Lina and Gourry have arrived at Atlas City, their destination from the previous novel. About six months ago, the chairman of the city's Sorcerer's Guild, Halcyform the White, had disappeared. Now the two vice chairmen, Tarim the Violet and Daymia the Blue are competing for the vacant chairman's position. Each is worried that the other will try to attack him in order to gain the chairmanship, so both are hiring bodyguards.