Timeline

1. Rozdział

Janusz Magnuszewski, owner of a hidden magical antiquarian bookstore in Zielona Góra, receives a visit from high-ranking magician Dominik Krajewski, who reveals a hidden world of magic, grants Janusz citizenship, and enlists him to investigate brutal murders by summoned demons linked to a Nazi-era portal, amid rivalries with witch Roza Seider. As Janusz grapples with his latent powers, father's secrets, and new alliances—including with policewoman Franciszka Kunicka and local mage Hans Jeschke—he consults grimoires, convenes wary citizens, and uncovers a posthumous message urging him to activate the Deep World's portal. The chapter shifts from the cozy, illusion-veiled shop to tense meetings in hotels, post offices, and palm houses, blending nostalgic wonder with mounting dread of ancient threats resurfacing.

2. Rozdział

The narrator activates his magical seal, marked by a crack possibly tied to his father's death, and begins marking the city's magical nodes through trial and error, succeeding at historic sites like the city walls and House of Estates while bonding with policewoman Fran over beer and strategy amid vandalism threats from rival Roz Seider. He discovers his father's holographic projection in the 'Liber monstrorum,' gains guidance to assert dominance by closing the portal to unauthorized users, confronts the magical community in the Palm House, and—after surviving an assassination attempt by Jeschke's thugs—executes Senatus-approved retribution, stripping the conspirators of their magic and claiming their power. Set in Zielona Góra's blend of modern streets and medieval undercurrents, the chapter shifts from frustrated experimentation and wary camaraderie to triumphant authority, laced with grim resolve and visceral horror.

3. Rozdział

The protagonist trains rigorously under his father's magical program, discusses the burdens of magical politics and impending judgeship with Fran, and uses a curse of impotence to coerce the captured Bramkarze into confessing, revealing a threat against her. He negotiates with High Council representative Krajewski to accept the role of judge for Zielona Góra (Mons Viridis) in exchange for protection and Fran's citizenship, confronts a crime boss to neutralize her attackers with magical display, and successfully recruits a group of 25 mages led by Locator de Vries as loyal settlers by insisting on mutual defense oaths, solidifying his authority amid rising power and moral qualms. The chapter shifts from domestic settings to prison, council chambers, a rural mansion, and his home, evoking a tense, pragmatic tone laced with wary ambition and the intoxicating pull of magic.

4. Rozdział

In a tense chapter set in the magical enclave of Mons Viridis amid brewing geopolitical strife with the Russo-Mongol khanate, the protagonist negotiates an alliance with the capable mage Catherine Piccardi, experiments with binding potions, and bonds with police officer Fran over shared magical pursuits and personal revelations. Tensions escalate with the discovery of a wounded Ukrainian witch and slain attackers, culminating in a brutal invasion by Mongolian magi that tests the citizens' defenses; the protagonist unleashes a rare 'furor magicus' in berserker fury, buying time until Republic reinforcements led by the elusive Krajewski arrive, though at the cost of lives including brave Hannah. Amid betrayals exposed—like local witch Roza Seider's treachery, punished by a grim field tribunal—the hero emerges transformed, grappling with political intrigue from factions like the Atramentowa Liga and a mysterious ancient document from his father heralding a Venetian strega's arrival, all suffused with a tone of mounting dread, raw violence, and reluctant heroism.

5. Rozdział

The protagonist endures a harrowing first trip through the portal to the Deep World, suffering severe allergic reactions but is rescued by Catherine, who explains its dangers and political factions; back home, he crafts an elixir from Deep World soil using his father's guidance, enhancing his magic and enabling a second, more successful expedition where, with Venetia's aid, he harvests rare wood. Venetia, a powerful mage under illusion hiding her beauty, moves into a spatial pocket in his home, assists in creating potent Odin-blessed wands distributed to Mons Viridis citizens, boosting his prestige amid tense community meetings and strategic talks with the military magister about garrisons and courts. The emotional tone shifts from panic and exhaustion to growing confidence and camaraderie, set against the oppressive Deep World and the protagonist's evolving magical household in Zielona Góra.

6. Rozdział

The protagonist ventures alone into the Deep World, survives a brutal attack by a 'prairie dog' creature, sustains a severe leg wound, and receives aid from soldier Agata Nikas, who treats him, shares insights on gods like Odin and Mitra, and warns of threats while bonding over magical beer. During recovery, he deepens ties with allies like Fran (gaining citizenship) and Venetia (initiating rigorous training in the alien world of higher gravity and blue-tinged flora under a massive orange sun), manages Mons Viridis' defenses and bureaucracy, and presides over a tense trial where both Lucia Terentia (guilty of forbidden erotic charm) and Marco Angelini (guilty of excessive force) receive 600 hours of community service, earning enemies. The chapter culminates in his ambush by masked assailants after observing the penitents, shifting from triumphant growth to perilous vulnerability amid a tone of gritty determination laced with looming dread.

7. Rozdział

Recovering from a brutal assault by Julia Scrybonia and her thugs, the protagonist awakens to discover Agata Nikas, his father's secret guardian from childhood, nursing him and plotting vigilante justice against his attackers, while Krajewski subtly hints at their punishment. Agata accelerates his healing with brutal elixirs and drags him to the perilous Deep World for survival training—hunting crystal-wolves, etching runes, and forging strength amid constant danger—transforming his frailty into budding power, shadowed by revelations of a binding marriage contract with Venetia. Back home, amid rigorous drills and a lucrative deal for a rare Picatrix grimoire that aids a desperate widow, the emotional tone shifts from feverish vulnerability and cold rage to wary resolve, as he steels for magical duels in a medieval-minded republic.

8. Rozdział

In the Deep World, the protagonist trains magic with Venetia, inventing powerful combat spells like a spectral tiger amid grueling sessions, then leads Rupert, Catherine, and Joanna on an expedition to harvest acacia wood, where they survive a demon ambush orchestrated by a masked assassin from the Red Fists, revealing city intrigue. Back in Mons Viridis, he manages senatorial duties by denazifying the city and granting citizenship to policewoman Fran, whose portal ordeal tests her resilience, while confronting betrayals culminates in a failed raid on ex-citizen Marianna Werdini, found murdered, followed by an ambush on his team. Amid rising tensions from Julia's smears and political factions, the protagonist hardens into a determined leader, blending frustration, resolve, and wary optimism in a tone of escalating peril and political machinations.

9. Rozdział

In a series of escalating magical duels at Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Ianus Magnus defeats Julia Scrybonia and Lucia Terentia using innovative elemental spells, but his victory over a substitute swordsman, Alessandro Medici, leads to exile in the perilous Deep World on a scouting mission against Mongolian forces. There, after neutralizing treacherous companions and surviving capture and torture by warlord Koschei the Immortal, he is rescued by his ruthless half-brother, the Bloody Wolf, revealing hidden family protections and dark magical secrets. The chapter shifts from triumphant arenas to brutal steppes and swamps, tracing Ianus's transformation from naive victor to hardened survivor amid paranoia, moral erosion, and dawning resilience.

10. Rozdział

After enduring a grueling interrogation by the High Council and a tense confrontation with Maestro Alessandro of the Medici clan, who reveals his father's death was an assassination and extracts a promise to spare Tabardi in exchange, the protagonist grapples with resurfacing trauma and retreats to Mons Viridis. There, he consults his father's magical projection for guidance on reverse magic, family secrets, and combating invading guślarze—low-level sorcerers using children for crime—leading to a brutal capture, trial, and severe punishment that solidifies his authority amid a darkening, intrigue-laden tone. Deepening his bond with Venetia through shared perils, access to his father's alchemical lab, and a passionate engagement, he plans a risky expedition to the Deep World for herbs to boost the city's prestige, marking his evolution from reluctant judge to resolute leader in a world of political peril and moral ambiguity.

11. Rozdział

In a tense town hall meeting in Mons Viridis, the protagonist rallies citizens for a perilous expedition to the mystical Green Mountain in the Deep World, promising power-enhancing secrets despite risks of demons and bandits; skepticism gives way to a group of 23 armed mages who trek through steppes, set traps, and uncover traitor Oskar Runecki. Betrayed and ambattacked by elite 'Trupiarze' mages, they form a defensive shield, summon aid from the protagonist's brother Wilk, and barely reach the ancient city, where the protagonist and new wife Venetia sacrifice blood to activate protective wards amid a massive siege by Mongol hordes and high-order demons. The emotional tone shifts from ambitious optimism to grim realism and desperate resolve, culminating in relief as Republic forces and elite allies shatter the enemy, though Venetia teeters on death's edge.

Słowniczek i ciekawostki

This chapter, set in the culturally rich context of Zielona Góra (Territorio Grunenbergensi), consists entirely of extensive footnotes and annotations elucidating historical, linguistic, and cultural references from Roman antiquity to modern Polish history, including coinage like the aureus, titles such as magister militum praesentalis, and local landmarks like the sculpture of a boy with a foal. There are no key plot events or character developments, as it functions as a scholarly appendix rather than narrative progression, with settings evoked through etymological and architectural notes on the city's Roman-inspired magical republic. The emotional tone is erudite and nostalgic, blending pride in historical depth with wry commentary on forgotten figures like Karl von Holtei and symbols of communist privilege.