On the Shattered Plains, Sadeas basks in the Thrill after a raid, though he finds such hunts increasingly hollow. Amaram arrives with a gemheart, criticizing the off-rotation strike and failed deniability. Sadeas, dismissing pretense, declares his intent to rule by force. He orders a return and, noting bold Parshendi scouts, sends archers to disperse them.

Meeting Highprince Hatham’s arriving force, Sadeas hurls the gemheart at Hatham’s feet, feigning nonchalance and muddying claims of greed. He departs to attend Adolin’s duel, brooding on age, power, and the only immortality he accepts—conquest.

In the arena, Ialai joins Sadeas and reports the recent sabotage of Elhokar’s balcony. They consider suspects and the risks of invoking Sadeas’s title as Highprince of Information, since Dalinar declared himself Highprince of War. Ialai proposes seeding doubts about Dalinar’s unwillingness to share authority; Sadeas plans to wait, then publicly renounce his title at the moment of maximum damage.

Watching Adolin face Eranniv, Sadeas discerns that Adolin is deliberately fighting below his ability to lure challengers. Adolin wins narrowly, stoking the crowd. Impressed, Sadeas decides to stop discouraging challengers, intending to let Adolin’s hotheadedness be used. He instructs Ialai to involve Ruthar on future raids and reflects that, even had Dalinar seen the world as Sadeas does, they would still be enemies.