Chapter Fifty-Six

Sora, Mikail, Euyn, Gambria, and Lyria arrive in Loptra near midnight after two days on the road. Euyn obsesses that Royo and Aeri will betray them by delivering the Ring to King Joon, but Sora doubts him. Exhausted, Sora wrestles with guilt over showing mercy to a guard and questions whether mercy is a luxury she can afford.

At the stable, Mikail insists on tending Euyn’s serious leg wound before moving on, but Euyn pushes to leave immediately for Quu. Sora surprisingly supports departing at once—not from distrust of Aeri and Royo, but to shorten her sister Daysum’s suffering in the pleasure houses and to improve Ty’s chances in Idle.

When Gambria addresses Euyn by name, Mikail realizes they have concealed the prince’s identity. He introduces Euyn in Khitanese as the Crown Prince of Yusan, shocking both Gambria and Lyria. Pressed for a reason to have saved him, Mikail states the plan plainly: they intend to kill King Joon, ideally with Quilimar’s help.

Gambria and Lyria exchange a tense, wordless debate, revealing deep bonds and conflicting loyalties. After a private talk with Mikail, Gambria agrees to accompany the group to Quu, citing her past with Quilimar as potentially useful if Royo and Aeri failed. Lyria is upset by the decision and storms off, while Gambria steels herself to go.

Resolute, the group prepares to bathe, change, and depart immediately for Vashney en route to Quu. Sora accepts the growing cost to others, believing that sometimes losing everything is the price of getting what she wants: saving Daysum and striking back at Seok and King Joon.