A young swordsman known only by the black blade he carries, Köinzell crosses a war-scarred land on the trail of seven celebrated heroes who ambushed their own comrades, took the credit for the victory, and left the dead branded the Lances of Betrayal. Every fight strips back a little more of what happened to him before the story begins, without yet revealing the shape of the revenge he's building toward. Numbered volume 0, this book collects the series' opening chapters rather than a separate side story.