Stuck in a stalemate while the enemy waits for reinforcements and dances on strings pulled by a mad god, Eirian and her allies seek a way to end the war. Turning to the spirit of her ancestor who faced the same problem, the answer she gains forces Eirian to reconsider everything she thought she knew. Escorted by Celiaen, Aiden, and Galameyvin, they ride north to give her time to prepare for the fight awaiting her return.

Driven back to the army they left by the discovery of enemy siege weapons, Eirian and her companions find more people waiting for them than when they left. Celiaen's father and the army from the mage city arrived, bringing old friends with them. Among them is the future grand mage, Tessa Valkera, a woman with the ability to create solutions. Teaming up with Eirian, she devises a plan to destroy the weapons, and while they do that, they secretly work on a solution to confronting the mad god.

"Don't let them make me into a hero after I die."

While the others try to convince her there is another way, Tessa accepts what Eirian must do to stop the god from setting the world on fire.