Prelude Suite: Cadenza Virtuosa
| “ | These strings shall sound the notes of a soul. | ” |
Prelude Suite: Cadenza Virtuosa is an Arknights manhua published by Terra Historicus as the first in the Prelude Suite series. It is a one-shot comic focusing on Arturia Giallo that are released in two parts, with the first acting as a spinoff from Hortus de Escapismo and the second acting as a spin-off from Zwillingstürme im Herbst.
Synopsis
Part 1
Following Laterano's recovery of the Sanctilaminium Ambrosii, Federico could finally get a rest from this tedious mission. In the meantime, his encounter with Arturia recalls his childhood with her, bringing in an unfriendly nostalgia to him.
Back during his childhood, their relationship was rather a normal one, and Federico treated her as her close sister. Arturia's musical talent brought many praises from both her friends and her parents, Marcello and Luciana Giallo. Even though the Giallos live a peaceful life, Luciana's job as a Legata frequently troubled her as she wondered about the world outside Laterano.
On a particular night, Luciana told a fairy tale, Alex and the Giant, to Federico and Arturia which told about the story of a hero freeing a giant bound by ropes. After the story time, Luciana could not sleep well as she was still plagued by her dilemma. Arturia found her mother in the storeroom and asked her her question regarding the fairy tale in which the giant could have freed himself with his strength. In turn, her mother answered that the giant needed courage from others to free himself. Being inspired by the story, Arturia decided to play music to her mother. Her tune somehow brought an illusion to her mother where she was encouraged by the giant to liberate her own emotion, bringing cheerful tears to her mother.
Unfortunately, things did not end well. Luciana suddenly departed from the family and never left a message to them. Months later, Marcello was shocked that Luciana was killed on the battlefield because she had fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming a war photographer. In her will, she even thanked Arturia for the inspiration. Marcello started despising her by scolding her unreasonably, but she responded to his harshness through her cello, which brought terror to him. As thus, Marcello ran away from the house. In the meantime, young Federico was unable to understand his uncle's sudden change in reaction.
During the funeral to bid farewell to Luciana, attended by friends without Marcello, Arturia was to play a dirge for her mother. As she put her emotion into her music, the attendants suddenly reacted strangely and crazily. She felt that everyone was liberating their emotion, but to Federico, the scene was more like enlarging one's guilt and ugliness. Federico tried to stop her, but he was immediately speechless by Arturia's reply that she wanted to reveal one's true faces, which she felt should be part of her mother's will.
Thus, the tragic funeral was the turning point between the two cousins, and the adult Federico swears that he will continue his pursuit after Arturia from bringing further havoc to everyone.
Part 2
Somewhere on the Iberian coasts, a Seaborn approaches Arturia, being attracted by her melodies. However, she points out the creature's indifference and lack of emotions, being driven by mere instincts and desire.
The story then shifts to Leithanien in the year 1092. A young Kreide looks at the vitrine of a music instrument shop when a kid approaches to invite him to the town square, as they were going to play music. Kreide accepts, but not without asking for his grandpa first.
Arturia visits the town, as she intends to mourn the grave of her teacher and retrieve his instrument, hence traveling to Leithanien. A lot of Infected Leithanians gather around in the town square, but their joy and games abruptly end when the Gendarmerie Corps approach them, led by Graf Edwin, a famous aristocrat who took part in the September Revolution back in 1077, leading the commoners of Eidaum during the revolt. He orders the guards to round up the Infected and arrest them. Edwin then explains to Arturia that he wants to take the Infected with him to an expedition and use them as fodder to investigate the ruins of the Witch King's Spire, as he claims that the lingering melodies of His Majesty's Arts are still present in the ruins, and he doesn't need her help. On the other hand, it turns out that Arturia's teacher was one of the Witch King's supporters and had played concerts for him, yet he agreed to turn his back and help Edwin to exterminate any trace of his presence back then. Arturia would end up being taken to Edwin's expedition, and Kreide, who was looking for his grandpa, decided to follow the group.
Later that day, Edwin orders the group to settle at the camp for tonight. An Infected woman tells Arturia about how Edwin does gather Infected people from time to time so he could use them as servants, and how it's said that they never come back once taken. Arturia later discovers Kreide hiding in a bush, who was following the group this whole time. Kreide then tells her how he's looking for his grandpa, as he was near the fountain when the Gendarmerie rounded up the Infected, so he decided to follow them in search for clues. In order to avoid attention from the guards, Kreide suggests Arturia that both could communicate with each other by clashing rocks, as that's a normal sound to hear in a forest, on which she responds by playing a tune on her teacher's cello.
Three days later, on one particular night, a mysterious black fog appears at the campsite, driving some of the Infected mad, as they believe that are the melodies of the Witch King. Suddenly, strange shadowy figures resembling the Echoes of Herkunftshorn appear amidst the fog, causing the people to panic. The Gendarmeries and Edwin later caught Kreide hiding in the bushes and scold him. The Graf then orders his guards to double their numbers on duty to prevent any incidents. Arturia later asks Kreide why he decided to follow and help them if his grandfather wasn't there, thus risking his own life for the safety of others, on which he responds that he taught him to be kind with others. Kreide knows the danger that the Originium Arts lingering in these forests represent, but every time he heard Arturia's melodies, he no longer felt afraid. Kreide then asks Arturia if she could give him music lessons, on which she agrees after thinking about it. Arturia remembers how she used to play her cello alongside her late mother. Despite encouraging her to become a war correspondent, her passing still affects her deep inside.
Later than night, Kreide plays the cello for the first time, and after some missteps at first, he manages to play the famous melody Lied des klaren Himmels, gaining the attention of the Infected townspeople who think he might have talent after all. When the day breaks, Edwin finally finds the Spire ruins on the other side of the lake, and the melodies that still lingered. Arturia is surprised that the so-called melodies weren't a myth after all. Inside one of the tents, the guards and servants display a big painting depicting Edwin in his youth. One of the servants points out how Edwin looked like in the painting, on which he responds, angered, that this was not a simple painting, but his glorious past. Edwin tells how he answered Lieselotte and Hildegard's call to arms during the Septemberaufstand, pointing out how he was supposedly the most distinguished and notorious nobleman back then. Edwin's ultimate goal is to explore the ruins to find a way to revert his age and maybe gain a favor of the Twin Empresses again.The guards laugh a bit, but they're scolded by Edwin.
Edwin then orders the guards to use the Infected as fodder to explore the river and find a path to the Spire, but Arturia decides to go instead. Once in the ruins, she notice how Kreide followed her once again. Kreide recognizes having seen the Spire before, and asks her if he's going to die one day. Arturia responds that death will come for everyone, but even if the Spire will become his fate and he will eventually have to face death, today will not be that day nonetheless, and he will still have time to help everyone.
Desperate for not hearing any melody, Edwin decides to cross the river with the guards and the Infected. However, the same black fog from last night appears flooding them once again, but before they knew it, the Gendarmerie was gone. Edwin and the Gendarmerie, who were separated from the rest by the fog, see themselves surrounded by the shadowy Echoes, and Edwin orders them to fend them off whatever it takes. Then he recognizes how the Arts Unit that has been casting the fog previously belonged to the Witch King himself, so he orders his guards to destroy the Originium crystal powering it. But the fog ends up engulfing him and the Gendarmerie.
Edwin then finds himself as a young man himself. In front of him, the Empresses' Voice tell him to attend the Twin Empresses, as they accepted to grant him one more favor due to his admirable actions. Crying of happiness, Edwin goes to personally attend Her Majesties, but as it was a cruel joke from destiny, it all turns out to be just a illusion. As the illusion disperses, Arturia tells him that what he saw wasn't caused by her melodies, but rather the Witch King's Arts resonating with his deepest desire. Edwin was indeed a hero of the Septemberaufstand who rallied the townsfolk in the old capital, not driven by glory or personal fame, but for the sake of protecting people. Yet his own selfishness dragged down those who swore to protect, and the fog drove him mad to the point of even sacrificing his own guards. Edwin claims that he doesn't care about the price people should pay for what he wants or does, so in an act of rage, he attacks Arturia with his Arts. Yet Arturia wins the match, and as the Empresses' Voice arrive to the ruins, Arturia scolds Edwin for being driven by his own actions and behavior, being driven simply by desire.
The fog attacking the group disperses, and they discover that Kreide played the melody that saved them. After playing a melody from her cello, she decides to take the Originium crystal from the Arts Unit and leaves. The group hears that the Empresses' Voice has arrived and wonder how they could've arrived in such opportune time. Best of all, Kreide finally reunites with his grandfather, who managed to find him in the forest.
In the cemetery where her teacher was buried, Arturia places the Originium crystal she took on his grave, and tells how she gave his cello to Kreide, pointing that he was a good kid after all. A voice then talks to Arturia saying that it's been a long time since they haven met. Arturia acknowledges the mysterious, unseen presence, and remarks how even though the Witch King is long dead, his soul and Arts still linger. And as she plays her cello, the crystal disintegrates itself.
Characters
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See also
- Prelude Suite: Keen-Edge, Silver Blade – the second manhua in the Prelude Suite series