Simin works as an innkeeper's assistant, but his name is really Prince Aus and he is one of the late King Raan's many children. None of the king's sons has successfully been able to take the throne following his death, leaving the kingdom in a state of chaos and war. Through various rumors, the prince comes to believe that this chaos is due to his father's connection to the Imagi Vert, a magical man said to be something between a god and a human. He believes that his father refused to die completely, and that the Imagi Vert put his soul into a sword that Prince Aus must acquire in order to stop the chaos. The Imagi Vert is said to reside in the Mocking Tower, a structure that changes shape whenever it is viewed. He enlists the help of a character referred to as "thief," who arouses suspicion in the townspeople in order to divert attention away from Prince Aus. The thief meets Old Au, who is gardening, upon entering the town and tells her that he is going to try to steal the sword. She is trying to pull a white radish out of the ground. Prince Aus ultimately locates the entrance to the Mocking Tower, where he meets the Imagi Vert. The Imagi Vert tells him about how his father was unhappy, as his life was never his own and he was imprisoned by duty. The Imagi Vert warns him about taking over his father's throne and tells him that there is no soul in the sword. Prince Aus takes the sword anyway and kills the Imagi Vert. He leaves and collects the thief so they can escape before anyone learns of his death. The story ends with Old Au talking to the "pale man" (who was assumed earlier to be the Imagi Vert, but seems like he could actually be the dead king). They talk about how the younger generations never heed the advice of the older. She shakes his hand and he becomes the pale radish. She takes out a gardener's knife with the name of the king etched into the blade.