After being newly appointed as Pasha, Mahmut spends some time at a festival with his friend, Ibrahim, and meets Shara, a dancer who Ibrahim is friends with. The next day, Mahmut is called into the Divan to discuss the Balt-Rhein Empire's demands after an empire minister, Franz, is found dead at Türkiye's border. One Pasha, Zağanos, knows this a ploy for the empire to invade Türkiye and proposes a preemptive strike at them.

Mahmut and the Divan are informed that Hisar village is rebelling against Türkiye with the Araba Tribe and that Ibrahim is leading it since he is Hisar's Vali. As Hisar falls under his jurisdiction, Zağanos takes responsibility to stop the rebellion with his troops, knowing Balt-Rhein will use the rebellion as an opportunity to invade. Using Araba clothes to blend in, Mahmut and Shara goes to Hisar to investigate and discover that Ibrahim is being force to obey the empire's agents, Röd Orm, and the Araba Tribe because they are holding Hisar citizens hostage in an oil-soaked tent.

Outside Hisar, Lelederik and Glalat grow impatient and plan to act on their own, killing the Röd Orm agent with them so he does not interfere. With 40,000 Arabas on their way, Zağanos contemplates on using poison to stop them. Inside Hisar, the Arabas question a Röd Orm agent, Eleanor, who threatens to burn the hostages and make the Araba Tribe take the blame. On Mahmut's orders, Shara cuts some of the robes off the oil-soaked tent, allowing Iskender (Mahmut's golden eagle) and a large flock of eagles to lift the tent off and free the hostages.

After having a nightmare of the Tuğril tribe massacre, Mahmut returns to his hometown, which been rebuilt since its destruction. After paying his respect to the dead, Mahmut uses Zağanos's Pyramis charm at the village's water shrine and comes into contact with the spy, Barbaros. He explains to Mahmut how the spy network works and that Türkiye spies has been getting killed by Röd Orm on Louis's orders. Barbaros directs him to meet the spy network's chief, Süleyman, who is a survivor of the Tuğril tribe. Süleyman tells Mahmut his background, how he met Zağanos, and how he became the chief of the spy network.

Mahmut and Kyros learn the reason for Venedik's abandonment of Phoiníkē was to avoid making an enemy out of Balt-Rhein. While they accuse Doge Lucio for betraying the pact, Lucio pragmatically explains the loophole in the alliance and that they are willing to conduct business with the empire to continue to use the Phoiníkē's crystals for their trade.

Days after Phoiníkē's fall, the Türkiye Stratocracy and its vassals states (Mızrak, Balta, Biçki, and Kiliç) gather at the Divan to vote to make war preparations against Balt-Rhein. However, all the sultans of the four stratocracies voted against the collaboration, much to Zağanos's frustration, who wants to get rid of the sultans. Another Pasha, Tesisat-Kapı Saruça, believes that the Sultanates are showing defiance because they are unsatisfied with their unequal rights. In the Mızrak stratocracy, Mahmut and company are in Liman city and visit the water shrine to figure out what is going in Mızrak after seeing a weapons dealer around the town.

With Röd Orm's presence in Mızrak, Mahmut deduces Louis is behind the four stratocracies' opposition of Türkiye. After fighting off Röd Orm and evading the Mızrak Cavalry, Mahmut and his group meet up with Süleyman, Beyazit, and Ayşe. Süleyman relays Mahmut the Divan's orders to start a rebellion against the current sultans and replace them with new rulers that will support the Greater Türkiye federation. The group travels to the Biçki Stratocracy's capital and finds that there are wanted posters for them.

Traveling to the commercial city-state Argyros, Mahmut attempts to get permission from Rohmonov, one of the "Three Great Merchants" who rules the city, to conduct trade with the eastern part Rumeliana. However, Rohmonov denies Mahmut, as getting involved in politics goes against the merchant law. At the market, Mahmut and co. see Niki Al-Bahram, a young girl whose merchant father recently passed away and has inherited his trading license, being dismissed by her father's former workers and business partners.

At Balt-Rhein, Louis, Emperor Goldbalt IX, and their advisers prepare to take over the Centro city-states, despite the protests from Adviser Duke Eisenstein and General Corentin Pineau. At the Centro, Venedik notice that their rival nation, Republic of L'isonlani, was seen violating the secret pact between the eleven Centro nations by aiding the empire's navy ships from pirate attacks.

Caterina explains to Mahmut and co. that the Cuore Alliance will remain neutral and forbids the Turkish army to pass through their territories before Süleyman reveals that Balt-Rhein's victory over Scoglio and their declaration to conquer the old Phoiníkē Empire territories. However, the Cuore leaders are skeptical and has Mahmut and co. thrown in prison, but their spies soon arrive with news that confirms the Turks' words. Knowing that the Cuore Alliance are not equipped to fight the empire, Caterina releases Mahmut's group and grants them passage for the Turkish army.

As the fighting begins, the Balt-Rhein army learns that the Lince mercenaries has a large force within Espada, contradicting Lily's initial calculation. Greatly outmatched, the Imperial army are quickly destroyed, with Mahmut personally beheading Pineau, and the rest of the high-ranking personnel are killed. As the spoils and prisoners are divided among the allies, Mahmut and the Turkish army choose to rest before returning to Chielo. Meanwhile, Blanca and Vasco continue to travel to the Türkiye Stratocracy in spite of the waging battle.

During a meeting between the nation leaders of the Anti-Imperial Alliance, Doge Lucio convinces the others to give Türkiye control of Chielo since they are the strongest opposing force against Balt-Rhein. At the Divan, military assignments are being distributed and Mahmut is appointed as the governor of the new Chielo province. When discussing how to remodeling the city, Mimar Zeki Pasha, a student of Halil and the architect in charge of the remodeling, proposes to get rid of its poorhouses to make room for the Imaret they plan to build.