At dawn on the beach below the palace cliffs, Vis declines swimming with Emissa and Indol while Belli also stays ashore. The familiar shoreline triggers grief as Vis recalls dragging his sister Cari’s body from the water and releasing her to the sea. Seeking connection, he chats with Belli about Foundation but conceals his own skill.

Vis probes Belli about Callidus (Ericius), prompting Belli to tense and disparage him as unworthy of a Seventh. Vis counters that Callidus is smarter than she thinks, while noticing Belli closely watching his reactions. The exchange leaves Vis reassessing Belli’s motives and his earlier assumption about any romantic link between her and Callidus.

Fadrique arrives to shepherd the group into town for breakfast at Indol’s father’s suggestion. Emissa quietly invites Vis to sneak out after dinner to swim; he declines, intending to verify the tunnels ahead of the summit. On the walk, Emissa points out Belli pressing close to Indol, who looks uncomfortable, and she pulls Indol back from escalating when tensions later rise.

In Suus, Vis observes expanded trade and the dulled energy of Octavii citizens. At a harbor tavern that once bore the royal insignia, the innkeeper Menendo confronts Fadrique, refuses service, and condemns “the invasion” and the hanging of Suus’s king and family. Vis nearly loses composure but remains unrecognized; the other patrons’ stony support isolates Fadrique, who retreats after Menendo’s cold “Get out.”

Outside, Fadrique accepts blame and redirects the students to a Catenan-run shop. Their outrage fades into discussion of training priorities, with Vis’s opinions largely dismissed as those of a Fourth. Despite that, Vis draws strength from the town’s quiet defiance and, for the first time since returning, feels a small sense of being home.