The fifth episode of The Mighty Nein opens with Caleb recounting a tale from his past, where he lived a life with his father, mother, and a feline companion by the name of Bren. One day, he employed his magical abilities to mend a fence, to the aid of his dad. It was then that an Empire carriage came rolling in, and out stepped none other than Trent Ikithon, the esteemed teacher of Soltryce Academy, with a proposition for Bren.
Over lunch with Bren and his family, Trent offered him a scholarship to the academy, promising to find him help for the family's farm after his studies. Despite the boy's hesitations, the lure of knowledge proved too strong, and Bren accepted. However, in that moment, a subtle warning from Bren's serene feline companion scratched Trent, a foreshadowing of the man's nefarious nature that the family couldn't quite grasp.
Bren was given a test at the spot, involving signing a letter with magic. After an initial stumble, he mastered it on the second try, securing his admission to Soltryce.
Fast forward to the present, Owelia and her comrades are put to the test by Owelia herself. She poisons Fjord and conjures clones to give her an edge in the battle. But Molly, Beau, and Caleb's tactical brilliance prevails, easily defeating her.
Beau ties her up for questioning, but Caleb's rage boils over as he fires a fiery ball at her, causing her to bleed. He demands the necklace from her with a fierce glare, but Owelia, with a mischievous smile, destroys it instead.
Flashbacks reveal Bren as one of Trent's top students, where the teacher had set traps and challenged them to reach him unscathed. The lesson's objective was to teach them the importance of using all resources at their disposal – even their fellow students – to achieve success.
The triumvirate of students who triumphantly passed were Bren, Astrid, and Eadwulf. Owelia, though narrowly missing the mark, was nearly an accomplice until Bren cunningly shoved her into a treacherous trap, ensuring his own ascendancy over Trent. The band converged upon a shack, a temporary abode Caleb and Nott had discovered earlier, and established their campsite there. While the majority of the group retreated to rest with Fjord, Beau and Caleb embarked on an interrogation session with Owelia. Nott assigned Jester, who had garnered her trust, and Molly the task of acquiring a blossom. This elusive flower held the key to healing Fjord's ailments, but time was of the essence.
Beau attempted to play the role of the stern interrogator, but Owelia remained unfazed by his tactics. She even boasted about her inexperience, little realizing the true ferocity of Caleb. In a gruesome display, Caleb heated the chains binding the wizard, searing her flesh and inflicting unbearable pain.
On the very day he passed Trent's arduous test, the teacher extended an invitation to him, Astrid, and Eadwulf to embark on a new mission. Bren found himself tied to a chair in Ikithon's chamber, as did his comrades. The teacher then shattered a stone imbued with potent magic, embedding it into their arms. They were enlisted into the Volstrucker, a coveted status earned through their trials and tribulations.
The shared hardships and challenges forged a bond between the trio that blossomed into a romantic alliance. They studied together and ventured on missions hand in hand. One such mission saw them invading Cobalt Soul's stronghold and pillaging its treasures. Bren executed numerous monks with ruthless efficiency, mirroring his companions' unyielding resolve.
In the present moment, Nott endeavored to soothe Fjord's feverish frame, his body shivering and muttering apologies as if his former captain still lingered with him. Nott witnessed his plight with empathy and sought to comfort him in her own way.
Owelia's ruse to confuse Beau and sully his reputation by speaking in Caleb's tongue succeeded perfectly. Moments later, they engaged in a fierce altercation, and she seized the opportunity to make a run for it. As she fled through the door, a confrontation with Jester and Molly loomed, but she managed to evade them just in time. Caleb, meanwhile, wielded a spell that froze them and Beau in front of the house's entrance, then pursued Owelia on his own.
Back in his tale, he unveiled the fateful day that turned his world upside down. His village had become a rebel outpost, with many of its inhabitants turning traitor. Bren's harsh words of burning them alive echoed in the air, little knowing that his own parents were on that list of doom. As Caleb approached Owelia and imprisoned her with a spell, the specter of his past unfolded simultaneously.
He doused Owelia in flames, her screams piercing the air but unable to deter him. When he spotted a piece of paper with "Bren" scrawled on it in her hand, his rage only intensified. But it was too late; she had managed to send that message out into the world.
In a flashback, he locked his house and set it ablaze, unaware that his parents and even his cat were still inside. It wasn't until the screams ceased and the house was consumed that he realized his mistake. Bren fell to the ground, his anguish so palpable that one could feel his pain through the pages. And so it was in the present, though Owelia was already gone, Caleb continued to hurl fireballs at her corpse, screaming and weeping. When he finally stopped, he contemplated joining her in the flames. However, Nott arrived just in time to stop him.
The next day, Fjord had already recovered, while Caleb found himself in bed. Molly chided him for owing them answers, but saw that it was a fresh start and an opportunity for him to reforge himself. As Beau told Nott of their father-daughter bond with Caleb, the goblin nodded in agreement but then revealed that she saw herself as the parent figure. She saw Caleb's hurt and wanted to care for him, hoping to nurture him into a better man.
When Caleb descended the stairs, Beau and others demanded answers. He sat down and began to weave the tale we had been following throughout the episode, his voice filled with emotion and the weight of his past bearing heavily on his shoulders.
