After a grand and bloody battle, Count Averin and Kuzya are assigned to service in the Directorate. The heroes deserved a rest, but even in their native St. Petersburg, itโs not the calmest times: too many witches and divs have died, and the Russian Empire needs to build relations not only with other states, but also with the Wasteland. And to top it all off, an accident occurs at the Moscow Collegium of Sorcery: the rector dies. Sorting everything out and investigating the new crime will fall to Hermes Averin.