In which the kingdom of Noland, bereft of a monarch and puzzled by an ancient law, convenes its five high counselors who fret and fumble over the weighty matter of choosing a new ruler under peculiar conditions. Meanwhile, the nervous and loquacious valet Jikki, much to the chagrin of his masters, repeatedly inquires about tolling the bell, adding a touch of anxious human frailty to the somber assembly.