Chapter Summaries

Chapter 121 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter opens in the impoverished, filthy capital of the Yami Kingdom, where disease, poverty, and neglect are widespread.
• Light Green meets Yotun at the harbor after Yotun returns from Desinia Territory with a large supply of plant-based medicine and a newly developed medicine provided free of charge by the Desinia lord.
• Qing Tuan, the Desinia lord’s enormous white eagle, accompanies Yotun back to Yami Kingdom and carries a message between the Desinia lord and Prince Nitaya.
• Light Green explains that Prince Nitaya’s health has slightly improved, but the situation within the royal family and the kingdom remains dire.
• The chapter reveals that illness has spread through the royal palace and the capital. Members of the royal family, attendants, poor commoners, and slaves have developed symptoms including fever, coughing, swelling, bleeding beneath the skin, breathing difficulties, and severe chest pain.
• The eldest prince, Kuntat, exploits the crisis by controlling the kingdom’s medicine supplies, suppressing Nitaya, and refusing to share resources fairly. He also prevents physicians and attendants from properly helping the sick.
• Light Green realizes that the illness affecting the poor appears identical to the disease afflicting the royal family. He advises Nitaya to remain isolated and avoid contact with others.
• Nitaya reads the Desinia lord’s medical booklet and recognizes that its warnings about contagious disease, quarantine, hygiene, protective measures, and the disposal of corpses match Yami Kingdom’s situation.
• Nitaya writes a letter to the Desinia lord describing the crisis and sends it through Qing Tuan.
• When Nitaya attempts to warn the king, Kuntat mocks him, tears up the booklet, and orders him not to interfere.
• Unbeknownst to Nitaya and the Desinia lord, Kuntat sends another ship to the Saint Airo Empire for medicine. Several corpses are thrown overboard upon arrival, while infected rats escape into the empire, creating the possibility of the disease spreading beyond Yami Kingdom.
• The epidemic suddenly intensifies in Yami Kingdom, causing mass illness and death. After receiving Nitaya’s letter, Cyrus concludes that Yami Kingdom is likely the source of the epidemic.

Character Developments

• Light Green continues acting as Nitaya’s protector and adviser. Though no longer a king or noble, he remains observant, compassionate, and committed to helping Nitaya and the suffering people of Yami Kingdom.
• Prince Nitaya is shown as physically weak but perceptive and responsible. After reading the medical instructions, he recognizes the seriousness of the epidemic and attempts to warn the kingdom’s leadership despite his illness.
• Yotun proves loyal and effective, successfully purchasing medicine at a low price and returning safely with the supplies and information needed by Nitaya.
• Kuntat becomes increasingly authoritarian and self-serving. He hoards medicine, suppresses his brother, dismisses the epidemic, and makes reckless decisions that may spread the disease internationally.
• Cyrus and the Desinia lord are portrayed as proactive and compassionate through their medical aid and warnings, even before the full extent of the crisis is understood.

Significant Themes

• Poverty and social neglect: The capital’s filth, starving population, and abandoned sick people demonstrate how disease devastates communities already weakened by poverty.
• Public health and responsibility: The chapter emphasizes isolation, sanitation, hygiene, protective measures, and responsible corpse disposal as necessary responses to contagious illness.
• Political corruption and inequality: Kuntat’s control of medicine shows how political power can worsen a crisis when resources are hoarded for personal advantage.
• Compassion versus indifference: Light Green, Nitaya, Yotun, and the Desinia lord attempt to help others, while the king and Kuntat ignore or actively obstruct aid.
• The danger of ignorance: The epidemic spreads rapidly because the authorities refuse to recognize the disease or heed warnings.
• International consequences: Kuntat’s infected ship suggests that Yami Kingdom’s mismanagement may endanger neighboring countries and trigger a wider outbreak.

Important Character Interactions

• Light Green and Yotun: They discuss Nitaya’s condition and the success of the medicine mission, reinforcing their shared loyalty to Nitaya.
• Light Green and Nitaya: Light Green advises Nitaya to isolate himself, while Nitaya later relies on him to send his urgent letter through Qing Tuan.
• Nitaya and the medical booklet: The booklet gives Nitaya the first clear framework for understanding the epidemic and prompts him to act.
• Nitaya and Kuntat: Their conflict intensifies when Kuntat dismisses Nitaya’s concerns, tears up the booklet, and denies him any authority.
• Cyrus and Nitaya: Though they do not meet directly, their connection is established through the letter and Qing Tuan, allowing Cyrus to recognize the likely origin of the outbreak.

Chapter 122 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cyrus receives a letter from Nitaya, the second prince of the Yami Kingdom, confirming that a serious epidemic has broken out there. The symptoms—fever, chest pain, neck swelling, dark discoloration, severe coughing, and breathing difficulties—lead Cyrus to suspect the Black Death.
• Cyrus immediately replies with instructions to isolate the sick, treat patients quickly, follow the protective measures in his earlier booklet, and consider medicinal assistance from Desinia.
• Nitaya reports that the epidemic is spreading rapidly through the Yami capital. Beggars die in the streets, royal family members and palace servants fall ill, and corpses accumulate outside the city.
• Nitaya attempts to implement Cyrus’s advice by ordering corpse disposal, hygiene measures, street cleaning, rat control, and communication with the church. However, the crown prince’s faction blocks all of these efforts.
• The crown prince, Kuntat, politically suppresses Nitaya and prevents him from accessing the palace, church, or city. The church is also avoided because approaching it might make Kuntat more suspicious of Nitaya’s intentions.
• Nitaya becomes ill himself and eventually collapses into a three-day unconscious state. During this time, deaths continue throughout the capital, including in the royal palace. The king also falls sick, leaving Kuntat in control.
• Kuntat blames Nitaya for the outbreak and seals off his residence. He eventually orders knights to kill infected commoners and slaves, presenting the murders as an act of mercy and disease prevention. This leads to a massacre and causes survivors to flee.
• With Nitaya unconscious and the residence becoming unsafe, Light Green and Yotun decide to escape. During a fire deliberately used as cover, they and several loyal knights carry the unconscious prince out of the capital.
• Meanwhile, Cyrus begins mass-producing medical and disease-prevention booklets through the Thorn Merchant Guild.
• Orville, Archibald, and Gena Kozmo, the king of Bovell, arrive in Desinia Territory to meet and negotiate with Cyrus.

Character Developments

• Cyrus: Demonstrates foresight, medical knowledge, and decisiveness. His earlier booklet proves crucial, and he responds immediately to the crisis despite being far away. He begins expanding his preventative efforts by arranging mass printing.
• Nitaya: Develops from a politically constrained prince into a desperate but responsible leader trying to protect his people. He follows Cyrus’s instructions, investigates the outbreak, and attempts to take action despite being ill and politically isolated. His helplessness and fear culminate in his collapse.
• Light Green: Becomes increasingly protective and practical. He understands the severity of the crisis and ultimately takes responsibility for rescuing Nitaya when official channels fail.
• Yotun: Supports Nitaya and helps carry out the prince’s instructions, although the chapter shows how ordinary servants may dismiss unfamiliar disease precautions.
• Crown Prince Kuntat: Is revealed as paranoid, power-hungry, and incapable of managing the epidemic responsibly. He prioritizes suppressing Nitaya and protecting his political position over saving lives.
• The king and nobles: Their negligence and passivity allow the epidemic and later massacre to worsen.

Significant Themes

• Foresight versus negligence: Cyrus’s preparation contrasts sharply with the Yami royal family’s refusal to acknowledge the danger.
• Public health and misinformation: Isolation, hygiene, corpse disposal, and organized prevention are presented as essential, while ignorance and disbelief help the disease spread.
• Political power during crisis: Kuntat exploits the epidemic to eliminate Nitaya’s influence, showing how political rivalry can intensify a disaster.
• Moral collapse and dehumanization: The killing of sick commoners and slaves demonstrates how fear can turn vulnerable people into disposable targets.
• Helplessness and responsibility: Nitaya recognizes the catastrophe but lacks the authority to act, while Cyrus tries to help from afar through information and resources.
• Social inequality: The poor and homeless are the first visible victims, while royal and noble communities are also eventually affected.

Character Interactions

• Cyrus and Nitaya communicate through letters, with Cyrus offering medical guidance and Nitaya providing increasingly desperate reports.
• Nitaya instructs Yotun and his servants to follow protective procedures, though some servants mock or ignore the precautions.
• Light Green explains to Nitaya why Kuntat is obstructing every relief effort and later rushes to save him when he collapses.
• Kuntat’s faction actively blocks Nitaya from contacting the church, cleaning the streets, or burning corpses, transforming political opposition into a public-health catastrophe.
• Light Green, Yotun, and loyal knights cooperate to rescue Nitaya from the burning residence and flee the capital.

Chapter 123 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cyrus worries about Yami Kingdom after his letters to Prince Nitaya are returned unopened. He suspects something serious has happened there.
• He tells Pope Segalot, Orville, Archibald, and King Gena Kozmo that a contagious disease has spread through Yami Kingdom, killing many people in a single night.
• Cyrus explains how bacteria can spread through breathing, droplets, physical contact, animals, and insects, warning that the disease may reach the Saint Airo Empire and eventually other neighboring territories.
• The others initially underestimate the danger because they have never witnessed an epidemic of this scale. Cyrus emphasizes that an incubation period allows infected people to spread the disease before showing symptoms.
• Cyrus urges the rulers to establish protective measures, monitor symptoms, isolate patients, and provide treatment.
• Segalot offers Cyrus unrestricted use of the Papal Edict and suggests sending Qing Tuan to the Saint Church to investigate the Saint Airo Empire.
• Cyrus sends a warning letter through Qing Tuan. Malediz and Dempus discover that several church members and visitors already show the described symptoms.
• The cardinals begin investigating the Saint Airo Empire and send a report back to Cyrus.
• Cyrus receives the reply late at night and learns that the situation is worsening, confirming his fears.

Character Developments

• Cyrus becomes increasingly anxious but remains rational and proactive. His understanding of disease allows him to recognize the threat as a potential regional epidemic before others do.
• Segalot demonstrates unusual generosity and devotion toward Cyrus, offering immediate assistance and the full influence of the Holy See.
• Gena Kozmo shifts from skepticism to concern after recognizing that even Bovell Kingdom’s isolation cannot protect it forever if contact with other countries resumes.
• Malediz and Dempus initially investigate cautiously but quickly become alarmed when they realize clergy members are also falling ill.
• Orville and Archibald remain observant and begin questioning the unusually close relationship between Cyrus and the Pope.

Significant Themes

• The danger of ignorance: Society’s limited medical knowledge and lack of experience with epidemics cause people to underestimate the disease.
• Social inequality: Nobles can afford botanical potions, while commoners, slaves, beggars, and vagrants are often left untreated and ignored.
• Interconnectedness: Trade, travel, and contact between nations make it impossible for one country to contain the disease indefinitely.
• Leadership and responsibility: Cyrus tries to mobilize rulers and religious authorities before the crisis expands.
• Faith as a tool for public action: Cyrus realizes that the Holy See’s religious authority can persuade people across social classes to follow protective measures.

Character Interactions

• Cyrus briefs the Pope, Orville, Archibald, and Gena, challenging their assumption that the epidemic is confined to Yami Kingdom.
• Gena questions how the disease could cross the sea, prompting Cyrus to explain bacterial transmission and incubation.
• Segalot offers Cyrus unconditional support, and Cyrus privately decides to use the Church’s influence to warn the public.
• Qing Tuan serves as the link between Cyrus and the Saint Church, where Malediz and Dempus act on Cyrus’s warning.
• The chapter ends with Cyrus and Segalot waiting together for news, reinforcing their growing closeness as Cyrus receives confirmation that the epidemic is spreading.

Chapter Summary: “The Holy See”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cyrus warns the Holy See about a highly contagious plague spreading through Yami Kingdom and appearing in the Saint Airo Empire. His letter explains the disease’s transmission, symptoms, isolation requirements, treatment, and preventative measures.
• Cardinal Malediz immediately reports the danger to the Empire’s king. The eldest prince, Warner, is present and supports investigating the outbreak, while the king remains skeptical and resentful that the Pope has sided with Cyrus.
• Warner promises to prepare isolation facilities in advance and sends knights, physicians, and medicine to investigate Yami Kingdom.
• The Holy See, led by Malediz and Dempus, isolates infected clergy, spreads warnings through churches, and works with the Thorn, Nagabi, and Ed Merchant Guilds to print protective booklets and produce medical supplies.
• Cyrus reveals the formulas and production methods for hand soap, Iodophor, vodka, essential oils, and other sanitation-related products. This allows the guilds to produce disinfectants and medicines quickly rather than keeping the information proprietary.
• The Desinia Territory, Achiyoli Territory, and Anas Kingdom enact strict preventive measures: they establish quarantine zones, seal borders and ports, restrict travel, improve sanitation, exterminate rats and fleas, and destroy waste.
• These measures initially anger nobles, merchants, and commoners, many of whom believe Cyrus is being unreasonable and damaging trade. Bovell Kingdom also suspends travel and returns to the Far North.
• In Yami Kingdom, the disease has already caused social collapse. The king is dead, the eldest prince Kuntat is infected, people are fleeing in panic, and violence erupts over ships and medicine.
• Warner’s returning fleet arrives at the imperial harbor filled with corpses and dying or infected survivors. Horrified by what he sees, Warner orders the sick removed under strict precautions and burns the ship.
• The outbreak then erupts openly in the Saint Airo Empire, including the royal palace. The king realizes too late that he should have acted immediately and regrets dismissing the warning.
• As deaths spread, people recognize Cyrus’s foresight. Those who had criticized him feel ashamed, while Old Thomas’s resentment toward Cyrus diminishes after seeing the value of his cooperation.
• The outbreaks in Desinia, Achiyoli, and Anas remain temporarily controlled through quarantine, sanitation, disinfection, and pest extermination. Cyrus moves into the Alchemy Tower with the alchemists to research antibiotics capable of treating the plague.

Character Developments

• Cyrus is portrayed as farsighted, selfless, and focused on saving lives rather than protecting commercial secrets. His willingness to share valuable formulas demonstrates that the crisis takes priority over profit or personal advantage.
• Cardinal Malediz acts decisively and responsibly, immediately pressing the Empire to investigate and prepare. His respect for Warner grows because of the prince’s clear judgment and willingness to cooperate.
• Prince Warner develops from a cautious investigator into a leader who understands the plague’s true horror. He trusts Cyrus’s judgment, prepares isolation areas, sends aid to Yami Kingdom despite royal opposition, and makes the difficult decision to burn the contaminated ship.
• The Empire’s king is characterized by pride, political suspicion, and poor judgment. His resentment of Cyrus and the Holy See causes him to delay action; once the plague reaches the palace, he is overwhelmed by fear and regret.
• Prince Kashu reinforces the king’s skepticism by arguing that Warner is wasting medicine, contrasting with Warner’s sense of responsibility.
• Old Thomas initially distrusts the Thorn Merchant Guild and is shocked by Cyrus’s generosity. After cooperating and witnessing the outbreak, he begins to admire Cyrus’s foresight and abandons much of his resentment.
• The people and nobles shift from anger and disbelief to shame and repentance once the consequences of ignoring the warnings become undeniable.

Significant Themes

• Foresight versus complacency: Cyrus and Warner act before the threat is fully visible, while the king’s hesitation allows the disease to spread.
• Public welfare over profit and politics: Cyrus gives away valuable formulas, and rival merchant guilds cooperate because survival is more important than commercial advantage.
• Authority and responsibility: The Holy See can influence the population, but only the royal government can impose quarantines, restrict movement, and organize large-scale defenses.
• The devastating consequences of denial: Yami Kingdom’s collapse and the Empire’s outbreak show how quickly a contagious disease can destroy social order when warnings are ignored.
• Unity during crisis: Religious authorities, rulers, physicians, alchemists, and merchant guilds must work together across political and commercial divisions.
• Reputation transformed by results: Cyrus is initially criticized, but the effectiveness of his precautions eventually proves his judgment correct.

Important Character Interactions

• Malediz and the king: Malediz presents Cyrus’s warning, but the king questions its credibility and resents the Holy See’s support for Desinia.
• Malediz and Warner: They develop a cooperative relationship, with Malediz relying on Warner’s judgment and Warner promising imperial assistance.
• Warner and the king: Warner challenges the king’s hesitation by sending aid to Yami Kingdom without withdrawing his decision even after being harshly rebuked.
• Cyrus’s guild representative and Old Thomas: Cyrus’s representative asks Old Thomas to set aside his prejudice. Cyrus’s freely offered formulas persuade the Ed Merchant Guild to cooperate.
• The three merchant guilds: The Thorn, Nagabi, and Ed Guilds combine their resources to print health manuals, manufacture disinfectants, and distribute medicine.
• Warner and the returning knights: The knights’ account of Yami Kingdom’s devastation forces Warner to confront the plague’s reality and take immediate, severe action.
• Cyrus and the alchemists: After containment succeeds in his territory and allied regions, Cyrus joins the alchemists in an urgent search for an effective cure.

Chapter 125 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Alchemy Tower officially names the epidemic the Black Death and explains that it spreads primarily through rat fleas, as well as contact with infected bodily fluids.
• The disease has a short incubation period and is usually fatal within days without treatment. Existing medicines can only delay death rather than cure the illness.
• The plague spreads from the Yami Kingdom across neighboring regions. Countries close their borders, attack or repel incoming ships, destroy rats and fleas, and establish quarantine zones.
• The Desinia Territory, Achiyoli Territory, and Anas Kingdom respond relatively effectively because of Lord Desinia’s early warnings and strict disease-control measures. They establish quarantine areas, relief stations, and labor-for-food programs for impoverished people, commoners, and slaves.
• The Saint Airo Empire suffers far worse devastation because its king ignores Lord Desinia’s warnings and delays action. The capital descends into death, crime, poverty, and social collapse.
• Thirteen-year-old Jack, whose family sells rye bread, loses his mother to the plague. His father enters quarantine, leaving Jack responsible for his two younger brothers.
• To earn money for food and his father’s medicine, Jack takes work collecting and burning corpses. He constantly fears finding his father among the dead.
• Jack’s father eventually dies, and Jack is forced to burn his body. Back home, his brothers are starving and severely weakened.
• Desperate and considering robbery, Jack encounters a group of terrifyingly dressed figures wearing sealed black clothing, glass-covered eyes, and bird-beak masks—likely specialized plague doctors or relief workers.

Character Developments

• Jack is forced to mature rapidly. He becomes responsible for protecting and feeding his brothers while enduring grief, hunger, fear, and exhausting corpse-burning work.
• Although Jack initially reassures his brothers that their father is safe, he increasingly loses hope. His despair eventually drives him toward the possibility of theft and violence.
• Jack develops a strong admiration for Lord Desinia, viewing him as a protector whose early decisions saved neighboring territories. In his desperation, Jack even prays to Lord Desinia alongside prayers to the Creator God.
• Jack’s father voluntarily enters quarantine to protect his family, but his separation and death leave Jack emotionally and financially devastated.
• Jack’s younger brothers remain innocent and dependent on him. Their questions about escaping to Desinia reveal how little they understand the danger surrounding them.
• Lord Desinia is portrayed indirectly as a competent and compassionate leader whose warnings and relief policies contrast sharply with the Saint Airo king’s negligence.
• The Saint Church gains public trust by distributing guidance and offering spiritual comfort during the crisis.

Significant Themes

• The human cost of epidemic disease: The plague causes not only death but hunger, homelessness, family separation, fear, and psychological trauma.
• Leadership and responsibility: Prompt action and competent governance limit the epidemic in Desinia and its allied territories, while the empire’s delayed response produces catastrophe.
• Social inequality: Medicine is unaffordable for many, and poor patients may effectively be abandoned once they enter quarantine. Relief stations provide some support, but suffering remains widespread.
• Moral collapse and desperation: Crime, abandonment, and violence increase as people struggle to survive, showing how extreme conditions erode social order.
• Faith and political devotion: People turn to the Creator God and the Saint Church for spiritual support, while many also place almost religious faith in Lord Desinia as a tangible, protective figure.
• Isolation versus solidarity: Quarantine separates families and protects communities, but it also creates loneliness and abandonment. Relief programs and shared labor offer limited examples of collective care.
• Loss of innocence: Jack’s forced exposure to death and responsibility transforms him from a child into someone willing to consider robbery simply to keep his family alive.

Important Character Interactions

• Jack lies reassuringly to his brothers that their father will return, shielding them from the truth.
• His brothers ask whether they can escape to the safer Desinia Territory, prompting Jack to reflect on the wider political and epidemic situation.
• Jack’s interactions with the corpse-burning workers and patrolling knights demonstrate the impersonal, brutal systems created to manage the dead.
• Jack’s internal relationship with Lord Desinia grows through rumor, prayer, and gratitude, even though they never meet directly.
• The chapter ends with Jack facing mysterious masked figures, creating suspense over whether they will offer aid, pose a threat, or change his family’s fate.

Chapter 126 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Alchemy Tower in Visas is introduced as a fully equipped nine-story facility containing laboratories, meeting rooms, libraries, lounges, dining halls, and living quarters. Its comforts persuade several alchemists to remain in Desinia Territory.
• Feilifu Kier moves into the tower and plans to continue improving his theories, particularly the design, precision, and applications of thermometers. His work is interrupted by the sudden spread of the Black Death.
• The Yami Kingdom is described as devastated: its king and eldest prince Kuntat have died, the second prince has disappeared, and the country is apparently filled with corpses and abandoned settlements.
• Under Cyrus’s direction, the alchemists abandon their individual research and work together to develop a cure. Cyrus moves into the tower and works continuously alongside them.
• Research progresses toward producing streptomycin, an antibiotic identified through books obtained from the library. Its manufacture requires two principal stages: culture fermentation, followed by extraction and refinement.
• Yinke Ken informs Feilifu that the culture has successfully fermented. The discovery renews everyone’s hope that an effective treatment for the Black Death can soon be produced.
• Cyrus also orders protective plague-doctor-style suits for work in quarantine zones, believing their appearance will help maintain order and reassure or intimidate people during the crisis.
• Outside the laboratory, Desinia’s officials organize defenses and containment: Ferdinand guards the border, while Walker controls port security and restricts incoming ships.
• After several sleepless days, Cyrus becomes physically exhausted and develops a headache. On the ninth floor, Pope Segalot finds him and comforts him by massaging his temples and holding him as he falls asleep.

Character Developments

• Feilifu Kier becomes more appreciative of Desinia and deeply impressed by Cyrus’s knowledge, discipline, and leadership. He feels embarrassed about his former shallow judgments of Cyrus and eagerly joins the medical research.
• Yinke Ken displays intense excitement and dedication after the successful fermentation, reflecting the growing optimism among the researchers.
• Cyrus is shown as exceptionally capable and self-sacrificing, personally overseeing the antibiotic’s development while neglecting his own sleep and health. His exhaustion emphasizes the personal cost of his leadership.
• Segalot reveals a tender, protective side toward Cyrus. His intimate care—massaging Cyrus, holding him, and kissing his forehead—makes his affection increasingly clear.
• The alchemists collectively shift from pursuing personal academic interests to cooperating in a life-saving effort, demonstrating their growing commitment to the territory and its people.

Significant Themes

• Scientific cooperation against catastrophe: Specialists put aside personal research and prejudices to combat the Black Death together.
• Leadership and sacrifice: Cyrus takes extraordinary responsibility, working without rest to accelerate the creation of medicine and protect society.
• Hope amid destruction: The successful fermentation offers a turning point after widespread death and political collapse.
• Progress shaped by circumstance: Modern scientific concepts and equipment are adapted to the era, including thermometers, antibiotics, protective clothing, and quarantine measures.
• Care and intimacy: Segalot’s quiet comfort of Cyrus contrasts with the surrounding crisis and highlights the emotional bond developing between them.
• Order versus chaos: Military defenses, port restrictions, and plague-doctor clothing are used to control panic and prevent the disease from creating further social disorder.

Character Interactions

• Feilifu and Yinke meet in the corridor, where Yinke excitedly shares the news of the successful fermentation and draws Feilifu back into the research.
• The alchemists work closely with Cyrus, following his unfamiliar but groundbreaking theories about fermentation, bacteria, and microorganisms.
• Cyrus remains in contact with major political and religious figures, including Segalot, the Archduke of Achiyoli, and Prince Cavendish, all of whom stay in Desinia during the crisis.
• The chapter’s most personal interaction occurs between Cyrus and Segalot. Segalot notices Cyrus’s pain, invites him to sit on his lap, massages his head, embraces him, and kisses his forehead after Cyrus falls asleep.

Chapter 127 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The alchemists of the Alchemy Tower successfully develop an injectable antibiotic medicine—streptomycin—to treat the Black Death. Their success brings immense relief after months of exhausting research, failed experiments, and sleepless work.
• Because syringes and injection techniques are new, the alchemists and physicians receive intensive training in sterilization, preparing the medicine, and administering injections.
• Cyrus asks for volunteers to distribute the medicine across the plague-stricken regions. Many volunteer, including Chipman Norton and his apprentice Beijin, who want to return to Saint Airo Empire and help former friends there.
• Cyrus sends Qing Tuan to notify the Saint Church and Saint Airo Empire of the cure, asking the Empire to allow Desinia’s ships to dock safely.
• Saint Airo’s royal family has been devastated by the plague. The Queen dies after contracting it, while the King and Third Prince Kashu also become sick. The King desperately orders that the rescuers be brought to the palace first.
• When Desinia’s fleet arrives, Chipman Norton negotiates with Crown Prince Warner. The rescuers divide into groups:
  • One treats the royal family.
  • One treats ordinary citizens in the royal city and quarantine zones.
  • One trains local physicians, alchemists, and clergy to administer the medicine.
• Chipman chooses to work among the ordinary people rather than enter the palace. Wearing heavy, beaked protective suits, the rescuers move through the deserted city, announcing that Cyrus has created a cure.
• The Thorn Merchant Guild distributes food and supplies, while Saint Church clergy later join the medical effort. The people gradually emerge from hiding as patients recover.
• In the quarantine zone, Light, Yotun, and others care for the gravely ill Second Prince Nitaya. They nearly lose hope until they hear that the medicine has been developed.
• Within weeks, deaths decrease, the quarantine zones empty, and normal life begins to return. Neighboring minor states voluntarily submit to Desinia, whose reputation and influence expand dramatically.

Character Developments

• Cyrus Desinia is shown as an exhausted but determined leader whose scientific efforts save countless lives. His achievement transforms him into a widely revered figure.
• The alchemists and physicians demonstrate perseverance and sacrifice, working through exhaustion and risking infection to distribute and teach the use of the cure.
• Feilifu develops affectionate feelings toward Cyrus, admiring his vulnerable, exhausted side. His admiration is complicated by fear of the Pope, whose presence prevents him from approaching Cyrus.
• Chipman Norton and Beijin move from anxious observers of the disaster to active rescuers. Chipman’s decision to work among ordinary citizens emphasizes his compassion and sense of responsibility.
• Warner, the eldest prince, acts more rationally than the King. He cooperates with Chipman and helps organize the treatment of the Empire’s people.
• The King and Kashu are reduced by fear and illness to desperate dependence on the cure, contrasting with the rescuers’ willingness to face danger.
• Light and Yotun endure extreme physical and emotional hardship while caring for Nitaya. Their determination nearly collapses before the news of the cure restores hope.
• The people of Saint Airo gradually move from terror and isolation toward hope, recovery, and renewed communal life.

Significant Themes

• Perseverance and sacrifice: The cure is achieved through relentless labor, repeated failure, and personal exhaustion.
• Science as salvation: Knowledge, experimentation, and organized medical training overcome a seemingly unstoppable plague.
• Hope amid despair: The announcement of the cure revives people who had been hiding, grieving, or preparing to die.
• Leadership and compassion: Cyrus’s influence comes not only from inventing the medicine but from ensuring it reaches common people rather than being reserved for royalty.
• Social and political transformation: The crisis strengthens Desinia’s reputation and leads surrounding states to join its territory voluntarily.
• Equality in suffering and rescue: Royalty, nobles, merchants, and ordinary citizens all become vulnerable to the disease and depend on the same medicine.

Important Character Interactions

• Feilifu helps Cyrus when exhaustion nearly causes him to fall, but the Pope’s arrival intimidates him into withdrawing.
• Cyrus consults the alchemists and physicians, allowing them to volunteer for dangerous relief missions rather than forcing them to participate.
• Chipman Norton and Warner cooperate at the harbor, establishing a three-part plan to treat the royal family, aid civilians, and train local medical workers.
• The rescuers call through the silent city, while knights help locate infected households and protect the medical teams.
• Thorn Merchant Guild workers support the doctors by delivering food and necessities.
• Saint Church clergy eventually join the rescue effort, showing cooperation between religious and medical institutions.
• Light, Yotun, and the remaining companions continue caring for Nitaya in the quarantine zone until the new medicine offers them hope.

Chapter 128 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Although the Black Death has ended, its aftermath leaves the continent in severe economic and political disorder. Industries have collapsed, commoners and slaves are unemployed, tax revenues have dried up, farms have been looted or burned, and food and shelter are scarce.
• The Saint Airo Empire is especially devastated. Its capital has lost much of its population, its buildings and shops have been destroyed, and nearly a third of the Empire’s people are estimated to have died. Bandits have seized borderlands, occupied villages, looted noble estates, and enslaved local populations.
• Public unrest forces the Empire’s king to send his eldest son, Warner, to manage state affairs. The Bia Kingdom, protected by an effective lockdown during the epidemic, uses the Empire’s weakness to push toward independence.
• Warner and his brother, Kien, discuss seeking outside assistance. They reject the Bovell Kingdom as too opportunistic and dangerous, then consider requesting help from Cyrus Desinia, whose reputation has grown enormously because of his role in developing and distributing the medicine that cured the Black Death.
• Cyrus refuses the Empire’s request, explaining that he is occupied with a gift from Nitaya, the second prince of the Yami Kingdom.
• The “gift” is revealed to be the entire Yami Kingdom. Nitaya believes the kingdom would be an unbearable burden for him but a valuable addition to Cyrus’s territory. Cyrus accepts, seeing its access to an inland sea and the Cogit Sea as strategically useful for trade, transportation, and resource development.
• Cyrus travels to the devastated Yami Kingdom with Nitaya, his beasts, attendants, and plague doctors. The country is nearly empty and only beginning to recover.
• Upon Cyrus’s arrival, the surviving people kneel before him in silent gratitude. They recognize him not merely as a ruler but as the person who saved them from death and despair.
• Cyrus formally incorporates the Yami Kingdom into the Desinia Territory. Neighboring small nations and territories, also suffering from the epidemic, voluntarily join him as well. As a result, Cyrus expands his southern holdings and activates most of the southern region on the system interface.

Character Developments

• Cyrus Desinia: His influence and reputation have grown to near-religious proportions. He remains practical and strategic, refusing to become involved in Saint Airo’s problems while focusing on expanding and stabilizing his own territory. His acceptance of the Yami Kingdom demonstrates both political ambition and a willingness to take responsibility for devastated regions.
• Warner: He is placed back in charge of state affairs and tries to protect the Empire from simultaneous internal rebellion, banditry, Bia’s pressure, and possible Bovell aggression. Though disappointed by Cyrus’s refusal, he accepts that Cyrus has no obligation to help.
• Kien: He is politically perceptive and recognizes Cyrus’s immense popularity as a potential threat to the Empire. He understands that the Empire may need to maintain friendly relations with Desinia, even if doing so requires lowering its stance and requesting aid.
• Nitaya: Having survived the Black Death and inherited the ruined Yami Kingdom, he decides to surrender the kingdom to Cyrus rather than burden himself with its reconstruction. He plans to travel with Light Green and Yotun instead of ruling.
• The people of the Yami Kingdom: Their despair turns into reverence and gratitude when Cyrus arrives. Their voluntary submission reflects their trust in him and the strength of his humanitarian reputation.

Significant Themes

• The long-term consequences of disaster: Ending the epidemic does not immediately end suffering; economic collapse, famine, political instability, and lawlessness continue.
• Leadership and responsibility: Cyrus’s medical aid earns him authority, while other rulers are judged by whether they can rebuild and protect their people.
• Humanitarianism as political power: Cyrus’s willingness to save lives without demanding immediate compensation creates loyalty and influence stronger than conventional military power.
• Power vacuums and territorial expansion: The devastation of the Yami Kingdom and Saint Airo Empire allows stronger or more organized powers to absorb weakened regions.
• Faith and political legitimacy: Cyrus’s reputation has become almost religious, making Kien worry that people might refuse to fight against him even if Desinia and the Empire became enemies.
• Pragmatism versus personal freedom: Nitaya views the Yami Kingdom as an overwhelming burden, while Cyrus sees its strategic value and accepts the responsibility of rebuilding it.

Important Character Interactions

• Warner and Kien: They assess the Empire’s crisis and debate which foreign powers might offer assistance. Kien proposes Cyrus, while Warner considers the risks posed by Bovell and Bia.
• Kien and Cyrus: Though they do not meet directly, Kien’s thoughts reveal both admiration for Cyrus’s achievements and fear of his growing influence.
• Warner and Cyrus: Warner sends a request for military or political support, but Cyrus declines because of his new obligations in the Yami Kingdom.
• Warner and Kien regarding Nitaya: They infer that Nitaya has likely offered Cyrus the Yami Kingdom as payment for saving him and his people.
• Nitaya and Cyrus: Nitaya gives Cyrus the Yami Kingdom, believing Cyrus is better equipped to restore it. Cyrus accepts and plans to develop its ports and resources.
• Cyrus and the Yami people: Their meeting is marked by silent kneeling and overwhelming gratitude, symbolizing Cyrus’s transformation from foreign savior into their new ruler.

Chapter 129 Summary

Key plot points and events

• After the Black Death subsides, Orville and Archibald return to their territories, while Cyrus travels to the Yami Kingdom accompanied only by Pope Segalot.
• Segalot remains away from the Saint Airo Empire because he has unfinished business, though two cardinals are managing the Saint Church in his absence. He hints that he will eventually need Cyrus’s help, asking Cyrus not to refuse him when the time comes.
• Cyrus begins overseeing the Yami Kingdom’s reconstruction. The kingdom has suffered enormous population loss, famine, destroyed homes, ruined businesses, and widespread despair, much of it worsened by the late Prince Kuntat’s brutal and reckless actions.
• Prince Nitaya stays behind to help rebuild and advises Cyrus on the kingdom’s needs. Segalot also offers strategic guidance concerning the Yami Kingdom and the surrounding territories that have submitted to Cyrus.
• Cyrus learns that the Bia Kingdom is attempting to leave the Saint Airo Empire and has allied with the Bovell Kingdom. Because King Warner was ordered to eliminate bandits before dealing with the rebellion, he missed the best chance to stop the alliance, forcing the Saint Airo Empire to surrender some border territories.
• Cyrus reflects on how his actions have altered the original story. The Plot Deviation Value has risen to 82%, largely because the epidemic ended differently and the Saint Airo king survived.
• Shamir Phoebe has gained a strong reputation by helping distribute food and supplies during the epidemic, while the Thorn Merchant Guild has also aided struggling citizens.
• Once the Yami Kingdom begins showing signs of recovery, Nitaya leaves with Yotun and Light Green to travel across the continent, including the western lands inhabited by black panthers.
• Segalot privately speaks with Light Green, leaving him visibly startled. He refuses to explain the subject to Cyrus, calling it a secret he will reveal later.
• After Segalot departs, 098 returns from its journey with a surprise gift: a chubby black-and-white creature whom Cyrus recognizes emotionally as Rollie.

Character developments

• Cyrus becomes increasingly responsible for governing and rebuilding the Yami Kingdom. He actively seeks advice, evaluates regional politics, and grows more confident as a ruler.
• Segalot continues to support Cyrus politically and personally. His mysterious request for future help and flirtatious behavior suggest plans that Cyrus does not fully understand.
• Nitaya demonstrates loyalty and practical wisdom by remaining in the devastated kingdom to help rebuild it before setting out on his journey.
• Warner is shown as politically perceptive, having recognized the threat posed by the Bia-Bovell alliance, though his king’s orders prevented him from acting in time.
• Shamir earns public respect through charitable work during the epidemic.
• Light Green appears unsettled after his private conversation with Segalot, implying that the Pope discussed something sensitive or personally significant with him.
• Cyrus and Segalot’s relationship grows more intimate, though Cyrus remains embarrassed and insists to himself that he is not pursuing romance.

Significant themes

• Reconstruction after catastrophe: Surviving the plague is only the beginning; the people must still overcome poverty, destruction, hunger, and hopelessness.
• Political change and instability: The epidemic weakens established powers, encourages rebellion, and reshapes alliances across the continent.
• Fate versus altered destiny: Cyrus compares current events with the original novel and recognizes how dramatically his presence has changed the story.
• Responsibility and leadership: Cyrus must balance humanitarian recovery with territorial consolidation and international politics.
• Unspoken affection and secrecy: Segalot’s teasing, physical closeness, and mysterious promises contrast with Cyrus’s flustered denial of romantic feelings.

Character interactions

• Cyrus and Segalot share several increasingly intimate moments, including Segalot touching Cyrus’s hair, speaking closely to him, and teasing him about a future secret.
• Cyrus relies on both Nitaya’s firsthand knowledge and Segalot’s broader experience to plan the Yami Kingdom’s recovery.
• Segalot’s private conversation with Light Green creates mystery and leaves Cyrus curious and suspicious.
• Cyrus discreetly meets 098 outside the city and is overwhelmed when the returned creature reveals Rollie, producing the chapter’s final emotional surprise.

Chapter 130 Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Cyrus travels into the mountain forest outside the Yami Kingdom’s royal city with his fierce beasts. There, 098 transfers him a new gift from the system: a giant panda cub.
• Cyrus immediately bonds with the panda, affectionately holding and feeding it milk. He begins planning for its future needs, especially a reliable supply of milk, bamboo, and bamboo shoots. The system matchmaker doll is already preparing bamboo to be planted as a food source.
• The panda shows a possessive, protective temperament toward its milk, even pushing Eggy away. Cyrus studies panda habits and learns how much food an adult panda will eventually require.
• After returning to the city, Cyrus is approached by a young woman who offers him a bouquet of Linobili Flowers. Unaware that the flowers symbolize romantic affection—“Accept me, come love me”—Cyrus rejects her. When she persists, Segalot’s intimidating presence frightens her away.
• Segalot explains that the flowers are Linobili Flowers and questions whether Cyrus is reluctant to discard them. He then takes Cyrus by the wrist and eventually holds his hand while leading him back to the residence.
• Cyrus introduces the panda as an animal he found in the forest. Segalot is puzzled by the name “panda,” but does not investigate further.
• Cyrus places Judas in charge of caring for the cub, arranging for fresh milk, suitable food, and a wooden structure to be built in the courtyard. He then resumes handling the Yami Kingdom’s accumulated political affairs.
• That night, Cyrus discovers that Segalot personally placed a bouquet of Linobili Flowers beside his bed. Segalot has Judas tell him that Cyrus would like the flowers, though Cyrus remains uncertain about the gesture.
• The following day, Cyrus asks a local servant about the flowers’ meaning. Realizing their romantic symbolism, he becomes flustered but convinces himself that Segalot probably does not know the flower language and dismisses the possibility that the Pope has romantic feelings for him.
• Cyrus continues rebuilding the Yami Kingdom rather than restoring its destroyed royal palace. He merges the kingdom with nearby territories, appoints capable administrators, and transfers Marco Case, mayor of Kaies, to assist with governance.
• The chapter ends with Cyrus noting that he cannot remain in the Yami Kingdom indefinitely. On the system’s ocean map, Rice Ball’s marker is finally nearing the harbor of the Cogit Sea.

Character Development

• Cyrus: Displays strong affection and responsibility toward the newly arrived panda, immediately taking on the task of securing its long-term care. He remains oblivious—or deliberately resistant—to the romantic implications of Segalot’s behavior, despite becoming increasingly suspicious.
• Segalot: Becomes subtly possessive and protective of Cyrus. His intimidating intervention drives away the admirer, he physically leads Cyrus away by the hand, and he secretly places the meaningful flowers beside Cyrus’s bed.
• Panda cub: Quickly establishes itself as a pampered but food-protective new member of Cyrus’s animal family. Its arrival expands Cyrus’s responsibilities and ties the setting more closely to his homeland.
• Judas: Continues serving as Cyrus’s dependable aide, taking responsibility for the panda’s care and relaying Segalot’s message.
• Cyrus’s fierce beasts: Enjoy temporary freedom in the forest but remain recognizable and famous enough that city residents tolerate their presence.

Significant Themes

• Care and responsibility: The panda’s arrival highlights Cyrus’s instinct to protect and provide for vulnerable creatures, while also introducing practical challenges involving food, habitat, and resources.
• Cultural misunderstanding: Cyrus does not know the significance of the Linobili Flowers, causing him to misunderstand both the young woman’s gesture and Segalot’s later actions.
• Unspoken affection: Segalot’s jealousy and flower-giving suggest romantic interest, but neither man openly acknowledges it. Cyrus’s denial creates a gently comic tension.
• Reconstruction and governance: Cyrus continues transforming the Yami Kingdom after its collapse, emphasizing practical administration and integration rather than restoring old symbols of royal power.
• Connection to home: The panda, like the white wolf, white fox, and Husky, comes from Cyrus’s original world, reinforcing his emotional ties to his homeland.

Important Character Interactions

• Cyrus and the panda form an immediate affectionate bond during feeding and cuddling.
• The panda rejects Eggy’s attempt to approach its milk, establishing a humorous rivalry.
• A young woman confesses her affection indirectly through Linobili Flowers, but Cyrus refuses the gesture.
• Segalot intervenes, intimidates the woman away, questions Cyrus about the flowers, and leads him home while holding his hand.
• Segalot’s private placement of the flowers creates an unresolved romantic signal that Cyrus struggles to interpret.

Chapter 131 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cyrus establishes a large bamboo-growing area in Yami Kingdom to provide Rollie with a steady food supply. He plans to transport bamboo shoots to Visas and test whether they can grow in the northern climate.
• He continues to dwell on the symbolic meaning of the Linobili Flowers given to him by Pope Segalot. Unable to determine whether the gesture was romantic or merely casual, Cyrus decides to pretend it meant nothing, fearing that asking directly could expose his feelings and trigger a fatal plot ending.
• After completing his work in Yami, Cyrus departs by sea. The people of Yami come to the harbor to see him off, their hopeful expressions contrasting sharply with their despair when he first arrived.
• During the voyage back to Visas, Cyrus and Segalot discuss the unstable Saint Airo Empire, the independence of Bia Kingdom, lingering banditry, and the continuing effects of the Black Death.
• Cyrus outlines the reconstruction work awaiting him: a territory-wide census, improved routes between Visas and Yami, renaming and reorganizing territories, appointing officials, and building hospitals based on the reputation of the beak-masked doctors.
• Snowball brings Rollie to the deck, and Segalot holds and plays with the panda cub. Cyrus also introduces a wooden baby bottle made in Yami using locally discovered rubber, hinting at the development of a new industrial chain.
• Cyrus questions Segalot about his priorities and whether he cares about the fate of the Saint Airo Empire or the Saint Church. Segalot explains that the Holy See can survive even if the Empire collapses and implies that he is willing to reshape the Church if it obstructs his goals.
• Segalot cryptically reveals that he is now constantly thinking about something—or someone—and that the feeling is “addictive.”
• Cyrus suspects the subject may be connected to him. He touches Segalot’s hair and cheek, prompting Segalot to catch and caress his hand. Embarrassed by the sudden intimacy, Cyrus withdraws and retreats into the cabin.

Character Developments

• Cyrus: Becomes increasingly aware of his romantic feelings for Segalot but continues denying or concealing them. He remains cautious because of the Holy See’s condemnation of same-sex relationships and his fear of a death ending. At the same time, he shows growing confidence by deliberately initiating physical contact with Segalot. He also demonstrates strong leadership through his detailed reconstruction and public-health plans.
• Segalot: Shows a softer, more playful side while handling Rollie, contrasting with his usual intimidating authority. His statements reveal that his loyalty is to his own vision rather than to the Saint Airo Empire or even the Holy See. His cryptic remarks and reciprocal touch suggest that he may share Cyrus’s growing attraction.
• Yami’s people: Their changed attitude—from despair to hope—demonstrates the visible impact of Cyrus’s reforms and gives him confidence that the kingdom can recover.
• Rollie and Snowball: Their playful interaction provides comic relief and brings Cyrus and Segalot into closer physical and emotional proximity.

Significant Themes

• Hidden love and emotional restraint: Cyrus struggles between wanting clarity about Segalot’s feelings and fearing the consequences of revealing his own.
• Political and institutional power: Segalot views the Holy See as independent of earthly kingdoms and is prepared to reform it if necessary, emphasizing the distinction between religious authority and political states.
• Reconstruction and social responsibility: Cyrus’s plans for censuses, hospitals, transportation, administration, and food cultivation show his commitment to rebuilding societies damaged by war and disease.
• Hope after devastation: Yami’s hopeful farewell and Cyrus’s practical reforms suggest that recovery is possible even after famine, disease, and political collapse.
• Domesticity amid grand politics: Bamboo cultivation, baby bottles, and caring for animals create a warm, intimate counterpoint to the chapter’s discussions of empire, religion, and mass suffering.

Character Interactions

• Cyrus and Segalot repeatedly discuss the Saint Airo Empire and the future of the Holy See, with Cyrus probing for the Pope’s personal priorities.
• Segalot comfortably handles Rollie, while Cyrus explains the cub’s name and arranges a toy bottle for it.
• Cyrus tests the emotional boundaries between them by touching Segalot’s hair and cheek. Segalot responds by holding and stroking Cyrus’s hand, creating a moment of unmistakable mutual tension.
• Cyrus becomes flustered and escapes to the cabin, while Segalot remains amused and perceptive about the change in their relationship.

Chapter 132 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cyrus returns to Visas Harbor after the Black Death epidemic, finding the port restored to its former prosperity and activity.
• He orders the Plague Doctors to submit detailed reports on the epidemic and summons regional mayors to Visas for a territory-wide meeting.
• Cyrus begins planning a medical school to train doctors in proper medical knowledge, treatments, and use of medical equipment. A small hospital will operate as the school’s affiliated branch, providing a destination for physicians recruited during the epidemic.
• Reports reveal that Kunse City, a western border city, suffered severe damage after a bandit raid immediately following the epidemic. The attackers exploited weakened defenses, looted the city, injured Mayor Vernon, and escaped into the Lifens Mountains.
• Commander Bana Larry attempted to pursue the bandits but failed to locate them. Since he had to return to his post guarding the Saint Airo port, Cyrus orders him to investigate Kunse City again and prevent further attacks.
• During the regional meeting, Kunse City’s mayor sends a representative instead of attending personally. The representative claims that the city has recovered, though Cyrus remains concerned.
• More than a month after Cyrus’s return, the Windrider finally comes back from its long expedition, accompanied by Rice Ball and a pod of black-and-white orcas. The ship’s return suggests that Samuel Fern has successfully discovered the New Continent.
• Cyrus excitedly goes to the harbor and takes a small boat to meet Rice Ball. Rather than welcoming Samuel first, he immediately focuses on greeting and petting the orcas.
• Walker tries to pet one of the female orcas, but it hides and then sprays him directly in the face.

Character Developments

• Cyrus: Demonstrates strong administrative responsibility by addressing post-epidemic recovery, improving medical education, and responding to the bandit threat. His intense excitement and affection toward Rice Ball and the orcas reveal his softer, playful side.
• Bana Larry: Shown as dutiful and persistent. He remains troubled by the unresolved Kunse City raid and is eager to investigate again despite previous failures.
• Samuel Fern: Returns from the New Continent weathered, tanned, and bearded but energetic and proud of his achievement. He initially assumes Cyrus has come specifically to welcome him, only to be humorously ignored in favor of the orcas.
• Walker: Displays curiosity and affection toward the orcas but is mischievously rejected by one of them.
• Rice Ball and the orcas: Rice Ball expresses intense happiness and longing upon reuniting with Cyrus. The pod clearly favors Cyrus, eagerly abandoning Samuel and gathering around their beloved human companion.

Significant Themes

• Rebuilding after disaster: Cyrus shifts from containing the epidemic to establishing long-term medical infrastructure and restoring public safety.
• Leadership and responsibility: He personally monitors reports, investigates weaknesses in local administration, and responds to threats affecting citizens.
• Exploration and discovery: The Windrider’s return marks a major breakthrough—the successful exploration of the New Continent.
• Affection and loyalty: The reunion between Cyrus and Rice Ball emphasizes their deep bond, while the orcas’ enthusiastic preference for Cyrus creates comic contrast with Samuel’s disappointment.
• Humor amid serious events: The chapter balances political and social concerns with lighthearted scenes involving Samuel, Rice Ball, and Walker.

Important Character Interactions

• Cyrus gives Chipman Norton and the Plague Doctors instructions regarding epidemic reports and future medical work.
• He questions Kunse City’s representative and later commands Bana to return and investigate the bandit attacks.
• Cyrus reunites warmly with Rice Ball, while Samuel watches in dismay as the orcas abandon him to greet Cyrus.
• Walker attempts to interact with the orcas but is humorously sprayed in the face.

Chapter 133 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cyrus’s fabricated, aged book describing overseas plants and spices successfully guided Samuel Fern’s expedition to the New Continent.
• Samuel returns aboard the Windrider with crates containing crops, seeds, spices, precious metals, gemstones, and other valuables. He obtained them through barter rather than force, using goods from Desinia Territory.
• At the castle, Cyrus, Ferdinand, Walker, Judas, Gibran, and Pope Segalot inspect the shipment. Segalot watches with amusement while the fox Rice Cake sits on his lap.
• The agricultural crates contain potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peppers, cacao, cotton, tomatoes, and many spices. Although some cotton is damp and many tomatoes have rotted, their seeds remain usable.
• Cyrus confirms that potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn can be cultivated twice yearly in Desinia Territory. He immediately begins planning their cultivation, intending to produce a harvest by autumn and distribute the crops throughout the territory before the next planting season.
• The gold and gemstones are inventoried, and the expedition members—including Samuel—receive generous rewards.
• News of the Windrider’s successful return spreads rapidly, increasing Cyrus’s fame and Desinia’s prestige.

Character Developments

• Cyrus demonstrates foresight and practical intelligence. His forged book successfully directs Samuel toward valuable crops, and he quickly turns the discovery into a detailed agricultural plan.
• Samuel Fern proves resourceful and loyal. He completes the mission successfully, acquires valuable goods without coercion, and gives Cyrus a detailed account of the New Continent.
• Pope Segalot remains observant and entertained by Cyrus’s enthusiasm, while his attachment to Rice Cake adds a lighthearted element to the inspection.
• King of Saint Airo becomes increasingly unstable and resentful. Desinia’s expansion and successful exploration of the New Continent deepen his sense of failure and jealousy.
• Prince Warner appears thoughtful and politically cautious, refusing to lead an attack against Desinia. He may also harbor ambitions of his own and seems favorably disposed toward Cyrus.
• Prince Kien is pragmatic and recognizes that Saint Airo may no longer possess the strength to defeat Desinia.
• Princess Lennar openly criticizes the King’s poor judgment and his favoritism toward Kashu. She strongly wishes to visit Desinia, though she is frustrated by pressure to marry.
• Prince Kashu remains favored by the King and acts as his comforter during the political crisis.

Significant Themes

• Agricultural advancement and prosperity: The arrival of high-yield crops promises greater food security, economic growth, and long-term development for Desinia.
• Exploration and knowledge: Cyrus’s use of information, planning, and scientific understanding allows Desinia to benefit from the New Continent without relying on conquest.
• Legitimate trade versus violence: Samuel’s success through barter reflects Cyrus’s preference for lawful acquisition and mutually beneficial relations.
• Political decline and changing power: Saint Airo’s internal troubles contrast sharply with Desinia’s expanding influence and growing resources.
• Jealousy and ambition: The King’s resentment reveals the empire’s fear that Desinia is overtaking it, while Warner’s silence hints at deeper political calculations.

Character Interactions

• Cyrus and Samuel discuss the expedition during their journey to the castle, with Cyrus encouraging Samuel to recount the voyage in detail.
• Cyrus and the officials inspect the crates together, while Judas consults the plant record and Gibran prepares to count the treasure.
• Segalot observes Cyrus’s excitement and laughs at him, though he refuses to explain why.
• In Saint Airo, Lennar vents her anger to Warner and Kien after the King suggests sending her against Desinia. Kien reassures her that Warner rejected the plan.
• Lennar condemns the King for favoring Kashu and worries about Warner, while Warner urges her not to provoke their father or oppose Kashu openly.
• Warner’s final private demeanor suggests he is contemplating Desinia, the empire’s weakening position, and his own future.

Chapter 134 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cyrus evaluates the crops Samuel brought back—potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, cotton, peppers, and tomatoes—and prepares for spring planting.
• Because pepper and tomato seeds are vulnerable to disease and some planting periods have nearly passed, Cyrus creates a special alchemical disinfecting and soaking solution for them.
• He personally oversees the cultivation of all scarce seeds, studies agricultural methods, and gives detailed instructions on watering, fertilizing, irrigation, and soil management to the servants and commoners.
• Cyrus sends Qing Tuan to deliver a letter to Bana, asking about Kunse City and the bandit-clearing mission in the Lifens Mountains.
• Bana reports that he has found no trace of the bandits and plans to withdraw. Cyrus finds this suspicious, especially because Kunse’s mayor, Vernon, has only claimed that the city is “recovering well” without providing detailed reports.
• Cyrus orders Bana to stop searching openly, leave the mountains, and secretly gather information inside Kunse City.
• Disguised scouts discover that people have been disappearing and trace the mystery to a guarded village on the city’s outskirts.
• Cyrus travels to Kunse City in disguise with Walker and Taylor. Cyrus poses as a commoner, Taylor as a merchant, and Walker as a hired knight.
• Bana’s disguised soldiers witness corpses being removed from the village and overhear the truth: Vernon has gathered impoverished Black Death orphans under the pretense of providing aid, imprisoned them in the village, and forced them to perform labor.
• The chapter ends as the nature of Vernon’s abuse is revealed: the captives are starved, beaten, killed for resistance, and forced to excavate the nearby mountains.

Character Developments

• Cyrus: Demonstrates increasing expertise and responsibility in agriculture, personally protecting the territory’s limited supply of new crops. His attentiveness and suspicion also show his developing ability as a ruler; he does not accept official reports at face value and investigates problems personally.
• Bana: Initially assumes that no one would dare deceive Cyrus, reflecting the complacency created by years of peace. He becomes more cautious and effective after following Cyrus’s instructions, using undercover soldiers to uncover the truth.
• Vernon: Is revealed as corrupt and cruel. He has concealed the city’s real condition while exploiting vulnerable survivors of the epidemic for forced labor.
• Cyrus, Walker, and Taylor: Work together under disguises to investigate Kunse City without attracting attention.
• Cyrus and the Pope: Their unresolved awkwardness is temporarily ignored because Cyrus is overwhelmed with agricultural work. Cyrus even walks past the Pope without greeting him, showing how completely his attention is consumed by his duties.

Significant Themes

• Responsible leadership and vigilance: Cyrus’s willingness to investigate instead of trusting flattering reports contrasts with Vernon’s abuse of authority.
• Recovery versus concealed suffering: Kunse City appears to be improving through cleaner roads and new civic infrastructure, but beneath the surface vulnerable people are being imprisoned and exploited.
• The consequences of disaster: The Black Death has left orphans, poverty, social instability, and opportunities for officials to manipulate the desperate.
• Progress and cultivation: Agricultural development represents hope for the future, but it requires knowledge, care, and protection because the new crops are scarce and fragile.
• Abuse of power: Vernon disguises imprisonment and forced labor as charitable assistance, exposing how official language can conceal oppression.
• Trust and suspicion: Cyrus’s prudent distrust allows the hidden crimes in Kunse City to be uncovered.

Character Interactions

• Cyrus works closely with servants and commoners, giving them detailed instructions for planting and crop care.
• Qing Tuan acts as the communication link between Cyrus and Bana, carrying secret letters between them.
• Cyrus and Bana communicate indirectly but effectively: Cyrus recognizes the suspicious lack of evidence, while Bana investigates according to his lord’s revised orders.
• Bana’s soldiers infiltrate the area around the village and uncover evidence of Vernon’s crimes.
• Cyrus, Walker, and Taylor adopt false identities and enter a tavern in Kunse City, beginning their covert investigation.

Chapter Summary: “Investigation in Kunse City”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cyrus, Taylor, and Walker disguise themselves to investigate suspicious activity in a Kunse City tavern. Cyrus poses as a poor commoner, Taylor as a minor merchant, and Walker as a shabby hired knight.
• Their investigation follows reports from Bana’s soldiers, who observed covered carts transporting pungent-smelling barrels from a nearby village to the tavern. The men handling the barrels appeared to be violent bandits carrying curved sabers.
• Cyrus suspects the barrels contain minerals or ore extracted from an illegal mine near the village. He theorizes that Mayor Vernon has imprisoned impoverished citizens there and forced them to labor in the mine.
• Cyrus further concludes that Vernon has allied himself with bandits. The bandits may be raiding Kunse City and impoverishing its citizens, after which Vernon takes the victims to the village and exploits them as forced laborers.
• The minerals are apparently being transported west toward the Saint Airo Empire, suggesting that Vernon plans to sell the illegally obtained resources abroad.
• Cyrus arranges ambushes and prioritizes rescuing the imprisoned villagers, while Bana’s men secretly follow the suspicious merchants.
• To gather more information, Walker pretends to seek hired-knight work in the tavern. He flirts with Valriana, an outspoken tavern woman, who hints that merchant caravans and possible commissions will soon arrive.
• Three days later, Walker’s plan succeeds: Cyrus and Taylor are captured and sold alongside other slaves, commoners, and merchants. They are shackled and taken to the suspicious village, placing them directly inside the operation they are investigating.

Character Developments

• Cyrus demonstrates sharp investigative reasoning and growing anger toward corruption and exploitation. He connects the tavern’s shipments, the bandits, the village, and Mayor Vernon’s political position into a broader conspiracy.
• He also shows greater strategic caution, recognizing that the enemy may already know about the mineral trade and that the operation must be handled quickly but discreetly.
• Taylor supports Cyrus while maintaining his merchant disguise. His dry comment about Walker’s “good composure” highlights his familiarity with Walker’s unconventional methods.
• Walker proves highly adaptable and bold. He uses flirtation and an apparently careless tavern persona to gather intelligence, despite the embarrassing and provocative attention he receives from Valriana.
• Mayor Vernon is revealed as increasingly corrupt: he is suspected of illegal mining, collusion with bandits, forced labor, and smuggling resources to a foreign power.
• Bana and his soldiers act as Cyrus’s intelligence network, identifying the suspicious shipments and tracking their movement.

Significant Themes

• Corruption and abuse of power: Vernon exploits his position in a remote border city where central authority is weak.
• Forced labor and social injustice: Poor citizens are deliberately impoverished, kidnapped, and forced to mine resources.
• Political neglect and vulnerability: Military redeployments after the Black Death and Cyrus’s absence created an opportunity for local officials to act unchecked.
• Smuggling and foreign involvement: The suspected sale of minerals to the Saint Airo Empire raises the threat from local corruption to an international security issue.
• Disguise and infiltration: The protagonists rely on deception, role-playing, and controlled risk to expose the conspiracy.
• Duty versus personal disgust: Cyrus is visibly repelled by the tavern’s vulgar atmosphere, but remains focused on his mission.

Character Interactions

• Cyrus, Taylor, and Walker coordinate their disguises and investigation while maintaining the appearance of unrelated travelers.
• Walker’s interaction with Valriana provides crucial information about incoming merchant caravans and possible hired-knight work, while also creating comic embarrassment and drawing attention from the tavern’s patrons.
• The tavern patrons’ crude comments reveal the coarse and morally compromised environment surrounding the investigation.
• Cyrus and Taylor observe and react to Walker’s performance, with Taylor offering dry humor and Cyrus giving discreet instructions.
• The final capture of Cyrus and Taylor, arranged through Walker’s apparent sale of them, shows the group’s willingness to place themselves in danger in order to infiltrate the village and expose Vernon’s operation.

Chapter 136 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cyrus and Taylor are taken to a ruined village in the Lifens Mountains, where kidnapped and deceived civilians—including children—are forced to excavate a mine under brutal guard.
• The mine produces a thick, brownish-black liquid that Cyrus identifies as petroleum. Locally, it is feared as “the Devil’s Sweat” or “burning water” because it ignites easily.
• Cyrus’s investigation reveals that Mayor Vernon has not acted alone. Most of Kunseci’s officials, including guards and patrol officers, are involved in a conspiracy with the bandits, helping conceal the kidnappings and illegal mining operation.
• The bandits have disguised themselves as ordinary villagers and now guard the forced laborers. Others have crossed into the Saint Airo Empire to spread rumors about valuable minerals, attracting merchants and creating a profitable smuggling operation.
• The prisoners live in extreme misery, suffering from hunger, injuries, lack of water, and constant fear. A sick child named Bowen is in critical condition, and the guards care nothing for the prisoners’ survival once they become unable to work.
• Cyrus secretly questions Bunier, a teenage prisoner whose parents were killed by the bandits. Bunier confirms that all the guards are bandits and reveals how the prisoners are divided and managed throughout the village.
• Bunier fantasizes about setting the mine ablaze to destroy the bandits and their operation, but believes escape and revenge are impossible.
• Cyrus promises that Bowen will recover, suggesting he has a plan or access to help. He then uses a concealed mirror to signal 098 under the moonlight. A fast white figure responds, indicating that outside assistance has arrived or received his message.

Character Developments

• Cyrus: Becomes increasingly cold and determined as he uncovers the scale of the corruption. He remains composed while infiltrating the village, gathers intelligence from Bunier, reassures him about Bowen, and secretly contacts 098.
• Taylor: Continues protecting and assisting Cyrus. He is surprised by Cyrus’s hidden mirror and follows his instructions carefully.
• Bunier: Is introduced as a traumatized but vengeful prisoner caring for his seriously ill younger brother. Though he has lost hope of escape, he still hates the bandits responsible for destroying his family and provides Cyrus with vital information.
• Bowen: Represents the prisoners’ vulnerability. His illness and lack of medicine emphasize the deadly conditions in the village.
• Mayor Vernon and the bandits: Are revealed to be part of a broad, organized system of corruption, exploitation, kidnapping, and profiteering rather than isolated criminals.

Significant Themes

• Systemic corruption: The entire local government is implicated, showing that the exploitation is institutional rather than the work of a few rogue individuals.
• Dehumanization and forced labor: The prisoners are treated as disposable tools, beaten, starved, shackled, and abandoned when they can no longer work.
• Despair versus hope: The villagers believe no one will find them, while Cyrus’s arrival and secret signal introduce the possibility of rescue and justice.
• Greed and exploitation: Petroleum’s discovery drives the conspiracy, with officials, bandits, and merchants profiting from the suffering of the kidnapped laborers.
• Fire as both danger and liberation: Petroleum is feared as the Devil’s Sweat, but Bunier also imagines using fire to destroy the mine and the people controlling it.

Character Interactions

• Cyrus and Taylor quietly observe the prisoners and coordinate their investigation.
• Cyrus gains Bunier’s trust by asking about the guards and the village’s organization.
• Bunier confides in Cyrus about the bandits, his family’s murder, and his hopeless desire for revenge.
• Cyrus observes the teenager’s care for Bowen and promises that the child will recover, offering Bunier a rare moment of hope.
• Cyrus and Taylor communicate discreetly before Cyrus signals 098, ending the chapter with the suggestion that a rescue or counterattack is imminent.

Chapter 137 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cyrus and his forces launch a coordinated nighttime operation to dismantle Mayor Vernon’s criminal network in Kunse City.
• The city’s taverns, officials, bandits, and foreign merchants are revealed to be involved in an illegal trade centered on Devil’s Sweat, a valuable combustible mineral likely analogous to oil.
• Cyrus deliberately allows himself and Taylor to be “betrayed” and imprisoned so they can infiltrate the village believed to be the bandits’ hideout and identify the full extent of the operation.
• His forces simultaneously:
  • Ambush the tavern where the mineral smugglers and foreign merchants are gathered.
  • Seize twenty-eight barrels of minerals.
  • Pursue the sixteen barrels already transported out of the city.
  • Surround the village and prepare to rescue its forced laborers.
• In the village, the prisoners—including Cyrus, Taylor, Bunier, Todd, and the feverish Little Bowen—are taken to a mine where the bandits intend to dig into a richer mineral deposit.
• Bunier considers sacrificing himself to ignite the Devil’s Sweat and destroy the bandits, but before he can act, Cyrus’s forces launch their assault.
• Arrows strike the guards and the scarred bandit leader. White Wolf, the two tigers, and the eagle join the attack, while soldiers rush in from all sides.
• Taylor frees himself and Cyrus, then helps rescue the other prisoners. The bandits are defeated: the leader is captured, several bandits die, and the survivors are restrained.
• At dawn, Kunse City gathers at the city gate facing the Saint Airo Empire, suggesting that the city’s corruption and the cross-border smuggling will soon be publicly addressed.

Character Developments

• Cyrus demonstrates patience, strategic intelligence, and compassion. Rather than acting rashly, he orchestrates several simultaneous operations to protect the victims and capture the entire criminal network. His personal appearance among the prisoners reassures them that they have not been forgotten.
• Taylor proves resourceful and capable, using a concealed wire to unlock his shackles and immediately helping Cyrus and the other prisoners escape.
• Walker efficiently commands the tavern operation, securing both the contraband and the collaborators.
• Bunier reveals deep hatred toward the bandits but also a willingness to sacrifice himself for the other prisoners, especially his younger brother. His despair gives way to relief and tearful gratitude when Cyrus’s rescue succeeds.
• Little Bowen remains dangerously ill and collapses from exhaustion, emphasizing the cruelty of the forced labor system and the vulnerability of the victims.
• Todd continues caring for Little Bowen, showing quiet compassion amid the chaos.
• White Wolf and the other animal companions play a decisive role in the rescue, reinforcing their loyalty to Cyrus and their effectiveness in combat.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus corruption: The chapter exposes how officials, bandits, and foreign merchants have created a system driven by greed and protected by bribery.
• Hope amid despair: Cyrus’s arrival functions symbolically as a “beam of light” for people who have suffered under oppression.
• Strategic patience: Cyrus emphasizes planning and timing rather than impulsive heroism, allowing him to strike every part of the criminal operation at once.
• Exploitation and human suffering: The mineral trade is built on forced labor, abuse, and the dehumanization of local residents.
• Revenge versus rescue: Bunier wants to destroy the bandits, but Cyrus’s intervention allows the victims to survive and receive justice rather than forcing them into desperate self-sacrifice.
• Public accountability: The gathering at the city gate signals that the secret corruption in Kunse City may soon become an openly recognized political and legal matter.

Important Character Interactions

• Cyrus quietly encourages Bunier to endure, hinting that the rescue is already underway without revealing the full plan.
• Bunier’s protective relationship with Little Bowen highlights his loyalty and desperation.
• Taylor frees Cyrus before rescuing himself, reinforcing his devotion and discipline.
• Cyrus reveals to Bunier that he is the mysterious rescuer only after the battle, telling him that the ordeal is finally over and offering him the chance to confront the bandits personally.
• Walker coordinates with Cyrus’s broader plan, showing the trust and cooperation among Cyrus’s forces.

Chapter 138 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• At dawn, the people of Kunseci are summoned to the city gates, where Mayor Vernon, corrupt officials, and captured bandits are bound and forced to kneel.
• The impoverished villagers who had been imprisoned and abused are brought forward, revealing the identities of the missing victims and exposing the mayor’s crimes.
• Cyrus arrives with the Black-and-White Cavalry, his commanders, and several powerful beasts. Walker publicly announces that Vernon and the officials:
  • Colluded with bandits
  • Enslaved and persecuted civilians
  • Concealed mineral deposits
  • Illegally sold minerals to merchants from the Saint Airo Empire
• The crowd turns against Vernon, throwing stones and objects at him. Cyrus restrains their anger long enough for the official punishments to proceed.
• The bandits are executed immediately, while Vernon and the corrupt officials are hanged publicly.
• The Saint Airo merchants involved in the illegal mineral trade beg for their lives. Cyrus offers to spare them only if the Saint Airo Empire compensates Desinia with border territory.
• Investigations reveal that a Saint Airo border lord and surviving bandits from earlier conflicts were also involved.
• When the border lord ignores Cyrus’s demand, Taylor leads the White Cavalry in an assault on his city. Using Cyrus’s newly developed bombs, they destroy the city gates and quickly occupy the territory.
• The city’s residents surrender peacefully after being promised protection. The border lord is captured, and the Saint Airo king becomes enraged upon hearing the news.

Character Developments

• Cyrus demonstrates his authority, strategic intelligence, and willingness to defend his people. He balances mercy toward ordinary citizens with uncompromising punishment for exploitation and corruption.
• Mayor Vernon is exposed as a cowardly, self-serving criminal. His respectable appearance contrasts sharply with his abuse of power and collaboration with bandits and foreign merchants.
• Walker acts as Cyrus’s spokesman, formally announcing the crimes and reinforcing the legitimacy of the punishments.
• Taylor proves his military competence by swiftly conquering the Saint Airo border city with the White Cavalry.
• The persecuted villagers move from helpless victims to active witnesses who see justice delivered, helping reveal the truth to the wider population.
• The Saint Airo merchants and border lord underestimate Cyrus, assuming their wealth or political position will protect them. Their refusal to cooperate leads directly to the loss of Saint Airo territory.

Significant Themes

• Justice and accountability: Corrupt officials and foreign collaborators are publicly punished for exploiting the powerless.
• Good governance versus abuse of power: Cyrus’s rule is contrasted with Vernon’s tyranny, emphasizing that nobles and officials can no longer act without restraint in Desinia.
• Protection of the vulnerable: The villagers receive medical care, shelter, and justice, reinforcing Cyrus’s image as a benevolent lord.
• Consequences of arrogance: The Saint Airo merchants and border lord dismiss Cyrus’s demands and suffer a far greater loss as a result.
• Military and technological superiority: Cyrus’s explosives allow Desinia to overcome a fortified border city rapidly, demonstrating the territory’s growing power.
• Dawn after darkness: The chapter repeatedly frames the villagers’ rescue and Vernon’s downfall as the end of a period of oppression and the beginning of hope.

Character Interactions

• The villagers confront acquaintances who had vanished, creating shock and helping expose the truth about the mayor’s crimes.
• Cyrus commands Walker to read the charges, presenting a formal connection between his authority and the people’s demand for justice.
• The beasts—especially Coalball—intimidate the prisoners and reinforce Cyrus’s imposing presence, while Coalball’s affectionate behavior also reveals Cyrus’s gentler relationship with his companions.
• Cyrus negotiates indirectly with the Saint Airo merchants, making their survival dependent on their empire’s willingness to compensate Desinia.
• Taylor and the White Cavalry carry out Cyrus’s retaliation against the Saint Airo border lord, while ordinary citizens cooperate after being assured they will not be harmed.

Chapter 139 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cyrus focuses on securing the newly discovered oil mine in the Lifens Mountains. Because oil is extremely valuable and Kunseci borders the Saint Airo Empire, he realizes the mine must be protected by strengthening the cavalry presence and expanding Desinia’s territory.
• He sends the Saint Airo border lord a demand for compensation, knowing it is unlikely to be accepted. The letter is mainly a diplomatic pretext before military action—“courtesy first, force afterward.”
• Cyrus studies oil’s potential uses, including kerosene, candles, lubricants, medicines, insecticides, weapons, and incendiary materials. Oil is uncommon in the Western Continent and is regarded suspiciously by many because it is called “Devil’s Sweat.”
• After executing Kunseci’s corrupt mayor, officials, and bandits, Cyrus imprisons the Saint Airo merchants involved in secretly purchasing oil. He also resettles the abused citizens and organizes paid labor to expand oil extraction.
• Using the recovered oil, Cyrus’s forces manufacture more than a hundred incendiary bombs. They launch a surprise assault on the Saint Airo Empire’s border territory and capture it with little resistance.
• The local population offers information about the border lord’s whereabouts, allowing Taylor to capture him. The merchants are spared execution and offered release in exchange for their property, though they discover that the territory where they are imprisoned now belongs to Desinia.
• Walker warns Cyrus that continued attacks will become more difficult once the empire prepares its defenses. Cyrus agrees that the initial victory resulted from surprise, incendiary bombs, and the people’s willingness to accept Desinian rule.
• Cyrus nevertheless orders Walker to continue the offensive while the incendiary bombs remain effective. Ferdinand is assigned to protect the rear.
• The Saint Airo king orders his eldest son, Warner, to defend the border. Before Warner arrives, Desinia captures two additional border territories.
• The Achiyoli Territory and Anas Kingdom send troops to support Desinia. Warner favors negotiating peace, but the king initially refuses.
• Over the following half-month, Desinia continues expanding westward. The advance finally stops near Warner’s defensive position, and the Saint Airo Empire agrees to significant concessions, ending the war.

Character Developments

• Cyrus: Becomes increasingly strategic and pragmatic. He balances diplomacy, military expansion, economic development, and technological research. Although he sees the value of exploiting Desinia’s temporary military advantage, he also recognizes the importance of rebuilding after the Black Death and prioritizing agriculture and domestic development.
• Walker: Demonstrates sound military judgment by analyzing why the first attack succeeded and warning Cyrus against assuming future victories will be equally easy. He remains a trusted commander who carefully carries out Cyrus’s orders.
• Taylor: Successfully leads the capture of the Saint Airo border lord, aided by information from local citizens.
• Warner: Shows a more cautious and practical approach than his father. He understands the risks of prolonged war and attempts to negotiate peace, but lacks sufficient authority to act independently.
• The Saint Airo king: Reacts angrily and emotionally to the territorial losses, refusing Warner’s initial proposal for peace and prolonging the conflict.
• The merchants: Shift from confident profiteers to frightened prisoners. They realize that their attempt to smuggle and profit from Kunseci’s oil has placed them in a newly conquered Desinian territory.

Significant Themes

• Strategic use of resources: Oil is not merely a source of wealth but a foundation for military innovation, industry, medicine, and everyday improvements.
• Diplomacy as a prelude to war: Cyrus uses the compensation letter to establish a legitimate justification for military action before abandoning peaceful methods.
• Technology and temporary advantage: Incendiary bombs enable rapid victories, but Cyrus understands that their effectiveness will diminish once enemies develop countermeasures.
• Humanitarian governance and political legitimacy: The border population’s cooperation is linked to Cyrus’s earlier good deeds, especially his efforts to suppress corruption and protect people during the epidemic.
• Expansion versus stability: Cyrus wants to enlarge Desinia’s defensive frontier but also recognizes that prolonged war could exhaust the population and delay agricultural and economic development.
• Information and communication in warfare: The chapter emphasizes intelligence, rapid transmission of orders, surprise attacks, and local cooperation as decisive factors in military success.
• Power and authority: Warner’s inability to negotiate despite his practical judgment highlights the conflict between military necessity and the king’s political authority.

Chapter 140 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Nearly two months after Cyrus’s arrival in Kunseci, the armistice with the Saint Airo Empire successfully ended the war.
• Cyrus continued monitoring developments across his territories, particularly the crops planted at Par Mountain, Visas, and elsewhere. Harvest season was approaching.
• He received visit requests from three allies:
  • Orville, who wanted to see the panda Cyrus had brought from Yami.
  • Archibald, who wished to discuss expanding the Nagabi Merchant Guild’s trade into Yami through Visas’s sea routes.
  • Gena Kozmo, King of Bovell, who wanted to resume negotiations for bulk vodka purchases now that the Black Death epidemic had ended.
• Orville and Archibald had sent troops to support Cyrus during the war without demanding compensation. Cyrus thanked them warmly and promised to remember their assistance.
• While waiting to receive his guests, Cyrus and Segalot planted bamboo brought from Yami near Par Lake. Cyrus hoped to identify varieties capable of surviving the northern climate.
• Cyrus emphasized bamboo’s value as food, medicine, a material for daily goods, and a resource for technological development. He was especially motivated by the prospect of cultivating bamboo as food for Rollie.
• In the reception hall and later outdoors, Orville and Archibald met Rollie, the panda, and were charmed by him. Orville was particularly captivated and asked to hold him.
• Archibald also admired Cyrus’s unusual collection of animals and asked whether he could buy an egg from Qing Tuan, the gyrfalcon. Cyrus explained that Qing Tuan was male.
• Cyrus consulted 098 about the animals’ unusually slow maturation and reproduction. 098 explained that their extraordinary bloodlines delayed their breeding season, but they could eventually reproduce with native animals if willing.

Character Developments

• Cyrus continues to combine political leadership with personal involvement in practical projects. His hands-on work planting bamboo reflects both his resourcefulness and his affection for his animals.
• His concern for Rollie is especially evident: he plans bamboo cultivation partly to provide the panda with a reliable food source and has built him an elaborate play area.
• Segalot grows more comfortable sharing ordinary, domestic activities with Cyrus. He enjoys helping with the bamboo planting despite the work traditionally being left to servants.
• Orville’s fondness for fluffy creatures becomes increasingly open. He eagerly seeks out Rollie and becomes absorbed in holding the panda.
• Archibald remains commercially minded, focusing on trade opportunities in Yami, but he is also genuinely fascinated by Cyrus’s rare animals.
• Black Sugar, the black panther given by the Pope, has grown more intelligent and better able to understand human speech after living alongside Cyrus’s other extraordinary animals.

Significant Themes

• Alliance and mutual trust: Cyrus’s gratitude toward Orville and Archibald highlights the importance of loyalty and cooperation between allied rulers.
• Development and resourcefulness: Bamboo cultivation represents Cyrus’s effort to expand his territories’ agricultural, medicinal, technological, and economic resources.
• Care for nature and animals: The chapter emphasizes Cyrus’s affection for rare creatures and his willingness to adapt his lands to support them.
• Found family and domestic warmth: Political figures and powerful animals are brought together in a relaxed, affectionate setting, contrasting with the recent war.
• Extraordinary bloodlines and adaptation: The animals’ unusual intelligence, size, and delayed reproduction suggest that their abilities and future development differ from those of ordinary species.

Character Interactions

• Cyrus and Segalot work side by side planting bamboo, with Segalot assisting Cyrus in the physical labor.
• Cyrus warmly welcomes Orville and Archibald and takes them to meet Rollie.
• Orville holds Rollie and becomes visibly enchanted by the panda, while Archibald observes both Rollie and Cyrus’s broader menagerie with interest.
• Snowball safely retrieves Rollie when he crawls near the edge of his platform, then affectionately approaches Cyrus.
• The Pope interacts with Black Sugar and subtly sends her toward Cyrus, separating him from Orville’s close interaction with Rollie. Cyrus responds affectionately to the panther without noticing the Pope’s apparent intention.
• Cyrus and 098 discuss the future reproduction and development of the animals, reassuring Cyrus that their unusual bloodlines can continue.