The Kingdom of Tūrān decides to take advantage of Pars's moment of weakness to invade Peshawar. In order to protect Peshawar, Arslan has to turn his army back. Meanwhile, Gieve intercepts Hermes in his search for a royal sword. Something strange is occurring in Ecbatana.

Andragoras escapes from Ecbatana, taking Tahamine with him. King Tokhtomysh of Turan arrives to lead a second attempt to capture Peshawar, this time executing several civilians in order to provoke Arslan and draw him into open combat. However, Tokhtomysh is forced to flee after underestimating the Parsians and is killed by his own son for his cowardice. Once Andragoras arrives at Peshawar, he relieves Arslan from the command of the Parsian army, and orders that his son must not return unless he gathers another fifty thousand soldiers, a decision that is compared to sending him to exile.

While tracking down the knights who stole the sacred sword, Hilmes has a brief encounter with Irina, a former princess who was close to him in the past. Meanwhile, Arslan begins his journey alone by his father's decree, but Daryun, Narsus and the rest of his closest retainers challenge Andragoras' orders and escape from Peshawar to accompany him.

Arslan's party arrives at the port city of Gilan in search of the reinforcements they need. In the occasion, Narsus meets his old friend Shagard and learns, much to his disappointment, that he is not the same idealist man he used to be. During a meeting with Viceroy Pelagius, Arslan is informed that Gilan is being harassed by pirates, when an incoming merchant ship is attacked by them, and some members of the party rush to their aid.

After driving away the pirates, Arslan and his comrades make friends with Grahze, the captain of the ship they saved, and they join forces to expose Pelagius' schemes of fraud and embezzlement towards the Royalty. Once Pelagius is removed from power, Arslan assumes temporary rule over Gilan. Soon after, the pirates launch an attack on the city, but are defeated thanks to another of Narsus' stratagems.

In Ecbatana, Guiscard confines Innocentius VII to his room, assuming command of the Lusitanian forces. To dispose of his brother, he involves Etoile and Irina in a plan to kill him that fails, and orders both to be executed, but Hilmes appear to intervene, breaking his ties with Lusitania in the occasion.

Shagard, the mastermind behind the pirates, devises a scheme to lure out Arslan's retainers in order to assume control of Gilan, but Narsus, having already grasped his intentions, outsmarts him with his own plan and confronts Shagard directly, bringing him to justice afterwards. After Arslan sentences Shagard to one year of slavery for his crimes, Etoile reunites with the prince, asking for his help in order to save King Innocentius.

After shaking off their pursuers, Hilmes and his men track down the Lusitanian forces that stole the treasured sword and retrieve it. He then decides to launch an attack on Ecbatana in sequence. Meanwhile, Andragoras sets off with his army to retake the city as well, and upon knowing about this fact, Arslan answers to Etoile's plea and departs there with his forces, despite knowing that he may be forced to confront his own father in the occasion. As the three armies converge at the capital, Guiscard refuses to concede, and sends the Lusitanian Army against the forces of Andragoras, who arrives first.