In the devastated aftermath of the Thirty Years' War, Duke Sylwiusz Nimrod of Württemberg-Oels faces an unprecedented crisis: a systematic murderer is terrorizing his trade routes. Melchior Hedloff, known as "the Melcher Shooter," kills with professional precision, carving tally marks on his rifle for each of 251 victims over five years.

What begins as a manhunt becomes a moral reckoning. Duke Sylwiusz spends a fortune pursuing Hedloff through forests and informant networks, eventually capturing him through the betrayal of his own family. But catching the killer proves easier than deciding his fate. The Duke orders an execution of terrible severity-four hours of systematic torture before death-believing it necessary to restore order and deter future criminals.

Years later, as death approaches, Duke Sylwiusz questions everything: Was the brutality necessary? Did the confession inflate the victim count? Did he become monstrous while fighting monsters? His journals document not just a famous criminal case, but a prince's transformation from idealistic ruler to someone capable of ordering-and witnessing-acts he can never fully justify. The roads are safer, but at what cost to his soul?