Chapter Summaries

Summary of “The Investiture (Part 2)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Far-Sail Port celebrates Lord Lurun Putka’s investiture. Viscount Teta Xiao provides the workers with a generous meal of white bread, roast meat, and ale, earning widespread enthusiasm.
• Merchants and townspeople discuss Teta Xiao’s rapid rise and his practice of granting titles to trusted followers. They speculate that he will soon be elevated from Viscount to Count.
• The newly ennobled figures are explained:
  • Lord Fafier is favored by the War God.
  • Knight Nick is Teta Xiao’s longtime friend and chief administrator.
  • Lord Lurun is the chief commercial steward and has accumulated significant merit; his grandson is also a Level-Five Mage.
• The port’s growing prosperity is praised. Its clean streets, organized markets, naval protection, religious oversight of trade, and rapid development attract merchants considering relocation.
• Naval patrols leave the harbor to combat pirates. The discussion reveals that Admiral Shakat, Vice Admiral Peke, and Prince Xiusenya are cooperating against pirates who exploit the region’s island-filled waters and difficult currents.
• The Pan Lun Kuan Trading Guild’s plan to form its own Guard Corps is debated. The merchants explain that private armies are generally forbidden because economically powerful guilds with permanent armed forces could threaten the nobility and kingdom.
• The merchant Lord Hawk arrives at one of the port’s warehouses and confirms that the Feisi branch of the Pilgrimage Trading Guild’s goods have been safely inventoried.
• Hawk examines Far-Sail Port’s organization, including its small neighborhood markets and its continuously operating grand market. He considers the port a strong candidate for a new guild branch, though the decision depends on Meimi, his father, and negotiations with local guilds.

Character Developments

• Viscount Teta Xiao is portrayed as an ambitious and capable leader whose territory is expanding toward the scale of a Count’s domain. His generosity and ability to reward loyal followers strengthen his reputation.
• Lord Lurun Putka gains social recognition through his investiture. His administrative and commercial contributions, along with his grandson’s magical talent, are cited as reasons for his advancement.
• Lord Nick is shown to be one of Teta Xiao’s most trusted companions, rewarded for longstanding loyalty and effective administration.
• Admiral Shakat and Vice Admiral Peke appear as important military figures responsible for securing trade routes and suppressing piracy.
• Lord Hawk shifts from detached observation to serious commercial assessment. He recognizes Far-Sail Port’s security, efficiency, and economic potential, while remaining cautious about the political complications of establishing a branch there.
• Meimi and Hawk’s father, though absent, influence Hawk’s decisions regarding the trading guild’s expansion.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty rewarded through political advancement: Teta Xiao strengthens his growing power by elevating trusted allies into noble positions.
• The foundation of noble power: The conversations emphasize that successful noble lineages depend on loyal vassals, inherited relationships, and a network of subordinate houses.
• Economic development and urban planning: Far-Sail Port’s clean infrastructure, specialized markets, efficient taxation, and secure warehouses demonstrate how good administration creates prosperity.
• Security versus freedom: The conflict with pirates highlights the importance of military protection to commerce, while the debate over private armies explores the kingdom’s fear of independent economic power.
• Political legitimacy and social order: Titles, religious approval, guild regulations, and royal authority all work together to maintain the existing hierarchy.
• Commercial competition: Far-Sail Port’s success attracts outside guilds, but new arrivals must negotiate with established local interests.

Character Interactions

• Workers respond enthusiastically to Lurun’s public generosity, reinforcing his popularity.
• Merchants debate Teta Xiao’s rise, the qualifications of his new nobles, and the port’s future, revealing both admiration and cautious skepticism.
• The townspeople discuss the navy’s campaign against pirates, balancing hope for security with realism about the pirates’ advantages.
• Merchants criticize the Pan Lun Kuan Trading Guild’s attempt to create an independent armed force, reflecting the broader tension between commerce and aristocratic authority.
• Hawk consults with his warehouse staff about inventory, port management, and possible expansion. Their observations lead him to consider the grand market as the best location for a new guild branch, though he recognizes that cooperation with local merchants will be essential.

Biogas and Romon's achievements spread across the Aisk Kingdom, drawing the attention of other Druids. Inside the Shennong Horn Space, Romon recognized the endangered Tree Spirits' faith as a potential resource and promised Luoli he would give her people a home.

• A Knight told a reclusive Druid that Romon had become a young Archdruid, invented biogas, and created two divine spells, prompting the Druid to consider visiting Tatshaw Territory.
• Eileen sent her young son to study after he complained that his sister excluded him from playing and that Romon spent more time teaching her.
• Romon sensed that the Shennong Horn Space was absorbing natural vitality as its seasons synchronized with the outside world, while its Tree Spirits continued to grow in number.
• Luoli told Romon that Tree Spirits were endangered by disasters and hunters, and Romon realized their faith could aid his future rise.
• Romon promised to expand the Shennong Horn Space into a natural world and bring the Tree Spirits there, making Luoli cry with joy as she announced that her people had a home.

Chapter Summary: “Promise (Part 2)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sili, a Level-Eight Druid, and Felas, a Level-Seven Knight, travel toward Tatshaw Territory and Rock Town, where the Giant Eagle Academy is located. They briefly detect an unusual energy fluctuation but dismiss it as a possible artificial spell.
• Another group, including the young Druid Sina, travels toward the territory. Sina eagerly anticipates studying at the Giant Eagle Academy, while her older brother promises to help both her and their cousin gain admission.
• In Far-Sail Port City, Romon and Nick inspect the construction of new Biogas Tanks and equipment intended to expand biogas production.
• The workers recognize Romon, and he personally praises Nixi, the supervisor responsible for the project. Romon later orders that Nixi’s conduct, loyalty, and abilities be monitored for possible promotion.
• The chapter emphasizes Tatshaw Territory’s careful system for selecting officials: advancement depends not only on ability but also on loyalty, discipline, and sustained performance.
• Druid Jefa visits Romon to report that many powerful Druids and nobles have arrived at the academy. The visitors are attracted by Romon’s success with biogas, his divine spells, and his status as an Archdruid.
• Romon resolves the academy’s problem by allowing Druids above Fifth Level to serve as instructors or guest lecturers, while those below Fifth Level may apply as students.

Character Developments

• Romon continues to demonstrate humility and practical leadership by traveling in ordinary clothing, inspecting public projects personally, and interacting directly with common workers.
• He shows strong administrative judgment in recognizing Nixi’s potential without promoting him impulsively. Romon values careful observation and evidence before assigning someone official responsibility.
• Nick acts as Romon’s calm and experienced adviser, helping evaluate Nixi and participating in personnel decisions.
• Nixi proves himself hardworking, capable, and levelheaded. Although thrilled that Romon remembers him, he avoids becoming complacent and immediately returns to his duties.
• Jefa appears more respectful and somewhat remorseful toward Romon because of their past relationship, especially after Romon’s rise in status and power.
• Sina is introduced as an enthusiastic young Druid eager to study at Giant Eagle Academy. Her brother is protective and supportive, promising to secure educational opportunities for her and their cousin.
• Sili and Felas establish that high-level professionals are increasingly being drawn toward Tatshaw Territory.

Significant Themes

• Merit and responsible governance: Romon’s administration promotes people based on competence, loyalty, and consistent behavior rather than personal impressions alone.
• Romon’s growing influence: The arrival of powerful Druids and noble families shows that his innovations and magical achievements are attracting attention throughout the kingdom.
• Education and institutional growth: Giant Eagle Academy is becoming an important center for Druids, serving both as a school and potentially as a gathering place for powerful professionals.
• Humility amid power: Despite his position as a Fifteenth-Level Archdruid and lord of a prosperous territory, Romon dresses simply, works among commoners, and personally checks development projects.
• Progress and modernization: The expansion of biogas production reflects Tatshaw Territory’s continuing technological and economic development.
• Second chances and changed relationships: Jefa’s uncomfortable respect for Romon reflects how their past relationship has been altered by Romon’s achievements and rise in status.

Important Character Interactions

• Sili and Felas discuss the mysterious energy fluctuation while traveling toward Rock Town.
• Sina and her brother discuss the academy, revealing Sina’s ambition and her brother’s willingness to support her.
• Romon and Nick inspect the Biogas Tank project and later evaluate Nixi’s suitability for future official service.
• Romon and Nixi interact directly: Romon reassures the nervous supervisor, praises his work, and remembers his name, motivating Nixi to continue working diligently.
• Romon and Jefa discuss the academy’s sudden influx of powerful Druids and noble students. Romon responds decisively by creating roles for experienced Druids and opening enrollment to lower-level applicants.

Chapter Summary: “Impact (Part 1)”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Sili arrives at Giant Eagle Academy in Rock Town disguised as a guest and discovers that the academy has developed significantly. Its grounds now contain student-managed vegetable plots, wheat fields, permanent gardens, and a stream surrounded by thriving vegetation.
• An instructor explains the academy’s practical and egalitarian policies:
  • Students may cultivate their own plots.
  • Everyone receives one free meal per day.
  • Servants and personal attendants are forbidden; all students are treated equally.
  • Students are responsible for their own safety and daily needs.
  • The academy is protected by warning spells, instructors skilled in divine arts, the nearby cavalry, and the War God Temple.
• Sili is taken to the Nature Hall, where he observes the academy’s “natural grand sandbox,” a magical miniature ecosystem designed to simulate environmental change over long periods.
• Students review an experiment in which a forest was destroyed and replaced with farmland. After a simulated decade, the soil had become sandy, crop yields had fallen, and sandstorms had begun.
• Meiji explains how forests preserve soil and water and argues that protecting forests is essential to protecting the world.
• Cassil expands the discussion to desertification, identifying improper cultivation, overgrazing, and deforestation as major human causes.
• Peixingsuo challenges the discussion by arguing that large-scale warfare and divine punishment are the deeper causes of many deserts. The class acknowledges his point and plans a new experiment to test whether vegetation can restore desertified land.
• Impressed by the academy’s methods and vision, Sili applies to become an instructor. He is told that, as a Level-Eight Druid, he can immediately become a probationary instructor after submitting an application.
• After lunch, Sili leaves the academy in a supply cart because he wants to reach Rock Town immediately rather than wait for the academy’s regular carriage.

2. Character Developments

• Sili: Initially observes the academy cautiously, especially its unconventional rules and emphasis on personal responsibility. His attitude changes as he witnesses the natural sandbox and the students’ serious study of environmental systems. Deeply impressed by the academy’s educational philosophy, he decisively chooses to apply as an instructor.
• The accompanying instructor: Proudly explains the academy’s organization, security, teaching system, and experimental facilities. His comments reveal confidence in the academy’s growing influence and long-term potential.
• Meiji: Demonstrates strong understanding of ecological balance despite being only a First-Level Druid. She is recognized as a promising student favored by the principal.
• Cassil: Shows confidence and analytical ability by developing Meiji’s observations into a broader lesson on desertification.
• Peixingsuo: Displays independent thinking by respectfully challenging Cassil and pointing out the role of warfare and divine forces in creating deserts.
• The students collectively: They are portrayed as disciplined and intellectually engaged, taking notes, discussing lessons, and studying nature through observation rather than relying solely on traditional instruction.

3. Significant Themes

• Environmental balance: The sandbox demonstrates that forests regulate water, soil, climate, and agricultural productivity. Destroying them causes cascading ecological damage.
• Practical education: Giant Eagle Academy emphasizes experimentation, observation, and real-world application. Students do not merely memorize doctrine; they test natural principles directly.
• Equality and self-reliance: The academy rejects status-based privileges. Students, instructors, guests, and even nobles follow the same rules, while each student is expected to manage personal responsibilities.
• The relationship between humanity and nature: Environmental destruction is shown to harm human society as well as the natural world, suggesting that protecting nature is necessary for civilization’s survival.
• Human actions versus divine or historical forces: The discussion of desertification recognizes both local human behavior—cultivation, grazing, and logging—and larger causes such as war and divine punishment.
• Institutional innovation and reform: The academy is still imperfect but represents a new model of Druid education, combining research, ecological theory, and field training.

4. Character Interactions

• Sili questions the instructor about the academy’s plots, dining rules, equality policies, security, and admission standards, using the tour to assess how the institution operates.
• The instructor reassures Sili about the academy’s defenses and explains that students accept responsibility for their own lives.
• In the Nature Hall, Meiji presents her conclusions about forest destruction, while Cassil builds upon them with a broader analysis of desertification.
• Peixingsuo respectfully disputes Cassil’s emphasis on human causes, introducing warfare and divine punishment into the discussion.
• Jefa redirects the potentially sensitive discussion toward practical research by asking how restored land could be used in reality.
• Sili’s admiration for the instructors and students culminates in his request to join the academy, marking his first major commitment to its educational mission.

Chapter Summary: Impact (Part 2)

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the Feisi Kingdom, noble Knights massacre nearly five hundred soldiers belonging to the Royal Army, apparently as retaliation for earlier attacks by the Royal House.
• The Knights treat the slaughter as entertainment. They loot the bodies through their soldiers, mock the political ideals of the Ironblood Youth Society, and execute a wounded survivor who attempts to flee.
• The noble force leaves the corpses unburied, intending the massacre to serve as a warning that power still belongs to gods and Knights.
• A Royal Army unit later discovers the battlefield. Its thief-scouts investigate first, finding no survivors and identifying the dead as fellow Royal Army troops.
• The main force enters the site and is horrified by the brutality of the killings. They discover an identification token belonging to the Ninth Legion, confirming that the victims were regular Royal House soldiers.
• The officers order the bodies buried, though they lack the time and resources to pursue revenge. The army camps nearby while priests pray over the dead.
• Battlefield evidence suggests that roughly two hundred noble cavalry, including about twenty Knights, destroyed the larger force.
• The major and his adjutant discuss the broader civil war: the Ironblood Youth Society and the nobility are increasingly locked in open conflict, and the Royal Army is suffering enormous casualties because it lacks enough Knights to counter the nobles’ strength.

Character Developments

• The noble Knights are revealed as cruel, arrogant, and deeply confident in their social and military superiority. They view killing common soldiers as sport and regard the massacre as a defense of the existing hierarchy.
• The fleeing survivor demonstrates the coercive nature of the Ironblood Youth Society’s army, claiming that he joined unwillingly and would have been purged otherwise. His execution shows that the conflict offers little mercy to ordinary participants.
• The thief-scouts appear hardened and socially marginalized. They initially suppress their sympathy for the dead, believing emotional weakness will only endanger them, though their reaction shows that the massacre still affects them.
• The major remains disciplined and pragmatic, choosing burial and preservation of his own troops over immediate retaliation. However, his private thoughts reveal growing unease about the war’s human cost.
• The adjutant remains optimistic, focusing on the number of noble Knights killed and believing that attrition will eventually secure victory. The major’s internal response challenges this confidence by emphasizing the thousands of ordinary soldiers lost.

Significant Themes

• Class conflict and civil war: The chapter portrays the struggle between hereditary noble power and the revolutionary Ironblood Youth Society as a full-scale civil war.
• The unequal value of lives: Noble Knights celebrate killing common soldiers, while the Royal Army measures victory in enemy Knights despite suffering far greater losses among ordinary troops.
• Brutality and dehumanization: Both sides are increasingly shaped by violence, but the nobles’ mockery and enjoyment of slaughter emphasize the cruelty of the old order.
• Power of Knights versus mass armies: A much smaller force of trained noble cavalry can annihilate a larger regular army, exposing the Royal House’s severe military disadvantage.
• Survival versus morality: The thieves, soldiers, and officers suppress sympathy and moral outrage because survival and military necessity take priority.
• The hidden cost of victory: The Royal Army’s growing record of slain noble Knights appears encouraging, but the major recognizes that each success may require thousands of common soldiers’ deaths.

Character Interactions

• A noble Knight taunts the wounded Ironblood soldier about his revolutionary ideals before killing him, highlighting the contempt between the aristocracy and the movement’s supporters.
• The thief-scouts debate whether they should feel sympathy for the dead; the older thief insists that compassion is dangerous for people in their position.
• The scouts report to the officers, prompting the major to lead the main force into the massacre site.
• The soldiers and officers react collectively with anger, fear, and silence when they recognize the dead as their own.
• The major and adjutant discuss the war’s likely outcome: the adjutant stresses noble losses, while the major privately questions whether such “victory” is worth the enormous cost in soldiers’ lives.

Summary of “Migration (Part 1)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In a fortified manor far from the battlefield, Captain Tekaxiu brings Lulie and Xiūsang news about their absent lord, Romon.
• The news reveals that Romon has become famous in the Aisk Kingdom as a Fifteenth-Level Archdruid. He has also defeated a foreign invading army and developed biogas and ecological farming methods.
• Tekaxiu explains that biogas converts agricultural waste into fuel and fertilizer, impressing the three men and deepening their admiration for Romon.
• They worry that Romon may have forgotten them after several years of separation, but Tekaxiu insists that their duty is to preserve the territories Romon entrusted to them.
• A signal flare from the Adventurers’ Guild suggests that a major crisis is developing in the Feisi Kingdom. The men suspect either war or internal unrest.
• Because Romon owns several territories in Feisi, Lulie proposes transferring wealth and valuables out of the region while reinforcing the territories’ defenses. They plan to remain neutral and avoid provoking either side.
• Unknown to them, this plan will draw them directly into the Feisi Kingdom, where civil war has already broken out between the Royal House and the nobles.
• The chapter then shifts to a Merchant Goddess Temple, where priests discuss the effects of the civil war. Commerce is collapsing, neutrality is becoming impossible, and the Temple risks losing its influence.
• Bishop Meimi concludes that the Feisi Kingdom is no longer suitable for business. She recommends relocating the Temple’s strength to other nations, particularly the Aisk Kingdom and Romon’s prosperous Tatshaw Territory.
• The Temple divides into groups, with Meimi’s faction preparing to travel by sea to Far-Sail Port.

Character Developments

• Tekaxiu is shown as loyal, responsible, and deeply devoted to Romon. Though normally stern, he becomes enthusiastic when discussing Romon’s achievements and firmly believes in protecting Romon’s territories.
• Lulie demonstrates practical judgment by identifying the danger posed by the Feisi crisis and proposing the evacuation of wealth and reinforcement of the territories.
• Xiūsang remains quiet but observant, contributing thoughtful questions and recognizing that the unusual summons signal a serious problem.
• Together, the three men evolve from eagerly receiving news of Romon into taking active responsibility for his lands.
• Bishop Meimi emerges as a pragmatic and influential leader. Rather than remain loyal to a failing region, she prioritizes the survival and expansion of the Merchant Goddess Temple.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and stewardship: Romon’s followers remain committed to protecting his work despite years without direct contact.
• Romon’s growing influence: His innovations, military victory, and druidic advancement demonstrate how his reputation is spreading across nations.
• War’s impact on civilians and commerce: The civil war threatens not only armies and governments but also merchants, temples, and ordinary economic life.
• Migration and adaptation: Both Romon’s retainers and the Merchant Goddess Temple respond to instability by moving resources and people to safer, more prosperous regions.
• Naivety versus reality: Tekaxiu and his companions believe neutrality can protect them, but the narration hints that their plans underestimate how deeply the coming conflict will affect them.
• Turning waste into prosperity: The discussion of biogas reflects Romon’s broader theme of innovation—transforming overlooked resources into tools for development.

Important Character Interactions

• Tekaxiu shares Romon’s achievements with Lulie and Xiūsang, strengthening their shared loyalty and admiration.
• The three men discuss whether Romon remembers them, then reaffirm their collective duty to safeguard his territories.
• Their conversation about the Adventurers’ Guild flare leads them to investigate the Feisi crisis and formulate a defensive plan.
• In the Merchant Goddess Temple, the priests debate how to preserve their institution, ultimately deferring to Bishop Meimi.
• Meimi persuades the priests to relocate toward the Aisk Kingdom, linking the Temple’s future directly to Romon’s growing territories and Far-Sail Port.

Meimi led the priests fleeing the Feisi Kingdom toward the Tatshaw Territory, where she planned to establish a new temple, while Romon prepared to welcome them. The fleet continued its journey, and Meimi smiled after learning that her letter had reached Romon.

• The priests aboard the departing ships mourned leaving their homeland, and Meimi reassured Priest Heper that their spirits would recover with time.
• Meimi explained that she wanted to review the records of more than five hundred priests so she could assign roles when they established a temple in the Tatshaw Territory.
• Priest Heper asked why Meimi had chosen the Tatshaw Territory instead of the Aisk Kingdom's capital, and she said he would understand once he saw the territory for himself.
• The fleet sailed farther from the Feisi Kingdom, and the priests gradually grew more hopeful about reaching their destination.
• A magical eagle delivered Meimi's letter to Romon, who asked Nick for the city's geographical records so they could choose a site for a magnificent Grand Temple of the Merchant Goddess.
• Meimi sensed that Romon had received her letter and smiled knowingly.

Chapter Summary: “Coming and Going (Part 1)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In May, Lord Romon of Tatshaw Territory waits at Far-Sail Port with his senior administrators, Nick and Fafier, to welcome Archbishop Meimi of the Merchant Goddess Temple.
• Nick and Fafier jokingly argue over Meimi’s arrival, though Romon reminds them that she is a powerful and respected archbishop who must be treated with proper dignity.
• Their rivalry is partly an act to disguise their alliance against Romon, but it has also become genuine habit. They are additionally competing over which of their sons might eventually marry Romon’s daughter, Alice, potentially gaining access to Romon’s wealth, lands, and political faction.
• Three ships arrive from the Feisi Kingdom, whose civil war has forced Meimi and her followers to seek refuge elsewhere. The lead ship bears the symbol of the Merchant Goddess Temple.
• Meimi and her priests are deeply impressed by Far-Sail Port’s size, prosperity, Mage Tower, orderly streets, and thriving commerce. Their initial doubts about Romon’s territory disappear, and they recognize it as an ideal location for rebuilding their Temple.
• Romon and Meimi exchange formal greetings, concealing the deeper personal warmth between them. Romon leads the visitors through the territory and hosts a large welcoming banquet.
• During the banquet, Romon grants Meimi’s followers citizenship in Far-Sail Port, officially preserves the William family’s noble status, and donates a central plot of land for a new Merchant Goddess Temple.
• Romon’s decisions benefit both sides: Far-Sail Port gains hundreds of wealthy, skilled, and influential residents, while the Pilgrimage Trading Guild receives legal noble recognition and can once again maintain armed forces.
• Meimi promises that both the Temple and her Lineage will support Romon. Romon asks her to personally supervise the Temple’s construction.
• After the banquet, Meimi becomes close to Romon’s two wives, visiting them frequently. The private conversation among the three women remains unknown, even to Romon.

Character Developments

• Romon: Demonstrates political foresight, generosity, and diplomatic skill. He carefully balances respect for Meimi’s religious authority with the practical interests of his territory. He also tolerates Nick and Fafier’s rivalry as long as it does not become disruptive.
• Meimi: Shows increasing confidence in Romon and his territory. Her statement that she believes in him suggests deep personal trust and possibly stronger feelings. She also gains influence by establishing the Temple in Tatshaw Territory.
• Nick and Fafier: Continue their performative rivalry, partly connected to their sons’ competition for Alice’s attention. Despite their bickering, both remain loyal to Romon and immediately follow his instructions.
• Priest Heper: Moves from skepticism to admiration after seeing Far-Sail Port’s prosperity. He begins to understand the strategic value of rebuilding the Temple there and suspects Meimi has a personal attachment to Romon.
• Romon’s wives: Their invitation to Meimi marks the beginning of a close relationship, though the nature of their discussion is deliberately left mysterious.

Significant Themes

• Political alliance and mutual benefit: Romon’s hospitality strengthens both Tatshaw Territory and the Merchant Goddess Temple.
• Faith and prosperity: The priests see commerce and material abundance as conditions that can help the Goddess’s influence spread.
• Marriage, inheritance, and ambition: Nick and Fafier’s efforts to promote their sons reveal how noble families view marriage as a path to land, wealth, and political power.
• Public ceremony versus private motives: The formal welcome and banquet present unity and diplomacy, while the characters harbor personal ambitions, suspicions, and affection beneath the surface.
• Home and refuge: Meimi’s displaced followers find safety and opportunity in Tatshaw Territory, while the new Temple promises to make the territory a lasting center for the Church.

Character Interactions

• Romon repeatedly restrains and manages Nick and Fafier’s teasing rivalry.
• Meimi and Romon exchange formal greetings but subtly reveal the warmth of their reunion.
• Priest Heper acknowledges Meimi’s judgment and begins to suspect her personal feelings toward Romon.
• Romon publicly offers Meimi’s group citizenship, noble recognition, and land, while Meimi responds with a pledge of support.
• Meimi later forms a close friendship with Romon’s two wives, creating a potentially important but unexplained relationship within the household.

Haboba and Bishop Kanrongpa brought five thousand captives from fallen Hangel City to the Divine Palace, where the Great Dragon Elno judged them as offerings. Naiqi earned special notice for her early conversion, but the chapter ended with Elno devouring defiant captives and terrifying the survivors.

• Haboba and Bishop Kanrongpa discussed resettling the five thousand captives and strengthening their territory before expanding.
• During the two-week march, Naiqi remained openly devoted to the Romon God and was marked for special treatment, while defiant captives were placed on a list for Elno.
• Haboba led the procession to the Divine Palace, where Elno's presence drove most of the captives to the ground in fear.
• At Haboba's order, soldiers dragged thirty listed captives to Elno as offerings, and Elno devoured them.
• A Knight attacked Elno and was caught and eaten, leaving the survivors prostrated in terror.

Tree Spirit Church (Part One) — Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Workers clearing timber for the Temple discover an enormous tree that is extraordinarily difficult to cut down, uproot, and carry. Its unusual weight and resistance suggest that it is not an ordinary tree.
• After an official initially accuses the workers of laziness, the foreman explains the tree’s strange properties. Nick, inspecting the construction site, tests it himself and realizes it may be significant.
• Nick has the tree moved away from the logging grounds and summons Romon, knowing his knowledge of nature and Druidic matters may help identify it.
• Romon senses a powerful life force within the tree but cannot immediately determine its species. He secretly stores it away and transports it to the Shennong Horn Space for examination.
• Romon then travels deeper into Thorn Forest on Lightning to meet Luoli and the other Tree Spirits. Lightning’s magical abilities and greatly increased speed are noted.
• The Tree Spirit population in the space has grown to around twenty, with several new members. Luoli has reached the Fourth Level as a Space Servant, while others have reached the Second and Third Levels.
• Romon learns that more than 2,650 three-hundred-year-old trees have been gathered. He plans to stop collecting them once they reach 3,000, though Luoli wishes to continue searching because she hopes to rescue more Tree Spirits still living in the forest.
• Inside the Shennong Horn Space, Luoli identifies the strange tree as a sleeping Treefolk—specifically an Iron Tree Treefolk. If awakened, it could become highly resistant to both physical and magical attacks.
• Romon orders the Iron Tree Treefolk to be replanted on the hills so it can recover and awaken more quickly.
• Luoli explains that the Ancient Trees have been weakened by accelerating the nurturing of new Tree Spirits. Romon accepts the need for rest and promises to continue seeking other members of Luoli’s scattered people.
• The chapter closes with Romon remembering Luoli’s joyful declaration that the Tree Spirits finally have a home, while she repeats the sentiment with renewed conviction.

Character Developments

• Romon demonstrates caution, responsibility, and compassion. Although he accepts that timber is necessary for development, he is uncomfortable with the destruction of trees and takes special care to preserve the unusual one.
• He also becomes increasingly committed to protecting and gathering the Tree Spirits, treating their survival as a personal responsibility rather than merely a useful source of power.
• Luoli grows stronger and more confident, reaching the Fourth Level as a Space Servant. Her concern for Tree Spirits still outside the space reveals her loyalty, empathy, and determination to reunite her people.
• Luoli also shows growing awareness of the space’s needs by recognizing that the Ancient Trees require rest.
• Nick acts as a practical and perceptive administrator. He investigates the workers’ report rather than dismissing the strange tree and knows when to leave Romon alone to conduct his research.
• The workers and foreman initially appear suspicious because of their inability to move the tree, but the foreman proves resourceful by explaining the tree’s abnormal nature and preventing the workers from being unfairly punished.

Significant Themes

• Nature versus development: The Temple’s construction requires large-scale logging, placing economic and political progress in tension with respect for nature.
• Preservation and responsibility: Romon’s decision to save the tree reflects the possibility of protecting life even within a developing society.
• Home and belonging: The Shennong Horn Space has become a refuge where the Tree Spirits can live safely, giving Luoli’s people hope after near-extinction.
• Community and renewal: The growing number of Tree Spirits, the nurturing of Treefolk, and the restoration of the Iron Tree symbolize the rebuilding of a damaged race.
• Patience and natural growth: The Ancient Trees’ need to rest emphasizes that living systems cannot be expanded indefinitely without consequences.
• Hidden power in nature: The strange tree initially looks like a logging obstacle but is revealed to contain the potential for a powerful Treefolk, showing that ordinary appearances can conceal extraordinary life.

Character Interactions

• The workers clash with the project official, who accuses them of shirking until the foreman convinces him that the tree is genuinely abnormal.
• Nick consults Romon about the tree and then gives him space to investigate, showing trust in Romon’s expertise.
• Romon and Luoli discuss the Tree Spirits’ growth, the collection of ancient trees, and the possibility of rescuing more of their kin.
• Luoli identifies the tree’s true nature and advises Romon about the Iron Tree Treefolk, while Romon responds by immediately arranging for its protection.
• Romon reassures Luoli that he believes in her ability to find more Tree Spirits and supports her hope of rebuilding their people.

Romon discovered that the Tree Spirits had built a church and begun worshiping him as their Nature God, with their prayers granting them power. After accepting their faith, he learned the Shennong Horn Space had named him a False God and resolved to establish his church and expand his following.

• Luoli led Romon to a wooden hall where over a hundred Tree Spirits prayed to a statue of him as their Nature God.
• Romon witnessed Luoli and the other Tree Spirits receive divine power through prayer, gaining spells and becoming Space Servants.
• Luoli explained that the Tree Spirits had built a temple and altar after their prayers to Romon began receiving answers.
• Romon accepted the Tree Spirits' faith, causing the Shennong Horn Space to mutate and eject him before restarting.
• Romon checked his updated profile and found the titles Nature God and Lord of Punishment, along with the status False God.
• Romon authorized Luoli to establish his church and promised to bring more Tree Spirits into the space.

Summary: “Mobilizing Troops (Part One)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Romon, now ruling a wealthy estate on the verge of becoming a count’s household, withdraws to his study after receiving unsettling news. Although he initially feels both fear and excitement, he quickly regains his composure.
• A messenger sent by Lord Nick arrives with urgent intelligence: reconnaissance has uncovered several dozen pirate bands operating from scattered islands in the surrounding waters.
• Romon studies a marked sea chart and concludes that the pirates are likely connected to the Elves. He suspects the Elves have begun using human pirates to probe local defenses and weaken coastal shipping after exhausting nearby kingdoms.
• Determined not to allow this threat to grow, Romon travels to Blue Soil Island to consult Prince Xiusenya.
• Xiusenya agrees that the pirates may represent an Elven advance and proposes a joint naval operation. He plans to request the aid of the kingdom’s Third Fleet, promising results within half a month.
• After Romon leaves, Xiusenya sends a magical message to the capital requesting the Third Fleet. Privately, he also views the crisis as an opportunity to test the strength of his “Big Brother.”
• Back in his territory, Romon questions Naval Commander Shakat about their forces. The navy currently possesses nine warships over five hundred tons and thirty-one smaller vessels, with all losses from the previous year replaced.
• Romon informs Shakat that the navy will take part in a major combined operation. Priests, mages, and Knights will also be deployed, marking an unprecedented escalation in Romon’s military response.

Character Developments

• Romon becomes more decisive and strategically aggressive. His initial anxiety gives way to confidence and a willingness to confront the Elves directly rather than merely defend against pirate attacks.
• He demonstrates growing authority as a ruler by mobilizing not only naval forces but also religious, magical, and knightly support.
• Prince Xiusenya shifts from treating the pirate problem casually to recognizing it as a serious geopolitical threat. He acts quickly to involve the central government and the Third Fleet, while also displaying personal ambition and curiosity about Romon’s growing power.
• Shakat remains a loyal and capable naval commander, but Romon’s plan to send Knights into a naval battle surprises and worries him. He senses that Romon’s attitude has become noticeably firmer and more commanding.
• The estate’s steward and servants reflect the increasingly formal, disciplined structure of Romon’s household, which is being prepared for elevated noble status.

Significant Themes

• Escalation from local trouble to international conflict: The pirates are revealed to be more than ordinary criminals; they may be instruments of Elven expansion.
• Preparation and military modernization: Romon’s strong navy, replenished troops, and planned integration of Knights, priests, and mages show the importance of organized preparation.
• Leadership under pressure: Romon’s ability to control his fear and convert it into decisive action illustrates his development as a ruler.
• Political alliances and power testing: The planned joint operation demonstrates cooperation between allies, while Xiusenya’s private thoughts suggest that political partnerships also involve competition and evaluation.
• The hidden hand behind apparent threats: The pirate attacks function as a probe, emphasizing deception, indirect warfare, and the danger of underestimating an enemy.

Character Interactions

• The steward carefully balances Romon’s order not to be disturbed against the urgency of Lord Nick’s message, showing the strict discipline of the estate.
• Romon reassures the nervous messenger before reading the intelligence, demonstrating controlled authority.
• During their meeting, Romon and Prince Xiusenya openly exchange information and agree on the need for a broader naval response. Their cooperation is friendly but also politically calculated.
• Romon gives Shakat clear instructions to prepare the navy, while Shakat cautiously raises concerns about deploying Knights at sea. Romon dismisses the hesitation and asserts control over the coming operation.

Chapter Summary: “Dispatching Troops (Part 2)”

Plot Points and Major Events

• Prince Xiusenya meets his elder brother, Prince Hailancha, at sea to escort the Third Fleet toward the campaign against the pirates.
• Hailancha proudly reveals that he has brought eighty percent of the Third Fleet, whose strength is nearly equal to the combined Fourth Fleet and Romon’s forces. He expects Xiusenya to be impressed, but Xiusenya responds calmly.
• Hailancha speaks dismissively of the Tatshaw Territory and doubts that a mere viscount’s domain can impress him. Xiusenya hints that Far-Sail Port may change his opinion.
• While following Xiusenya’s flagship, Hailancha briefly considers assassinating his younger brother, since they are far from the capital. He abandons the idea because the fleet’s officers remain loyal to the king, too many witnesses are present, and the gods are believed to see and punish such acts.
• Hailancha instead resolves to gain control of the Third Fleet and eventually the entire kingdom.
• As the fleets approach Far-Sail Port, the Mage Tower detects their arrival. Spellcasters accompanying Hailancha’s fleet sense the territory’s powerful magical defenses and speculate about the source.
• The fleets reach Far-Sail Port, whose enormous harbor, numerous docks, busy merchants, workers, private warships, and prosperous city astonish Hailancha and his people.
• The accompanying mages are especially shocked to discover that the supposedly minor Tatshaw Territory possesses a Mage Tower.
• Hailancha meets Romon, who is introduced by Xiusenya as an exceptional noble and Archdruid. Though both men remain polite and cordial, Hailancha privately regrets failing to recruit Romon in the past.
• The three fleets combine their forces and depart together on the pirate-suppression expedition.
• Afterward, Romon returns to the territory and receives two pieces of good news: the rebuilt Temple of the Merchant Goddess has been completed, and the biogas project has been finished throughout the entire territory.
• Romon inspects the temple, approves of its construction, and invites the priests, led by Meimi, to examine it. He then rewards the workers involved in both projects by ordering a feast funded with one thousand gold coins.

Character Development

• Prince Hailancha is revealed as ambitious, prideful, and politically calculating. He is impressed and unsettled by the strength and prosperity of Romon’s territory, recognizing that Xiusenya’s success is connected to Romon rather than mere luck.
• Hailancha’s thoughts expose his rivalry with Xiusenya and his desire for absolute power. Although he refrains from assassination, he clearly views his brother as a future obstacle.
• Prince Xiusenya demonstrates confidence and restraint. He does not boast about Romon or Far-Sail Port, instead allowing the territory’s achievements to speak for themselves. His mild mockery of Hailancha shows that he understands his advantage.
• Romon continues to emerge as a powerful and capable lord. His territory’s military, economic, magical, and religious development impresses even members of the royal fleet.
• The Mage Tower’s staff and accompanying spellcasters display professional caution and discipline while investigating the powerful magical force surrounding Far-Sail Port.
• Meimi and the Merchant Goddess priests appear satisfied with the new temple, reinforcing Romon’s growing relationship with the church.

Significant Themes

• Political rivalry and royal succession: The brothers’ formal friendliness conceals distrust, resentment, and competition for control of the kingdom.
• Power beyond appearances: Hailancha initially dismisses Romon’s territory because of its low noble rank, but Far-Sail Port reveals that status does not accurately reflect actual strength.
• Economic and military progress: The chapter emphasizes that Tatshaw’s power comes from both its thriving commerce and its growing military and magical capabilities.
• Ambition restrained by external authority: Hailancha considers murder but is held back by military oversight, witnesses, and divine laws, showing how political ambition is constrained by institutions and the gods.
• Prosperity through organization and development: The completed port, Mage Tower, temple, and biogas network demonstrate Romon’s broad approach to building a stable and advanced territory.
• Recognition and regret: Hailancha’s shock and remorse underline the consequences of underestimating Romon and missing an opportunity to form an alliance.

Important Character Interactions

• Hailancha and Xiusenya exchange courteous but competitive remarks, with Xiusenya subtly challenging his brother’s arrogance.
• Hailancha observes Xiusenya’s flagship and contemplates betrayal, revealing the hostility beneath their polite relationship.
• Xiusenya introduces Romon to Hailancha and praises Romon’s abilities, strengthening their alliance while indirectly provoking Hailancha’s regret.
• Romon and Hailancha meet with formal courtesy despite their political tension and Hailancha’s private envy.
• Romon works cooperatively with the Merchant Goddess priests and rewards the officials and laborers responsible for the temple and biogas projects.

Chapter Summary: “Divine Grace (Part 1)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Shennong Horn Space continues developing into a potential independent world. Its forests thrive, and early formations of plains, lakes, and rivers are beginning to appear.
• An Iron Tree that had seemed close to dying has recovered its vitality. Luoli explains that Iron Treefolk possess exceptionally strong life force and defenses.
• The space’s climate changes with the outside world. As summer arrives, clouds gather and gentle rain falls, nourishing the plants.
• Outside the space, Romon hosts a celebration in Far-Sail Port City for the workers who completed the territory-wide biogas project ahead of schedule.
• Romon thanks the workers publicly and announces rewards of practical goods such as flour, salt, and linen. The workers respond enthusiastically, praising his generosity and benevolence.
• During the celebration, Romon observes streams of Faith Power rising from the people. He realizes that faith-like energy can arise not only through formal prayer, but also from gratitude, happiness, admiration, and other emotions toward a ruler.
• Romon reflects on the difficulty of acquiring Divinity, which is necessary to absorb Faith Power. Possible methods include divine bestowal, reaching the Legendary Realm, obtaining a fallen god’s Divine Artifact, or accumulating immense Faith Power over time.
• He decides to visit his wife, Eileen, to determine whether she possesses similar Faith Power.
• Romon travels toward the Temple of the Goddess of Agriculture, carrying an exquisite gemstone tree ornament as an offering. The visit was requested by the goddess after hearing that the biogas project had been completed.
• During the journey, Romon enters the Shennong Horn Space and inspects the Tree Elf settlement. He confirms that the Iron Tree is recovering and that the space is steadily becoming more world-like.
• Luoli reports that the Tree Elves have begun studying and applying the religious scriptures Romon gave them, searching for doctrines that can resonate with him.

Character Developments

• Romon is shown as a benevolent and effective ruler who values his people’s work and rewards them generously. He is also increasingly interested in the nature of Faith Power and its possible connection to divinity.
• His understanding of leadership deepens: he recognizes that governing people and shaping their lives can generate a form of unstable, indirect faith even when they worship other gods.
• Romon continues developing the Shennong Horn Space and appears to be considering how religious belief might strengthen his own power and influence.
• Luoli demonstrates loyalty and competence in caring for the Iron Tree and managing the Tree Elf settlement. Romon’s praise makes her proud and reassures her that she is valuable to him.
• The Tree Elves remain devoted to Romon and are eager to follow his religious teachings. Their simple, sincere nature makes them especially responsive to his approval.
• The territory’s residents increasingly view Romon as an unusually generous and humane noble, contrasting him with the stereotypical selfish aristocrat.

Significant Themes

• The relationship between governance and faith: Romon discovers that gratitude, admiration, and emotional dependence on a ruler can produce Faith Power, even without formal worship.
• Benevolent leadership: The chapter presents Romon’s fair treatment of workers, good wages, food, and practical rewards as the foundation of genuine loyalty.
• The growth of a new world: The Shennong Horn Space symbolizes creation and potential, gradually developing geography, climate, ecosystems, and social structures.
• Nature and renewal: The Iron Tree’s recovery reflects the resilience of life and the nurturing influence of the Tree Spirits and the space.
• Faith versus popularity: Romon recognizes that public praise and worship-like admiration may create heroes, but true, lasting faith is required to create gods.
• Power and divinity: The chapter emphasizes how rare and difficult Divinity is, while hinting that Romon may be approaching a path toward greater supernatural authority.

Character Interactions

• Romon and the workers: Romon publicly thanks the workers and promises rewards, while they respond with respect, excitement, and growing admiration.
• Workers among themselves: They discuss Romon’s gentleness, generous policies, and successful leadership, reinforcing his positive reputation throughout the territory.
• Romon and Luoli: Romon checks on the Iron Tree and the Tree Elves’ progress. Luoli proudly reports their achievements, and Romon rewards her efforts with direct praise.
• Romon and the Tree Elves: The Tree Elves eagerly gather around him, kneel in greeting, and show complete devotion.
• Romon and the Goddess of Agriculture: Though they have not yet met in the chapter, Romon is traveling to her temple at her invitation and brings a valuable offering, setting up the next stage of the story.

Chapter Summary: Divine Grace (Part 2)

Key Plot Points and Events

• Romon arrives at the Temple of the Goddess of Agriculture, ostensibly to worship and donate a valuable golden statue. He is also hoping to find Archbishop Eileen, but learns she is inspecting the Temple Warrior Order with a visiting bishop.
• Because Romon is a powerful lord, renowned Archdruid, and Eileen’s husband, the temple clergy treat him with exceptional respect. His calm, courteous behavior further reinforces his reputation as a benevolent and humble ruler.
• Romon undergoes an elaborate worship ceremony rather than the brief prayer he intended. The priests perform rituals, sing hymns, recite scripture, and lead him in presenting his gift before the goddess’s statue.
• Divine power suddenly descends upon Romon, causing him to fall unconscious. The priests interpret the event as the Goddess of Agriculture granting him Divine Grace, believing it is a reward for his status, Druidic power, and contributions—especially his promotion of biogas.
• The Goddess of Agriculture’s projection appears and attempts to examine Romon. She discovers that he is not truly a believer, despite his public devotion.
• Four mysterious radiances emerge from Romon and block the goddess’s investigation. The projection recognizes them as the protection of the long-vanished four primordial goddesses, leaving her astonished and suspicious of Romon’s true significance.
• The divine power entering Romon is drawn into his Shennong Horn Space, where the World Tree absorbs it. This causes a dramatic transformation: plants grow rapidly, crops become abundant, and the land experiences an instant harvest.
• Romon then enters a dreamlike realm composed of scenes from his memories and experiences—Earthly wild geese, unfamiliar-world plants, rivers, fields, mountains, and golden wheat. The vision collapses into bubbles before he awakens.
• Upon regaining consciousness, Romon sees the Goddess of Agriculture’s projection smile faintly before disappearing.

Character Developments

• Romon: His public image as a gentle, generous, and devout lord contrasts sharply with his true status as a false believer. His hidden connection to the four primordial goddesses becomes more evident, and his Shennong Horn Space proves capable of absorbing divine power and transforming it into natural abundance.
• Goddess of Agriculture: She shifts from granting Romon a blessing to investigating him after realizing that her power is being diverted and that he possesses ancient protective forces. Although suspicious, she chooses not to interfere further, suggesting she believes Romon may be connected to larger divine events.
• Temple Clergy: Their admiration for Romon deepens. They regard the Divine Grace as proof of his special favor with the goddess, unaware that the divine power does not truly remain under the goddess’s control.
• Eileen: Though absent from the chapter, her importance is reinforced through the clergy’s reverence for her and their fascination with her marriage to Romon.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Romon performs religious devotion for political and social reasons while secretly lacking genuine faith. The priests’ interpretation of events differs radically from the truth.
• Divine power and hidden destiny: The appearance of the primordial goddesses’ protection suggests that Romon is part of a much larger, concealed struggle among ancient divine forces.
• Nature and abundance: Divine energy is converted into growth, fertility, and harvest through the World Tree, emphasizing Romon’s connection to nature and his role as a benefactor of the land.
• Memory and identity: The vision combines elements from Earth and the new world, reflecting Romon’s divided origins and the way his past experiences shape his current existence.
• Limits of divine authority: Even the Goddess of Agriculture cannot control or fully understand what happens to the power she bestows, suggesting that mortals and ancient forces may operate beyond the gods’ complete knowledge.

Character Interactions

• Romon speaks courteously with the temple guards and priest, maintaining the image of a respectful, devoted lord.
• The clergy enthusiastically serve him and conduct an unusually elaborate ceremony because of his status and contributions.
• During the Divine Grace, the Goddess of Agriculture directly probes Romon’s nature but is blocked by the primordial protections within him.
• Though their interaction is brief and largely supernatural, the goddess recognizes that Romon is not an ordinary mortal and may be a hidden pawn in the return or reappearance of the four primordial goddesses.

After receiving Isidis’s permanent favor, Romon learned that he was now entitled to the Church’s support without compulsory duties. He told Bishop Butland he expected to advance within days, then left to examine the consequences of the blessing and complete his advancement.

• Romon listened as a priest explained the grades of divine grace and learned that he had become a Favored One of Isidis with privileges equivalent to an archbishop.
• Bishop Butland, Eileen, and Machuang arrived, and Butland recorded the blessing and the account of what had happened.
• Romon told Butland he expected to advance within two or three days, prompting Butland to stay and report the advancement to the Church.
• Eileen explained that Romon’s new status removed objections to the Church’s support for his territory and congratulated him on becoming the first Druid in millennia to reach the sixteenth level.
• Romon left the Temple on Lightning to deal with the aftermath and complete his advancement.

Romon upgraded the Shennong Horn Space to level sixteen after confirming that the Goddess of Agriculture’s invading power had been destroyed without exposing the space. The upgrade doubled the space’s size, added natural terrain and the wind domain, and left Romon planning to populate the expanded wilderness with more plants and animals.

• While flying to a secluded lake, Romon considered how faith and public reputation affected advancement, then focused on whether the Shennong Horn Space had been discovered.
• Romon entered the space and learned that it had reached level sixteen, that the Goddess of Agriculture’s invading power had been absorbed and destroyed, and that its secrets had not leaked.
• Romon chose multi-form natural terrain, expanding the space to 500,000 mu and creating more complex rivers, hills, and valleys.
• Romon selected the wind domain, improving his abilities and expanding the divine spells and domains available to him and his priests.
• Luoli congratulated Romon, who promised to scatter more plant seeds and bring mates for the fat cat and Frost Tiger.
• Romon planned to activate the wildness system at level twenty and noted that his divine grace let him use far more spells each day than other Druids of his level.

Summary of “The First Man (Part 1)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A Fifteenth-Level Agricultural Archdruid travels across a desert to witness the rare Flame Flower bloom. The plant blooms only once every ten years and briefly releases immense natural and magical power.
• The Archdruid hopes the flower’s power will help him overcome the barrier between Fifteenth and Sixteenth Level, a boundary that Agricultural Druids have been unable to cross for seven thousand years.
• When the Flame Flower blooms, it grants him another spell rather than the advancement he desperately desires. Devastated, he begins to question whether Agricultural Druids are being punished by nature and are truly incapable of entering the Legendary Realm.
• A mysterious natural fluctuation then spreads across the world. It affects the Flame Flower, causing it to reverse its blooming and return to a bud, but the Archdruid realizes the fluctuation comes from someone reaching Sixteenth Level.
• News spreads that Romon, lord of Tatshaw Territory, has received Divine Grace from the Goddess of Agriculture, Isidis, and has become the first Sixteenth-Level Agricultural Druid in seven thousand years.
• The breakthrough causes excitement throughout the Druid world. Reclusive Archdruids emerge from isolation, contact one another, and begin searching for Romon while resolving not to offend him.
• Several powerful Druids, including teachers and secluded elders who have failed to break through themselves, decide to leave their retreats to meet or investigate the mysterious pioneer.
• The human kingdom also recognizes the political importance of Romon’s advancement. The king learns that Romon advanced publicly in the Goddess of Agriculture’s temple, witnessed by religious officials.
• Count Feikam explains that Romon’s influence will spread across the entire Druid world. If he advances further to Seventeenth Level, he could become the supreme leader of the Agricultural Druids.
• The king consequently reconsiders Romon’s status, suggesting that he deserves a noble title and even proposing marriage between Romon and the king’s daughter to strengthen the royal bloodline.

Character Developments

• The Desert Archdruid: Initially enthusiastic and almost childlike in his devotion to nature, he becomes heartbroken when the Flame Flower gives him only a spell. His despair reflects years of failed attempts to overcome the Fifteenth-Level barrier. However, discovering Romon’s breakthrough reignites his hope and transforms his grief into excitement and determination.
• Romon: Though he does not appear directly, he becomes the central figure of the chapter. His advancement establishes him as a historic genius, the first Agricultural Druid in seven thousand years to break the supposed curse.
• Secluded Archdruids: Previously isolated and resigned to failure, they become active again. Their reactions reveal both their admiration for Romon and their desire to understand how he succeeded.
• The King and Count Feikam: The king shifts from treating Romon as a mere Viscount to recognizing him as a potentially decisive political and religious power. Count Feikam acts as the practical adviser who explains the consequences of Romon’s rise.

Significant Themes

• Breaking seemingly absolute limits: Romon’s advancement challenges the belief that Fifteenth-Level Agricultural Druids can never reach the Legendary Realm.
• Hope after despair: The desert Archdruid’s failure is contrasted with Romon’s success, suggesting that long-standing curses or barriers may eventually be overcome.
• Divine favor and legitimacy: Romon’s advancement is connected to Divine Grace from Isidis, giving his achievement both supernatural authority and political significance.
• The relationship between nature and ambition: The Archdruid struggles with whether his desire for advancement violates nature, while the Flame Flower symbolizes nature’s mysterious and unpredictable power.
• Political power of exceptional talent: Romon’s personal breakthrough immediately affects the Druid hierarchy, the kingdom, noble status, religion, and royal marriage plans.
• Isolation versus connection: The breakthrough draws secluded Druids out of hiding, reconnecting individuals who had withdrawn after repeated failures.

Character Interactions

• The desert Archdruid interacts primarily with the Flame Flower, treating its blooming as a possible teacher and source of advancement. Its failure to help him triggers his emotional collapse.
• After sensing Romon’s advancement, the desert Archdruid mentally joins the wider community of Druids eager to find and honor the pioneer.
• Reclusive Archdruids communicate through their subordinates and with one another, showing unusual cooperation prompted by the historic event.
• A secluded teacher discusses the breakthrough with his students, explaining that he must leave isolation to investigate the new Sixteenth-Level Druid.
• The king and Count Feikam debate Romon’s future influence. Feikam urges the king to respect and reward him, while the king considers elevating him to Count and marrying him to the royal daughter.

Chapter Summary: The First Person (Part 2)

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tatshaw Territory becomes crowded with Druids from surrounding counties, all traveling to visit Romon, also known as Viscount Teta Xiao and the Giant Eagle Druid.
• News spreads that Romon has received Divine Grace from the goddess Isidis and advanced to Sixteenth-Level Druid, breaking a limitation that had held the Druid world back for roughly seven thousand years.
• Local nobles learn of Romon’s breakthrough and initially react with disbelief. Some had hoped his actions might have caused trouble, but the news instead confirms that his influence has increased dramatically.
• Viscount Aidel convenes a meeting with nobles opposed to Romon. They discuss taking action against him, but Aidel rejects the idea, explaining that Romon is now the Favored One of Isidis. Attacking him would effectively challenge the goddess and provoke retaliation from her church.
• Aidel also recognizes that Romon’s breakthrough makes him a new central figure in the continental Druid community. He predicts that the king will soon elevate Romon to the rank of Count.
• The nobles reluctantly agree to adopt a conciliatory attitude toward Romon while preserving their own alliance and political ambitions.
• In a tavern, merchants enthusiastically spread the news. A newly arrived Druid overhears the story, confirms the details by questioning a merchant, rewards him with a gold coin, and immediately leaves to return to Tatshaw Territory.

Character Developments

• Romon: Although he does not appear directly, his status rises from powerful Archdruid to an unprecedented Sixteenth-Level Druid and divine favorite. His achievement transforms him into a figure of religious, political, and professional importance.
• Viscount Aidel: Demonstrates political realism and foresight. Rather than acting rashly against Romon, he understands the danger of opposing someone protected by divine authority and backed by the entire Druid community.
• Opposing nobles: Their confidence collapses as they realize they can no longer challenge Romon directly. They shift from hostility to cautious cooperation.
• The merchant: Acts as a lively source of public rumor and gains a gold coin for recounting the news.
• The mysterious Druid: Initially reacts with disbelief, then urgently changes course after confirming Romon’s breakthrough, suggesting that the news may have major consequences for the wider Druid world.

Significant Themes

• Power and political legitimacy: Romon’s advancement gives him influence that ordinary nobles cannot oppose.
• Divine favor and authority: Being named Isidis’s Favored One places Romon under religious protection and makes an attack on him equivalent to an attack on the goddess.
• Breaking historical limits: Romon’s achievement overturns a seven-thousand-year barrier, marking a major turning point for Druids across the continent.
• The spread of information: News travels rapidly through nobles, merchants, taverns, and professional networks, magnifying Romon’s reputation.
• Pragmatism versus ambition: The nobles must abandon direct opposition and preserve their interests through compromise.

Character Interactions

• A noble questions his returning informant about why Druids are gathering in Tatshaw Territory.
• Viscount Aidel argues with allied nobles who want to take action against Romon, firmly explaining why such a move is impossible.
• Merchants in the tavern debate whether the report of a Sixteenth-Level Druid can be true.
• The mysterious Druid questions the merchant, rewards him for the information, and immediately orders his carriage to Tatshaw Territory, emphasizing the urgency and significance of Romon’s breakthrough.

The Druid Guild learned that Romon had reached the sixteenth level and broken the ancient curse on Agricultural Druids, while Prince Xiusenya considered how the news would reshape his alliance with Romon and the struggle for the throne. The chapter ended with Xiusenya planning to withdraw from the pirate campaign and send advice that he expected Prince Hailancha to reject.

• Archdruid Anxia told the Druid Guild president that Romon had received divine grace, advanced to the sixteenth level, and broken the seven-thousand-year curse on Agricultural Druids.
• The Druid Guild president reacted furiously to Romon's breakthrough and its threat to the Guild's authority.
• Prince Xiusenya learned that Viscount Teta Xiao had advanced to the sixteenth level and become Favored of Isidis.
• Prince Xiusenya and his trusted adviser discussed strengthening their alliance with Romon, including arranging a marriage between their seven-year-old children, Alice and the prince's son.
• The adviser urged Prince Xiusenya to withdraw from the pirate campaign and send Prince Hailancha a magical message advising him to withdraw as well.
• Prince Xiusenya planned to send the message knowing Prince Hailancha would likely ignore it and risk defeat, leaving Xiusenya free of blame while gaining political advantage.