Ancient magic has died, and new times have come in the empire of Erd-i-Carnion. However, when inexplicably incompatible forces collide in a case involving ancient relics, the entire existing order of things will seem like nothing but a mess and the gates to alien worlds will open again... An anonymous customer hires detective Mercer to find and destroy the woman who robbed him. Adventurer Ankren, who works for hire, discovers that another client is trying to kill her. Pretty soon, Ankren and Mercer figure each other out and realize that after completing the task, the survivor will also be killed. They team up to take revenge. But to do this, you need to find out who he is - the mysterious customer who desires their death? Gradually they realize that they are entangled in a complex intrigue, the roots of which go back to the origins of the civil war that shook Erd more than thirty years ago. But the main secrets are hidden in the past of the heroes themselves...