Gosick Episode 15

17	二匹の怪物は心をかよわせる Two Monsters Reach Out to Each Other's Heart

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Synopsis

At the shadow of the clock tower, Victorique continues to read on Leviathan's story.

Two years have passed since Leviathan performed a feat that astounded many — turning a white rose into a blue rose — and the queen Coco Rose appears to have fallen to his charms. However, Leviathan prefers that his face is kept behind the mask he always wears, and assures that he will stay loyal to her.

However, his private talk with the queen is interrupted by none other than Baron Musgrave.

A trial is later held, putting the existence of alchemy to the test, and among those who testify is a man named Jupiter Roget from the Kingdom of Sauville Science Academy. According to Roget, he wants to witness the alchemist's alleged ability to create gold on the spot, and this was later ordered by Baron Musgrave. However, Leviathan sees this as an elaborate plan to discredit him, and in response asks him if the baron would use the gold in his personal gain.

Leviathan then asks the king about his opinion. To his surprise, King Rupert's requests to see the alchemist's true face. He reveals that he is admittingly scared of his abilities, and wishes to know if he underwent a contract with a certain entity. Leviathan is frightened by the request, and is forced to hit Rupert out of surprise.

At the clock tower, Ian Musgrave goes to visit Leviathan and defends his abilities. Ian even urges the alchemist to teach him the art of alchemy to prove a point to his father.

Leviathan's response: killing him by forcing him to ingest liquid gold.

At that moment, Leviathan is confronted by several royal soldiers, and there he confesses the crime, but adds the fact that the liquid gold is impossible to have come from an external source, as the soldiers knew that there is no gold at the alchemist's workplace.

That night, Leviathan is alone at the topmost floor of the clock tower, while several of the troops prepare to arrest him. Leviathan discovers that he was overcome by anger and sadness and these emotions made him lose control and kill Ian in the process.

As Leviathan laments at his own mistakes, a young man approaches him. He introduces himself as Albert, and he offers his help to Leviathan. Albert strikes a deal with the alchemist, but only at the price of preparation... preparation for a storm that will shake the foundations of Sauville and the world... war.

And Albert's request: create artificial soldiers that will fight the war without fear... homunculi.

Finally, Victorique finds herself in the alchemist... imprisoned and filled with despair.

Meanwhile, Kazuya demands facts from the enigmatic Brian Roscoe.

Brian Roscoe asks Kazuya about his relation to Victorique, and is convinced that Gray Wolves do not trust people and are unable to make any friends; in addition, people who approach them are only there to usurp their unusual abilities.

He recalls his escape from the Blois mansion at the early years of the First World War. While he was able to take Cordelia Gallo with him, they were unable to take the then infant Victorique, who is kept at the highest tower of the mansion.

Brian then reveals that Victorique is in fact part of the plans for the preparations for a second war... a war that Kazuya remembers in Sergius's prophesying.

Kazuya declares to Brian that he will protect Victorique, but Brian acts as the devil's advocate, strongly doubting his capabilities. This incites Kazuya to attack Brian, but his attacks are easily evaded by the magician. Brian's kick is more than enough to disable Kazuya, but Kazuya remains strong, pointing out that Victorique is neither a monster nor a Gray Wolf but his friend.

Brian decides to leave upon realizing that Kazuya's resolve will not be shaken, and reminds him that things are already starting to happen... and he must be careful for Marquis de Blois is an unpredictable person, before vanishing.

Kazuya soon finds Victorique and the little girl declares that the mystery of Leviathan has been solved.

After calling forth Avril Bradley and Grevil de Blois, they proceed inside the clock tower. According to her, there are two reasons for the existence of the ghost story revolving on Leviathan: the first is that there exists a mysterious alchemist 20 years ago. The second is caused by the strange nauseating feeling that people experience inside the clock tower.

The second reason is later revealed by Victorique to be caused by the slanted design of the tower, which included hallways that meander slightly and staircases with uneven steps. The design then points to the story of Protestant discrimination, and the existence of secret Protestant hiding rooms throughout the town.

Victorique asks Kazuya to sing the African song once again, and she reveals that there are clues in the song itself. One of the more noticeable clues are "gold", and the line "Africans jumped over the scorched land, screamed and disappeared." adds more details. Victorique recalls that there are Africans who died in this town in 1873. 1873 is part of the Gold Rush Era. Even Sauville has a colony, and Africans are used to transport gold into the country. And to keep the secret of Sauville's gold from being exposed, the Africans are killed. However, the ruling king at that time passed away, and the only person who knew about the gold of Sauville is none other than Leviathan.

Avril knew that Victorique has considered Leviathan a fraud, but there are still things left unsolved. It turns out that the stained-glass painting behind the alchemist's workshop hides something, and it is activated by pressing on the pomegranate-colored flower in the painting. However, the flower conceals a spike filled with poison — which has killed Kai Wong in his curiosity — and it required Victorique to press on the flower using a wooden rod.

A mechanism soon activates, and an amazing sight unfolds in front of their eyes: a secret room filled with gold bars and the corpse of Leviathan. Victorique (with the help of Kazuya) reveals the real face of Leviathan, and finds out that he is African. It is then revealed that Leviathan is a survivor of the killings of the African gold porters and becomes Leviathan to save his motherland from being Sauville's colony.

It is also revealed that Leviathan suggested to Albert that he needs to have a daughter... a daughter of unexplainable power... to attain his wish for power.

That afternoon, Grevil visits Victorique outside the clock tower and tells her that the order to demolish the clock tower has been given. He then wonders about how much she knows about what happened, and after giving a vague response, Victorique finally understood the reason why she was kept inside the school's gates... that she was a tool for war, just like Leviathan. However, Grevil doubts that his father would be keeping her inside for long...

As Grevil leaves, Kazuya accompanies Victorique. It turns out that he has been looking for Victorique, and admits that there are times when he just can't determine where Victorique is. This saddens Victorique, and Kazuya, remembering the words of Sergius and Brian Roscoe, reassures Victorique that he will find her eventually.

The sun sets, and Kazuya and Victorique walk on with hands clasped together.

Characters

(in order of appearance)

• Victorique de Blois
• Leviathan
• Coco Rose
• Baron Musgrave
• Jupiter Roget
• Rupert de Gilet
• Brian Roscoe
• Cordelia Gallo
• Elder Sergius
• Avril Bradley
• Grevil de Blois
• Kai Wong

New Characters

• Marquis Albert de Blois

Trivia

Cultural References

• 1873 marks the gold rush in Pilgrim's Rest, South Africa.