In 17th-century France, the ambitious king, XIV. Lajos' court is dominated by abundance and beauty. But everything has a downside; lechery begets cruelty, and science and alchemy mingle. The courtiers - feasting in the Hall of Mirrors or living in the bug-infested attic rooms of the Versailles castle - compete with each other to please the ruler. And that's why they sacrifice everything: their money, their principles, even the sacred bond between brother and sister.
By the fiftieth year of his reign, the Sun King had made his country the leading power in Europe. However, his hunger for power knows no bounds. He makes up his mind and sends his natural philosopher on an expedition to find the source of immortality - which he believes can be obtained through rare, mythical sea monsters. Thus Father Yves de la Croix sets out on a journey of discovery for the glory of his god, his country and the king, from which he returns successfully: a frozen corpse wrapped in a shroud and a vat covered with a tarpaulin, in which a living, terrified creature lurks.