Among the three mineral-rich territories Ambrose had previously investigated, one belonged to the Skinner Duke, a lord who worshiped the Mistress of Pain, Levitra.2

The title of "Skinner Duke" carried exceptional prestige among the neighboring lords and meant that he stood a cut above his peers.2

He was no self-styled noble. The title belonged to an ancient family whose lineage stretched back several centuries. They had once ruled within a small duchy—a nation with a sparse population, but one in which every citizen worshiped the Mistress of Pain.0

Levitra was a deity of boundless ambition and ceaseless aggression. From that alone, one could easily imagine the character of a country that revered her.0

Eventually, that country was annihilated by the Lyon Empire.0

The Skinner Duke fled with his family's wealth and a handful of surviving kin. He settled in Alkhemia, where he purchased a new territory and continued to style himself a duke.0

Alkhemia...0