Les, an alchemy apprentice falsely told he has no talent, is kicked off the mountain by his master. He accidentally saves King Charles of Aredor from poisoning. Brought to the palace, Les shocks everyone by scoring Level 999 in a talent test, and the king recognizes him as his long-lost son. Archbishop Thorn, secretly fearful of Les’s power, fails to kill him. To honor a marriage contract, Les travels to a neighboring kingdom to heal the comatose King Fred, facing suspicious guards and treacherous alchemists along the way.
