Try as he might, Prince Wein can't seem to fail. He wants to sell off his kingdom and disappear, but his brilliant decisions keep getting in the way. After he gets the empire to fund and train his troops, a string of victories only complicates his plans.

Back home after Natra's victory, Wein's sweet dream is dashed by reality. He must lead the defense of the mine they captured, but will his tactics work? Fyshe discovers a secret about Wein's past. Bad news arrives from Marden but with a sliver of hope.

Wein's dream about his academy days comes to life with a visitor. Lowa's marriage proposal catches him off guard, and he wonders what she's up to. He's again caught off guard by her power move. Lowa dreams about a talk she had with Wein about the future.

Lowa and Wein's strategic dance heats up when a secret letter leads to a surprise visit from a suitor. But when it ends in the worst possible way, Wein and Lowa must salvage their plan to save the empire. Will they pull victory out of the jaws of defeat?

After Geralt's freak accident, Wein visits Marquess Antgadull, who denies the rebellion plot. Wein is attacked but not by Antgadull, and his man on the inside foils a separate plot. Pursued by Antgadull, Wein flees but has another ace up his sleeve.

Wein heads to Cavarin for the Festival of the Spirit, but it is a perilous journey with Mardenian remnants in the borderlands and rebellious lords at home. In Marden, Wein forges an unlikely alliance, but the intrigue goes into overdrive in Cavarin.