Herzenfolgen: Covert Visitations

Zwillingstürme im Herbst: Herzenfolgen
Covert Visitations	Remnant Records	Routine Visitations	Special Visitation

Transcripts of Covert Visitations in Zwillingstürme im Herbst's Herzenfolgen.

	#1: Strange Man I got a tip off about strange noises at a concert in Bodenshof. The concert ended early, before I could arrive, and there was no way to track the source of the noise. However, a block away from the venue, I found a dead man of unknown identity in an abandoned house, along with another mysterious man at the scene.
The victim's expression was calm, as though sleeping. Only upon close inspection did I notice the traces of blood by his mouth. The Arts scorch marks on his body indicate that he was attacked during the concert.
Question	There is street cleaning foam on your shoes, which means you're probably not the killer... but I want to know who you are, and why you're here.
Answer	Danke, for not treating me as a criminal. I'm just a passing citizen, an honest, law-abiding man. I make my living dealing in old books and music scores. Here's my card. I was waiting for a friend at the concert. I was taking a walk to kill the time, and before I knew it, I was here.
A corner of an old music score could be seen protruding from his backpack, matching his statement. His face was filled with fear and unease. I took the creased business card, and it seemed completely ordinary, much like its owner. Nothing suspicious about it at all.
Question	Sorry for bringing back bad memories, but do you remember what happened when you got here?
Answer	Let me think... I was near the door when I suddenly heard a screeching sound from inside... you know, the kind of noise that's been plaguing a lot of concerts lately. I was curious about where it came from, but the sound had stopped by the time I got to the door. I pushed it open...
The noise! This could be the first direct piece of evidence, but my excitement was tempered by the scene before me. Someone had died because of this. It seemed that this case was more serious than I had imagined.
Question	Please go on. Was everything here exactly as it is now, or was there anything different?
Answer	The man was lying on the ground at the time. My knees buckled the moment I saw it; they just wouldn't stop shaking. As for any differences... I can't swear to it, but looked like he had some sort of wind instrument in his hand at first. Then I blinked, and it was gone. Oh, and I think... I think I saw a figure flash across my vision... but could it be? Man, I'm really not the brightest match in the box...
The subject passed through this area by chance at the time of the incident, and approached this place out of curiosity. He was shocked by what he saw behind the door. Recreate his emotions at the time with the proper music of the heart. Perhaps fear and desire of wisdom is appropriate.
(Use Terror with Desire for Wisdom) The music of the heart sounds, resonating with the heartstrings of the subject and bringing back memories.
Question	The melody reveals that... wait, why does everything seem so ethereal? These emotional experiences are faked. You've received training in this area. Who are you?
Answer	...No need to be alarmed, friend. I needed to know what you're capable of, and make sure you're really who I think you are. Don't worry, I'm here to do my job, just like you. You don't need to be wary, and I'm not deceiving you. The man on the ground is who you're looking for, the culprit behind the noise. Whoever it was that grabbed the stuff from right under my nose was a quick one. I didn't catch his face, but I did notice what seemed to be the emblem of Ludwigs-Universität on his robes. Maybe you can make something of it.
The man put up his hood and left. The light shining through the door revealed a golden stamp on the business card in my hand. That was all I learned at the scene. I headed to Ludwigs-Universität first thing the next morning.

	#2: University Student I had a fruitless day at Ludwigs-Universität. By dusk, as I was ready to call it a day when a stern-looking youth approached me and claimed to be the one I was looking for. I decided to talk to him.
I followed him through the campus. The only thing he told me along the way was his name: Lessing. He stood in stark contrast to his peers, who had been rather excitable and hot-headed of late. We went into a room in one of the spires.
Question	Can you describe what you saw at the incident?
Answer	I didn't observe the attack. I arrived at the scene almost at the same time as a secret agent. We both saw the same thing, so there's nothing new that I can tell you. I was a step too late... things unfolded quicker than I expected.
He blinked, wiping away a subtle hint of an unusual expression. He said things unfolded quicker than he expected. Was he expecting the noise to appear again at the concert?
Question	Sorry, but there's something bothering me. I'm just going to be straight with you... how did you know where the culprit who made the noise was? It's hard to believe that you're just an ordinary student.
Answer	Noise? I see... so you don't understand its true nature. That sound has its own internal logic, and there seems to be a message within its music. The sound has frequently appeared wherever people were gathered. I'm focused on the meaning behind it... Also, I never said I was a student. I'm just studying with a professor here.
An internal logic? I did not have any recordings with which I could verify that statement, but it would be a crucial lead if true. But he had yet to mention the item that he removed from the scene. I had to act with care and work out his intentions before prying any further.
Question	Thank you, this has been really helpful... Now, is there anything else that you haven't told me about the crime scene?
Answer	This is what you're looking for. An intricate musical Arts device with Originium circuits that greatly magnify the volume of the user's playing, allowing the sound to travel further... Yes, it's a key piece of evidence that cannot be allowed to fall into the wrong hands, especially not that secret agent's.
The subject was frustrated that he did not arrive at the scene on time. He removed the victim's Arts device from the scene in order to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. Recreate his emotions with the proper music of the heart. Perhaps regret and worldly desire is appropriate.
(Use Remorse with Desire for Worldly Things) The music of the heart sounds, resonating with the heartstrings of the subject and bringing back memories.
Question	The melody reveals that you blame yourself for not arriving on time to save the victim... Trust me, I understand, and I don't want something like this to happen again either. I must discover the truth.
Answer	Very well, you can take the device. But I recommend staying out of this case once you've discovered the truth you're looking for. And don't play that trick on me again; it makes my head hurt.
He spoke no more and showed me out. I left Ludwigs-Universität and began to investigate the evidence I obtained from him.

	#3: Lessing The investigation into the evidence has produced results. The Arts device in question was a modified pocket flute characteristic to the region, able to emit a number of harsh sounds at a constant pitch. Its base is only popular in a small area in Sturmland. This was already enough to confirm that the victim was connected to Sturmland, but the following the discovery came an even greater shock. I have to return to Ludwigs-Universität once more, to look for Lessing.
He was sitting by the flower bed, fastening straps around his sword layer by layer, with a serene expression on his face as if he is waiting for me to speak.
Question	Within days, there have been as many as seven murders across the city, the victims all related to the Kreis Sturmland. The crime scenes were almost all near the concert where the incident occurred. You're familiar with the situation... Listen, I have to stop the murderer from striking again. Please tell me whatever you know.
Answer	I can't reveal anything more to you. These things don't interest me anymore. Go back.
After saying this, he forcefully tightens the bindings in his hands.
Question	Why? You clearly don't want to see anyone harmed because of this. Otherwise, you wouldn't have reacted the way you did back then... What caused the change of heart?
Answer	You simply read me wrong. There are too many beneath the spires that cannot save themselves, and I have no obligation to keep each and every one of them safe. Also... my old man back home doesn't like it when I get involved in these things, and I need to consider his feelings. However, there is an envoy who's been quite active recently. He's been keeping a close eye on every move in the city for his master, so surely he's noticed something.
He suddenly sets down the straps in his hands and lifts his head to look at me. A certain glimmer of light shines in the depths of his clear blue eyes, and it suddenly occurs to me that he might be hinting at something...
Question	May I ask where you met him? And... what were you doing at the time?
Answer	Yesterday, in Josefgartenshof. I was running some errands for my old man, fetching a few borrowed books from the spire. Ran into some trouble, but took care of it pretty quick.
When meeting the envoy: The subject was retrieving borrowed books from Josefgartenshof and ran into some trouble.
(Use Annoyance with Desire for Worldly Things) The music of the heart sounds, resonating with the heartstrings of the subject and bringing back memories.
Question	As the melody shows, everything you've said is true... Thank you.
Answer	No problem. It's been clear to me since the last time we met that you've chosen to take on responsibilities you had no obligation to... Now that you've made your decision, it's time to follow-through, and that is by no means meaningless.
In his open heart, I see the envoy's figure. I immediately rush over to Josefgartenshof without even saying goodbye.

	#4: Envoy Lessing hinted to me that there is an envoy of special status related to this case. Given that I cannot ascertain who exactly he is working for, there is significant risk in hastily making contact with him, but I had no other choice. Indeed, I was able to find him under the spire in Josefgartenshof. What truly surprised me though, was that I found a short boy there.
I waited, and walked up to him when he stepped out of the garden belonging to a certain count. As though he was expecting this, he lightly bowed and proposed we work together before I could even say anything.
Question	W-Work together... I'm sorry. Let me confirm this. Did you just suggest that we "work together"?
Answer	I'm used to how wary people in your line of work are of just about everything. But with all the ruckus in the city, it's hard to look the other way. I can't let these trifling matters give my master any problems. In that sense, you and I share a common goal. I have information that you want, and you should have gotten some clues from that guy at Ludwigs-Universität. The two of us working together will be mutually beneficial, and help keep you from catching unwanted attention.
The boy named Micha was well-spoken and had a very calm tone. Given the urgency, I couldn't refuse his offer. I agreed to cooperate, and we went to a cafe to talk.
Question	...That's the situation. Tell me all the leads you have. Also, if you personally got your hands on any of them, I want to hear about the situation at the time, too. I might be able to find some other clues from that.
Answer	Resorting to your usual M.O. already? Fine... Then to start, tell me what you'd like to know the most. It was the remnants of the Witch King that attacked the concert. I don't know why. I got this information myself. I was investigating a remnant stronghold... Hold on, you could only see the scene itself back then, right? Are you sure you didn't see anything else, like—
He knocked over his cup by accident. A few drops of coffee landed on his hand. For a brief moment, a child-like panic could be seen in his eyes. Then, he calmly took out a handkerchief and wiped his hand clean.
Question	I'm not good enough to be able to peek into the minds of others, I can assure you of that. Please go on. What did you see?
Answer	I thought it was an abandoned stronghold, but after I went inside to go through the items that were left behind, a few remnant members suddenly came in. I hid behind a pile of junk. The closest member of the group was only a few centimeters away, so I was able to make out part of their conversation: They had just returned from the concert in Bodenshof and taken care of the "noise"...
Inside the Remnants' stronghold: To gather information, the subject concealed himself and risked being discovered by the remnants, obtaining valuable information as a result.
(Use Nervousness with Desire for Wisdom) The music of the heart sounds, resonating with the heartstrings of the subject and bringing back memories.
Question	As the melody reveals, the situation at the time must've been pretty intense. So... naturally, you must've missed a few details. Do you remember anything else?
Answer	I have to say, your melody isn't nearly as interesting as I thought it would be... but it did help me recall something. After mentioning the "noise," they also said that they confirmed the sound hadn't made it out of Zwillingstürme... If it's as you say, and there is information in the cacophony, then if someone was intentionally creating noise at these concerts, then it's very possible they were trying to disseminate some kind of information. The victims were all related to Sturmland, too...
We postulated that the Witch King's remains wanted to keep a certain group of people from getting information about Sturmland out, and it's very likely they succeeded. There is no telling what the information is about specifically, but a terrifying guess has formed in my mind.

	#5: Micha It has been three days since I started working with Micha. Both of our investigations have stalled. Today, out of nowhere, I heard from him that he found the room where one of the concert victims had resided. I immediately made my way there.
Micha had arrived before me, and he ran into remnants of the Witch King, who were infiltrating the room to look for something. After a confrontation, the remnants managed to escape. Fortunately, Micha was unhurt.
Question	Do you remember what happened? ...Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. You should rest first.
Answer	I appreciate the concern, but I'm not the sort of person who would be so easily frightened just by running into some remnants. Here's what happened. I pushed the door open, and a group of them rummaging through the boxes and shelves all looked at me before flinging all kinds of Arts and evil melodies at me... Anyway, after the confrontation, they all got away.
He made light of the events that transpired and completely omitted his own actions. His descriptions are not enough for me to go on.
Question	Uh... Is that all? Did you find out anything else, like what they were looking for? Or, would you be able to elaborate more on what happened?
Answer	I searched the entire room after they left. Aside from daily necessities, I found only a broken piano and a few leafs of sheet music that you can buy just about anywhere. There's nothing special here. Even if there were, they must've taken it away. ...Given your skills, couldn't you have investigated that for yourself?
Evidently, he isn't very willing to discuss what he did at the time. The room shows no signs of an intense battle.
Question	To be frank, in order to investigate, I must first understand the emotions of my target and the intentions behind their actions. From the looks of it, there wasn't much of a fight here, and your tuba appears to be in fair shape...
Answer	Alright, alright. I understand. I'll tell you... When I came in, uh... two of the remnants inside the house spotted me, and they both had weapons. I... I'm more used to dealing with Arts than blades. That's why I went with the most reliable strategy, and immediately left and pretended to call for the Gendarmerie. By the time I came back, they were all gone. Is that detailed enough to satisfy you?
At the time of the incident, to gather information, the target arrived in the room, and chose to temporarily withdraw when he encountered the Witch King's remnants.
(Use Timorousness with Desire for Wisdom) The music of the heart sounds, resonating with the heartstrings of the subject and bringing back memories.
Question	The melody shows that the moment you pushed the door open, the remnants were not searching aimlessly. They were... checking the piano!
Answer	My bad, I missed that. Judging from its condition, it wasn't torn apart recklessly. It was disassembled with a goal in mind... And here it is. There's a small hole in here. This shape... Do you still have the Arts device you mentioned...? So it really is the key. Remnants... Hochberg... Sturmland... Murder! Grimmacht was telling the truth...
In a secret compartment of the piano, we found a music sheet and a cipher used to decode the notes. This is the secret message they were trying to transmit. The decoded information left me startled. When I heard the envoy mention the Kaiserin's name, I immediately turned around, only for him to be nowhere to be seen.

	#6: Gesatzswächter Micha and I uncovered the message within the noise, but the truth before us was far more terrifying than I previously imagined: the Witch King's remains had conspired to assassinate the Kurfürst of Sturmland. The Hochbergs' informant wanted to send this information back, only to be caught in a premeditated attack. Das Kaiserinnensfest is occurring soon. Leithanien must avoid this crisis at all costs. I decided to make my way to the Gesatzspalast and submit all the information I have gathered.
I presented all the information I had to the Gesatzswächter. He stood solemnly like a statue. I couldn't imagine the look on his face under that golden helmet.
Question	That is all the information we currently have. If there is anything else you need, I will do my best to work with you. My apologies, but given the urgency, Sturmland is already at risk, and the Kaiserin definitely won't just sit by and watch... I'm hoping you will climb the Twin Spires as soon as possible.
Answer	Thank you kindly for your investigation. We have already sent troops to Sturmland. It is our responsibility to stop the remnants' conspiracy at all costs. However, I cannot divulge any further information.
His tone did not change in any way, as though he had been expecting this for a long time. However, just as I was preparing to leave, a minor detail in his wording suddenly seized me.
Question	You thanked me for my investigation, but not once did I mention this was an investigation I personally carried out on my own. How did you learn what I was doing? Or did you...
Answer	Your hunch is correct. We were the ones who commissioned your investigation. Das Kaiserinnensfest is approaching. An investigation by the Gesatzswächter in broad daylight would only cause panic among the citizenry. As such, we needed someone capable to help us investigate in the shadows to pr—to verify the whole story. You did a commendable job.
The infiltrating spy, the quiet Lessing, the envoy who had cooperated "out of kindness," even the Gesatzswächter. All these scenes flash across my mind. Suddenly, I realized that perhaps they'd all known of the situation since long ago, but why did almost none of them try to stop it?
Question	I would like to know... Do the Kaiserinnen know of this?
Answer	As a Gesatzswächter, may I take your words to mean that... you doubt Leithanien's will?
Myself at the time: I was filled with anger at their indifference, and also sadness as my efforts could have been for nothing. But what is it that I truly wanted...
(Use Grief with Desire for Wisdom) The music of the heart sounds, resonating with the heartstrings of the subject and bringing back memories.
Question	No, I would never doubt you. I merely... want a concrete response. By thwarting the remnants' conspiracy, there will be no more innocent lives lost, and we will still be able to... welcome Leithanien's "rebirth" all the same, won't we?
Answer	The Güldenesgesatz on high act in accordance with the Kaiserinnen's will, and we serve Leithanien. Therefore... yes, Das Kaiserinnensfest will be absolutely safe. At the time of the performance on the Twin Spires, the masses will all bask in Leithanien's glory.
I left the palace. This concludes my investigation.