In this chapter, we learn that Udolpho has gone after the magical bean, which means that he's got his eye on it. We learn that three years ago, magic was a peaceful land, but now it's all dark and evil. This means that the magic bean is no longer a magical object, but a symbol of evil. In other words, it means that magic has gone from being a peaceful thing to being an evil thing. This is a big deal, because the goal of all evil is to become the laughingstock of all good people. The only thing that's keeping him from this goal is the fact that there are still champions in the land who are willing to oppose him before he completes his ritual. He's aware of these champions, and he thanks them for their loyalty. Now that all of the good guys have been killed, he assumes that they'll want his help to get the day for them. He also says that the flaming prince has run away, so they need a great warrior to help them.