Momentous events unfold on the continent of Menolis. The Empire of the South, rising from the ashes, praises the new power; the Empire of the North captures province after province in just a matter of weeks. Bastards leave the nobility for the commoners—to return with a crown on their heads. And on the eve of a new war, a strange couple—a mage and a swordswoman—follows ancient legends in search of certain powerful artifacts. And if only the mage weren’t a lazybones among lazybones, and the swordswoman weren’t a beauty among beauties, the story would be a lot simpler… (c)