[whimpering in fright]
No, don't you dare close that bag!
Let me out of here right now!
Hey!
[gasps]
[yells in fright]
Not again! More bugs?
No! No, no, no!
[whimpering] I can't take any more of 'em!
Let me out!
[muffled squeaking]
Hmm.
[♪ opening theme song playing]
CLEVATESS
[VORDIN] Hmm.
EPISODE 4: THE DARK TOWER
A student captured Alicia Glenfall,
the girl who calls herself a hero.
[ROMAIN] Yes, her soul is now trapped inside the mirror.
Until this book is opened, she will be unable to escape.
[VORDIN] I see you are making full use of the Book of Toah.
Yes, of course.
It's in my blood, passed down by my family
of spiritual leaders in the Village of Origin.
I met with General Drel,
grew enlightened by your teachings,
and now the book has reclaimed the power it was meant to hold.
All that I do, I do to fulfill our greatest desire.
[VORDIN] And to fulfill that great desire,
we must gather every book.
The final volume, the Book of the Forge,
is in the hands of Clevatess.
Take it no matter the cost.
It will surely be done.
Why, Solsein stands where the Village of Origin did.
Here, none can defy the awesome power of the book.
- None. - [cracks]
Not even a Lord of Dark Beasts.
[shatters]
Give me a little more time, great Lord of the North.
[laughs]
To think Hero Alicia, slayer of Drel,
would transform into such a small dark beast.
And the one who captured her was none other than Andrew Hwyp.
How intriguing.
[door opens]
Hello, Andrew. Welcome back.
Hello, Ray. Thanks.
Were you able to catch something again?
Yes, a rat.
I have a feeling this one will live a long time.
Hmm.
Your dedication to your research impresses me.
You even constructed your very own basement
in which to conduct it.
Does it bug you?
[RAY] No, not at all.
As a matter of fact,
both Merry Merry and I find your silent devotion
to your work quite endearing.
[water dripping]
And Fel.
[ALICIA] I can hear voices sometimes,
but in an unfamiliar tongue.
So I can't tell what they're saying.
Am I dreaming?
Is what I'm experiencing even happening?
[exclaims]
Was I just put down? On a floor? A desk?
[whimpering]
Where the hell am I?
What is that thing planning to do with me in here?
- [thuds] - [yelps]
[gasps]
All right, what's going on here?
What is this monster doing?!
Mm.
[ZAVTHIER] Huh?
[RATHWELL] What is it, Clevatess?
[KLEN] Since we've arrived in this land,
my dark ichor connection felt weak,
but now it's totally gone.
Did something capture her?
[ZAVTHIER] Clevatess.
Let's adjourn these talks.
I've learned all I need to of the past.
And also, you're an ancient piece of shit, you old hag.
[ZAVTHIER] I apologize for withholding a story
from a time that predates your birth.
I thought the tribulations of man were over.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
[RATHWELL] So, the legend is coming back?
We must cut down this tree before its limbs bear fruit,
even if it costs everything.
Eleven hundred years ago,
before the world took its current form,
countless lives were lost,
including those of your predecessors.
But one remained.
Vordin, Lord of the Dark Beasts of the North,
who put an end to the heroes' battle
which had raged for two centuries.
[RATHWELL] I wondered what force could be strong enough
to leave Vordin so battered.
They must have been truly formidable
to leave scars like that.
Upon reaching their final evolution,
the hero's strength surpassed even our own.
It was a true nightmare.
Vordin knows this better than anyone in Edthea,
for it is he who barely survived their encounter.
Which is why their quest to revive this legend
is completely unfathomable to me.
I don't care about Vordin or his desperate quest.
He is an enemy who entered my territory
and bared his fangs at me.
Therefore, anyone who stands with him is my enemy.
Plain and simple.
I'll do what I please, as always.
[ZAVTHIER] Please remain vigilant, Clevatess.
You're outside your domain.
Things will not unfold as they did in Hiden.
[Klen chuckles]
Which is why I brought a contingency, my servant.
Same strategy as you, Zavthier.
You have always been perceptive.
It didn't take much.
[RATHWELL] For what it's worth, I didn't bring anyone.
Though as it happens, I seem to have lost communication
with my servant at the moment.
What foolish deed is she up to, I wonder?
[RATHWELL] Oh, shit, Clevatess is releasing the barrier!
[Edison groans, gasps]
I have to say, my head's feeling kinda funny.
[SARASA] So, we've lost contact with the hero, Alicia.
Pardon, I mean Alyssa.
I wonder if she'll be okay.
- [bell tolling] - [birds chirping]
It would appear that Miss Alyssa Sleihunt
is absent yet again.
Well, then.
Klen, have you heard anything of her whereabouts?
Not a word.
Ah, yes, very well.
Perhaps she grew weary of the challenges here
and returned home.
Sometimes, we see children who struggle with our curriculum,
and so, they run away.
Do you seriously believe that?
[panting]
[gasps]
[insects chittering]
How many days has it been
since I've had anything to eat or drink?
Everything around me looks as though it's rotting.
But what I'm seeing isn't real,
and the main thing leading me to that belief is right there,
the look of my reflection staring back at me.
The stark image of a dark beast rat
with some pretty normal-looking scenery behind it.
So if I'm right,
is that the real me now?
Which would mean,
the giant thing who imprisoned me
is more than likely human-sized.
It's gotta be the kid who's third best in the school.
He was there.
And the frog he chopped up, I'm guessing that's my food.
Does this kid wanna raise me as his pet?
[spiders chittering]
That's not right. I think I get it now.
Oh, great.
[plant growls]
That's his pet, and this place is his garden!
He brought me here because I'm actually this thing's food!
[whooshes]
[RHODE] Must you always sail in among the shadows, Gart?
Welcome back.
I take to the skies to help you.
You gather and provide information to help me.
That is what we've agreed to.
So, Rhode of Eslinn,
justify exhausting these wings.
[RHODE] When we're on campus, call me Barnes.
I'm Solsein's new history professor now.
No matter what mask you wear,
I know you're here to uncover Drel's secrets.
I'm here for the same reason.
Have you found anything?
No, nothing concrete.
All I know right now is that there are no rooms
hidden inside the school building itself.
I had Miquel search for them.
He's an expert when it comes to tracking and surveillance,
so if he says there are no rooms,
I trust him.
After conducting my own investigation,
I've discovered a trend at this school.
Students here go missing often and without any warning.
Often?
From what I've seen so far, most of the students return.
Apparently, the phenomenon is a common rite of passage
to earn one's magic.
So nobody seems to worry about it.
If anything, the more talented students
look forward to getting their chance.
The children come back in one of two states.
They arrive with some kind of new magical talent,
or worse,
they come back disturbed and broken like Nathan Franc,
and they take a long break from school or simply quit.
So some are chosen and some aren't.
I still don't know what happens
between when they leave and when they come back.
What's becoming clear to me is
that this is somehow related to Drel's room.
I see now. The missing students are the key to finding it.
Which student's missing right now?
The exchange student from Hiden.
Her name is Alyssa Sleihunt.
If we can find her,
then I believe we can finally solve this mystery.
She's been gone for three days.
The "choosing" could happen at any moment.
I'm more worried about her being killed as a spy.
It's too cruel a fate for someone as young as she is.
[GART] He doesn't realize that Alyssa Sleihunt is the hero.
If you learn anything yourself, let me know.
The only thing I can do is watch from the skies.
Fortunately for us, nothing can escape my gaze.
I'll let you know if I find anything.
Thank you.
Hmm.
[whooshes]
Strange bird.
It wouldn't be appropriate to call him an ally...
but I'm glad to have him around.
[Naie groaning]
What am I supposed to do now?
[yelling]
She can't have a revelatory thought like that
and give me no explanation!
[mockingly] "Yeah, so I think I finally figured out
what the secret room is."
And then get up and run off. [grunts]
How could you disappear after we had that conversation?
I'm also looking for Drel's secret room, you know.
Plus, if I don't find it,
the emperor might put my head on a spike,
so that's kinda, like, a lot. [retches]
[vomiting]
[groans]
If he finds out I gave her any info that helped her
solve the mystery before I did,
I think he's really gonna kill me.
I just know he will.
Oh, no! I'm done for!
I'll die of shock just seeing
what awful contraption he plans to kill me with!
They know I can control iron, so they'll surely devise
a horrific murder machine that doesn't use it!
[screaming]
[shivering, hyperventilating]
[screams] My constitution is too frail for that!
I need to find her. I need to find her.
I need to find her. I need to--
Think, Naie Chiffonlits!
What else did she say before she disappeared?
Hmm? She mentioned that the school
would become a war zone
if anyone found out the secret, which she wants to avoid,
and that she's working with the Eslinn twins
to gather intel.
Why the twins?
Wouldn't it make more sense
to work with the two posing as professors?
Since she's trying to stop a war,
why would she choose to work with the two kids
instead of some actual soldiers?
I won't be able to find her on my own.
I'll need someone who's willing to help
without asking any questions.
That freak?
Hell no!
Just looking at his face scares the shit out of me!
Maybe I should enlist the help of a student, then?
Nah, the kids who have been here for a while
will only make things worse.
The exchange students?
Idiot! What's the point of having a secret
if everyone finds out about it?
What can I do?
I have to do something.
Come on, Naie, think, think!
I've got it.
Yep, time to run away.
Naie Chiffonlitz.
- [screams] - Tell me what you know.
Wait, it's you.
What?! No, not you!
How the hell did you get in here?
I shut all the windows, and then I locked the door,
and also, you know this is the female faculty dorm,
don't you?
I followed the shadows in which her smell lingered.
A long conversation is enough for the scent to transfer.
Uh, the scent?
Yes, but it fades in three days' time.
She hasn't come back,
so I'm left with no choice but to search for her.
You're tracking her? Like a dog?
[chuckles]
More powerful than a dog.
Far more powerful.
But even my nose can't find her.
I followed her scent, but the trail goes cold.
It disappears at the building east of the school,
the structure filled with plants.
Even death can't erase one's smell.
It doesn't make sense that she'd disappear
without leaving a trace of any kind.
She is a hero, hard as it is to believe,
but there were no signs of a struggle.
If she ran off during your discussion,
she must have had a reason to do so.
Her haste begets certainty,
so she must have uncovered something.
Talk now. Tell me everything you've learned thus far.
What's the link between the dark beasts
and the power one can obtain at this school?
Tell me every word that transpired between you.
I'll get my answers,
even if I have to rip them out of your brain.
What sort of cruel monster are you?
How could you say something so awful and aggressive to me?
From the way you're talking,
I can tell you're serious, aren't you?
Shadows, scents, dark beasts.
Tell me, are you... actually human?
[chuckles]
What am I?
Does seeing the real me make you want to talk?
You know what it means that I've shown you this form?
You shall obey me,
or die.
And your death will be more painful
than you can fathom.
[NAIE] Today's just not my day.
Yeah. Well, here we go.
I suggest you tell me what I want to hear.
You don't have my permission to pass out.
- [electric crackling] - [stuttering]
[gasps]
Ow! [groaning]
You feeling awake now?
Then talk to me.
Yes, sir. Master knows best.
[laughing]
I just don't care anymore.
[laughing]
[KLEN] I see.
So some of the events that are unfolding at this school
align with a portion of the hero's legend.
Zavthier also mentioned the Village of Origin
during our last discussion.
I suppose I'll ask my servant directly what happened.
Now, tell me how these humanoids are turning into dark beasts.
[NAIE] Well, when my generation was going through the trials,
those who couldn't master their crests
always got turned into dark beasts.
In many instances,
they never turned back into humans.
But now it seems that's not the case anymore.
It never happened to me,
so this is all information I got from other people.
The trial is just a test to see if you can force your power
to obey you.
If you can bend it to your will, the power becomes yours.
If you succumb to it, though,
the dark beast takes over your mind,
and then the professors or the other students kill you.
Well, then, my servant may have been caught up in this trial,
so I shall wait to see if she turns up.
If she turned into a dark beast, there would have been reports
of her presence on the campus already.
And if she managed to get her crest,
then I would assume that she'd have been back by now.
[KLEN] Perhaps you're right.
But there's also the possibility
that she's trapped somewhere in dark beast form.
- [thuds] - [whimpers]
If that's true, then our next objective is to find out
who trapped her and why.
If they know that she is the hero who slew Drel,
and have chosen to imprison her anyway,
then that means...
[chuckles]
...they must be trying to find this book.
They may be under the false assumption
that without her by my side,
they'll have a much easier time stealing it.
[NAIE] Wait, I know I've seen it somewhere.
Those fools have clearly underestimated me.
- [crashes] - Uh...
[gasps]
My roof!
[♪ ominous music playing]
[whimpering]
This cannot be.
[gasps]
Hmm.
[both gasp]
Wait, Clevatess, you can't mean...
What-- What is that?
A black spire?
I hold in my hand what you desire.
[gasps]
[KLEN] It's right here.
If you want it, come and get it!
[ANDREW] What is that tower?
If I'm not mistaken, the voice came from the top.
- Andrew, it's him. - Hmm?
I can feel my crest aching and shivering.
It's a familiar ache.
I've felt it since I first laid eyes on him.
That can only mean one thing.
It must be him up there.
- [Edison grunts] - [RATHWELL] There we go.
Looks like the Southern Lord is up to something fun.
Oh, my.
Hey, check it out.
What's that?
[MIQUEL] Professor Barnes!
I know, I'm looking right at it.
And I heard the voice too.
What is that thing?
[students chattering]
[STUDENT 1] Whoa, that wasn't there this afternoon, right?
- No. Why don't we check it out? - No way!
[STUDENT 3] Do you think this is the trial we have to go through
to receive our crests?
[STUDENT 4] I hope not.
- [ROMAIN] Remain calm. - [students gasp]
This is Headmaster Elro Romain.
Release your fear.
I am asking for both students and faculty
to stay tranquil and focus.
This is a training exercise.
Wait, this is training?
[ROMAIN] Return to your rooms, lock the doors,
and fall into a deep sleep.
Those of you with the strength
to resist this command shall remain behind.
[ALL] Yes, understood.
[MAN] Headmaster, is it okay for us to act now?
I know it's an emergency,
but there are a great many spies among us.
I am unconcerned with that,
for they are helpless before the power of this book.
But that, that thing is different.
That filthy invader has no place on holy ground.
For this is Solsein, the sacred Village of Origin.
[gasps]
I will not allow this abomination to remain!
[grinding teeth]
[♪ closing theme song playing]