Chapter Summaries

Altrouge Brunestud found herself compelled by her blood contract with Roland to undress, and he explained that his overwhelming power had made the contract’s effects impossible for her to control. The chapter left Altrouge unable to escape the arrangement as Roland claimed her as his familiar.

• Altrouge Brunestud accused Roland of tampering with their contract after she was compelled to undress, while Roland insisted he had issued no command.
• Roland examined the contract and concluded that Altrouge’s confidence in her own authority had led her to create a trap for herself.
• Roland forced Altrouge to glimpse his vast mental domain, showing her that the contract had become part of its laws and could not be resisted.
• Roland explained that Altrouge would have to pay for using her power through the contract, which had chosen intimate benefits as its price.
• Roland stroked Altrouge’s hair and called her his familiar.

Merem investigated signs that Altrouge had fought a mysterious Living Saint and considered recruiting him as Roa’s revival approached. Meanwhile, Altrouge traveled with Roland under their contract, disguised in a maid outfit, and Roland demanded that she call him Master.

• Merem and the Rat King’s spies confirmed that Altrouge had visited the church and fought someone there.
• Merem concluded that the opponent was a Living Saint who had driven away nearby witnesses, and he considered enlisting the Saint’s help against future threats.
• Altrouge accompanied Roland after their contract left her power bound to rewards and made her vulnerable to its terms.
• Roland made Altrouge wear a modern Japanese-style maid outfit as a disguise, while she rejected his offer of an altered nun’s habit.
• Roland told Altrouge that her cold attitude undermined her disguise and asked her to call him Master.

Roland persuaded Altrouge Brunestud to call him “Master” as part of their cover before they boarded the Mystic Eyes Collection Train. As the fog cleared and other passengers emerged, the train’s arrival drew near, and Altrouge saw strange black lines across the figures.

• Roland explained that Altrouge Brunestud could choose whether to use a title acknowledging their relationship, but she still depended on him for help and power.
• Altrouge Brunestud weighed the disguise against her pride and finally called Roland “Master” several times.
• Roland told Altrouge Brunestud to lower her voice and act as though they were indulging in unusual play so their cover would seem convincing.
• The fog thinned, revealing tracks and other figures waiting on the platform as the Mystic Eyes Collection Train approached.
• Altrouge Brunestud looked at the figures and saw dim black lines floating across them.

Altrouge Brunestud hoped the Mystic Eyes Collection Train could help her understand her new Mystic Eyes of Death Perception and escape her contract. She and Roland boarded the train, where a silver-haired girl recognized him and called his name.

• Altrouge Brunestud connected her ability to see lethal lines with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception and considered seeking help from the Mystic Eyes Collection Train.
• Roland warned Altrouge Brunestud that the train had arrived, and she resumed her role as his maid.
• Roland and Altrouge Brunestud examined the train’s otherworldly barrier, and she cautiously let Roland board first.
• Roland entered the train’s spacious communal carriage with Altrouge Brunestud and Fou as the gathered guests watched them.
• A petite girl with silver hair and amber eyes recognized Roland and called out to him.

Roland encountered Olga Marie and the Church Executor Calleb Frampton aboard the Mystic Eyes Collection Train, where his reputation as a Living Saint unsettled the mages. The queen who ruled the Clock Tower appeared and challenged Roland, and he recognized her as Barthomeloi.

• Olga Marie recognized Roland, who teased her until Teresa led her away.
• Roland sat with Altrouge Brunestud and learned Waver was absent from the train.
• Calleb Frampton introduced himself as a Church Executor, recognized Roland as a Living Saint, and called him Walks the Earth.
• The mages grew tense and withdrew from Roland after hearing his title.
• Olga Marie returned pale with fright as an unseen woman challenged Roland over his presence on the train.
• Roland saw the woman enter and recognized her as Barthomeloi, the queen who ruled the Clock Tower.

Roland met Lorelei Barthomeloi aboard the Mystic Eyes Collection Train, where the Clock Tower’s Marshal of Magic showed him unexpected respect and invited him to spend time together. He left the encounter by presenting Altrouge as his companion, putting the Black Princess directly under Lorelei’s scrutiny.

• Roland challenged Lorelei for demanding his purpose without introducing herself, and she apologized before naming herself as the head of Barthomeloi.
• Lorelei explained that she respected Roland for his abilities rather than his status, and Roland said he was visiting the train as a guest.
• Lorelei revealed that she had boarded for another task but was currently a guest, then invited Roland to pass the time with her.
• Altrouge recognized Lorelei’s curiosity about Roland and watched to see how he would respond.
• Roland grabbed Altrouge and introduced her to Lorelei as his female companion.

Aboard the Mystic Eyes Collection Train, Roland turned away Lorelei Barthomeloi by presenting Altrouge Brunestud as his companion, then faced the Black Princess’s anger in their room. Altrouge discovered she could influence how their Contract’s price was paid, but Roland accepted her threat and took hold of her foot as Fou watched.

• Lorelei Barthomeloi accepted Roland’s refusal and left the carriage after greeting Altrouge Brunestud.
• Conductor Rodin announced the train’s three-day circuit and auction, then led the passengers to their rooms.
• Altrouge Brunestud confronted Roland in their room for using her as a shield against Lorelei Barthomeloi and struck him while Fou watched.
• Altrouge Brunestud realized the Contract allowed her some control over how its price was paid and threatened to put Roland beneath her feet.
• Roland agreed to her threat, took hold of her stockinged foot, and the two figures overlapped as Fou watched.

Roland and Altrouge joined the other guests for breakfast aboard the Mystic Eyes Collection Train, where Leandro displayed two auction items. Lorelei exposed Teresa’s Future Sight and demanded that the train reveal the Rainbow-Class Mystic Eyes predicted to appear at the auction.

• Roland woke Altrouge, helped her dress in black stockings, and took her to the dining car with Fou.
• Leandro introduced Noble Color Mystic Eyes of Incineration, then presented Gold-ranked Mystic Eyes of Plunder to the gathered mages.
• Lorelei interrupted Leandro and demanded to know where the train’s Rainbow-Class Mystic Eyes were.
• Lorelei used wind magecraft to remove Teresa’s Mystic Eye Killers, revealing her violet eyes in front of the guests.
• Teresa said her Future Sight had predicted Rainbow-Class Mystic Eyes at the auction, and Lorelei accused the train of withholding them out of fear.

Lorelei Barthomeloi unsettled the Mystic Eyes Collection Train auction, but Leandro revived interest by revealing that the final offering was Jewel-Class Mystic Eyes of Past Sight owned by Caleb. Roland then took Caleb’s eyes and miraculously restored his sight with new eyes marked by a cross.

• Lorelei Barthomeloi demanded an answer from the train’s manager, and Leandro promised a definite response by the next day.
• Leandro announced that the final auction offering was a pair of Jewel-Class Mystic Eyes called the Mystic Eyes of Illusion, which could bring shadows of the past into the present.
• Leandro revealed that Caleb was the seller, and the mages turned their attention to his rare and apparently stable Mystic Eyes.
• Roland called Caleb forward and removed his Mystic Eyes without drawing blood, while Caleb calmly thanked him.
• Roland asked whether Caleb believed in him, then restored his sight with new eyes bearing a cross-shaped radiance.

Roland gave Caleb a new pair of jewel-rank Mystic Eyes that could nullify Magecraft, while Roseanne intervened to settle the auction dispute. After Lorelei Barthomeloi left the dining car, the guests realized she had chosen a target aboard the train.

• Caleb received Mystic Eyes of Annihilation from Roland, and Roland explained that they could absorb magical energy and turn it into strength.
• The guests objected to the missing Mystic Eyes of Illusion, while Leandro stared in fascination at Caleb's new eyes.
• Roseanne appeared, confirmed the eyes were jewel rank, and ordered Leandro to bring a storage cylinder.
• Roseanne withdrew the Mystic Eyes of Illusion from the auction, promised a replacement item, and said Lorelei Barthomeloi would receive a reply before tomorrow.
• Roseanne announced she would host the auction herself and invited Roland to meet her aboard the train.
• Lorelei Barthomeloi left the dining car, and the guests realized she had already found her target.

Roland and Altrouge Brunestud waited through the train’s uneventful stop, then watched it suddenly depart without Roland aboard. Roseanne revealed herself in the forest and claimed Lorelei Barthomeloi had been trapped, as snow and blood-red vines transformed the landscape.

• Altrouge Brunestud explained that Lorelei Barthomeloi was cautious because she had come without her Clone brigade and was hunting Roseanne aboard the train.
• Altrouge Brunestud said she did not know Roseanne, who seemed to be a neutral Dead Apostle Ancestor outside the three major factions.
• The Mystic Eyes Collection Train abruptly raced away while Roland and Altrouge Brunestud were still off-board.
• Roseanne appeared in her true form and told Roland that she had delayed because Lorelei Barthomeloi had been difficult to handle.
• Roseanne claimed Lorelei Barthomeloi had fallen into a trap, then revealed a frozen, mist-covered scene filled with writhing blood-red vines and branches.

Lorelei Barthomeloi discovered that the train had carried her into the Forest of Einnashe, where she was trapped away from Roland. Roseanne revealed that the forest was a trap for Lorelei, then shed her phantom and introduced herself to Roland as Rita Rozay-en before attacking him.

• Lorelei Barthomeloi destroyed the locomotive’s equipment but realized the train had been altered to keep running.
• Lorelei Barthomeloi identified the bleeding trees around the train as the Forest of Einnashe and decided to break through the trap to support the Living Saint.
• Roland recognized the forest as the genuine body of the seventh-ranked Dead Apostle Ancestor, and Roseanne explained that it had been set as a trap for Lorelei.
• Roseanne confessed that her desire for Roland had led her to abandon her plans and reveal her true body.
• Rita Rozay-en identified herself as the fifteenth-ranked Dead Apostle Ancestor and declared that she intended to corrupt Roland’s body and soul.

Rita Roseanne confronted Roland and Altrouge Brunestud over the Mystic Eyes Collection Train and Rainbow-Class Mystic Eyes, only for Altrouge to order Fou to attack her. Rita repeatedly regenerated from Fou’s blows, and Roland and Altrouge began considering what her abilities and earlier prediction meant as she opened her eyes.

• Rita threatened to overwhelm Roland, but he and Altrouge ignored her declaration and questioned her about Rainbow-Class Mystic Eyes.
• Rita explained that the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception perceived the endpoints of everything, then mocked Altrouge for suspecting she might possess Rainbow-Class eyes.
• Altrouge ordered Fou to kill Rita, and the White Beast struck her with enough force to vaporize her lower body.
• Rita regenerated immediately, while Altrouge explained that Ancestors’ conceptual immortality made them difficult to destroy.
• Altrouge proposed observing the principle behind Rita’s abilities and questioned why she had been willing to discuss a Future Sight prediction about Barthomeloi.
• Roland pointed out that Rita had opened her eyes.

Rita Rozay-en endured Fou’s attacks until she unleashed her Principle Blood Ring, transforming the Forest of Lost Paths with her Rose Mystic Eyes. After Roland remained unaffected by her display, Rita vowed to injure him and cast her spell to trap him in illusions.

• Rita concentrated her power in her head and activated her Principle Blood Ring after Fou repeatedly destroyed her body.
• Roland and Altrouge Brunestud recognized that Rita’s Principle Blood Ring rewrote local laws through Mystic Eyes, restoring her body and covering the forest in roses.
• Roland explained that Rita had expanded her Mystic Eyes’ power through her Principle Blood Ring, making them appear to possess Rainbow-Class scale.
• Rita’s Mystic Eyes unsettled Altrouge, but Roland met her gaze without reacting, angering Rita.
• Rita vowed to make Roland remember her and unleashed the spell of the Rose Mystic Eyes.

Rita Rozay-en trapped Roland, Altrouge Brunestud, and Fou in an Otherworld with her Rose Mystic Eyes, then discovered Roland’s past included a terrifying alien-world battle. Roland appeared beside her as the battle’s climax began, leaving Rita caught up in the spectacle.

• Rita Rozay-en explained how her Rose Mystic Eyes created a reality-like Otherworld and celebrated trapping Roland, Altrouge Brunestud, and Fou inside it.
• Rita chose to reshape Roland’s past by recreating a difficult battle, but the resulting landscape had alien laws that made her magecraft fail and left her struggling to breathe.
• Rita realized she could not find Roland, Altrouge Brunestud, or Fou, then watched an immense, sunlike presence distort the planet’s laws.
• Roland appeared beside Rita and said he had arranged seats for Altrouge Brunestud and Fou to watch the battle’s climax.
• A colossal being challenged Roland and declared its attack, “Divine Strike!”

Rita Rozay-en tried to escape Roland by searching through his memories for an enemy powerful enough to distract him, but every scene ended in her death. When Nephthys, Niangniang, and other Gremlin Demon Gods appeared to negotiate with Roland, he pointed to Rita as the means to oppose them, and their killing intent engulfed her.

• Rita realized Roland had changed the subject manifested by her Rose Mystic Eyes and refused to surrender to him.
• Rita repeatedly searched Roland's memories for a powerful enemy, dying and reviving as she moved through battles in different worlds.
• Nephthys and Niangniang appeared beside Roland and addressed him, prompting Tezcatlipoca, Cthulhu, and Nuada to reveal their presences.
• Roland told the Gremlin Demon Gods that Rita was the means to oppose them, and their killing intent swept over her.

Rita Rozay-en broke down after experiencing Roland’s overwhelming power, escaped through a phantom, and was forced to remain inside her Otherworld as Roland destroyed it. Elsewhere, Lorelei Barthomeloi entered the Forest of Einnashe to escape a trap, where she encountered a woman manifesting Marble Phantasm.

• Rita Rozay-en lost her reason after being killed repeatedly by the Demon Gods’ power, and Altrouge Brunestud attacked her while she was helpless.
• Altrouge destroyed Rita’s body, but Roland revealed that Rita had left a phantom behind and fled through her Principle Blood Ring.
• Roland used the Rose Mystic Eyes to imitate Total Annihilation of All Forms and crush the Otherworld’s boundary, leaving Rita too exhausted to run far.
• Lorelei Barthomeloi left the train and entered the Forest of Einnashe, identifying the White-Winged Duke as the likely architect of the trap.
• Lorelei tried to break out before the forest and the restless dead could surround her, but a mysterious woman appeared and manifested Marble Phantasm.

Lorelei confronted Smiley, a Dead Apostle Ancestor who wielded Marble Phantasm, and realized the White-Winged Duke had arranged the trap to kill her and conceal a larger plan. Lorelei attacked Smiley, but Smiley warped the space around them and prepared to counter.

• Smiley emerged from the water, introduced herself as the twenty-first Dead Apostle Ancestor, and admitted the White-Winged Duke had arranged the trap.
• Lorelei deduced that the Duke had risked considerable resources to conceal a plan, whether or not she came to the forest.
• Smiley offered to make Lorelei her familiar and successor, but Lorelei refused and vowed to leave over Smiley's corpse.
• Lorelei used wind magecraft to charge at Smiley with overwhelming speed and force.
• Smiley warped the surrounding space with Marble Phantasm and warned Lorelei not to underestimate her.

Altrouge and Roland identified the Marble Phantasm user as likely connected to the Water Demon, then prepared to retrieve Rita. Altrouge’s contract price remained unpaid after she used her full power, and Roland’s attempt to make her pay it off turned into an intimate struggle that ended with her biting him.

• Altrouge judged that the distant Marble Phantasm was the genuine power and suspected its user was a Dead Apostle Ancestor supporting Rita, possibly the Water Demon.
• Altrouge tugged Roland aside and tried to pay her contract price by slowly revealing her clothing, but Roland explained she owed more because she had used her full power to sense the Marble Phantasm.
• Roland warned Altrouge that Rita could expose her identity as his maid, prompting Altrouge to accept a more intimate way of paying the debt.
• Altrouge became frustrated when the attempt took longer than expected and challenged Roland to experience a true heavenly paradise.
• Altrouge bit Roland hard before he could react.

Roland left Altrouge and Fou to retrieve Rita while he entered the Forest of Einnashe to deal with the Water Demon. There, Lorelei and Smiley’s deadly clash was interrupted when Roland tore through their colliding attacks and appeared before them.

• Altrouge drank deeply from Roland through their Contract, overwhelmed by the blood’s pleasure and power, while Fou watched in disbelief.
• Roland told Altrouge and Fou to retrieve Rita, then left to enter the Forest of Einnashe and confront the Water Demon.
• Lorelei and Smiley fought amid the red moon and the Forest of Einnashe, with Smiley using Marble Phantasm to counter Lorelei’s powerful wind magecraft.
• With her magical energy cut off from the Greater Source, Lorelei prepared to stake her life on a decisive attack, and Smiley agreed to meet her head-on.
• Their spatial rifts and vacuum magecraft collided, but Roland tore through the resulting barrier and greeted the stunned Lorelei.