They trained her for war. She intends to end it.
When Rin passed the kche-jü, the exam for the most gifted students in the empire, with flying colours, it was a shock to everyone: for the assessors unable to believe that a war orphan from Kohouta province could get away without cheating, for Rin's guardians, planning to marry their ward off appropriately and come into wealth that way, and for Rin herself. She realized that she had finally freed herself from a life of servitude. That she got into Sinegard - the most prestigious military academy in Nikan - was even more surprising.
But surprises are not always favourable. It's not easy being a swarthy country girl from the south on Sinegard. While battling the prejudices of rival classmates, Rin discovers that she possesses deadly, supernatural powers - a knack for the almost mythical art of shamanism. Moreover, as he learns more about his talents, he learns that the gods, thought long dead, are all too alive, and more than just survival in school depends on mastering their abilities.
For peace reigns in the realm of Nikan, but beyond the narrow sea the Muken Union still lurks. He occupied Nikan for decades after the first Poppy War and lost control of the continent in the second just like that. And while most residents go about their lives in peace, some know that a third poppy war could break out at any time...



