act29side

No, I did not use Arts on you.

I'd already met you countless times, through Werner's mind's eye.

You must hear this often, but you really are so much like your father.

I know.

But it was only when I saw you in person that I realized...

You're more than just that flickering candle.

More than... what?

You're so much stronger, so much tougher than a candleflame.

Now, I've told you everything I could.

Kurfürst Werner died over the copy of the Güldenesgesatz. On that matter, you know as much as I do.

...You told me he knew his end was coming. Which means he knew how he would die.

Correct.

Protecting the Güldenesgesatz was his vow to the Twins, and his duty as Kurfürst of Sturmland.

Whether it was the Movement or its loss, the responsibility and blame lie solely on Sturmland.

Only by giving his life for it could he protect his loved ones and House Hochberg, all while ridding himself of a ticking time bomb.

It was all for the Güldenesgesatz?

I think... I understand.

One last bit of advice, to thank you for your trust and sincerity.

When I first saw you, I also saw the shadow behind you.

But now, it's growing, filling the entire staircase outside.

Danke, Arturia... for the answers.

My dear Viviana... How pitiable, how <i>noble</i>...

Will you be swallowed by the shadow?

Whew, made it.

You move so quickly, Herr Erich, I could hardly keep up.

Pardon my excitement. I thought I wouldn't be able to leave Sturmland, but the Empresses' Voice delayed the visit.

Kurfürsten succession ceremonies rarely take this long, not since the reign of the Witch King...

Stop worrying. While in Zwillingstürme, what could be more important than seeing Their Majesties?

Hurry, and we may even secure a seat closer to the Twin Spires before anyone else arrives... Hey, why is that man not moving?

Guten Tag!

Are you here for Das Kaiserinnensfest too?

I suppose so.

Where is your instrument, then? What are you going to do for the ensemble?

The ensemble?

The ensemble of the Güldenesgesatz! The most important part of the ceremony, bathing in the glory of both the Golden Melody and Leithanien!

This is my master's first time attending. I have his flute with me.

Ah, of course. Do forgive my nosiness. Which Kreis do you hail from?

Does it matter?

Oh, no, I don't mean to pry, only that it's customary for those from the same Kreis to stand together.

I see. Please, go ahead. We will follow.

Oh, very good then! I mean, danke, meine Herr. May Grimmacht's glory and Ewigegnade's blessings orbit you like the sun.

Seeing the Twin Empresses' spires for the first time?

The white dress of Ewigegnade, the Eternal Grace.

The black blade of Grimmacht, the Austere Authority.

Their two spires resemble them so very much.

The Twin Spires are Zwillingstürme's namesake. They're the pride of Leithanien.

No matter how beautiful, they're no more than two elaborate cages.

An apt metaphor.

Das Kaiserinnensfest... They say it's for all Leithanians, but only nobles are allowed to join in the ensemble at the amphitheater.

It is, in effect, a performance of an Arts ritual.

A ritual?

Did you see the bridge connecting the spires?

That's where the Twin Empresses play every year. The sound of the pipe organ and violin are amplified by the resonance between the buildings, spreading to every corner of Zwillingstürme.

So it's some kind of... Arts.

The old man told me that it's the work of Herkunftshorn. He turned Vedunien into a massive Arts device, with the bell tower of Weinshof at the center.

And the Twin Empresses have built upon the Witch King's Arts.

To avoid making the same mistake as him, they set the Twin Spires as the center of the resonance, effectively tuning the entire city and making it virtually impossible to assail the Spires from the outside.

Anyone wanting to attack the Kaiserinnen will either need to destroy the entire palace area where the Spires are located, or work from within.

Spoken like someone who's given some thought to planning such an attack.

Wait, don't tell me you actually—

If we see the Gendarmerie or the Empresses' Voice, remind me to run faster than you.

...Quiet.

The celebration is about to begin. People are coming, try to blend into the crowd. Don't just stand there like earlier.

What about when the ensemble begins? We didn't bring any instruments, unless your sword is a fair bit more versatile than it looks.

<i>If</i> the ensemble begins.

I met that distant relative of yours.

Exactly as you predicted, she offered a generous lead.

Perhaps we really are trapped in some kind of illusion they created.

What if the Witch King's remnants aren't trying to use the Güldenesgesatz to get to the Witch King's legacy, but to use the Witch King's powers to tamper with it?

What if their goal has never truly changed?

...What are you still doing here, meine Dame?

All the Empresses' Voices in Zwillingstürme have been summoned to the amphitheater.

Ah, I was... I'll be on my way.

Hm, this cell holds a dangerous felon, and it is quite far from the amphitheater. I'll need to contact Grimmacht's...

I would not recommend that.

A Sankta?! What's a Sankta doing here?

Let's catch him together, meine Dame! He may well be in league with Arturia!

Nngh?!

...Sorry.

I was about to ask your opinion on how to handle this.

So if I weren't here, you would have simply done it yourself?

My presence here already violates diplomatic protocol. An additional rule being broken is of little consequence, other than in terms of the subsequent clean-up.

You are an Empresses' Voice. Michael has told me of your circumstances.

I appreciate your kind gesture.

...Huh?

It was my own decision to visit Arturia.

I didn't want my father's death to be meaningless.

I didn't want to keep my head down and pretend nothing had happened.

I wanted to fight for something, to finally seize my own fate with my two hands.

...You chose to let Arturia perform your heart's music?

Nein.

The melody was always there, echoing in my heart. I just chose not to listen to it until now.

I believe she's telling the truth that the Güldenesgesatz is at the heart of the problem.

The Imperial casters have recovered the copy of Güldenesgesatz.

However, I have learned that Arturia has an accomplice with whom she was in close contact. The available evidence indicates that this person may not have been the mastermind behind the Ludwigs-Universität incident.

Hm... then we can assume that the Witch King's remnants have already obtained the Arts recorded in the copy.

The Güldenesgesatz will be performed by over ten thousand people at the amphitheater.

If the Witch King's remnants are in that crowd... the consequences will be unimaginable.

I would like to share our current findings with Michael.

Sure. He might be able to persuade Grimmacht.