Arslan and his party head for the port city of Gilan to the south and get a lay of the land as they begin their attempt to assemble an army of 50 thousand men as King Andragoras ordered.

Arslan continues his quest to raise an army of 50 thousand, as well as the capital required to fund such an army. His immediate obstacle is the suspiciously obsequious Viceroy of Gilan, Pelagius.

Back in Ecbatana, Guiscard is sorely regretting leaving Andragoras alive long enough to escape and is determined that he will not make the same mistake again.

The bulk of Arslan's people set out for an uninhabited island in search of hidden treasure, but back in Gilan, there is still the unresolved matter of the mastermind behind the pirates.

With the arrival of Étoile and Merlane, Arslan learns of the situation in Ecbatana. And while he is still far short of amassing an army of 50 thousand, he must decide whether to act upon this information or not.