act18side

Anyway, once music became a part of the Afterglow, our worst days finally passed.

Composin', performin', teachin', makin' instruments...

Plenty of folk publish their compositions anonymously, and most performers can't leave the Afterglow. But still, the money it brought in gave the Afterglow a foot in the door.

But before long, Mein Herr got into some big fight with the Gräfin.

A big fight?

Looked like a clash of ideas... not that understand such things.

The Gräfin stayed the Herr's patron, but the two have hardly made contact since.

Andante? What's wrong?

Kreide's grandfather... he's gone missing?

I'll head back right away!

Thank you very much! See you!

Goodbye, hope to see you again! If anything doesn't fit quite right, bring it back and I'll fix it for you!

(It's already so late... Ebenholz should be back by now, right?)

Huh, what is that...?

An Originium slug?

Two men strike forward in the wide, dark sewers.

The sound of water is loud and grating, even more sinister than unbroken silence.

Hold on a minute. Make a right here.

You sure know this place well.

Of course I do.

Something every spy should know?

The first thing every spy should know.

Then I'm sure you've already been working in the Afterglow for years.

Trying to get on my good side?

Just curious.

You're not privy to that information.

Disappointing.

Why'd you stop moving?

There's something over there.

That's the oldest trick in the book. Don't even bother.

No, I'm serious – Look over there, something's moving.

Biegler presses the weapon in his hand against Graf Urtica's heart from behind, his eyes then following the direction of the Graf's fingers.

It's just an Originium slug. You've never seen one of those before?

Is it really... just an Originium slug?

The high-and-mighty Graf Urtica was so scared by an Originium slug that he couldn't even walk. Now I've seen everything.

I still think there's something not quite right...

Stop being stupid and get a move on!

Fine.

Wait, just a second.

Isn't that an awful lot of slugs?

That's way too many! This is going to be a major problem!

Run! Now!

Why are you––

It's about to be too late already! Hurry up!

Biegler grasps Ebenholz's wrist tightly, and the two of them sprint through the sewers.

Huff, huff...

Do you have a map of the sewers inside your head?

If you have the time to quip at me, you'd be better off spending it to catch your breath.

I'm not trying to be sarcastic, every branch we take seriously looks the same to me...

Rested up?

We just––

Then keep running! Hurry!

(Gasps)

I... can't keep going...

That's fine. We just happened to find who we were looking for.

Good evening, Herr Lachmann.

Good evening, shopkeep.

Shopkeep?

Ugh. You don't know a damned thing, but you still have to stick your nose where it doesn't belong. What a pain you are.

Wouldn't you agree, Biegler?

Agreed.

But you're the one who's in real trouble.

You've provoked all the Originium slugs in this area, and they're swarming towards the surface.

As we both know, the Originium slugs in the sewers emit a noxious gas, and what you're doing is tantamount to a chemical attack on the Infected of the Afterglow.

A chemical attack? But aren't we fine right now?

The gas has a much stronger effect on the Infected than it does on you, Graf Urtica.

Then, Czerny and Hibiscus...

And Kreide too...?!

Good. You already understand the situation.

Lachmann, quell these Originium slugs and return them to their original state immediately, or I will exercise my right to put you down on the spot.

It's no longer possible.

A lone man can start a fire easy enough, but even if you point a knife at his neck, he won't be able to put it out alone.

What do you people get out of this?

What do we get? How do you not even know that much?

Not interested in hearing your riddles.

'Pestilence from Shadow wanton spouts, spews Ruin in Prelude.'

Do you really need me to explain it word by word?

Let me rephrase. What do you get out of making the prophecy come true?

You don't need to worry about that.

What are you trying to do? Silence him?

Just knock him out already, my dear, mean-spirited spy!

Do you have any way of controlling these slugs?

If I did, I wouldn't be wasting my breath on him.

Then let's get going before it's too late!

(Glares sharply)

You're more than meets the eye, Graf Urtica.

Fine, I'll carry him out, and you follow me––

Wait, hold up, that's––

Ebenholz sees the same thing Biegler sees.

Where Lachmann has fallen, something silvery is glistening on the sewer wall.

It's the keyhole.

There might be some kind of device inside controlling the Originium slugs! I'll blow the door open––

Let me see if I can pick the lock first.

It'd be bad news if you blew up something important.

Can you open it?

The lock's a pretty tough nut to crack, but it won't get the better of me.

While you're working on that, mind telling me what this prophecy is all about?

You've never heard of it?

Well, whatever, it's spreading around anyway.

O'er lofty Hills, the Fiend steps into Twilight's Midst agaze.