Chapter Sixty-Six

Mikail narrates as war drums shake the Palace of the Sky King, signaling Khitan is under attack. Messengers confirm Yusanian and Gayan forces at the borders. Quilimar prioritizes sending Prince Calstor to safety and summons General Vikal to the war room, while Mikail notes the troubling absence of Wei’s usually swift navy.

As Quilimar departs, she orders the delegation detained for attempted assassination, criminality, and suspected murders. Mikail realizes their treaty protections are thin and that he is vulnerable without Yusanian status or weapons. Panic rises as he weighs futile resistance against endangering his companions.

Euyn interrupts by proposing a wager to Quilimar: test his legitimacy by letting him attempt to wield the Golden Ring of Khitan. Quilimar mocks his parentage, and Euyn escalates, insulting her to provoke acceptance. The hall falls silent as the stakes become clear—Euyn will risk his life for the chance to claim the relic.

Pressed before gathered nobility, Quilimar accepts the terms: if Euyn turns the egg to solid gold with the ring, he keeps the relic and his head; if he fails, she may kill him. Euyn adds that the rest must go free, and Quilimar, stung by his taunts, agrees. Mikail realizes too late that Euyn intends to sacrifice himself to save the others.

The scene ends with Euyn’s quiet farewell to Mikail, underscoring the wager’s deadly stakes as war closes in and the question of Wei’s absence lingers.