Chapter Summaries

Katz hosted a victory feast for Herbert’s family after Yavi helped defeat Poviss’s forces and captured Frankie. Yavi began telling the gathered guests about a monster hunt in the Skellige Isles, leaving them waiting to hear what happened next.

• Katz’s sons and their families joined Herbert’s family in the drawing room, where they celebrated the day’s battle.
• Katz announced that the victory feast was ready, and everyone moved to the dining hall for a lavish meal.
• Katz welcomed Herbert’s family, praised Yavi for capturing Frankie, and promised he would be rewarded by City Lord Liz.
• Katz called Yavi over and asked him to tell stories about his years as a witcher.
• Yavi described tracking and fighting a siren in the Skellige Isles, then paused at the suspenseful point as the guests urged him to continue.

Yavi entertained the guests at Tuck Fortress with a comic tale of Master Kharkov’s stinking ordeal, then helped the drunken men to bed. The next morning he trained the soldiers and shared breakfast with the women while Katz woke with a hangover.

• Yavi told the banquet guests how Master Kharkov had escaped a sea monster and carried its stench for two weeks, making the hall erupt in laughter.
• Katz and the other men drank themselves unconscious, while Yavi remained steady and helped the servants carry them to their rooms.
• Yavi reassured Maya that witcher training let him handle the wine, then washed and went to bed before dawn.
• Yavi trained with the soldiers in the forecourt until Mel called him back for breakfast with the women.
• Yavi ate a large breakfast with Maya, Mrs. Louis, Lucy, and the other women as Katz shouted about his hangover upstairs.

Maya and Lady Louise arranged a meeting between Lucy and Yavi, while Yavi used White Honey potion to cure the men’s hangovers. Later, Katz and Herbert confronted the captured Frankie, revealing that his attack had started a war and threatening to hang him.

• Lady Louise showed Maya and the others around the castle, then seated Lucy across from Yavi during refreshments.
• Yavi presented Lucy with a mechanical golden rose, and she delightedly accepted it.
• Yavi gave White Honey potion to Katz, his sons, Herbert, and Jace, quickly easing their hangovers.
• Katz, Herbert, Yavi, and Jace visited the imprisoned Frankie, who demanded to know what had happened to his Iron-Treading Battalion.
• Katz and Herbert told Frankie that the surviving battalion members were in the stables and that his undeclared attack had officially started a war.
• Herbert warned Frankie that Lord Liz of St. Thomas would arrive with elite troops, and Katz threatened to hang Frankie from the castle walls.

Yavi used the Axii Sign to make Frankie reveal that Poviss planned to capture Tuck Fortress before the Winter Solstice Festival, with reinforcements arriving in five days. Katz and his allies then planned an ambush on the western plains, where Lord Liz's reinforcements were expected in three days.

• Katz prepared to torture Frankie for information, but Yavi offered to use magic instead.
• Yavi cast the Axii Sign on Frankie, who revealed the plan to capture Tuck Fortress before the Winter Solstice Festival and said the Second Legion would arrive from the west in five days.
• Katz concluded that Lord Liz's reinforcements would arrive in three days, giving them time to prepare an ambush.
• Herbert reported that the enemy reinforcements had chosen the open western plains, and Katz noted their cavalry advantage.
• Jace proposed setting an ambush in the woods, and Herbert and Katz planned to lure the enemy into an encirclement with light cavalry and hidden forces.

Katz and the other lords prepared Tuck Fortress for the expected Poviss reinforcements while Yavi kept his distance from Lucy. City Lord Liz arrived with his army and, after reviewing Katz’s battle report, drew attention to the lord’s son who had captured the enemy commander.

• Katz’s sons William, Robert, and Edward joined the war council, where the leaders refined plans to ambush enemy reinforcements expected in five days.
• Katz toasted Yavi for obtaining intelligence from Frankie, and the fortress increased training and patrols as the attack approached.
• Yavi continued to treat Lucy distantly and told Mel he believed he and Lucy were not suited to each other.
• Liz Maguire arrived at Tuck Fortress with his reinforcements, and the gathered lords assembled in the audience hall.
• Liz praised the lords for answering his call, then asked about the lord’s son who had disrupted enemy forces behind their lines and captured their commander.

At a gathering of Kovir’s lords, Liz rewarded Herbert Morgan, Jace Morgan, and Yavi Morgan for their roles in defending Tuck Fortress. Yavi asked Liz to raise the Morgan Family’s honors, and Liz agreed on the condition that Yavi disrupt the enemy formation in the next battle; the lords then attended Katz’s welcoming banquet.

• Liz awarded Herbert Morgan ten thousand crowns and a year of tax exemption for the Morgan Domain, and gave Jace Morgan two thousand crowns for leading the charge.
• Liz awarded Yavi Morgan five thousand crowns and the right to choose a reward within his authority after Yavi captured the enemy commander.
• Yavi asked Liz to raise the Morgan Family’s honors, and Liz agreed if Yavi threw the enemy ranks into disarray in the next battle.
• Katz announced that the welcoming banquet was ready, and Liz led the gathered lords to the banquet hall.
• Liz and the lords toasted Katz’s hospitality and complete victory in the coming battle before the banquet began.

As Poviss’s army remained inactive outside Tuck Fortress, Liz and his lords chose to celebrate the Winter Solstice Festival while strengthening the defenses. The celebration was interrupted by an urgent message from the old steward, whose contents were not revealed.

• Reinforcements from Poviss camped on the western plain without advancing, and Liz debated whether to attack before the festival.
• Herbert advised Liz to hold position and let the soldiers celebrate, so Liz ordered the festival to proceed with triple guards at every post.
• Liz received daily reports that the Poviss camp remained silent while Yavi trained and spent time with his mother.
• Yavi joined Herbert, his mother, Liz, and the lords for the Winter Solstice banquet at Tuck Fortress.
• Liz asked Yavi why the enemy remained silent, but the old steward whispered an urgent message to Katz, and the banquet fell quiet.

During Liz’s Winter Solstice banquet, a Poviss envoy revealed himself as a witcher and trapped the guests inside a magical barrier before attacking Liz. The witcher was hurled into a wall by a sudden blast, leaving the source of the attack unknown.

• Katz told Liz that Poviss had sent a lone envoy with a letter and a wooden box.
• The envoy entered the banquet hall and presented Liz with the letter and box.
• Liz opened the box, and its purple light formed an impenetrable barrier around the hall.
• The envoy revealed his witcher armor and disguise, then attacked the unarmed Liz.
• A deafening blast struck the witcher and threw him into a stone wall.

Yavi revealed himself as a School of the Wolf witcher and fought a School of the Cat assassin inside a barrier while the nobles watched. After the crowd cheered him on, the assassin saw an opening and thrust toward Yavi’s unprotected side.

• Yavi shed his noble attire, revealed his School of the Wolf armor, and warned the others to protect the women and stay back.
• Yavi and the cat witcher exchanged Signs, poisoned weapons, and sword attacks, and Yavi damaged the assassin’s steel blade with his silver sword.
• The cat witcher cut Yavi’s shoulder, attacked through poisonous smoke, and pressed him into an apparent retreat.
• Amy, Mel, and the assembled nobles cheered for Yavi, briefly disrupting the cat witcher’s concentration.
• The cat witcher spotted Yavi’s exposed right side and thrust at his abdomen, but something changed just as the sword neared his armor.

Yavi fought the School of the Cat witcher, overpowering him after the assassin used potions and tried to bribe him. The witcher then sprang a freezing-bomb trap as Yavi charged, leaving the outcome unresolved.

• Yavi shattered the School of the Cat witcher's Quen shield and struck him with an Aard-enhanced punch.
• The School of the Cat witcher threw a Grapeshot Bomb toward the crowd, but Yavi intercepted it before it landed.
• The School of the Cat witcher drank potions and attacked at enhanced speed, forcing Yavi to retreat until Yavi's strength surged and he disarmed him.
• The School of the Cat witcher offered Yavi gold and proposed killing the nobles, but Yavi rejected the offer and charged at him.
• The School of the Cat witcher threw a freezing bomb and prepared Igni, expecting to trap Yavi in ice.

Yavi defeated and captured the School of the Cat witcher who attacked the Winter Solstice Festival, then attended the nobles’ morning council as they planned a response to Poviss. He warned that questioning the assassin would likely reveal nothing, leaving the nobles to consider their next move.

• Yavi’s left hand nullified the witcher’s freezing magic, and Yavi severed his arm and knocked him unconscious with an Aard-charged punch.
• Yavi bound the assassin and secured dimeritium shackles around his legs while Herbert, Jace, and Maya checked on Yavi’s injuries.
• Lord Liz ordered the assassin taken to the lowest dungeon level under heavy guard and ended the gathering for the night.
• The next morning, Lord Liz praised Yavi before the nobles and opened a discussion about how to respond to Poviss.
• Katz called for the nobles to extract information from the assassin, but Yavi argued that the hired witcher would know little and resist Signs used to control his mind.

Yavi convinced Lord Liz to launch a surprise attack on the Poviss army and agreed to sow chaos behind its lines. He led the assault by unleashing a towering fiery tornado that tore through the enemy camp.

• Yavi proposed attacking Poviss before its forces could respond to the failed assassination, and the lords supported him.
• Lord Liz approved the attack and ordered Yavi, Herbert, and Jace to coordinate with his central army.
• Liz assigned the First Corps to flank the enemy and the heavy cavalry to break through the center while Yavi struck behind the lines.
• Lady Maya urged Yavi to return safely before Liz's army advanced toward the Poviss camp.
• Yavi charged through the enemy defenses and combined Igni with Aard to create a fiery tornado that devastated the Poviss camp.

Yavi helped turn the battle against Poviss into a decisive victory, then broke into the command tent and captured a young nobleman. Liz recognized the captive as Alphonse Dodge, the King of Poviss's youngest son.

• Liz ordered the allied cavalry and infantry to charge as Yavi's fire tornado devastated the enemy formations.
• Yavi fought past four bodyguards at the command tent, using an Axii Sign to make one attack his companions.
• Yavi found a terrified young nobleman hiding beneath a table, knocked him unconscious, and carried him from the tent.
• Yavi ordered the Axii-controlled bodyguard to kill himself and crossed the fallen battlefield with the captive.
• Liz, Herbert, and Jace met Yavi, and Liz identified the captive as Alphonse Dodge, the King of Poviss's youngest son.

After capturing Alphonse Dodge, Liz brought him to Tuck Fortress and announced plans to escort him to Pontar as a hostage and seek peace negotiations. He invited Herbert’s family to accompany him to the royal capital so Yavi could receive the king’s commendation, and they prepared to depart at dawn.

• Yavi asked what to do with the unconscious royal prisoner, and Liz decided to take Alphonse Dodge to the royal capital as a hostage.
• Herbert, Jace, and Yavi reunited with Maya and Amy at Tuck Fortress before Liz summoned the lords to a council meeting.
• Liz revealed that Yavi had captured Alphonse, third son of the King of Poviss, and announced he would escort him to Pontar the next morning.
• Liz placed Earl Katz in command of the army while he was away and ordered the lords to continue defending the border.
• Liz told Herbert that his family would accompany him to the capital so Yavi could receive recognition from King Baldwin Thyssen.
• Herbert embraced Jace and Yavi after the meeting, excited about their coming audience with the king.

Liz led Herbert, Jace, Yavi, and Herbert’s family from Tuck Fortress to the Pontar Royal Capital, where they entered the inner keep. The party arrived safely, but Yavi sensed something as they crossed into the royal grounds.

• Liz’s party departed Tuck Fortress after Katz asked Herbert to mention him to Yavi before the king.
• On the road, Liz explained royal audience etiquette, and Yavi said his teacher had taught him through stories about court life.
• After three days, the party reached the Pontar Royal Capital, and Liz entered with a few dozen guards while the army camped outside.
• Liz led Herbert and his family through the city and into the inner keep after presenting his badge.
• Liz assigned Herbert’s family guest rooms, while Yavi noticed the attendants moved with unusual quietness.

Yavi settled into the royal castle with his family, but his Witcher Senses revealed signs of hidden magic and suspicious observers. The chapter ended with him meditating in witcher armor, alert to footsteps in the corridor and waiting for danger.

• Yavi sensed a pulse of magic hidden deep within the inner keep's foundations while exploring his new room.
• At lunch, Yavi noticed a suspiciously angled mirror and a cook who appeared to be recording observations, then searched the dining room with his Witcher Senses.
• Yavi spent a peaceful afternoon with his family and showed Amy a butterfly made of light.
• At dinner, Yavi spotted several strangers watching Herbert and his family, and he stayed vigilant while concealing his suspicions.
• Yavi changed into witcher armor and meditated through the night, listening for unusual footsteps in the castle.

Yavi killed a group of attackers who tried to break into his family’s rooms, then told his family that their orders had come through a secret network using the code name “Black Mamba.” The mastermind remained unknown, but Yavi believed the attack meant his family had threatened someone powerful in the royal capital.

• Yavi caught armed men outside his family’s rooms and silently killed them in the corridor.
• Yavi used an Axii Sign on the last attacker but learned nothing, then returned to his room while his family slept.
• A maid discovered the bodies in the morning, and the guards secured the corridor as Jace kept his family away from the scene.
• Herbert questioned Yavi, who admitted killing the attackers because they had approached the family’s doors with knives.
• Yavi told his family that the attackers had received secret letters under the code name “Black Mamba” and had never seen their mastermind.
• Yavi concluded that the attackers’ willingness to strike in the royal capital meant his family had hurt someone powerful.

After surviving an assassination attempt in the royal capital, Herbert, Jace, and Yavi met King Baldwin Thyssen, who rewarded their service and ordered them to remain in the city while the investigation continued. Yavi was assigned guarded lodgings in the White Tower District.

• Lord Liz arrived and told Herbert, Jace, and Yavi that King Baldwin Thyssen had summoned them; Yavi gave Mel a bomb and a defensive ring for her protection.
• Liz led Herbert, Jace, and Yavi to the audience hall, where they met the king and a purple-robed sorcerer.
• The king granted Herbert the title of Guardian of the Border, territory, tax exemption, and judicial immunity, while Jace received permission to train with the Boren Knights.
• Yavi declined a personal reward and dedicated his honor to his family, so the king promoted Herbert to viscount and promised royal subsidies for developing Fislo.
• The king apologized for the attack, announced martial law and an investigation, and ordered the group to remain in the royal capital.
• The king assigned Yavi to stay in the White Tower District under elite guard protection, and Liz accepted responsibility for arranging their lodgings.

After the Morgan Family celebrated Herbert’s new title and Jace’s place in the Boren Knights, Peter Griffin visited Yavi to explain why Black Mamba had targeted him. Peter offered protection if Yavi accepted the Aretuza Academy of Sorcery’s supervision and refrained from using magic before enrolling.

• Herbert celebrated becoming a viscount, while Jace celebrated joining the Boren Knights after graduation.
• The Morgan Family moved into their new accommodations in the White Tower District and gathered in Herbert’s suite.
• Peter Griffin arrived with Liz and told Yavi that Black Mamba’s assassins had only meant to warn him.
• Peter explained that unaffiliated spellcasters who interfere in wars risk being taken in or eliminated by the academy of sorcery.
• Peter told Yavi that Sicco Jett and Loriess’s connections made him a prospective student at Aretuza Academy of Sorcery.
• Peter promised that Black Mamba would leave the family alone if Yavi accepted academy supervision and avoided major magical interference before enrolling.

Peter revealed that Yavi’s capture of the youngest prince had been arranged to target Sicco Jett’s faction after Yavi’s battlefield magic exposed him as a wild wizard. Yavi needed five high-ranking sorcerers to guarantee his admission to the Academy, and Peter left to seek help while Yavi waited for news.

• Yavi said he needed to consult Master Sicco Jett before deciding, but Peter explained that the prince’s capture and the assassin’s attack had been staged to put pressure on Sicco Jett’s faction.
• Peter told Yavi that the Council of Sorcerers had learned of his magic and that he risked being abandoned and killed as a wild wizard.
• Yavi asked how to join the Academy of Sorcerers, and Peter said he needed joint guarantees from five recognized high-ranking sorcerers.
• Peter offered himself, Sicco Jett, Loriess, and a former student of Sicco Jett as possible guarantors, but said finding a fifth would be difficult.
• Peter ended Yavi’s winter break and left to speak with Sicco Jett and Loriess, telling Yavi to wait for word.