of the novel, we meet Pál Galambos, who is financially broke after living extravagantly, his last hope being his old servant Mihály's suggestion to leave the country and find work abroad. With a dwindling sum of money, Galambos decides to try his luck at gambling in Monte Carlo, where he quickly loses everything. After a series of encounters, including a poignant reunion with a former acquaintance, Rózsi, who offers him financial help, he ultimately decides to enlist in the French Foreign Legion in hopes of escaping his past. This opening sets the stage for a journey filled with existential reflections and the harsh realities of life as a soldier in a foreign land. (This is an automatically generated summary.)