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He didn't even realize he'd left the order on the table when he came by to help the day before.

Meanwhile, Jan had snuck into Frau Seemann's house a few times the week before... Nearly all the kids of Marigold Alley have asked her to paint them a souvenir still life at one point or another.

I let them go anyway. The beginning of a new life... I promised Loris as much too.

The wind was strong that morning. Enough to make you feel dazed. There weren't many people out on the street.

But I think I noticed two standing in the corner opposite the cafe...

They had black masks... with twisted patterns on them...

They noticed me too. They walked over.

The Witch King's remains... That explains why you perceive the patterns in the Genesis Horn as manifesting a concrete form.

This was your only connection to the Witch King during your lifetime.

Loris's speculation differed wildly from the truth. You just happened to be at the scene while the Witch King's remains were taking action...

The city council had no intent to protect a nobleman. As one involved in taking action against the remains, one can imagine Freiherr Fynn's ultimate fate.

But early in the reign of the Twin Empresses, Zwillingstürme needed to disassociate the entire case from the Witch King and his remains.

They halted the investigation, concealed the truth of the matter, and hastily closed the case. That was the most efficient approach.

Um, what do you mean?

Yulia Schüler, your death was entirely coincidental.

I have uncovered the truth of the case. If recalling these details is a burden to you, please refrain from doing so.

Nein, Herr Executor, I only worry that this street may disappear from 'Zwillingstürme' at some point. Just like the long-gone spires...

And that I'll never have the chance to keep my promise to Loris.

Logically speaking, you have already—

Herr Executor, have you ever made any unfulfilled promises?

Since accepting my commission with the Notarial Hall, there have been two instances where the decedent's will was too ambiguous to be enforceable, and two instances where the target was inadvertently destroyed in an explosion. No other circumstances.

Oh, I don't mean at work.

A... 'promise.'

Fede... What are you doing?

Drawing.

In the dark?

It is not difficult.

I am busying myself... You said you needed quiet.

Gratias.

What are you drawing?

Laterano. By night.

Why would you want to draw Laterano by night?

Because the room is dark.

Soror, the nasal tone of your voice has grown lighter. You've stopped crying.

You said you would gradually master your playing. I believe in you. Everyone says you have a talent for music. In general, talent should not bring pain.

I will master it, Fede... I have to.

Are you going to finish your drawing? You seem to be having trouble.

Well...

I've completed the overall outline. Now I need to refine the details. But... When night falls on Laterano, where is the first place to light up?

...I don't know.

How about you wait for me to master my method and play my first piece. It won't take long. Then I can take you to the highest point in Laterano to see for yourself.

That would answer your question, wouldn't it?

Alright.

To me, a 'promise' is a form of contract.

When I made that contract, my cognitive abilities were not yet fully developed, and I was unclear of the obstacles she faced. As well as the painful meaning behind overcoming those obstacles.

An undefined chaos. She herself was the first 'victim' of her music.

Therefore, understanding the full extent of her changes and preventing her from continuing to spread chaos is the responsibility I must fulfill.

Herr Executor, is that why you've come to 'Zwillingstürme' too?

Is the person you're talking about also a Sankta?

Arturia, female, 168 centimeters tall, straight black hair, a mole below her left eye, carries a custom-made cello.

She arrived here before I did. Have you seen her?

Frau Giallo, you may not want to follow me any further.

Why not?

You just said that from the gallery at the end of the street to here, with your cafe just ahead, all the resonance pipelines here will soon be restored.

What is it... you're keeping me from?

I believe he's the one who hurt you. He's a Sankta as well, yes, but he seems difficult to talk to.

Federico? So he's here too.

I appreciate your concern. But if it was my little brother who hurt me, you'd have found a few more bullet holes.

So you're siblings? That's hard to imagine...

Federico will definitely catch up to me.

The discovery of gaps along the path one's been following inevitably causes confusion. But for him, that confusion isn't a ripple, it's a crack in the ice.

Neither of us can stop until we find answers.

Alright then.

Phew... This is the last bit... The piano studio on the corner, the gallery at the end of the street... The beginning and the end, all the resonance pipelines converge here.

Yulia...

I know what you want to say. This might not have any effect at all... And if so, I'll think of another way.

I can't let myself just hide away in my home, waiting for the storm to pass.

The echo devices are all in place. Now it's time to activate the resonance pipelines.

Without direction, without daylight, everything is covered in shadow. The Genesis Horn seems to be forever shrouded in mist.

But Arturia perceives the illumination of the pipelines, like a flame in the dark.

Rolling out from the two of them, from near to far, the surrounding scenery gradually becomes clear. She sees everything as clearly as in Yulia's eyes: a street lined with marigolds, countless peculiar spires...

The place is not chaotic. It is one that exists beyond time and space, a grand construct.

At the same time, music flows into her ears.

It is the music of all Marigold Alley, and also, a part of a grander movement. A composition that belongs to Herkunftshorn.

Yulia, my cello is silent, but I've heard your innermost thoughts... they're touching.

Allow me to express my gratitude.

Arturia bows to the Caprinae before her.

So, the most common soul and the most powerful are both written on the same sheet of music.

The eerie winged sculptures prostrate on both sides of Arturia, supporting towering stone pillars at angles defying mechanical explanation... No, the pillars are suspended in midair.

A palace, solemn and majestic, befits a king.

At the end of the steps, a man stands motionless with his throne. Red curtains sway and cast layers of light on him, veiling the monarch's countenance.

But the infamous twisted horns belie his name.

I've seen you in so many fragments of history and legend. I've crossed paths with you in the memories of so many, including the Liches.

But it wasn't until I saw Yulia still 'alive' that I caught the faint sense that this journey could really lead to a meeting with the man himself!

Allow me to introduce myself: Arturia Giallo.

Salutations, Otto Dietmar Gustav von Urtica, Herkunftshorn... Your Majesty the Witch King.

Herr Giallo? Frau Droste?

Ebenholz is uncertain when he got separated from the others. Crumbling structures fall periodically from above, and the stairs beneath his feet spiral endlessly.

He can only move forward. He is alone, indefatigable.

You are despicable, Ebenholz.

You've interfered in our judgment, wasted our time, and hindered our cause. You're practically the worst sinner there is!

Forgive me if I don't look as sorry as I feel.

So would you join us for an audience with His Majesty now? Or would you seek to prevent his return to the mundane world?

You do not have what it takes, you could not do it.

That should have been clear long ago. We should have known.

It's obvious. His Majesty's blood is so strong, his soul so tenacious. The Voice of Mundane was but a byproduct of his music, and yet it alone had brought you to your knees with the pain it inflicts.

You were born weak, far too weak to live up to any expectations.

That is to say, you're the ones forcing those wretched noises into my mind?

Then, in the end, is it me who bears responsibility for all of this?

Hmph, you should be thankful, Ebenholz.