may be difficult. One of the Druids accompanying him dismisses Romon’s reputation and expresses confidence that their combined forces will prevail.
• The chapter ends as the enemy ship docks without incident, with Pudet temporarily reassured by how smoothly the infiltration has proceeded.

Character Developments

• Romon demonstrates strategic composure and leadership. Though inwardly concerned, he quickly assesses the enemy’s plan and coordinates a detailed defense rather than reacting impulsively.
• Fafier shows loyalty and initiative. He has already prepared the War God Temple’s support and acts as Romon’s principal assistant during the military preparations.
• Eileen takes an active leadership role rather than remaining a passive religious figure. She uses her authority as a bishop to mobilize the Earth Goddess Temple’s Paladins and warriors.
• Osa is established as a powerful and disciplined Paladin who regards Eileen’s legitimate commands as binding under Church law.
• Pudet is cautious, perceptive, and more realistic than his companions. He respects Romon’s abilities and senses danger, while the other Druids are overconfident and eager to claim credit.
• The three Druids accompanying Pudet reveal arrogance and underestimation of Romon, creating tension within the attacking force.

Significant Themes

• Preparation versus overconfidence: Romon’s careful planning contrasts sharply with the enemy Druids’ certainty that victory will be easy.
• Political and institutional conflict: The attack reflects the Shavigo Kingdom’s determination to capture Romon and shows the Druid Guild’s willingness to oppose one of its own members for political reasons.
• Faith and military power: Both the War God Temple and Earth Goddess Temple become involved, showing how religious institutions provide organized military support.
• Appearances and deception: The enemy hides its warships behind the appearance of merchant vessels, while Romon attempts to anticipate and counter their secret strategy.
• Leadership and loyalty: Romon’s allies respond quickly and faithfully, suggesting that his authority is built not only on strength but also on trust and cooperation.
• Foreboding: Pudet’s unease and the unusually elaborate preparations hint that the seemingly smooth invasion may conceal serious danger for the attackers.

Romon’s forces annihilated an invading ship with a coordinated fireball and crossbow attack, then killed the survivors and prisoners. He ordered the dead displayed as executed pirates and compensation paid to victims’ families, while wondering how the distant queen would react.

• Pudet’s infiltrators killed the harbor guards and prepared to attack the ship.
• Romon’s forces bombarded the ship with overlapping Fireballs and crossbow bolts, killing most aboard.
• An archmage escaped with Any Door and healing, but Romon’s crossbowmen killed him in a second volley.
• Romon admitted he had deliberately let the enemy strike first, and Eileen remarked that he had changed.
• Romon ordered Mishuna, Kedan, Xiao Si, Sini, and the other prisoners executed and displayed on crosses as pirates, while promising compensation for soldiers’ families and civilian victims.
• Romon reflected that his growing power let him act without compromise and wondered how the queen would respond.

Chapter Summary: “News (Part 1)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• News spreads throughout the county that Far-Sail Port was attacked by pirates but successfully defended by Viscount Teta Xiao’s Tatshaw Territory.
• Local nobles initially prepare for possible attacks, remembering the earlier Elves incident. Once they learn Far-Sail Port alone was targeted, they shift to cautious observation.
• The true scale of the victory gradually becomes known: the attackers were not ordinary pirates. They included more than a hundred elite fighters, high-level professionals, and a Fifteenth-Level mage, while the Druid Guild was also involved.
• Meimi, a senior young woman within the Feisi Kingdom branch of the Pilgrimage Trading Guild, receives a letter from Tatshaw Territory. She becomes visibly excited, prompting teasing from her younger sister. The letter confirms that the guild’s people encountered unusually powerful pirates.
• Leaders of the Temple of the Radiance Church discuss Romon and Tatshaw Territory’s growing strength. The archbishop admits that the Church underestimated Romon and can no longer eliminate him without suffering serious losses.
• The Church decides not to intervene in the conflict for now. Since the Ice and Snow Kingdom is an enemy, Romon’s survival may benefit the Church, so they plan to let both sides continue fighting and act only at the end.
• Members of the Yuanluo Faction hold a secret meeting and express frustration at Romon’s repeated successes. They recognize that he has survived exile, gained influence, expanded his territory, befriended the prince, and defeated forces far stronger than expected.
• The nobles conclude that Romon may already be near or at the level of an Archdruid or Druid. They realize they lack the power and information necessary to stop his rise.
• The kingdom’s Royal House is left uncertain about how to respond. The attack occurred within its territory and involved foreign forces, creating a diplomatic and political dilemma.

Character Developments

• Romon/Viscount Teta Xiao: His reputation changes dramatically. He is no longer viewed merely as a successful young viscount but as a powerful figure with hidden resources and potentially overwhelming influence.
• Meimi: Her emotional reaction to the letter reveals her strong personal concern for Romon, a fact recognized by the guild’s internal members. Her normally composed demeanor gives way to excitement and worry.
• Meimi’s younger sister: She provides a lighter, teasing perspective, openly suggesting that the letter may be connected to Romon and exposing Meimi’s feelings.
• The Temple’s archbishop and regional bishop: The bishop admits his earlier failure to assess Romon correctly. The archbishop acknowledges that the Church made a serious miscalculation but remains pragmatic, choosing to exploit the conflict rather than confront Romon directly.
• The Yuanluo nobles: Their confidence collapses into uncertainty. Even their elderly leader admits that Romon has already risen beyond their ability to control, leaving them fearful and resigned.

Significant Themes

• Underestimation and hidden strength: Nearly every faction misjudged Romon’s abilities, and the attack reveals that Tatshaw Territory possesses far greater power than outsiders realized.
• Political power and shifting alliances: Romon’s victory affects nobles, religious institutions, foreign kingdoms, guilds, and the royal family. His growing relationship with the prince further strengthens his political position.
• Pragmatism over ideology: The Radiance Church puts strategic advantage above direct intervention, allowing enemies to weaken each other.
• Reputation and fear: Reports of the battle transform Romon’s public image. The scale of the casualties forces everyone to reconsider the balance of power in the county and kingdom.
• Uncertainty and diplomatic tension: The kingdom must determine whether to treat the incident as simple piracy or as an international conflict involving foreign powers.

Character Interactions

• Meimi interacts with her younger sister, who teases her about the letter and Romon, while Meimi attempts to downplay her connection to him.
• The archbishop confronts the regional bishop over the Church’s failure to properly assess Romon. Their conversation shifts from blame to strategic planning.
• The Yuanluo nobles debate whether Romon can still be restrained, but the elderly viscount persuades them that his rise is already too advanced to stop.
• Across the chapter, nobles and institutions react indirectly to Romon’s victory, revealing growing fear, respect, and uncertainty about his true capabilities.

Summary of “News (Part 2) — Mages’ Guild”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mage Kexi arrives at the Mages’ Guild, a complex of four elemental Mage Towers and surrounding facilities. He confirms that its magical layout is identical to other guilds.
• In the reception hall, the mages ask Kexi to help reconstruct and analyze the battle in Tatshaw Territory involving Archmage Pudet and Viscount Tatexiao.
• Using a magically enhanced harbor sand table, the guild simulates the battle:
  • Pudet’s forces used invisibility and Knights to kill guards without triggering the Mage Tower’s defenses.
  • Tatexiao had secretly replaced workers, sailors, and warehouse keepers with prepared ambushers.
  • Pudet’s men were trapped aboard ships and attacked by seventeen simultaneous Fireballs.
  • The combined blast overwhelmed even powerful defensive spells, including Sixth- and Seventh-Level barriers, and produced enough force to affect spatial stability.
  • Nearly everyone aboard the ships died. Pudet survived the initial explosion through a Trigger Spell but used Dimension Door instead of Teleportation, leaving him within range of attack.
  • He was killed by arrows, likely because he lacked adequate physical protection or because his defenses had already been destroyed.
• The mages conclude that the battle demonstrated a “saturation attack”: concentrating overwhelming firepower against enemies in a confined area.
• They debate whether the tactic poses a serious threat to mages. Some argue it is difficult to reproduce because it requires surprise, a confined battlefield, and the inability to conduct high-level detection scans.
• The chairman arrives, praises the guild’s careful analysis, and urges the mages to study the tactic so it can improve magical warfare.
• Kexi reports that Tatexiao refuses to remove Pudet’s crucified corpse unless the guild offers compensation. The chairman agrees to negotiate, recognizing Tatexiao’s growing political and professional status.
• Kexi also reports that Tatshaw Territory’s Mage Tower is only a basic model. Its main mage is seventeen-year-old Fourth-Level Mage Debiru, supported by nine low-level mages who have come because the Mage Tower greatly improves magical training and advancement.

Character Developments

• Mage Kexi is established as experienced and reliable. His firsthand knowledge allows him to correct the battle simulation and provide accurate information about Tatshaw Territory.
• Archmage Pudet is portrayed as powerful but strategically flawed. His failure to use Teleportation or prepare sufficient physical defenses directly contributes to his death.
• Viscount Tatexiao emerges as a highly capable and increasingly formidable leader. He plans an effective ambush, commands enough forces to defeat an Archmage, and confidently demands compensation from the Mages’ Guild.
• The Mages’ Guild chairman demonstrates pragmatism. Although he acknowledges Pudet’s dignity and the insult caused by displaying his corpse, he avoids escalating the conflict and chooses negotiation.
• Mage Debiru is revealed to be unusually talented: at seventeen, he has already reached the Fourth Level and serves as the leading mage in Tatshaw Territory.

Significant Themes

• Adaptation and advancement through conflict: The mages view defeat not only as a loss but as an opportunity to develop new tactics and improve magical practice.
• The limits of individual power: Even an Archmage can be overwhelmed by coordinated attacks, preparation, and superior numbers.
• Strategy versus raw strength: Tatexiao’s success comes from secrecy, battlefield preparation, and concentrated firepower rather than simply possessing stronger magic.
• Institutional pragmatism: The Mages’ Guild values mage honor but is willing to negotiate with Tatexiao rather than risk a larger conflict.
• Changing military technology and doctrine: Sand-table simulations, Trigger Spells, coordinated Fireballs, and saturation attacks indicate the evolution of warfare.
• Political and professional advancement: Tatexiao’s possible promotion to Count and advancement toward Archdruid status make him a figure the guild must treat seriously.

Important Character Interactions

• Kexi collaborates with the guild’s mages by correcting their simulation and explaining the actual conditions of the battle.
• The mages debate among themselves about the effectiveness of protective spells, Teleportation, Flight, Gaseous Form, and other possible means of survival.
• The chairman addresses the guild, praising their investigative spirit and framing the battle as a lesson for all mages.
• Kexi conveys Tatexiao’s blunt demand—“What is the compensation?”—which angers some mages but is accepted by the chairman as a legitimate negotiating position.
• The chairman questions Kexi about Tatshaw Territory’s magical strength, showing the guild’s interest in assessing Tatexiao’s broader power base.

Chapter Summary: “The Voice of Nature (Part 1)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Romon reaches an agreement with the Mages’ Guild by offering three conditions: a discount on magical items, official recognition for Mage Tower-trained mages, and permission to copy materials below Third Level. He then surrenders a mage’s corpse, after which the Churches, kingdom, nobles, and queen cease their immediate opposition.
• By September, autumn has arrived in Tatshaw Territory. The territory is experiencing a prosperous harvest, with farmers, families, and even the elderly working together joyfully in the fields.
• Romon visits the harvest alongside Cassil and the students of Giant Eagle Academy. He uses the scene to teach them about nature, harvest, hope, balance, and the cyclical laws of life.
• Romon reflects on his larger ambitions. His goal in founding a Druid school is not merely generosity; he wants to develop personal strength, strengthen his territory, expand his influence, and cultivate loyal and capable followers.
• During the visit, a student points out that wheat stalks could be woven into toys rather than burned. This prompts Romon to reconsider the common practice of burning leftover stalks.
• After learning that farmers throughout the region either use wheat stalks as fuel or burn them outdoors, Romon orders a large quantity to be transported to Forest Academy for experimentation. He refuses to explain their purpose, leaving the students curious.

Character Development

• Romon: Reveals that he is a Fourteenth-Level Druid and increasingly acts as both lord and teacher. He seeks to turn his philosophy of nature into practical policies, beginning with the possible reuse of wheat stalks. His thoughts also show his ambition to build long-term strength through education and influence rather than relying only on wealth or personal power.
• Cassil: Demonstrates growing maturity and understanding of Druidic principles. He interprets the harvest as part of nature’s endless cycle and recognizes the connection between hope, life, and natural law.
• The students: Show developing insight into the Druid path. Some understand the harvest as a lesson in responsibility, balance, and the role of Druids in supporting life; another emphasizes respecting food and the labor required to produce it. Their willingness to discuss and interpret ordinary events suggests intellectual and spiritual growth.
• Meiji: Has become physically healthier and stronger, reflecting his progress since entering the academy. His interpretation of nature as a system of cycles and balance earns particular approval.
• The agricultural steward: Acts respectfully and obediently toward Romon, even though he does not understand the lord’s unusual interest in wheat stalks.

Significant Themes

• Nature as a cycle: Planting, harvest, decay, and renewal represent the continuous rhythm of life and the laws governing the natural world.
• Hope and prosperity: The harvest provides more than food; it gives the people confidence in the future and shows how labor can overcome hardship.
• The practical meaning of Druidism: Romon teaches that Druids should not merely study nature philosophically but should actively protect, improve, and work with it.
• Resourcefulness and sustainability: The disposal of wheat stalks raises the question of whether waste can be given a better purpose. Romon’s investigation suggests a coming effort to reuse agricultural byproducts rather than simply burn them.
• Education and influence: Romon’s academy is part of a long-term plan to create capable allies, strengthen his territory, and spread his own interpretation of the natural world.
• Hidden ambition: Beneath Romon’s calm teaching role lies a deliberate strategy to gain greater strength and influence in a world where political and religious powers remain dangerous.

Character Interactions

• Romon and Cassil discuss the emotional and philosophical meaning of the harvest, with Cassil responding thoughtfully to Romon’s observations.
• Romon invites all the students to interpret why he brought them to the fields, turning the outing into a lesson.
• The students exchange humorous and serious opinions, including a joke about the fat student eating extra food to prevent waste.
• A student’s comment about weaving wheat stalks inspires Romon’s new idea.
• Romon questions the agricultural steward about local farming practices, then gives him orders to gather and transport the stalks.
• Cassil questions Romon about the stalks’ purpose, but Romon keeps the plan secret, creating anticipation for the next stage of the story.

Chapter Summary: The Voice of Nature (Part Two)

Key Plot Points and Events

• While traveling by carriage, Romon realizes that discarded wheat stalks could be used to produce biogas instead of being burned. Drawing on his knowledge from Earth, he sees biogas as a clean fuel that could reduce dependence on firewood.
• He reasons that fermented crop waste, animal manure, and leaves could produce both combustible gas and nutrient-rich fertilizer, creating a sustainable agricultural cycle.
• Romon identifies several technical challenges: testing whether the process works in this world, developing inexpensive sealing magic, and finding a way to accelerate fermentation. His goal is to reduce the process to First-Level or even Level-Zero magic so ordinary people can use it.
• At Giant Eagle Academy, Romon spends days designing a biogas facility. He has pools dug, pipes installed, and wheat stalks placed inside a sealed chamber. A Magic Formation accelerates decomposition.
• Cassil delivers Jefa’s handwritten notebook of local plants to Romon. After noticing Romon’s strange blueprint, Cassil questions him, but Romon keeps the project secret.
• Once the experiment succeeds, Romon gathers Jefa, Cassil, Nick, and others to demonstrate the result. Gas produced by decaying wheat stalks fuels the academy’s kitchen fire without burning wood.
• Romon explains that the remaining decomposed material can be used as biological fertilizer. Crop waste can therefore be recycled into fuel and returned to fields, creating a “virtuous cycle.”
• He presents biogas as the first practical example of his broader philosophy of Ecological Agriculture, which seeks to balance human development with the preservation of nature.
• Romon argues that Druids should reject extreme anti-civilization beliefs. Farming, hunting, and technology are not inherently opposed to nature if they respect balance, decomposition, renewal, and ecological diversity.
• His speech deeply affects the Druids. Many realize that their previous belief that humanity and agriculture were fundamentally opposed to nature had obstructed their own advancement.
• The World Tree inside Shennong Horn Space reacts to Romon’s principles: his words become golden characters, a branch turns partly golden, and the holy light associated with him subtly changes.

Character Developments

• Romon gains a clearer personal understanding of nature. His insight into biogas becomes more than an invention; it forms the foundation of his own Druidic doctrine and potentially strengthens his path toward becoming an Archdruid.
• He demonstrates himself to be both a practical inventor and a philosophical reformer, combining scientific knowledge, magic, environmentalism, and agricultural theory.
• Cassil continues to show admiration and curiosity toward Romon. His eagerness to understand the blueprint reveals his growing intellectual interest, while his plan to copy Jefa’s plant notebook shows initiative and dedication.
• Jefa changes from a cautious observer into a convinced supporter. Romon’s principles remove his doubts and provide a new interpretation of the Druid path.
• The other Druids experience a major ideological shift, realizing that Romon’s teachings may resolve the conflicts they have felt between civilization, agriculture, and nature.

Significant Themes

• Sustainable technology: Biogas transforms waste into fuel and fertilizer, offering a cleaner alternative to burning wood.
• Balance between civilization and nature: The chapter rejects the idea that protecting nature requires opposing all human progress.
• Ecological cycles: Decomposition and nurturing are presented as the foundations of natural metabolism. Waste becomes a resource for future growth.
• Biodiversity: Romon emphasizes that nature is more than the circulation of physical elements; it also includes the variety of plants, animals, habitats, and ecosystems.
• Critique of extremism: Narrow “Wildism,” which condemns farming and civilization outright, is portrayed as an incomplete understanding of nature.
• Innovation and adaptation: Magic and scientific knowledge can work together to solve environmental problems.
• The power of ideals and language: By framing biodiversity as something worthy of love, Romon believes ecological principles will be more easily accepted by humans.

Important Character Interactions

• Romon and Cassil: Cassil’s playful admiration contrasts with Romon’s patient but secretive attitude. Romon eventually trusts him enough to explain the project’s purpose.
• Romon and Jefa: Jefa assists indirectly by providing the plant notebook, then later examines the gas system and listens to Romon’s philosophy. His skepticism is replaced by respect and conviction.
• Romon and the gathered Druids: Through the biogas demonstration and his speech, Romon challenges their assumptions and offers them a new intellectual foundation for Druidic advancement.
• Romon and nature itself: The successful experiment, the academy’s response, and the World Tree’s transformation suggest that nature—or the supernatural force connected to it—recognizes and accepts Romon’s doctrine.

Anion established his divine kingdom in the Main World and repelled intruders, while Haboba and Bishop Kanrongpa continued building the Salante Viscount Fief from the ruins of Butlai. The fief gained land and subjects but still struggled to organize its population, strengthen its faith, and expand its clergy.

• Anion wove his divine kingdom together as elven petitioners built its palace, then used the Sword of Sovereignty to defeat intruders and capture thousands of souls.
• Haboba and Bishop Kanrongpa oversaw the resettlement of subjects and the recovery of farmland across the Salante Viscount Fief.
• Haboba recalled how Count Hangel burned Butlai City and carried away more than ten thousand subjects after Xifilan was devoured by the great dragon.
• Bishop Kanrongpa advised Haboba to consolidate his territory before seeking revenge against the Hangel Fief, and Haboba agreed.
• The residents prayed in five crowded temples, but Bishop Kanrongpa said their faith was impure and the Church lacked priests to serve them all.
• Haboba and Bishop Kanrongpa discussed the need for more temples, clergy, and a Mage Tower before Kanrongpa urged Haboba to marry and have more children.

Autumn Harvest (Part 2) — Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Romon meets Knight Owenna to explain his major military reorganization:
  • Village and Town Guards form the first tier.
  • Far-Sail Port’s new City Guard becomes the second tier, commanded by Fafier.
  • The Knight Orders remain in place, with Vavik commanding the three-hundred-member Tatexiao Knight Order.
  • A thirty-person elite Close Guard will be created to handle assassination and counter-assassination. Owenna and her deputy, Luwen, are tasked with training it, and Owenna is appointed commander.
• The Close Guard will receive magical leather armor that improves mobility and protects against ordinary charm spells, emphasizing Romon’s concern for his personal security.
• At night, Luo Laike arrives in Far-Sail Port and observes the city’s growing prosperity, military presence, and continued fascination with the killing of the Grand Mage.
• In an inn, Luo Laike hears citizens discussing Romon’s new citizenship laws and guild system:
  • Skilled warriors, mages, nobles, craftsmen, and wealthy individuals can qualify for Free Citizen status.
  • Craftsmen can gain status through guild certification and years of service.
  • Romon has formally legalized and organized numerous trade guilds, granting them authority to manage their professions and assist with taxation.
  • Skilled workers, especially shipwrights, are being recruited into Romon’s industries.
• An agent from the Iron Throne, using the code name “Mr. Muni,” tells Luo Laike to return to the organization. Luo Laike agrees to leave the next day.
• The agent warns that the inn is unsafe for confidential discussion because Far-Sail Port contains numerous secret passages and hidden communication systems.

Character Developments

• Romon is shown becoming increasingly powerful, mature, and politically sophisticated. His military reforms reveal a more organized approach to defense, while his citizenship and guild policies show an understanding of economic development and social management.
• Owenna gains greater responsibility and status. Although initially concerned that Luwen’s criminal background might disqualify him, she realizes that his skills are valuable. She accepts command of the Close Guard with renewed confidence and loyalty.
• Luo Laike has reached the Eighth Level and is now calmer and less emotionally affected by Romon’s extraordinary advancement. He remains impressed—and somewhat puzzled—by Romon’s ability to govern and develop the city.
• Luwen is indirectly elevated from a suspicious figure because of his past as a thief to a useful military specialist, demonstrating that Romon values ability and loyalty over background.

Significant Themes

• Institutionalization and modernization: Romon is transforming scattered forces and informal organizations into structured military units, legal guilds, and defined social classes.
• Security and surveillance: The formation of the Close Guard and the city’s secret passages reflect the dangers surrounding Romon and the importance of intelligence and counterintelligence.
• Economic pragmatism: Far-Sail Port welcomes people with wealth, skills, knowledge, or status rather than relying on unskilled outsiders. Skilled labor is directed into productive industries.
• Social mobility through service: Citizenship can be earned through military service, professional skill, guild work, wealth, or noble status, suggesting a system based partly on contribution to the territory.
• Romon’s unusual versatility: Luo Laike is struck by the fact that Romon, despite being a Druid, understands military organization, urban administration, and economic development so effectively.
• Power and long-term ambition: Luo Laike’s calmer attitude suggests that he now views his relationship with Romon as part of a longer struggle or future competition rather than an immediate emotional crisis.

Character Interactions

• Romon and Owenna: Romon explains his reforms and entrusts Owenna with the Close Guard, strengthening their relationship through responsibility and confidence.
• Luo Laike and the townspeople: Luo Laike quietly listens as residents discuss Romon’s policies, allowing the reader to see how the city’s inhabitants perceive the changes.
• Luo Laike and the Iron Throne agent: Their coded meeting reveals that Luo Laike remains connected to the organization and that Far-Sail Port is being watched by outside powers.
• Owenna and Luwen: Though Luwen is not present, his reputation and abilities influence the discussion, showing that his loyalty and expertise outweigh his criminal origins.

Romon expanded biogas tank construction across the Tatshaw Territory while developing two spells to make the technology cheaper and more practical. Jefa warned him that the innovation challenged Druid beliefs, but Romon accepted that criticism would come and pressed ahead as he neared advancement to Archdruid.

• Romon focused on developing the Mud-to-Shell and Accelerate Fermentation spells while using bamboo pipes for the biogas tanks.
• Druids and students at the Giant Eagle Academy built three more tanks, and Youka led the first cohort as they refined the process.
• Nobles and administrators across the Tatshaw Territory ordered their own tanks, while greenhouse tests showed biogas fertilizer worked better than plant ash.
• Jefa warned Romon that promoting biogas also changed Druid philosophy and could cause serious conflict among Druids.
• Romon told Jefa that nature was what never changed, then welcomed the coming criticism and continued developing the spells.

Romon’s ecological farmland and biogas tanks gained support in Tatshaw Territory, while he prepared to strengthen his divine spells for the storm he expected. Eileen returned with command of a Temple Knights force sent to protect the reforms, and the territory entered winter in peace.

• Romon told Cassil that opposition could not stop the spread of ecological farmland within Tatshaw Territory, then met Eileen as she left to answer a summons from the regional bishop.
• Eileen explained that the temple had summoned her, and Romon encouraged her to travel safely before returning to his research.
• Romon placed Nick and Fafier in charge of territory affairs and entrusted the academy to Jefa while he worked to integrate two Druid divine spells.
• The regional archbishop appointed Eileen commander of fifty Temple Knights, including five Sixth-Level Knights and one Eleventh-Level Silver Knight, and gave her a golden scepter of command.
• Eileen returned to Far-Sail Port and took command of the Temple Knights as Tatshaw Territory’s affairs continued smoothly into winter.

Chapter Summary: “Advancement (Part 1)”

Plot Points and Major Events

• Romon finishes mastering all magical knowledge below the Third Level, combining mage theory with the Divine Vampire’s understanding of magic, divinity, and spell construction.
• Through this study, he realizes that magic and divine spells share the same structural principles, differing mainly in the type of power used to create them. This gives him the confidence to research and invent new Nature Divine Arts.
• He successfully creates two original spells:
  • Mud-to-Shell, a First-Level spell that forms a thin, ceramic-like coating over soil, making it waterproof and suitable for sealing biogas pits.
  • Catalyzed Fermentation, a Zero-Level spell that provides energy for decay bacteria, accelerating the decomposition of leaves, straw, and other organic waste.
• The Shennong Horn Space reaches Fifteenth Level after months of growth and cultivation. Its territory expands by roughly 150,000 mu, adding new land and river channels. Plant growth cycles also shorten by five percent.
• Romon activates the Four Seasons System, allowing the space to follow the natural cycles of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The system also completes the previously established Cloud-and-Rain System.
• During the advancement, Romon receives a vision of the World Tree growing and producing several mysterious fruits, though a sudden thunderclap interrupts the experience before he can understand its meaning.
• Romon gains the Water Domain and the talent Underwater Breathing, although a later panel confusingly labels his newly improved domain as the Second-Level Earth Domain.
• His advancement increases him to a Fifteenth-Level Nature Druid, with expanded attributes, abilities, and access to powerful divine spells such as Firestorm, Cloudwalk, True Seeing, Mass Cure Minor Wounds, Awaken Treant, and a Seventh-Level spell capable of summoning true dragons.
• Nature recognizes Romon’s two original spells as legitimate divine spells. This means other Druids can eventually learn them directly through meditation rather than receiving them individually from Romon.
• Romon uses all five of his newly available Seventh-Level spell slots to cast Awaken Treant on ancient Ghostfire Trees.
• Five new Treefolk awaken, reaching Druid levels ranging from Six to Seven. They recognize Romon as their master and establish telepathic connections with him.

Character Development

• Romon develops from someone who merely uses established Nature Divine Arts into a genuine researcher and creator of divine spells. His understanding of magical structures broadens considerably.
• His scientific and practical thinking remains prominent: he tests his inventions carefully, measures their effects, and considers how they could benefit ordinary households and agricultural communities.
• His advancement strengthens both his power and his connection to nature. He gains several new domains, abilities, and high-level spells, but remains particularly excited by the possibility of spreading useful innovations.
• Romon also becomes more emotionally connected to the Tree Spirits and Treefolk. His reaction to their awakening is gentle and paternal rather than merely utilitarian.
• The newly awakened Treefolk begin their existence with loyalty toward Romon and immediately identify themselves by their Druid levels.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge through synthesis: Romon advances by combining mage scholarship, divine principles, inherited knowledge, and personal experimentation.
• Innovation for practical improvement: His spells are not created solely for combat. Mud-to-Shell and Catalyzed Fermentation have clear agricultural, environmental, and domestic applications.
• Recognition by nature: Nature’s acceptance of Romon’s inventions validates him as a creator and establishes his work as part of the wider Druid tradition.
• Growth and cycles: The Four Seasons System emphasizes nature’s continuous cycle of birth, flourishing, decline, and renewal. This insight deepens Romon’s understanding of natural power.
• Expansion and creation: The Shennong Horn’s growth, the formation of new rivers, and the awakening of Treefolk all reflect Romon’s increasing ability to build and populate a living world.
• Master and created life: The awakening of the Treefolk introduces a new relationship between Romon and intelligent beings created or enabled through his power.

Important Character Interactions

• Romon interacts primarily with the Shennong Horn’s systems and the forces of nature, responding to its advancement prompts and selecting new abilities.
• He observes and experiments with his divine spells independently, using soil and humus cultures to verify their effects.
• Nature effectively “responds” to Romon by accepting his spells, granting him new powers, and providing the Four Seasons insight.
• After awakening the Ghostfire Treefolk, Romon communicates with them telepathically. Each Treefolk reports its new Druid level and acknowledges Romon as its master.
• The Tree Spirits celebrate the awakening of their kin, and Romon responds warmly, showing that he values their joy and considers the Treefolk part of a growing natural community.