Chapter Summaries

Tracy learned that her crew had failed to capture Flame Danitz amid chaos in Bayam and decided to go there herself. Meanwhile, Lorne arrived in East Weller City to take up his new fiefdom, and Ian discovered two banknotes with the same serial number, sensing a larger scheme.

• Tracy received Kayson's report that Rose School members had disrupted the attempt to capture Flame Danitz and that Bayam was under martial law after the Sea God went mad.
• Tracy decided to travel to Bayam herself to pursue Danitz.
• Lorne arrived in East Weller City, where Mayor Toytus Byrne and city officials welcomed him and began showing him the city.
• Ian examined two five-soli banknotes with identical serial numbers and suspected that something significant was about to happen.

Charles reassured Earl Levin that the Hall Family would still collapse and dismissed concerns about Viscount Scott and the Church of Evernight. In Viller, Lorne planned major investments and began considering building a manor, while Danitz's dream conversation with Edwina ended with Gehrman Sparrow appearing behind him.

• Charles persuaded the anxious Earl Levin to keep pressuring the Hall Family, claiming its finances and reputation would soon fail and that Viscount Scott had no substantial alliance with it.
• Charles wagered that the Church of Evernight would not publicly support the Hall Family.
• Danitz told Edwina how Gehrman Sparrow and the Black Death's crew had caught him up in danger, and Edwina questioned why he kept encountering strange people.
• Edwina recognized Danitz's description of Gehrman Sparrow, who appeared behind him in the dream and asked what he was doing.
• In Viller, Lorne directed Benson to plan ammunition production, expanded docks, a plantation, and soda bottling, and considered building a manor with help from a Beyonder construction crew.

Lorne planned to search for a treasure near Weller once his inspection duties ended, while the Numinous Episcopate continued torturing Alfred and news of his disappearance sparked a new crisis for the Hall Family. Derlink Augustus intended to exploit the turmoil in Backlund to consolidate power and negotiate with the Society.

• Lorne mapped the treasure’s location about 170 kilometers from Weller and planned to slip away after his inspection tour, since he could not teleport there precisely.
• Xize told Lester that Alfred had not given in despite psychological torment, threats to his family, and spirits haunting him, and said their orders required keeping Alfred alive and conscious.
• News of Alfred’s disappearance spread from Balam to Backlund, and Earl Hall suspected the Church of Evernight’s rescue attempt had failed.
• Earl Hall ordered Hibbert to distract the press and prepare the family to leave Backlund if the crisis worsened, while Hibbert agreed to make arrangements without departing yet.
• Prince Grove questioned Derlink Augustus about signs of trouble, and Derlink revealed plans to let the noble conflict intensify, suppress the Opposition, centralize power, and negotiate with the Society.

As rumors about Alfred’s disappearance intensified, Earl Hall tried to persuade the military to delay a public statement, while political rivals fueled claims that Alfred had defected. The Hall Family prepared for further trouble as unease about Bavart Bank’s banknotes spread unnoticed.

• Newspapers diverted public attention with gossip, but Alfred’s disappearance revived scrutiny of the Hall Family and sparked rumors that he had died, been captured, or defected with military secrets.
• Earl Hall asked General French to suppress the rumors longer, and French agreed to delay a statement unless public pressure forced the military to respond.
• Earl Hall left to reassure Bavart Bank shareholders after forcing through large loans, while bakery workers and others began noticing something odd about the banknotes.
• Hibbert asked Audrey whether she knew what trouble was coming, but he left without learning anything and disclosed the family’s worries to her.
• Conservative-controlled newspapers published blurry photos and claims that Alfred had joined the Balam rebels, strengthening public suspicion that he had abandoned his faith.
• Earl Hall ordered Hibbert to take his mother and Audrey to their East Chester County estate, but Hibbert refused to flee as rumors about banknotes spread through Backlund.

Audrey and Hibbert prepared to leave Backlund with Madam Caitlyn while Earl Hall stayed behind, and Audrey gave him a powerful protective charm. In Viller, Lorne set out treasure hunting, while Klein’s Sea God ritual terrified Danitz, who then faced Vice Admiral of Ailment Tracy at his inn.

• Hibbert told Audrey and Madam Caitlyn that Earl Hall wanted them to leave Backlund for the family estate in East Chester County, and Audrey soothed her mother when she feared Alfred was missing.
• Earl Hall said he would remain in Backlund to handle business, and Audrey gave him a powerful charm, though he insisted she keep it for the journey.
• Lorne finalized plans for a factory in Viller, granted his employees time off, and prepared to go treasure hunting alone.
• Klein used a ritual to contact the dying Sea God Kalvetua, triggering a violent storm that nearly destroyed the warehouse and terrified Danitz.
• Danitz brooded over his bad luck at the inn before Vice Admiral of Ailment Tracy appeared and accused him of taking Brando away from her.

Tracy captured Danitz and blamed him for separating her from Brando, while Azik investigated unrest in Balam and Bernadette heard reports of strange incidents at sea. Lorne reached Stoen City and learned that the remote village he sought was rumored to be haunted by monsters and dragons.

• Tracy bound Danitz, questioned him about Brando, and accused him of causing their separation before silencing him with spider silk.
• Azik gave money to a beggar in Balam and reflected on the region’s poverty, colonial rule, and the memories stirred by his visit.
• Xize thanked Queen Mystic Bernadette for her aid and told her that ships had experienced displacements, confused identities, and false memories.
• Lorne arrived in Stoen City, followed his spiritual intuition to a tavern, and gathered directions to a remote village.
• An old drunk warned Lorne that monsters and dragons near the village entered people’s dreams and could kill them in the waking world.

Lorne investigated a village legend about dream monsters and dragons, while Audrey reached a secluded manor in Stoen City and Charles prepared to exploit the Hall Family’s financial crisis. Aboard the Black Death, Tracy captured Danitz and ordered him hung upside down after he tried to save himself by invoking Brando.

• Lorne questioned a drunk villager about the monsters and dragons said to haunt dreams near a remote wilderness, then learned the man had grown up in the village.
• Audrey arrived in Stoen City with Madam Caitlyn, Hibbert, and Susie, and decided to go riding outside their secluded manor.
• Charles ordered his subordinates to gather precious metals and prepare to sell and short assets when the Hall Family’s cash flow failed, then wrote to his superiors about his concerns over the military’s silence.
• Tracy returned to the Black Death with Danitz after escaping Bayam, and Kayson greeted her on deck.
• Danitz pleaded that Brando would hate Tracy if she killed him, then flattered her by calling Brando her lover.
• Tracy grew jealous at the thought that Danitz mattered more to Brando than she did and ordered Kayson to strip him and hang him upside down from the mast.

Tracy abducted Danitz and demanded that Klein bring Monkey Brando to meet her, while Klein discovered Danitz was missing after obtaining the Sea God's Scepter. The chapter ended with Klein realizing Brando’s romantic history had put Danitz in danger and that he had little time to find him.

• Tracy blamed Danitz for separating her from Brando and had him stripped and hung upside down from the Black Death’s mast.
• After taking the Sea God's Scepter and issuing new commandments to the Resistance Army, Klein returned to the inn and found Danitz’s room ransacked and empty.
• Klein discovered a shard of mirror that showed Tracy, who confirmed she had captured Danitz and displayed him hanging from the Black Death’s mast.
• Tracy demanded that Klein bring Monkey Brando to meet her and said Edwina could come too, threatening Danitz if Klein sought help from the authorities.
• Klein realized Brando was in Backlund and worried that his romantic history would get Danitz killed.

Klein paid to send Scott an urgent letter about Danitz’s abduction, while Lorne searched for treasure in East Chester County and nearly crossed paths with Audrey. After Audrey entered the Sea of Collective Subconscious in a lucid dream, she found a familiar figure in pain just as an ancient dragon appeared above the sea.

• Klein decided he could not contact Vice Admiral Iceberg and sent Scott an expensive express letter asking for help with Danitz.
• Lorne followed the Fortune-Seeking Treasure Map to a ruined tower in East Chester County but found no treasure.
• Audrey visited the ruins with her entourage, heard a local song about dreams and dragons, and resolved to investigate the Sea of Collective Subconscious.
• Lorne emerged after Audrey’s party had left and wondered why the map had concealed them from his senses.
• Audrey entered the Sea of Collective Subconscious in a lucid dream and explored its lights, memories, and peaks of consciousness.
• Audrey heard a cry, recognized a familiar figure kneeling in pain beneath a peak, and saw an ancient dragon sweep across the sky.

While searching the wilderness, Lorne was drawn into a dream and forced to confront disturbing visions of history and a distorted projection of his James Scott identity. He escaped into the Sea of Collective Subconscious, where his mind and appearance continued to shift, before a familiar voice called to him.

• Lorne camped in the wilderness, grew unnaturally sleepy, and realized he had been pulled into a dream.
• Lorne explored memories that took physical form and encountered a monstrous projection of James Scott, recognizing it as a distortion of his identity.
• Lorne followed a path to a white void and was overwhelmed by visions of ancient history, powerful figures, and a terrifying image that he could not understand.
• Lorne fled the white light, shattered the dream, and emerged in the Sea of Collective Subconscious as his appearance shifted between himself and James Scott.
• A familiar voice in the mist asked Lorne whether he was Viscount Scott.

Audrey found Lorne suffering from cognitive corruption in the Sea of Collective Subconscious and used Soothing to stabilize him, discovering that he had been disguised as Viscount Scott. After they spoke about why they had entered the sea, a Mind Dragon returned and began summoning a powerful silvery-white presence, leaving Lorne urging Audrey to flee without looking back.

• Audrey approached the suffering man despite his warnings and used Soothing to calm Lorne’s mind and suppress his approaching loss of control.
• Lorne thanked Audrey, and she recognized him as Mr. Dysenk after his Scott disguise had vanished; he asked her to keep his secret.
• Lorne and Audrey discussed their arrival in the Sea of Collective Subconscious, and Lorne said an attacker had dragged him there while he searched for treasure.
• A Mind Dragon appeared overhead and dove toward Lorne and Audrey, but stopped when it saw Lorne.
• The sea began to surge as an enormous silvery-white shadow took shape, and Lorne told Audrey to close her eyes and run.

Lorne faced the Mind Dragon in the Sea of Collective Subconscious, where a vision of Jowes appeared and the dragon offered him cooperation. Meanwhile, Earl Hall prepared for the possibility that his family would have to flee Loen, and Audrey awoke to find Lorne safe and a small dragon serving as his messenger.

• Lorne sent Audrey away and confronted the Mind Dragon, which manifested a silver-white serpent he recognized as Jowes.
• The serpent’s appearance nearly caused Lorne to lose control, but the Mind Dragon calmed him and offered to cooperate because he carried arrangements left by a Paranoiac.
• Earl Hall learned that his secret transfers to Intis were underway and worried that the royal family and the Negan Family would abandon the Hall Family amid the scandal over Alfred.
• Dan rushed back into Earl Hall’s study to report that a major event had occurred.
• Audrey woke exhausted from the real Sea of Collective Subconscious and found a tiny white dragon in her bedroom carrying Lorne’s voice.
• Lorne reassured Audrey that he was safe and offered to appear in person, but she protested that he could not enter her bedroom before she was ready.

Lorne secretly met Audrey at night and took her flying beyond the manor, where he refreshed her and explained his encounter with the Mind Dragon. The chapter ended with Klein anxiously waiting in Bayam for news from Scott.

• Audrey emerged from her bedroom dressed for the night, and she and Lorne decided to leave the manor to talk away from its guards.
• Lorne turned ghostlike, took Audrey flying through the manor wall, and carried her to a grassy hill several kilometers away.
• Lorne summoned Spike, which restored Audrey’s energy, and Audrey asked what had happened after she left the mind world.
• Lorne told Audrey that the Mind Dragon had spared him and driven him away, while concealing its offer and the truth about the tampering in his mind.
• In Bayam, Klein paced anxiously and wondered why Scott had not sent him any news.

Lorne checked that Audrey had fully recovered from the dream, revealed his true identity as Lorne Dysenk, and secured her promise to keep his false identity secret. In Bayam, Klein learned that Scott was away and began considering impersonating James Scott to persuade Tracy to release Danitz.

• Lorne examined Audrey and confirmed that her spirit body and mental state had no lingering problems, then changed from James Scott back into Lorne Dysenk.
• Lorne explained that Audrey’s investigation had prompted him to adopt the identity of James Scott, and Audrey promised to keep the secret while Lorne offered her a personal favor.
• Lorne took Audrey back to her manor by flying, explained his Wraith-like ability, and offered to make her similar charms before awkwardly denying that he had watched her in her bedroom.
• Klein learned that his letter had reached its address in Backlund but remained unread, so he concluded Scott was away and complained that he lacked help rescuing Danitz from Tracy.
• Klein considered using his Faceless ability to impersonate James Scott and contact Tracy remotely, reasoning that she knew Scott was Monkey Brando while Danitz did not.

Audrey and Lorne reflected on their adventure and the Mind Dragon’s offer, while the Hall family faced a worsening counterfeit-currency crisis in Backlund. Aboard the Black Death, Tracy spared Danitz for Lorne’s sake but planned to punish him further.

• Audrey returned to her bedroom after her adventure, where Susie woke and questioned her about being out at night and smelling of something unpleasant.
• Lorne entered his Portable Space, checked himself for signs of the Mind Dragon’s influence, and considered Spike as a future messenger before thinking about the next location on his treasure map.
• Audrey hid her exhaustion from her mother, while Hibbert announced he wanted to return to Backlund and concealed the severity of the crisis there.
• Hibbert learned that counterfeit notes had triggered panic and threatened Bavart Bank, while Earl Hall ordered him to remain at the family estate to protect his mother and sister.
• Tracy had Danitz lowered from the mast and treated after two days, but she still planned to punish him for taking Lorne away from her.

Danitz was held captive by Tracy, who interrogated him about Brando and became increasingly jealous as he described Brando’s time aboard the Golden Dream with Edwina. After Tracy received a message that Brando had arrived, she prepared to meet him, while Danitz suspected someone was in for trouble.

• Danitz recovered in his cell after being tortured and worried that Tracy had kidnapped him to lure Brando out.
• Tracy questioned Danitz about Brando, and he carefully recounted their history while hiding how close they were.
• Tracy grew jealous when Danitz described Edwina teaching Brando aboard the Golden Dream, especially their private lessons.
• Tracy received a Mirror Magic contact and announced that Brando had arrived, believing he had come to see her.
• Danitz felt relieved that Brando might resolve the situation but grew uneasy about what would happen next.

Klein disguised himself as Scott and then Lorne to persuade Tracy to release Danitz, whom she blamed for separating her from Brando. Tracy agreed to free Danitz only if Klein met her in person, and Klein reluctantly accepted as her jealousy and possessiveness intensified.

• Klein dressed in Scott's formalwear and prepared to imitate his manner before contacting Tracy through the mirror.
• Klein changed his face into Lorne's, and Tracy joyfully recognized him, though she sensed something was different.
• Klein asked Tracy to release Danitz, but she grew jealous and accused Danitz of keeping Brando away from her.
• Klein soothed Tracy by saying he had missed her and explaining Danitz's role in bringing him to sea, eventually persuading her to release the captive.
• Tracy insisted that Klein meet her personally to receive Danitz, and Klein agreed after her jealousy flared at his hesitation.

Lorne arrived in Viller as a counterfeit banknote crisis triggered panic and bank runs in Backlund, while the Truth Society’s scheme and Earl Hall’s withdrawals came under scrutiny. In the Southern Continent, Azik was caught sneaking aboard a ship carrying relics connected to the God of Death and faced a demigod.

• Lorne read news of counterfeit banknotes in Backlund and worried that the crisis would disrupt commerce.
• Charles refused the Truth Society’s offer to transfer him out of Backlund, then learned police Chief Mivi had arrived to investigate.
• A Bavart Bank branch ran out of cash, and a customer claimed the bank had given him a counterfeit note.
• Earl Hall defended his irregular withdrawals to Bavart Bank shareholders as the bank faced a cash-flow crisis and possible bank run.
• Azik tried to board a ship in East Balam to investigate relics tied to the God of Death, but the Fallen Earl intercepted him and the crew surrounded him.

Lorne connected the counterfeit-banknote crisis in Backlund to Antigonus's warning and wondered whether the society was behind it. In Bayam, Klein disguised himself as Brando to meet Tracy, but when she saw him, her overwhelming longing unexpectedly faded, leaving her confused.

• Lorne discussed Viller's future development and the banknote crisis with Benson, then recalled Antigonus's warning and suspected the society might be involved.
• Klein prepared to meet Tracy in Bayam, planning escape routes in case she discovered his disguise, and took a charm he had found where Danitz was abducted.
• Klein waited at a secluded harbor as Tracy arrived alone by boat, dressed in Brando's coat and eager to reunite with him.
• Tracy hesitated when she faced Klein and realized that her longing for Brando had inexplicably diminished.

Klein, disguised as Brando, met Tracy, but her instinctive disgust and his mistaken promises exposed him as an impostor. As Tracy turned murderous, Lorne and Benson in Viller sensed that someone was about to suffer and prepared to return to Backlund.

• Klein greeted Tracy as Brando, but Tracy felt no affection for him and could not bring herself to embrace him.
• Tracy asked Klein to change his face to Brando's familiar appearance, but her feelings remained absent and she grew suspicious.
• Tracy invited Klein aboard the Black Death and accused him of refusing to take her back to Backlund; Klein stalled by promising he would bring her later.
• Tracy recognized that Klein was not Brando and threatened to carve off his face for impersonating him.
• In Viller, Lorne and Benson both sensed that someone was in trouble, and Lorne told everyone to prepare to return to Backlund.