Vaxillium Ladrian fought for many years against a secret criminal organization called the Circle, headed by his sister Telsin .. In the end, age took its toll, and Wax became involved in politics and child-rearing. But now Wayne and Marasi have found evidence that the Circle has resumed its activities, extremely dangerous for the country. A conflict between the capital Elendel and the Remote Cities plays into the hands of criminals. Neighbors, residents of the newly discovered South Continent, threaten, if not war, then serious trouble, and Harmony, the god - the patron of Scadrial, full of their worries. In the course of the experiment on rare metals, Wax makes a frightening discovery, and he has to return to the craft of a lawyer...