Chapter Summaries

Amy, Sarah, Jennifer, and Jane gathered in the grove, where Anna arrived and was mistaken for the person who had summoned them. After Anna clarified that she was not responsible, a note directed them to the center of the grove beneath a tree.

• Amy and Sarah arrived at the grove, each drawing strength from thoughts of past violence.
• Jennifer and Jane waited nervously, while Jennifer felt her Spirituality surging rapidly.
• Anna watched the women arrive and recognized Amy and Sarah as murderers, Jane as unstable, and Jennifer as undergoing a Spirituality surge.
• Anna revealed herself, but Amy, Sarah, Jennifer, and Jane mistook her for their summoner.
• Anna denied summoning them, put her clothes and fake mustache back on, and complained about Creados.
• A note drifted into the grove, directing them to the center beneath a tree.

Anna, Amy, Sarah, Jennifer, and Jane accepted Cassandra Credos’s invitation to join The Invisible and received Hidden Blades and cloaks. After Anna burned the chest and letter, Raven overheard an order to protect Arthur as Falcon flew away.

• Jennifer, Amy, Sarah, Jane, and Anna found a chest beneath a tree and debated whether to open it or leave.
• Anna opened the chest, revealing five black cloaks, five bracers fitted with Hidden Blades, and a letter from Cassandra Credos welcoming them to The Invisible.
• Amy and Jennifer showed Sarah and Jane how to use the Hidden Blades while Jennifer teased Anna about Malinda and her circumstances.
• The women read Cassandra’s letter, then Jennifer and Jane and Amy and Sarah left in separate directions, leaving Anna behind.
• Anna burned the letter and chest as Falcon flew away, while Raven listened to an order through a Communication Stone to protect Arthur.

Arthur learned that someone among the Old Lion’s three sons had ordered the Golden Lion Family’s hidden pawn to welcome him, and he considered how to claim the throne without sacrificing his people. As his [Bloodline Mark] awakened a kingly presence, Young Lissop and Bob brought him fifty fugitives and desperadoes, and Arthur asked them to fight for him.

• Arthur reasoned that one of the Old Lion’s three sons had issued the order concerning him and decided not to openly seek more information about the Golden Lion Family.
• Arthur touched his [Bloodline Mark], and its lion tattoo became majestic as his bearing began to change.
• Titon returned with Gold and cavalrymen, who felt compelled to fight for Arthur when they saw him.
• Arthur realized Young Lissop and Bob had brought fifty fugitives and desperadoes, along with fifty doses of [Death Warrior Potion] that Bob had stockpiled.
• Bob recognized a resemblance between Arthur and the Grand Duke of Inner Bay, while Arthur asked the fugitives and desperadoes if they were willing to fight for him.

Arthur persuaded the fifty captured fugitives and outlaws to consider becoming Death Warriors by promising support and honor for their families, while warning them of the potion’s risks. As more than half volunteered and twelve held back, Arthur activated [Kingly Presence], transforming his hair and eyes gold and radiating an aura of worship.

• Young Lissop moved to draw his sword when the prisoners showed contempt for Arthur, but Arthur calmed him.
• Arthur offered the prisoners a chance to regain honor through service, promising care for their families and recognition on Creados's Heroes' Monument.
• Arthur gave the prisoners ten minutes to decide whether to drink the potion or have their memories erased and return to the mines.
• More than half the prisoners volunteered, while twelve remained composed.
• Arthur spent gold to fill [Kingly Presence] to [300/300] and activated it, turning his hair and eyes gold and making his bearing inspire worship.

Arthur used [Kingly Presence] and [Legacy of Distortion] to inspire the fugitives, desperadoes, and South Town's cavalry to swear loyalty and face the improved [Death Warrior Potions] without fear. After Bob distributed the potions, Arthur gave fifty fugitives and desperadoes his encouragement, and they drank them as he considered possible ties between [Lion Pride], [Death Sound], and the Golden Lion Family.

• Arthur combined [Death Sound]'s [Bewitchment] with [Kingly Presence] and [Legacy of Distortion], persuading the assembled fighters to pledge that they would fight for him.
• Arthur untied the Death Warriors, thanked them, and encouraged them to survive taking the potions.
• Bob distributed the improved [Death Warrior Potions] and, moved by the fighters' longing to serve Arthur, questioned his own resolve.
• Bob withdrew beyond the woods with Young Lissop and the others, while Arthur speculated about the origins of [Lion Pride] and the Death Poetry Society's ties to the Golden Lion Family.
• Arthur encouraged the fifty fugitives and desperadoes, and they drank their improved [Death Warrior Potions].

Arthur’s fifty fugitives and outlaws endured the Death Warrior Potion trial and all passed, becoming devoted death warriors. After ordering Bob to produce potions at full capacity, Arthur gathered the warriors and asked the twelve strongest whether they knew the story of the Twelve Zodiac Signs.

• One of Arthur’s twelve favored men collapsed during the potion trial but forced himself to his feet, declaring that he would fight for his king even if he died.
• Arthur told the men he believed in them, and all twelve gained spirituality as the others drew strength from imagining themselves fighting beneath his banner.
• The potion trial succeeded for all fifty men, astonishing Bob, who believed the result was a miracle.
• Arthur gave Bob his entire fortune and ordered him to produce potions at full capacity.
• Young Lissop helped distribute food, clothing, and bathing water as the new death warriors gathered around Arthur according to their strength.
• Arthur asked the twelve strongest warriors whether they knew the story of the Twelve Zodiac Signs.

Arthur invented a legend linking the Death Warriors to Creados’s ancient Twelve Zodiac Signs, and the twelve strongest accepted him as their king. He hinted that the remaining 38 Death Warriors had an even greater destiny, leaving them eager to learn their place in his story.

• Arthur claimed the Twelve Zodiac Signs had once guarded Creados alongside Silver and Bronze Warriors, then identified the twelve Death Warriors around him as the legendary Golden Warriors.
• The twelve Death Warriors knelt to Arthur and embraced the identities he gave them, each finding new purpose in the tale.
• Their conviction caused their Spirituality and Physique to surge, and they ate vast amounts of food to fuel their growth.
• Bob offered the twelve Military Rations and marveled that they already seemed strong enough for a second Death Warrior Potion.
• Arthur told the remaining 38 Death Warriors they could not be mere Silver or Bronze Warriors, hinting that they belonged to greater ranks.

Arthur strengthened and organized his death warriors in South Town, then looked forward to a quiet Wintertide before traveling to the Inner Bay. Meanwhile, Alvis fled South Los by ship but was poisoned and stabbed by the captain, and three young men appeared on the riverbank as he jumped overboard.

• Arthur encouraged the thirty-eight death warriors, whose Spirituality and Physique increased, and assigned Young Lissop to arrange their supplies and keep them hidden in South Town.
• Arthur planned to send some death warriors ahead of him and others with him in secret on his journey to the Inner Bay, then imagined relaxing during Wintertide.
• Alvis escaped South Los aboard a fast ship, believing his false trails had kept Greisa from catching him.
• The captain poisoned and stabbed Alvis during breakfast, revealing that Young Master Greisa had sent him.
• Alvis leaped into the Inner River to escape the captain, and three young men appeared on the riverbank.

Hayes learned that the “Medium” had become the new owner of Harold Manor and that Baron Harold’s daughter was his goddaughter, disrupting Hayes’s plans to claim the manor. As Hayes met Jimte and Carral in Bette, he sensed that something was wrong.

• Manta teased Hayes in bed and told him that the “Medium” had become the owner of Harold Manor.
• Hayes realized that Arthur had disrupted his plan to take Baron Harold’s title and manor before the baron’s death.
• Manta offered to leave with Hayes for South Los or overseas if he failed to reach his goal, and Hayes said he would go with her if he failed this time.
• Hayes left Manta and met Jimte and Carral, who had both come to Bette for the Wintertide Festival.
• Hayes smiled at Jimte and Carral, then frowned as he sensed that something was wrong.

Hayes confronted Jimte and Carral, who had unexpectedly joined forces, and tried to explain away his crimes. As Jimte and Carral joked about a wager, Hayes realized a recent incident might explain their behavior.

• Hayes noticed Jimte and Carral standing together and stopped when they boxed him in.
• Hayes admitted to robbing the West Berlin Family's and Einhaas Family's merchant ships, then confessed to kidnapping wealthy merchants from their territories.
• Hayes drew his sword and prepared to fight so Manta might be spared.
• Jimte and Carral revealed they had been wagering over whether Hayes would surrender or show courage.
• Hayes recalled a recent incident and stared at the pair in shock.

Hayes discovered that Jimte and Carral had joined the Marquis of Einhaas’s plans and was forced to sign a Contract to join them. As the three began plotting together, a ship captain ordered his crew to kill them to conceal what had happened on the Inner River.

• Hayes inferred that Jimte and Carral had become allies after meeting at Ymir Manor, where Arthur Credos had drawn them into his service.
• Jimte and Carral revealed that their lord intended to open the Inner River shipping route and had maneuvered Hayes’s three cousins into selling docks and factories in Bette Territory.
• Jimte proposed using an assassination attempt to make West Berlin Territory intervene, while Carral warned Hayes that their lord’s ambitions reached beyond Bette Territory.
• Jimte presented Hayes with a Contract, and Carral drew his sword; Hayes signed and eagerly joined their plan.
• A ship captain spotted Jimte, Carral, and Hayes on the riverbank and ordered his crew to kill them so they could not reveal what had happened.

Carral, Jimte, and Hayes stopped a river-pirate ship and rescued the poisoned Alvis Hamlet, whom they suspected belonged to the Golden Lion Family. After Alvis woke and trusted Jimte, Arthur learned that the Old Lion’s eldest son had arranged the attack and saw a chance to divide the family.

• Carral deflected the sailors’ musket balls and bolts with his swords, while Jimte’s strength pulled the ship to a halt with its anchor.
• Hayes lifted the unconscious Alvis Hamlet from the river, and Carral smashed onto the ship aboard a toppled tree.
• Hayes killed the sailors who tried to flee, while Jimte treated Alvis and identified his poison as a mixture of fountain grass and night orchid.
• Hayes recognized the captain’s poison casing as Inner Bay craftsmanship, and he and Carral took the captain’s corpse away for questioning.
• Jimte woke Alvis, who trusted him after seeing his concern and guilt.
• Arthur received word that the Old Lion’s eldest son had set up Alvis and saw an opportunity to weaken the Golden Lion Family’s unity.

Arthur spent 700 XP raising Abdul's Fire Control Art to Lv4, gaining long-range explosive fire attacks and a stronger ignition ability. He noticed that Lv5 required 50,000 XP, the same as Wand Combat Art, and wondered whether it could reach Ascendant-level power as he turned his attention to Arrow Guidance Art.

• Arthur received XP as news of the South Los Swordsmanship Tournament and Harold Manor incident continued to spread.
• Arthur used 700 XP to raise Abdul's Fire Control Art from Lv1 to Lv4.
• Arthur gained the ability to control flames within 25 meters, fire homing explosive fireballs, and ignite damp wood by touch.
• Arthur saw that Abdul's Fire Control Art required 50,000 XP to reach Lv5, matching Wand Combat Art's cost.
• Arthur speculated about the art's potential at Lv5 and looked toward Arrow Guidance Art in his skill list.

Arthur upgraded Arrow Guidance Art, then discussed trump cards with Pendragon before Malinda confronted him about Baron Harold. He denied orchestrating the incident, but Malinda remained suspicious, and he offered her 100,000 gold coins.

• Arthur spent XP upgrading Arrow Guidance Art to Lv5, gaining the ability to control or launch up to 20 arrows at once.
• Arthur reflected on how the people behind a Mystic Art shaped its results, then advised Pendragon about keeping a trump card secret.
• Malinda arrived at the Medium's Hall, and Arthur immediately denied orchestrating what happened to Baron Harold.
• Malinda doubted Arthur's denial and wondered what greater gain he sought by disrupting her plans for the Harold Family.
• Arthur asked Malinda whether she could always guess his intentions, then offered her 100,000 gold coins.

Arthur sold Malinda the alias Dorn from the Inner Bay for one hundred thousand gold coins, prompting her to investigate. As Malinda prepared to receive Mrs. Susan, the visit ended with Susan implying that Malinda was going to have a child.

• Arthur named Dorn from the Inner Bay as the identity worth one hundred thousand gold coins, and Malinda agreed to pay for the information.
• Malinda sent her people to find out everything they could about Dorn before sunset, while Arthur returned to the Medium's Hall and fell asleep.
• Malinda learned that Mrs. Susan was coming and planned to use the visit to obtain information she could bargain with Arthur over.
• Malinda dressed for the visit and instructed Mary to prepare a meal before welcoming Mrs. Susan to Caesar Manor.
• Mrs. Susan arrived without an escort, draped her rabbit-fur cloak over Malinda, and led her inside while saying Old Charlie would be delighted to become a great-grandfather.

Malinda and Mrs. Susan sparred over whether Mrs. Susan could claim the title of Arthur’s grandmother, while Mrs. Susan recounted Old Charlie’s womanizing past. Mrs. Susan left Malinda agreeing that a man like Arthur was rare, but Malinda immediately realized she had been maneuvered into nodding.

• Mrs. Susan told Malinda she wanted Arthur to call her Grandma, and Malinda replied that Arthur had never mentioned her.
• Malinda described how Arthur had been wary when they first met and said Grandpa Charlie had trained him to stay on guard.
• Mrs. Susan recalled finding Old Charlie at a campsite with twins after his original companion had to leave, then staying until the next day.
• Mrs. Susan said Old Charlie had memorized the faces, names, and hobbies of all twenty-five women at the campsite.
• Mrs. Susan linked arms with Malinda and asked if she now understood how rare a man like Arthur was, and Malinda nodded before catching herself.

Mrs. Susan took charge of Malinda’s safety and pregnancy, prompting Malinda to retreat to Arthur. Arthur woke from a dream in which Malinda introduced two children as his, then heard the doorbell as Lady Anna offered to answer it.

• Mrs. Susan searched Malinda’s study, warned her about the importance of the Creados family’s first fourth-generation child, and confiscated her usual tobacco.
• Mrs. Susan gave Malinda spiritually enhanced tobacco and offered to strengthen her guards, remove hidden pawns, and make most of the factions behind them answer to her.
• Malinda said she wanted to visit Arthur, and she and Mrs. Susan parted on West Merck Avenue.
• Arthur woke from a dream in which a wedding-dressed Malinda showed him two children and told them to call him Daddy.
• Arthur’s hand shook as he picked up his tea, and Lady Anna asked if he wanted her to answer the door.

Arthur dismissed his dream as impossible after confirming Malinda still reacted nervously to his touch. Malinda arrived furious about Grandma Susan’s interference, and Arthur offered to make it up to her with a game after she handled her work.

• Malinda arrived at 2 Kirk Street with Edwin and documents, and Edwin left to handle festival preparations at the docks.
• Arthur served Malinda tea and moved his arm close enough to make the hairs on her neck stand on end, easing his fears about his dream.
• Arthur guessed that Mrs. Susan had caused Malinda trouble and teased her while they shared Lady Anna’s cookies.
• Malinda complained that Grandma Susan had taken her carved ashtray, whiskey-soaked tobacco, and tulips, then sarcastically suggested Susan wanted South Los for Arthur.
• Malinda realized Arthur had known about the situation all along, and Arthur invited her to finish her work before he made it up to her with a game.

Arthur teased Malinda by promising her a game, then slept while she worked and reconsidered his original plan. When Malinda asked for the game that evening, Arthur finally explained it, leaving her stunned and asking if he was sure.

• Arthur promised Malinda a game, then told her to get to work and fell asleep while she wrote.
• Malinda snapped her fountain pen in frustration, cleaned the ink from the desk, and kept working as Arthur pretended to sleep.
• Arthur decided his original game would not suit Malinda and thought about how a Medium needed backup plans.
• Malinda finished working and waited for Arthur; when he woke in the evening, she demanded to know the game.
• Arthur explained the game, and Malinda froze before asking whether he was sure.

Arthur and Malinda played a game in which they followed a random person to dinner, drawing the Old District as their destination. As they arrived, Alvin was struck by a whip and knocked to the ground.

• Arthur proposed following a random person to discover where they would eat, and Malinda agreed to play.
• Arthur and Malinda left 2 Kirk Street and discussed where to go, ruling out West Merck Avenue and Rat Street.
• Malinda drew a slip from Arthur’s place-name lots, and it named the Old District.
• Arthur and Malinda hired a carriage to the Old District, surprising the coachman with their choice.
• In the Old District, someone whipped Alvin across the face and kicked him to the ground.