Crossing the Sea of Quus, Vis sees Caten’s sprawling, Will-shaped skyline—vast mansions, temples, arches, and moving machines—and feels both awe and dread at the power of his enemies. Ulciscor, sensing Vis’s distraction, holds off on heavy instruction while Vis mentally audits his past statements after the Transvect attack and fixates on Sedotia’s ultimatum, concluding he must attend a naumachia during the Festival of Jovan despite the risk.

As they approach, Ulciscor boasts of the city’s size and arena capacity, and outlines the immediate plan: the Transvect will dock in the Praedium District, after which they will travel by carriage to the Sarcinian estates. Ulciscor reiterates that Vis will avoid the Academy for now, training for two months under Sextus Lanistia while Ulciscor returns to the capital, a choice that strikes Vis as cautious but curiously hands-off.

They land among warehouses and crowded wharves, where Ulciscor’s status and tinted Sextus-grade glasses clear a path. Marius, the trusted driver for Ulciscor’s client Sextus Tohrius, ushers them into a curtained carriage to preserve Vis’s anonymity as an abruptly adopted Telimus. Ulciscor recommends rest; Vis sleeps as they rattle out of the city.

By mid-afternoon they crest into Sarcinia’s lush farmland, where Octavii and Will-powered machines work olive groves, orchards, and wheat. Ulciscor warns of brigands troubling the roads; Marius declines hospitality, needing to return to Caten, and departs once his job is done.

At Villa Telimus, Sextus Lanistia confronts Ulciscor over the unprepared house and his late arrival, projecting stern control and clear expectations. When Ulciscor credits Vis with saving his life during the Transvect attack, Lanistia softens, accepts Vis, and leads them inside. Ulciscor welcomes Vis to the estate, sealing the plan for discreet, intensive training while Ulciscor soon resumes senatorial duties—and as Vis quietly schemes how to navigate Sedotia’s looming naumachia demand.