From the creation of the world, celestial ether permeates all that exists, and people and non-humans weave spells from it—directing them for their own good and to the harm of others. The Master of the Universal Commission on Ethics, Philip Oleander von Cheren, hunts black magicians among the learned—but the further he goes, the tighter a whirlpool of other people’s intrigues pulls him in. Enemies are on his heels; a magical staff and even a pair of pistols covered with arcane formulae no longer guarantee safety. This time, the hero faces a court hearing and the search for answers to questions that arise after the incident involving the hated Order of Gerhard the Miracle-Maker. The adventures continue.