Operation story: ZT-3

Operation

Story

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Characters
Ebenholz Federico Micha Stern Youth (Lessing) Viviana Cora Cranky Old Man Gerhard Gesatzswächter Noble Attendant 2 "Witch King's Echo" Noble Attendant 1
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5 6

Before operation

“

Ebenholz is taken to a spire by a young man named Lessing. The kidnappers are preparing a ritual to summon the Witch King's Genesis Horn, using the Voice of Mundane in Ebenholz. Viviana and the tuner visit the painter's residence and are ambushed by the Witch King's remnants.

”

<Background 1>
Ebenholz	The sound I heard when I passed out...
[The sound of metal being sharpened rings in the room.]
Ebenholz	It was you, sharpening your sword.
Stern Youth	It got some dirt on it on the way back.
Ebenholz	It had better be sharp enough. My neck is sturdier than you might think.
Stern Youth	That's not for you to decide.
Ebenholz	Hah... Are we on top of a spire?
Stern Youth	I'm not going to let you jump off, if that's what you mean. As I said, there are no second chances.
Ebenholz	It almost sounds like you want me to live.
Stern Youth	It doesn't matter what I want. It's my responsibility. You also have own responsibilities, don't you? You returned to Leithanien. Don't run away again, like a child.
Ebenholz	Perhaps your employer forgot to mention this, but Graf Urtica is dead.
Stern Youth	But the Urtica Grafschaft still exists. You're still the last of House Urtica.
Ebenholz	But I never wanted–
Stern Youth	Running away doesn't make your problems disappear. No one can choose their birth. In that sense, we're all the same.
Ebenholz	Is that what you tell yourself to justify serving as an executioner for that evil old fart? That you had no choice but to become his follower?
Stern Youth	Nein. It's how I remind myself what it took to gain the freedom I have now.
Ebenholz	What?
Stern Youth	Using the name Urtica, the one you call an "evil old fart" changed my family's destiny. Everything I do today, I do to protect the hard-earned freedom of myself and many like me.
Ebenholz	You're... thanking the Witch King?!
Stern Youth	I'm just stating a fact.
Ebenholz	A "fact," huh? What about the "fact" that he spilled so much blood? What about the "fact" that his remnants have claimed so many innocent victims? Did you think you could ignore all the pain he inflicted on others, just because of some convenient "fact"?!
Stern Youth	The Witch King is dead. Let the historians, politicians, and everyone else with too much time on their hands judge his deeds. I'm a warrior. My only concern is the battle in front of me, and the battle to come. If he truly left anything behind, then whether his legacy is good or bad isn't up to him anymore. It's up to those who make use of it. As his heir, that's how you should be thinking.
Ebenholz	Don't you dare look at me like that!
Stern Youth	Your wounds are going to open up.
Ebenholz	I don't need sympathy from a remnant of the Witch King!
Stern Youth	Graf–
Ebenholz	Not another word!
Stern Youth	Ebenholz. Which of us do you really think isn't brave enough to face the "facts" of the Witch King?
Ebenholz	......
???	That'll do, Lessing.
Lessing	...Welcome back.
Cranky Old Man	Are the Arts ready?
Ebenholz	Arts...?
Cranky Old Man	Hopefully wwhat's in your head will come in useful, lamb of Urtica. Now, let me see it–
Ebenholz	Argh!
Cranky Old Man	The melody is surprisingly intact, considering Leithanians know nothing of souls. Sometimes I wonder if these people meticulously recorded even what Herkunftshorn mumbled in his sleep... I almost miss those metaphors of his, when he used to curse out his tutor.
Ebenholz	Y-You knew the old fart? Who are you?
Cranky Old Man	Old fart? Is that how you talk about the elders of your own family? I thought you Leithanians were all about etiquette and manners. Well, that's the one thing you have in common with him, I suppose.
Ebenholz	I have NOTHING in common with him!
Cranky Old Man	Stop screaming. Are you a three-month old baby? Crying any louder won't make anyone listen. Why don't you do something useful with your mouth? I could teach you some vocal Arts that can be cast with your tongue alone.
Ebenholz	I'm not taking lessons from a minion of the Witch King!
[Ebenholz shoots out his Arts at the old man, which fails to hit.]
Cranky Old Man	A ball of Arts? Was that what hit you last time, Lessing?
Lessing	I was careless.
Cranky Old Man	How many times do I have to tell you: You need to do more than swing your sword around! Train your Arts perception! I hope you never tell anyone I raised you, you stupid sheep!
Lessing	I never have.
Ebenholz	......
Cranky Old Man	As for you, I suppose it's noteworthy that you can mange that without an Arts unit. But your manipulation of energy couldn't be more clumsy. Are you trying to blow yourself up? Who taught you to use your lesions like that? The imbeciles in the spires?
Ebenholz	It's all the Witch King's-
Cranky Old Man	Fools. They learned from Herkunftshorn's madness, but without a sliver of his skill.
[The old man binds Ebenholz using his Arts.]
Ebenholz	Mmph- Argh!
Cranky Old Man	That's better, my little lamb. It's best that you stay put, for everyone's safety. Check the defensive enchantment, Lessing.
Lessing	Professor Hoffmann is on his way. You should wait until he arrives. We need to get this over with quickly, before we draw the attention of the Empresses' Voice and the Gesatzswächter.
Cranky Old Man	Fine. Gerhard won't be of much help, but it's not the worst thing for him to learn a lesson or two. The Genesis Horn... Hmph. How long has it been?
<Background 2>
Federico	Karl Schmidt Street.
Micha	That place again? It's just an old street where a bunch of failed artists make their homes. I've already investigated it more than a few times.
Federico	Loris Bordin received a phone call before his death. It was from an old baron by the name of Lukas, who lives on Karl Schmidt Street. Apparently, he's called for the Gendarmerie many times because of noise in the streets.
Micha	The old nobles are all like that, overreacting to the smalles things. They think they can order the people down here around like servants, even though they've been kicked out of their spires. What I mean is, I wouldn't take it too seriously.
Federico	Loris Bordin's actions indicate the likelihood of a plausible lead there.
Micha	...Were you even listening? Just because he went there doesn't mean he thought it was worth investigating. He may have been the commander of the Gendarmerie, but he was just a Vizegraf, and a houseless outsider at that. Twenty-year-old honor made him little more than a glorified servant for the great nobles of a place like Zwillingstürme. He answered the Baron's call, not because it was a useful lead, but because he had to.
Federico	This information has little relevance to the objective.
[Federico decides to move to Karl Schmidt Street on his own.]
Micha	Hey, don't just go! At least- wait up!
Federico	Hm?
Micha	That shop.
Federico	"Frau Schultz's Fine Hats"? I don't usually wear hats because of my halo.
Micha	Just go in.
[Seeming to sense his urgency, Federico follows the boy's instructions and goes into the hat shop.]
Micha	......
???	Good afternoon.
Micha	Good afternoon, meine Dame.
Viviana	Oh... By your appearance, I take it you're a local?
Micha	You could say that.
Viviana	Do you know how I can get to Karl Schmidt Street?
Micha	Hm...
Viviana	I'm sorry, I'm new around here. I don't suppose young nobles like yourself leave their spires very often. I'll ask someone else.
Micha	No need. Just follow this street until the fourth statue, then make a left. You'll see it in the distance.
Viviana	See what in the distance?
Micha	You didn't know? Karl Schmidt Street is also known as Marigold Alley.
Viviana	Marigold...
Micha	It's where the great composer Karl Schmidt once lived. He wrote some famous pieces about marigolds under the sun, making the alley a kind of holy ground for art lovers.
Viviana	Interesting. I've never read about that.
Micha	A little anecdote, the kind you hear all over Zwillingstürme. Hardly even a story.
Viviana	Well, danke. For the directions and the story. Incidentally, you're not old enough to be buying a graduation cap, are you?
Micha	Oh, I'm waiting for someone.
Viviana	Oh...? If we happen to be heading to the same place... would you like to come with me?
Micha	...Thank you for the offer. But the music of the Kaiserinnen will guide me.
Viviana	Very well. May the melody of Zwillingstürme be ever long and winding, like the rivers and the clouds.
[Viviana proceeds onward towards her destination.]
Micha	...You can come out now.
[Federico steps out of the hat shop.]
Federico	Explain your actions.
Micha	That was an Empresses' Voice who just passed by. She seemed decent enough, but unfortunately we're not walking the same path.
<Background 3>
[Viviana arrives at the deceased artist Frieda Seemann's residence, where Cora has been waiting.]
Cora	You're a little later than we agreed on, Viviana.
Viviana	I met... a remarkable young man on the streets. Now I'm sure we're not the only ones looking into this case.
Cora	You sound a little sad about that.
Viviana	Ja. The spy was practically a child. And...
Cora	You stopped. What's the matter?
Viviana	I'm listening. The music of the Kaiserinnen is still playing. Zwillingstürme still bathes in their wonderful melody. But... can a melody played by divergent wills remain in harmony forever?
<Background 2>
Federico	You fear the Empresses' Voice. Is your employer an enemy of the Empresses?
Micha	Are you out of your mind? Don't ask that question out on the street!
Federico	We'll be entering the alley soon. I will ask then.
Micha	Fine. You want to know if I'm in league with the people who killed Loris Bordin? Absolutely not. I'm a Lupo, which I would hope is obvious. I was born near Siracusa. In the early years of the Witch King's reign, not long after Siracusa broke away from Leithanien, how do you thinkk he and his followers treated my people?
Federico	I was inquiring about you personally, not the history of your family.
Micha	Is there a difference?
Federico	I had assumed that you made your own choices of your own free will.
Micha	Free will? Not in my family. I was born to carry our destiny. Just like the lady who recently became an Empresses' Voice. She went from Leithanien to Kazimierz, and from Kazimierz back to Leithanien. Was any of that her own choice?
Federico	I am inferring that it's complicated. This will make it difficult to discern friend from foe.
Micha	Hah... Why do you think they call Laterano Paradise?
Federico	Stop.
Micha	What's the matter? Krl Schmidt Street is just ahead. The Empresses' Voice went there. Maybe Bordin really did find something.
Federico	The alley has changed from before. It is too quiet.
<Background 2>
Viviana	Are all these pieces by Frau Seemann?
Noble Attendant	Ja, meine Dame.
Viviana	All drafts of Der Tod des Hexenkönigs.
Noble Attendant	I didn't dare touch them, nor did I understand them, so I left them where they were.
Viviana	What about anything else from the past few years?
Noble Attendant	The past few years... There's not much to show. She often said that her passion ended that autumn, twenty-three years ago. Would you like to peruse her earlier works?
Viviana	If you don't mind.
<Background Background fades in and out>
Viviana	Frau Seemann's early works are characterized by refined touches and bright, lively colors.
Cora	Frieda Seemann wanted to capture authentic emotions with her brush. She had an excellent memory, and made good use of Originium Arts to recreate snapshots in time. She was still young when I saw her in the Witch King's Spire for the first time. She had an almost Minoan liveliness to her, less of the stiffness of your average Leithanian noblewoman. Her easy-going nature attracted people from all walks of life. Frieda's friends used to hold poetry gatherings here in this alley... Your parents were among them.
Viviana	My parents? They came here too?
Cora	Did they never tell you? This is where they met. Your father wasn't a Kurfürst-in-waiting quite yet. He came from Sturmland to Einwald, and often participated in gatherings of young people in Marigold Alley. One day, a young woman of common stock mustered the courage to read a little poem she wrote at Frau Seemann's poetry gathering.
Viviana	And that was my mother? She never told me any of this. Her brow's always been so furrowed, for as long back as I can remember.
Cora	Lucinda Droste was a shy, gentle girl with soft, gleaming eyees. Gazing upon her was like sitting by the lakeside in summer, with a gentle breeze brushing by. Werner fell in love at first sight, almost missing His Majesty's summons. If Brandt hadn't covered for him, he would have been a paprt of a statue in front of the Spire by the time House Hochberg's soldiers arrived at Einwald.
Viviana	This was still during the reign of the Witch King?
Cora	Hard to believe, isn't it? But that era was resplendent in its own way, much like the painting before you.
Viviana	A resplendent... marigold. This painting looks familiar. I think I've seen it before. But where?
<Background fades to black>
"Viviana." "I'm sorry, but I need to take this painting away." "Your mother is gone. I'll have someone clear out the room." "I couldn't possibly leave you here with no one to take care of you." "Someone will be here to take you away soon." "Don't cry. You'll meet new friends out there. There will be people who love you, even without Mutti and Vati." "You'll see the marigolds with your own eyes." "See for me if they're blooming, like in the painting."
<Background fades to normal>
Viviana	...A flower chasing the sun. The clouds above Sturmland rarely clear up. It was cold and wet up in the spire. Father tried many things, and hired many casters, but could never get them to survive in the flower pots. But here in this tiny Zwillingstürme alley, they're everywhere. It's... warm.
[Viviana unsteadily walks off.]
Cora	Where are you going, Viviana?
[A distant window is shattered by the sound of Arts.]
Cora	...An enemy? Viviana!
[Cora chases after Viviana.]
<Background 4>
[A melancholic tune plays in the air.]
<Flashback starts here>
Cora	You're going back.
Ernst's condition deteriorated rapidly. Even the best healers the Twins could find couldn't save his life.
Cora	Which means you could be the new Kürfurst of Sturmland.
When I first came here, I thought I was going to be a poet.
Cora	What about Lucinda?
I certainly hope she'll come with me, but I won't force her. She's talented. She could become a great painter under Frau Seemann's tutelage.
Cora	You love her, and she loves you.
Which is wwhy I can't lie to her. I'm no longer the carefree youngest son of the Hochbergs. From this day forth, my life belongs to Sturmland and to House Hochberg. Not to myself. The nobles will have a whole gaggle of young ladies lined up, all vying to be my wife. I wouldn't be able to promise her anything, even if she were willing to come. If we lose the power struggle, she could end her days as a handmaiden in our spire.
Cora	His Majesty... the Witch King is dead. The Spire that towered over Leithanien has fallen. Our days of being slaves to fate were expected to be left in the past.
At the very least, we now know that the name of our fate isn't "the Witch King."
Cora	Just give it one last try, won't you? Either take her with you, or stay here for her. Just like the night when the Witch King fell, I pray that the kind and gentle will have their happy ending.
<Flashback ends here>
[The melancholic tune continues to play.]
The music grows clearer. Unlike the performance of the statues, this music is alive. Like a kindly hand, it pulls her forward, down the stairs, away from the wind and rain. It is close. Almost there. Down the stairs, and the sunlight is waiting outside-
<Background 4>
<Flashback starts here>
Gesatzswächter	The car is here.
Lucinda is not here. I must find her.
Gesatzswächter	Everyone is waiting for you. The Witch King is dead. Your men must return to their lands, in accordance wwith our agreement with the Twins. You must leave the city before noon. The armies of the other Kurfürsten are watching your every move. Sturmland... Nein, the fate of Leithanien falls on your shoulders.
When did you become such a stranger, Brandt? You always wear that helmet. I can't see your eyes. Sometimes, I can't even tell if it's you speaking, or another Gesatzswächter.
Gesatzswächter	Because it makes no difference whether it's me or another Gesatzswächter. Leithanien cannot afford another civil war. Sturmland needs a Kurfürst who the people will get behind.
You're not here to protect me, are you? Just like you didn't protect Ernst or father that night.
Gesatzswächter	...Do you remember, Werner? When I was selected for Gesatzswächter training, I came to you and Ernst and told you I wanted to stay.
You grew up with us and swore fealty to House Hochberg. You didn't want to go back on your vow.
Gesatzswächter	But you told me- "You're defending something far more important than any person's life, more important than House Hochberg." I never forgot that. Not even for a moment.
...... Alright then. Is fate truly so impossible to resist, Brandt?
<Flashback ends here>
<Background white>
No, don't go. Don't give up hope. At least, not so easily...
The young Kurfürst turns around and leaves, but Viviana does not want to follow. She tries her hardest to go back. A golden glow always fills this alley in autumn. Her mother must be somewhere in there, simply unable to make it in time. She runs, she searches. Marigolds bloom under the sun, just like the hopes her parents once had for the future.
She wants to grab ahold of her mother, to grab ahold of her father's silhouette from the memory. As though she could change something if she did. Change the tragedy that was her father's life... and change her own.
<Background 4>
Year after year, the golden flowers take in the city's joy, anger, and sorrow, remaining as bright as ever in bloom. But some blooming hopes were left behind forever, twenty-three years ago.
Viviana	Why... Why couldn't I grab it? Is fate truly so impossible to resist?
Cora	Viviana! Around you!
Viviana looks up in a trance. The music stops. The melody seems to freeze in place, then becomes rushing energy.
[A storm of Arts fly at Viviana]
Like dark clouds, the Arts tear the sunlight apart and rush toward her.
Viviana	... Ugh-!
[Cora grabs ahold of Viviana and shelters her.]
Cora	No need to fear, I'm here with you.
Viviana	A cello...
Cora	Mental Arts. The music is awakening our memories of Werner.
Viviana	Mother... Father...
Cora	Over here, Viviana. I'll cover your ears with my hands.
Viviana	They're... gone... I couldn't change anything...
Cora	Don't listen to it. Whatever you're seeing in your imagination isn't happening in the present. The remnants of the Witch King are in this alley. They knew we were coming.
[Cora uses her Arts to protect them from the barrage.]
Cora	Ugh... there are too many of them. I can't deal with them all. We need to escape-
[A ringing tune cuts through the chaos.]
Another sound emerges. It is like a melody, but cannot be sung. It is like a bell, but continuous, without pausing. It is a delcaration that rings in the chambers of the heart. Like the brightest setting sun, radiant purple Arts shine through the clouds and fill the streets.
Cora	This melody... the Gesatzswächter? Brandt? Is that you?
[The Gesatzswächter named Brandt approaches them.]
Gesatzswächter	...Take Werner's daughter inside. ......
[The Gesatzswächter unsheathes his blade.]
Gesatzswächter	As for you, embers of evil... Filthy dregs picked from the trash heap- -How dare you defile Zwillingstürme!
[Purple Arts fill the alley.]

After operation

“

Federico discovers that Arturia could be hiding at a school. In the painter's drafts, Viviana finds a cule to the Witch King cultists' next target, a scholar who interrupts the ritual targeting Ebenholz.

”

Baron Peter Lukas turns seventy-three this year. He inherited his title from his uncle three years ago. Six months later, he moved to Karl Schmidt Street due to the expenses of maintaining the Lukas family spire. He enjoys Karl Schmidt's music, but hates the street. He finds the sunlight, the flowers, the youth's graffiti, and the jazz music coming from the nearby bar unbearable. He orders his servant to close the curtains, turns on the gramophone, and the room is immediately filled with the sound of a cello. The Sankta was a truly talented musician, he thinks. So talented, he could almost forgive her for being Lateran. He plays eleven instruments, ten of which he learned during the reign of the Witch King. To send the best melodies into the Genesis Spire, talented young musicians were put into a room and made to compose day and night. He loved the violinist, her delicate fingers, and the beauty mark on the edge of her palm. Tears flowed down his face when he visited Victoria and heard music from his homeland on the stage of the Royal Theater. He kissed her for the first time. That was his elegant, dignified Leithanien. He misses it.
<Background 4>
[Meanwhile, the intense fight outside continues.]
Gesatzswächter	...... Trying to destroy houses and escape in the chaos? There is nowhere for you to hide before the Golden Melody.
[Brandt casts the Gesatzswächter's unique Arts at one of remnants.]
"Witch King's Echo"	Mmph–Argh!
Gesatzswächter	You're the last. Remove your mask and surrender to Leithanien, and you will be spared the pain of a burning soul.
"Witch King's Echo"	This pain is... insignificant. Have you ever heard the Witch King's Reichsorchester play? The black forests of Einwald, the lakes and ports of Fortsgard, the storms of Sturmland... anything you can imagine about Leithanien, you could feel in the melody. The Witch King did not interpret or conduct. He simply walked amongst them. As one of his musicians, you had to follow the guidance of his sightline, and keep a tight pace wwith him. Fall out of line, and you were ripped apart by the magnificent melody.
Gesatzswächter	The Witch King's favorite punishment for those too weak to serve him.
"Witch King's Echo"	But I kept up. I became a part of that transcendent melody. Since then, I could no longer tolerate playing for the mediocre.
Gesatzswächter	What did you think you were? Interpreters of the great melody? Ideal-driven revolutionaries? Nein. All I see are criminals hiding behind masks, killing the innocents of Leithanien and undermining her peace and order... Clowns, burying their faces in the embers of the Witch King. Your life belongs to the Golden Melody now. But I suppose you were already dead, from the moment you gave up your free will and became the Witch King's vassal.
[Brandt slashes at the remnant.]
"Witch King's Echo"	Agh... hah... haha! And what about you then? Aren't you wearing a mask yourself? The Arts you use: the Golden Melody, the light of Leithanien, passed down through generations of Gesatzswächter, those who guard the Güldenesgesatz— Are you also not a servant of a melody written by a greater will?
Gesatzswächter	Even the greatest individual will is nothing before Leithanien herself.
"Witch King's Echo"	Then... Is it Leithanien's Golden Melody that pronounces my death sentence, or you yourself?
Gesatzswächter	Is this your escape plan? Did you think the will of the Gesatzswächter would waver before such cliches? Preposterous.
"Witch King's Echo"	Why... would I need an escape plan? I was... chosen to find you. The Concertmaster wants to know... When the events of twenty–three years ago echoed in your ears just now... Did you see Ernst von Hochberg, for whom help would never arrive in time? Or his brother Werner, who died in sorrow as the Kurfürst he never wanted to be?
Gesatzswächter	......
[Brandt slices apart the remnant before him.]
The Witch King cultist's body turns to dust under the power of dual Originium Arts. Only her last words remain with the ashes.
Brandt Reiner. You cannot avoid a choice forever.
<Background 5>
Viviana	On that day, twenty-three years ago, Father didn't wait for Mother.
Cora	They missed each other. Lucinda went to the spice market before coming to the studio that morning. She wanted to try a different incense, see if it would lift her spirits. She did not know that she was already with child. ...
Viviana	Mother went to Sturmland in the end.
Cora	She loved you, and she loved Werner. She could not have raised you on her own if she'd stayed in Zwillingstürme. She knew that Werner had already gotten married, but she had no other choice.
Viviana	Father had a choice.
Cora	Ten minutes. If Werner had waited another ten minutes, he'd have met Lucinda and known that she was willing to face it all and fight by his side. He... regretted those ten minutes for the rest of his life.
Viviana	...I know. He never told me, but I knew. A marigold and the moon... it was never meant to be. It was a dream that, upon waking, they knew to be beyond reach, words spoken only to comfort.
Cora	Don't you blame your father?
Viviana	I can't. We're too alike. You told me that he aspired to be a poet. But he never once recited a poem in front of me. It was only after I returned to Leithanien I realized... When someone no longer has the strength to face reality, the illusions that once brought hope now bring only pain.
Cora	Viviana... You've been busy since your father's passing, shuttling from Sturmland to Zwillingstürme. All I want to say is... it's alright to express your sorrow.
Viviana	... I just want to rest for a while. Just for a little while.
[Cora complies to her request, dimming the lights.]
Cora says no more. She closes the curtains before she leaves. The darkness wraps around Viviana like a familiar blanket. Cora knows her well, knows what brings her comfort. She gazes upon the paintings in the room, now covered in shadow, and the golden times depicted within gaze back at her.
<Background 6>
Cora	Fortunately, the Arts in that music didn't cause Viviana any real damage. But they brought back memories of Werner, as they did for us. And it must be even more painful for her.
Gesatzswächter	You're injured.
Cora	I am? Oh... this wasn't from battle. I might have bumped myself when I went downstairs chasing after Viviana.
Gesatzswächter	Why not try the therapeutic machine I brought back from Columbia?
Cora	I didn't lose my eyesight yesterday, Brandt. I've managed on my own for the past twenty-some years. You, though... something's off with your voice. Were these enemies that tough?
Gesatzswächter	What an absurd notion.
Cora	That's more like you. I wish you'd take off your helmet and catch your breath once in a while, though. Even the finest instrument succumbs to wear and tear when used nonstop.
Gesatzswächter	I don't deserve to rest. The Gendarmerie is on their way. They'll take it from here. You should leave before they arrive.
Cora	Now? But we're so close to the truth.
Gesatzswächter	Leithanien has not fallen so far as to need to entrust her future to a blind instrument tuner and a retired competition knight.
Cora	The cultists are looking for the Witch King's legacy. Frieda and Loris were witnesses to that night. Werner... House Hochberg was part of the coup as well. If they're killing witnesses to complete some sort of ritual, they'll be looking for their next target.
Gesatzswächter	Which is why you need to listen to me and stop your investigation.
Cora	...... What about you, Brandt? You were there on the day of the coup too...
Gesatzswächter	I am a guardian of Leithanien's will. A few Witch King worshippers won't get me. Besides, they laid an ambush for you here. You're the ones they're targeting.
Cora	But how did they know we were coming? Could Viviana really be right, and Frieda's paintings hold an important clue?
[Viviana exits the room and approaches the two.]
Viviana	I believe so. Herr Reiner, please allow me to continue the investigation. I want to know what Frau Seemann left behind.
Gesatzswächter	You're... holding the draft to her final work.
Viviana	"Regret." The strongest emotion and desire that the painter had ever felt in her life. She spent her last days painting it over and over again. Through the strokes of her brush, she wanted to see the divine in her heart.
Gesatzswächter	You're saying those haphazard strokes were intentional?
Viviana	Ja. It looks messy because she painted on the same sheet over and over again. The scene of the Witch King's death is still in the draft.
Cora	Put the painting on the ground Viviana.
Viviana	Okay.
Cora	Brandt, try to "play" it.
Gesatzswächter	Tell me when to stop.
[Brandt uses the power of the Golden Melody to look deep into the painting.]
<Background Background becomes blurry>
Viviana	It's vibrating, like a musical instrument.
Cora	...Ja. There are minute differences in each layer of paint. I can't see, but my Arts allow me to "hear" the frequency of each layer. Almost there... just remove the layer of paint above, and we'll find...
Viviana	The very first version.
Cora	Do you see it?
Viviana	It's blurry, but I can tell that it's the interior of a spire. It's... imposing.
Cora	The Witch King's Spire. I imagine that even Frieda could only paint a small part of it. Can you identify the figures in the painting?
Viviana	There is no Witch King. The throne is empty. The battle seems to be over. The painter herself, Frieda Seemann, is behind the curtain. There is a Liberi soldier charging in from the hallway... Loris Bordin? And... um... Who is this Caprinae holding an Arts unit and cleaning up?
Gesatzswächter	Gerhard Hoffmann. One of the most talented casters in all of Einwald, formerly in service to House Urtica. He became a teacher after the Witch King's death.
<Background 4>
[Federico and Micha arrive at the scene where the Witch King's Remnants fought in Karl Schmidt Street.]
Micha	We were late. These lunatics don't care how many innocents they kill.
Noble Attendant	*cough*... *cough*.
Federico	You're injured. I can treat your wounds.
Noble Attendant	Danke.
Federico	Where is Baron Lukas? Is he upstairs?
Noble Attendant	The Baron... didn't make it. He'd been talking about moving for a while. We wouldn't have gotten caught up in all this if we hadn't put the plans on hold just because of that Sankta cellist playing in the area!
Federico	What did their performance sound like?
Noble Attendant	Do you want to hear it? The Baron had me record it. I wonder if the gramophone's still alright...
<Background fades in and out>
Micha	Huh, you actually found a clue.
Federico	Loris Bordin found it.
[Federico plays the recording. The deep bellow of a cello through the gramophone.]
Federico	......
Micha	Is it Arturia?
Federico	Yes. I may not be able to recognize a live performance or not, but I would never mistake her playing.
Micha	Aren't we in trouble then?!
Federico	No need to fear. There are no Arts in the recording, and she isn't nearby. Someone broadcasted her performance on this street a few minutes ago.
Micha	And her Arts worked over such a large area?
Federico	She must have accomplices. It would only be possible through a combination of Leithanian Arts and her own.
Micha	You can tell all that just from listening to this?
Federico	This section here. It's not the sound of a cello. It's a pipe organ, and one of uncommon size.
Micha	A huge pipe organ...
Federico	It's an unusual instrument. Where might you find one in Zwillingstürme?
Micha	...Ludwigs-Universität.
Federico	A school?
Micha	Ja. It used to be the spire of learning for House Urtica.
<Background flashes rapidly>
<Background black>
Ebenholz	......
His head hurts. He has not felt such pain since he escaped Vyseheim. When was the last time it hurt so much that he wanted to scream, to vomit, to cry? It was... He could remember. He just didn't want to.
Ebenholz	...Say something. Gloat, why don't you? You're on the cusp of victory, after I've kept you trapped in my head for so long. When I die... I sure hope I get a proper death. Unlike you, who's been dead long enough to crumble to dust, only to be pieced back together and brought back to life.
<Background 1>
Cranky Old Man	What is he babbling about? You haven't started the ritual yet, have you?
???	Not yet, Professor. He looks like he's in pain. Can he really take it?
Cranky Old Man	He's from Herkunftshorn's bloodline. If he can't take even this much, then Ewigegnade must have intentionally raised him to be useless.
???	He's suffered much for his age. If he's unable to bear it, interrupting the performance of the Voice of Mundane could cause the Genesis Horn to go out of control and affect all of Ludwig.
Cranky Old Man	I'm here. The spire will hold.
???	But you swore an oath to Her Majesty that you would not reveal the true extent of your powers. She'd have to answer to the nobles if the students learned of your identity. Ludwigs-Universität may be shut down, which would affect your relocation plans. And Ermi will give you an earful when she gets back to Leithanien.
Cranky Old Man	...Bah. Keeping this boy alive is harder than summoning the Genesis Horn. Where is Lessing?
???	He's standing watch outside. He said he'll ensure that no one can enter before the ritual is complete.
Cranky Old Man	Pah, nothing more than keeping his mind from being torn to pieces. Where is the device I made for those nutjobs in Bolívar?
[The old man walks off.]
Ebenholz	......
???	Are you alright?
Ebenholz	Hah...
???	It's okay. They've left the room.
Ebenholz	You're...
Gerhard	We met not too long ago.
Ebenholz	Forest... Park...
Gerhard	Ja. I wanted to warn you, but Lessing was there. I couldn't take you away with him watching.
Ebenholz	Lessing...
Gerhard	He's not evil by nature, but he can be stubborn. I used to be like him too. But all it takes to change is courage.
Ebenholz	...Ja.
Gerhard	Can you move? Try to grab my hand.
Cranky Old Man	What are you doing, Gerhard?!
Gerhard	I'm sorry, Professor. I can't let you use Herkunftshorn's bloodline like this. He's a living, breathing soul, one with a bright future.
[Gerhard casts his Arts across the room.]
Cranky Old Man	Spacial defense Arts— I taught you those!
Gerhard	You also taught me that even the most powerful Arts cannot erase regret. I've caused a lot of harm with the Arts you taught me. But when I'm alone at night, I often ask myself: how many souls would have continued to shine brightly, had I not done what I did? Would we be living in better times? Would the people around us have been better? Would we be better ourselves? That's why I gave up on being a spire caster and became a scholar.
Cranky Old Man	What are you babbling about, Gerhard? You're making a big mistake. Step away from the boy—
Gerhard	...A mistake? Nein, Professor. I'm saving his life. I'm not going to miss my chance this time. I'm fixing the biggest mistake that you and I... that we ever made.
[Blinding white Arts fill the room.]