At dawn after speaking with Fadrique, Vis lies awake and recalls a formative conversation with his father atop the East Tower. His father argued that no ruler is perfect and condemned the Hierarchy as a system founded on greed, a worldview that has since aligned with Suus’s suffering. The memory steadies Vis and clarifies his moral frame as he prepares to act.

Vis dresses, retrieves Relucia’s stylus, and slips into the tunnels. He copies his notes and adds what he overheard: the senators’ dissatisfaction over the naumachia, mention of the Navisalus, and requests for weapons and Will designs. He breaks the stylus and wipes the slates clean, ensuring no trace of the message remains.

Emissa arrives, teasing him about his appearance before leading him to the beach. Buoyed by last night’s talk with Fadrique, Vis experiences the island with softened grief and participates without forcing himself. When he sits out exercises, Indol joins him and shrewdly confronts him about his familiarity with the palace and the island. Vis concedes a partial truth—that he is from near here—and warns he also keeps secrets; Indol, understanding the implication regarding Emissa, agrees to silence.

Three relatively peaceful weeks follow. Training with Emissa, Indol, and Belli is demanding, especially the advanced Will theory, but Emissa helps Vis catch up. Their relationship becomes open and steady; the group’s jokes fade, and Belli gracefully accepts that Indol is not interested. Vis misses Callidus and Eidhin but keeps focus on improving.

On the last afternoon, Vis visits the harbor tavern alone. Menendo, the barkeep who once threw them out, silently serves a lavish Suus royal-style feast, which Vis eats while watching the sunset. Vis pays with coins from Fadrique’s cache and leaves without words, feeling accepted and grounded. Walking the cliffs back to the palace, he concludes that merely topping Class Four is insufficient; with no weak link in Three, he must do something conspicuous to win advancement as they return to the Academy with less than three months until the Iudicium.