town of Solodurum, and young Benedict, unable to fulfill his dream of becoming a scrivener, joins the City Guard. Wounded in battle and honored as a war hero, Benedict is given the choice duty of standing guard for the Privy Council. He catches the interest of Baron Roland de Cornu, who engages the resourceful Benedict as his personal spy. Through the inadvertent help of his simpleminded friend Connie, Benedict unearths a plot to violently overthrow the city government. However, before he can act against it, he is imprisoned for the murder of his patron, the Baron Roland.