ZT-ST-3: Coda "Evening Glow"

ZT-ST-3 Coda "Evening Glow"	Zwillingstürme im Herbst: Zwillingstürme anbeten Previous ZT-10 (Story)
The curtains fall on the grandest ceremony, in that moment cementing more than just the sunlight.

Characters
Lessing Ebenholz Michael Hibiscus Viviana Młynar Arturia Gesatzswächter/ Brandt Ewigegnade Fremont Ermengarde Yvangelista XI Messenger Imperial Caster "Unique Drone Model"
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5 6

“

The Pope negotiates with Empress Ewigegnade, and Federico takes Arturia away. Ebenholz decides to return to Urtica Grafschaft together with Lessing. Viviana also finds her own path. Yet the Witch King's true parting parts were - danger is close at hand.

”

You're hurt.
Am I? That new Arts teacher is so scary. Maybe I got bruised by him during training earlier.
It hurts.
Does it? It's nothing. The Arts in our bodies will heal our wounds in no time. Hm... Why are you crying, Hildegard? Haven't you been injured far worse than this before?
No, we can't.... we shouldn't be treated like this. Hand me the wooden sword. I'll go look for that caster. I'll go find Leopold and everyone who treats us like creations instead of recognizing us as people with feelings.
And what are you going to do after that?
Resist.
You might not even achieve anything.
That's fine. I just need to prove something to them all, to you, and to myself.
Which is?
That I'm alive. And that my sorrow, my joy, my pain, my love, and my life... that they definitely mean something.
<Background 1>
Lessing	It's beautiful... just like it always has been. It's getting colder lately. Autumn will be over in a month or two. But Zwillingstürme doesn't tend to see any snow, so the sunset won't wane.
Ebenholz	... This is surreal. You're definitely not the type to soliloquize while appreciating the view.
Lessing	What I'm trying to say is that there are no longer any traces of unrest, after just half a month.
Ebenholz	The Twin Spires tower over us as usual, the clouds are as splendid as always, and the people pass by both Gnade Avenue and Macht Avenue as if... nothing happened at all.
Lessing	No, something has changed. We can't ignore that. How are your injuries? The old man said it's nothing serious, but you did stay in Kargereich for a bit too long, so it's hard to say if you're completely free of corrosion.
Ebenholz	I haven't had any more headaches since then, at least.
[Lessing smiles.]
Lessing	You're braver than I imagined, Ebenholz. You've saved so many people.
Ebenholz	... I just... couldn't allow those 'echoes' haunting me to hurt any more people.
Lessing	You met the Witch King, and whether you cursed or killed him, you've already completed 'the last thing you could still do.' So what's next for you?
[Somebody approaches them.]
Michael	I hope I'm not intruding on you both. Herr Ebenholz, I was looking for you... on Grimmacht's behalf.
Ebenholz	And here I thought it would be Ewigegnade to send you to punish a 'dead man' for coming back to Leithanien without permission.
[Michael gives two letters to Ebenholz.]
Ebenholz	What's this?
Michael	Grimmacht handed me two secret letters. One calling for your return to Zwillingstürme, and the other granting you a final choice.
Ebenholz	...
[Ebenholz steps away to read the letters.]
Lessing	Have you been staying in the spire the whole time since the incident?
Michael	Officially, there are still two Kaiserinnen in Leithanien. Grimmacht is just away for the time being, and someone has to handle the mountain of paperwork she left behind. Only I can do it, as I always have.
Lessing	You're set on that? Leithanien might have only one single Spire in the future.
Michael	I came to Zwillingstürme to meet with the Kaiserinnen seven years ago. Ewigegnade didn't like my performance, my caution, or maybe my status as Lupukarn's representative... It was Grimmacht who saved me. And it didn't end there. I am her Voice, even if she didn't, and now never will, appoint me as one for real. You, me, and even some of the nobility—many Leithanians believe in the path Grimmacht was seeking, right? It might lead us to an era where we won't need Spires at all. There's still so much more we can do.
Lessing	The way you're talking... You've matured since the last time I saw you, Michael.
Michael	Erm, that's because... I'm a growing boy, after all.
[Michael glances at Ebenholz.]
Michael	Herr Ebenholz, I see you're done reading the letters, so I'll take my leave now. Whatever your answer is, I hope you'll be happy with it.
[Michael leaves.]
Lessing	Your expression is a little hard to read.
Ebenholz	Grimmacht gave me two options. I could get another death certificate. Not just as 'Graf Urtica,' but also as a 'Leithanian'... By dying, I will obtain true freedom. Or... I could return to the Urtica Grafschaft.
Lessing	Let me tell you a story. There was once a young boy...
Ebenholz	...
Lessing	I'm not very good at telling stories, but just listen to me.
The boy's family served as retainers to a certain aristocracy for generations. From one generation to the next, the retainers fought on the nobles' behalf, shedding blood, vying for glory, and bearing any rebukes for them. Until a certain noble came along. Birth, tradition, systems... He saw them all as worthless. Everyone looked the same to him: mediocre, frail, and shallow. So with a piece of paper, he removed the status of every retainer working for his family, and the boy's family obtained their freedom. Afterwards, the noble became the most controversial ruler in the history of the country. His crimes eventually eclipsed his accomplishments, his Spire was toppled, and the empire ushered in a new age. Many decisions made during his lifetime were also overruled, including the decree to remove his retainers' shackles. One day, the young boy was told that the deposed king's descendant was granted leniency by the new Kaiser, and had regained his family's territory. He was told he needed to rush back to the spire, to meet his master... Fate seemed to only turn a corner before coming right back again. But in the end, the boy never managed to enter the spire. The newly arrived noble refused to sign the documents that could get him his servant back. This new noble, as they said, was also a boy around his age... Once again, the boy obtained 'freedom.'
Lessing	The boy's name was Lessing Maeyer. And that newly arrived noble was you, Ebenholz, the twelve year old Graf Urtica.
Ebenholz	...
Lessing	You'll never remember it, so don't bother trying. Back then I was so full of anxiety, afraid that someone was playing a prank on me, so I asked a servant to find out what was going on. She said: "The young Graf's migraines seem to be upsetting him again. He chased all the attendants out of his room, with many documents scattered across the floor."
Ebenholz	...
Lessing	Don't take this as grumbling about some 'fateful arrangement.' I'm just telling the truth about how one unintentional move from you changed someone else's entire life. You spurned your identity, as well as the regrets and suffering you bore from it. Of course, I'm sure you know better than anyone else how real your pain was. But at the same time, I hope you also know their value. And how we should regard them.
Ebenholz	Danke, for telling me all this, even though you were positively awful at it. Have I ever mentioned what I experienced back at the Genesis Horn?
Lessing	Nein.
Ebenholz	I didn't think it worth bringing up before, but I suppose I can tell you what I didn't get to tell the Witch King, before he vanished in front of my eyes.
<Flashback starts here>
You have no heir. I'm merely a descendant who shares the name Urtica. Before your time, it had yet to carry either honor or so-called disgrace. This changed because of you alone. So I will change it once more, but never by the same means you used. This is my way of mocking you. This is my shame, my cage. This is my duty, my obligation. This is my path.
<Flashback ends here>
Lessing	So you had already decided back then? Then why did you make that face earlier, while you were reading the Kaiserin's letters?
Ebenholz	Because there are still other matters, which have suddenly became somewhat tricky to deal with.
[A young woman rushes towards Ebenholz.]
Hibiscus	Ebenholz!!! I finally found you!!!
Ebenholz	Hibiscus...?
Hibiscus	Have you forgotten who you are?
Ebenholz	No.
Hibiscus	You're a Rhodes Island Operator. I'm sure you've read the operator manual you got after onboarding, right? Carefully, from cover to cover? "I invite all of you to witness how two centuries of sin will come to a conclusion... How fortunate it is, that this day of farewell has finally arrived! ...For I have seen my life's path ahead of me, crystal clear..."
Lessing	What's that she reading?
Ebenholz	...
Hibiscus	Operators must go through a strict approval process whenever they apply to leave the landship. How could you just run off after leaving that unintelligible letter? I haven't even had time to hand it in yet.
Ebenholz	...Give it back, Hibiscus. I'll be staying in Leithanien for the foreseeable future. I'll return to the Urtica Grafschaft. As I'd like to resubmit my application to disembark, could you please help me to—
Hibiscus	Erm, you'd better go see the Doctor or Kal'tsit in person for that.
Ebenholz	Is the landship nearby?
Hibiscus	How else would I be here? It's not that close, but we do have some business nearby to handle.
Ebenholz	... You don't seem at all surprised to hear that I want to return to Urtica. We've been on edge ever since we left Vyseheim...
Hibiscus	That's because you weren't gnashing your teeth spouting nonsense this time. Which means you've thought this through.
Ebenholz	...
[Ebenholz smiles.]
<Background 2>
[Viviana is walking down a small road.]
Zwillingstürme, Bachshof, Bach Street Viviana looks at the courtyard before her. It is not large by any measure, but still well maintained. The low stone steps surrounding the planted vegetation have been removed and enclosed with a waxy white oak fence, presumably to prevent the homeowners from tripping over them. A small house sits quietly in the center, embraced by the grass. Freshly painted white walls reflect the morning sun, casting the climbing vines in a radiant glow.
???	Come in, Viviana. You made it.
[Viviana enters a building.]
<Background fades out and in>
Gesatzswächter	When Bach was presiding over the Glorreiches Kapitalprojekt, he specially patterned this street after the one he lived in as a child. Doesn't it bear a striking resemblance to Marigold Alley? Two years ago, a Markgraf returned to their territory to recuperate from illness, so Cora bought this place, but never moved in. It was only after you came to the city that she asked me to come help clean the place up. So, how does it look?
Viviana	It's lovely. Only... these vines don't have to be trimmed so much. Let them grow as they please, or they'll look somewhat stiff.
Gesatzswächter	Alright.
[Brandt grimaces.]
Gesatzswächter	...There's no need to hold back your thoughts, Viviana.
Viviana	Herr Reiner, this is the first time I'm seeing your face.
Gesatzswächter	It's been so many years. This is the first time I've taken off the Gesatzswächter mask and shown my true face to anyone else, not since I came to Zwillingstürme. It's my identity, my duty, and... my everything. I guess a Gesatzswächter shouldn't be reminiscing about the mastermind who spoiled Das Kaiserinnensfest and tampered with the Güldenesgesatz.
Viviana	Herr Reiner, about what happened that day...
Brandt	There's no need to blame yourself, Viviana. Whenever Cora set her heart on something, she would never look back. You could only be dragged along with her.
Viviana	...
Brandt	Her eyes were already going when she joined the Reichsorchester on Werner's recommendation that year. I promised Werner I'd do my best to help the girl he saved. But I gradually came to discover that she had her own feelings, her own judgements, her own desires. She wanted to help Lucinda, to save Werner, and even to modify the Güldenesgesatz. She wanted to ensure that the kindhearted people would never be tormented by their own regrets ever again. She was... a resolute woman, and I've always respected her. But she was even more courageous than I had thought.
Viviana	Mhm...
Brandt	And so, her fate is sealed. If it were me... I... I can't even imagine how it would feel. ...Thank you, Viviana.
[Brandt pauses for a moment.]
Brandt	Have you made your decision?
Viviana	I went to see Ewigegnade before coming here, and formally declined her offer to become an Empresses' Voice. As per protocol, new recruits have to enter the Spires after the Celebration and accept Their Majesties' appointment before they can officially assume their positions. But Her Majesty Grimmacht has just 'lost her voice,' and this year's appointment ceremony has been cancelled, so it's an appropriate time to submit my refusal.
Brandt	If this is what you've decided on, then I have nothing to say. It's just that, Werner... Viviana, this was the best, and last, thing he could arrange for you. Don't blame your father. He just lacked the freedom to do otherwise.
Viviana	My father... let me and my mother down, but he protected so many others. Cora in the Witch King's Spire, House Hochberg which could have been implicated at any moment, and the countless people of Sturmland forced into a difficult position by a copy of the Güldenesgesatz. From beginning to end, he was caught up in the vortex of his time. He witnessed, experienced, lost, was powerless to change anything, and could only do his utmost to fend off the storm. He never left a single line, but regardless, this is a poet's way of writing about himself.
Brandt	Viviana... I'm glad you feel that way, child.
Viviana	Whether sending me to Kazimierz or arranging my appointment as an Empresses' Voice, it was never because he thought the paths he chose for me were good. He simply saw me as a child in need of constant protection, a job at which he failed to excel. So I don't blame him.
Brandt	Then I presume you won't be returning to Sturmland either.
Viviana	In Kazimierz, I felt like a stranger. The bright neon lights, the noisy arenas, the priced battles, as well as the glory and honor... they were never a part of me. But when I returned to Sturmland, to Zwillingstürme, that feeling never went away. To me, Leithanien is just the candles and books I had back in those dark nights. The marigolds in bloom everywhere. They also symbolize 'parting.' I've always been able to make my own choices.
Brandt	...Choices. People can only truly face their own weaknesses when they have options.
Viviana	Herr Reiner...
Brandt	It's nothing. After Das Kaiserinnensfest, you said you needed to inform your friends in Kazimierz about your experience in Kargereich.
Viviana	I've already sent a letter. I should be receiving a reply soon.
Brandt	And after that?
Viviana	"To the lighthouses. To where once they were."
Brandt	What?
Viviana	Just a line from a book I read when I was young. Allow me to bid you farewell. Lebewohl, Herr Reiner.
Brandt	Lebewohl.
[Viviana leaves the house.]
<Background fades out and in>
Viviana	...
Goodbye, Cora. Goodbye, Zwillingstürme.
<Background fades out and in>
[A man hurriedly approaches Viviana.]
Messenger	Frau Droste! Phew— Frau Droste, the 'Nearl' you've been waiting two weeks for is finally here. Just up ahead at the crossing.
[Viviana seems surprised, and then smiles.]
Viviana	...
<Background 3>
Młynar	Madam Viviana Droste.
Viviana	Mr. Młynar...
Młynar	The Nearl family has received your correspondence. I just happened to be near Leithanien, so I came as soon as I could. In your letter, you mentioned seeing, and even touching, a campaign knight's swordspear with the Nearl family crest. Tell me everything.
<Background 4>
Ewigegnade	... So, this is the melody of the present moment?
Arturia	Indeed. What you're hearing are all the emotions I'm feeling.
Ewigegnade	...It's no different from what I usually hear.
Arturia	The people of Zwillingstürme love you, after all. And you love them too. This has never changed.
Ewigegnade	You were there too, when I returned to reality from the Genesis Horn. Perform the melody back then for me, Sankta.
Arturia	That's impossible.
Ewigegnade	Oh?
Arturia	I cannot record the moment the tear rolled down your cheek. If it did not fall into the depths of your soul to bloom into fruition, then it was merely a drop of water impossible to retain, evaporated by the sun as it fell.
Ewigegnade	...I see. The year this spire was built, a scholar gave a public lecture at the Leithanian Academy of Arts. He claimed that people born from Arts lack an innate soul. The very next day, he received... a transfer, a promotion normally impossible for him to obtain in his lifetime: becoming the Kaiserin's attendant. Unfortunately, he passed just a year later from overworking himself in the depths of the spire. Though he left behind a scholarly magnum opus before his death, overturning all of his previous opinions. Would you like to have a look at it, Sankta? The writing is mediocre, so I did not allow its publication. But the emotions contained within are... actually quite interesting.
Arturia	Are you... planning to lock me up in your spire, too?
[Federico walks in, but is immediately stopped by imperial casters.]
Imperial Caster	Who let you in, Sankta? The Kaiserin has not approved your audience!
Ewigegnade	Bring him over.
Federico	Executor Federico of the Laterano Notarial Hall. I have recently submitted several requests to the Empresses' Voices for an audience.
Ewigegnade	So you're... the Lateran Saint.
Federico	I am here to recover the fugitive Arturia.
Ewigegnade	Your sister has done many things in Leithanien.
Federico	Former Reichsorchester Tuner Cora Löwenstein and the remnants of the Witch King—
Ewigegnade	...Cora? No, I'm not talking about that. The Ludwigs-Universität case concluded long ago. Das Kaiserinnensfest did go through some incidents, but the final performance was satisfactory. I'm sure you've seen the whole thing, Herr Saint. I hope Leithanien's might and magnificence will leave a deep impression on you, even after you leave.
Federico	Am I to take your statement as such: 'Leithanien is prepared to refuse any procedural communication with Laterano over Arturia and her criminal offences'?
Ewigegnade	Are you questioning my decision?
Federico	...
Federico hears the sound of swords and floor colliding. He lifts his head and looks at the Empress of Leithanien. Ewigegnade stands in the sunset's afterglow, her long skirt infused with a warm gold. But behind her lies a long hallway comprised of shadows. He counts dozens of Gesatzswächter standing at attention in silence, their swords resounding.
???	Federico Giallo. Don't move just yet.
Federico	Hm?
[Federico's black drone floats forward.]
Ewigegnade	And what is this? An Arts device... A Lateran made drone?
"Unique Drone Model"	I'm just a little machine. On some occasions, you can also treat me as a Messenger.
Ewigegnade	And to whom do you belong?
"Unique Drone Model"	I belong to... Laterano. There is someone who wishes to speak with you, Empress of Leithanien.
[A transmission starts.]
Yvangelista XI	Long time no see, Ewigegnade.
Ewigegnade	...Your Holiness.
<Background 5>
[Brandt approaches Empress Ewigegnade.]
Gesatzswächter	Your Majesty, Arturia Giallo has been taken away.
Ewigegnade	Yes, I saw.
Gesatzswächter	If you wish to keep her here, then we shall not let them leave so easily, even if Yvangelista XI himself were to show up in person.
Ewigegnade	Of course you wouldn't. However, that aging Pope has brought us a message. He said that... "Disaster" is imminent. And when the time comes, Laterano won't be the only nation affected. He hopes for Leithanien and Laterano to cooperate and overcome this crisis together.
Gesatzswächter	His usual rhetoric then.
Ewigegnade	Herkunftshorn said something similar. Within the chaos, right before the illusory throne he had created for himself. He said, "hope is already lost, and eternity is no more". And then, after that, I saw them with my own eyes... The enemy hibernating within the chaos. At one point, they came infinitesimally close to our Leithanien.
Gesatzswächter	...Give us the order, and we will bring the Sankta back for you. No, not just her. We will do anything, no matter the cost... Whatever it takes to find a way to re-enter that chaotic space and bring Grimmacht back.
Ewigegnade	...Hildegard. In the final moment before the Genesis Horn completely disintegrated, I raised my shield, protecting the twin spires and everyone beneath... but not her.
Gesatzswächter	...What?!
Ewigegnade	Brandt, watch this sunset with me.
Ewigegnade	I asked her if she wanted to know why. If she wanted to ask why I let everything be, even though I knew it would turn out as it did. Or to ask me why... I turned my back on her at the very last moment. But she didn't. She didn't even hesitate to do what she normally does, turning to face the enemy head on. As we passed each other, her final words were to wish that... ...I could have this sunset, as I wanted.
Gesatzswächter	Grimmacht... is a great ruler. We will never forget her sacrifice, and continue the fight for Leithanien's future.
Ewigegnade	So you've made your decision too.
Gesatzswächter	...Yes, Your Majesty.
Ewigegnade	Very good, Brandt. Herkunftshorn built a spire in that impossible chaos, naming it after the tower that has long since crumbled in reality. He declared that it would stand eternal. Therefore, I can achieve the same. No, I can surpass it, even. I will keep this sunset for all eternity. It will bathe Leithanien, and everything that will belong to Leithanien, in Eternal Grace.
<Background 6>
Ermengarde	That's the last of it. It's not like you'll be able to stuff the spire down your pocket if you keep staring at it, you know!
Fremont	...But is that truly impossible?
Ermengarde	Professor!
Fremont	Alright, alright, don't glare at me like that. I'll return the statue I got from the Beschwörung classroom's entrance, if it comes down to it.
Ermengarde	You put that thing in my cube-thing?!
Fremont	What? It's valuable, you know. I spilled Feranmut blood all over it a century ago!
Ermengarde	Let's... get a move on. The rest of us are going, even if you aren't.
Fremont	... Ermengarde, are we really...
Ermengarde	There's no way a Lich can become a Leithanian. Shouldn't you know that better than anyone else, having been here the longest? The Sarkaz have always wandered this land, and us Liches have always been the nomads of our people. We walk the land collecting and guarding knowledge. We protect our tradition from war and strife, so we leave the moment the place we're at isn't stable anymore. And Leithanien's about to undergo some radical changes. Grimmacht stayed behind in the chaos, so there's no one left to hold Ewigegnade back.
Fremont	Heh... Herkunftshorn, you damn codger. You ought to die a thousand more deaths for the mess you've left us. Feel like coming back to life again and wipe your own behind? An impossible feat even if you were to say yes. And if such an opportunity did exist, we should leave it to the more sprightly youngsters anyway.
Ermengarde	Do you mean there's a chance for Grimmacht to... Have you come up with a way to enter Kargereich?
Fremont	Easy now, it won't happen so soon. But Herkunftshorn was right. The time of annihilation is nigh. Where will us Liches find our place when the entire land is beset by calamity? And that's why we shouldn't bother ourselves with all that trouble. Our nomad days shall come to an end.
Ermengarde	Alright, then where to next?
Fremont	Where else? Tell your new friends at Kazdel that the Lich King’s Court... No, not the court—tell them that the keepers of the Temple of Knowledge are preparing to return home.
[The Lateran Pope descends into the catacombs beneath the Lateran Basilica.]
Yvangelista XI	... The special correspondence with Ewigegnade is over. I shared Laterano's caution and, once again, offered my hopes of advancing together with Leithanien. When the time comes, we will further analyze the incident in Zwillingstürme according to the information brought back by Federico Giallo. It was clearly more than just a revolt instigated by the remnants of the Witch King. Perhaps what happened there was a harbinger of the Disaster, much like the warning Laterano received. Ewigegnade, the only Empress of Leithanien with a voice now... The way she spoke was appropriate enough, and her attitude sufficiently ambiguous. I could even imagine her expressions. ...All within my expectations. The Lateran Declaration didn't really receive any practical response after the Summit of Nations. From the furthest coastlines to the centrum, the Disaster remains a secret in many countries. Faith unites Laterano, while division has always been an everlasting blight upon this great land. But if we wait until the Disaster connects all nations into one... It will be too late. We already have a vague outline of what we're facing, but are we still unable to deduce its source?
Analysis complete. Threat level at maximum.
[Machine beeps.]
Disaster unknown. Path simulation failed. ...... Laterano... synchronized outbreak.
[The pope turns around and leaves.]
Yvangelista XI	Laterano will accelerate the development of yet more emergency response mechanisms. ...I need to reconfirm the list of suitable personnel.
......
<Background 3>
Michael	That settles the formalities of the handover. In accordance with the bilateral agreement between Laterano and Leithanien, the Empresses' Voice and I will ensure that Arturia Giallo returns to Leithanien when necessary.
Federico	The aforementioned agreement has been confirmed.
Michael	Phew... that's it. I guess this is goodbye for real.
Federico	Michael, feel free to come find me anytime, whether I'm in Laterano or on Rhodes Island.
Michael	Huh? This is new, Herr Executor. What's with the human touch in your words today?
Federico	Human touch? A uselessly vague descriptor. I just have... an intuition. This incident has not yet been fully resolved. To be more precise, what we experienced was just the beginning.
<Background fades out and in>
Arturia	You're here at last, Federico.
[Federico approaches Arturia.]
Federico	The Empress let you go, but that does not mean I can immediately take you away. The handover procedure was somewhat more tedious than planned.
Arturia	Fine work, I assume.
Federico	You heard Herkunftshorn's final words within the chaos. What exactly did he tell you?
Arturia	Get in line; everyone wants to know. Nobles, scholars, Witch King's remains, Ewigegnade... They're all guessing what exactly Herkunftshorn's legacy will be. Might? Power? Knowledge? What do you think, Federico?
Federico	...All I saw was an enormous mass of shadows that didn't exist in reality. Herkunftshorn's death twenty-three years ago is the only fact of the matter. No matter how many images he fabricated for himself, or how many words he spoke, they were all simply echoes of the past.
Arturia	He may have failed to conquer death, but did manage to carve all his emotions into the void itself. His complacency, frustration, loathing, regret... and his expectations. He said our genesis is also our end, and that our abilities are also our incompetence.
"The invasion of chaos is inevitable." "The master of all existence will awaken."
Federico	... A difficult threat to decipher. Perhaps this is somehow related to His Holiness's attitude. He was the one who entrusted me with the mission of bringing you back to Laterano. Arturia, you said at the amphitheater that you never left Laterano of your own accord...
Arturia	Mm-hm.
Federico	I freely admit the gaps in our laws, and that emotion may be a supplementary force we can use to help Laterano face this new threat. But it is undefinable, and bound to come with unknown risks. Therefore, I will increase my vigilance over you in order to determine the subjective motivations and possible objective consequences of your actions. IE: I will shoot to kill if I find anything suspicious.
Arturia	I am most grateful, Your Beatitude, for with your refined rationality, you are my most suitable executioner.
Arturia	Alright, Federico. If you're not in a hurry to set off on your next journey, then take a good look at this sunset. This is the moment where Zwillingstürme reveals the pinnacle of its beauty. Such splendor is both fleeting and fragile. Soon, night will fall. Do you still remember the question you once asked me? Laterano seems to stand eternally white and flawless, shining with an everlasting radiance. So where is the first place to light up when the sun goes down? Back then, I promised you that I would bring you to the highest point in Laterano for a look.
Federico	I know the answer.
Arturia	Oh?
Federico	I went to the top of the Basilica after I met with the Pope and received my sainthood. Once night falls in the city, the streets to the right of the Tower of Revelations will be the first to light up. I even looked into why that is the case. The Lateran Office of Electrical Management has an integrated program for the city's public energy grid. The area I mentioned belongs to the district where the Tower of Revelations is located. Alcide, the operator at the management office, is left-handed and has a mild case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. He starts from the leftmost switch on the control panel everyday. The lights start from that street to the right of the Tower of Revelations, and then through the Notarial Hall and firearm workshops in Pagus Michaelion, to the Sunset Chapel in Pagus Saint Marcel, and then all the way to the chapel square. At night, the streetlights in Laterano illuminate in order—
Arturia	I should have expected as much. Your answer, as the most rational person I know, is also—
Federico	And they look just as nice as they were before.
[Arturia pauses in surprise.]
Arturia	... I was going to tell you that I actually wasn't as frightened as you might have thought, back in that tiny room. Even constant darkness and silence cannot obstruct the feelings between two people. Of course, your findings aren't bad at all either. They reminded me that my question does indeed have a definite answer, somewhere out there. The lights will turn on again. Even the halos on our heads have never gone out. Light is a constant, while darkness is temporary. As for our emotions... Grief and joy may happen only in certain moments of our lives, but we can always feel them, all the time. They have never left us. ...Like how the sunset has never truly left this sky.