As punishment for his dissent, Patrick is sentenced to fight in the arena as a gladiator. Merriman starts to take a shine to his new life in the human resources department of a cobbler shop but puts corporate life aside for Patrick's sake.

After months of the kingdom depleting the jewel mines, the Mole People underground lash out at the surface-dwellers. Patrick journeys down into the darkness, where he encounters terror both real and existential; does he even want to be a knight anymore?