"I listen to a boring song as I stare out the window" "Let me don a dress and dance for you" "Am I insane?" "Please tell me" "Someday, the wind will take me away" "And now we can't remember it" "Why don't I have wings to float in the sky, like the wind, like the clouds?" "Why don't I have wings to sink into the all-enveloping night, like the stars, like the moon?" "Ahh" "So this is the New Human Empire's capital, Byzantium..." "What do you think, Esther?" "Isn't our imperial capital beautiful?" "!" "Yes!" "Very!" "And that's the famous Lapis Lazuli Wall that blocks sunlight..." "Yes." "It's comprised of fine, mist-like particles that protect us Methuselahs by reflecting back the sun's ultraviolet rays." "I've finally returned!" "I never suspected it would take so long!" "We should feel lucky we made it all in one piece..." "Yes." "Young master." "We'll soon pass the wall and arrive at the capital." "Mimar." "I'm truly in your debt." "Not at all." "I just happened to be on my way back to the capital, too..." "I'm delighted I'm able to return even a fraction of the favor the Duchess of Moldova showed me long ago!" "Right!" "I won't forget your kindness!" "Why don't you stop by?" "Grandmother would surely love to see you!" "Thank you." "But I'm afraid I have cargo to unload..." "Oh." "That's too bad." "My deepest apologies." "Don't worry about it!" "We're the ones riding on your cargo ship." "Please forgive our heedless selfishness." "Young master." "You've changed a bit." "I have?" "Yes." "You're somehow..." "more mild-mannered." "That's possible." "A lot did happen in the Outer World..." "Your Lordship!" "We're going into the wall!" "Y-yes!" "Say, what happened to him?" "Father Nightroad..." "What is it this time?" "!" "W-well, I couldn't stave off my hunger, so I dug for scraps in the kitchen garbage can..." "Then my stomach suddenly hurt for some reason..." "Pull yourself together, Father!" "Sheesh..." "Father?" "!" "Esther-san... lf..." "If I wind up in the great beyond..." "Please bury me on a hill with a view of the sea..." "I'll... watch over you..." "from there..." "It's just food poisoning!" "Please quit dramatizing everything!" "Honestly!" "E" " Esther-san!" "Could you please not sound so pathetic!" "Yeesh..." "You're not a kid." "Here, I'll go get you some medicine." "I appreciate it..." "Well, we must be going now." "Right." "I pray for the success of your business." "U-uhh, young master..." "Umm..." "P-please, be careful." "Right!" "Umm..." "Is all of this part of your grandmother's mansion?" "But of course!" "This is the official residence of Mirka Fortuna, Duchess of Moldova and member of the Imperial Privy Council." "I'm going to explain everything to my grandmother, then have her arrange a secret meeting with Her Majesty." "I should be granted an audience in a day or two." "Then that means..." "Yes." "My journey with you will be over." "That's a relief!" "To be honest, this mission's importance had me so nervous..." "Say, Esther..." "Yes?" "Would you..." "If it's not a problem for you, would you, umm..." "Once this is over..." "Would you want to..." "Would you want to stay here in the Empire, with me" "I'm drowning!" "Save me!" "W-what are you doing?" "!" "Come on, now!" "Hold onto me, Father!" "I'm sorry, Your Lordship." "No, that's all right." "The mansion is managed by automata." "Have them give you a change of clothes." "Sorry to burden you..." "Grandmother!" "'Tis Ion!" "I've just returned!" "What... is all this?" "!" "Oh, no!" "Grandmother!" "Grandmother!" "Where are you?" "!" "Grandmother!" "Grandmother!" "Damn you!" "He has a vampire's speed..." "Your Lordship!" "Are you all right?" "!" "Esther!" "Esther." "My grandmother..." "My grandmother..." "Your Lordship!" "Esther-san!" " What just happened?" " This." "Bombs." "They were planted on their bodies." "Your Lordship." "Are you all right?" "I'm fine." "But my grandmother was" "This looks bad." "We're surrounded." "Eh?" " The Yeniceri..." " "Yeni?"" "Her Imperial Majesty's personal soldiers." "Oh!" "'Tis you, Lord Baybars!" "Perfect timing!" "My mansion..." "My grandmother" "Ion Fortuna, Count of Memphis!" "In the name of the Empire and Her Imperial Majesty, you are under arrest!" "You are charged with murdering the Duchess of Moldova and setting her residence on fire!" "Give yourself up quietly!" "You think I did this?" "!" "Absurd!" "There were already bandits in the mansion when I returned!" "Oh?" "Then where are these bandits of yours?" "Besides, you are Her Imperial Majesty's official envoy!" "Why would you sneak into the capital city without giving any word?" "!" "Why did you not go directly to the imperial palace?" "W-well..." "How do I put this..." "It appears your secret is out now." "Give yourself up quietly, or I will cut you down here!" "Cut me down?" "!" "You'll cut me down?" "!" "Don't spout nonsense while framing someone, you cur!" "Your Lordship?" "!" "Don't do it, Your Lordship!" "What a pity." "A few more centuries of training and you could've been very skillful." "This fight is over." "You lose, boy." "Die a noble death." " Your Lordship!" " Esther-san!" "Get back!" "Your Lordship!" "Let's escape!" "Escape?" "!" "You won't be able to clear your name if you get killed here!" "So you've fled..." "Dance expertly, boy." "Welcome home, Mistress." "Yes." "You were gone quite long today." "Were you at the imperial palace?" "Her Majesty summoned me as I was about to leave." "Might it have been related to your work in the Outer World?" "I'm impressed you figured that out, old man." "Envoys from the Vatican will soon be coming to the capital." "I was secretly told to take them in." "Apparently, Her Majesty sent a secret envoy to the Outer World some months ago." "That envoy will be returning shortly with envoys from there." "My mission is to protect them." "What do you suppose it is all for?" "I don't know." "But you were the first to form ties between the Terrans and the Empire." "The situation was likely deemed too important for me to know." "Old man." "Are we supposed to have guests today?" "No..." "I see." "Are you all right, Father?" "!" "Freeze, all of you!" "This is the manor of the Duchess of Kiev!" "Those who trespass upon this land must be prepared to" "Umm, hi!" "It's good to see you again, Asta-san!" "You!" "Old man!" "Prepare things for our guests!" "Huh?" "Understood!" "Now, then!" "What is the meaning of this?" "I look forward to a very good explanation, my tovaras!" "I feel like I'm in Heaven..." "But what odd water this is." "I wonder why it's so white?" "It's our secret family bath additive." "It's myrrh and marigold oil dissolved in sea hare milk cream." "It works wonders when you're exhausted." "D" " Duchess!" "L" " I'm sorry!" "I'll, uhh, get out right away!" " 'Tis all right." " Eh?" "Whether you're a Methuselah or a Terran, you're still my guest." "Relax all you like." "Thank you!" "If I remember correctly, you're" "My name is Esther Blanchett." "So you're Father Nightroad's colleague?" "That must be really tough..." "No..." "Well..." "Yes." "Umm..." "You and Father Nightroad..." "What sort of acquaintances are you?" "Concerned?" "No, it's not like that!" "I'm only" "I really owe him a lot." "I went to the Outer World on an imperial mission a while back, and he helped me out a lot." "And that's why you're helping us?" "There's that, but Her Majesty also gave me a new assignment today to protect Vatican envoys that would soon be coming here." " The empress did?" " Yes." "That means it's almost as if she knew what would happen to us..." "I don't understand anything, either." "But Her Majesty sees through everything in the Empire." "It may be that you were part of what she foresaw." "She is the eternal empress and mother of us Methuselahs." "She ruled in the past, the present, and will rule forever into the future." "If Her Majesty ordered it, I would give my life to protect you all." "Well, you should probably get out too, before you get dizzy." "R-right!" "Is that a battle scar?" "I'm impressed a Terran could survive such an injury..." "Eh?" "Oh, this is a birthmark." "Birthmark?" "'Tis a very well-defined star." "You still have not found the Count of Memphis or the Vatican envoys?" "No, though we are currently scouring the city." "We will find them in a day or two." "Well, no matter." "Things are proceeding as planned." "Thank you." "You may rest now." "Who goes there?" "I got the feeling I wouldn't be able to see you via ordinary means, so please forgive my rudeness." "ATerran?" "Who are you?" "I am Father Abel, of the Vatican's Holy Office." "Oh!" "Then I see my personal message arrived safely!" "But do you not have anything to say about the Moldova manor incident, man of the Vatican?" "First, there is one thing I'd like an answer to." "Who are you?" "What?" "What an odd thing to say." "I am the Empire's sole master, Augusta Vradica!" "Truly?" "Are you truly the empress?" "What are you trying to say?" "No, what exactly do you know?" "I bring news!" "There are signs that someone has infiltrated the" "Who are you, outsider?" "!" "There is no escape!" "Stop, Baybars!" "He must not be killed!" "Could that man have been" "I know this will not remain forever" "However, it's beautiful" "Your eyes, hands, and your warm smile" "They're my treasure" "It's hard to forget" "I wish there was a solution" "Don't spend your time in confusion" "I'll turn back now and spread" "My broken wings- still strong enough to cross the ocean with" "My broken wings- how far should I go drifting in the wind" "Higher and higher in the light (My broken wings)" "Still strong enough to cross the ocean with" "My broken wings- how far should I go drifting in the wind" "Across the sky, just keep on flying" "(What's falling from the sky is not rain... )" "Next time" " Episode 16:" "The Night Lords II. "Twilight of the Capital"" "Be sure not to miss it!" "=DS= 2006"